JOHN LANDIS
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BB.5.
USA, 1977. . Screenplay by , , . Cinematography by Stephen M. Katz. Produced by Robert K. Weiss. Music by Igo Kantor. Production Design by Rick Harvel. Costume Design by Deborah Nadoolman. Film Editing by George Folsey Jr..
This collection of skits was the cinematic entrance of the Zucker/Abrahams boys and the first notable feature film directed by John Landis. It is a series of cleverly directed sketches designed to imitate commercials, coming attractions and, as its centerpiece, a spoof of kung fu movies, all of them subverting the self-important styles of advertising and action filmmaking and using goofy behaviour and bawdy imagery to drive the point home. Some of the jokes are a lot funnier than others, the tasteless Henry Gibson skit appealing for the rights of dead people is still hysterically funny, while the film parody A Fistful Of Yen is pretty tired, and the opportunities for exposing breasts and exploiting sex certainly place it in the humor of the seventies. As spotty as it is, its existence is the reason we have Airplane! and An American Werewolf In London, so it was well worth making and still has its moments.
