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512:"From a technical viewpoint, it was really not as hard to do as I had anticipated," said Franklin. "But there was a lot of pressure on me, even at the last minute, to use men in suits, which I thought would be dishonest. We weren’t making a fantasy, and we weren’t making Greystoke with its fable-like qualities. We were doing something which was supposed to be based on what chimps can really do. "
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Dr. Steven
Phillip lives in a Victorian mansion by the English Coast with three chimpanzees which he has been doing research on to investigate the “link” between man and ape. Jane Chase is invited to his house during summer vacation as an assistant, and upon arriving, she gets greeted at the door by
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When the film was released in the US by the Cannon Group, eight minutes were cut, despite
Franklin's objections. When EMI was taken over by the Cannon Group, five more minutes were cut out. Franklin later described this process as "each new one chipping a little more away until my wife was moved to
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The French cut is 3 minutes shorter (the opening sequence is missing), but features scenes that were cut from the international version. In 2021, a composite 125 minutes extended cut was released in France; this cut was created based on various sources and features all scenes from both versions.
451:, between two groups of chimps. The whole ’60s idea of man being the only animal to make war against its own kind was suddenly thrown out the window. Since then, they’ve discovered that lions and other animals do it as well, but that, to me, was a really interesting idea for a good thriller.”
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Locke as Link, a 45 year old circus chimpanzee who now serves as
Phillip's butler and lashes out against his human masters. Despite being written to be a chimpanzee and having a poster of his old circus days as a chimpanzee, the role was given to Locke who is an
325:
Phillip disappears, but Jane thinks he left for London. She decides to stay with the chimpanzees. Over time, the chimps become more violent. They begin to take over the house and to get involved in inter-tribal squabbles, leading to a confrontation with Jane.
31:
506:. "The English setting to me was essential," said Franklin. "I wanted to contrast the primitivism of jungle animals with Old World values, high culture, and "civilisation" - which is one of the subjects of the picture."
444:
Franklin later said what sparked the idea of the film was
Goodall observing "the cannibalizing of young chimpanzees by one particular mad female chimp. She observed actual inter-tribal warfare, not unlike the opening of
530:
Prior to the film's release
Frankin said "Universal’s instinct will probably be to release it this summer, which I really hope they don't do. It’s not a Spielberg movie. It’s quite different and, in a way, I wish
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Prior to the film's release
Franklin said he had an idea for a follow-up movie, about an anthropologist in Africa who becomes involved in a chimpanzee war. "It would be another picture entirely, ” said Franklin.
522:"The killings are strange with one chimp actually pulling somebody through a mail slot, which is kind of different,” said Franklin. “It breaks new ground, and cinematically, it has never been done."
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Carrie as Voodoo, a female chimpanzee who is often caged for her aggressive nature, but is occasionally let loose. This is one of the few times a full grown chimpanzee is used in a film.
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is much more mysterious than it is horrifying," said
Franklin. "For a long time, the girl doesn’t know, nor does the audience, exactly what happened to the doctor. It owes a bit to
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494:"It’s very suspenseful and moderately violent, although chimps indulge in bloodless violence," said Franklin. "They don’t use weapons, they just pull your arms off.”
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gave the film 44% positive reviews based on 18 reviews. Franklin later called the movie "on almost every level... an unsatisfying experience."
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Franklin was asked to use make up for the apes but he elected to use real apes, and editing techniques to make it seem how they were reacting.
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Jed as Imp, Voodoo's son and
Phillip's prized student in his studies. He has a tendency to escape and kill other animals (birds, cats, sheep).
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636:, we got an entirely different story, which takes chimps as far from the jungles of Africa as possible.” However the commercial failure of
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stars which consist of Locke as Link, Jed as Imp, and Carrie as Voodoo. The title character, "Link", is a super-intelligent yet malicious
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Three of the best: David
Newpart on three big theatrical names going into films Newport, David. The Guardian 1 Aug 1985: 11.
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is based on anthropological realities. I’m calling it an anthropological thriller as opposed to a psychological thriller.”
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Everett De Roche wrote the script. Franklin tried to get finance for the film in
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Steven Pinner as David, Jane's boyfriend who investigates Phillip's estate after Jane's call gets abruptly cut off.
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ears to make him resemble a chimpanzee. He was owned and trained by legendary animal trainer Ray Berwick.
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had been given the chance to make more money by playing fewer theatres for a longer period of time.
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Franklin, Richard (1999). "Pistols at Dawn: the art of film versus the science of previewing".
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student studying in England who takes the opportunity to assist Dr. Phillip with his studies.
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In 1979 Richard Franklin optioned a short outline which he described as "a sort of
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Richard Garnett as Dennis, David's friend who goes with him on his search for Jane.
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LINK Monthly Film Bulletin; London Vol. 53, Iss. 624, (Jan 1, 1986): 376.
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because everyone will say ‘Oh shit, he's doing Hitchcock again.' Unlike
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as Tom, David's friend who goes with him on his search for Jane.
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is a very special thriller and should be treated accordingly.”
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with chimps." He did not do anything with it until the writer
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liken the plight of my monkey movie to that of the horse in
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as Bailey, Phillip's friend who is called to put Link down.
836:"Link (Comparison: Theatrical Version - Extended Version)"
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a chimpanzee named Link, dressed in a butler's uniform.
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858:"Test Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD : Link"
485:, crossed with the English setting of
288:nominations for their contributions.
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624:, which is the story that’s told in
357:studying the mental capabilities of
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404:. His fur was dyed darker and wore
441:about violence among chimpanzees.
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800:. Allen & Unwin. p. 123.
620:if he could do the story of the
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502:The film was made in the UK for
343:as Jane Chase, a young American
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640:meant the film was never made.
309:, which is kind of a fantasy,
284:. Shue and Goldsmith received
140:Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment
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1161:English-language horror films
987:The True Story of Eskimo Nell
725:"Richard Franklin and Link",
16:1986 film by Richard Franklin
1151:1980s English-language films
1116:British natural horror films
657:Jones, Alan (January 1987).
1136:Films set in country houses
834:Gerald Wurm (28 May 2018).
295:- he had recently directed
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667:. Fourth Castle Micromedia
353:as Dr. Steven Phillip, an
291:Franklin was a devotee of
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824:accessed 18 November 2012
165:31 October 1986
35:Theatrical release poster
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932:britishhorrorfilms.co.uk
883:. No. 52. p.
875:Gross, Edward (1986).
838:. Movie-Censorship.com
877:"Going Ape with Link"
616:said he would direct
241:along with a trio of
820:1 April 2013 at the
1156:1980s British films
860:. 16 December 2021.
815:, 15 September 1995
435:National Geographic
276:. It was filmed in
260:It was directed by
1141:Golan-Globus films
1027:Cloak & Dagger
973:Films directed by
598:Alternate versions
570:. You can help by
229:is a 1986 British
1111:1986 horror films
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270:Lee David Zlotoff
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218:$ 1,720,450 (USA)
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389:(uncredited)
387:Linus Roache
378:David O'Hara
335:Human actors
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286:Saturn Award
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182:Running time
158:Release date
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630:Robert Shaw
579:August 2016
437:article by
372:Kevin Lloyd
359:chimpanzees
231:horror film
210:$ 6 million
186:103 minutes
173: (U.S.)
116:Derek Trigg
106:Mike Molloy
74:Produced by
41:Directed by
1106:1986 films
1100:Categories
786:Gross p 65
756:Gross p 40
747:Gross p 39
711:Gross p 38
644:References
419:Production
406:prosthetic
394:Ape actors
255:euthanised
247:chimpanzee
215:Box office
169:1986-10-31
132:Production
1019:Psycho II
1011:Roadgames
842:19 August
765:Gross 39
551:Reception
533:Psycho II
504:EMI Films
488:Jane Eyre
483:Psycho II
457:Psycho II
402:orangutan
307:The Birds
303:The Birds
298:Psycho II
251:orangutan
233:starring
111:Edited by
1083:Visitors
927:AllMovie
881:Fangoria
818:Archived
519:at EMI.
498:Shooting
282:Scotland
278:St. Abbs
199:Language
121:Music by
82:Starring
61:Story by
1003:Patrick
995:Fantasm
671:17 July
632:. With
526:Release
345:zoology
202:English
191:Country
167: (
134:company
1086:(2003)
1078:(1997)
1070:(1996)
1062:(1995)
1054:(1992)
1046:(1991)
1038:(1986)
1030:(1984)
1022:(1983)
1014:(1981)
1006:(1978)
998:(1976)
990:(1975)
934:review
813:Signet
659:"Link"
618:Jaws 2
479:Psycho
243:simian
207:Budget
869:Notes
1043:F/X2
1035:Link
922:Link
911:Link
905:IMDb
900:Link
887:-65.
844:2022
687:Link
673:2023
638:Link
634:Link
626:Jaws
537:Link
475:Link
468:Link
448:2001
426:Jaws
330:Cast
317:Plot
311:Link
237:and
226:Link
24:Link
925:at
914:at
903:at
690:at
628:by
574:.
547:."
491:.”
67:and
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879:.
779:^
734:^
716:^
661:.
470:.
280:,
257:.
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612:"
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577:(
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171:)
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