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2.8/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 2.8/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Apeing Hollywood remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you got ten minutes to spare and want to feel your brain slowly melting, then yes, Apeing Hollywood is worth a watch. Anyone who loves the bizarre, dusty corners of early cinema will get a kick out of this. But if the sight of chimps wearing tiny suits makes you feel itchy, stay far away. 🐵
I stumbled on this after looking up old novelty shorts. It stars The Tiffany Talking Chimps, which is a wild name because, spoiler alert, they do not talk. They just sort of screech while some guy off-screen does terrible voiceover work.
The whole thing is a parody of how movies are made. One chimp plays a big-shot director with a megaphone that is twice as big as his head. He keeps throwing papers in the air whenever he gets mad. I relate to him, honestly.
There is a scene where a chimp actress is sitting at a makeup table. She is trying to put on lipstick but keeps getting it on her nose. The camera just lingers on this for a solid minute. It is both hilarious and slightly sad.
It reminded me a bit of Three Hollywood Girls, but with way more fur and chaos. The energy is totally off the walls.
Is it art? Absolutely not. But it has this weird, frantic energy that you do not see anymore. It is way more fun than some of the boring comedies from that era, like Wiggle Your Ears, which just dragged on.
The print I saw was pretty beat up. Honestly, the scratches on the film made it even better. It felt like watching a cursed tape from a horror movie.
If you can find it, turn off your brain and just let the chimp madness wash over you. It is a weird little slice of history that Hollywood probably wants everyone to forget. 🎬