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Comedy Cult Classic

Banana peels, suburban mayhem, and a prehistoric ape loose in SoCal—John Landis makes his wild debut.

SCHLOCK

1973 · 01:20:00 · PG · Comedy / Horror / Science Fiction

The debut film of John Landis (The Blues Brothers, Animal House), who also wrote and starred in the low-budget comedy horror. A quiet suburb Southern California is being terrorized by a mysterious murderous monster living in a cave. As the bodies pile up -- with incriminating banana peels always near by the crime scene -- a group of teens stumble on the guilty party: a 20-million-year-old Schlockthropus, an ape-like creature with a sense of the absurd.

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Quick Answer
What is Schlock about?

Schlock is a 1973 American comedy, horror, and science fiction film directed by John Landis about a quiet Southern California suburb terrorized by a murderous, banana-loving prehistoric ape.

Details & Specs
Director
John Landis
Writer
John Landis
Release
1973
Runtime
1h 20m
Also Known As
Banana Monster

Why Cult

Landis's First Film

See where John Landis’s wild ride began, as he writes, directs, and even stars as the titular Schlockthropus.

Ape Out of Water

A prehistoric Schlockthropus with a knack for absurdity and murder brings slapstick chaos to suburban California.

Banana Crime Scenes

Banana peels at every murder site—this monster leaves a potassium-rich trail and a taste for comedy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Schlock about? +

Schlock follows a 20-million-year-old ape-like creature as it causes havoc in a quiet Southern California suburb, mixing horror and slapstick comedy.

When was Schlock released? +

Schlock was released in 1973.

Who directed Schlock? +

Schlock was directed by John Landis.

How long is Schlock? +

Schlock has a runtime of 80 minutes.

What genre is Schlock? +

Schlock is a comedy, horror, and science fiction film.

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