Today’s Feature: A Conversation with David and Jerry Zucker (2013) – The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977)

Fairly rare and with a small and devoted fan base, the Sketch Comedy film is one of the most unique sub-genres in the medium. Typically defined by their irreverence, the format offers a unique opportunity to use a motion picture budget for the shorter form humor typically reserved for television. It also provides the writers a venue for sketches that are a bit too long for Saturday Night. In 1977, The Zucker Brothers, Jim Abrahams and John Landis teamed up to make The Kentucky Fried Movie. Though not the first, The Groove Tube and And Now For Something Completely Different being notable predecessors, it is widely regarded as the most important film in the genre. The film would help spring board all four into remarkable careers, ZAZ going on to Airplane! and John Landis getting the offer for Animal House as a direct result of the film. The Kentucky Fried Movie may not be a household name these days, but it is a great choice for a well-curated special edition. Shout Factory! provided that for us a few years ago.

On this site, we have often praised the releases of Shout Factory’s horror brand, Scream Factory. They usually provide incredibly well produced features on even the most obscure films. I mention this because, well, this conversation isn’t that. Production value here is minimal, and the interview often feels like a rough cut of a yet to be released documentary. The only reason to even look at the screen is to read the questions that the two writers have been asked. I hate to say it, but with a running time of over an hour, this truly detracts from the viewing experience. With that said, the interview is great. Both Zuckers are still whip smart and quite willing to talk about all of their projects, going back to the inception of the film and their live Kentucky Fried shows. The interview certainly focuses on The Kentucky Fried Movie, but goes on to talk about other projects like Hot Shots! and even Ghost. Yes, this feature could use some polish, but ultimately we are left with a wonderful resource for fans of the genre and the films of the Zucker Brothers.

A Conversation with David and Jerry Zucker is available exclusively on the Shout Factory! Blu-Ray release of The Kentucky Fried Movie, which is widely available.