Schlock

I really like John Landis’ movies, but in Schlock, he was visibly just becoming acquainted with the film media, this low-quality and boring parody of ape B-movies not being quite satisfying. It’s obvious that sitting behind the camera – and in this case also in front of it – was a film geek who merrily projected his crazy ideas on the screen; as a whole, his picture has a totally random development, few well-built gags and plenty of blank moments. If I had to point something out, it would be Schlock’s mask, made by Rick Baker, combined with the comedic acting of Landis himself in the title role, because – even with his make-up – the viewer can easily read his facial expressions, which account for a substantial part of the film as well as for many jokes. (05/01/2020)

The American movie Schlock is certainly an interesting first movie by John Landis, although it is not a movie that aged particularly well over the years. It may have some hidden depth, although you will probably be digging for it for quite a while. You may not even find anything of worth, which you probably do not want in a movie like this. Plus, you are not going to laugh much, which unfortunately makes the movie average, even less so for some. (09/03/2019)