#2,462. The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)

Directed By: John Landis

Starring: Evan C. Kim, Bong Soo Han, Bill Bixby




Tag line: "This movie is totally out of control!"

Trivia: This movie inspired German Director Uwe Boll to make his feature film debut, German Fried Movie









Directed by John Landis and written by the team of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker (the creative minds behind 1980’s Airplane), The Kentucky Fried Movie is a mishmash of bawdy, often crude media-related skits that are guaranteed to make you laugh. 

With everything from commercials (including one for a headache relief medicine starring Bill Bixby) to movie trailers (the best, and most outlandish, being the preview for Catholic High School Girls in Trouble); and morning news shows (during a segment for A.M. Today, the host and a few others are attacked by an angry, somewhat embarrassed gorilla) to educational films (you won't believe how many things are made out of Zinc Oxide), The Kentucky Fried Movie is a collection of short films designed to tickle your funny bone. There’s even a “full-length” feature: A Fistful of Yen, which borrows heavily from both the Bruce Lee classic Enter the Dragon and 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. 

Some familiar faces pop up occasionally; along with Bill Bixby, there are cameo appearances by Donald Sutherland (in the trailer for the disaster film That’s Armageddon), Henry Gibson (presenting the extremely tasteless, but oh-so hilarious commercial “The United Appeal for the Dead”), and George Lazenby (another cast member of That’s Armageddon). Fans of Airplane will spot funnyman Stephen Stucker (aka Johnny in the 1980 comedy) as a court stenographer during the black-and-white docudrama Courtroom (which also features Tony Dow, reprising his role as Wally from the old Leave it to Beaver TV series); and the trio of writers responsible for The Kentucky Fried Movie turn up once or twice as well, most notably as technicians in the final segment Eyewitness News, where they get an eyeful of more than they bargained for! 

Landis would go on to make another film much like The Kentucky Fried Movie: 1987’s Amazon Women on the Moon. Of the two, though, I think I prefer The Kentucky Fried Movie. Both films have their moments, but this 1977 offering pushes the envelope much further, and more often, than Amazon Women on the Moon, resulting in a motion picture that’s likely to offend a large portion of its audience. 

But even if The Kentucky Fried Movie does make you cringe a few times, odds are you will barely notice because you'll be laughing so hard.

#1,914. Michael Jackson's Thriller (1983)

Directed By: John Landis

Starring: Michael Jackson, Ola Ray, Thelma Davis




Line from the film: "You were scared, weren't you?"

Trivia: Janet Jackson is an uncredited dancer in the video









It was December of 1983 when Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the first ever “extended” music video, premiered on MTV, and like millions of people across the country, I made sure I tuned in to see it. At the time, I was a mild fan of Jackson’s Thriller LP, which was on its way to becoming one of the best-selling albums in history, but what really piqued my interest about this particular video was its director. Aside from helming two of the era’s funniest comedies (Animal House and The Blues Brothers), John Landis had also wowed audiences with An American Werewolf in London, which featured the groundbreaking special effects of Rick Baker. With the award-winning make-up artist on-hand once again for this short film / music video, I figured Michael Jackson’s Thriller was going to be something pretty special.

And I was right.

The video opens with Jackson and his date, played by Ola Ray, out driving at night. When their car runs out of gas, they start walking, at which point Jackson offers his pretty companion a ring, asking her to be his girl. Shortly after doing so, however, he warns her that he’s not like “other guys”, and sure enough, when he spots the full moon, he transforms into a werewolf. Now a creature of the night, Jackson chases his frightened girlfriend through the woods, eventually catching up to her… 

The scene then cuts to a movie theater, where Michael and his date (Ray again) are sitting in the audience, watching the sequence we just saw. As it turns out, the whole werewolf encounter was part of a horror movie, and Jackson’s date, frightened by what she saw on the big screen, rushes out of the theater, with Jackson following close behind. It’s while the two are walking home that Thriller kicks in, with Jackson belting out the lyrics as they make their way down a darkened street.

But they aren’t alone.

A number of zombies, in various stages of decay, are slowly moving towards them. Terrified, the girlfriend’s eyes dart all around, staring at the monsters that now surround her, only to discover that Jackson himself has suddenly become one of the walking dead!

There’s a lot to like about Michael Jackson’s Thriller, not the least of which is the song itself. With lyrics like “You try to scream, but terror takes the sound before You make it”, Thriller was the perfect tune for a horror-themed video, and the dance number towards the end, featuring Jackson and his zombie back-ups, is choreographed perfectly. Then, of course, there’s Vincent Price, who gets in on the fun with a creepy bit of dialogue squeezed into the middle of the song (“Darkness falls across the land”, Price says, in his most sinister voice, “The midnight hour is close at hand…”). And as they did in An American Werewolf in London, Landis and Baker do a tremendous job with Thriller’s make-up and special effects, giving us both a werewolf transformation (not quite on the level of American Werewolf, but impressive all the same) and some nasty, gooey zombies, a few of which are pretty damn gross.

All of these elements are squeezed into a 13-minute short film that, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, was the most successful music video of all-time, selling some nine million copies. And with Jackson, Landis, Baker, and Vincent Price giving it their all, I’m surprised Michael Jackson’s Thriller didn’t sell more than that.

#1,655. Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

Directed By: John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, George Miller

Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Vic Morrow


Tag line: "You're traveling through another dimension. A dimension, not only of sight and sound, but of mind..."

Trivia: John Landis's segments were the first to be filmed, and Steven Spielberg considered canceling the entire project after the deadly helicopter crash






Twilight Zone: The Movie, a 1983 anthology based on the popular television series from the ‘50s and ‘60s, will forever be marred by the tragedy that occurred during its production. On July 23, 1982, while shooting the John Landis-directed segment Time Out, actor Vic Morrow and two children were killed when a helicopter lost control (Morrow and one of the kids were decapitated by the rotor blade, while the second child was crushed to death by the falling copter). It was a disaster that should never have happened (in violation of child labor laws, the scene was being shot at 2:30 in the morning), and regardless of how many times I see it, I can’t watch the film without thinking of this terrible accident.

Following a brief prologue (starring Albert Brooks and Dan Aykroyd), Twilight Zone: The Movie presents four tales of mystery and suspense, starting with the above-mentioned Time Out, in which Morrow plays William Conner, a Vietnam vet and unapologetic bigot who, while sitting with some co-workers in a bar after work, loudly complains about minorities, shouting a few racial slurs in the process. But before the night is out, the “Zone” will show Mr. Conner the error of his ways. The next segment, titled Kick the Can, was directed by Steven Spielberg, and concerns the residents of a retirement community who, following the arrival of newbie Mr. Bloom (Scatman Crothers), are reminded how it feels to be young. Joe Dante’s It’s a Good Life sees teacher Helen Foley (Kathleen Quinlan) make a trip to the home of young Anthony (Jeremy Licht), who, thanks to his special powers, always gets his way. Rounding out the group is George Miller’s Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, about an airline passenger (John Lithgow) whose fear of flying is taken to a whole new level.

Each segment has its strengths, starting with the prologue, an often-funny opening scene (thanks to Brooks’ and Aykroyd’s snappy dialogue) with an unforgettable ending. Along with its message of tolerance, Time Out reminds us just how good Vic Morrow was at being bad. Having made a career out of playing bastards in movies like Blackboard Jungle, The Bad News Bears, and Humanoids from the Deep, Morrow continues his streak by portraying an extreme racist, one who gets his comeuppance when forced to experience life in both Nazi Germany (as a Jew) and the rural south (as a black man). Kick the Can is the film’s most light-hearted tale (you can’t help but like it), shining a light on the elderly, and how, more often than not, they’re overlooked by the younger generations. It’s a Good Life is the visually vibrant story of a boy who can make things happen just by thinking about them, an ability that scares the hell out of his relatives (Kevin McCarthy, of Invasion of the Body Snatchers fame, plays Anthony’s subservient Uncle Walt). It’s a creepy segment that, at times, gets under your skin, but when it comes to sheer terror, nothing can top Nightmare at 20,000 Feet. John Lithgow delivers a manic performance as the frightened passenger who, because of his hysteria, can’t convince anyone that there’s something sinister walking around on the plane’s wings. A taut, edgy tale about paranoia, Nightmare at 20,000 Feet will have you squirming on the edge of your seat.

While it’s impossible to forget the tragedy that haunts the film to this day, there’s no denying that Twilight Zone: The Movie is a whole lot of fun to watch, with a quartet of tales that ultimately offer something for everyone.

#1,072. The Blues Brothers (1980)

Directed By: John Landis

Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cab Calloway




Tag line: "They'll Never Get Caught. They're On a Mission From God"

Trivia:  While shooting the opening scene, security guards at the prison fired shots at the helicopter filming the overhead scenes, thinking it was trying to spy on the structure





What started as a skit on TV’s Saturday Night Live in 1976, with comedians John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd playing a couple of musical siblings billed as the Blues Brothers, would balloon into something much bigger over the next few years. 

After several more appearances on SNL (including one in 1978, when they were billed as the “musical guests”), the Blues Brothers released an album titled Briefcase Full of Blues, which became a smash hit. I remember my classmates talking about that album, mostly because it featured Belushi, who had recently become a big star thanks to his role in Animal House. 

Once Briefcase Full of Blues went double platinum and reached #1 on the Billboard Charts, it was only a matter of time before the characters made their move to the big screen. 

And thus, 1980's The Blues Brothers was born.

Directed by John Landis, The Blues Brothers is the story of Jake (Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Aykroyd), two brothers who grew up in St. Helen’s of the Blessed Shroud, a Catholic orphanage in downtown Chicago, where they learned the finer points of Rhythm and Blues music from Curtis (Cab Calloway), an employee of the orphanage who was like a father to them. 

Following Jake’s release from prison (he served three years for armed robbery), the brothers pay a visit to Sister Mary Stigmata (Kathleen Freeman), the Mother Superior of St. Helen’s, who tells them that, unless the orphanage can come up with $5,000 in a week and a half, it’s going to be shut down. 

Later that day, as he and Elwood are listening to Baptist preacher Cleophus James (James Brown) deliver a sermon, Jake has an epiphany: put their R&B band back together and go on tour to raise the $5,000! 

After convincing the former members of the band to join them, the Blues Brothers hit the road and immediately piss off a number of people, including the Country/Western group The Good ‘Ole Boys, the Illinois chapter of the Nazi Party, and just about every cop in the city of Chicago. 

Add to this a mysterious woman (played by Carrie Fisher) who wants the brothers dead, and you have an action-packed musical comedy the likes of which you’ve never seen before!

There’s a lot going on in The Blues Brothers, all of it good. First off, it’s an extremely funny film; the scene where Jake and Elwood visit Sr. Mary Stigmata and are beaten with a yardstick for swearing is comedy gold. 

Then there’s the music, featuring (along with the brothers themselves, who do a pretty good rendition of the Theme from Rawhide) artists such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and - in one of my favorite scenes - Ray Charles as the owner of Ray’s Music Emporium, where, to test out an electric organ, he belts out Shake a Tail Feather (before it’s over, the sequence evolves into an all-out musical number). 

And to top it off, there’s action galore in The Blues Brothers, with numerous car chases and a whole lot of destruction. Apparently, 103 vehicles were wrecked during the making of this movie, which, at the time, was a world record (the record was finally broken in 1998 by Blues Brothers 2000).

Still, no matter how crazy things get, the brothers themselves remain calm and collected through much of the movie, taking everything in stride. In fact, their laid-back attitude leads to some of the film’s funniest moments. At one point, while being pursued by the police, Elwood drives their car through the front window of a toy store, leading to a high-speed pursuit inside a shopping mall. Yet instead of worrying about the cops who are hot on their trail or the mall patrons diving for cover, Jake and Elwood pass the time by doing a little window shopping (after slamming into a car dealership, Elwood turns to Jake and says “The new Oldsmobiles are in early this year”). 

Nothing seems to bother these two. Even when Elwood’s apartment building is blown to smithereens by Carrie Fisher, Jake and Elwood simply climb out of the rubble, dust themselves off, and walk away, without a care in the world.

But then, why should they worry? They’re on a mission from God!

#643. Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)

Directed By: Joe Dante, John Landis, Carl Gottlieb, Peter Horton, Robert K. Weiss

Starring: Rosanna Arquette, Michelle Pfeiffer, Arsenio Hall




Tag line: "Shameless!"

Trivia:  Scenes featuring two veteran character actors, Lyle Talbot and Dan Seymour, were cut from the finished film





Here's yet another example of "deceptive memory".

The first time I saw Amazon Women on the Moon, which has to be over 20 years ago, I thought it was one of the funniest movies I'd ever seen. Revisiting it all these years later, I still found quite a bit of it funny, but was surprised by how many of the gags fall flat, and in a big way.

With five different directors at the helm, including the likes of John Landis and Joe Dante, Amazon Women on the Moon presents a series of short skits that center on the problems a late-night TV station is having with their broadcast of a cheesy sci-fi film.  As the technical difficulties mount, the station breaks away to a variety of commercials, public service announcements, and coming attractions, all designed to tickle your funny bone.

I still laughed as I watched Amazon Women on the Moon. Lou Jacobi, playing a frustrated husband who ends up trapped in his television set, is hilarious, and I had a blast whenever the movie cut back to the 'feature film', a send-up of 50's sci-fi fare.  But a number of sketches are real clunkers.  There's a hospital skit with Michelle Pfieffer and Griffin Dunne that's downright painful to sit through, as is a black-and-white segment with Ed Begley Jr., playing the son of the Invisible Man, which stretches on well after its single joke has already been beaten into the ground.

By no means is Amazon Women on the Moon a waste of time. Overall, I'd say there are more laughs than groans. Fair warning, though: be prepared to sit through a few duds along the way!

#264. An American Werewolf in London (1981)

Directed By: John Landis


Starring: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne



Tag line: "Beware The Moon"

Trivia:  All the songs in this film have the word "MOON" in their title

When it first hit theaters in 1981, John Landis' An American Werewolf in London was heralded as a groundbreaking film, and it's creature effects, developed by legendary make-up artist Rick Baker, were the reason why.  Baker's work was enough to win the movie an Academy Award, the first ever Oscar given in the Best Makeup category. 

Even by today's CGI-defined standards, the effects in An American Werewolf in London look pretty damn good, and remain an impressive part of what is still a highly entertaining film.

Americans David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are backpacking their way through Northern England when they're attacked by what appears to be a wild animal. The locals manage to kill the beast, but are too late to save Jack, who dies from his injuries. 

David, still barely alive, is rushed to a hospital in London, where he will spend several weeks recovering from his injuries. While there, David catches the eye of pretty nurse Alex (Jenny Agutter), and the two strike up a quick romance. 

But David has been having violent, disturbing nightmares that he cannot explain, and it isn't until Jack's corpse pays him a visit that he begins to realize the truth: he and Jack were attacked by a werewolf, which means that David, having survived a bite from the creature, is now turning into one himself!

The most famous sequence in An American Werewolf in London is undoubtedly David's first werewolf 'transformation', which happens while he's staying in Alex's apartment. In a truly remarkable bit of film-making magic, David's entire body violently shifts and contorts until the "change" is complete (the effect of his face growing a snout is an image that will always stay with me). 

Yet equally as impressive as David's transformation is the job Baker did on Griffin Dunne's “Dead Jack” character, who visits David several times from beyond the grave to warn him he's changing into a monster. Because he was killed by a werewolf, Jack must walk the earth as one of the undead until the last werewolf - in this case, David - is destroyed. 

David first encounters “Dead Jack” in the hospital, and Jack's appearance is truly horrifying. Though dead, he carries with him the scars inflicted by the werewolf: his face is torn to shreds on one side, and a large, gaping hole has taken the place of the left side of his neck (with only a few strands of dangling skin remaining). From that moment on, whenever “Dead Jack” appears, he looks a little worse than the last time we saw him (when he visits David in Alex's apartment, he's turned green). Despite the humor that Landis and company inject into each of Jack's scenes (when he first shows up at the hospital, Jack asks if he can have a piece of David's toast), he looks every bit as monstrous as the werewolf.

Rick Baker's tremendous work in An American Werewolf in London led to the first of his six Academy Awards for Make-up design, and it's thanks to him that this film has become an awe-inspiring entry in the annals of cinematic history.