Having been one of the fresh faces of Hollywood at the time of the release of Animal House, magazines began to mention the first film by John Landis with the ridiculous title Schlock. After a film director has made it big most people are interested in seeing their earlier work but with the odd title and odder plot a lot of people maybe weren’t so interested in seeing this one. Arrow has released this, the first film by John Landis for all to judge.

Starting out with a nicely done suspense scene ending in some rather nasty violence the film zigzags from monster thriller to absurd comedy and back. When viewing the humor scenes its easy to see Landis as a natural choice to direct his next film Kentucky Fried Movie. Schlock is a missing link frozen in an underground cave and awakes. He goes on a killing spree and soon his lair is accidently discovered. He has a series of comedic misadventures including sitting next to Famous Monsters founder Forrest J. Ackerman at a screening of The Blob. In the end the schlockthropus, labeled the Banana Killer in the press and named Schlock by the scientists, is hunted down and killed even though he has shown he is slowly adapting to human rituals.

It is Landis himself in the ape suit. And what an ape suit! It was one of Rick Baker’s early assignments and it is a spectacular work. Landis does a fantastic job of emoting through the mask and gives Schlock a real personality. Eliza Roberts who would later appear in Animal House plays Schlock’s love interest. Arrow’s Blu-ray looks surprisingly crisp with Schlock’s fur a shiny blue/black in the night scenes. Extras include a commentary and Q&A with Landis.