Monkey Shines (1988)
Horror, Science Fiction, Drama, Thriller • 1h 53m
Overview
A quadriplegic man is given a trained monkey help him with every day activities, until the little monkey begins to develop feelings, and rage, against its new master and those who get too close to him.
Director: George A. Romero
Cast: Jason Beghe, John Pankow, Kate McNeil, Joyce Van Patten, Christine Forrest, Stephen Root, Stanley Tucci, Janine Turner, William Newman, Tudi Wiggins, Patricia Tallman, David Early, Eric Morgan Stuart, Brad Long, Robert Hendren, Debra Gordon, Kate English, Rik Billock, Christina Galesi, Leslie Dane Shapiro, Alice Shure, Melanie Verlin, Anthony DiLeo Jr., Lia Savini, Mitchell Baseman, Tina Romero, Michael Naft, Chuck Baker, Frank Welker
Director: George A. Romero
Mono: 35mm scan, old Shout! Factory and Australia Umbrella Blu-ray sounds better than the rest of the discs, but has noise reduction
Stereo: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray has a transfer of the 1986 Japan LaserDisc Stereo
Director: George A. Romero
Mono: 35mm scan, old Shout! Factory and Australia Umbrella Blu-ray sounds better than the rest of the discs, but has noise reduction
Stereo: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray has a transfer of the 1986 Japan LaserDisc Stereo
Director: George A. Romero
2020 Second Sight 4K Blu-ray
Theatrical: 2017 Midnight Factory Blu-ray or 2013 Japan Happinet Blu-ray
European: 5.1 remix on 2016 Midnight Factory and 2021 ESC 4K Blu-ray much more detailed than all mono mixes
Director: George A. Romero
2020 Second Sight 4K Blu-ray
Theatrical: 2017 Midnight Factory Blu-ray or 2013 Japan Happinet Blu-ray
European: 5.1 remix on 2016 Midnight Factory and 2021 ESC 4K Blu-ray much more detailed than all mono mixes
Director: George A. Romero
Director: George A. Romero
Director: George A. Romero
Shout! Factory Blu-ray for the original Dolby stereo, 4K Blu-ray is a downmix
Director: George A. Romero
Shout! Factory Blu-ray for the original Dolby stereo, 4K Blu-ray is a downmix
Director: George A. Romero
Director: George A. Romero
Director: George A. Romero
Director: George A. Romero
Director: Vincent Ward
Director: Vincent Ward
Director: John Woo
Director: John Woo
Director: John Woo
Director: John Woo
Director: John Woo
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray > Disk Kino/WCL China import
review: Disk Kino
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray has the original mono
Director: John Woo
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray > Disk Kino/WCL China import
review: Disk Kino
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray has the original mono
Director: Peter Medak
Imprint 4K Blu-ray scheduled for August 2026 release
Director: Peter Medak
Imprint 4K Blu-ray scheduled for August 2026 release
Directors: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Directors: Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin, Jr.
Director: Gordon Douglas
Director: Gordon Douglas
Director: John Badham
Director: John Badham
Director: Martin Brest
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray new master much better than their 2016 artificially sharpened Blu-ray but grain managed
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray "OG audio" is a downmix, R1 DVD has the original with much better dynamics than Shout! Factory's upmix
Director: Martin Brest
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray new master much better than their 2016 artificially sharpened Blu-ray but grain managed
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray "OG audio" is a downmix, R1 DVD has the original with much better dynamics than Shout! Factory's upmix
More Horror on Blu-ray
Director: André de Toth
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
Director: André de Toth
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray
3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray
International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray
International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray > US Paramount 4K Blu-ray for the US Cut.
International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray, is significantly better than the US Paramount 4K Blu-ray (even with FEL Baked in and Dolby Vision), with more grain retention and detail
SDR Comparisons: International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray vs US Paramount 4K Blu-ray: https://slow.pics/c/TEPHtKjl
HDR Comparisons: International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray vs US Paramount 4K Blu-ray: https://slow.pics/c/hIFe11Hx
Comparisons in SDR using L8 Trim from CM v4.0 (both UHDs can use CM v4.0): Remux vs USA UHD: https://slow.pics/c/mkrhVtpl
The International Cut, which contains alternate, more violent shots in the final act, hasn't been released on home video to date.
International Cut contains alternate, more violent shots in the final act.
International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray
International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray > US Paramount 4K Blu-ray for the US Cut.
International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray, is significantly better than the US Paramount 4K Blu-ray (even with FEL Baked in and Dolby Vision), with more grain retention and detail
SDR Comparisons: International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray vs US Paramount 4K Blu-ray: https://slow.pics/c/TEPHtKjl
HDR Comparisons: International Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray vs US Paramount 4K Blu-ray: https://slow.pics/c/hIFe11Hx
Comparisons in SDR using L8 Trim from CM v4.0 (both UHDs can use CM v4.0): Remux vs USA UHD: https://slow.pics/c/mkrhVtpl
The International Cut, which contains alternate, more violent shots in the final act, hasn't been released on home video to date.
International Cut contains alternate, more violent shots in the final act.
Director: Wes Craven
France M6 Video 4K Blu-ray
France M6 Video - Geoff D review.
Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray disappointing - Avoid. Terrible release. Another Kino-grade encode with a huge DV layer. The Lionsgate Limited Steelbook has a different disc with exclusive bonus discs and apparently another poor encode but they also messed up the DV metadata and made that disc unwatchable with DV enabled.
US releases for the original audio
Pay per view version audio is on the UK Entertainment in Video Blu-ray and the France M6 Video 4K Blu-ray
Lionsgate Limited 4K Blu-ray has exclusive extras
Director: Wes Craven
France M6 Video 4K Blu-ray
France M6 Video - Geoff D review.
Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray disappointing - Avoid. Terrible release. Another Kino-grade encode with a huge DV layer. The Lionsgate Limited Steelbook has a different disc with exclusive bonus discs and apparently another poor encode but they also messed up the DV metadata and made that disc unwatchable with DV enabled.
US releases for the original audio
Pay per view version audio is on the UK Entertainment in Video Blu-ray and the France M6 Video 4K Blu-ray
Lionsgate Limited 4K Blu-ray has exclusive extras
Directors: Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou
Lionsgate retains more detail, but Second Sight might be better in motion. Both are very close. Caps
Directors: Danny Philippou & Michael Philippou
Lionsgate retains more detail, but Second Sight might be better in motion. Both are very close. Caps
Director: Roger Donaldson
88 Films & Scream Factory 4K Blu-ray
Imprint 4K Blu-ray scheduled for August 2026 release
88 Films tied with Scream Factory 4K Blu-ray (88 Films is FiM encoded)
88 Films and Scream Factory have exclusive extras
Director: Roger Donaldson
88 Films & Scream Factory 4K Blu-ray
Imprint 4K Blu-ray scheduled for August 2026 release
88 Films tied with Scream Factory 4K Blu-ray (88 Films is FiM encoded)
88 Films and Scream Factory have exclusive extras
Director: Tod Browning
Director: Tod Browning
Director: Fritz Kiersch
Director: Fritz Kiersch
Director: Karl Freund
Director: Karl Freund
Director: Richard Stanley
AU Umbrella 4K Blu-ray > US Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray
The US/Theatrical Cut on the Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray is AI upscaled and has DNR, along with Kino Lorber's usual poor compression.
Director's Cut uses a proper transfer but suffers from terrible compression, even by Kino standards.
The Umbrella with its FiM encode looks blurrier due to a slight low-pass filter, but is still far better than Kino.
AU Umbrella 4K Blu-ray and US Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray are the same.
The 5.1 track is a direct port of the lossy NTSC DVD track.
Director: Richard Stanley
AU Umbrella 4K Blu-ray > US Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray
The US/Theatrical Cut on the Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray is AI upscaled and has DNR, along with Kino Lorber's usual poor compression.
Director's Cut uses a proper transfer but suffers from terrible compression, even by Kino standards.
The Umbrella with its FiM encode looks blurrier due to a slight low-pass filter, but is still far better than Kino.
AU Umbrella 4K Blu-ray and US Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray are the same.
The 5.1 track is a direct port of the lossy NTSC DVD track.
Edit History
7/14/2025
Best Video Release
From
Shout UHD
To
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray, old master's magenta grading was dialed back
From
Shout UHD
To
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray, old master's magenta grading was dialed back
Best Audio Release
Added
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray 2.0 mix is said to be superior to the other mixes and is likely the original one
Added
Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray 2.0 mix is said to be superior to the other mixes and is likely the original one
7/14/2025
