Schlock (film)

Schlock
Directed by John Landis
Produced by Jack H. Harris
James C. O'Rourke
Written by John Landis
Starring John Landis
Charles Villiers
Music by David Gibson
Cinematography Robert E. Collins
Edited by George Folsey Jr.
Distributed by Jack H. Harris (Enterprises)
Anchor Bay Entertainment (DVD)
Release date
  • March 1973 (1973-03) (U.S.)
  • September 17, 1982 (1982-09-17) (West Germany)
Running time
 80 min
Country United States
Language English
Budget $60,000 (estimated)

Schlock is a 1973 American low-budget horror comedy film, written, directed by and starring filmmaker John Landis.

Plot

Schlock is a prehistoric apeman who falls in love with a teenage blind beauty and terrorizes her Southern California suburb. Schlock is no ordinary simian as he possesses some very unusual skills. Among other things, he plays the piano and gives TV interviews. In this spoof of early monster movies and missing-link science fiction films, John Landis pays homage to the monster movies of the past with irreverent humor and wacky hijinks.

Cast

  • John Landis as Schlock
  • Saul Kahan as Detective Sgt. Wino
  • Joseph Piantadosi as Ivan
  • Richard Gillis as Officer Gillis
  • Tom Alvich as Torn Cop
  • Walter Levine as Police Thief
  • Eric Allison as Joe Putzman
  • Ralph Baker as Dying Man
  • Gene Fox as Billy
  • Susan Weiser-Finley as Betty (credited as Susan Weiser)
  • Jonathan Flint as Bobby (credited as Jonathan A. Flint)
  • Amy Schireson as Barbara
  • Belinda Folsey as Goria
  • Emile Hamaty as Professor Shlibovitz (as E.G. Harty)
  • Harriet Medin as Mrs. Blinerman (credited as Enrica Blankey)

Production

Shot in the summer of 1971, but not released until 1973, Schlock is the first credited film by John Landis,[1][2] who also starred in the title role. The feature-length parody of 1950s monster movies was shot in 12 days in the Los Angeles area and had a budget of approximately $60,000, half of which came from Landis' personal savings.[3][4] Aside from being Landis' first project as a director, the film is also notable for being one of the first jobs for makeup artist Rick Baker.[5][6]

Release and reception

Schlock was released theatrically in the United States by Jack H. Harris Enterprises. It opened in Hollywood in March 1973 and in West Germany on 17 September 1982.[7]

This film eventually became a minor cult hit and helped pave the way for the careers of both John Landis and Rick Baker.[6] Current reviews for the film are fairly positive; it currently holds a 60% score on Rotten Tomatoes.[8]

The film was released on DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2001.

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://www.tvguide.com/movies/schlock/review/116951/
  2. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/08/13/the-madcap-world-of-john-landis/bc7b9f0b-7a3f-493d-a872-bfc7ed094428/
  3. ↑ Landis, John (2011). Monsters in the Movies. Penguin. p. 178. ISBN 9780756688462. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  4. ↑ Goldweber, David Elroy (2015). Claws & Saucers: Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Film 1902-1982: A Complete Guide. Lulu Press, Inc. p. 1517. ISBN 9781312288034. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  5. ↑ https://www.biography.com/people/john-landis-342122
  6. 1 2 Hallenbeck, Bruce G. (2009). Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914–2008. McFarland. ISBN 9780786453788. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Schlock". IMDb. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
  8. ↑ Schlock, retrieved 2016-10-04
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