The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)

A series of short, highly irreverent, and often tasteless skits.

Director:

John Landis

Writers:

David Zucker, Jim Abrahams

Stars:

Evan C. Kim, Bong Soo Han, Bill Bixby

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marilyn Joi	...	Cleopatra Schwartz (segment "Cleopatra Schwartz")
Saul Kahan	...	Schwartz (segment "Cleopatra Schwartz")
David Zucker	...	Man (segment "His New Car") / Technician #2 (segment "Eyewitness News") / Grunwald (segment "Courtroom")
Marcy Goldman	...	Housewife (segment "Household Odors")
Dulcie Jordan	...	Guest #1 (segment "Household Odors")
Gracia Lee	...	Guest #2 (segment "Household Odors")
Sheila Rogers	...	Guest #3 (segment "Household Odors")
Joseph G. Medalis	...	Paul Burmaster (segment "High Adventure") (as Joe Medalis)
Barry Dennen	...	Claude LaMont (segment "High Adventure")
Colin Male	...	Spokesman (segment "Argon") / Voice Overs
Ed Griffith	...	Host (segment "Danger Seekers")
Robert Starr	...	Rex Kramer (segment "Danger Seekers")
Richard Gates	...	Boy (segment "Eyewitness News") (as Rick Gates)
Tara Strohmeier	...	Girl (segment "Eyewitness News") (as Tara Strohmeir)
Neil Thompson	...	Newscaster (segment "Eyewitness News")

Storyline

Madcap spoof, a collection of comedy skits includes the Kung-Fu parody, "A Fistful Of Yen" and "Catholic School Girls In Trouble." Enjoy the future of movie-going with the "Feel-A-Round" theater experience. See a notable and highly respected actor as the clumsiest waiter in motion picture history. Watch such character as Cleopatra Schwartz and Big Jim Slade tickle your funny bone until it has to be removed surgically!

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Plot Keywords:

pressing breasts against glass | sex scene | large breasts | female nudity | kissing breasts | 

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Taglines:

This movie is totally out of control!

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Korean

Release Date:

4 November 1978 (Japan)

Also Known As:

A Fistful of Yen

Filming Locations:

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$650,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$15,000,000, 31 December 1977

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,000,000, 31 December 1978

Company Credits

Production Co:

KFM Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene in "A Fistful of Yen", in which, after Loo and Ada Gronick have talked about bribing Dr. Klahn's guards, Loo spots one of the microphones with which Dr. Klahn has bugged their room, grabs it and says, "But it would be wrong", is a reference to the White House Watergate tape of March 21, 1973, in which President Nixon was confronted with E. Howard Hunt's demand for hush money, and he insisted that the money be paid, but then said, "It would be wrong, that's for sure." Nixon's defenders seized on that line to say he was against the cover-up, even though the full context showed Nixon only thought it would be strategically, not morally, wrong to pay Hunt, because he'd just ask for more.

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Goofs

During the "Fistful of Yen" sequence, the tour guide mentions that the tanks containing the chemicals for germ warfare can each hold "4000 cubic liters". The liter is already a unit of volume, so the phrase "cubic liters" doesn't really mean anything.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Newscaster: The popcorn you are eating has been pissed in. Film at eleven.

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Crazy Credits

Before the credits start, there is a short bit with the TV anchorman saying "The popcorn you're eating has been pissed in, film at eleven". For the TV version, this is replaced with "I'm not wearing any pants, film at 11"

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Alternate Versions

UK cinema and video versions were cut by 10 secs due to BBFC regulations on Martial Arts weapons and removed shots of nunchakus from the elevator scene in the "Fistful Of Yens" sequence. The initial Arrow DVD featured the same print though the widescreen Prism release was fully uncut.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Deathstalker and the Warriors from Hell (1996)

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Soundtracks

Fanfare 1-6
(uncredited)
Music by Neil Richardson
KPM Music Ltd

User Reviews

A generally "sweet" comedy

Unlike many similar movies in this genre from the 70s, Kentucky Fried Movie is generally comprised of vignettes that do not simply resort to mean-spirited and base jokes, such as those about bodily emanations and racial or ethnic stereotyping. Rather, the skits tend to have an almost "sweet" tone about them. They employ humor and gags not intended to offend, though they might, if handled by other writers, as the content can be pretty darned provocative.

Coming from me, this should mean a lot. My very own mother is depicted in the most-memorable "Catholic High School Girls in Trouble" segment: "Mrs. Burke" -- from the 1968 POST Grape-Nuts commercial -- played here by Gwen Van Dam. (You can see the real "Mrs. Burke" at the Burke Family Grape-Nuts Archives)

As the son of a most virtuous Catholic mother, herself quite unlike the character in this film, I might easily be offended. Yet, in this case, I feel honored to see my mom's name roll in the credits of this clever flick.

Many of the skits are excellent. The much praised piece, "A Fistful of Yen" (the spoof on Bruce Lee's classic "Enter the Dragon"), is so well done, it truly merits the distinction, "a must see."

I would certainly recommend this film to any adult who is not likely to be offended by nudity and sexual themes. It's a lot of fun!

Adam Burke