Slok

I actually saw this in the theatre where they filmed the movie theatre sequence just a few months before. I think the movie was only out for about a week, but my buddies and I caught it twice! Even dragged our drama teacher to see it (he loved it).

This is the kind of high-school humor that was a carry over from the Three Stooges and is still going strong, but Landis was one of the first to bring it up to date.

I think they shot this in 16mm (it looks it) and the photography has all the depth of a Wilderness Family entry, but the laughs are very much there. And this had one of the most memorable ad campaign tag lines in history: "Due to the horrifying nature of this film, no one will be admitted."

It was also the only film I know of which had ads featuring a rave by Johnny Carson. It's low budget, but high yuks. I still remember it fondly (Hey, Landis, please return to your comic roots of the 70s and 80s; we don't need another Woody Allen).

John Landis's first movie may be as good as anything he made. "Schlock" falls in neatly with other 'progressive' US comedy movies of the early 70s, which kicked around genre conventions and added a new frankness in language and toilet humour to US film comedy vocabulary. (Others like this were sketch comedy flicks like Landis's "Kentucky Fried Movie"; plus the Mel Brooks and Woody Allen movies of around the same time).

What sets this one apart is its sustained comic atmosphere, which is goofy, laconic and giddy. Set-pieces - like the 2001 parody, the bar scene where the monster 'Schlock' observes a Jose Feliciano-like blind musician playing a piano boogie and ends up joining in, and a very funny scene where the allegedly fearful Schlock goes into a cinema to see a horror movie, and is terrified - all come off perfectly.

Some beautiful bits of background business too - the hippie in the background of the 2001 scene, just ignoring the portentous foreground action while eating his frozen custard is worth a look. This is just a really, really funny film.

I realize this film has quite a large base of loyal and devoted fans, but to be entirely honest, it undeniably remains a truly dumb and irredeemable amateur flick. In fact, the sole reason why I'm glad "Schlock" exists is because it meant the first venture into cult-movie world by John Landis; - and John Landis will always be the genius who gave us "American Werewolf in London". "Schlock" apparently did get noticed here and there, which ultimately led to Landis modestly building out his career further, first with the more crazed out comedies "Kentucky Fried Movie", "Animal House" and "Blues Brothers", but then he and Rick Baker (also debuting here) immortalized themselves with the still-fabulous transformation sequences in "AWiL".

"Schlock" is a type of slapstick and absurd parody about a prehistoric ape-monster, supposedly the Missing Link, going on extreme killing sprees in Los Angeles and leaving behind a trail of banana peels. I could still appreciate the first 10-15 minutes, since Landis exaggerates so tremendously with his numbers. During the opening sequences, the camera pans around a playground where literally dozens of dead bodies lay spread around. When "Schlock" attacks, he allegedly makes two-hundred victims at once and the local news reporter even organizes body-count contests on live television! It immediately goes downhill, however, with non-stop lame and infantile jokes, as well as reference to cinematic milestones ("Frankenstein", "2001: A Space Odyssey", "King Kong", ...) that don't really work. There's a frustratingly high number of gags in which the monster is treated or addressed to like he's an ordinary human being, and those eventually make the film dull and tedious. After the first half hour (which seemingly lasts twice that long) the lack of financial means and creativity also becomes too obvious, and John Landis hardly still manages to hold the viewer's attention.

The Schlock really got its funny moments but there are parts that do not work very well or where the humor feels rather forced and some scenes are even rather boring. Also from a today's perspective I would add some real gore to spice things up. Therefore, I won't say that Schlock is a classic or cult (like other reviewers claim) or even a must-watch. But I am also not a great fan of director John Landis' biggest hit The Blues Brothers (good but not outstanding in my view). All in all, okay to kill some spare time - if you want to go on a nostalgic trip.

The reviews for this movie here are mainly positive. And it's no surprise. This is a very, Very strong first movie. In fact, it looks almost exactly like the more famous Landis movies down to the lighting and editing. It does have some silly stuff in it, and there are scenes to make the picture longer. But the movie never feels constricted by its low budget, it successfully pokes fun at it. Landis is great as the titular ape and Rick Baker's done a great job on the mask - it even allowed Landis to emote. Eric Roberts' wife plays a blind girl who befriends Schlock thinking he's a dog, but soon she regains her sight and then!... Schlock's really funny, it looks like it's someone's first movie only for the first 15 minutes, and then it becomes big and quite enjoyable.