PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Not everything is as it seems. The Banana Splits Movie (click here for another PopHorror writer’s thoughts on the film) was recommended to me by my daughter. Of course, seeing the cover, I thought, “Hmmm okay… people in costumes. A kids’ show. GREAT!” All I can say is that looks can be deceiving. Released in August of 2019, I only recently found out about this film. Produced by Blue Ribbon Content and Blue Ice Pictures and directed by Danishka Esterhazy, this film is something completely different than what you have in mind. The movie itself goes from 1 too 100 so quickly, you barely blink. All I could do was look at my own kid and ask, “What the hell just happened?!?”
The Banana Splitz Movie is a horror based continuation of the Hanna-Barbera series that ran on ABC and NBC for three seasons starting on September 7, 1968, a fact that was quite shocking to me. I was completely unaware that this movie was based off of an actual television series. SURPRISE! It is! But what I watched with my daughter (thank God she’s a horror fan) was not about a kids’ television series movie hoping for a dramatic comeback. Nope! What I got was a Five Nights at Freddie’s animatronic nightmare. I can’t complain. I highly enjoyed the creepiness of the situation. To be honest, it’s based on one of the illogical fears I have—sentient technology turning on humans simply… because.
Introducing The Banana Splits… Bingo, Fleegle, Drooper and Snorky. But let’s also not forget Stevie! The host with the most… hostility towards his onstage companions.
So, The Banana Splits Movie goes from simply innocent and fun—a little boy’s (Finlay Wojtak-Hissong) wish to attend a live screening of his favorite TV series—to an all out murder bloodbath with an ending so cryptic that you want nothing more than for it to continue.
I personally enjoyed The Banana Splitz Movie and so did my daughter, but just like all films of this sort, it isn’t for everyone. It is unique as the first movie to follow in the footsteps of the game, Five Night at Freddy’s, in the sense of rogue animatronics. So, it’s an interesting new addition.
One of the most charming aspects of horror to me is the unique kills. So, that is what I tend to focus on, the uniqueness of the gore itself. From a blast to the face with fire to a hammer to the head to being sawed in half, I had to admire the work that was put in to turn these imaginary childhood friends into giant, murderous, nightmarish creatures. It also gives us an idea of what would happen if obsessed fans finally got a chance to meet their childhood heroes only to be viciously murdered. Imagine being literally sawed in half by a giant teddy bear creature from your childhood! What I am looking forward to is the possibility of a sequel involving the survivors and the return of The Banana Splits!
Turn on your television and enjoy this modern horror rendition of the beloved children’s television series, The Banana Splits. But remember, not everything is as innocent as it seems. Things have drastically changed since the sixties…
Below is a video of the original kids show. Truly the stuff of nightmares…
