IMDb RATING
5.9/10
4.1K
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When a female zoology student is invited to a remote seaside mansion to assist a primatology professor with his experiments involving chimpanzees, dangerous events start to occur, all involv... Read allWhen a female zoology student is invited to a remote seaside mansion to assist a primatology professor with his experiments involving chimpanzees, dangerous events start to occur, all involving the intelligent 45-year-old chimp, Link.When a female zoology student is invited to a remote seaside mansion to assist a primatology professor with his experiments involving chimpanzees, dangerous events start to occur, all involving the intelligent 45-year-old chimp, Link.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 win & 3 nominations total
Steven Finch
- David
- (as Steven Pinner)
Daisy Ashford
- Becky
- (uncredited)
Geoffrey Beevers
- Mr. Miller
- (uncredited)
Jed the Chimpanzee
- Imp the Chimp
- (uncredited)
Caroline John
- Mrs. Miller
- (uncredited)
Locke the Orangutan
- Link
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
A young Elizabeth Shue plays Jane Chase,an American student studying at the London Institute of Sciences,who accepts a holiday job as housekeeper for anthropology professor Steven Philip at his house on the remote Cornish coast.Steven has three trained chimpanzees named Link,Voodoo and Imp.When professor mysteriously vanishes Jane is left alone in the house with Link whose behaviour has become increasingly more menacing."Link" is a surprisingly effective killer ape flick.It offers some great shocks and the monkey Link looks very sinister.The score by Jerry Goldsmith is splendid.Unfortunately the explanation of Link's murderous behaviour is not particularly clear.Director Richard Franklin has also made "Patrick","Road Games" and "Psycho II".8 out of 10.
I think this was a break-through movie for Elizabeth Shue. It was the first time I heard of her as an actress. I think I saw the movie back in 1988, but it made quite an impact on my young impressionable mind. After watching the movie, I had a real fascination with primate intelligence. The psycho-sexual interaction between Shue and the monkeys stayed in mind all this time. In particular, I remember quite vividly the bathroom scene. It was strange from me to see that back then. And, everytime I see anyone take a bath or shower with a pet in the bathroom on a movie or commercial, I think of that scene.
The cast,featuring a young Elisabeth Shue and Terence Stamp,was appealing.But,as for the latter,he does his stint,then collects his money quickly ,as if he wanted to get out of this drivel as soon as possible.Anyway,he was miscast:Stamp needs excessiveness,he cannot do anything with a straight character.The "cultural" intro is de rigueur in these "experiment" movies,here Stamp bestows on us a whole lecture ,complete with pay-attention-I'll-ask-you-some-questions-next-week.
It seems that the humans are very strange and that everybody's got something to hide except for Elisabeth and her monkeys.The humans leave the stage for a while,and the beautiful girl is on her own ,on her planet of the apes.The movie is then crawling along at 20 and it becomes boring.The Kinks' "Apeman" signals the boys' arrival and the slow-moving "psychological" suspense becomes a ape-like "Friday the thirteen".Best avoid.
It seems that the humans are very strange and that everybody's got something to hide except for Elisabeth and her monkeys.The humans leave the stage for a while,and the beautiful girl is on her own ,on her planet of the apes.The movie is then crawling along at 20 and it becomes boring.The Kinks' "Apeman" signals the boys' arrival and the slow-moving "psychological" suspense becomes a ape-like "Friday the thirteen".Best avoid.
To me, this film feels very mysterious in many ways. But that's what made this film fun to watch.
A young girl in uni is a scientist and she moves over to an old, run down house with a Doctor called Dr. Phillip. He is studying the races of the Chimpanzees. He lives with two of them called Imp & Voodoo and he has a butler Orangatanga named Link. One morning though he goes missing and Voodoo is dead. The girl (which I forgot her name) then tries to locate the professor/doctor and then there is a sense of anger in Link.
The plot takes on very well from what I have said. I watched this film at the start of the year, wondering what I would get out of it. I chose to watch this film for two reasons. 1. There where Monkeys and I think monkeys are great in any sorts of films what so ever, and 2. I just like horror. So with these combinations this is why I watched it.
I love the suspense that this film gives off once the doctor has gone missing. When this occurs your mind starts to have any vision about what could have happened to him.
Besides the fantastic plot, I think that chimps did a job well done, it must have taken hours for them to be trained! I also like all the music from the great music composer, Jerry Goldsmith. He was able to blend in the music really well.
Even if the deaths aren't as what you expect (Bloody, gory, which none of us like anyway), you will get a shocking kick out of this film.
I believe that this film deserves an 8.3/10, not a 5.6/10.
A young girl in uni is a scientist and she moves over to an old, run down house with a Doctor called Dr. Phillip. He is studying the races of the Chimpanzees. He lives with two of them called Imp & Voodoo and he has a butler Orangatanga named Link. One morning though he goes missing and Voodoo is dead. The girl (which I forgot her name) then tries to locate the professor/doctor and then there is a sense of anger in Link.
The plot takes on very well from what I have said. I watched this film at the start of the year, wondering what I would get out of it. I chose to watch this film for two reasons. 1. There where Monkeys and I think monkeys are great in any sorts of films what so ever, and 2. I just like horror. So with these combinations this is why I watched it.
I love the suspense that this film gives off once the doctor has gone missing. When this occurs your mind starts to have any vision about what could have happened to him.
Besides the fantastic plot, I think that chimps did a job well done, it must have taken hours for them to be trained! I also like all the music from the great music composer, Jerry Goldsmith. He was able to blend in the music really well.
Even if the deaths aren't as what you expect (Bloody, gory, which none of us like anyway), you will get a shocking kick out of this film.
I believe that this film deserves an 8.3/10, not a 5.6/10.
A zoology student (Elisabeth Shue) must try to out smart a murderous and super-intelligent orangutan.
The 1980s were a strong decade for monkey-themed horror. Not only did we get Argento's "Phenomena", but one of George Romero's better films, "Monkeyshines". This one has probably fallen through the cracks, despite coming from director Richard Franklin ("Psycho II") and starring a pre-babysitting Shue and the wonderful Terence Stamp.
The film also raises some great ethical and philosophical questions about how primates should be treated. Are murderous monkeys responsible for their behavior? And is the professor in this film a hero of science or a villain who mistreats his experiments?
The 1980s were a strong decade for monkey-themed horror. Not only did we get Argento's "Phenomena", but one of George Romero's better films, "Monkeyshines". This one has probably fallen through the cracks, despite coming from director Richard Franklin ("Psycho II") and starring a pre-babysitting Shue and the wonderful Terence Stamp.
The film also raises some great ethical and philosophical questions about how primates should be treated. Are murderous monkeys responsible for their behavior? And is the professor in this film a hero of science or a villain who mistreats his experiments?
Did you know
- TriviaCarrie, the chimp that plays Voodoo, is a full grown adult chimpanzee. Adult chimps are rare in film due to their strength and aggression.
- GoofsThe dog Link kills transforms from a live Rottweiler, into a clearly long-dead, shriveled, dusty, stuffed Doberman, upon death.
- Quotes
Link: [On keyboard] COOK PHONE.
- Alternate versionsThere is two other versions of the movie. The french theatrical cut (available on all the french home video editions) is 3 minutes shorter but includes scenes missing from the international cut, giving to the movie a much more psychological effect. If the first scene in the US cut is missing (the Imp's escape) all the parts with Terence Stamp are much longer and makes the movie much more coherent. In 2021, a 125 minutes cut including all scenes from both versions was released in France on Blu-ray and UHD.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Trailer Trauma 3: 80s Horrorthon (2017)
- SoundtracksAPEMAN
Performed by The Kinks
Music by Ray Davies
Published by Davray Music Ltd.
Courtesy of Carlin Music
- How long is Link?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,720,450
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $660,874
- Oct 5, 1986
- Gross worldwide
- $1,720,450
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