The Film (3.5/5)

    For the last few weeks a "Banana Killer" has been stalking a small California town. Wherever he commits his acts of violence, banana peels are found. The police are at a loss of who this mass killer is (he has taken 769 victims at this point), and cannot find a lead.  The "banana killer" is eventually exposed as the "Schlockthropus" a millions year old precursor to man, that has just woken up from an icy slumber, and the only thing that makes this ape man happy, are bananas and a blind girl, Mindy, who thinks he is a dog.

    Schlock is an underground icon of cinema. It has the distinction of being the first film directed by John Landis who would make iconic films like the Blues Brothers, Animal House, and An American Werewolf in London.   It would also be the third film featuring makeup FX by Rick Baker after a pair of collaborations with Larry Cohen. The collaboration here for Schlock would obviously lead the pair to their iconic work on Landis' 1981 film American Werewolf in London.

   Schlock isn't a perfect film, but it's a fun film that blends comedy with a passion for classic monster films. I wouldn't quite call it horror, even with the monster at its center, and an occasional bit of violence on display as the film's agenda is certainly to play the audience for laughs, and that is certainly what it manages to do quite well. Schlock in many ways feels like a low budget, horror leaning version of a Woody Allen comedy of the same period, just a bit more rough around with edges. The ape-suit makeup provided by Rick Baker looks truly fantastic, and viewers could easily assume that the "Schlockthropus" came off the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

Audio/Video (4/5)

    Schlock comes to Blu-ray for the first time from Germany's Turbine Media Group. They present the film in a splendid 1:78:1 1080p AVC encoded transfer that shows off the film's low budget roots, but looks quite natural, and replicates the original look of the film. There is a nice organic grain field present throughout the presentation that certainly adds to the natural look of the piece.

    Audio is presented with both German and English DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono tracks. Everything on the English tracks sounds quite clear and concise and no issues to report.

Extras (3.5/5)

    Extras include an introduction to the film by Landis, a new interview with Landis, a vintage commentary from 2001, a Trailers from Hell spot for Schlock, trailers, radio spots, and more.

Overall

    Schlock is a solid debut film from director Landis, that manages to show his penchant for comedy, and his interest in monster movies. The Blu-ray from Turbine Media looks and sound excellent, and has a decent extras slate. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.