Product Details

• Released on: 2007-03-01
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC, Import
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 93 minutes

Review
James Franco directed this labor-of-love adaptation of his own play with The Ape, a droning tale of a writer's downward spiral into rotting moral machismo that just so happens to also feature an annoying comedian in a really bad ape mask. What could have been an interesting premise turns nauseatingly sour as Franco's lead character becomes more unhinged as the audience's patience is tested to its breaking point. Camera compositions are the best thing about the stagy adaptation, with fine work by cinematographer David Klein being the most stand-out element of the production. Brian Lally as the imaginary Ape roommate has a few moments of levity, but he has the unfortunate luck of being shoehorned into a character that isn't that funny, even though he's still playing the role to the back of the theater. The film gets credit for its genuine N.Y.C. attitude and references that might only be appreciated by natives of that area. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

On the DVD
Audio commentary with James Franco, star Brian Lally and producer Vince Jolivette
Interview with James Franco

Synopsis
An aspiring novelist looking for a quiet place to finish his breakthrough novel finds that inspiration can come from the most unlikely of sources in the directorial debut of actor-turned-filmmaker James Franco. All Harry Walker (Franco) needs to escape his unfulfilling job and his ho-hum home life is one unqualified hit: one best-selling novel to kick-start his rocket to stardom. In order to write, though, Harry needs privacy. When Harry gets the idea to rent an apartment so that he can focus on his writing, it seems that he may have found a means of beating his writer's block -- until a talking gorilla in a gaudy Hawaiian shirt shows up. At first viewing his pushy primate pal as little more than yet another in a long line of creatively stifling distractions, Harry soon discovers that "The Ape," can help him realize his dreams of becoming a truly great writer -- but will the toll that his newfound friend takes on Harry's sanity be worth the price of a Pulitzer Prize? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide