The Silence Of The Hams
''The Silence of the Hams'' (Italian: ''Il Silenzio dei Prosciutti'') is a 1994 comedy thriller film written by, directed by, and starring Italian comedian Ezio Greggio. It is a parody of many popular thriller and horror films, notably '' The Silence of the Lambs'' and '' Psycho''. Along with Greggio, it features an ensemble cast of Dom DeLuise, Billy Zane, Joanna Pacuła, Charlene Tilton and Martin Balsam. Like many of its contemporary satires (including ''The Naked Gun''), it is largely driven by wordplay, sight gags, running jokes, and references to popular culture of the time (such as '' Michael Jackson's Thriller'') and tongue-in-cheek references to then-current American politics (such as a fight scene between Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton). Mel Brooks, who made a number of well regarded parodies ('' Blazing Saddles'', ''Young Frankenstein'', ''Spaceballs''), makes a cameo appearance. Plot The film follows rookie detective Jo Dee Fostar (Billy Zane) on his fi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ezio Greggio
Ezio Greggio (; born 7 April 1954) is an Italian-born Albanian comedian, actor, writer and film director. In Italy he is mostly known for his long-lasting appearances in TV shows like '' Drive In'' and '' Striscia la notizia'', while abroad he is noted for his movies and his collaboration with Mel Brooks. TV career Born in Cossato, a small town near Biella, Greggio began his TV career at age 18 in Telebiella, the first local private owned station in Italy thanks to the help of founder Peppo Sacchi. In 1978 he was hired as a comedian in RAI, appearing in '' La sberla'' e '' Tutto compreso'' with Giancarlo Nicotra and Giancarlo Magalli. His appearances in the national TV didn't gain him success, but Greggio had the chance to meet Gianfranco D'Angelo, another young comedian. D'Angelo convinced Greggio to move to the newborn Fininvest (later Mediaset), a local TV channel founded in Milan by Silvio Berlusconi. They were both included in the cast of the main show of the netwo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Michael Jackson's Thriller (music Video)
''Michael Jackson's Thriller'' is a 1983 music video for the song " Thriller" by the American singer Michael Jackson, released on December 2, 1983. The video was directed by John Landis, written by Landis and Jackson, and stars Jackson and Ola Ray. It references numerous horror films and sees Jackson dancing with a horde of zombies. Jackson's sixth album, '' Thriller'', was released in November 1982 and spent months at the top of the ''Billboard'' 200, backed by successful videos for the singles "Billie Jean" and " Beat It". In July 1983, after ''Thriller'' was displaced from the top of the chart, Jackson's manager Frank DiLeo suggested making a music video for "Thriller". Jackson hired Landis after seeing his 1981 film '' An American Werewolf in London''. The pair conceived a short film with a budget much larger than previous music videos. It was filmed at various locations in Los Angeles, including the Palace Theater. A making-of documentary, ''Making Michael Jackson's Thrill ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Ada Diller (née Driver; July 17, 1917 – August 20, 2012) was an American stand-up comedian, actress, author, musician, and visual artist, best known for her eccentric stage persona, self-deprecating humor, wild hair and clothes, and exaggerated, cackling laugh. Diller was one of the first female comics to become a household name in the U.S., credited as an influence by Joan Rivers, Roseanne Barr, and Ellen DeGeneres, among others.Phyllis Diller Dies; Groundbreaking Comedian Is Dead at 95 ''People'', Stephen M. Silverman, August 20, 2012, retrieved November 4, 2015 She had a large gay following and is considered a gay icon. She was also one of th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tony Cox (actor)
Joseph Anthony Cox (born March 31, 1958) is an American actor known for his roles in ''Bad Santa'', ''Friday'', ''Me, Myself & Irene,'' ''Date Movie,'' ''Epic Movie'', ''Disaster Movie'', and ''Leprechaun 2''. He is also known for his role in George Lucas's ''Willow'', as an Ewok in ''Return of the Jedi'' and as The Preacher in Tim Burton's ''Beetlejuice''. Cox also appeared in various music videos. Early life Cox was born in Uniontown, Alabama, the son of Henrietta Cox-Penn and Joe Cox. He spent his childhood in Uniontown, with his grandmother and grandfather, Lottie and Henry Jones. His mother and stepfather, Rudolph (Rudy) Penn, live in College Park, Georgia. By the age of 10 he became an avid drummer. He met his future wife, Otelia, during high school. They were eventually married in 1981 when Cox was 23 years old. After graduation from high school, Cox attended the Alabama State University and originally planned to study music. Cox said in a 2003 interview with '' Jet'' mag ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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John Astin
John Allen Astin (born March 30, 1930) is an American actor and director who has appeared in numerous stage, television and film roles. He is best known for starring in ''The Addams Family'' (1964–1966), as patriarch Gomez Addams, reprising the role in the television film '' Halloween with the New Addams Family'' (1977) and the animated series ''The Addams Family'' (1992–1993). Astin starred in the TV film ''Evil Roy Slade'' (1972). Other notable film roles include ''West Side Story'' (1961), ''That Touch of Mink'' (1962), ''Move Over, Darling'' (1963), ''Freaky Friday'' (1976), ''National Lampoon's European Vacation'' (1985), ''Teen Wolf Too'' (1987) and ''The Frighteners'' (1996). Astin was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for his directorial debut, the comedic short ''Prelude'' (1968). He has been married three times. His second wife was actress Patty Duke, and Astin is the adoptive father of Duke's son, actor Sean Astin. Early years Astin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Stuart Pankin
Stuart Pankin (born April 8, 1946) is an American actor. He is known for his role as anchor Bob Charles in ''Not Necessarily the News'' and as the voice of Earl Sinclair in '' Dinosaurs''. Stuart is also known for his portrayal of Commander Edward Plank in the ''Zenon'' trilogy films, and Orthodox Jew Ben Heineman in '' Curb Your Enthusiasm'', as well as making many guest appearances in many television shows and for lending his voice to various animated shows and films. Among his approximately three dozen films was '' Hollywood Knights''. He also appeared in ''Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves'' and '' Arachnophobia'' and as Jimmy in '' Fatal Attraction''. Early life and education Pankin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 8, 1946. He attended Dickinson College, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and Columbia University. Career Early in his career, Pankin frequently performed at St. Vincent Summer Theatre and still returns to perform there often. Pankin is know ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cemetery
A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a burial ground and originally applied to the Roman catacombs. The term ''graveyard'' is often used interchangeably with cemetery, but a graveyard primarily refers to a burial ground within a churchyard. The intact or cremated remains of people may be interred in a grave, commonly referred to as burial, or in a tomb, an "above-ground grave" (resembling a sarcophagus), a mausoleum, columbarium, niche, or other edifice. In Western cultures, funeral ceremonies are often observed in cemeteries. These ceremonies or rites of passage differ according to cultural practices and religious beliefs. Modern cemeteries often include crematoria, and some grounds previously used for both, continue as crematoria as a principal use long after the interment ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Serial Killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three murders, others extend it to four or lessen it to two. Psychological gratification is the usual motive for serial killing, and many serial murders involve sexual contact with the victim. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) states that the motives of serial killers can include anger, thrill-seeking, financial gain, and attention seeking, and killings may be executed as such. The victims may have something in common; for example, demographic profile, appearance, gender or race. Often the FBI will focus on a particular pattern serial killers follow. Based on this pattern, this will give key clues into finding the killer along with their motives. Although a serial killer is a distinct classification that differs from that of a mass mu ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Detective
A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads them to arrest criminals and enable them to be convicted in court. A detective may work for the police or privately. Overview Informally, and primarily in fiction, a detective is a licensed or unlicensed person who solves crimes, including historical crimes, by examining and evaluating clues and personal records in order to uncover the identity and/or whereabouts of criminals. In some police departments, a detective position is achieved by passing a written test after a person completes the requirements for being a police officer. In many other police systems, detectives are college graduates who join directly from civilian life without first serving as uniformed officers. Some argue that detectives do a completely different job and th ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Spaceballs
''Spaceballs'' is a 1987 American space opera parody film co-written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. It is primarily a parody of the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, but also parodies other sci-fi films and popular franchises including ''Star Trek'', ''Alien'', '' The Wizard of Oz'', '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', ''Planet of the Apes'', and ''Transformers''. The film stars Bill Pullman, John Candy and Rick Moranis, with the supporting cast including Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten, George Wyner, Lorene Yarnell, and the voice of Joan Rivers. In addition to Brooks playing a dual role, the film also features Brooks regulars Dom DeLuise and Rudy De Luca in cameo appearances. In ''Spaceballs'', heroic mercenary Lone Starr (Pullman) and his alien sidekick Barf (Candy) rescue Princess Vespa (Zuniga) of Druidia and her droid, Dot Matrix (Yarnell, voiced by Rivers), from being captured by the Spaceballs, led by President Skroob (Brooks), who want to use Vespa as ransom to obtain Dr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Young Frankenstein
''Young Frankenstein'' is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder. Wilder also starred in the lead role as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Peter Boyle portrayed the monster. The film co-stars Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard Haydn, and Gene Hackman. The film is a parody of the classic horror film genre, in particular the various film adaptations of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' produced by Universal Pictures in the 1930s. Much of the lab equipment used as props was created by Kenneth Strickfaden for the 1931 film ''Frankenstein''. To help evoke the atmosphere of the earlier films, Brooks shot the picture entirely in black and white, a rarity in the 1970s, and employed 1930s-style opening credits and scene transitions such as iris outs, wipes, and fades to black. The fil ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Blazing Saddles
''Blazing Saddles'' is a 1974 American satirical western black comedy film directed by Mel Brooks, who also wrote the screenplay with Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Alan Uger. The film stars Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder. The film received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences, was nominated for three Academy Awards and is ranked No. 6 on the American Film Institute's '' 100 Years...100 Laughs'' list. Brooks appears in three supporting roles, Governor William J. Le Petomane, a Yiddish-speaking Native American chief and "a director" in line to help invade Rock Ridge (a nod to Hitchcock); he also dubs lines for one of Lili Von Shtupp's backing troupe. The supporting cast includes Slim Pickens, Alex Karras, and David Huddleston, as well as Brooks regulars Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, and Harvey Korman. Bandleader Count Basie has a cameo as himself, appearing with his orchestra. The film is full of deliberate anachronisms, from the Count Basie ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |