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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1970s
    Movies - 1970s Movies - S 2 Mins Read

    Schlock (1973)

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    John Landis grew up on the schlocky monster movies of the 1950s and paid loving tribute to them in this, his first-ever directorial effort, aged just 21.

    A scrappy sweetly artless horror-comedy, it was made for $60,000 in just 12 days in the summer of 1971, though it did not receive a release until 1973.

    Landis also stars as the titular prehistoric banana-loving apeman who wakes up after 20 million years to roam the streets of Southern California. Beyond that setup, however, there’s barely a shred of plot, as Schlock drifts from unfunny set-piece to unfunny set-piece and is befriended by a blind girl who thinks he’s a dog.

    It’s difficult to work out whether the stiff line readings (there’s only one professional actor in the entire film – actress Harriet Medin, credited here as Enrica Blankey) and flatly shot stunts are satirising the Z-movie inspirations or simply the result of a rookie director making do with a pocket-money budget.

    As first efforts go, this is about as amateur hour as they come.

    Schlock
    John Landis
    Detective Sgt. Wino
    Saul Kahan
    Ivan
    Joseph Piantadosi
    Officer Gillis
    Richard Gillis
    Torn Cop
    Tom Alvich
    Police Thief
    Walter Levine
    Joe Putzman
    Eric Allison
    Dying Man
    Ralph Baker
    Billy
    Gene Fox
    Betty
    Susan Weiser-Finley
    Bobby
    Jonathan Flint
    Barbara
    Amy Schireson
    Gloria
    Belinda Folsey
    Professor Shlibovitz
    Emile Hamaty
    Mrs Binerman
    Harriet Medin (as Enrica Blankey)
    Little Boy
    Phillip Levine
    Woman Onlooker
    Shirley Levine
    Housewife
    Mary Cortiz
    Hippie
    Carl Stone
    Mindy Binerman
    Eliza Garrett
    Nurse
    Tonda Marton
    Doctor
    Neil Forn
    Cal
    Charles Villiers
    Duck Girl
    Dana Collins
    Eye Doctor
    Harry Goins
    Ice Cream Man
    Gorden Brettelle
    Night Driver
    Norman Crawford
    Bartender 
    Robert E. Collins
    Piano Player
    Ian Kranitz
    Joyce
    Jackie Bonnhein
    Arnie
    Stuart Weiss
    Patty
    Patty Holcomb
    George 
    George O’Hanlon Jr.
    National Guard Captain
    John Chambers

    Director
    John Landis

    Video

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