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Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker
Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (abbreviated to ZAZ) were an American comedy filmmaking trio consisting of Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker who specialized in writing slapstick comedy films during the 1980s. History David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker knew each other during their childhood years, growing up in Shorewood, Wisconsin, and attending Shorewood High School which is sometimes referenced in their work. While attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the trio founded a small theater known as The Kentucky Fried Theater in 1971 which led to their sketch comedy film ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' in 1977. This was followed by the trio's breakout hit ''Airplane!'' in 1980, which remains a revered comedic milestone. Subsequent collaborations include ''Top Secret!'', ''Ruthless People'', and ''The Naked Gun ''The Naked Gun'' media franchise, also known as ''Police Squad!'', consists of several American crime spoof-comedies, based on an original st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Airplane!
''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American parody film written and directed by the brothers David and Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams in their directorial debuts, and produced by Jon Davison. It stars Robert Hays and Julie Hagerty and features Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Lorna Patterson. It is a parody of the disaster film genre, particularly the 1957 Paramount film ''Zero Hour!'', from which it borrows its plot, central characters, and some dialogue. It also draws many elements from ''Airport 1975'' and other films in the ''Airport'' series. It is known for its use of surreal humor and fast-paced slapstick comedy, including visual and verbal puns, gags, running jokes, and obscure humor. Released by Paramount Pictures, it was a critical and commercial success, grossing $171 million worldwide against a budget of $3.5 million. Its creators received the Writers Guild of America Award for B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Top Secret!
''Top Secret!'' is a 1984 American action comedy film written and directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker ( ZAZ). It stars Val Kilmer (in his film debut role) and Lucy Gutteridge alongside a supporting cast featuring Omar Sharif, Peter Cushing, Michael Gough, and Jeremy Kemp. The film parodies various film styles such as musicals starring Elvis Presley, spy films of the Cold War era and World War II films. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre. Plot Nick Rivers, an American rock star ("Skeet Surfin' "), travels to East Germany (which is represented as like Hitler's regime) to perform at a cultural festival, which secretly serves the East German government as a diversion for a military operation with the intent of reuniting Germany under their rule. At a dinner, Nick encounters Hillary Flammond, a member of the local resistance movement who is attempting to avoid the authorities. He pretends to be her date to get to know her, and perfo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Slapstick Comedy
Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as saws and ladders. The term arises from a device developed for use in the broad, physical comedy style known as ''commedia dell'arte'' in 16th-century Italy. The "slap stick" consists of two thin slats of wood, which make a "slap" when striking another actor, with little force needed to make a loud—and comical—sound. The physical slap stick remains a key component of the plot in the traditional and popular Punch and Judy puppet show. Other examples of slapstick humor include ''The Naked Gun'' and Mr. Bean. Origins The name "slapstick" originates from the Italian ''Batacchio'' or ''Bataccio'' – called the "slap stick" in English – a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in ''commedia dell'arte''. When struck, the Ba ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Police Squad!
''Police Squad!'' is an American television crime comedy series that was broadcast on the ABC network in 1982. It was created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, starring Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin. A spoof of police procedurals and many other television shows and movies, the series features Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker's usual sight gags, wordplay, and non sequiturs. It resembles the Lee Marvin police show ''M Squad'' (in particular the opening credits) and the late 1960s series ''Felony Squad''. It was canceled after six episodes, and yielded ''The Naked Gun'' film series from 1988 to 1994. Overview ''Police Squad!'' was created by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, who had previously worked on ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' (1977) and ''Airplane!'' (1980). They declined to work on a sequel to ''Airplane!'' and instead chose to apply the comedic approach of that film to television. The producers were contracted to produce an initial six episodes. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mafia!
''Mafia!'', also known as ''Jane Austen's Mafia!'', is a 1998 American crime comedy film directed by Jim Abrahams and starring Jay Mohr, Lloyd Bridges (in one of his final films), Olympia Dukakis and Christina Applegate. The film spoofs Francis Ford Coppola's '' Godfather'' series and various other mafia films, notably Martin Scorsese's ''Casino'' (1995). It also parodies films in other genres, ranging from '' Forrest Gump'' to '' Il Postino'' and ''The English Patient''. Plot Like the 1974 film ''The Godfather Part II'', the narrative of ''Mafia!'' consists of a series of flashbacks interwoven with the main plot. Tony is the son of a prominent Mafia don, Vincenzo Armani Windbreaker Cortino. As the film opens, Tony introduces the main thread when he exits a Vegas casino and walks to his car, accompanied by a voiceover explaining his philosophy of life. When he starts the car, it explodes. The story then regresses more than half a century to describe the boyhood of Tony's fath ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
First Do No Harm
''...First Do No Harm'' is a 1997 American made-for-television drama film directed by Jim Abrahams about a boy whose severe epilepsy, unresponsive to medications with terrible side effects, is controlled by the ketogenic diet. Aspects of the story mirror Abrahams' own experience with his son Charlie. Plot The film tells a story in the life of a Midwestern family, the Reimullers. Lori (played by Meryl Streep) is the mother of three children, and the wife of Dave (Fred Ward), a truck driver. The family are presented as happy, normal and comfortable financially: they have just bought a horse and are planning a holiday to Hawaii. Then the youngest son, Robbie (Seth Adkins), has a sudden unexplained fall at school. A short while later, he has another unprovoked fall while playing with his brother, and is seen having a convulsive seizure. Robbie is taken to the hospital where a number of procedures are performed: a CT scan, a lumbar puncture, an electroencephalogram (EEG) and blood test ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
First Knight
''First Knight'' is a 1995 medieval film based on Arthurian legend, directed by Jerry Zucker. It stars Sean Connery as King Arthur, Richard Gere as Lancelot, Julia Ormond as Guinevere and Ben Cross as Malagant. The film follows the rogue Lancelot's romance with Lady Guinevere of Leonesse, who is to marry King Arthur of Camelot, while the land is threatened by the renegade knight Malagant. The film is noteworthy within Arthurian cinema for its absence of magical elements, its drawing on the material of Chrétien de Troyes for plot elements and the substantial age difference between Arthur and Guinevere. Plot King Arthur of Camelot, victorious from his wars, has dedicated his reign to promoting justice and peace and now wishes to marry. However, Malagant, a former Knight of the Round Table, desires the throne for himself. Lancelot, a vagabond and skilled swordsman, duels in small villages for money. He attributes his skill to his lack of concern whether he lives or dies. Gu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Final Insult
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the most frequently used word in the English language; studies and analyses of texts have found it to account for seven percent of all printed English-language words. It is derived from gendered articles in Old English which combined in Middle English and now has a single form used with nouns of any gender. The word can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and with a noun that starts with any letter. This is different from many other languages, which have different forms of the definite article for different genders or numbers. Pronunciation In most dialects, "the" is pronounced as (with the voiced dental fricative followed by a schwa) when followed by a consonant sound, and as (homophone of the archaic pron ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
For Goodness Sake
''For Goodness Sake'' is a short comedy film made in 1992, hosted by its co-writer, radio talk show host Dennis Prager. Released in 1993, the film contains comical vignettes that address everyday ethical issues. Mentor Media Inc. marketed the film for ethics training to government departments, including the FBI, Department of Defense, and IRS, as well as hospitals, schools, and hundreds of major corporations. It included appearances from actors Jason Alexander, Steve Allen, Scott Bakula, Faith Ford, Florence Henderson, Jason Hervey, Bonnie Hunt, Eugene Levy, Jayne Meadows, Bob Saget, Julia Sweeney, and Cindy Williams. The film originally included a scene with O. J. Simpson and Kim Coles, but that scene was edited out of the movie after Simpson was charged with murder. Sequel A sequel, ''For Goodness Sake II'', was produced by Rich Markey and released in 1996. It was written by Dennis Prager and Allen Estrin, and co-hosted by talk show hosts Dennis Prager and Larry Elder. T ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hot Shots! Part Deux
''Hot Shots! Part Deux'' is a 1993 American parody film directed by Jim Abrahams. It stars Charlie Sheen, Lloyd Bridges, Valeria Golino, Richard Crenna (parodying his Colonel role in the ''Rambo'' franchise), Brenda Bakke, Miguel Ferrer, Rowan Atkinson, and Jerry Haleva. Sheen, who portrays a spoof of John Rambo, went through a tough weight lifting/training program to gain the physique needed to play the role of an action hero. A sequel to ''Hot Shots!'' (1991) and the second installment in the ''Hot Shots'' franchise, the movie primarily spoofs the 1980s action films '' Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985) and ''Rambo III'' (1988). Abrahams and Pat Proft wrote the screenplay. Members of both men's families have roles as extras. Plot One night, an American special forces team invades Saddam Hussein's palace and a nearby prison camp to rescue captured soldiers from Operation Desert Storm and to assassinate Saddam, but they find the Iraqis waiting for them, and the entire rescue ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hot Shots!
''Hot Shots!'' is a 1991 American comedy film directed by Jim Abrahams, co-writer and co-director of ''Airplane!'', and written by Abrahams and Pat Proft. It stars Charlie Sheen, Cary Elwes, Valeria Golino, Lloyd Bridges, Jon Cryer, Kevin Dunn, Kristy Swanson, and Bill Irwin. The film is primarily a parody of ''Top Gun'', with some scenes spoofing other popular films, including ''9½ Weeks'', ''The Fabulous Baker Boys'', ''Dances with Wolves'', '' Marathon Man'', ''Rocky'', ''Superman'', and ''Gone with the Wind''. A sequel, ''Hot Shots! Part Deux'', was released in 1993, with Sheen, Golino, and Bridges reprising their roles. Plot The film begins at Flemner Air Base 20 years in the past. A pilot named Leland "Buzz" Harley loses control of his plane and ejects, leaving his co-pilot Dominic "Mailman" Farnham to crash. Although Mailman survives, he is mistaken for a deer owing to the branches stuck to his helmet and is shot by a hunter. Topper Harley wakes up from a nightmare ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Smell Of Fear
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the most frequently used word in the English language; studies and analyses of texts have found it to account for seven percent of all printed English-language words. It is derived from gendered articles in Old English which combined in Middle English and now has a single form used with nouns of any gender. The word can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and with a noun that starts with any letter. This is different from many other languages, which have different forms of the definite article for different genders or numbers. Pronunciation In most dialects, "the" is pronounced as (with the voiced dental fricative followed by a schwa) when followed by a consonant sound, and as (homophone of the archaic pron ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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