I can't say enough good things about this film. From the amazing casting of Bill Weeden and Kansas Bowling to the perfect homages to many great film makers before them. Psycho Ape delivers on many levels and hits every focal point a movie should. The comedy is timed perfectly and the B-grade gore fits the bill in amazing way. How they came across the idea for casting extras all over the US I'll never know but it works for them in ways I didn't think they even expected. If you can only watch one movie this year make it Psycho Ape!
20 Reviews
"Psycho Ape" has a punk D.I.Y. energy that is infectious and fun
campbellismyname4 October 2020
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.
A Nutty Loaf of Banana Bread Insanity!
domino10035 October 2020
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.
You will go bananas for this film!
terrencemain-219021 October 2020
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!
Awesome fun movie!
bizzaroyellow9930 September 2020
This movie is what you get if you loved 80's comedies and you also love the full moon and troma genre. This is a love letter to that and more. So get some shatter,sit back,and watch Psycho Ape! 5/5 bananas! There's Banana fu,4 breasts,tail pipe fu,and the ever fun suck on my banana fu!
It Will Grind Your Senses!
mikecorey21 November 2020
Psycho Ape! An experience like no other! You'll laugh! You'll cry! You'll lose your mind! Hands down the greatest love story of 2020! The chemistry between Nancy Banana (Kansas Bowling) and Psycho Ape (Stephen Albers) is amazing beyond measure with A grand performs by (Bill Weeden) as Dr. Zoomis If your into super cheesie "bad" low budget films like (Hectic Knife) this is for you! (Addison Binek) did a great job directing this insane mess while teamed up with writer, director (Greg DeLiso) The madness is heavy in this flick I laughed my buttocks off threw the whole ride.
Absolutely Banana's!
jamiedavidlewis2 December 2020
A hilariously zany movie filled with gore, slapstick and plenty of Banana kills!
Low budget movies like this have so much heart and passion in them and it's clear to see in the production and clever writing.
With Kansas Bowling and Bill Weeden stealing the spotlight every time they are on screen it is an absolute pleasure to watch.
An incredible throwback to 80's slasher flick I give this movie 10 Bananas out of 10.
Seriously not taking it seriously
pmahoney-1963226 July 2021
I'd like to preface this review by noting that I do not know Addison Binek personally. Also, this is the first review of a movie I've ever drafted, so cut me some slack. Anyhow, I became familiar with his work through his "Movies to Watch on a Rainy Afternoon" and "Tromasterpiece Theatre." Both of which pay homage to B movies à la "Mystery Science Theater 3000."
Having riffed so many bad movies, it seems only natural to me that Binek would then try his hand at creating a movie that could be accurately described as "amazingly terrible,"
....and so "Psycho Ape" was born.
This film features legitimate actors such as Troma Institute for Gifted Youth inductee Kansas Bowling and Upright Citizens Brigade alum Bill Weeden, who, from the beginning, obviously had shared Binek's vision to craft a seriously bad flick...or bad flick seriously...uhhh...hmmm.
Let's try that again.
It's obvious that Binek did not seek to create a cinematic masterpiece. Rather, this was a salute to those B horror movies from the 70s and 80s, which have since established cult followings, and Binek accomplished this mission masterfully. As teenagers, my friends and I would set aside a weekend, head to the local video store, and rent the worst horror movies we could find. We then spent it both riffing on and admiring the "badness" of each. Had Psycho Ape been released then, it would have easily become one of our favorites.
This movie is chock full of what any cheesy horror film aficionado would want to see: bad special effects, a hilarious, meandering plot, and Easter eggs galore. You need to watch this movie at least 7 times to catch all the references (and this is half of the fun). The movie is an entertaining ride that had me laughing hysterically and admiring Binek's vision for a serious horror movie that doesn't take itself seriously.
Get ready for an entertaining film that is assembled like a Smile-era Beach Boys album.
Kudos to Binek, Bowling, and Weeden for taking us on such a fun ride. Even my wife, who abhors horror movies, thought it was great.
Having riffed so many bad movies, it seems only natural to me that Binek would then try his hand at creating a movie that could be accurately described as "amazingly terrible,"
....and so "Psycho Ape" was born.
This film features legitimate actors such as Troma Institute for Gifted Youth inductee Kansas Bowling and Upright Citizens Brigade alum Bill Weeden, who, from the beginning, obviously had shared Binek's vision to craft a seriously bad flick...or bad flick seriously...uhhh...hmmm.
Let's try that again.
It's obvious that Binek did not seek to create a cinematic masterpiece. Rather, this was a salute to those B horror movies from the 70s and 80s, which have since established cult followings, and Binek accomplished this mission masterfully. As teenagers, my friends and I would set aside a weekend, head to the local video store, and rent the worst horror movies we could find. We then spent it both riffing on and admiring the "badness" of each. Had Psycho Ape been released then, it would have easily become one of our favorites.
This movie is chock full of what any cheesy horror film aficionado would want to see: bad special effects, a hilarious, meandering plot, and Easter eggs galore. You need to watch this movie at least 7 times to catch all the references (and this is half of the fun). The movie is an entertaining ride that had me laughing hysterically and admiring Binek's vision for a serious horror movie that doesn't take itself seriously.
Get ready for an entertaining film that is assembled like a Smile-era Beach Boys album.
Kudos to Binek, Bowling, and Weeden for taking us on such a fun ride. Even my wife, who abhors horror movies, thought it was great.
A crazed, killer ape. A young, beautiful blond heroine. A big-no, THE Big City. It's a win-win cinema formula. Tried. True.
scortch_196610 November 2020
Psycho Ape is a wild, splashy, colorful gross-out of a film. Filled with more pop-culture references than a Tarantino dialogue scene, it's made by people who love movies and everything that makes them fun. And fun this film is. Director Addison Binek, co-writer Greg Deliso, and Co. obviously love the Troma team's schlock horror indulgences. But they're smart enough and genuinely talented enough to create their own style and sense of humor without just aping Lloyd Kaufman.
Banana violence is at a premium. Blood gushes, eyes are impaled, and skulls are crushed. There's the requisite titillation as a lesbian bathtub tryst pays both homage to A Nightmare on Elm Street and forever changes the way you will ever think of rubber duckies again. By the time the inevitable conclusion is reached, with its harrowing military reenactments and feats of aerial darings-do, we've fallen in love with Nancy, given our baboon-hearts to Psycho Ape, and cheer as the two repeatedly give Dr. ZOOmis the slip!
Banana violence is at a premium. Blood gushes, eyes are impaled, and skulls are crushed. There's the requisite titillation as a lesbian bathtub tryst pays both homage to A Nightmare on Elm Street and forever changes the way you will ever think of rubber duckies again. By the time the inevitable conclusion is reached, with its harrowing military reenactments and feats of aerial darings-do, we've fallen in love with Nancy, given our baboon-hearts to Psycho Ape, and cheer as the two repeatedly give Dr. ZOOmis the slip!
Great Movie
brainstainfilms14 July 2021
Ultra low budget gets the job done.
tylerowenparsons3 February 2021
Silly Fun Love Letter to Campy Monkey Films
sydneyjth-9479717 October 2021
If you are a person who finds joy in Troma, John Waters, people who can laugh at themselves and critical thinking conversations on the debate between Toy Story and Ratatouille, you will love Addison Binek's campy Psycho Ape.
Bill Weeden is super fun as the impossible-to-kill Dr. ZOOmis who is tracking a gorilla who escaped from the Detroit Zoo. The gorilla goes on a 50+ year murder spree with deadly banana weapons. But like all the good apes in these films, he has a special sweetheart in a banana-yellow bobbed teenager aptly named Nancy Banana, played with such fun by adorable Kansas Bowling. You know the Empire State Building is gonna be involved but you don't expect a hilarious outtake of an argument between two trick-or-treating sisters on the superiority of Ratatouille vs. Toy Story.
It's a very very fun movie!
Bill Weeden is super fun as the impossible-to-kill Dr. ZOOmis who is tracking a gorilla who escaped from the Detroit Zoo. The gorilla goes on a 50+ year murder spree with deadly banana weapons. But like all the good apes in these films, he has a special sweetheart in a banana-yellow bobbed teenager aptly named Nancy Banana, played with such fun by adorable Kansas Bowling. You know the Empire State Building is gonna be involved but you don't expect a hilarious outtake of an argument between two trick-or-treating sisters on the superiority of Ratatouille vs. Toy Story.
It's a very very fun movie!
Impressive and goofy horror/comedy effort
kannibalcorpsegrinder18 December 2020
After escaping from a zoo, a murderous gorilla begins a blood-soaked rampage killing everyone he comes across until he meets a young girl with an affinity for apes and they run off together, drawing a biologist hunting the creature onto their trail.
This was a highly enjoyable and goofy genre effort. The overwhelming goofiness and silly attitude on display here is the determining factor for this one, as the entire thing is obviously taken as a joke for fun. From the one-liners about breaking the fourth wall and being aware of what type of film this is, the hilariously fake and over-the-top death scenes and the utter hilarity of the storyline which consists of excuses to make ape puns or confrontations with the ape on city streets, it's all quite cheesy and ridiculous. That also applies to the general setup of the humor here, which goes for the exact kind of silliness expected here. When kept to practical effects, the idea of bananas used as knives to slit throats open, stab others in the head, slice off appendages which are shown to be mannequin parts quite obviously to deliberately mocking and spoofing anything they can using the ape as the cause of everything. Including low-rent CGI for everything from blood-splatter to the background shots and marijuana smoke and the shaggy ape costume, this one manages to be utterly hilarious at times. Of course, the nature and style here won't be for everyone who will look at the opening text scroll or the antics at the slumber party as cues for what's in store and bail. The comedy, antics and production style are tipped off that early and easily making it clear what's going on which might be too much for some to take. Moreover, the fact that this one seems to abandon the relationship for long stretches as it focuses on dispensing the kills only to bring them back rather hastily in the second act is a little jarring. It's not much, though, and is all this really has wrong with it.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Full Nudity and comedic drug use.
This was a highly enjoyable and goofy genre effort. The overwhelming goofiness and silly attitude on display here is the determining factor for this one, as the entire thing is obviously taken as a joke for fun. From the one-liners about breaking the fourth wall and being aware of what type of film this is, the hilariously fake and over-the-top death scenes and the utter hilarity of the storyline which consists of excuses to make ape puns or confrontations with the ape on city streets, it's all quite cheesy and ridiculous. That also applies to the general setup of the humor here, which goes for the exact kind of silliness expected here. When kept to practical effects, the idea of bananas used as knives to slit throats open, stab others in the head, slice off appendages which are shown to be mannequin parts quite obviously to deliberately mocking and spoofing anything they can using the ape as the cause of everything. Including low-rent CGI for everything from blood-splatter to the background shots and marijuana smoke and the shaggy ape costume, this one manages to be utterly hilarious at times. Of course, the nature and style here won't be for everyone who will look at the opening text scroll or the antics at the slumber party as cues for what's in store and bail. The comedy, antics and production style are tipped off that early and easily making it clear what's going on which might be too much for some to take. Moreover, the fact that this one seems to abandon the relationship for long stretches as it focuses on dispensing the kills only to bring them back rather hastily in the second act is a little jarring. It's not much, though, and is all this really has wrong with it.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, Full Nudity and comedic drug use.
It's Called "Psycho Ape"
MRWilliams8413 January 2021
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.
Classy Trashy, "Gorilla" filmmaking.
Absolute fun!
verydangerous35026 July 2021
I had seen this pop up on my Instagram and had my curiosities on it. Usually I am hesitant to watch random stuff that pops up but what a great choice I made watching this. It is hands down the most fun I've had with a movie this year. Kansas and Stephen were such a great pairing to have in this movie. Definitely something I would watch over and over.
A Journey into the Mad Mind of Addison Binek
anarkerry14 July 2021
Psycho Ape is loving spoof of low budget man in suit horror. A wickedly funny and violent film shot on mini dv that absolutely nails what it set out to do.
If you grew up with the B movies of Lloyd Kaufman, Charles Band, David A Prior, and Roger Corman you will be very happy with what Psycho Ape brings to the table. It brings a 4th B to Joe Bob Briggs 3 Bs of Drive In Horror greatness Blood, Breasts, and Beasts are gonna have to find room to accommodate Bananas.
Kansas Bowling is cute beyond belief and very much understands the type of film she is in and goes straight for the jugular with her over the top performance. Rivaled only by Bill Weeden who single handedly fills around half of the body count with his numerous gratuitous deaths.
The humor is raunchy in the style of Family Guy or Bojack Horseman. Quick, punchy, and smart (in an intentionally dumb way) the majority of the jokes land. It's got a great snappy pace clocking in at just 64 minutes it never wears out it's welcome and reminds you to have fun in an age where fun is becoming difficult to come by.
10/10 check it out.
If you grew up with the B movies of Lloyd Kaufman, Charles Band, David A Prior, and Roger Corman you will be very happy with what Psycho Ape brings to the table. It brings a 4th B to Joe Bob Briggs 3 Bs of Drive In Horror greatness Blood, Breasts, and Beasts are gonna have to find room to accommodate Bananas.
Kansas Bowling is cute beyond belief and very much understands the type of film she is in and goes straight for the jugular with her over the top performance. Rivaled only by Bill Weeden who single handedly fills around half of the body count with his numerous gratuitous deaths.
The humor is raunchy in the style of Family Guy or Bojack Horseman. Quick, punchy, and smart (in an intentionally dumb way) the majority of the jokes land. It's got a great snappy pace clocking in at just 64 minutes it never wears out it's welcome and reminds you to have fun in an age where fun is becoming difficult to come by.
10/10 check it out.
Seriously funny
tatjordan-5964228 August 2022
Psycho Ape had one one thousandth the budget of movies that entertained me one thousand times less. I like good bad movies obviously and the worst are the boring ones. This won't bore you. Constant silly monkey jokes and poorly made gore. There's bad audio but the dialogue and the WTF 'ness of it is hella entertaining. Bill Wheeden is awesome, great as a narrator. The news room people are hilarious as well. The man obviously doesn't give one F. You have to see it to understand. It's short and well worth the watch whatever way you can get it. The film makers think a squishy banana is way more of a deadly weapon that can somehow easily cut through bone than it really is but that's part of the silliness.
Perfect for What It Is
otherdeb4 September 2021
Everybody Loves A Fun Ape Movie!
mhmillersd12 January 2021
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!
A new kind of deadly weapon!
Tspurrny22 August 2021
Who knew bananas were a deadly weapon. "Psycho Ape" shows just how deadly and funny they can be in a laugh out loud horror farce! All that and a small bit of titillation combine to make this film well worth the pittance charged by Amazon Prime for a rental. You'll be happy you saw it.
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