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Okay...so since most of you were born no earlier than the 1990s, you probably don't remember many of the great movies and television series of the late 1960s through the 1980s (and maybe even the early 90s). There were many greats, though this topic is certainly not about them all (nor about television series at all).


We all probably are at least familiar with some of the most well-known movies of the era...and here I would like to specifically cover the 1970s to 80s. Movies whose titles, even if we haven't seen them, should be pretty familiar: Animal House, Smokey and the Bandit, Better off Dead, Weird Science, all of the Monty Python movies, the Cheech & Chong movies, Ghostbusters, Young Frankenstein, Revenge of the Nerds, the National Lampoon movies, A Christmas Story, etc. The 70s and 80s were two GREAT decades for cinematic comedy! And what's great about cinematic comedy, of any era, is that it can be shoehorned into other genres (science fiction, fantasy, history, religion, etc.) and made to work. Sometimes quite effectively.


What you may not know is that there were many, many movies which, while dated from your perspective, still have scripts, acting and story lines which are very funny, and often laugh-out-loud funny. Movies which are probably pretty well known to MY peers (as full adults), and some of which have entered "cult" status. I present some of those to you...and highly recommend that you make an attempt to see them if you can get them via rental (or better yet, by purchase). Below are brief synopses of each, with a link to each one's imdb.com page and brief YouTube trailers (which are original trailers from their times). I can probably think of several others too. XD And if I do, I shall add them later.








Yellowbeard -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086618/) Released in 1983, this is an absolutely hilarious movie with an epic all-star cast...some of the greatest names in comedy and even drama of the 70s and 80s are in this, including three members of Britain's Monty Python troupe: Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, John Cleese, and then an impressive list of co-stars: Madeline Kahn, Peter Boyle, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Peter Cook, Marty Feldman, Michael Horndern, James Mason, Spike Milligan, Susannah York, Peter Bull, Bernard Fox, etc. There's even a cameo from a young David Bowie! The movie spoofs the Golden Age of Piracy (the late 1600s and early 1700s of the high seas), and is absolutely chock full of side-splitting comedic moments, catchy dialogue, clever scripting and character development, scenery and sets. There is simply nothing bad about this movie whatsoever! You really ought to find and purchase it...it's worth owning on DVD (I don't know whether or not it's out on Blu-Ray).








Zorro: The Gay Blade -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083366/) Released in 1981, this is another movie which spoofs history and literary legend...in this case, the famous early Latin American hero Zorro. And again, it features some impressive comedic talent of the era, including George Hamilton as both Don Diego Vega (Zorro himself) and his homosexual twin brother Ramon Vega (who had run off as a teen to serve in Britain's royal navy and renamed himself "Bunny Wigglesworth"...and is VERY effeminate), Lauren Hutton, Brenda Vaccaro, and Ron Leibman. In this story, Don Diego returns to the village of Los Angeles to attend to the estate of his father, who has died. He soon discovers that a new alcalde (played hilariously by Ron Liebman) has taken hold of the village and outlying area, and is taxing the citizens to death, frightening and abusing them with his devious tax collector. He receives a package (in a coffin, ironically) containing the Zorro outfit, and sword, and he takes up the mantle and identity, beginning a campaign to stop the alcalde's depredations. In one fight, he leaps from an upper-story window and his ankle is wounded. Coincidentally, his twin brother shows up the next day, and after a brief discussion (and the revelation of their father's death), Ramon agrees to temporarily take his place. But being gay, Diego's brother cannot tolerate the black Zorro outfit and the rapier, and decides to become a flamboyant version of Zorro, showing up in new colors every time he appears (even gold and silver), and with a bull whip (the "gay blade" if you will). Hilarity continues to ensue. Look for great acting from Brenda Vaccaro as the very self-absorbed un-Latin wife of the alcalde, Lauren Hutton as freedom-fighting American woman who tries to rally the citizens against the alcalde and the Mexican colonial government (and serves as Don Diego's love interest), and Donovan Scott as Paco, Don Diego's funny mute man servant and Zorro's side-kick. This is another one that you should consider purchasing and which is out on DVD (again, not sure about Blu-Ray).








Big Trouble In Little China -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090728/) This particular movie, released in 1986, is probably not so obscure as most of the others listed here, and deservedly so. Starring Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Victor Wong and James Hong, this movie is actually more than just a comedy--it has action, it has adventure, it has gun-play and it has martial arts (kung fu). And some ancient Chinese folklore thrown in for good measure. And it's directed by the legendary John Carpenter! What's not to like? This movie has become a tremendous cult favorite, and has a more loyal following than most movies of the era...or several others for that matter. It spawned fan websites, a clothing line, television tropes, quotable lines, tons of imitations (and I gather what would be considered "cosplay" as well), and ALMOST spawned a sequel that hardcore fans have never stopped talking about wistfully. XD It is JUST. THAT. GOOD! It's fun, it's action-packed, and it's often exceedingly funny and definitely always entertaining. The coolness never stops. This one should be on any avid movie-lover's bucket list for sure.

In the movie, truck driver Jack Burton (played by a young Kurt Russell, who plays the character as brash, slightly over-the-top, and with a bit of a John Wayne drawl and swagger) is making his usual run into China Town (in San Francisco) in his privately-owned "Pork Chop Express" ( ) on a rainy, miserable night, and starts waxing profoundly on life, existence, etc. over his CB radio. We then get a flashback of his adventures in China Town where he's just delivered a supply run into town, and is now playing games of chance with various Chinese-Americans for cash bets, and he very quickly gets dragged into the Chinese underworld and mystical other-world. Wild adventure, kung fu, and often plenty of side-splitting hilarity ensue! Trust me...purchase this. This one SHOULD be out on Blu-Ray, and it is certainly out on DVD. And is WELL-worth the price.








Caveman -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082146/) Now this one will certainly be obscure to most of you. Released way back in 1981, it nevertheless had an all-star cast which included no less than the likes of former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Dennis Quaid, Shelley Long, Jack Gilford, famous dwarf actor Cork Hubbert, former Oakland Raiders (NFL) defensive end John Matuszak, Barbara Bach, and hilarious character actor and Doritos-brand chips commercial pitchman Avery Schreiber. This movie is essentially a zany, looney look back at prehistoric man. It is not the least-bit accurate (among other things, the cavemen mix things up with dinosaurs), but it is so gosh-darned hilarious, it really doesn't matter anyway. In fact, that anachronism is played up big time for the laughs. And played up well. The basic story is that Atouk (played by Ringo Starr) is a bit of a geeky underdog in a clan of cavemen, but has his eyes set romantically and longingly on the über-sexy mate of the clan's hulking, brutish leader, Tonda (played very entertainingly by John Matuszak). When he makes a foolish attempt to get it on with Tonda's mate, Lana (played quite well by Barbara Bach), he gets caught in the attempt and tossed out on his keister by Tonda, becoming an outcast.

Wandering alone, he stumbles upon his friend Lar (played by Dennis Quaid), who had earlier been kicked out of the clan because he hurt his leg. Together, the two make an attempt to survive, and end up gathering together (by no direct effort on their own) their own clan of misfits. This includes another possible love interest for Atouk, the plucky cavewoman Tala (played amusingly by Shelley Long). Soon, the two clans, Atouk's and Tonda's, end up clashing, leading to Tonda's eventual downfall and Atouk becoming leader of a now united clan. Atouk and his nerdy, geeky clan are the ones who end up holding most of the advantages over the tougher, bullying clan of Tonda. They are the ones who discover fire (and how to use it), they play (and sing) the very first music, they are the first to break and ride a dinosaur (as a wild horse would be broken), they figure out how to cook an egg, etc. XD

This is a very funny movie with many running gags. Not the least of which include a unique language for the cavemen devised for the movie (a nonsense language played up for laughs...as you'll see in the trailer below. "Zugzug", for example. I needn't explain it. The trailer should get the point across well enough. ). There is only one character who can speak English in the movie--Nook, played by actor Evan C. Kim. There is another running joke here...playing on the positive stereotype (yes, such things exist XD) that Asian people are smarter than everyone else. Nook frustratedly attempts to teach the other cavemen English, but fails at every turn...with hilarious results. The movie is out on DVD (and maybe Blu-Ray), and is worth owning.








Cannonball Run -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082136/) Here's another movie which may not, perhaps, be so obscure to many of you. It is another one with an all-star cast of greats from the 70s and 80s! Burt Reynolds (of Smokey & The Bandit fame, etc.), Roger Moore (playing himself...XD), a very young Jackie Chan, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Jack Elam, Adrienne Barbeau, former Pittsburgh Steeler's (NFL) quarterback Terry Bradshaw, Bert Convy, Jamie Farr ("Klinger" of M*A*S*H fame), Peter Fonda, George Furth, Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder (again, as himself), country singer/songwriter Mel Tillis, and Tara Buckman. THIS is a great cast, and it is clear (especially from the gag reel on the DVD) that they had a grand time making it!

The basic story dramatizes the very real cannonball craze that swept across the U.S. for a short time in the 1970s (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_Baker_Sea-To-Shining-Sea_Memorial_Trophy_Dash). People who would gather in all manner of souped-up fast cars and other vehicles to race across the nation and be the first to cross the finish line, collecting winnings. All while avoiding police cruisers, sheriffs' patrols, etc. There are several epic scenes in the movie, including a great brawl between the racers and a motorcycle gang (which features some of Jackie Chan's amazing moves), a hotel that gets a pick-up truck driven into its lobby, a running gag with Dom DeLuise playing his character as a man with serious personality issues, and resolving them by randomly becoming "Captain Chaos", a superhero who rights wrongs and defends the weak (XD trust me, it's hilarious), Jack Elam playing a whacky proctology professor/doctor, and so on. There's also a great opening theme which is performed by Ray Stevens (of "The Streak" fame), featuring a great chase scene between a black Lamborghini Countach and the police. It can be seen and heard here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eU8j4MeJ4I. This is another epic movie worth having! It spawned a sequel that was not nearly as good as this one. I don't think this movie is out on Blu-Ray, but you can definitely find it at a pretty good price on DVD.








Wholly Moses! -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081751/) A rather obscure but very amusing movie, released in 1980, which follows the same basic concept as Monty Python's Life of Brian (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079470/)--a tongue-in-cheek play on Judeo-Christian traditional figures (without actually making fun of them so much as making fun of their followers to some extent...a concept also used in Life of Brian). In this case, a herder (and former statue and idol seller from Egypt), played by Dudley Moore, mistakenly overhears Moses' conversation with God on Mount Sinai, and presumes HE'S the one being called into service. Again, hilarity and parody ensues big time. And with another all-star cast to back it up, it's worth it! The movie stars famous former British comedy actor Dudley Moore (of original Arthur fame), Laraine Newman (formerly of Saturday Night Live's classic 70s cast), James Coco, Jack Gilford, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, David Lander ("Squiggy" of Laverne & Shirley fame), Richard Pryor, John Ritter, John Houseman and Paul Sand. This is all revealed in the modern day to a recently-divorced man (again, played by Dudley Moore), a professor of ancient languages, during a tour of the Holy Land, which he mistakenly gets stuck on due to an airline mix-up (which he hates). During a rest-stop at a roadside stand in the hills, he stumbles upon a cave with a cache of scrolls hidden in it, which tell the story of the herder (named "Herschel"). He reads through the scrolls with another tourist (played by Laraine Newman), which flashes back to the story itself. At the end of the movie, Herschel--now back at Mount Sinai--gets God's attention to ask him whether or not anyone will remember what he had done, lamenting that he'd hate to be forgotten in spite of not being the "Chosen One". God tells him that "someone will know, somewhere, someday...". The movie then flashes back to the professor reading the scrolls, and him gently rolling them up to try and get them back for further study. He forgets to put them back in the urn he found them in, and carries them out of the cave, where a wind scatters the dry scrolls to bits in his hands. Disappointed, he gets back with the tour, starts to board the bus, and has a hilarious mishap while you hear God laughing as the credits roll. Funny movie! Out on DVD (but maybe not on Blu-Ray).








Jabberwocky -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076221/) This one smacks of Monty Python. And, indeed, it does star Michael Palin in the main role, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam. It stars several great British actors, including Max Wall, John Le Mesurier, Warren Mitchell, and Bernard Bresslaw. Released in 1977, it's basically an extended telling of Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" poem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabberwocky) from his story "Through The Looking Glass". Palin is "Dennis Cooper", a humble peasant hoping to win the hand of a very heavy-set woman he loves, the slovenly daughter of a fishmonger named, conveniently, Mr. Fishfinger. But she refuses his hand (and her parents refuse to let him woo her) without his accomplishing some great task...which becomes his attempts to serve as a squire for the black knight, who sets out to slay the infamous jabberwock. Look for a great performance by Max Wall as the inept, dunderheaded old King Bruno the Questionable. Also note how well the movie shows the dark, dank, dusty and dirty nature of medieval England. The only problem with this movie is that it tends to drag...a lot. But it has great laugh-worthy moments and, for Monty Python fans, is a bit of a cult and fan favorite. It is out on DVD and perhaps Blu-Ray too.








Meatballs -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079540/) This one is probably not quite as obscure either to many of you, because of who stars in it -- yes, it's Bill Murray! This was one of his earliest roles after leaving Saturday Night Live, and is comedic gold! The movie also stars Harvey Atkin, Kate Lynch, Russ Banham, Jack Blum, Matt Craven, and Chris Makepeace. It spawned a few dreadful and very unfunny sequels which didn't even feature any of the original cast.

In this movie, Bill Murray stars as Tripper, head counselor at a youth sleep-away summer camp for boys and girls. Kate Lynch is his female counterpart, and they are in charge of a group of young "C.I.T.'s" ("counselors in training"). Chris Makepeace plays a camp attendee who can't seem to bond with the other boys in camp, and ends up being teased and shunned by them, and taken in by Tripper as a sort of sidekick (in order to keep him motivated). The camp hijinks include an annual "olympics" games competition with a well-funded camp for rich kids near the climax.

This is a very dated movie (having been released in 1979), and no scene shows that more than the C.I.T. dance (the music and clothes...XD). But it is also absolutely hilarious, and WELL worth owning! It is out on DVD and, I believe, Blu-Ray as well.








The Ice Pirates -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087451/) Another obscure movie from the time (released in 1984), set in a futuristic sci-fi world of space travel, and starring the likes of Robert Urich, Ron Perlman (remember him in Hellboy?), Mary Crosby, Michael Roberts, Anjelica Houston, John Matuszak, John Carradine (father of David Carradine, who played Nava in Balto 2: Wolf Quest, and Keith Carradine, who played Duke in Balto 3: Wings of Change, incidentally), Jeremy West, and Bruce Vilanch.

In this movie, Robert Urich leads a misfit band of space pirates as the pirate captain Jason. The great commodity is ice and water...which is so rare in their universe that it is practically worth dying over. They get tied up in an adventure that leads them to a rumored and legendary "water world", where the supply of water is so abundant that it is eagerly sought by everyone...but can only be reached by passing through a special course at a certain speed. Lots of hilarious adventures in this! I believe it is out on DVD, but probably not Blu-Ray. One of the funniest scenes involves a parasite...a space worm-like creature known as a "space Herpe". The gag is played up to maximum effort.








One Crazy Summer -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091680/) One of former 80s teen star John Cusack's funniest efforts (in addition to Better Off Dead, one of his better-known movies), this movie was released in 1986. It stars Cusack, a very young and sexy Demi Moore, Joel Murray, John Matuszak, screaming 80s comedian Bobcat Goldthwait (who narrates the trailer below), Tom Villard, Matt Mulhern, Kimberly Foster, Joe Flaherty, Curtis Armstrong ("Booger" of Revenge of the Nerds fame), William Hickey, Rich Little, and Mark Metcalf.

In this one, Cusack's character "Hoops", an aspiring artist and animator, and his best friend George (played by Joel Murray in a very Bill Murray-ish style; not surprising since he's Bill's brother XD), have just graduated high school and are now preparing to have one last free summer before college. George invites him to spend the summer on Nantucket Island at his grandmother's place, and naturally hilarity ensues. Hoops meets and falls for a young rock singer (played by Demi Moore) who's playing in the club on the island to raise money to save her grandfather's home. A home which a rich seafood magnate (played by Mark Metcalf) wants to tear down and build a resort property on (because it's in a great location). Hoops and the gang want to help her raise the money in time, and challenge the magnate's bullying son in the upcoming regatta boat race. Again, as noted, hilarity ensues. Worth owning! It's got great comedic timing, plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, and great scripting! It's out on DVD and probably on Blu-Ray too.








Summer Rental -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090098/) Released in 1985, this is one of John Candy's lesser-known, but very funny movies! In this, John plays Jack Chester, an over-worked, stressed out air traffic controller desperately in need of a vacation. He takes his family down to the beach for what he hopes will be a relaxing and stress-free environment. However, he ends up first checking into the wrong house, and being chased out. Then they end up in a much worse beach house where the mishaps start to pile up. He then takes his family to a nice restaurant one night, and ends up in an argument with a boorish and rich local yachtsman, who plans to throw him out of the beach house he's in and send he and his family packing. Jack ends up in a very campy seafood restaurant owned by "Scully" (played very amusingly by character actor Rip Torn). After lamenting to Scully about his troubles, Scully gives him some sound advice about rising above it. Jack challenges the yachtsman to accept his competing against him in the local regatta (very much like the movie above), and then convinces Scully to teach him how to sail. The resulting race is full of great moments. I know it's out on DVD, but I don't know about Blu-Ray. It stars John Candy, Rip Torn, Karen Austin, a very young Joey Lawrence, Richard Crenna, and John Larroquette.

Pretty funny stuff though, with a great cast! And a bit more tender and dramatic in some scenes than One Crazy Summer.

Nice topic! Perhaps I'll try looking for these on Netflix sometime.

You won't be disappointed. lol I'd be willing to bet your parents know many of these.

Well, since there have been plenty of views of my topic, but no other responses except for Mighty's (thanks, Em! ), allow me to plug in some scenes for each of the movies I noted above. These are YouTube links, and some required a very extensive search (as some of them either only have trailers and fan-made garbage for them, or else anytime someone posted scenes from them, Google removed them because of some alleged copyright issue ).


This goes in the same order as the trailers posted above.


Enjoy! These should give you a bit of a closer look at each movie!








Yellowbeard-- I've got a couple of good ones from this great movie! The first video features one of the main supporting characters, Lord Lambourn (an old gentleman with a profound drinking problem, played splendidly by Peter Cook) chatting with an officer of Her Majesty's Royal Navy about being IN the navy. They are suddenly interrupted by the rather buxom, but otherwise rather aged and unattractive Lady Lambourn (played comically by Beryl Reid), who has a question regarding etiquette (a word she badly mispronounces XD). You get the impression throughout the early segments of the movie, incidentally, that Lady Lambourn is a primary reason why Lord Lambourn habitually drinks to excess, lol. As Lady Lambourn bows down to curtsey (asking whether or not it is polite to do so before saying "adieu", or while saying it), she is spotted by Yellowbeard the pirate captain (stupendously portrayed by Monty Python veteran Graham Chapman), who then has his way with her in the hedges of Lambourn Manor. ROFL

In the second video, main supporting characters Commander Clement and officer Mansell, both of Her Majesty's Royal Navy (played hilariously by Monty Python veteran Eric Idle, and Nigel Planer, respectively) are in the commander's quarters discussing their lack of success in tracking another ship containing Yellowbeard and his cohorts (and son), when a crew member calls "ship ahoy!" from deck. The two officers run out to the main deck and start scanning the horizon with their spyglasses, and a bit of fun ensues at the commander's expense. lol








Zorro: The Gay Blade-- Here again, I have two great clips for you! In the first one below, the Alcalde (played with great comic skill by Ron Leibman) is conferring with his devious tax collector, Velasquez (played by James Booth), about the trouble he is having in collecting taxes because of Zorro, and his strange new costumes and mannerisms (thanks to Zorro's homosexual twin brother Ramon, who is temporarily filling in for him while he recovers from an ankle injury). What follows is a hilarious, and very quotable, scene in which Velasquez, the Alcalde, and the local Dons all attempt to pin down how they can describe the colors of the different outfits Zorro seems to be wearing all of a sudden. ROFL

In the second scene, from earlier in the movie, Don Diego is preparing to attend a masked ball being held by the Alcalde and his vain wife, and he decides to wear his father's Zorro outfit before the Alcalde for the first time. His sidekick (and manservant), Paco (played very amusingly by Donovan Scott) shows up in HIS outfit for the ball, dressed as a bear. Unfortunately, Diego doesn't think he's a very good bear. lol Paco gets depressed, and Diego consoles him while trying to get him motivated to go to the ball.








Big Trouble In Little China-- Here is the first case where I had trouble finding clips or scenes from the movie unless someone had pointed a camera at their television and hit "record", which is stupid. Most of the stuff posted on YouTube, which wasn't deleted by Google for alleged copyright violations, were fan creations (and there is a LOT of that...like I said, this movie has a HUGE fan base even to this day)...i.e. mosh-ups, music videos, and just plain garbage. So I had to simply post another trailer that features better quality, was done more recently, and has a few different clips in it. Sorry guys...but again, VERY WORTH OWNING!








Caveman-- In this video, you get to see the way the made-up caveman language sort of works, and how it compares to English. lol Again, this follows the positive stereotype, played up in the movie for laughs, that Asian people are smarter than everyone else, as the character Nook (played very well by Evan C. Kim) tries to teach the other cavemen English, and fails. Pretty funny! (Note how he leaves the caveman word "zugzug" alone. ROFL)








Cannonball Run-- One of the funniest and most action-packed scene in this movie, this is the all-out brawl with the motorcycle gang I mentioned in the original post in this topic, for this movie. lol All great action movies need a great all-out brawl, and this one is cool! Before this scene starts, the cannonballers are all waiting for some road construction to clear, and one of them (with his cohort) pulls up into what looks like an old gas station, but which is actually the hangout of a local biker gang. The gang soon pulls up and manhandles the cannonballer, which sparks the brawl as the other racers come to his aid. You see Roger Moore trying to play up his "spy" persona (throughout the whole movie he does that actually, talking about playing James Bond without actually MENTIONING the character...probably due to copyright reasons when they made it. But what's funny is that, in every successive scene he appears in, he has a new woman in his car with a different accent. lol). In this scene, the director plays up for some laughs how little it's going to help Roger Moore in a brawl. lol But you get to see most of the actors mix it up with the gang...especially Jackie Chan!








Wholly Moses!-- This is another movie where, unfortunately, there are very few scenes to link which are available on YouTube. Probably unnecessary copyright issues again. In this short scene, Herschel (played hilariously by Dudley Moore) has just witnessed the destruction of "New Sodom" (lol), and his wife turned into salt, when the Devil appears (played, again, hilariously by John Ritter). The costume is an intended cheap laugh. The Devil is up to collect the souls of the condemned from New Sodom, and has a brief chat with Herschel...pretty funny, but by far not the funniest scene in this movie.








Jabberwocky-- This is a bit of a long scene, but it isn't bad. In it, King Bruno the Questionable (played very comically by Max Wall) is sending off the Black Knight to fight and hopefully to slay the Jabberwock. Look for the hilarious behavior of his herald, who is quaking in his boots because he just got the position...because the last herald was beheaded for some trivial mistake. lol And watch as the bishop confers a rather humorous but indifferent "blessing" upon the Black Knight.








Meatballs-- One of the best scenes in the movie, leading up to the climax, is this rousing speech by the character Tripper, who is trying to motivate the campers, counselors and C.I.T.s to give it one last go against their overwhelming losses to the campers, counselors and C.I.T.s of Camp Mohawk, the rich kids' camp they're competing against in an "olympics" competition, which comes to a rising conclusion with the chant "It Just Doesn't Matter!" Bill Murray at some of his early cinematic best!








The Ice Pirates-- Again, limited choice to draw from here. In this brief scene, one of the pirates, Roscoe (played by Michael D. Roberts), explains to head pirate Jason (played by Robert Urich) that he's reprogrammed--and repainted--one of the cheap robots they've managed to acquire, in order to improve upon him and make him "perfect". Not the funniest scene by far, but there was little else to draw from on YouTube.








One Crazy Summer-- Sadly, and once again, not a lot of material to draw from on YouTube. Despite this being a John Cusack movie. Probably copyright issues again. In this brief and mildly-amusing scene, Egg Stork (played with typical hilarity by Bobcat Goldthwait, who narrates the trailer above), has managed to get hold of a Godzilla outfit, and is trying to spy on the bad guy, seafood magnate Aguilla Beckersted, who is having a party to show off his plans for a new resort (including to some Japanese investors) intended to be built on the property of Cassandra's (played by excellently by Demi Moore) grandfather. The plans include a miniature scale model of the resort. During the spy mission, Beckersted's elderly father tosses a lit cigar into the garden where Egg is hiding, and it falls into the mouth of the headpiece of the Godzilla outfit. Egg goes nuts trying to get the cigar out of the suit, and ends up running into, stomping on, and trashing the scale model of the resort, which comes off looking just like an old Godzilla movie routine. lol All in front of the Japanese investors and Beckersted.








Summer Rental-- Once again, unfortunately, there was very little on YouTube to pick from. Here is a brief clip from the movie, where Jack Chester (played to a comic "T" by John Candy) discovers one of the great tragedies of the vacation beach home he's rented for his family--the "public access" path to the beach goes right past (and through) the house! And he wakes up to discover a parade of people passing noisily right past and through the house.

These all look pretty entertaining looking! As I said before, I will definitely have to watch some of these sometime.

I'm fully expecting some reviews after you've plied Netflix for any of them to rent.

Oh yes, I am.

Some good memories there.

I'd like to bring the following from my era to the mix that helped shape my childhood:

Mel Brooks classics such as: Young Frankenstein, Robin Hood Men in Tights & Space Balls
Tremors (Kevin Bacon)
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure & the sequel Bogus Journey (Keanu Reeves)
Wayne's World (Mike Myers)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Anything with Leslie Nielsen in but specifically the Naked Gun, Airplane & Reprosessed
Beetlejuice
Coming to America (Eddie Murphy)

I remember those! Though I must admit I have my favorites in them, while others not so much...and they are pretty much my era too (end of the 70s and the mid to late 80s). Of them, my favorites in your list include Young Frankenstein (a very personal favorite!), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (this movie falls into the same basic concept as One Crazy Summer and Better Off Dead -- great teen movie of the 80s), Airplane! and it's sequel, and Coming To America. lol

The others? Meh - sort of, but not so much as the ones I noted above.

(It's interesting to note, as an aside, that I am three years younger than Chris Makepeace, the actor who played "Rudy Gerner" in Meatballs. But I really thought that character was amazing, and that Chris Makepeace, an actor without any real experience at the time, was so real. It was a very tender and memorable portrayal. And it strikes me so even to this day...in the midst of a hilarious comedy, with plenty of double entendre...and Bill Murray's first big screen role, there is this tender friendship story that resounds.)

And what I like about Big Trouble In Little China is that it is essentially an 80s version of the 1997 movie The Fifth Element...another one I LOVE (though that movie is futuristic science fiction/adventure with some great comedy, whereas BTILC is light fantasy/adventure with some great comedy. ). But again, same type of great casting and scripting, and excellent story work and effects. (Even, with regard to effects, considering the 80s release of BTILC!)

Thanks for contributing, Ac!

Well, I just got done watching Summer Rental. Pretty good movie! The incident with the cooler chest was amusing xD Reminds me of how it seems like every time we go on a trip, someone forgets to put the cap back on cooler when we're on the road.

That was amusing actually. XD I remember that scene. Haven't watched it in a while, even though I have it on DVD. What did you think of Scully and his crew? Heh...

The guy who plays Scully, you realize, is the same guy who plays "Zed" in Men In Black and Men In Black 2. Just...younger.

Scully and his crew was pretty enjoyable.

Not ONLY some of the Monty Python crew, but Cheech & Chong, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Peter Cook, etc. I mean, this cast is LOADED with comic greats from both English-speaking sides of the Atlantic. lol

YES! Big Trouble In Little China is one of my favorites (being a John Carpenter fan and all). The rest I honestly have never heard of. I'll have to check 'em out sometime. Thanks Jersey.

Got a new obscure comedy classic for you guys! (Sorry - the description's a bit long here...but the stuff here is all worth it!)

Brain Donors -- (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103872/) This one actually slips into the early 1990s. And I suppose I knew I'd have to broaden the scope of the original post eventually. But that's okay! This movie is surely worth it! (It did fairly on Rotten Tomatoes: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/brain_donors/)

Brain Donors was produced by Hollywood's famous Zucker Brothers, the same guys who brought us the classic and legendary comedy Airplane!, Top Secret and The Naked Gun movies. And, in the zany, often slapstick style they have been known for, this movie delivers! Inspired loosely by the 1935 Marx Brothers movie A Night At The Opera (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Night_at_the_Opera_%28film%29), Brain Donors is an irreverent and sometimes just plain silly send-up of the trademark, post-Zeppo Marx Brothers' humor, as well as to the work of the Three Stooges. And in spite of how seldom any effort to revive the slapstick comedy style of the 30s and 40s cinema ever worked thereafter (into the modern day), THIS one actually managed to pull it off!


It stars John Turturro in a very Groucho-style character...a shyster, ambulance-chasing lawyer (the character is literally introduced chasing an ambulance...lol); stand-up comedian Bob Nelson as a Harpo-style, loveable, gentle, but dim-witted groundskeeper who yet has an uncanny knack for producing anything he needs at the moment from within the pockets or folds of his duster jacket; British comedian Mel Smith (whom you'll remember as The Albino from the movie The Princess Bride: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmwtfpbWaU1qi83bqo1_400.jpg) as a Chico-style taxi driver/con man; George De La Pena as a famous ballet dancer; Nancy Marchand as a wealthy and recently-widowed airhead; John Savident as the widow's (and her late husband's) lawyer; and also Spike Alexander and Juliana Donald as a young and upcoming couple who are trying to break into professional ballet.


The movie opens with Nancy Marchand's character, Mrs. Lillian Oglethorpe, having her late husband's will read before her and others, when she asks her lawyer, Edmund Lazlo (John Savident) to await the arrival of her "personal solicitor", Roland T. Flakfizer (John Turturro). Becoming impatient, she asks her dimwitte groundskeeper Jacques (Bob Nelson) to go at once and find him, which he does. Immediately, slapstick comedy begins to ensue as the scene switches to Flakfizer chasing an ambulance. He is drawn together with Mrs. Ogelthorpe's groundskeeper and a con man of a taxi driver named Rocco Melonchek (Mel Smith). They arrive at the reading of the will and begin to cause things to unravel.


Among other things stipulated in the will, Mrs. Ogelthorpe's husband designates a portion of his vast wealth to be dedicated to the formation of a ballet company in his family name, and to draw in the best talent in the industry as well as assign a managing director. Edmund Lazlo believes he deserves the job, and promises Mrs. Ogelthorpe that he can secure the famous (but, as it turns out later in the film, exceedingly conceited and snotty) dancer Roberto Volare. Roland Flakfizer makes a counter-offer to do the same. He fails to convince Volare, who's never heard of him, but manages to find a young couple who really want to break into professional ballet. A short time later, Lazlo has a party to show off Volare and the new ballet company, and the three guys (Flakfizer, Melonchek and Jacques) appear with the young couple, who do an interpretive dance/ballet combo for Mrs. Ogelthorpe. She likes it, but Volare is not impressed...by Alan Grant (Spike Alexander), the young man. He does, however, try to seduce and buy off the young woman, Lisa Le Baron (Juliana Donald). When she graciously spurns him, he throws an icy damper on the party, and insists that he will not work with them and they may not be in the company. The rest of the movie amounts to the three nuts working to discredit Volare before his multitude of fans when the ballet company opens its first performance, and to get the young couple their debut at the same event. And, in the classic Marx Brothers/Three Stooges styles, the knuckleheads show a complete disdain for the cultured and wealthy of society. Much slapstick and hilarity ensue!


It's NOT easy to find on DVD (at least in Region 1), as it would appear that it may be currently out of print. But it is possible to find used copies on Amazon.com and possibly even new ones through eBay (watch closely regarding the regions). But if you have an Amazon.com Prime account, you can do an instant watch and download cheap!


Here is a trailer (for some reason, the narration was dubbed out in the YouTube version...but I do have a URL link to a version of it with the narration, below that):




And the same video with the narration: http://www.videodetective.com/movies/brain-donors/4115






And now for a couple of funny scenes from the movie.

The first shows selected scenes featuring the character Jacques, Mrs. Ogelthorpe's groundskeeper, throughout the movie, including his first scene as he's roused from his bed in the morning, at the beginning of the movie, to begin his day. The second shows the various antics and hijinks as the boys attempt to discredit Roberto Volare and derail the ballet (in an effort to give the two young dancers a chance). VERY funny!