What Happened to Monkeybone?! Brendan Fraser's Forgotten Classic

We at JoBlo Originals have one question today- Is Monkeybone, starring Brendan Fraser, an underrated gem? Find out why this film, directed by Henry Selick, is a must-watch comedy with a star-studded cast!
#monkeybone #brendanfraser #joblo
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[@wormspeaker]

Rose McGowan as Kitty had me feelin' some kinda way back in the day.

[@charlesderosas5577]

We all did 😂

[@himonightbreeze]

Still does

[@SeanMcGehee]

Yes

[@charlesderosas5577]

@@SeanMcGehee especially jawbreaker omg 😍🤤

[@marcblanchet678]

was wondering who played the hot kitty. Makes sense now.

[@CTEagleCeltic]

I remember this movie having insane visuals… probably haven’t heard the word MonkeyBone in 15+ years, but immediately remembered.

[@goldkellum1656]

Pretty much this. I was like. I remember watching this long long time ago

[@skeletordanzig4999]

it's an excellent shroom flick

[@BugsyFoga]

Really hope for the day Henry Selick gets to release the directors cut of this film, It honestly deserves so much better than it got .

[@kamdan2011]

I want him to make the adaptation of Dark Town he was supposed to make. There isn’t even a conclusion to the original comic.

[@BugsyFoga]

@@kamdan2011 Wonder why there wasn’t a conclusion

[@realeala]

@@BugsyFogathis interview of the author will explain why kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJSveWqvZt6haZosi=kihl7uiEGQXPbc13

[@roberttreacy8271]

#ReleasetheSelickCut

[@kamdan2011]

@@realeala Thanks for sharing this! Answered a lot of questions I had!

[@goldylover1000]

The movie gets really nuts when monkeybone takes over Brendan fraisers brain That’s when the movie gets really funny I can’t imagine how crazier it would’ve been if Nicolas cage got the part instead of Brendan Frasier like they originally intended. It, would’ve made wicker man look like nothing.

[@ziggygunz2447]

Whenever given the chance I always try to spread the word of how good this movie actually is and that people should give it a chance

[@intellectually_lazy]

love adult animation, which is why i hate monkey bone, the cartoon, from the movie monkey bone. that'd've never made it!

[@Hello-FWB]

@@intellectually_lazyhuh?

[@intellectually_lazy]

@@Hello-FWB it would've been a bad cartoon. it wouldn't have made the cut. it sucked

[@ty_sylicus]

This film looks absolutely insane and yet I don't recall hearing about this as a kid. Sadly, we did see Freddy Got Fingered and, it haunts me to this very day.

[@Stonecutter334]

😂

[@Garry-Drakon-Hickman-ve5]

I've always loved this movie, and I was an adult when I saw it. Little did I know that later I would be in a coma myself! No coma purgatory though.

[@SpookySammy]

As a Brendan Fraser fan, why have I not watched this one? It looks good.

[@jonesymeow9487]

It's one of my favorite movies.

[@stevew8513]

I remember reading afterward that the guy at the advertising agency that was in charge of the Monkeybone movie had quit, and they didn't hire anybody to replace him. It's like the movie fell through the cracks and only had basic advertising, started before that guy left. I always liked the movie. Saw it in the theater. It was weird, but it had its own internal logic that stayed consistent even though there was so much strangeness going on. It has a bad reputation that it didn't really deserve.

[@OperativeD]

This movie is what brought the Squirrel Nut Zippers' Hell song to my attention and I think it's an underrated gem.

[@Zice033]

One of my favorite little details about this series? The use of the alternate take of the Wilhelm Scream.

[@arbyscurlyfries9490]

Such a sick movie. I stayed over at a friends house as a kid and he put this in and said it was a really funny movie. I thought it was funny but also kind of found it be a little spooky.

[@skeletordanzig4999]

Spooky+Funny= Tim Burton

[@wstine79]

:::me seeing the Awfully Good Movies notification::: "DIVE DIVE DIVE!!!"

[@paulweston8408]

I remember watching this on dvd and not getting a lot of it. Then I watched the deleted scenes on the special features, and then at least I could understand what had happened! I have ZERO idea why they cut so much out of the film, but without those scenes, large parts of the movie are honestly almost impossible to understand.

[@QuarkXQuasar]

Love Brendan Fraser, love Dave Foley, love this movie

[@realeala]

This is definitely a movie that needs a remake to what it was originally intended to be

[@obnoxious-cackle]

16:21 now I have to rewatch Mr. Show AGAIN. Love Bob Odenkirk!!

[@chrisprescott2273]

I'm kindof tired of people saying this movie sucks, because it's actually great.

[@Jaysin412]

I can proudly say that I am one of the maybe 37 people that went to see this movie in theaters. Lmfao

[@smurxxx0910]

I'm 37 and I saw this movie several times in the theaters.

[@sweetlouieward86]

I'm 38 but I think I'm part of that 37 😂

[@mrsfarnsy3373]

I was a bit too young when I learned about Monkeybone but now I'm 22 & after seeing it a few times I still love it. My kids aren't seeing this movie for a LONG time 😂

[@dirkjewitt5037]

I like the Siskel and Ebert beginning.

[@danielcontreras561]

This is my favorite Awfully Good Movies video!!

[@mordaciousfilms]

I never forgot this movie! It's MAD fun, and one of those unfortunately underrated and lambasted 2000's classics I grew up on - I always did think it had a kind of Burton-y vibe so it makes sense it's SOMEWHAT related. I love the stop-motion, how the things he drew or wrote about end up in the dream world... it's so fun. People are boring and this was an era where weird, surreal types of flicks like this were not really understood culturally - a few years later this is the kind of madness that would be popularized by ADULT SWIM.

[@rctecopyright]

Best thing about those trailers was that song. "You're under 18 you won't be doing any time, hey-ay, go out and play!". That was a fun song.

[@LokiMartin]

So glad I wasn't the only one who was strangely obsessed with this movie as a kid. Also, had a huge crush on Rose McGowan as Kitty.

[@Sigurther]

This was a great movie. Deserves cult classic status.

[@stacychipouras8741]

Thank you. I enjoyed your video. I saw this movie in the theater too and I loved it 💙 (I'm 49)

[@XxzombilovaxX]

Always been one of my favorites, I recall asking my parents to re-rent it from blockbuster multiple times lol

[@vivian1786]

I saw it when it came out. See, I have a sick sense of humor. So, I loved it, then. I might have a hard time watching it now. I still find the last 20 minutes hilarious!

[@alankent]

I saw this movie one weekend in the afternoon on a channel that showed "throwaway" movies each weekend. I really enjoyed it. I have always wondered why I never knew if it. It wasn't publicized as I recall. It deserves a much broader viewing.

[@briangreene7085]

haha, at the start I was only half paying attention and was like "who's this guy?, why's his voice so familar?", then saw the joBlo logo hahahaha...... man, that was like when I saw first saw Peter Cullen in some interview and heard the voice going "where do I know that from?"🤣

[@Bridgeburnerrrrr]

I saw this at the dollar movies when I was like 9 years old and it's lived in the back of my head for over 20 years 😅

[@THOMMGB]

What is the couples time worth over that amount of time, plus punitive damages? The couple should have been awarded millions.

[@zontar12]

Monkey Bone needs more love. It has creativity oozing from every part of its plot. Well worth multiple viewings.

[@mosamaster]

Rose McGowan as Kitty was the OG Ankha !!! 😺

[@dragon8me2]

Monkey Bone was actually pretty great.

[@_Katzenberg]

I still have the dvd somewhere, it was crazy back then, it still is. Damn, Kitty really left a mark on everyone who watched the movie. BTW I never made the connection with Cool World, another amazing piece of work that failed successfully. Thank you for reminding me of this, need to watch it again, on acid or something else.

[@lambtoon]

I love the absurdity and wish more films took so many wide swings. I was in school for animation at the time, and this is how, even we found out “our favorite” Tim Burton film wasn’t even really directed by him. We figured it out before going to see Monkey Bone though. However we were all more outraged that Disney had tricked us that Nightmare was a Burton film than Monkey Bone was. I mean the director deserves more credit because everyone even aspiring artist wrongly assumed it was directed by Burton.

[@kamdan2011]

7:43 “Particularly?” Try “entirely!”

[@KrugerFS]

Loved this movie, found it by accident back in the day.

[@walters9620]

love this movie still. kitty gave me all kinds of feels back in the day

[@snackbarqueen]

I literally watched Monkey Bone about 3 weeks ago because I hadn’t seen it in years and it’s one of my favorite Brendan Fraser movies…. I watched it every time it was on hbo back then lmaooo… I still love this movie ❤ 🥰💕🫶🏻 David Foley running around naked with a purple face is so funny 😂 😂😂

[@TheGunsmithingMusician]

One of the great underrated Fraser movies. I loved this when I watched it the first time, I haven't seen it in a few years though. Time for a rewatch 😎

[@diegosolorio1318]

This was like my first crazy fever dream movie and i can still remember the movie.

[@Troy-McClure81]

There is MonkeyBone and then There's MonkeyBone on Acid...

[@smurxxx0910]

Haven't tried that one yet.

[@Troy-McClure81]

​@@smurxxx0910😵‍💫🤯🎊

[@quizzlie]

Billy Zane's sister, Lisa Zane, played Medusa at Hypno's party singing my favorite version of Love Is the Drug.

[@jasonmcneese556]

How do you mention the pizza guy from home alone but not credit Mark Ryden the guy who did all of those dark paintings you were complementing?

[@jeffmartin540]

I LOVE Monkeybone! I saw it in theaters when it came out.

[@salacca2297]

Theres some movies that are completely forgotten until theyre remembered again. This made me think of Joe's Apartment with the fat kid from Stand By Me.

[@khurstonsanders1088]

Jerry O'Connell is his name and he used to be fat when he was Vern from Stand By Me but not anymore.

[@hannahsings19]

I love this movie and watch it often! ❤

[@JonSolo42]

I never knew that a sped up John Turturro equals one John Leguizamo.

[@hmrnsam94]

Jesse shade is a legend

[@VitaKet]

I thought this movie was a fever dream. Gotta go find it now.

[@zebragum27]

This movie has some interesting astral projection parallels.

[@ladybug4508]

I am a huge Brendan Fraser fan, but, I confess, not a fan of "Monkeybone." 😂 Brendan as usual does a fantastic job with both characters (regular Stu and Monkeybone Stu), but damn! It's just too weird for me. I do watch occasionally the scenes with regular Stu because he is absolutely beautiful, sweet and adorable and I feel so bad for him. 🥺 He is wonderful as Monkeybone Stu also, but the character is kind of obnoxious (on purpose). And as a movie - I just don't like it, too strange and creepy. I do support any "Monkeybone" fans out there though. Just not my cup of tea! (Oh, and I sometimes watch his rendition of "Brick House"! That is great! 😄)

[@kimberlyjohnston2726]

...random Spoony reference

[@KevinHackett]

That undressing scene through the curtain or shade had me real worked up when I saw this at a young age lol

[@cursedmonkey1033]

If I were him I would have stayed in Downtown with Kitty.

[@SuperFingas]

Monkey one has a special place in my heart

[@jamescorvus6709]

I think I'm the way I am because I watched movies like this when I was a preteen kid. Had a big crush on Rose McGowan when I was younger.

[@GroovyFlacko]

I love this movie so much😂

[@robertjackson1813]

Hear me out , what if they made crossover ovf monkey bone and the mask! Stue Miley somehow gets loki's mask, i don't know how jim karry will be in thw movie, but when stue puts on the mask ,we dont get a green headed brendan fraser ... we get a green headed MONKEY BONE! FREE AGAIN!!!

[@matthewmartin4394]

I remember watching Monkeybone on repeat on cable (I think Comedy Central), at the same time as other specific flicks like Corky Romano, Joe Dirt (which is a guilty pleasure), Idiocracy (which was kinda brilliant IMO) & a few others...Comedy Central implanted these flicks in my head as a late teen/early 20 something.

[@DrKuryakin]

well if you saw it three times when being a kid you are biased, if not brainwashed, most likely brainwashed

[@jasonpeacock9735]

I remember Harry Knowles giving this movie a horrible review. Mostly because they cut one of his two cameos.

[@JonSolo42]

I always thought this movie was like something Tim Schafer and Double Fine games would have totally vibed with.

[@peter-r3o3v]

I appreciate you so much

[@TheAxeGrinder]

I just found the trailer and TV spots weird because they kept using Offspring's "Come Out And Play".

[@maxssister1985]

I have not seen, heard or thought about this movie since I watched it when I was like, 5. It’s triggering a messed up feeling of nostalgia in my brain. 😭

[@amosmoses5630]

I also saw this in the theater 😂

[@theblocksays]

You can't tell me the Poppy Playtime pple didn't pull from this movie when they came up with the Catnap product/monster. Truly an underrated gem that deserved better than being just called a "wannabe Beetlejuice" honestly it filled the void since they couldn't get an actual sequel off the ground till this year. Also HA that John K from Ren & Stimpy gag was gold, can also take Harry Knowles too nobody will miss that ginger ogre either.

[@swayarrow]

i saw it 3 times as a kid as well

[@MK_1Ultra]

People underestimate this amazing movie 😂😂😂😂

[@RockerMicke1]

When are you going to do cool world🤭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@stevenmcbride2347]

I remember this movie. Only seen it a few times though

[@arielfangirlmendez]

I love your show and i love your review of this one crazy movie

[@ms.malloryknox9311]

This movie was insane (in a great way). I LOVE all the crazy creatures and insane plot. I would SO rather have movies that swing for the fences with their crazy creativity than the bland crap we're getting now.

[@TheRealCoolDude1989-nt5ed]

I still think 🤔 “School Ties “ is one of his best movies ever , was saying way over the top 🔝. Since so long when almost forgotten movie 🎥 . Seemed pretty damn cool 😎, with a serious 🧐 point to it.Kinda like another movie of time called “The Dead 💀 Poets Society “ .

[@brandonpage7087]

I actually remember seeing the ads for Monkeybone, & then noticed how it quietly disappeared, never to be spoken of again, for many years, lol. After watching this review, i can see why it tanked so badly, lol, but still it looks kinda funny. It at least looks entertaining, in a batshit crazy, kind of way. PLEASE review Freddy Got Fingered!!! 😄😄😄😁😁😁😁😁😁

[@joeszymanski3540]

I'm sure looking back that animatronic T-Rex would have been the embarrassed one.

[@InfiniteLoop]

Oh yeah I loved this movie, I still sing the Loose Caboose song when appropriate, lol, and yes they shouldn't have removed the wreck scene,

[@manesmusicorum3330]

watched this vhs a lot when we had it.

[@velociraptor4you3291]

Y'all have _gotta_ do "Cool World" now after this, for real.

[@NeoMatrixYT]

Fun fact: While Chris Kattan played a reanimated corpse with a broken neck, he actually received a neck injury on SNL that eventually caused his career to end.

[@johnnzboy]

The meta comments about the actors/production/etc are hilarious AF

[@Thesavageeye]

This movie was originally supposed to be a fantastic one. I think once the original director (I think) left it kinda made the storyline not so cool anymore. I love Bridget Fonda tho. And the beautiful Brandon Fraser

[@realeala]

This movie should’ve been dark town

[@MattPurvis-gt3ww]

Nice Siskel and Ebert music - classy.

[@ayjay579]

I think you’re legally required to disclose that this is an ad for Beetlejuice

[@dukelornek]

how did i never new this existed

[@Qortalk]

My favorite part is your opening the video with a mispronunciation of the topical actor's name and maintaining this inconsistency for the duration of the video. Well played, sir.

[@kahleeb624]

I remember seeing this movie on TV late at night when I was a kid and then I watched it over and over! So much more sexual then a kid might should watch maybe but the cartoons and all the practical puppets were always so amazing!

[@sauce_aux]

Mokeybone was slept on

[@tskmaster3837]

I never thought it was the afterlife, I thought it was Stu's nonconscious art mind.

[@francescaa8331]

I thought Monkeybone was cute and original. Great costumes and sets. Brendan was fun.

[@momzilla2010]

Monkey Bone id freaking great.

[@delgardner1753]

Dude, monkey bone was the shit at least I think it was. I don’t know we snuck in and I was tripping balls so maybe…

[@lindinle]

I saw this as a kid and i thought he was dead.

[@SavageRabbit666]

i loved this movie when it came out. thought it was funny.

[@kyliethelittlecouragegirl94]

Kitty looks like Torelei from Monster High