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Serial

  • 1980
  • R
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Serial (1980)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:41
1 Video
99+ Photos
Comedy

It's the end of the 1970s. Hippies are assimilating, women are raising their consciousness, and men are becoming confused and ineffectual. Don't expect to be able to keep track of all the na... Read allIt's the end of the 1970s. Hippies are assimilating, women are raising their consciousness, and men are becoming confused and ineffectual. Don't expect to be able to keep track of all the names, or who's sleeping with whom. This movie very skillfully conveys the hopeless muddle t... Read allIt's the end of the 1970s. Hippies are assimilating, women are raising their consciousness, and men are becoming confused and ineffectual. Don't expect to be able to keep track of all the names, or who's sleeping with whom. This movie very skillfully conveys the hopeless muddle through which the many characters move as they try to find themselves.

  • Director
    • Bill Persky
  • Writers
    • Cyra McFadden
    • Rich Eustis
    • Michael Elias
  • Stars
    • Martin Mull
    • Tuesday Weld
    • Sally Kellerman
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    1.1K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Bill Persky
    • Writers
      • Cyra McFadden
      • Rich Eustis
      • Michael Elias
    • Stars
      • Martin Mull
      • Tuesday Weld
      • Sally Kellerman
    • 38User reviews
    • 20Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Serial
    Trailer 1:41
    Watch Serial

    Photos109

    Serial (1980)
    Tuesday Weld in Serial (1980)
    Tuesday Weld in Serial (1980)
    Serial (1980)
    Serial (1980)
    Serial (1980)
    Tuesday Weld and Martin Mull in Serial (1980)
    Peter Bonerz, Bill Macy, and Martin Mull in Serial (1980)
    Serial (1980)
    Serial (1980)
    Tuesday Weld in Serial (1980)
    Tuesday Weld and Peter Bonerz in Serial (1980)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Martin Mull
    Martin Mull
    • Harvey Holroyd
    Tuesday Weld
    Tuesday Weld
    • Kate Holroyd
    Sally Kellerman
    Sally Kellerman
    • Martha
    Christopher Lee
    Christopher Lee
    • Stewart Luckman…
    Bill Macy
    Bill Macy
    • Sam Stone
    Peter Bonerz
    Peter Bonerz
    • Dr. Leonard Miller
    Tom Smothers
    Tom Smothers
    • Rev. Spike
    Barbara Rhoades
    Barbara Rhoades
    • Vivian
    Pamela Bellwood
    Pamela Bellwood
    • Carol
    Nita Talbot
    Nita Talbot
    • Angela Stone
    Stacey Nelkin
    Stacey Nelkin
    • Marlene
    Patch Mackenzie
    Patch Mackenzie
    • Stella
    Sam Chew Jr.
    • Bill
    Ann Weldon
    • Rachel
    Jennifer McAllister
    • Joan Holroyd
    Anthony Battaglia
    • Stokely
    Clark Brandon
    Clark Brandon
    • Spenser
    Jon Fong
    • Wong
    • Director
      • Bill Persky
    • Writers
      • Cyra McFadden
      • Rich Eustis
      • Michael Elias
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In his autobiography "Tall, Dark and Gruesome" (1977), Christopher Lee identifies this movie as one that was particularly important to him despite the fact that he played a relatively small part. The reasons being were because he was cast against type and because it was the first time he got to act with an American accent.
    • Goofs
      The "Star Trek" quote spoken by Stokeley, is not from that TV show. It is from Kurt Vonnegut's collection of short stories "Welcome to the Monkey House."
    • Quotes

      Stokely: In an insane society, the sane man must appear insane.

      Harvey Holroyd: Where'd you get that?

      Stokely: Star Trek.

      [leaves the room]

      Harvey Holroyd: [to himself] God, I miss that show.

    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: Serial, The Changeling, My Brilliant Career, Foxes, Nijinsky (1980)
    • Soundtracks
      A Changing World
      Music by Lalo Schifrin

      Lyric by Norman Gimbel

      Performed by Michael Johnson

      Courtesy of EMI/Columbia

    User reviews38

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    One (make that more than one) funny movie--and ahead of its time!
    I must have seen Serial a half dozen times when it hit theatres. Ads were run wondering why not enough people were going to see it (hey, I was only one guy, I did my best). It should have been a monster money maker!

    As others have said, this movie has fun with the Politically Correct. I thought it might have been a wake-up call (albeit a funny one) about the excesses of muddled thought and trend-of-the week morality, but it was sadly just a cataloging of PC in its infancy. Political Correctness has actually grown to be just as wacky (and all too prevalent) as Serial painted it. That said, don't think you've seen it all and heard it all from the PC crowd because so well made is Serial that it still keeps its edge

    Serial also has some of the most shocking uses of profanity I've ever heard (and I loathe profanity), but is done in such a new way (still) that it's amazingly funny. Speaking of new, so far ahead of its time was Serial that it introduced gags that have since been done to death. Tired of "Born to Be Wild" used as a joke instead of a rebel anthem. The joke started here (for gay bikers, no less).

    So when the PC crowd gets you down, grab Serial, sit down with your other of the moment (you-ness, me-ness, us-ness, we-ness) and enjoy.
    helpful•21
    4
    • Mr. OpEd
    • Jan 1, 2000

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    FAQ14

    • How long is Serial?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 28, 1980 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Serial
    • Filming locations
      • Marin County, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $9,870,727
    • Gross worldwide
      • $9,870,727
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 26 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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