Batsh-t Insane

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The upcoming movie “The Monkey,” directed by Osgood Perkins who wrote for “Longlegs” and is an adaptation of Stephen King‘s work, has garnered some favorable reviews from online critics. Now, Stephen King himself, known as the Master of Horror, has expressed his thoughts on the film via his Threads account, and they were also positive.

He penned down, “There‘s nothing quite like THE MONKEY. It‘s extraordinarily eccentric. Having dabbled in eccentricity myself on occasion, I express this with genuine admiration.” This is a very positive appraisal that undoubtedly will make Stephen King fans eager for the movie, boosting their anticipation significantly.

King‘s views on film adaptations of his works span a wide range. He infamously dislikes “The Shining,” the 1980 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on King‘s third novel, which featured Jack Nicholson and the late Shelley Duvall. Conversely, he seems to appreciate the initial “Children of the Corn” movie quite a bit. Regardless of his stance, King is always vocal about his opinions.

The foundation for the short story titled The Monkey was initially published back in 1980 and later included in Stephen King‘s collection called Skeleton Crew, which came out in 1985. This tale revolves around a man discovering the title character, a windup chimp with cymbals, and as he does so, memories of his childhood resurface. These memories are particularly poignant because they center on the idea that death seemed to be lurking whenever the monkey struck its cymbals together.

The upcoming movie titled “The Monkey” largely adheres to a familiar plotline, yet significantly ramps up the grisly depictions of on–screen deaths. In this rendition, the monkey wields drumsticks and beats a snare, but the result remains consistent: whenever the monkey strikes his drum, somebody meets their demise. What‘s intriguing is that the film reportedly packs a punch with humor as well, an aspect suggested by its recently unveiled red band trailer, which seamlessly combines jokes and excessive amounts of blood. “The Monkey” features Theo James, Elijah Wood, Sarah Levy, and Tatiana Maslaney, set to premiere in theaters on February 21 through NEON.

King‘s Work Is Ripe For a Bonkers Horror Comedy

King‘s works may not immediately strike one as humorous, but upon closer inspection, you‘ll uncover numerous instances of dark, comedic elements woven into his novels and short stories. Many of these have effectively transitioned to the big screen. One of his lesser–known films, “The Dark Half” directed by George A. Romero, skillfully combines humor with horror.

In another collaboration between Romero and King, the 1982 anthology film titled “Creepshow” is another of the author‘s creations that amuses as well as frightens. Particularly noteworthy is the segment titled “The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill,” where King portrays a rural man tormented by a strange, mossy fungus that sprouted from a meteorite.

In conclusion, among the author‘s finest movie adaptations stands Rob Reiner‘s 1990 version of Misery. This film skillfully keeps audiences tense by turning some of Annie Wilkes‘s (Kathy Bates) transformations into sociopathy into dark humor. While some laughter may be uneasy or forced, the absurdity of Annie saying “cockadoodie” is undeniably funny due to our uncertainty about her actions. As viewers, we can only laugh and prepare ourselves for the impending terror.

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2025-01-27 01:31