With Primate kicking off 2026 as one of the first new wide releases of the year, it’s the perfect time to revisit the cult classic Shakma in the Everything Action Theater. Released in 1990, the movie follows a group of college students who are playing a live-action RPG in the school’s research lab, but Shakma, a baboon dosed with an experimental drug, gets loose and starts killing everyone one by one. Christopher Atkins, Amanda Wyss, Ari Meyers, and Roddy McDowall co-starred in the movie, which was co-directed by Hugh Parks and Tom Long. The movie was not well-received when it was released and had only a limited theatrical run before being released on VHS. Over the years, it has gained a cult following, primarily because of one of the greatest trailers in cinema history, and has been released on streaming and Blu-ray. You can watch the entire movie below on YouTube via It Came From The Video Aisle.
