THE BANANA SPLITS is a show from the 1960s and 1970s that defined a certain generation of UK-based children’s viewing habits on a Saturday morning before they would watch the likes of MULTI-COLOURED SWAP SHOP and TISWAS.
ABOVE: The original intro to THE BANANA SPLITS ADVENTURE HOUR (1968)
Run over two seasons originally from 1968 – 1970 and the concept of legendary animation studio Hanna Barbera, the format featured a quartet of animals, Fleagle, Bingo, Drooper and Snork who would get up to all manner of pratfalls and hijinks of silliness, whilst entertaining their audience out on location in San Francisco and sing songs.
If there are any parents of that childhood period who are out to show their own children an earlier example of a show that was fun, be warned.
THE BANANA SPLITS MOVIE is JUST-FOR-ADULTS!!! (Sorry, Kids)
Fresh from a Frightfest 2019 screening, THE BANANA SPLITS MOVIE updates the series and it is still running thanks to the devoted following of young fans like little Harley (Finlay Wotjak-Hissong). Thanks to his father Mitch (Steve Lund) and Beth (Dani Kind), he is given the birthday treat of tickets to the latest recording at Taft Studios, where they will experience a live recording of the show and perhaps get a chance to mingle with the fun furry quartet. Harley’s brother, Austin (Romeo Carere) struggling with adolescence amongst other things, tags along as well.
However, all is not well in the heart of TV-land, thanks to an executive who decides to cancel the show and replace it with more updated and modern concepts and programming. Amongst the guests include a pair of vloggers and a stage dad determined to get his daughter in to see a producer.
Before long, however, Harley and all are faced with the dark and bloody reality of what the ‘Splits’ represent – and the prospect that things might just be about to go a little too ‘TRA-LA-LA, LA-LA-LA-LA’…
This film has divided opinion online so far from what a lot of people have said so far. Some hate it because it seems to defame the original vision of the classic children’s show, expecting something a bit more family-friendly, whilst some horror fans feel that it was more of a cast off from an upcoming FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S movie in the works based on what they had heard.
This film is actually reminiscent of Tobe Hooper’s THE FUNHOUSE (1981) and Tommy Lee Wallace’s cult hit HALLOWEEN III – SEASON OF THE WITCH (1982), two films that have garnered similar negativity from critics and fans over the years and one senses that down the line the reaction will be a lot kinder than it is now.
It’s not a bad attempt at reworking a children’s concept into a different genre and style of film, but there could have been more thought put into the script. It has one or two fair moments of gore, but as mentioned before, make sure you pick up the right version.
A cult-horror in the making.
