Mel Brooks Eat Your Heart Out (Airplane! (DVD))

Member Name: kenjohn

Product:	Airplane! (DVD)
Date:	05/01/08 (131 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hilarious comedy.

Disadvantages: Not a lot!

Up until the time the movie "Airplane" was released in 1980 comedy director Mel Brooks had been the undisputed king of zany and off beat comedy in the cinema, with such marvellous spoof movies like "Blazing Saddles" (1974) and "Young Frankenstein" (1974). It's widely rumoured that when he first viewed this superb spoof from the comedy team of Jerry and David Zucker and Jon Abraham he realised his days as the king of comedy were well and truly numbered, and although he did go on to direct another couple of passable comedies (Spaceballs (1987) and Robin Hood - Men In Tights (1993)) its fair to say they weren't nearly as good as his earlier work.

The three co-directors of Airplane first worked together in the early 1970's in an alternative theatre company called the "Kentucky Fried Theatre". It was a sort of American version of Monty Python in the UK, and specialised in taking off TV commercials of the day. This eventually led to them making their first movie together in 1977. Called appropriately "Kentucky Fried Movie" it was really just an extended version of their stage and TV show, with loads of zany sketches thrown together.

In order to collect possible material for their sketches and gags the three used leave an old video recorder taping the TV overnight. It was from this that the idea of "Airplane" was born, when they taped a dreadful old disaster movie from 1957 called "Zero Hour". Based on a book by author Arthur Hailey, it told the story of a shell-shocked ex-Navy pilot who has to land a passenger jet full of passengers with food poisoning. They immediately spotted the comedy potential, and their brain cells immediately went into overdrive.

So what's Airplane about? Well, you just got the script in a nutshell in the last paragraph!
Ted Striker (Robert Hays) is an ex-fighter pilot who has been seriously traumatised by his wartime experiences, and who suffers from a drinking problem. (More later on the drinking problem!) This has led to the break up of his relationship with girlfriend, air stewardess Elaine. (Julie Hagerty) He boards a flight she is working in order to try to win back her affections, but then the majority of the crew, flight staff, and passengers are struck down by food poisoning, and Ted is forced into taking over the controls.

The plot and storyline of Airplane is almost completely plagiarised from "Zero Hour", with no real attempt made to even disguise the fact. (The directors/writers were able to get away with this without any legal consequences as Paramount Pictures produced both movies.) But in all honesty the plot and storyline in Airplane is largely secondary, as it's used simply as a vehicle to allow full rein to the comedy talents of the directors.
The gags are thick and fast all the way from the opening to the closing credits, some being so subtle that you will probably have to watch the movie a few times to catch them all. (Blink and you miss it!)

What was so innovative about Airplane was that by and large recognised comedians weren't used in the movie. Instead "serious" actors of the time like Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves and Leslie Nielson were given starring roles, and it was their ability to deliver the most outrageous lines in a totally deadpan and serious fashion and without bursting into laughter that made the movie so incredibly funny. For some, like Leslie Nielson, it even gave their careers a new lease of life. Neilson went on to fashion a whole new career for himself as a comedy actor in other similar spoof movies like the "Naked Gun" series, which itself came about from a successful spoof TV series called "Police Squad". (1982)

Some of the one liner gags in Airplane have now gone down in cinematic history.
Perhaps the most famous is the line from Dr. Rumack. (Leslie Nielson)
Asked the question, "You can't be serious, surely?" he replies. "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley!" (So famous did this line actually become Paramount even used it on the cover of their DVD release of the movie.)
Who can forget the hilarious translation into "jive" for the black passengers when an announcement is being made over the tannoy? Or Peter Graves (Captain Oveur) infamous line, "Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?" a innuendo relating to oral sex between two men! (The original line was actually *FAR* worse, but was considered too over the top even for the less politically correct 1980's)
Oh, and as for Ted Striker's "drinking problem". It's not his over consumption of alcohol that's his problem; it's his complete inability to actually get it into his mouth! He misses every time and ends up pouring it all over himself!

It would be fair to say that some of the gags haven't really worn that well, and have become very dated with the passing years. There are lots of references to TV ads of the period, which modern day viewers simply won't get.
But that said this comedy is one that anyone with a liking for mickey taking and spoof would have to consider an absolute must for their DVD collection.

My DVD is the studios 25th Anniversary Edition, released in 2005. This one is entitled "Airplane - Don't Call me Shirley" in memory of the movies most famous line. (There was an earlier 2000 DVD release, with not quite so many extras, and which you'd probably be able to pick up either at eBay or Amazon for less money.) Extras include the now almost obligatory commentary voiceover of the movie from the Zuckers and Abrahams, who are joined by the producer Jon Davidson. The commentary is funny in itself, and far better than the usual navel gazing you get from most directors these days.
Also included are some deleted scenes and interviews with the actors, and the original trailer for the movie. There's even a advertisement where you can send off for your very own "blow up doll". (A reference to the blow up doll that was used as the co-pilot in the film) I haven't taken them up on this offer, by the way. (Heh, heh)

The Anniversary Edition DVD is currently (January 2008) on offer at eBay for as little as £4.99 (Buy It Now) but you can pick up the earlier DVD version for a mere £0.99 or so.

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FILM RELEASED: 2 July 1980

DVD RELEASED: 2000 and 2005

RUNNING TIME: 87 Minutes

MAIN CAST

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ... Murdock (as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar)
Lloyd Bridges ... McCroskey
Peter Graves ... Captain Oveur
Julie Hagerty ... Elaine
Robert Hays ... Ted Striker
Leslie Nielsen ... Dr. Rumack
Lorna Patterson ... Randy
Robert Stack ... Rex Kramer
Stephen Stucker ... Johnny

CLASSIFICATION: PG

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© KenJ January 2008

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Summary: A classic spoof comedy that is a must for all fans.