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Movies / On DVD / Spanking the Monkey
Spanking the Monkey

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Spanking the Monkey (1994)

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90 %
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Reviews Counted: 21

Fresh: 19

Rotten:2

Average Rating: 7.1/10

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: The debut feature from writer-director David O. Russell tells the darkly comic story of a young pre-med student's nearly unbearable summer vacation. When Ray Aibelli's promiscuous father orders him... The debut feature from writer-director David O. Russell tells the darkly comic story of a young pre-med student's nearly unbearable summer vacation. When Ray Aibelli's promiscuous father orders him to stay home for the summer and care for his mother, who recently broke her leg, he misses out on an incredibly important internship. As Ray struggles with the realization that he's wasting his summer doing nothing at home, he must contend with an endless string of seemingly insurmountable circumstances, including a failed brief relationship with a young high school student. Things reach their boiling point when Ray and his mother get drunk one night, leading to an incestuous encounter that pushes him over the edge. Humiliated, depressed, and downtrodden, Ray decides to commit suicide to end his troubles forever. Russell's racy story walks a tightrope between deep psychological drama and taboo comedy, resulting in a highly original tone that keeps SPANKING THE MONKEY from buckling under the pressure. Featuring a standout performance by Davies, as well as Watson, who recalls Anne Bancroft's Mrs. Robinson in THE GRADUATE, this is one of the 1990's most auspicious directorial debuts. [More]

Starring: Jeremy Davies, Alberta Watson, Carla Gallo, Benjamin Hendrickson

Starring: Jeremy Davies, Alberta Watson, Carla Gallo, Benjamin Hendrickson

Director: David O. Russell

Director: David O. Russell

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Dec 6, 2005

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Spanking the Monkey

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N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/20/08
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A bitingly funny tale of frustrated sexuality.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
04/09/07
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

David O. Russell's gleefully subversive family saga offers a twisted coming of age tale that begins realistically before pushing its characters over rhe edge into lunacy.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
01/13/07
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Derek Adams
Time Out

Plays as a bad middle-class suburban joke that hits the right note between satire and being a shocker.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
12/10/05
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

A very intriguing independent movie with stong performances.

comment Comment
10/10/05
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

comment Comment
06/19/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
04/13/05
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

No review available.

comment Comment
11/19/04
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
08/30/04
Caryn James
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
06/10/04
Sarah Chauncey
Reel.com

No review available.

comment Comment
02/22/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
09/02/03
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/20/03
Leonard Schwarz
Palo Alto Weekly

Excellent art-house dark comedy with a strange, incestuous theme.

comment Comment
03/19/03
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
01/24/03
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

An outrageous, assured debut from a talented new director.

comment Comment
01/16/03
Blake Davis
KFOR Channel 4 News

Quirky is too mild a word for it.

comment Comment
11/05/02
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

No review available.

comment Comment
07/25/02
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Movieline | comment Comment
01/09/02
Movieline
 
 
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