Film Snob: Top Secret!
It’s that time again, kiddies. Grab some delicious buttered popcorn and hold on to your butts…here cometh the Film Snob! [insert gratuitous cheering]
Now if you missed it the first time, the point of this column is to bring you, the laymen, movie reviews for films that you have either never heard of or have heard of and dismissed as rubbish. Basically, I plan on rubbing these fantastic films in your stupid faces and telling you how idiotic you are for not having seen them.
And today brings us a cult-classic from the ’80s…Top Secret! (Yes, it’s supposed to have the exclamation point.)
This is another gem from the minds of Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers (who had a hand in bringing to the big screen the notorious Kentucky Fried Movie - which I reviewed here). The Zuckers and Abrahams jointly directed and scripted this film which parodies World War II and Elvis films. How could that be funny, you might ask? Well, watch this clip and see for yourself:
Hmm, didn’t like that one, huh? Well, just watch the stupid trailer:
Better? Well, this was also Val Kilmer’s film debut and he shines as Nick Rivers, an American pop icon brought over to Germany during the war to give the gift of music. Hijinks, of course, ensue as he joins forces with the resistance and falls in love with a girl whose father has been kidnapped by Nazis. Now, compared to Kentucky Fried Movie, or even Airplane!, another Zuckers/Abrahams production, this movie does drag a bit in parts. Sitting through the entire film, though, yields a plethora of very funny moments and clever dialogue that I promise will make you piss yourself. Seriously.
My score…three-and-a-half out of five cowpies:
If you do happen upon this film at any video or retail store and you have the chance to rent/buy it (it usually goes for ten bucks or less), do so. You will not be disappointed.
To read a bit more info on the flick, check out the Wikipedia page here.
Ciao.
lovely!