Psycho Ape!

This is one of the funnest and funniest movies to come out of 2020! Addison Binek, Greg Deliso, Bill Weeden and the rest of the cast and crew did an amazing job! Not too many films can capture the spirit of John waters, troma , and Tarantino and make it look good. Psycho Ape does just that and more!

Low budget films can be a lot of fun, and Psycho Ape is one of those films. It has a pre-mainstream John Waters feel about it that will no doubt help it to achieve "Cult Classic" status. Director Addison Binek,(who also co-wrote and produced Psycho Ape) found the perfect talent formula in his cast, which includes new comer, Kansas Bowling, veteran B movie and Troma Films favorite, Bill Weeden and Stephen Albers as the "hunky" Psycho Ape. Maybe it's the "Covid" isolation, but I can see Albers's killer ape reaching a sex symbol status. Everybody Loves A Fun Ape Movie!

Addison Binek's monkey mindbender "Psycho Ape" has a punk D.I.Y. energy that is infectious and fun. It makes no bones about being made on the cheap and actually celebrates it with shameless gusto. Cheesiness is the movie's raison d'être. It's "Robot Monster" with fur. Sporting a pith helmet and chewing ample amounts of scenery, B-movie superstar Bill Weeden's character Dr. ZOOmis channels Groucho Marx as Dr. Spaulding with devilish glee. Kansas Bowling is a charmer as the fluorescent go-go girl Nancy Banana. I highly recommend "Psycho Ape" to hardcore fans of obscure VHS splatter flicks and to members of the often-maligned cult of banana obsessives (yes, they exist). Bananas are more than just a fetish, they're the Rosebud, in this "Citizen Kane" of ape movies. "Psycho Ape" exists on a double-bill with "Blood Feast" in the grindhouse of my dreams.

The pure insanity of Addison Binek's Psycho Ape filled me with pure joy! A twisted stew of horror, comedy, action and romance with the dash of 80's Troma mentality. The cast, lead by Kansas Bowling as Nancy Banana and Bill Weeding as the manic Dr. ZOOmis are beyond hilarious. But it's Stephen Albers as the titular character/animal that steals the show, leading the audience on a psychedelic trip.

A lot of movies that fit into the subgenre of "low" or "micro" budget have a tough decision to make... the first choices are between ignoring their limitations and leaning into them. Then comes the decision on "how far do we lean into this joke..." It is a tricky game. "The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra" is successful in much the same way. Acknowledging where the joke lays and understanding the budget doesn't let you run away with it, but also not overstaying your welcome. "Psycho Ape" plays this game fairly well. Some jokes might run a bit long, but it still plays to get the laugh. I applaud these filmmakers for giving us exactly what "Psycho Ape" should be...

Classy Trashy, "Gorilla" filmmaking.