Wikipedia

Chimp Crazy

Chimp Crazy is an American documentary series directed and produced by Eric Goode, known for his series Tiger King. It follows Tonia Haddix, whose love for a chimpanzee spins into a wild game with authorities and an animal rights group.

Chimp Crazy
GenreDocumentary
Written by
  • Eric Goode
  • Jeremy McBride
  • Evan Wise
  • Tim Moran
  • Charles Divak
  • Adrienne Gits
  • Doug Abel
Directed byEric Goode
Music byJonathan Sadoff
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes2
Production
Executive producers
  • Eric Goode
  • Jeremy McBride
  • Nancy Abraham
  • Lisa Heller
  • Tina Nguyen
Producers
  • Lissa Rivera
  • Evan Wise
  • Tim Moran
  • Adrienne Gits
  • Charles Divak
  • Doug Abel
  • James Liu
  • Carissa Ridgeway
  • Dwayne Cunningham
Cinematography
  • Ryan Nethery
  • Chris Messina
  • Benji Lanpher
  • Gabe Mayhan
Editors
  • Evan Wise, ACE
  • Charles Divak, ACE
  • Adrienne Gits
  • Doug Abel, ACE
Running time54-57 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseAugust 18, 2024 (2024-08-18) –
present

It premiered on August 18, 2024, on HBO.

Premise

edit

Tonia Haddix, an animal broker, spends her days taking care of a chimpanzee, Tonka. Her love for Tonka spins into a game with authorities and an animal rights group, PETA.[1] The series additionally explores other owners of nonhuman primates and their experiences.[2][3]

Episodes

edit
No.TitleDirected byOriginal air date
1"Monkey Love"Eric GoodeAugust 18, 2024 (2024-08-18)
2"Gone Ape"Eric GoodeAugust 25, 2024 (2024-08-25)
3"Head Shot"Eric GoodeSeptember 1, 2024 (2024-09-01)
4"Fantasy Island"Eric GoodeSeptember 8, 2024 (2024-09-08)

Production

edit

Eric Goode was intrigued by those who had pet monkeys and chimpanzees and raised them as their own children.[4] Initially, Goode wanted to focus on Connie Casey of the Missouri Primate Foundation, however, Casey declined an interview.[5] Following the success of Tiger King, dealers in exotic animals became hesitant to speak with Goode. For this production, he hired Dwayne Cunningham, a former circus clown and animal trainer, to pose as a "pro-ownership" filmmaker to approach Haddix.[4] Haddix told Rolling Stone that she wouldn't have participated in the project had she known Goode was involved.[6][7] However, Haddix has since viewed the film prior to its release, "laughing" and "crying" at times.[8]

Background

edit

The Missouri Primate Foundation featured in Chimp Crazy has roots in a 1960s pet shop owned by Connie Braun Casey, Braun’s Barn, in Festus, Missouri. Though Casey had been collecting exotic animals for years, she bought her first chimp in 1972.[9] In a 2018 interview, Casey talked about her decision to find a dealer to buy "wild caught" chimps before the law (Endangered Species Act) made it too difficult.[9] Casey bought two chimps and bred them, selling babies for $40,000 up to $65,000.[10][11] She started a business, Chimparty, renting out baby chimps for children’s birthday parties, nursing homes, and TV and film productions.[12]

In 1992, one of the chimps owned by Casey bit off her husband’s nose. Concerned about negative press coverage, Connie Casey started a nonprofit, Missouri Primate Foundation, while continuing to run Chimparty and selling primate pets.[10] The Missouri Primate Foundation took in adult chimps previously sold as pets or retired from show business. In 2001, a 28-year-old chimp named Suzy escaped and was shot and killed by a 17-year-old who lived next door.[11][13] Suzy had given birth to a total of six chimps, including Travis, who made national headlines in 2009 when he mauled a woman in Connecticut and was shot by police.[11]

In 2016, an employee at the primate facility, Angela Scott, contacted PETA to express concerns about abuse she had witnessed at work. Scott secretly shot video and sent it to the animal rights group before quitting her job there.[10][14]  PETA had already been investigating the facility, following a string of USDA violations.[15] PETA filed a lawsuit in December 2016, citing violations of the Endangered Species Act.[16] This lawsuit becomes the centerpiece of events covered in Chimp Crazy.

While Casey was embroiled in the battle with PETA, Tonia Haddix came to visit her seeking to buy a baby chimp. When she heard about Casey’s legal problems, she offered to take over the facility in an effort to disrupt the lawsuit. So, in 2018, instead of adopting a baby chimp, Haddix adopted the Missouri Primate Foundation, including an adult chimp that Haddix had taken a liking to, Tonka.[6][10]

Connie Casey was the Chimp Crazy team’s initial choice as the subject for the film, but she declined to appear on camera, so they focused on Tonia Haddix.[17]

Reception

edit

Critical reception

edit

Chimp Crazy has a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 15 reviews, with an average rating of 8.80/10.[18] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100 based on 11 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]

References

edit
  1. ^ O'Connor, Jennifer (July 16, 2024). "No Spoilers: You Must See 'Chimp Crazy' for Yourself!". People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Retrieved July 21, 2024.
  2. ^ "HBO Original Four-Part Documentary Series CHIMP CRAZY Debuts August 18". Warner Bros. Discovery. July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  3. ^ Bender, Kelli (July 16, 2024). "The Self-Proclaimed 'Dolly Parton of Chimps' Is the Subject of Tiger King Director's New Series". People. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Jensen, Erin (August 16, 2024). "'Tiger King' director uncages new 'Chimp Crazy' docuseries that is truly bananas". USA Today. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  5. ^ "'Chimp Crazy' HBO docuseries explores the special relationship between chimps and their owners (radio interview)". WBUR. August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Roundtree, Cheyenne (March 30, 2022). "She Faked Her Chimp's Death. Then Things Went Apeshit". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  7. ^ Hoffman, Jordan (April 5, 2022). "The Strange Story of Tonka, the Undead Hollywood Chimpanzee". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
  8. ^ Smith, David (August 20, 2024). "'I love these chimps more than my kids': inside the wild world of 'monkey moms'". The Guardian. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "THE APE TESTIMONY PROJECT: CONNIE CASEY (interview)". YouTube. July 16, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d "Chimp Crazy," Episode 1
  11. ^ a b c Byers, Christine (February 22, 2009). "Chimp Attack Revives Area Man's Nightmares". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  12. ^ Hopgood, Mei-Ling (March 25, 1996). "Chimp visit helps care home swing with pet therapy". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 62. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  13. ^ Carroll, Chris (March 24, 2001). "Dead chimp's owners unsatisfied with charges against shooter". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 141. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  14. ^ "Hallmark Profits From Abused Chimpanzees". YouTube. November 29, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  15. ^ "Factsheet: Missouri Primate Foundation (Connie Braun Casey/Chimparty)" (PDF). PETA. August 24, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  16. ^ "Case: 4:16-cv-02163-CDP Doc. #: 1 Filed: 12/30/16" (PDF). Courthouse News Service. December 30, 2016. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  17. ^ "Official Chimp Crazy podcast: Episode One". Tooth and Claw Podcast. August 18, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  18. ^ "Chimp Crazy". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
  19. ^ "Chimp Crazy: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
edit
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chimp_Crazy&oldid=1242402870"