“The popcorn you are eating has been pissed in. Film at 11.” What a banger way to start your movie. This is a fucking gem of a time capsule of sketch comedy capturing society in general circa the late 70s. From the director John Landis, who would go on to direct a “fourfecta” of great films in the next few years in Animal House (pure comedy), The Blues Brothers (comedy that has great musics), An American Werewolf in London (the blackest of comedies, in a horror shell), and Trading Places (Uh, New Years Eve comedy?). The writers Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and other Zucker Jerry would go on to write comedic goofball treasures like Airplane!, Top Secret!, Naked Gun and Hot Shots! Does every segment here work? Not always. But there’s enough wayward grins, chuckles, and outright laughs to realize everything doesn’t always have to suck.
There really isn’t much of a plot here, outside maybe the longer segment “A Fistful of Yen” that parodies Enter the Dragon in a usually humorous fashion. Sprinkled throughout are faux news segments, movie trailers, shows, short documentaries and commercials for products (usually) taken to a hilarious level. “Catholic High School Girls in Trouble” trailer? This film intrigues me. Would I like to know more about Zinc Oxide? Why yes, yes I would.
This is unadulterated comedy. So that means some subjectivity, of course. Mostly broad to appeal to the largest audience, you also have some lazer-focused jabs like the commercial for the game “Scot Free” that is a board game based on the assassination of JFK. You know, that subject matter of pure comedy gold? Wow. Again, not all jokes land, but it’s like the short story version of a comedy anthology. If you don’t like the current skit, wait a couple minutes until the next one. Visual and even a few audio gags abound, not exactly high class but fuck those smarmy horse golfers, I like a good laugh now and again regardless the source. “I’m not wearing any pants. Film at 11.” Heh.
