Movie fans know well the name of John Landis. From the seventies
to the nineties he made some of the funniest films ever created. While we all
may recognize movies like ANIMAL HOUSE, THE BLUES BROTHERS, TRADING PLACES and
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, few know the very first movie Landis made when
trying to break into the business. That film was available in some truly bad
releases on disc and to my knowledge never on blu-ray. That’s all about to
change.
Back in 1971 a young Landis, discouraged by the Director’s Guild,
went to see a bad movie called TROG. Thinking he could make a similar movie but
better that’s what he set out to do. Two years later the film was done, he
found a distributor and SCHLOCK! was unleashed on the world.
The movie opens to a town filled with dead citizens and a trail of
banana peels. It’s the work of the dreaded “banana killer”. Tracking clues the
police find…nothing. The local on the spot newsman reports from the scene
ending his piece by telling folks to stay tuned for today’s afternoon movie
“See You Next Wednesday”.
Local teens walk the area where the banana killer was last seen
before heading to the local dance that night. They discover a cave and search
it only to confront the banana killer, an ape of some sort. Two escape with
their lives and bring back the police as well as a local professor who
hypothesizes that this isn’t the work of a killer but the missing link that’s
been sought for centuries, the schlockthropolus.
I could provide more of the plot but that’s pretty much all you
need to know. Yes this movie is a spoof of all of those long gone monster on
the lose films combined with the ape movies that were prevalent at one time.
It’s a formula that Landis would go on to use to perfection with his next film
KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE. He was responsible for the script here and many of the
laughs show his love of old movies using plenty of slapstick style comedy in
scenes as well as some witty dialogue.
Made for just $60,000 it shows but that was his intent as well. He
wanted to show that he could direct a movie on his own having been working in
the business for several years at this time. The production value for being
such a low budget film is better than many that have long since been forgotten
by directors with much less skill. That Landis could pull this off is a feat in
itself.
The film also served as a kick off to a friendship and working
relation that lasted for a vast number of Landis films. Looking for someone to
create the man like ape for him he couldn’t afford anyone he knew in the
business. A suggestion sent him to a home where a young man was living with his
parents and also trying to break into the business but in make-up effects. His
name was Rick Baker. The same Rick Baker who would transform David Naughton
into a werewolf for Landis in AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON.
Landis has said that the movie isn’t very good and that more than
anything it was a learning experience for him. But the fact is it’s better than
he might recall. No, it’s not a blockbuster film by any means but it has its
moments. More importantly when placed in viewing order with his other films you
can see the burgeoning talent that is there as well as watch the progression of
his abilities from one film to the next starting with this one.
This new version of the film is being released by Turbine Media
Group in an exclusive dual-format mediabook
Blu-ray/DVD worldwide-playable combo set limited to 2000 copies. Not only are
they releasing it in blu-ray for the first time but the extras are as
interesting as the movie itself. They include an exclusive new introduction by
Landis, a newly shot interview with Landis that’s informative and entertaining,
vintage audio commentary by Landis and Baker from the 2001 Anchor Bay DVD
release, Landis take on the film from Trailers From Hell, the original trailers
for the film including its re-release title BANANA MONSTER, the original radio
spots and an informative booklet with text and photos. The film also is a
bilingual edition in both English and German.
So if you’re a
fan of Landis work you’ll want to rush out to buy a copy before they’re gone
since the print run is only 2,000 copies. If you love movies you’ll enjoy this
as much as his fans will. It’s a lot of fun and reminiscent of a time when mavericks
could pull together enough money to make a name for themselves with something
like this before making major films. Alongside movies like ATTACK OF THE KILLER
TOMATOES, SCHLOCK will be one to remember.
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