Movies

Let's face it...Monkeybone is definitely not the greatest movie ever made, but it has it's points. Stu's visit to "Downtown" while in his coma has some truly startling special effects and puppetry...there are many images and icons from popular culture that are transposed here with great comedic and nightmarish effect. The sequence in which Stu goes into the surrealist painting he himself made has an unsettling quality to it that I usually only feel with Dali or Bunuel.Brendan Fraser is very adequate in this movie, and Chris Kattan's appearance was quite welcome, but Bridget Fonda's prodigious acting talents are wasted here.

"Monkeybone" is one of the most visually stimulating movies I've seen in quite a while! Its run in theaters was too brief, which doesn't do a movie like this justice. The imagery was surreal and disturbing, in a nice sort of way. It was interesting to see the strange denizens of Downtown, the mythological characters, the dead celebrities and so many others. The animated Monkeybone keeps the action and the comedy at a fever pitch. It all may have been too much for the average moviegoer. But I say this weird kaleidoscope is worth a look. You won't believe your eyes!

I have recently viewed Monkeybone on VHS and DVD. I was happy to see Hollywood take artistic chances in a big budget film. Henry Selick is to be congratulated on getting most of his vision on screen. The DVD showed what it could have been if fully realised. The cast was excellent with two bravura performances by Brendan Fraser and Chris Kattan.They cemented the film into a wonderfully dark comic piece.This is a difficult balance to develop and maintain. The TOWNTOWN sets were very suggestive and multilayered as our subconscience is as well.More would have been even better. This reminded me of the Salvador Dali sets created for Alfred Hitchcock's SPELLBOUND. There,too, the producer,David O.Selznick, got cold feet in not using all the sets which would have made the film a landmark piece.Again,afraid what audiences will accept.Please continue in breaking new ground. Thank you.