Schlock (film)
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Schlock | |
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Directed by | John Landis |
Written by | John Landis |
Produced by | Jack H. Harris James C. O'Rourke |
Starring | John Landis Charles Villiers |
Cinematography | Robert E. Collins |
Edited by | George Folsey Jr. |
Music by | David Gibson |
Distributed by | Jack H. Harris Enterprises |
Release dates |
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Running time | 79 minutes |
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 terrorizes Southern California. He emerges from his cavehole after a couple of teenagers venture into it. The police, under Detective Sgt. Wino, is informed where the creature lives, and Professor Shlibovitz ventures into the hole to study the habitat. Schlock returns to the cave, and after a few hijinks, the people realise what he is. The police tries to apprehend the creature, but are powerless. Schlock then ventures into the suburb. He is a menace to some, and a friend to others. He falls in love with the beautiful blind teenager Mindy. She is kind to Schlock at first, but after she regains her sight, is terrified of him. Her boyfriend Cal defends her against Schlock, by using a flare. Schlock later crashes a school-party, and takes Mindy to the roof of the building. Cal uses a flare to get Schlock to drop Mindy. A small army regiment then shoots down the apeman, using two rounds of ammunition. Mindy quotes Love Story; "Love means never having to say you're sorry", while a police officer quotes King Kong; "It was beauty that killed the beast". Sgt. Wino asks him; "What's wrong with you?". At the end, Professor Shlibovitz emerges from the cave, carrying Schlock's son, teasing the potential sequel "Son of Schlock".
Cast[]
- John Landis as Schlock
- Saul Kahan as Detective Sgt. Wino
- Joseph Piantadosi as Officer 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 Gloria
- Emile Hamaty as Professor Shlibovitz (as E.G. Harty)
- Harriet Medin as Mrs. Blinerman (credited as Enrica Blankey)
- Eliza Roberts as Mindy Blinerman
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[]
Landis could not find a distributor interested in releasing the film until 1972 when it came to the attention of Johnny Carson. Carson loved the film and booked Landis as a guest on The Tonight Show, where clips were shown. It subsequently got released theatrically in the United States by Jack H. Harris Enterprises.[7] It opened in Hollywood in March 1973 and in West Germany on September 17, 1982.[8]
The film eventually became a minor cult hit and helped pave the way for the careers of both John Landis and Rick Baker.[6] However, Landis has described the film as "terrible".[7] It holds a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes.[9]
Home media[]
The film was released on DVD by Anchor Bay Entertainment on October 2, 2001 and on Blu-ray by Arrow Films on October 16, 2018.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Schlock".
- ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/08/13/the-madcap-world-of-john-landis/bc7b9f0b-7a3f-493d-a872-bfc7ed094428/
- ^ Landis, John (2011). Monsters in the Movies. Penguin. p. 178. ISBN 9780756688462. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "John Landis Biography - Facts, Birthday, Life Story - Biography.com". www.biography.com. Archived from the original on 2011-10-04.
- ^ a b Hallenbeck, Bruce G. (2009). Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914–2008. McFarland. ISBN 9780786453788. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
- ^ a b filmSCHOOLarchive (2018-05-06), John Landis on "Schlock" & "Kentucky Fried Movie", archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2019-02-16
- ^ "Schlock". IMDb. 11 April 1973. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
- ^ "Schlock". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2016-10-04.
External links[]
- 1973 films
- English-language films
- American comedy horror films
- 1970s comedy horror films
- 1970s parody films
- American films
- Films directed by John Landis
- Films with screenplays by John Landis
- Films produced by George Folsey Jr.
- 1973 directorial debut films
- 1973 comedy films
- Films shot in Los Angeles
- 1970s monster movies
- American monster movies