Airplane! Movie Review 1980

Classic lampoon of disaster flicks is stupid but funny and launched a bevy wanna-be spoofs. Former pilot Ted Striker (Hays), who's lost both his stewardess girlfriend Elaine (Hagerty) and his nerve, takes over the controls of a jet when the crew is hit with food poisoning. The passengers become increasingly crazed and ground support more surreal as our hero struggles to land the plane. Clever, fast-paced, and very funny parody mangles every Hollywood cliche within reach. The gags are so furiously paced that when one bombs it's hardly noticeable. Launched Nielsen's second career as a comic actor. And it ain't over till it's over: don't miss the amusing final credits. Followed by "Airplane 2: The Sequel."

Distribution

Paramount Home Video, 5555 Melrose Ave., 5555 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038, Phone: (323)956-5000, URL: http://www.paramount.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 88 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Satire & Parody, Airborne, Sex on the Beach, Genre Spoofs, Top Grossing Films of 1980, Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker, Stewardesses

Screenplay

Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker

Cast

Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Robert Stack, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Leslie Nielsen, Stephen Stucker, Ethel Merman, Barbara Billingsley, Lorna Patterson, Joyce Bulifant, James Hong, Maureen McGovern, Jimmie Walker

Cinematography

Joseph Biroc

Director

Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker

Music

Elmer Bernstein

Producer

Jr. Howard W. Koch

Awards

Writers Guild 1980: Adapt. Screenplay.