HE WAS A KING AND A GOD IN THE WORLD HE KNEW, BUT NOW HE COMES TO CIVILIZATION MERELY A CAPTIVE: In honor of James Franco's latest screen venture, go ahead and name your favorite movie in which a monkey** appears.
** Or ape, orangutan, baboon, chimpanzee, or other primate like that. Let's not be sticklers.
Aladdin.
ReplyDeleteRaiders of the Lost Ark, of course.
ReplyDelete(Trying to remember now; are there any monkeys at all in Planet of the Apes? Theyr'e all Chimpanzees, Gorillas and Orangutans as I remember.)
The Wizard of Oz is a good one.
ReplyDeleteRaiders of the Lost Ark
ReplyDeleteStop the Planet of the Apes, I Want to Get Off!
I figured some academic or librarian had to have made a list of primates in movies, and indeed, here it is, from Wisconsin's National Primate Research Center. Ridiculously comprehensive, including some hilarious juxtapositions:
ReplyDeleteAlexander (2004)
Alexander and his troops battle with monkeys, thinking them to be small, hairy people.
American Werewolf in London, An (1981)
After a night on the town as a werewolf, David (James Naughton) wakes up in a zoo where several monkeys react by screeching at him.
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004)
A monkey is the boat mascot.
I loved 12 Monkeys. I was highly dismissive of this new PotA, but having read Drew McWeeny's elated review, I have to say that I'm intrigued by the idea that this is not a James Franco movie or a Frieda Pinto movie but instead a biopic of the first sentient ape.
ReplyDeleteIf Dan Hedaya counts, The Ususal Suspects.
ReplyDeleteYep, I had pretty much zero interest in this one--the trailers looked awful, and the constant name changes (originally titled "Caesar," the movie then became "Rise of the Apes," and then "Rise of the Planet of the Apes") didn't bode well--but the reviews from a number of folks I trust have been shockingly positive. I've moved from a "Oh hell no!" to a "maybe."
ReplyDeleteWow, that's like a list of "What Movies Has Watts Not Seen."
ReplyDeleteThat being said, Louis Prima in the Jungle Book? YES!
I've edited the post to avoid this issue.
ReplyDeleteThe Lion King
ReplyDeleteFilm Snob Edition:
ReplyDeleteAguirre, the Wrath of God
2001: A Space Odyssey *
The Fountain **
* Well, sort of: actors in primate costumes.
** I know it wasn't particularly admired when it came out in 2006, but I really do think The Fountain's repuation will continue to grow as time passes.
I'm trying to picture each movie as if those descriptions were the entire plot.
ReplyDeleteProject X (oh, how I loved Matthew Broderick!)
ReplyDeleteKenneth Turan gave it a very strong review on NPR this morning, which shocked the hell out of me. So maybe I'll see it on cable.
ReplyDeleteHead. Oh wait, that's The Monkees.
ReplyDeleteBedtime for Bonzo ;-)
ReplyDeleteGeorge of the Jungle. I understand it is in no way art, but my nephews watched it on repeat for a whole summer, and John Cleese as an ape named Ape was pretty funny.
ReplyDeleteMaybe some Los Lobos instead?
ReplyDeleteGorillas in the Mist though I haven't seen it in years
ReplyDeleteIf we're talking "monkey figures very prominently into the plot" movies as opposed to "Hey, I see a monkey!" movies, then it's George A. Romero's Monkey Shines by a mile.
ReplyDelete(And if we're talking about WORST monkey movies, the dreadful Congo has to be on the short list, notwithstanding Bruce Campbell's presence.)
Going Ape starring Tony Danza. Used to see that on tv all the time when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteEvery Which Way But Loose.
ReplyDeleteI still say "Right turn, Clyde" when I'm driving.
I never saw it but my husband really like Every Which Way But Loose.
ReplyDeleteHow am I the first to mention the tour de force that is BJ and the Bear?
ReplyDeleteI'm guest above.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen it, but how about "Dunston Checks In"?
ReplyDeleteGreat minds...
ReplyDeleteI just saw Rise of the Planet of the Apes and am SHOCKED to say that I freaking loved it. I was expecting to hate it and came out a total fan. It's engaging, exciting, and emotional. Animal-lovers be warned, though - it's really hard to watch at parts.
ReplyDeleteI went to camp for a couple of years (82 and 83, I think) with some kid who was in that movie in some minor role. Not surprisingly, this made him more of a celebrity at camp than Paul Anka's daughter, who was also at that camp.
ReplyDeleteBecause it was a shameful attempt to capitalize on the success of Every Which Way but Loose?
ReplyDeleteAlso, only qualifies as a TV movie.
ReplyDeleteOk Bonzo Goes to Bitberg was my go to line but Bedtime got mentioned (and who was the monkey in that movie?)
ReplyDeleteso
WTF No Tarzan? Weissmuller, Please. Cheeta Rules!
Dear god, no. And also no the the Matt LeBlanc baseball thing with the chimp.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea why I want to see it, since it couldn't be less my type, but I totally want to see it.
ReplyDeleteYay! You just nudged me over the edge. Definitely going to see it!
ReplyDeleteUm, also the original King Kong and the original Mighty Joe Young.
ReplyDeleteThere's a reason why I've never seen either of them.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Tarzan, Greystoke. Yes, there's dubbed Andie McDowell, but also Ralph Richardson traysledding down his mansion staircase and "Belgian" Ian Holm. The go-to quote from this one, useful when expressing (mock) loss/grief. 'E ... was ... ma ... FADDARE!" (We also like "RA-zor, Jean. RA-zor," for moments of explanation or demonstration.)
ReplyDeleteI have great childhood memories of watching both those movies on DC's Channel 20 on our B&W TV.
ReplyDeleteI confess to having found Peter Jackson's King Kong tremendously moving. Yes, it's overlong and overstuffed, but it left me in tears, chiefly because how much Kong reminded me and my best and oldest friend, with whom I saw the movie, of her dad--a tough, proud old bastard and WWII vet with a renaissance man's curiousity who was riddled with end-stage cancer at the time but just refusing to die -- positively raging at the dying of the light. If I ever meet Andy Serkis, I'd love to tell him how much the dignity and strength of his performance meant to me and my friend, but I probably wouldn't be able to get through the thanks without crying.