{"id":36263,"date":"2020-07-29T02:15:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-28T23:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/31-things-we-learned-from-the-airplane-commentary\/"},"modified":"2020-07-29T02:15:00","modified_gmt":"2020-07-28T23:15:00","slug":"31-things-we-learned-from-the-airplane-commentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/31-things-we-learned-from-the-airplane-commentary\/","title":{"rendered":"#31 Things We Learned from the \u2018Airplane!\u2019 Commentary"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a289eb44e53a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a289eb44e53a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/31-things-we-learned-from-the-airplane-commentary\/#Airplane_1980\" >Airplane! (1980)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/31-things-we-learned-from-the-airplane-commentary\/#Best_in_Context-Free_Commentary\" >Best in Context-Free Commentary<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/31-things-we-learned-from-the-airplane-commentary\/#Final_Thoughts\" >Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#31 Things We Learned from the \u2018Airplane!\u2019 Commentary<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<div><em>Sometimes filmmakers and\/or film lovers sit down to talk about the movie they\u2019re watching, and it\u2019s called a commentary. Sometimes our Rob Hunter listens to that commentary and shares the most interesting and entertaining parts. Welcome to\u00a0<strong>Commentary Commentary,<\/strong> where this week\u2019s pick is the 1980 comedy hit, <\/em>Airplane!<\/p>\n<hr>\n<\/hr>\n<p>Spoof <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">movies<\/a> aren\u2019t for everyone, but if you\u2019re a fan the odds are one of your favorites in the sub-genre is 1980\u2019s <strong><em>Airplane!<\/em><\/strong> The film is the brain-child of three comedy writers and friends who went from running a sketch comedy group in Los Angeles to directing films both individually and as a team including the likes of <em>Ruthless People<\/em> (1986), <em>The Naked Gun<\/em> (1988), <em>Ghost<\/em> (1990), and my personal favorite, <em>Top Secret!<\/em> (1984).<\/p>\n<p><em>Airplane!<\/em> put them all on the map, though, and now Paramount has re-released it to special edition Blu-ray complete with a new transfer, new extras, and more. Keep reading to see what I heard on the commentary track for\u2026<\/p>\n<hr>\n<\/hr>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Airplane_1980\"><\/span>Airplane! (1980)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Commentators: Jim Abrahams (co-writer\/co-director), David Zucker (co-writer\/co-director), Jerry Zucker (co-writer\/co-director), Jon Davison (producer)<\/p>\n<p><strong>1.<\/strong> The opening clouds for the <em>Jaws<\/em> (1975) riff are made from cotton wool.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2.<\/strong> The great <strong>Elmer Bernstein<\/strong> composed the score, and they recall an early struggle trying to convince him that they wanted \u201ca B movie score. We didn\u2019t actually want like a really good score.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>3.<\/strong> Their first <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a> draft was written in 1974 while they were operating the Kentucky Fried Theater on Pico Blvd in Los Angeles where they would poke fun at television commercials. One night their VCR recording of overnight TV gave them no fun ads but did offer an airing of <em>Zero Hour!<\/em> (1957) about a passenger jet facing disaster due to food poisoning and heavy fog.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4.<\/strong> These early drafts were initially titled <em>The Late Show<\/em> as they intended to include their commercial gags as well with the spoof movie itself being filler. They brought it to Lloyd Schwartz who suggested that the airplane story was \u201cfunnier and more interesting\u201d than the commercial spoofs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5.<\/strong> The voices on the LAX speakers announcing parking, stopping, and other rules belong to the actual people who do just that at LAX. In real life, they don\u2019t bicker and discuss abortion on the loudspeakers, though.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6.<\/strong> Abrahams met his wife on the film. She\u2019s the blonde extra walking by <strong>Robert Hayes<\/strong> at 3:55.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7.<\/strong> The plane model crashing through the airport window at the start cost $40k.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8.<\/strong> You can see a technician pulling cable in the corner of the shot at 4:34. \u201cThe picture was so cheap.\u201d They later point out some visible Scotch Tape holding the plane set together at 14:37.<\/p>\n<p><strong>9.<\/strong> They envisioned the plane being a prop-engine style, but when they brought it to the studio Michael Eisner insisted it be a jet. This caused them serious struggle as they saw the movie as being a 50s-style riff, but while they considered saying no to the offer they agreed as it was their only one after other studios disliked the script, wanted to control casting, or thought it should only be twenty minutes long. Their compromise was to use prop-engine sounds for the plane exterior shots.<\/p>\n<p><strong>10.<\/strong> Eisner wanted Barry Manilow to pilot the plane, and others who tested include Bruce Jenner and David Letterman.<\/p>\n<p><strong>11.<\/strong> They had to fight to get all three of their names listed as directors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>12.<\/strong> <strong>Kareem Abdul-Jabbar<\/strong> wasn\u2019t keen on doing the film but agreed for $30k \u2014 because that\u2019s how much a rug he really wanted would cost. It was more than they could afford, but they decided it was worth it. The part was originally written for Pete Rose, but baseball got in the way.<\/p>\n<p><strong>13.<\/strong> The bar fight was the only scene filmed on the Paramount studio lot. It was filmed in two days (out of the thirty-four-day shooting schedule).<\/p>\n<p><strong>14.<\/strong> The Bee Gees\u2019 \u201cStaying Alive\u201d playing during the bar\u2019s dance scene is sped up by ten percent. They had to get permission.<\/p>\n<p><strong>15.<\/strong> The script had the two \u201cjive dudes\u201d saying \u201cmofo\u201d this and \u201cmofo\u201d that, but when Norman Alexander Gibbs and Al White came in to audition they invented their own take on it.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"394\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/07pPmCfKi3U?feature=oembed\" title=\"Airplane (1980) Movie Trailer\" width=\"700\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>16.<\/strong> The two kids dressed and talking like adults are speaking dialogue lifted almost directly from <em>Crash Landing<\/em> (1958). Minus the punchline, obviously.<\/p>\n<p><strong>17.<\/strong> <strong>Peter Graves<\/strong> only agreed to do the movie because his wife loved the script. He didn\u2019t understand why they wanted him for the role and instead suggested they cast some funny people.<\/p>\n<p><strong>18.<\/strong> The script originally included another question between the pilot and little Joey \u2014 \u201cHave you ever sucked a grown man\u2019s cock?\u201d It made them all laugh, but they all knew it had to be im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely cut from the script.<\/p>\n<p><strong>19.<\/strong> They ran early screenings on college campuses, and they noted whenever a gag or joke failed to get a laugh \u2014 and then immediately cut it from the film before the next screening.<\/p>\n<p><strong>20.<\/strong> They tried to get Helen Reddy to play the nun as she played a similar role in Universal\u2019s <em>Airport<\/em> movies, but the rival studio threatened to sue. The same issue prevented them from landing George Kennedy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>21.<\/strong> The song sung by the stewardess to the sick little girl was written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary fame. He was outraged when he saw the film, less at the filmmakers than at the fact that he had sold the song in the first place.<\/p>\n<p><strong>22.<\/strong> <strong>Lloyd Bridges<\/strong> had a lot of questions trying to understand his character, his motivation, and his dialogue, and <strong>Robert Stack<\/strong> pointed out that the visual gags were so frequent and nonsensical that no one in the audience was going to care. \u201cLloyd, we are the joke,\u201d said Stack to Lloyd.<\/p>\n<p><strong>23.<\/strong> Stack was apparently offered a percentage of the film or an extra $20k, and he chose poorly.<\/p>\n<p><strong>24.<\/strong> The film\u2019s premiere happened on the Paramount Studio lot, and they accidentally played the reels out of order. It opened theatrically in Buffalo, NY where it tanked, but when it opened wide a week later a hit was born.<\/p>\n<p><strong>25.<\/strong> One big misconception people often have about the film is that it\u2019s filled with improvisation, but barring one or two exceptions they actually shot the script \u201creligiously.\u201d There were dozens of drafts before reaching the final script.<\/p>\n<p><strong>26.<\/strong> The bulk of the film was shot at Culver Studios, and they recall that back then the people running the sound stages didn\u2019t want money \u2014 they wanted drugs. \u201cIf you gave them drugs you could use their studio for whatever you wanted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>27.<\/strong> There\u2019s an extra with the crazy beard in the background of the windy shot at 1:02:49, and \u201cwe took so much time and care in makeup and tested so that it would come off when the wind blew, and that was really the joke, and it didn\u2019t work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>28.<\/strong> Only a single airline bought the film for use on flights.<\/p>\n<p><strong>29.<\/strong> There was originally a gag involving Air Poland with Jose Feliciano and his seeing eye dog piloting the plane. Complaints led to its removal.<\/p>\n<p><strong>30.<\/strong> Paramount executives realized too late that they had neglected to lock in the filmmakers for a sequel, and by the time they went back asking for a follow-up they were unable to convince the directors to sign on. Paramount made a sequel anyway, and these three have still never seen it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>31.<\/strong> The end credits include a slight addition to the copyright claim, and it led to a call from the FBI who wanted it changed back. Prints had already been made, though, so they were unable to comply. \u201cThey felt we were mocking them.\u201d \u201cAnd we were.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Best_in_Context-Free_Commentary\"><\/span>Best in Context-Free Commentary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s the Paramount logo. I remember when we thought that up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI bet you probably wanted us to say something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoy, this picture was badly scheduled.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe ended up with all the right people despite our stupidity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust in case you were worried, we bought the rights to <em>Zero Hour<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis picture got criticized when it first came out for being too risque, too raunchy.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts\"><\/span>Final Thoughts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><em>Airplane!<\/em> is nearly as funny today as it was four decades ago, and I\u2019m confident saying that having re-watched it recently and then watched it again with the commentary. Don\u2019t like a gag? Just wait ten seconds for the next. The three creators and the producer offer up some very funny observations on the film\u2019s production and show a strong love for their film. It\u2019s a great track as well because Paramount allows them to talk uncensored \u2014 most studios would have nixed their comments on drugs, cock-sucking, and more, so kudos to Paramount for respecting their creative talents. It\u2019s a great movie and a fantastic commentary!<\/p>\n<p>Read more Commentary Commentary from the archives.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-media\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>if you want to watch Movies or Tv Shows go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/dizi.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dizi.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a> <\/span> for forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/filmschoolrejects.com\/airplane-commentary\/#utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=airplane-commentary\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#31 Things We Learned from the \u2018Airplane!\u2019 Commentary&#8221; Sometimes filmmakers and\/or film lovers sit down to talk about the movie they\u2019re watching, and it\u2019s called a commentary. Sometimes our Rob Hunter listens to that commentary and shares the most interesting and entertaining parts. Welcome to\u00a0Commentary Commentary, where this week\u2019s pick is the 1980 comedy hit,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36264,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[45551,28530,1354,22447,1361],"class_list":["post-36263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-31-things-we-learned-from-the-airplane-commentary","tag-airplane","tag-columns","tag-commentary-commentary","tag-movies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36263"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36263\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36264"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}