Shakma (1990)
Genre: Horror
Duration: 101 minuten
Alternative title: Nemesis
Country:
United States
Directed by: Tom Logan and Hugh Parks
Stars: Christopher Atkins, Amanda Wyss and Ari Meyers
IMDb score:
5,0 (2.857)
Releasedate: 5 October 1990
Shakma plot
"The world's most aggressive primate just got mad"
One evening in a large research building, a couple of employees decide to play a kind of Dungeons and Dragons game with each other. On this evening, while the employees are playing the game, a baboon escapes from a laboratory, who has become extremely violent and murderous through experiments. The baboon immediately starts killing the employees and from that moment on the harmless game has become a matter of life or death.
Reviews & comments
Chainsaw
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- 8845 messages
- 3576 votes
It's surprising to me that this film can still stand the test of time after all these years. Shakma is personal childhood sentiment and a wonderfully typical film from the video store era. At the time I liked it and after a review it appears that the film certainly still has its charm here and there. All scenes with the title character are well done, especially the chases in the large abandoned building provide some strong scenes. The baboon acts well and plays off the rest of the actors on screen. It is nice to see Roddy McDowall (Fright Night) and Amanda Wyss (A Nightmare on Elm Street). It gives the film that little bit more.
Anyway, Shakma can definitely not be called horror at its best. Some of the performances are quite mediocre and Christopher Atkins is a mediocre hero (and a bigger loudmouth than the monkey he is up against). Furthermore, the scene construction is not entirely successful. Especially towards the end there is quite a lot of stretching to build up tension. As a result, their slow pace makes them quite soporific. After fifteen minutes I saw it with an Atkins walking around in an empty building. Then let that monkey come quickly. Unfortunately, the film seems to cut to black all the time once the monkey has made its attack. When it comes to gore, horror fans can expect very little. But just keep your expectations low anyway, and this funny horror snack won't be too bad.
Come on, up a little bit. 2.5 stars.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Noodless
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- 10053 messages
- 6185 votes
Quite an entertaining horror work where the baboon steals the show. The rest of the cast is mediocre despite the inclusion of a few familiar faces. I thought the game played by the adults was strange and apparently it was really popular at the time. 
Much of the same in terms of tension force: a baboon very aggressively bumping into a door. I lost count.
The aggressive baboon does provide a few bloody moments. Oh...entertaining video 6.5/10
Translated from Dutch · View original
Vascago
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- 4798 messages
- 3604 votes
Only the scenes with Shakma herself make it worth it. Apart from the monkey, everyone's acting is very poor and the build-up is far too slow. Especially that first hour with that stupid, childish game is barely manageable.
Unfortunately, I expected a bit more.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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