Episode 96 — Monkey Shines

[hacim 0]

I was so confused by June's issue with the monkey casting, but I loved the entire segment of her trying to explain it.

[robinsbruce 4985]

I thought Yoga was a religious thing, at least in India?

 

Mosy definitely a spiritual endeavor. It's only in north America that it has been watered down to an exercise class for moms.

[freeagent 329]

one of my favorite episodes. June's monkey discussion as one of the best things on the show. Jason was killing me as well. so many great moments such as the mention that Ella probably rode Alan's face. haha

 

oh yeah... all this Tooch talk and no mention Two Charted?

[robinsbruce 4985]

 

oh yeah... all this Tooch talk and no mention Two Charted?

 

Toobs brah

[Graham Wheeler 344]

NOBODY THINKS THAT BEARS HAVE EVOLVED BEYOND THE POINT OF ATTACKING.

 

JEEEEEEEEEEBUS...this ep. has howdies #2 written all over it.

[justsomeman 127]

I had to make this, you guys. I HAD to. Big version can be found here.

 

You. Win. Everything.

 

You win the weekly Earwolf Listener award.

[DorkyButCool 86]

I can't even wrap my head around what June is trying to get at. Just listening to the logic of her argument gave me a slight stress headache. It was too much.

[jarrycanada 2483]

My favorite scene was this... Kind of makes me want to get one.

 

 

that and later when the budgie attacks, I was on the floor.

[robinsbruce 4985]

At the risk of starting an argument, I would respectfully disagree with June on animal testing. Cosmetic testing is certainly bullshit and is completely unnecessary. However, if you value and support things like cancer research, you are indirectly supporting animal testing no matter what. Survival rates for cancers are the highest they have ever been and that is, in large part, due to animal testing. Especially when it comes to things like breast cancer that are much more likely to hit young, otherwise healthy individuals. Again, I'm not saying animal testing is awesome and some of it definitely has a moral grey area to it, I'm just putting it out there that some animal testing does have useful, actionable implications for modern healthcare, and in particular cancer research.

 

Fantastic episode.

[AshuraFleck 123]

The number of deeply irritated sighs emitted by the crew while discussing this film was a source of unending hilarity.

 

If someone could do a supercut a la Gooby of all the times they say "monkey" and/or "brains" in this episode I'd literally lose my mind.

[rararachel 190]

The best thing about June philosophizing is that I find myself so confused until she hits one point so clearly that I am 100% on board, but then she continues with more details and I am lost again.

[insurgent1979 9]

as i was watching this, i thought to myself

 

"i bet this was a book, and they only filmed half of it".

 

and now i know i was right.

 

 

 

by the way, i looove this show!

 

so it's almost "human cruelty" to make us wait this long.

 

it's dangerous.

 

that's all i'm saying, guys.

 

it's dangerous.....

[insurgent1979 9]

So many things!

 

My favorite thing I saw was at the welcome home party in the beginning. Maggie from Northern Exposure goes into the bathroom to freshen up and there is a framed drawing of a butt hanging on the wall. Not somebody drawn from behind...just a disembodied butt. I'll post a screenshot when I get home from work.

 

Second, on the subject of Maggie, here's something crazy. She never visited him in the hospital! He was there for months presumably!

 

There was also a part where someone was just eating a huge piece of bread, but I can't remember who.

 

And a parting thought. What if this movie was framed as a supervillain origin story? Then it might be a little more interesting.

 

 

wow, now THAT would make a whoooole lot of sense!!!

[JDLP 23]

Guessing that the Stephen King confusion comes from the (probably intentional) similarities between the Monkey Shines poster and the cover of King's "Skeleton Crew":

 

 

Speaking of Stephen King, please do a "Maximum Overdrive" episode.

[DanEngler 5249]

At the risk of starting an argument, I would respectfully disagree with June on animal testing.

STICK TO YOUR POTATOES, POTATO-MAN!

[DanEngler 5249]

CORRECTION & OMISSION: By the time this episode (finally) dropped, the Daredevil HDTGM t-shirts had been removed from the Earwolf Store, presumably because they were already sold out.

[mattman92ish 823]

there is no such crime as monkey shurder

[Kngdkdkssl 56]

I have to say, I agree with June about the first hour of the movie. I was RIVETED by Allan's psychological journey. And the sex scene made my heart swell for him. This could have been a quality lifetime movie sans the whirlwind that was the killer monkey agenda.

[Kngdkdkssl 56]

There was also a part where someone was just eating a huge piece of bread, but I can't remember who.

 

I noticed that too! It was Melanie, when they went fishing. They had set up a picnic of loaves of bread.

[jarrycanada 2483]

CORRECTION & OMISSION: we all know this was the day fonzie lost his cool

 

 

Picture: Jumping the shark.

[LandenWilson 3]

I agree with The Shining comparison! Allan and Ella are literally shining to one another a la Danny Torrance and Dick Hallorann.

 

That said, a couple of interesting parallels:

 

1) During the 80’s, Romero and King, both old friends, were known to heavily hit the bottle while working — Romero on this film and King while writing Cujo! Could the two have met at an AA meeting and became besties?

 

2) In the vein of The Shining, Allan would also be the Jack Torrance character, as he’s slowly (sometimes rashly) losing his sanity over the course of the film and Ella is the physical manifestation of that — or, if you will, Ella is Jack Torrance’s axe! Whether or not that is intentional on the writer of the novel’s part is unknown to me; however, it could definitely be a possibility on Romero’s part, as he wrote the screenplay.

 

Onto a sort-of omission:

 

I put it to you, Paul, that the first 10-15 minutes could have been omitted and the movie would have worked exactly the same. The movie could have started as Allan enters his first day of physical therapy as a paraplegic and we the audience would have instantly known everything we needed to know about our “hero.” And, most importantly, the movie would run under 100 minutes!

[Lukas Holmes 2287]

I think the Howdies just got swept. WOW! That final conversation was, perhaps, the most amazing moment in podcast history.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Two more (upsetting) things:

 

Although I appreciate the Rear Window-esque bit of pure cinema in the hospital where the camera pans over the pictures of Allan running and winning various events before finally revealing him in bed in all his Marty Stouffer bearded glory, what kind of monster would put those pictures up in the first place? "Hey guy, just a perpetual reminder of that thing you used to love to do, but will never do again. Here, let's put them right in eye shot so you have no choice but to look at them."

 

Guys, why does everyone HATE Allan?

 

Also, right before they have sex, Allan goes to kiss Melanie and misses. His head drops, and in a great bit of acting, he quietly weeps. She is now standing behind him and silently unbuttons her sexy flannel shirt. Okay, I am good with all of that (although I am not sure I am good with her laying full body weight on someone who most likely has issues breathing), my main problem is that she doesn't reassure him first that everything is cool. The dude is going through some shit. He probably feels a little stupid and helpless. So Dumb-dumb, maybe before you start stripping off your clothes and flashing your boobs, you give him a little kiss. Maybe tell him, "Hey, it's okay, I am into you too."

 

Fuck, I'm sorry, I feel like John Cleese in Monty Python and the Meaning of Life ("Why not start off with a kiss, hmmm? ...We have all these possibilities before we stampede towards the clitoris!), but I thought it was pretty weird.

[heelociraptor 27]

And the sex scene made my heart swell for him.

Made something else swell.

 

Nailed it.

[Kngdkdkssl 56]

Made something else swell.

 

Nailed it.

 

there it is