Amazon Women on the Moon
Encyclopedia
Amazon Women on the Moon is a 1987
American satirical
comedy
film
that parodies
the experience of watching low-budget movies on late-night television. The film, featuring a large ensemble cast
, was written by Michael Barrie and Jim Mulholland, and takes the form of a compilation of twenty-one comedy skits
directed by five different directors: Joe Dante
, Carl Gottlieb
, Peter Horton
, John Landis
and Robert K. Weiss
.
The title Amazon Women on the Moon refers to the central film-within-a-film, a spoof
of science fiction
movies from the 1950s
that borrows heavily from Queen of Outer Space
(1958) starring Zsa Zsa Gabor
, itself a movie that recycles elements of earlier science fiction works such as Cat-Women of the Moon
(1953), Fire Maidens from Outer Space
(1955) and Forbidden Planet
(1956).
Film actors making cameo appearance
s in various sketches included Rosanna Arquette
, Ralph Bellamy
, Griffin Dunne
, Carrie Fisher
, Steve Guttenberg
, Michelle Pfeiffer
, Kelly Preston
and Henry Silva, alongside television actors such as Ed Begley, Jr.
, Bryan Cranston
, David Alan Grier
, Howard Hesseman
, Peter Horton
, William Marshall
, Joe Pantoliano
, Robert Picardo
and Roxie Roker
.
Other notable people in the cast included voice actors Corey Burton
and Phil Hartman
, talk show host Arsenio Hall
, adult film actress Monique Gabrielle
, science fiction writer Forrest J Ackerman
, B-movie stars Lana Clarkson
and Sybil Danning
, musician B.B. King, radio personalities Roger Barkley
and Al Lohman
, composer Ira Newborn
, director Russ Meyer
, model Corinne Wahl, comedian Andrew Dice Clay
, Firesign Theater member Phil Proctor and independent film actor Paul Bartel
.
John Landis
had previously directed The Kentucky Fried Movie
(1977), which employed a similar sketch anthology format.
) and Capt. Nelson (Steve Forrest) battle exploding volcano
es and man-eating spider
s on the moon
. In place of the faltering film, the channel airs various other movie clips, trailers, commercials, public service announcements, infomercials and talk shows in between a few snippets of the main feature.
These segments feature: Arsenio Hall
as a man who nearly kills himself in a series of mishaps around his apartment; Monique Gabrielle
as a model who goes about her daily routine in Malibu, California, completely naked; Lou Jacobi
as a man, zapped into the television, wandering throughout sketches looking for his wife; Michelle Pfeiffer
and Peter Horton
as a young couple having trouble with eccentric doctor Griffin Dunne
delivering and then concealing their newborn baby; Joe Pantoliano
as the presenter of a commercial recommending stapling carpet to a bald head as a hair loss prevention measure; David Alan Grier
and B.B. King in a public-service appeal for "blacks without soul"; Rosanna Arquette
as a young woman on a blind date, employing unusual methods of investigation to reveal the past indiscretions of Steve Guttenberg
; Henry Silva as the host of a show entitled "Bullshit or Not?", clearly intended as a spoof of In Search Of . . .; Archie Hahn
as a man who dies after a critical mauling (Roger Barkley
and Al Lohman
resembling Siskel and Ebert) and is roasted at his funeral by a variety of people, including his wife; William Marshall
as the leader of a gang of pirates illegally bootlegging videotapes; Ed Begley, Jr.
as the son of the Invisible Man, having trouble with his formula; Angel Tompkins
as a First Lady who is also a former hooker; Matt Adler
as a sexually frustrated teenager who becomes a spokesperson for a condom
company; Marc McClure
renting a personalised date video; and an epilogue at the end of the credits, with Carrie Fisher
and Paul Bartel
in a black-and-white ephemeral film warning about the spread of "social diseases"
in the style of Reefer Madness
.
The DVD release features an unreleased sketch titled "The Unknown Soldier", starring Robert Loggia
. Some Television broadcasts of the film featured the sketch "French Ventriloquist", which was not present in the theatrical version.
):
"Pethouse Video" (directed by Carl Gottlieb
):
"Murray in Videoland" (directed by Robert K. Weiss
):
"Hospital" (directed by Landis):
"Hairlooming" (directed by Joe Dante
):
"Amazon Women on the Moon" (directed by Weiss):
"Blacks Without Soul" (directed by Landis):
"Two I.D.s" (directed by Peter Horton
):
"Bullshit or Not" (directed by Dante):
"Critics' Corner" (directed by Dante):
"Silly Pâté" (directed by Weiss):
"Roast Your Loved One" (directed by Dante):
"Video Pirates" (directed by Weiss):
"Son of the Invisible Man" (directed by Gottlieb):
"French Ventriloquist's Dummy" (directed by Dante):
"Art Sale" (directed by Gottlieb):
"First Lady of the Evening" (directed by Weiss):
"Titan Man" (directed by Weiss):
"Video Date" (directed by Landis):
"Reckless Youth" (directed by Dante):
, based on 11 reviews, indicating a mixed critical response.
The majority of critical opinion agreed that the quality was inconsistent throughout the film. Variety
called it "irreverent, vulgar and silly... [with] some hilarious moments and some real groaners too." Roger Ebert
in the Chicago Sun-Times
felt that the exercise was somewhat unnecessary: "Satirists are in trouble when their subjects are funnier than they are."
Janet Maslin
of the New York Times, in a largely positive review, described the film as "an anarchic, often hilarious adventure in dial-spinning, a collection of brief skits and wacko parodies that are sometimes quite clever, though they're just as often happily sophomoric, too."
Certain portions of the film were singled out for praise. "The funniest episode probably is "Son of the Invisible Man," directed by Carl Gottlieb
, in which Ed Begley, Jr.
plays a man who thinks he is invisible but is not," wrote the Chicago Sun-Times. "The film's best sight gags come from Robert K. Weiss
, who deserves kudos for the inspired idiocy of his Amazon Women segments," was the opinion of the New York Times.
In a retrospective article for Entertainment Weekly
, Chris Nashawaty called this film "the beginning of the end of Landis' career." He cited the episodes featuring Monique Gabrielle
, Archie Hahn
, Ed Begley, Jr.
and David Alan Grier
as "inspired," but criticised others for their failure: "You'll never see Michelle Pfeiffer
look as trapped as she does in her skit with thirtysomethings Peter Horton
, or Joe Pantoliano
and Arsenio Hall
as unfunny as they are in their skits."
1987 in film
-Events:*January 31 - The Cure for Insomnia premieres at The School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois, to officially become the world's longest film according to Guinness World Records....
American satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
that parodies
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
the experience of watching low-budget movies on late-night television. The film, featuring a large ensemble cast
Ensemble cast
An ensemble cast is made up of cast members in which the principal actors and performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance and screen time in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows flexibility for writers to focus on...
, was written by Michael Barrie and Jim Mulholland, and takes the form of a compilation of twenty-one comedy skits
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
directed by five different directors: Joe Dante
Joe Dante
Joseph "Joe" Dante, Jr. is an American film director and producer of films generally with humorous and science fiction content....
, Carl Gottlieb
Carl Gottlieb
Carl Gottlieb is an American screenwriter, actor, comedian and executive. He is probably best known for co-writing the screenplay for Jaws, as well as directing the 1981 low-budget cult film Caveman.-Early life:...
, Peter Horton
Peter Horton
Peter Horton is an American actor and director. He played the role of Prof. Gary Shepherd on the popular television series Thirtysomething until 1991.-Early life:...
, John Landis
John Landis
John David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
and Robert K. Weiss
Robert K. Weiss
Robert K. Weiss is an American film and television producer. His productions include films by director John Landis, producer Lorne Michaels, and the “Z. A. Z.” team of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker. He also co-created the science-fiction TV series Sliders...
.
The title Amazon Women on the Moon refers to the central film-within-a-film, a spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
movies from the 1950s
1950s
The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...
that borrows heavily from Queen of Outer Space
Queen of Outer Space
Queen of Outer Space is a 1958 American CinemaScope science fiction feature film starring Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eric Fleming, and Laurie Mitchell in a tale about a revolt against a cruel Venusian queen. The screenplay by Charles Beaumont was based on an outline supplied by Ben Hecht...
(1958) starring Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Zsa Zsa Gabor is a Hungarian-born American stage, film and television actress.She acted on stage in Vienna, Austria, in 1932, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936. She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that...
, itself a movie that recycles elements of earlier science fiction works such as Cat-Women of the Moon
Cat-Women of the Moon
Cat-Women of the Moon is a 1953 Science fiction 3-D film directed by Arthur Hilton. It stars Sonny Tufts, Victor Jory and Marie Windsor. The musical score was composed by Elmer Bernstein....
(1953), Fire Maidens from Outer Space
Fire Maidens from Outer Space
Fire Maidens from Outer Space , released in the USA as Fire Maidens of Outer Space, is a 78-minute black-and-white science fiction feature film...
(1955) and Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain...
(1956).
Film actors making cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s in various sketches included Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Lauren Arquette is an American actress, film director, and producer.-Early life:Arquette was born in New York City, the daughter of Brenda Olivia "Mardi" , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor and director. Her paternal...
, Ralph Bellamy
Ralph Bellamy
Ralph Bellamy was an American actor whose career spanned sixty-two years.-Early life:He was born Ralph Rexford Bellamy in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Lilla Louise , a native of Canada, and Charles Rexford Bellamy. He ran away from home when he was fifteen and managed to get into a road show...
, Griffin Dunne
Griffin Dunne
-Personal life:Dunne was born Thomas Griffin Dunne in New York City, New York, the son of Ellen Beatriz Dunne and Dominick Dunne. His mother founded the victims' rights organization Justice for Homicide Victims and his father was a producer, writer, and actor...
, Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
, Steve Guttenberg
Steve Guttenberg
Steven Robert "Steve" Guttenberg is an American actor and comedian. He became well known during the 1980s, after a series of starring roles in major Hollywood films, including Cocoon, Three Men and a Baby, Police Academy, and Short Circuit.-Early life:Guttenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, the...
, Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
, Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston
Kelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
and Henry Silva, alongside television actors such as Ed Begley, Jr.
Ed Begley, Jr.
Edward James "Ed" Begley, Jr. is an American actor and environmentalist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich, on the television series St...
, Bryan Cranston
Bryan Cranston
Bryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
, David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier , also known as "D.A.G." , is an American actor and comedian known for his work on the sketch comedy television show In Living Color.-Early life:...
, Howard Hesseman
Howard Hesseman
Howard Hesseman is an American actor best known for playing disc jockey Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati and schoolteacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class.-Early life:...
, Peter Horton
Peter Horton
Peter Horton is an American actor and director. He played the role of Prof. Gary Shepherd on the popular television series Thirtysomething until 1991.-Early life:...
, William Marshall
William Marshall (actor)
William Marshall was an American singer, bandleader and a motion picture actor, director and producer.Born in Chicago, Illinois, he became a vocalist for Fred Waring and his band, the "Pennsylvanians " before forming his own band in 1937...
, Joe Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano
Joseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
, Robert Picardo
Robert Picardo
Robert Picardo is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Dr. Dick Richards on ABC's China Beach, the Emergency Medical Hologram , also known as The Doctor, on UPN's Star Trek: Voyager, The Cowboy in Innerspace, Coach Cutlip on The Wonder Years , Ben Wheeler in Wagons East, and as...
and Roxie Roker
Roxie Roker
Roxie Albertha Roker was an American actress, best known for her groundbreaking role as Helen Willis on the sitcom The Jeffersons, half of the first interracial couple to be shown on regular prime time television...
.
Other notable people in the cast included voice actors Corey Burton
Corey Burton
Corey Burton is an American voice actor, perhaps best known as Count Dooku, Ziro the Hutt and Cad Bane in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Brainiac in the DC animated universe and Spike Witwicky and Shockwave in the Transformers universe...
and Phil Hartman
Phil Hartman
Philip Edward "Phil" Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States when he was 10...
, talk show host Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films Coming to America and Harlem Nights.Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the...
, adult film actress Monique Gabrielle
Monique Gabrielle
Monique Gabrielle is an American model and actress.Gabrielle was the Penthouse Pet of the Month for December 1982 and appeared in Bachelor Party in 1984. Since then, she has had a career as a B-movie actress. Many of Gabrielle's films have had overtly erotic overtones...
, science fiction writer Forrest J Ackerman
Forrest J Ackerman
Forrest J Ackerman was an American collector of science fiction books and movie memorabilia and a science fiction fan...
, B-movie stars Lana Clarkson
Lana Clarkson
Lana Jean Clarkson was an American actress and fashion model. Clarkson was a native of Los Angeles County. She played roles in science fiction and fantasy movies. She was murdered by songwriter and producer Phil Spector, who was convicted of the crime on April 13, 2009.-Early life:Born in Long...
and Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning
Sybil Danning is an Austrian actress known for her many roles in B movies, science fiction films, and action films.-Early life:Danning was born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria as Sybille Johanna Danninger...
, musician B.B. King, radio personalities Roger Barkley
Roger Barkley
Roger Barkley was an American radio personality, based in Los Angeles, California, best remembered for his work with Al Lohman as part of The Lohman and Barkley Show on KFI....
and Al Lohman
Al Lohman
Al Lohman was a personality and comedian with a long career in American radio from the 1950s through the 1980s and into the 1990s. Among his early career stops was a stint as morning man at New York City top-40 station WABC when it first adopted a pop music format in 1960...
, composer Ira Newborn
Ira Newborn
Ira Newborn is an American musician and composer, best known for his work composing motion picture soundtracks....
, director Russ Meyer
Russ Meyer
Russell Albion "Russ" Meyer was a U.S. motion picture director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, actor and photographer....
, model Corinne Wahl, comedian Andrew Dice Clay
Andrew Dice Clay
Andrew Dice Clay is an American comedian and actor who played the lead role in the film The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.Clay has been in several movies and has released a number of stand-up albums...
, Firesign Theater member Phil Proctor and independent film actor Paul Bartel
Paul Bartel
Paul Bartel was an American actor, writer and director. Bartel was perhaps most known for his 1982 hit black comedy Eating Raoul, which he wrote, starred in and directed.-Life and career:...
.
John Landis
John Landis
John David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
had previously directed The Kentucky Fried Movie
The Kentucky Fried Movie
The Kentucky Fried Movie is an American comedy film, released in 1977 and directed by John Landis. The film's writers were the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. This same team would go on to write and direct Airplane!, Top Secret! and the Police Squad! television series and its...
(1977), which employed a similar sketch anthology format.
Plot
Channel 8 WIDB-TV experiences problems with its late-night airing of science-fiction classic Amazon Women on the Moon, a 50s B-movie in which Queen Lara (Sybil DanningSybil Danning
Sybil Danning is an Austrian actress known for her many roles in B movies, science fiction films, and action films.-Early life:Danning was born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria as Sybille Johanna Danninger...
) and Capt. Nelson (Steve Forrest) battle exploding volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
es and man-eating spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s on the moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. In place of the faltering film, the channel airs various other movie clips, trailers, commercials, public service announcements, infomercials and talk shows in between a few snippets of the main feature.
These segments feature: Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films Coming to America and Harlem Nights.Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the...
as a man who nearly kills himself in a series of mishaps around his apartment; Monique Gabrielle
Monique Gabrielle
Monique Gabrielle is an American model and actress.Gabrielle was the Penthouse Pet of the Month for December 1982 and appeared in Bachelor Party in 1984. Since then, she has had a career as a B-movie actress. Many of Gabrielle's films have had overtly erotic overtones...
as a model who goes about her daily routine in Malibu, California, completely naked; Lou Jacobi
Lou Jacobi
Louis Harold "Lou" Jacobi was a Canadian character actor.-Life and career:Jacobi was born Louis Harold Jacobovitch in Toronto, Ontario to Joseph and Fay Jacobivitch...
as a man, zapped into the television, wandering throughout sketches looking for his wife; Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
and Peter Horton
Peter Horton
Peter Horton is an American actor and director. He played the role of Prof. Gary Shepherd on the popular television series Thirtysomething until 1991.-Early life:...
as a young couple having trouble with eccentric doctor Griffin Dunne
Griffin Dunne
-Personal life:Dunne was born Thomas Griffin Dunne in New York City, New York, the son of Ellen Beatriz Dunne and Dominick Dunne. His mother founded the victims' rights organization Justice for Homicide Victims and his father was a producer, writer, and actor...
delivering and then concealing their newborn baby; Joe Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano
Joseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
as the presenter of a commercial recommending stapling carpet to a bald head as a hair loss prevention measure; David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier , also known as "D.A.G." , is an American actor and comedian known for his work on the sketch comedy television show In Living Color.-Early life:...
and B.B. King in a public-service appeal for "blacks without soul"; Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Lauren Arquette is an American actress, film director, and producer.-Early life:Arquette was born in New York City, the daughter of Brenda Olivia "Mardi" , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor and director. Her paternal...
as a young woman on a blind date, employing unusual methods of investigation to reveal the past indiscretions of Steve Guttenberg
Steve Guttenberg
Steven Robert "Steve" Guttenberg is an American actor and comedian. He became well known during the 1980s, after a series of starring roles in major Hollywood films, including Cocoon, Three Men and a Baby, Police Academy, and Short Circuit.-Early life:Guttenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, the...
; Henry Silva as the host of a show entitled "Bullshit or Not?", clearly intended as a spoof of In Search Of . . .; Archie Hahn
Archie Hahn (actor)
Archie Hahn is an American character actor and improviser best known for his appearances on the British version of Whose Line is it Anyway?. He is also well known for appearing in This Is Spinal Tap, Phantom of the Paradise, and many Joe Dante films...
as a man who dies after a critical mauling (Roger Barkley
Roger Barkley
Roger Barkley was an American radio personality, based in Los Angeles, California, best remembered for his work with Al Lohman as part of The Lohman and Barkley Show on KFI....
and Al Lohman
Al Lohman
Al Lohman was a personality and comedian with a long career in American radio from the 1950s through the 1980s and into the 1990s. Among his early career stops was a stint as morning man at New York City top-40 station WABC when it first adopted a pop music format in 1960...
resembling Siskel and Ebert) and is roasted at his funeral by a variety of people, including his wife; William Marshall
William Marshall (actor)
William Marshall was an American singer, bandleader and a motion picture actor, director and producer.Born in Chicago, Illinois, he became a vocalist for Fred Waring and his band, the "Pennsylvanians " before forming his own band in 1937...
as the leader of a gang of pirates illegally bootlegging videotapes; Ed Begley, Jr.
Ed Begley, Jr.
Edward James "Ed" Begley, Jr. is an American actor and environmentalist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich, on the television series St...
as the son of the Invisible Man, having trouble with his formula; Angel Tompkins
Angel Tompkins
Angel Tompkins is an American actress and Golden Globe nominee, who appeared in several films and television shows.-Career:...
as a First Lady who is also a former hooker; Matt Adler
Matt Adler
Matthew D. "Matt" Adler is an American film actor. He is best known for his work in the 1980s for his supporting roles in the teenage films: Teen Wolf, White Water Summer, North Shore, and Dream a Little Dream....
as a sexually frustrated teenager who becomes a spokesperson for a condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
company; Marc McClure
Marc McClure
Marc A. McClure is an American actor. McClure was born in San Mateo, California. He is not, despite a popular misconception, related to the late Doug McClure.-Superman film series:...
renting a personalised date video; and an epilogue at the end of the credits, with Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
and Paul Bartel
Paul Bartel
Paul Bartel was an American actor, writer and director. Bartel was perhaps most known for his 1982 hit black comedy Eating Raoul, which he wrote, starred in and directed.-Life and career:...
in a black-and-white ephemeral film warning about the spread of "social diseases"
Sexually transmitted disease
Sexually transmitted disease , also known as a sexually transmitted infection or venereal disease , is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of human sexual behavior, including vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and anal sex...
in the style of Reefer Madness
Reefer Madness
Reefer Madness is a well-known 1936 American propaganda exploitation film revolving around the melodramatic events that ensue when high school students are lured by pushers to try "marijuana" — from a hit and run accident, to manslaughter, suicide, attempted rape, and descent into madness...
.
Alternate versions
An alternate version of the "Pethouse Video" sketch was filmed for the television broadcast of the film, with Monique Gabrielle in lingerie instead of appearing naked throughout the segment. Most European TV broadcasts of the film, however, retained the original theatrical version. "Bullshit or Not" was retitled "Baloney or Not" for the TV version.The DVD release features an unreleased sketch titled "The Unknown Soldier", starring Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...
. Some Television broadcasts of the film featured the sketch "French Ventriloquist", which was not present in the theatrical version.
Cast
"Mondo Condo" (directed by John LandisJohn Landis
John David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...
):
- Arsenio HallArsenio HallArsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films Coming to America and Harlem Nights.Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the...
(credited as Arsenio) as Apartment Victim.
"Pethouse Video" (directed by Carl Gottlieb
Carl Gottlieb
Carl Gottlieb is an American screenwriter, actor, comedian and executive. He is probably best known for co-writing the screenplay for Jaws, as well as directing the 1981 low-budget cult film Caveman.-Early life:...
):
- Donald F. Muhich as Easterbrook.
- Monique GabrielleMonique GabrielleMonique Gabrielle is an American model and actress.Gabrielle was the Penthouse Pet of the Month for December 1982 and appeared in Bachelor Party in 1984. Since then, she has had a career as a B-movie actress. Many of Gabrielle's films have had overtly erotic overtones...
as Taryn Steele.
"Murray in Videoland" (directed by Robert K. Weiss
Robert K. Weiss
Robert K. Weiss is an American film and television producer. His productions include films by director John Landis, producer Lorne Michaels, and the “Z. A. Z.” team of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker. He also co-created the science-fiction TV series Sliders...
):
- Lou JacobiLou JacobiLouis Harold "Lou" Jacobi was a Canadian character actor.-Life and career:Jacobi was born Louis Harold Jacobovitch in Toronto, Ontario to Joseph and Fay Jacobivitch...
as Murray. - Erica YohnErica YohnErica Yohn is an American actress. She has had many small parts in American movies and television shows, including ER, Murphy Brown, Quantum Leap and Kojak. She has also had recurring roles on State of Grace, Beverly Hills, 90210, and Picket Fences.-External links:...
as Selma. - Debby Davison as Weatherperson.
- Rob Krausz as Floor Manager.
- Phil HartmanPhil HartmanPhilip Edward "Phil" Hartman was a Canadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and graphic artist. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Hartman and his family moved to the United States when he was 10...
as Baseball Announcer. - Corey BurtonCorey BurtonCorey Burton is an American voice actor, perhaps best known as Count Dooku, Ziro the Hutt and Cad Bane in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Brainiac in the DC animated universe and Spike Witwicky and Shockwave in the Transformers universe...
as Anchorman.
"Hospital" (directed by Landis):
- Michelle PfeifferMichelle PfeifferMichelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
as Brenda Landers. - Peter HortonPeter HortonPeter Horton is an American actor and director. He played the role of Prof. Gary Shepherd on the popular television series Thirtysomething until 1991.-Early life:...
as Harry Landers. - Griffin DunneGriffin Dunne-Personal life:Dunne was born Thomas Griffin Dunne in New York City, New York, the son of Ellen Beatriz Dunne and Dominick Dunne. His mother founded the victims' rights organization Justice for Homicide Victims and his father was a producer, writer, and actor...
as Doctor Raymond. - Brian Ann Zoccola as Nurse.
"Hairlooming" (directed by Joe Dante
Joe Dante
Joseph "Joe" Dante, Jr. is an American film director and producer of films generally with humorous and science fiction content....
):
- Joe PantolianoJoe PantolianoJoseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
as Sy Swerdlow. - Stanley Brock as Customer.
"Amazon Women on the Moon" (directed by Weiss):
- Corey BurtonCorey BurtonCorey Burton is an American voice actor, perhaps best known as Count Dooku, Ziro the Hutt and Cad Bane in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Brainiac in the DC animated universe and Spike Witwicky and Shockwave in the Transformers universe...
as TV Announcer. - Steve Forrest as Capt. Steve Nelson.
- Robert ColbertRobert ColbertRobert Colbert is an American actor most noted for his leading role portraying Dr. Doug Phillips on the TV series The Time Tunnel and his two appearances as a third Maverick brother in Maverick....
as Blackie. - Joey TravoltaJoey TravoltaJoseph "Joey" Travolta is an American actor, producer, director and writer. His brother is actor John Travolta.-Early life:...
as Butch. - Forrest J AckermanForrest J AckermanForrest J Ackerman was an American collector of science fiction books and movie memorabilia and a science fiction fan...
as U.S. President. - Sybil DanningSybil DanningSybil Danning is an Austrian actress known for her many roles in B movies, science fiction films, and action films.-Early life:Danning was born in Ried im Innkreis, Austria as Sybille Johanna Danninger...
as Queen Lara. - Lana ClarksonLana ClarksonLana Jean Clarkson was an American actress and fashion model. Clarkson was a native of Los Angeles County. She played roles in science fiction and fantasy movies. She was murdered by songwriter and producer Phil Spector, who was convicted of the crime on April 13, 2009.-Early life:Born in Long...
as Alpha Beta.
"Blacks Without Soul" (directed by Landis):
- David Alan GrierDavid Alan GrierDavid Alan Grier , also known as "D.A.G." , is an American actor and comedian known for his work on the sketch comedy television show In Living Color.-Early life:...
as Don 'No Soul' Simmons. - B.B. King as Himself.
- William BryantWilliam Bryant (actor)-Career:Born in Los Angeles, California, U.S.., Bryant was a character actor who appeared in films such as King Dinosaur , Escape from San Quentin , Experiment in Terror , with Glenn Ford, How to Murder Your Wife and The Great Race with Jack Lemmon, What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? , McQ ,...
(credited as Bill Bryant) as Male Republican. - Roxie RokerRoxie RokerRoxie Albertha Roker was an American actress, best known for her groundbreaking role as Helen Willis on the sitcom The Jeffersons, half of the first interracial couple to be shown on regular prime time television...
as Female Republican. - Le TariLe TariLe Tari was an American actor who appeared in movies and on television.Distinctive for his imposing physical stature, broad mustache and lantern jaw, Tari landed a starring role in the 1976 blaxploitation film Brotherhood of Death...
as Pimp. - Christopher Broughton as Fan Club President.
"Two I.D.s" (directed by Peter Horton
Peter Horton
Peter Horton is an American actor and director. He played the role of Prof. Gary Shepherd on the popular television series Thirtysomething until 1991.-Early life:...
):
- Rosanna ArquetteRosanna ArquetteRosanna Lauren Arquette is an American actress, film director, and producer.-Early life:Arquette was born in New York City, the daughter of Brenda Olivia "Mardi" , an actress, poet, theater operator, activist, acting teacher, and therapist, and Lewis Arquette, an actor and director. Her paternal...
as Karen. - Steve GuttenbergSteve GuttenbergSteven Robert "Steve" Guttenberg is an American actor and comedian. He became well known during the 1980s, after a series of starring roles in major Hollywood films, including Cocoon, Three Men and a Baby, Police Academy, and Short Circuit.-Early life:Guttenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York, the...
(credited as Steven Guttenberg) as Jerry.
"Bullshit or Not" (directed by Dante):
- Henry Silva as Himself.
- Sarah Lilly as Prostitute.
"Critics' Corner" (directed by Dante):
- Roger BarkleyRoger BarkleyRoger Barkley was an American radio personality, based in Los Angeles, California, best remembered for his work with Al Lohman as part of The Lohman and Barkley Show on KFI....
(credited as Barkley) as Herbert. - Al LohmanAl LohmanAl Lohman was a personality and comedian with a long career in American radio from the 1950s through the 1980s and into the 1990s. Among his early career stops was a stint as morning man at New York City top-40 station WABC when it first adopted a pop music format in 1960...
(credited as Lohman) as Frankel. - Archie HahnArchie Hahn (actor)Archie Hahn is an American character actor and improviser best known for his appearances on the British version of Whose Line is it Anyway?. He is also well known for appearing in This Is Spinal Tap, Phantom of the Paradise, and many Joe Dante films...
as Harvey Pitnik. - Belinda BalaskiBelinda BalaskiBelinda Balaski is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her large supporting role in Joe Dante's The Howling , and has continued to appear in most of Dante's films including an important role in "Piranha" and cameos in "Gremlins", "Gremlins 2", "Matinee", and Small Soldiers...
as Bernice Pitnik. - Justin Benham as Pitnik Boy.
- Erica Gayle as Pitnik Girl.
"Silly Pâté" (directed by Weiss):
- Corey BurtonCorey BurtonCorey Burton is an American voice actor, perhaps best known as Count Dooku, Ziro the Hutt and Cad Bane in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Brainiac in the DC animated universe and Spike Witwicky and Shockwave in the Transformers universe...
as Announcer. - T. K. CarterT. K. CarterThomas Kent Carter better known as T. K. Carter, is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for playing Michael "Mike" Fulton, an elementary school teacher, on the NBC series Punky Brewster and Mylo Williams on the Disney Channel series Good Morning, Miss Bliss as a supervisor, whose...
as Host. - Phil Proctor as Mike.
- Ira NewbornIra NewbornIra Newborn is an American musician and composer, best known for his work composing motion picture soundtracks....
as Fred. - Karen Montgomery as Karen.
"Roast Your Loved One" (directed by Dante):
- Archie HahnArchie Hahn (actor)Archie Hahn is an American character actor and improviser best known for his appearances on the British version of Whose Line is it Anyway?. He is also well known for appearing in This Is Spinal Tap, Phantom of the Paradise, and many Joe Dante films...
as Harvey Pitnik. - Belinda BalaskiBelinda BalaskiBelinda Balaski is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her large supporting role in Joe Dante's The Howling , and has continued to appear in most of Dante's films including an important role in "Piranha" and cameos in "Gremlins", "Gremlins 2", "Matinee", and Small Soldiers...
as Bernice Pitnik. - Justin Benham as Pitnik Boy.
- Erica Gayle as Pitnik Girl.
- Bryan CranstonBryan CranstonBryan Lee Cranston is an American actor, voice actor, writer and director. He is best known for his roles as Hal the father in the Fox situation comedy Malcolm in the Middle, and Walter White in the AMC drama series Breaking Bad, for which he won three consecutive Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama...
as Paramedic #1. - Robert PicardoRobert PicardoRobert Picardo is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayals of Dr. Dick Richards on ABC's China Beach, the Emergency Medical Hologram , also known as The Doctor, on UPN's Star Trek: Voyager, The Cowboy in Innerspace, Coach Cutlip on The Wonder Years , Ben Wheeler in Wagons East, and as...
as Rick Raddnitz. - Rip TaylorRip TaylorCharles Elmer "Rip" Taylor, Jr. is an American actor and comedian.-Early life:Taylor was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Elizabeth, a waitress, and Charles Elmer Taylor, Sr., a musician. As a young man, Taylor served in the Korean War while in the U.S...
as Himself. - Slappy WhiteSlappy WhiteSlappy White was an American comedian and actor. He worked with Redd Foxx on the Chitlin' circuit of stand-up comedy during the 1950s and 1960s. He appeared on the television shows Sanford and Son, That's My Mama, Blossom, and Cybill and in the films Mr...
as Himself. - Jackie Vernon as Himself.
- Henny YoungmanHenny YoungmanHenry "Henny" Youngman was a British-born American comedian and violinist famous for "one-liners", short, simple jokes usually delivered rapid-fire...
as Himself. - Charlie CallasCharlie CallasCharlie Callas was an American comedian and actor most commonly known for his work with Mel Brooks, Jerry Lewis, and Dean Martin and his many stand-up appearances on television talk shows in the 1970s...
as Himself. - Steve AllenSteve AllenSteve Allen may refer to:*Steve Allen , American musician, comedian, and writer*Steve Allen , presenter on the London-based talk radio station LBC 97.3...
as Himself.
"Video Pirates" (directed by Weiss):
- William MarshallWilliam Marshall (actor)William Marshall was an American singer, bandleader and a motion picture actor, director and producer.Born in Chicago, Illinois, he became a vocalist for Fred Waring and his band, the "Pennsylvanians " before forming his own band in 1937...
as Pirate Captain. - Tino InsanaTino InsanaTino Insana is an American actor, voice actor, writer, and film producer from Chicago, Illinois.Insana's highly-distinguishable voice has been featured in many animated television series, most notably Disney's Darkwing Duck as Dr. Reginald Bushroot and Bobby's World as Bobby's Uncle Ted...
as Mr. Sylvio. - Donald GibbDonald GibbDonald Gibb , sometimes credited as Don Gibb, is an American actor with an imposing 6 ft-4in frame, best known for his roles as the hulking, dimwitted fraternity brother "Ogre" in several installments of the Revenge of the Nerds film series, and as Leslie "Dr...
as Graceless Pirate. - Frank CollisonFrank CollisonFrank Collison is an American actor known to television audiences as the hapless telegrapher Horace Bing in the series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.-Early life:...
as Grizzled Pirate. - Bill TaylorBill TaylorCommodore William Leonard 'Bill' Taylor was an Australian Naval Officer, Politician and Administrator. He was born in Toowoomba, Queensland and later served that City and surrounding districts as the Commonwealth Parliamentary representative.-Career:* 1957 - 1988 Military Service, Royal Australian...
as Gruesome Pirate.
"Son of the Invisible Man" (directed by Gottlieb):
- Ed Begley, Jr.Ed Begley, Jr.Edward James "Ed" Begley, Jr. is an American actor and environmentalist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich, on the television series St...
as Griffin. - Chuck Lafont as Trent.
- Raye BirkRaye BirkRaye Birk is an American film and television actor famous for playing the role of Papshmir in the first and last of the Naked Gun movies. He was the main villain in Naked Gun 33: The Final Insult...
as Vanya. - Pamla Vale as Woman in Pub.
- Larry HankinLarry HankinLarry Hankin is an American actor, performer, director and producer.Hankin studied acting at Syracuse University. He is known for his roles in TV shows Friends and Seinfeld; as well as for his major role in the movie Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood...
as Man in Pub. - Garry GoodrowGarry GoodrowGarry Goodrow is an American actor best known for his role in the original stage production of the Obie Award-winning play The Connection, and as one of the original cast members of The Committee. In The Connection Goodrow played the young, intense, morose, would-be jazz musician Ernie, a heroin...
as Checker Player. - Roger La Page as London Bobby.
"French Ventriloquist's Dummy" (directed by Dante):
- Phil BrunsPhil BrunsPhilip Bruns is an American television actor and writer.Bruns was born in Pipestone, Minnesota. He is known for his portrayal of the character of Morty Seinfeld in the sitcom Seinfeld, but he was replaced in the role by Barney Martin because the show's co-creator Larry David thought the character...
as Manager.
"Art Sale" (directed by Gottlieb):
- John IngleJohn IngleJohn Ingle is an American actor known for his role as scheming patriarch Edward Quartermaine on the ABC daytime drama, General Hospital.-Career:...
as Felix Van Dam.
"First Lady of the Evening" (directed by Weiss):
- Angel TompkinsAngel TompkinsAngel Tompkins is an American actress and Golden Globe nominee, who appeared in several films and television shows.-Career:...
as First Lady. - Terry McGovernTerry McGovern (actor)Terence "Terry" McGovern is an American film actor, television broadcaster, radio personality, voice-over specialist, and acting instructor.-Personal life:...
as Salesman. - Michael Hanks as Announcer.
"Titan Man" (directed by Weiss):
- Matt AdlerMatt AdlerMatthew D. "Matt" Adler is an American film actor. He is best known for his work in the 1980s for his supporting roles in the teenage films: Teen Wolf, White Water Summer, North Shore, and Dream a Little Dream....
as George. - Kelly PrestonKelly PrestonKelly Preston is an American actress and former model.- Early years :Preston was born Kelly Kamalelehua Smith in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Linda, was an administrator of a mental health center, and her father, who worked for an agricultural firm, drowned when Preston was three years old...
as Violet. - Ralph BellamyRalph BellamyRalph Bellamy was an American actor whose career spanned sixty-two years.-Early life:He was born Ralph Rexford Bellamy in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Lilla Louise , a native of Canada, and Charles Rexford Bellamy. He ran away from home when he was fifteen and managed to get into a road show...
as Mr. Gower. - Howard HessemanHoward HessemanHoward Hesseman is an American actor best known for playing disc jockey Johnny Fever on WKRP in Cincinnati and schoolteacher Charlie Moore on Head of the Class.-Early life:...
as Rupert King. - Steve CropperSteve CropperSteve Cropper , also known as Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T...
as Customer. - Christopher Wolf (credited as Chris Wolf) as Mascot Bip.
"Video Date" (directed by Landis):
- Marc McClureMarc McClureMarc A. McClure is an American actor. McClure was born in San Mateo, California. He is not, despite a popular misconception, related to the late Doug McClure.-Superman film series:...
as Ray. - Russ MeyerRuss MeyerRussell Albion "Russ" Meyer was a U.S. motion picture director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, actor and photographer....
as Video Salesman. - Corinne Wahl as Sharri.
- Andrew Dice ClayAndrew Dice ClayAndrew Dice Clay is an American comedian and actor who played the lead role in the film The Adventures of Ford Fairlane.Clay has been in several movies and has released a number of stand-up albums...
as Frankie. - Willard E. PughWillard E. PughWillard Earl Pugh is an American actor with numerous film and television credits. He has appeared in notable mainstream Hollywood films such as The Color Purple and Air Force One as well as genre films such as RoboCop 2 and Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy...
as Speaking Cop.
"Reckless Youth" (directed by Dante):
- Carrie FisherCarrie FisherCarrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
as Mary Brown. - Paul BartelPaul BartelPaul Bartel was an American actor, writer and director. Bartel was perhaps most known for his 1982 hit black comedy Eating Raoul, which he wrote, starred in and directed.-Life and career:...
as Doctor. - Herb VigranHerb VigranHerbert "Herb" Vigran was a well-known American character actor in Hollywood from the 1930s to the 1980s. Over his 50-year career, he made over 350 television and film appearances.-Career:...
as Agent. - Tracy Hutchinson as Floozie.
- Mike MazurkiMike MazurkiMike Mazurki was an Austrian-born American actor and professional wrestler who appeared in over 100 movies. His towering 6' 5" presence and intimidating face usually got him roles playing tough guys, thugs, strong men, and gangsters.Mazurki was born as Mikhail Mazurkevych in Tarnopol, Galicia,...
as Dutch. - Frank BeddorFrank BeddorFrank Beddor is a former world champion freestyle skier, film producer, actor, stuntman, and author. He is best known for his work as producer on Something About Mary and Wicked and as author of the New York Times best seller The Looking Glass Wars....
as Ken.
Critical reception
Amazon Women on the Moon has a rating of 64% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, based on 11 reviews, indicating a mixed critical response.
The majority of critical opinion agreed that the quality was inconsistent throughout the film. Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
called it "irreverent, vulgar and silly... [with] some hilarious moments and some real groaners too." Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
in the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
felt that the exercise was somewhat unnecessary: "Satirists are in trouble when their subjects are funnier than they are."
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
of the New York Times, in a largely positive review, described the film as "an anarchic, often hilarious adventure in dial-spinning, a collection of brief skits and wacko parodies that are sometimes quite clever, though they're just as often happily sophomoric, too."
Certain portions of the film were singled out for praise. "The funniest episode probably is "Son of the Invisible Man," directed by Carl Gottlieb
Carl Gottlieb
Carl Gottlieb is an American screenwriter, actor, comedian and executive. He is probably best known for co-writing the screenplay for Jaws, as well as directing the 1981 low-budget cult film Caveman.-Early life:...
, in which Ed Begley, Jr.
Ed Begley, Jr.
Edward James "Ed" Begley, Jr. is an American actor and environmentalist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich, on the television series St...
plays a man who thinks he is invisible but is not," wrote the Chicago Sun-Times. "The film's best sight gags come from Robert K. Weiss
Robert K. Weiss
Robert K. Weiss is an American film and television producer. His productions include films by director John Landis, producer Lorne Michaels, and the “Z. A. Z.” team of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker. He also co-created the science-fiction TV series Sliders...
, who deserves kudos for the inspired idiocy of his Amazon Women segments," was the opinion of the New York Times.
In a retrospective article for Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, Chris Nashawaty called this film "the beginning of the end of Landis' career." He cited the episodes featuring Monique Gabrielle
Monique Gabrielle
Monique Gabrielle is an American model and actress.Gabrielle was the Penthouse Pet of the Month for December 1982 and appeared in Bachelor Party in 1984. Since then, she has had a career as a B-movie actress. Many of Gabrielle's films have had overtly erotic overtones...
, Archie Hahn
Archie Hahn
Charles Archibald "Archie" Hahn was a German-American athlete, and one of the best sprinters in the early 20th century....
, Ed Begley, Jr.
Ed Begley, Jr.
Edward James "Ed" Begley, Jr. is an American actor and environmentalist. Begley has appeared in hundreds of films, television shows, and stage performances. He is best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich, on the television series St...
and David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier
David Alan Grier , also known as "D.A.G." , is an American actor and comedian known for his work on the sketch comedy television show In Living Color.-Early life:...
as "inspired," but criticised others for their failure: "You'll never see Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Marie Pfeiffer is an American actress. She made her film debut in 1980 in The Hollywood Knights, but first garnered mainstream attention with her performance in Brian De Palma's Scarface . Pfeiffer has won numerous awards for her work...
look as trapped as she does in her skit with thirtysomethings Peter Horton
Peter Horton
Peter Horton is an American actor and director. He played the role of Prof. Gary Shepherd on the popular television series Thirtysomething until 1991.-Early life:...
, or Joe Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano
Joseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
and Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall
Arsenio Hall is an American actor, comedian, and former talk show host. He is best known for his talk show The Arsenio Hall Show, which ran between 1989 and 1994, and his roles in the films Coming to America and Harlem Nights.Hall is also known for his appearance as Alan Thicke's sidekick on the...
as unfunny as they are in their skits."
See also
- The Kentucky Fried MovieThe Kentucky Fried MovieThe Kentucky Fried Movie is an American comedy film, released in 1977 and directed by John Landis. The film's writers were the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. This same team would go on to write and direct Airplane!, Top Secret! and the Police Squad! television series and its...
(1977), a similarly formatted anthology comedy from John LandisJohn LandisJohn David Landis is an American film director, screenwriter, actor, and producer. He is known for his comedies, his horror films, and his music videos with singer Michael Jackson.-Early life and career:...