Schlock (film)

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.

Production

Shot in the summer of 1971, but not released until 1973, Schlock is the first credited film by John Landis, who also starred as the title role. The feature-length parody of 1950's 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. Aside from being Landis' first project as a director, the film is also notable for being one of the first jobs for make-up artist Rick Baker.

Release & 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.

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

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