There are low-budget films; then there’s Troma films; then there’s films you made on your iPhone; then there’s films you made in the backyard using your parents’ camcorder; and then there’s Psycho Ape!
What I’m saying is, it’s an ultra-low-budget flick. Paid for with pocket change and Dollar General gift cards, I’m guessing. Yet… I really kind of enjoyed it.
Directed by Addison Binek, Psycho Ape! is about an ape, aptly named Psycho Ape, who disrupts a teenage slumber party by slaughtering a bunch of girls, leaving a sole survivor–Nancy Banana (Kansas Bowling), who just happens to have a gorilla fetish. Psycho Ape then goes on to kill one person after another over the course of twenty-five years, usually killing them with his signature weapon–the banana. Eventually, Psycho Ape and Nancy Banana are reunited and… fall in love? Maybe?
That plot description doesn’t tell it all, but it probably tells enough for you to realize this isn’t a movie to be taken too seriously. It’s a goofy parody/tribute film, and it’s unashamed of this. If you like films that reference other films, Psycho Ape! is one that does so almost as much as those stupid Scary Movie pictures, which were horrible by the way.
It’s a slapstick horror movie in the vein of Troma films, like Class of Nuke ’em High and Poultrygeist. It’s got blood and breasts and stuff you know was totally unscripted. The longest scene is some debate over Ratatouille and Toy Story. The Naked Cowboy makes an appearance. There’s these two news casters who make no damn sense. Kansas Bowling and Bill Weeden both seem to be pretty good actors, despite the intentional silliness of their roles. I could have done without the CGI blood splatter, but good luck finding a modern film that doesn’t use CGI.
PC3’s Horror and Exploitation Movie Scale of Awesomeness
Gore – 4
Special Effects – 3
Nudity/Sexuality – 5
Wow Factor – 2
Acting – 5
Fear Factor – 0
Story/Plot/Originality – 3
Cinematography/Atmosphere – 3
Sound/Music – 1
Fun Factor – 8
With a total PHEMSA score of 34, Psycho Ape! is one of those movies that doesn’t score high, but is still worth a watch, in my opinion. Plus, it’s only an hour of your time. Check it out on Amazon.