If you grew up watching Dunston Checks In (1996) then Link (1986), the former’s disturbed elder cousin, is probably much more terrifying. And though Link features some awesome dialogue, nothing comes close to rivaling Rupert Everett’s line “spare the rod, spoil the monkey”.
There are shades of Conan Doyle’s The Creeping Man throughout Link, but the film never lives up to the erotic horrors implied by the former. Link, in director Richard Franklin’s hands, remains a rather light thriller in spite of all of its potential. This lack of urgency in Link may be attributable to Terence Stamp’s campy performance (with equally campy Max Schrek hair) which serves as our gateway into the world of this simian slasher flick or to Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting and repetitive theme; but it’s more than likely that Link suffers the most because of the brightly lit cinematography which repels all sense of mystery and dread.
I suggest Link be viewed as a double feature with Kingdom Of The Spiders (1976), which is how I first watched this film. Sure Link is an enjoyable and unique movie experience, but it’s the kind of film where one is never really in on the joke so one is left having to turn off one’s brain and just go along for the ride. If you can manage this, you won’t be surprised that it’s Elisabeth Shue that really keeps the film together.
