Kentucky Fried Movie
Amazon.co.uk Review
Twenty years before the Farrelly Brothers turned raunch into acceptable film comedy, the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker exploited it first. The college threesome made it big with Airplane in 1980, but this 1977 cinematic version of their live theatre show was the ground zero for their talents. Kentucky Fried Movie is a mish-mash of sketches, fake commercials, and parodies with no central theme–except their crudeness and laugh-out-loud humour. Highlights include a commercial for “Scot Free”, a board game based on the Kennedy assassination conspiracy; “The Wonderful World of Sex”, in which a couple goes through foreplay with a self-help narrator instructing them step-by-step; and a 20-minute spoof of Bruce Lee films entitled “A Fistful of Yen”. Brazen to a fault, the movie will reach for any punchline, no matter how crude (and those who flocked to the film’s initial release looking for R-rated sex will remember the final sketch and the infamous trailer for “Catholic High School Girls in Trouble”.) Directed by then-unknown John Landis (who went on to make The Blues Brothers and An American Werewolf in London) on a shoestring budget, the film has aged. But crassness, when this funny, is forever. –Doug Thomas, Amazon.com
I saw this at the cinema when it first came out and was quite surprised (probably an understatement!) by the nudity and general raunchiness. Watching it again recently what I had forgotten was how funny it is. The makers were clearly influenced a little by some of the early Woody Allen films like ‘Take the Money and Run’. This film also points the way for Airplane and the Naked Gun etc.
The film consists of a series of spoof adverts and parodies of specific film genres. The centerpiece of which is “A Fistful of Yen”, which is a marvellous comedy version of “Enter the Dragon”.
Although as Amazon point out it has dated a little, I thought for a film made 32 years ago much of it was still relevant and crucially still very funny.
I picked this up very cheap in a supermarket that begins with Tes, so shop around as there is no need to pay a lot for it.
Rating: 4 / 5
I bort this as i watched it years ago and thought it was hilarious, it still is, much funnier than similar stuff made today, 100% satisfaction, great watch.
Rating: 5 / 5
Okay so I’m old enough to have seen this at the cinema when it was first released, but on DVD I can watch it on my own sofa. As funny as I remember, and it brought back a whole raft of other 70’s memories as well. Top Film
Rating: 5 / 5
I went to see to see this film when I was still at school (no, I wasn’t 18 but things seemed easier then) and have got to say I missed half of it because I was laughing so much. It preceded Airplane and never, in my opinion, got the credit it deserved. How pleased was I when I found it again on Amazon and, although it looks a little dated now, still had me in hysterics.
The film is a series of sketches with a loose TV/Film motif with silly humour and hidden gags being the order of the day. I warn you, “A Fistful of Yen” will ruin Bruce Lee films for you forever (but in a good way).
Rating: 5 / 5
Whilst this is great fun, it’s worth pointing out that the movie – if you look carefully – is part of Tesco’s £1.00 DVD range…
Rating: 4 / 5