Story: At a slumber party with her friends, Nancy Banana (Kansas Bowling) can’t stop telling her friends how much she loves the famous apes of Hollywood. As she gushes about her fantasies, her friends grow annoyed, but Nancy’s fantasy soon turns into reality, when an ape arrives and crashes the party. The ape has escaped from the zoo and using a handful of bananas, the ape unleashes a slumber party massacre, leaving only Nancy alive. Meanwhile, as the ape rages across the city, Dr. ZOOmis (Bill Weeden) is called into to track down the ape and end this violent rampage. But can anyone stop this manic primate as he leaves a trail of banana peels and blood in his wake?

Entertainment Value: A love letter to all of cinema, with a slant toward Troma’s style of DIY chaos, Psycho Ape is a wild ride and one that provides a wealth of b movie magic moments. The story couldn’t be simpler, an escaped ape falls in love and dishes out banana vengeance, setting up all the ridiculous scenes that follow. The first forty minutes or so are pure madness, with a constant flow of bad jokes, outlandish exchanges, and cheap gore, all unleashed at a breakneck pace that never slows. Of course, not all of the material works, but most of it does and even when the humor doesn’t land, the energy of the cast and production in general ensure it still entertains. At just over an hour in length, that means most of the movie runs full steam ahead and even in the final act when the pacing slows somewhat, it is still free from filler and never feels dull whatsoever. I loved the cast here, as everyone seems to be enthusiastic and game to make this madcap material work, which gives Psycho Ape and infectious energy that adds even more charm. As much as I always love seeing Kansas Bowling in action, and she does shine here, Grover McCants steals the show as an outrageous news anchor that always left me in near hysterics. I couldn’t ask much more of Psycho Ape, it delivers on all the expected notes and so much more.

There is some light nudity here, with a couple topless moments and even full frontal, though the romance between Nancy and the ape is the real draw in this area. Psycho Ape centers on an ape running amok with bananas, so there is some blood and while some is digital, there are some fun, super cheap practical effects as well. I mean rubber body parts and hokey, but always fun gore that is liberally dosed throughout. I can’t think of a movie that kills people with bananas in more varied ways, from death by deep throat to skulled fucked by a banana, as well as most stops in between. There are a lot of death scenes here and they come fast and furious, soaked in DIY goodness. I loved the dialogue here, as it feels so organic and random, especially in a few really memorable scenes that are etched into my brain. I loved the Pixar debate that happens late in the film, as it is so in depth and goes on and on, yet just gets funnier and funnier as time passes. I can’t imagine many movies having a scene like that and I am thrilled it made the final cut here. As fun as all the wacky, outlandish dialogue is in Psycho Ape, the real gem is Grover McCants as Deltroy Shithouse, a newscaster like no other. Every line is pure magic and McCants just totally steals the show here, I will never stop quoting him and I salute his hilarious performance. As for overall wackiness, this one is loaded for bear and includes a dildo vs. banana scene, teenagers having a teenage party, terrible standup, poor prison conditions, an ape shitting on humanity, cake theft, and of course, asshole news.

Nudity: 3/10

Blood: 6/10

Dialogue: 10/10

Overall Insanity: 10/10

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