Link (film)

Link is a 1986 British horror film starring Elisabeth Shue and Terence Stamp. The title character, "Link", is a super-intelligent yet malicious orangutan who lashes out against his masters when they try to have him euthanised.

It was directed by Richard Franklin and written by Everett De Roche from a story by Lee David Zlotoff and Tom Ackermann. The score was provided by Jerry Goldsmith. It was filmed in St. Abbs, Scotland.

Shue and Goldsmith received Saturn Award nominations for their contributions.

Although the title primate is clearly an orangutan, he is referred to as a chimpanzee through the entire film, and his fur appears to have been dyed black (orangutans have reddish-brown fur).

Cast

 * Elisabeth Shue as Jane Chase
 * Terence Stamp as Dr. Steven Phillip
 * David O'Hara as Tom
 * Steven Pinner as David
 * Kevin Lloyd as Bailey
 * Richard Garnett as Dennis
 * Linus Roache (uncredited)
 * Locke as Link (uncredited)
 * Carrie as Voodoo (uncredited)
 * Jed as Imp (uncredited)

Production
In 1979 Richard Franklin optioned a short outline which he described as "a sort of Jaws with chimps." He did not do anything with it until Everett de Roche showed him a National Geographic article by Jane Goodall about violence among chimpanzees. De Roche wrote the script and the film was made in the UK for EMI Films. "The English setting to me was essential. 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."

- Richard Franklin

Filming finished in July 1985. It was one of the last films made under the regime of Verity Lambert at EMI.

Release
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.

Reception
The film received generally mixed to negative reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gave at the film 17% positives reviews based on 6 reviews. Franklin later called the movie "on almost every level... an unsatisfying experience."