% ▁tax ▁benefit ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁shot ▁in ▁Canada ▁( in ▁Toronto ) ▁with ▁Canadian ▁talent . ▁The ▁original ▁title ▁was ▁Green ▁Mon key ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁changed ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁theory ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁that ▁A ID S ▁was ▁started ▁by ▁inf ected ▁African ▁green ▁mon keys . ▁The ▁story ▁was ▁an ▁idea ▁of ▁Sand y ▁Howard ' s ▁and ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁the ▁success ▁of ▁Ali ens ▁( 1 9 8 6 ). ▁ ▁Release ▁ ▁Home ▁media ▁Blue ▁Mon key ▁was ▁released ▁on ▁V HS ▁by ▁Sony ▁Pictures ▁Home ▁Entertainment ▁on ▁March ▁ 3 1 , ▁ 1 9 8 8 . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁ ▁In ▁her ▁ 1 9 8 7 ▁review , ▁Jan et ▁Mas lin ▁from ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁wrote , ▁" BL UE ▁M ON KEY ▁isn ' t ▁much ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁standard ▁angry - lar va ▁story , ▁but ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁clever ly ▁directed ▁by ▁William ▁F ru et , ▁who ▁knows ▁how ▁to ▁give ▁it ▁a ▁new ▁look . ▁To ▁be ▁sure , ▁what ▁happens ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁is ▁essentially ▁familiar , ▁as ▁a ▁sl im y ▁little ▁ab om ination ▁appears , ▁grows , ▁h atch es ▁and ▁goes ▁on ▁to ▁terror ize ▁everyone ▁it ▁meets . ▁From ▁the ▁stand point ▁of ▁plot , ▁there ▁isn ' t ▁that ▁much ▁to ▁tell ." ▁Author ▁and ▁film ▁critic ▁Leonard ▁M alt in ▁awarded ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁B OM B , ▁his ▁lowest ▁rating , ▁calling ▁it ▁" s illy ", ▁and