''Link'' is a 1986 British
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
starring
Elisabeth Shue
Elisabeth Shue (born October 6, 1963) is an American actress. She has starred in films such as '' The Karate Kid'' (1984), '' Adventures in Babysitting'' (1987), ''Cocktail'' (1988), ''Back to the Future Part II'' (1989), '' Back to the Future P ...
and
Terence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp (born 22 July 1938) is an English actor. Known for his sophisticated villain roles, he was named by ''Empire (magazine), Empire'' as one of the 100 Sexiest Film Stars of All Time in 1995. He has received various accolades in ...
along with a trio of
simian
The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder (Simiiformes ) of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders New World monkey, Platyrrhini (New World mon ...
stars which consist of Locke as Link, Jed as Imp, and Carrie as Voodoo. The title character, "Link", is a super-intelligent yet malicious
chimpanzee
The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of Hominidae, great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close rel ...
(played by an
orangutan
Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ...
) who lashes out against his masters when they try to have him
euthanised
Animal euthanasia (euthanasia from ; "good death") is the act of killing an animal humanely, most commonly with injectable drugs. Reasons for euthanasia include incurable (and especially painful) conditions or diseases, lack of resources to con ...
.
It was directed by
Richard Franklin and written by
Everett De Roche from a story by
Lee David Zlotoff
Lee David Zlotoff (born July 10, 1954) is a producer, director and screenwriter best known as the creator of the TV series ''MacGyver (1985 TV series), MacGyver''. He started as a screenwriter for ''Hill Street Blues'' in 1981. He then became a ...
and Tom Ackermann. The score was provided by
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith (February 10, 1929July 21, 2004) was an American composer, conductor and orchestrator with a career in film and television scoring that spanned nearly 50 years and over 200 productions, between 1954 and 2003. He was consid ...
. It was filmed in
St. Abbs,
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. Shue and Goldsmith received
Saturn Award
The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...
nominations for their contributions.
Franklin was a devotee of
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featu ...
- he had recently directed ''
Psycho II'' - and said after filming “I hesitate to liken it to ''The Birds'' because everyone will say ‘Oh shit, he's doing Hitchcock again.' Unlike ''The Birds'', which is kind of a fantasy, ''Link'' is based on anthropological realities. I’m calling it an anthropological thriller as opposed to a psychological thriller.”
Plot
One night a young girl, Becky, screams in bed, claiming she saw something at the window. Elsewhere in the house, someone has killed some animals.
Dr. Steven Phillip lives in a Victorian mansion by the English Coast with three
apes
Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a superfamily of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and Europe in prehistory, and counting humans are found glo ...
(Two
chimpanzees
The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close relative the ...
and an
orangutan
Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ...
) 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 an orangutan named Link, dressed in a butler's uniform.
Phillip disappears, but Jane thinks he left for London. She decides to stay with the chimpanzees. Over time, the apes become more violent. They begin to take over the house and to get involved in inter-tribal squabbles, leading to a confrontation with Jane.
Cast
Human actors
*
Elisabeth Shue
Elisabeth Shue (born October 6, 1963) is an American actress. She has starred in films such as '' The Karate Kid'' (1984), '' Adventures in Babysitting'' (1987), ''Cocktail'' (1988), ''Back to the Future Part II'' (1989), '' Back to the Future P ...
as Jane Chase, a young American
zoology
Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...
student studying in England who takes the opportunity to assist Dr. Phillip with his studies.
*
Terence Stamp
Terence Henry Stamp (born 22 July 1938) is an English actor. Known for his sophisticated villain roles, he was named by ''Empire (magazine), Empire'' as one of the 100 Sexiest Film Stars of All Time in 1995. He has received various accolades in ...
as Dr. Steven Phillip, an
anthropologist
An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...
studying the mental capabilities of
chimpanzees
The chimpanzee (; ''Pan troglodytes''), also simply known as the chimp, is a species of great ape native to the forests and savannahs of tropical Africa. It has four confirmed subspecies and a fifth proposed one. When its close relative the ...
in his isolated estate in the English countryside.
Anthony Perkins
Anthony Perkins (April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992) was an American actor. Born in Manhattan, Perkins began his career as a teenager in summer stock theater, summer stock programs, although he acted in films before his time on Broadway the ...
was offered the role but turned it down.
* Steven Pinner as David, Jane's boyfriend who investigates Phillip's estate after Jane's call gets abruptly cut off.
*
Kevin Lloyd
Kevin Reardon Lloyd (28 March 1949 – 2 May 1998) was a British television actor, who came to prominence in the role of DC Alfred "Tosh" Lines in Thames Television's police drama series ''The Bill''.
Early life
Kevin Reardon Lloyd was bo ...
as Bailey, Phillip's friend who is called to put Link down.
*
David O'Hara
David Patrick O'Hara (born 9 July 1965) is a Scottish stage and character actor. A graduate of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London, he is best known to audiences for his numerous supporting roles in high-profile films, includ ...
as Tom, David's friend who goes with him on his search for Jane.
* Richard Garnett as Dennis, David's friend who goes with him on his search for Jane.
*
Linus Roache
Linus William Roache (born 1 February 1964) is a British actor. He played Executive ADA List of Law & Order characters#Michael Cutter, Michael Cutter in the NBC dramas ''Law & Order'' (2008–2010) and ''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2011 ...
(uncredited)
Ape actors
* 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
orangutan
Orangutans are great apes native to the rainforests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are now found only in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus ...
. His fur was dyed darker and he wore
prosthetic
In medicine, a prosthesis (: prostheses; from ), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (Congenital, congenital disord ...
ears to make him resemble a chimpanzee. He was owned and trained by legendary animal trainer Ray Berwick.
* 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.
* 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).
Production
In 1979 Richard Franklin optioned a short outline which he described as "a sort of ''
Jaws'' with chimps."
["Richard Franklin and Link", ''Cinema Papers'', March 1989 p40] He did not do anything with it until the writer
Everett de Roche showed him a ''National Geographic'' article by
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall; 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English zoologist, Primatology, primatologist and Anthropology, anthropologist. She is considered the world's foremo ...
about violence among chimpanzees.
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 ''
2001
The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...
'', 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.”
[Gross p 39]
Everett De Roche wrote the script. Franklin tried to get finance for the film in Australia in 1981 but was then offered ''
Psycho II'' which led to ''
Cloak and Dagger
"Cloak and dagger" was a fighting style common by the time of the Renaissance involving a knife hidden beneath a cloak. The term later came into use as a metaphor, referring to situations involving intrigue, secrecy, espionage, or mystery.
Over ...
''. After those films he decided to reactivate ''Link''.
"''Link'' 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 ''Psycho'', actually, because you’ll notice that in mood, tone and look, it resembles ''Psycho II'', crossed with the English setting of ''
Jane Eyre
''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The firs ...
''.”
"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.”
Shooting
The film was made in the UK for
EMI Films
Canal+ Image International (formerly known as EMI Films, Thorn EMI Screen Entertainment, Lumiere Pictures and Television, and UGC DA) was a British-French film, television, animation studio and distributor. A former subsidiary of the EMI congl ...
. "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."
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.
"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. "
Filming finished in July 1985. It was one of the last films made under the regime of
Verity Lambert
Verity Ann Lambert (27 November 1935 – 22 November 2007) was an English television and film producer.
Lambert began working in television in the 1950s. She began her career as a producer at the BBC by becoming the founding producer of t ...
at EMI.
[Three of the best: David Newpart on three big theatrical names going into films Newport, David. The Guardian 1 Aug 1985: 11.]
"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."
[Gross p 65]
Release
The film had its world premiere at the
Avoriaz Fantasy Film Festival in January 1986.
[ It received a special jury prize at the festival.
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 ''Psycho II'' had been given the chance to make more money by playing fewer theatres for a longer period of time. ''Link'' is a very special thriller and should be treated accordingly.”]
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 liken the plight of my monkey movie to that of the horse in ''Black Beauty''."
Reception
The film received generally mixed reviews. Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
gave the film 44% positive reviews based on 18 reviews. Franklin later called the movie "on almost every level... an unsatisfying experience."
Alternate versions
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.
Cancelled sequel
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. "Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
said he would direct ''Jaws 2'' if he could do the story of the ''Indianapolis'', which is the story that’s told in ''Jaws'' by Robert Shaw. With ''Link'', we got an entirely different story, which takes chimps as far from the jungles
of Africa as possible.” However the commercial failure of ''Link'' meant the film was never made.
References
Notes
*
External links
*
''Link''
at Letterbox DVD
*
britishhorrorfilms.co.uk
review
Movie stills
{{Richard Franklin
1986 horror films
1986 films
British natural horror films
Films directed by Richard Franklin (director)
Films scored by Jerry Goldsmith
Films about apes
Films set in country houses
Golan-Globus films
EMI Films films
1980s English-language films
1980s British films
English-language horror films