IMDb RATING
5.5/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
A small town is terrorized by "The Banana Killer", which turns out to be the missing link between man and ape.A small town is terrorized by "The Banana Killer", which turns out to be the missing link between man and ape.A small town is terrorized by "The Banana Killer", which turns out to be the missing link between man and ape.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination total
Eric Sinclair
- Joe Putzman
- (as Eric Allison)
Susan Weiser-Finley
- Betty
- (as Susan Weiser)
Jonathan Flint
- Bobby
- (as Jonathan A. Flint)
Emile Hamaty
- Professor Shlibovitz
- (as E.G. Harty)
Harriet Medin
- Mrs. Blinerman
- (as Enrica Blankey)
Phillip Levine
- Little Boy
- (as Phillip 'Da Baby' Levine)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
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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.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
This is a truly bad film in almost every conceivable way: Poorly scripted, amateurishly acted, badly directed, and incompetently edited, but is saved by director Landis himself: His largely improvised performance in Rick Baker's excellent "monkey suit" for most of the second half of the film is laugh-out-loud funny in places, truly saving an otherwise forgettable film.
Sadly, despite Mr. Landis's encyclopedic knowledge of early cinema, many opportunities to parody or pay homage to other monster movies are missed. For example, the sequence where Schlock is feeding the ducks at the pond is just asking for a reference to the "flower" scene from James Whale's "Frankenstein". (Or is this reference enough? Hmm.) Other similar opportunities are missed throughout.
Sadly, despite Mr. Landis's encyclopedic knowledge of early cinema, many opportunities to parody or pay homage to other monster movies are missed. For example, the sequence where Schlock is feeding the ducks at the pond is just asking for a reference to the "flower" scene from James Whale's "Frankenstein". (Or is this reference enough? Hmm.) Other similar opportunities are missed throughout.
Low budget comedy that helped launch the careers of director John Landis and makeup artist Rick Baker. It parodies everything from King Kong to Dragnet to 2001: A Space Odyssey and more. Funny stuff but it does lose steam the longer it goes on. Still worth a watch especially for Landis fans. I would also recommend the many would-be filmmakers whose crappy iPhone-shot home movies dominate the internet today take a look at how a proper low budget (really no budget) indie film can be done.
Did you know
- TriviaJohn Landis raised the money to make this movie from family and friends. He originally wanted to make an underground porn movie, but abandoned the idea after he found out he would have to work with members of the underworld.
- GoofsAfter demanding his ice-cream, as the ape walks toward the cinema screen, the poster to his right changes completely. Then, as he takes the little boy to the toilet moments later and leaves after; the poster again changes, this time from The Animal World (1956) to King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963) and then to, together, The Blob (1958) & Dinosaurus! (1960).
- Crazy creditsBaby Schlock as Itself
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Horror Hall of Fame (1974)
- How long is Schlock?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $60,000 (estimated)
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