Airplane! (1980)

A film we've all seen and loved which parodies the various Airport disaster movies of the time... well kind of.

Turns out it's maybe 1% parody of the Airport movies and 99% parody of the 1957 film 'Zero Hour!'

See for yourself

Love that film one if not my fave. If you read the trivia section on it on IMDb there’s loads of things like that.

Like the no parking red zone white zone couple were the real announcers at LAX.

Absolute genius of a film. Every time you watch it you spot something new.

The anniversary blue ray has cut scenes add ons with all the cast.
 
To get inspiration for the ZAZ Kentucky Fried Theatre skits, directors Jerry Zucker, David Zucker and Jim Abrahams would leave a videotape running all night, recording late night television with the aim of spoofing the commercials. One night they recorded the film Zero Hour! (1957), which ultimately acted as the main inspiration for "Airplane!".

The casting of professional basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as a member of the flight crew was a reference to pro football player Elroy 'Crazylegs' Hirsch's role as a pilot in the serious airplane disaster film Zero Hour! (1957)

The film is mostly a parody of Zero Hour! (1957), a film that had a main character named Ted Stryker and such famous "not meant to be funny" lines like "We have to find someone who can not only fly this plane, but who didn't have fish for dinner."
 
"Joey...have you ever been in a Turkish prison?"
Absolute class movie, I remember going to see it, and had almost tears in my eyes laughing at the brilliant humour.
I'm not sure if it was Airplane 1 or Airplane 2, but in one of the scenes at an airport showed a poster advertising Rocky 14 in the background ( not sure of the number) it showed a very old Sly Stallone, in boxing stance, including gloves. Crazy to think that Stallone is still starring in various sequels all these years later.
 
Ooh don’t mention airplane 2 as I never realised how acrimonious the split was-

The Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker writing and directing trio (Jerry Zucker, David Zucker and Jim Abrahams) claim (on the DVD audio commentary of Airplane! (1980)) never to have seen this film. They initially agreed to a sequel, and then balked at the idea at a later date. The movie went ahead without their permission, and despite their protests - thus, they refused to watch a single frame of it upon its release - and still have not over twenty years later.
IMDB
 
Absolute class movie, I remember going to see it, and had almost tears in my eyes laughing at the brilliant humour.
I'm not sure if it was Airplane 1 or Airplane 2, but in one of the scenes at an airport showed a poster advertising Rocky 14 in the background ( not sure of the number) it showed a very old Sly Stallone, in boxing stance, including gloves. Crazy to think that Stallone is still starring in various sequels all these years later.
It’s the sequel

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It remains the funniest film I have ever seen (and actually 2 is watchable) there are so many throw away gags on posters behind heads or stuff happening in the back of shots. E.g. There is a Jesus ornament on the plane dashboard(?) and when Ted is trying to land the plane the figure puts its head in its hands.
 
I love all the Zucker films. Airplane was probably my favorite - it must the film that I have watched the most times.

I haven't seen Top Secret for years, but that is another film in the same style. It never seems to be on TV.
 
these people need to go to hospital …….

or

………No I’ve been nervous lots of times

you can wrap your own lines round those classics….
 
I love all the Zucker films. Airplane was probably my favorite - it must the film that I have watched the most times.

I haven't seen Top Secret for years, but that is another film in the same style. It never seems to be on TV.
I bought top secret in CEX a few years ago.

The farewell line up is classic Abraham’s
 
Absolute classic... It still makes me chuckle now. God only knows how much I must have laughed the first time I ever saw it.

Although I'm torn between this and the first police squad film. I'd have to say 'nothing in it'. If for nothing else than 'nice beaver' 😂 😂
 
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