Review of The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) by Steven P — 03 Jul 2012

The Kentucky Fried Movie, an adaptation of The Kentucky Fried Theater sketches by the comedy team of Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker; is by far one of the raunchiest, funniest, and most politically-incorrect comedies that one can come by.

Segments include "That's Armageddon," a pastiche of the disaster films that were popular in the 1970s, "Feel Around", where a man who goes to the theater gets an experience like no other, "A Fistful of Yen", a sendup of chop-socky films, as well as several commercials.

They include "Cleopatra Schwarz", a blaxplotation parody, "Catholic High School Girls in Trouble", a mockery of the brief period where erotica could be proudly displayed in movie theaters, and products ranging from Willer Beer, Argon Oil, Nytex PM sleep aid and pain medication, the board game Scott Free, and United Appeal for the Dead (which parodies disability advocacy agencies).

No target is too low for this film. Daytime talk TV is mocked by "AM Today", wherein a gorilla named "Dino" trashes the set upon being reminded of his impotence (which was makeup artist Rick Baker taking a shot at Dino De Laurentiis' infamous remake of King Kong, which came out a year prior and Baker has gone on record saying it was among the worst jobs of his career).

Courtroom antics are skewered. All of this is framed by an eccentric news anchor who bookends the film with non sequitur commentary ("I'm not wearing any pants, film at 11."). The Kentucky Fried Movie, along with Airplane and The Naked Gun Trilogy, prove the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker comedy team as bastions of pop culture satire.