Posted on 08/20/2020 1:10:03 PM PDT by 11th_VA
It would be easy to put “Airplane!” on a no-fly list of offensive films. That would be a mistake because it demonstrates how to push boundaries in the right way.
When it first crash-landed in cinemas 40 years ago, the irreverent “Airplane!” wowed critics and audiences with its fast-and-loose brand of humor. It remains one of the most consistently uproarious laughfests ever filmed, and became an instant comedy classic when it hit screens in 1980. The 40th anniversary Blu-ray reissue arrives Tuesday.
In writing and directing “Airplane!,” the creative triumvirate of Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker (later known as ZAZ) combined vaudevillian humor, oddball non sequiturs, dirty jokes and visual gags into a unique flurry of funny. One can rewatch the film and uncover new visual and verbal jokes because they packed in so many punchlines.
This was a topsy-turvy world where the roughest bar brawlers are feisty Girl Scouts, a military commander fights his way through religious recruiters at LAX, and a Boeing 747 sign features “no smoking” and “no screwing” light displays. And then there was the witty word play: "Surely you can't be serious?" “I am serious — and don’t call me Shirley.” And yes, coming at the beginning of the ’80s, it delved into gratuitous nudity and cursing, though it stopped short of totally overplaying its hand...
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
Jive sounds like classical English poetry compared to the pidgin pseudo-language that’s out there today. I don’t know if you ever saw that nuclear war movie Threads, but the language they speak 10 years after the bombs were dropped sounds more coherent than street language of today.
That mangling of the English language is what caused my drinking problem (I lift a glass of water and spill it on my face since I developed issues lifting the glass to my mouth).
I read that they said the lines as they were in the script, then re-shot the scene ad-libbing it. Their version was chosen by overwhelmingly.
Absolute top 5 movie ever in my mind.
In Airplane II, Striker’s hospital was called “The Ronald Reagan Asylum for the Clinically Insane” (or something like that). I’m pretty sure that’s what you remember :-).
‘What really made the movie a classic was the insistence by the Zucker bros and Abrahams the dialogue be delivered straight in total seriousness.’
Nielson made this movie with his unique ability to utter the most ridiculous lines of dialogue with a perfect deadpan look...
Every time I see that scene with that guy that says “Shana, they bought their tickets, they knew what they were getting into ... I say, let em crash”, I often think of NYC voters electing Bill DeBlasio.
I’m pretty sure that guy was a conservative commentator from back then ... His name escapes me (plus I was only 6 when that movie came out :-) ).
To my surprise, he replied, and it was obvious the letter was not written by one of his staff. The first sentence, I'll never forget: "I always enjoy hearing from young people like yourself, you bring such passion to the issues."
I never followed up on the letter, much to my chagrin.
I like to think I made it up to him in 1980, when I was advocating for him with my German neighbors. They were convinced he was going to start WWIII. It took me a couple of months, over many beers, and hours of discussion, at the local gasthaus. I made the case for Reagan in their language, as my German was quite good after nearly 4 years in country.
I won the debate on Inauguration Day, when the Iranian hostages landed at Ramstein Air Base, about 80 miles east of where I lived. I was rewarded with a seat at the stammtisch, the table reserved for family and close friends of the family. It's an honor I cherish to this day.
Wasn’t the shot at Reagan’s acting? Reagan used to take shots at his own acting.
Great movie - hysterical!
But don’t forget that it was inspired by the earlier drama, ‘Zero Hour’, starring Dana Andrews. The Zuckers lifted some of the dialog word-for-word, and even the name ‘Stryker.’
Airplane is basically a parody of that older movie!
I was never a big movie-goer. Perhaps that makes the movies I’ve seen in theaters more special. Airplane is one film that I saw in a very crowded theater when it came out. (Another is Animal House, my first rated “R” movie). I’ve seen Airplane a few times on TV since then and it has always withstood the test of time.
Having the cast be well-known comedians wouldn't have worked quite as well. Having actors otherwise known for nothing but straight roles in a comedy like that was genius.
And don't call me Shirley.
***a military commander fights his way through religious recruiters at LAX***
I remember fighting my way through the Hari-Krishnas in Denver and Tulsa airports back in 1975.
8~)
I saw “Zero Hour” for the first time a couple years ago. It was a bit jarring seeing “Airplane!” as a non-comedy.
I watched this on tv in Hungary in 88 or so. English with Hungarian subtitles. They didn’t understand why I was laughing so hard.
Yes! I’m glad someone responded correctly!
LMAO! “Don’t start with that loading and unloading in the white zone crap, You want me to have an abortion!”
Don’t forget Caddyshack, Animal House and Young Frankenstein.
That was a take-off on another disaster movie in the 1950s.
“Flight into Danger”, a 1956 Canadian television film
or
Zero Hour! (1957)
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