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Funland
When a mob family takes over an amusement park after the owner dies under mysterious circumstances, the recently-fired clown mascot seeks vengeance for the loss of his job.
Release : | 1987 |
Rating : | 4.3 |
Studio : | Double Helix Films, RMC Films, |
Crew : | Director, Producer, |
Cast : | William Windom David L. Lander Bruce Mahler Robert Sacchi Clark Brandon |
Genre : | Action Comedy Crime |
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Reviews
Wonderful Movie
That was an excellent one.
Pretty Good
Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.
There are definitely several shining moments in "Funland", including some very "dark comedy", and an absolutely terrific Humphrey Bogart imitation by Robert Sacchi. David Lander is great as the delusional clown "Bruce Burger", the lovable "Funland" mascot. "Funland" reminds me of several others films, including in no small way, "Death to Smoochy". The problem is not the acting or the actors, which seem appropriate for the limited budget, it's the story line, which is quite scattershot, flipping between comedy, drama, and thriller. One thing it is not is a horror film, and anyone seeking splatter will be sorely disappointed. In summary, the whole movie does not amount to much, but there are some hidden gems in a very muddled story. - MERK
The evil mobster outfit the Di Mauro family take over the amusement park Funland after they bump off jolly nice guy owner Angus Perry (a solid and engaging portrayal by William Windom). When the Di Mauro clan fires loopy and unhinged clown Neil "Fred Burger" Stickley (well played with demented aplomb by David Lander of "Laverne & Shirley" fame) from his job, the already bonkers Stickley loses what little sanity he has left and vows revenge. Director Michael A. Simpson, who also co-wrote the wacky script with Bonnie and Terry Turner, mines a very quirky and inspired line in often amusing and occasionally downright surreal dark humor: Funny comedic highlights include the park's black employees being forced to work at a watermelon stand, Stickley's priceless eulogy at Perry's funeral, some hilarious PA announcements, a crazy rap song and dance routine in the park cafeteria, Stickley's conversations with Perry's ghost and an imagined Humphrey Bogart (veteran Bogie impersonator Robert Sacchi, who also hams it up in a second part as ruthless Mafia capo Maurio Di Mauro), an outrageous strip drag number, and several Klu Klux Klan members going to Funland wearing their infamous white hoods and robes. Moreover, we also get extremely broad, yet still sidesplitting caricatures of homosexuals and Italian-Americans. This film further benefits from sound acting from a capable cast, with stand-out contributions by Bruce Mahler as amiable executive Mike Spencer, Clark Brandon as the brash Doug Sutterfield, Jill Carroll as the sweet Denise Wilson, Mary Beth McDonough as the snippy and abrasive Kristen Cumming, and Terry Beaver as the smarmy Carl Di Mauro. Kudos are also in order for William Vanderkloot's crisp cinematography and the cool rockin' soundtrack. A real hoot.
Understandably some people view this movie as a waste of time, but one man's trash is another's treasure. Funland was the creation of a couple of Saturday night live writers - and it shows. Some sections appear to be nothing more than skits filling out the storyline . . . and while some jokes work, some don't, but it's often in the eye of the beholder. Promo posters make it look like a psychotic clown on the rampage but Bruce Burger is the unwitting protagonist trying to save the one thing he believes in. When a mob family take over an amusement park and fire the mentally unstable resident clown he retreats to the closed down wax museum. Here the film takes a bizarre turn as he finds companionship with Marilyn Monroe, Bogart and his hand puppet Peter Pepperoni. They all come 'alive' sometimes preaching tolerance and other times revenge. He's also visited by the murdered ex-owner who wants him to stop the mob destroying the park they both love. Watch out for Bruce's hilarious descent into madness (complete with scantily clad angel of death) when the cafeteria men start rapping and a poster advertising the new roller-coaster, 'Man's Biggest Thrill Is Coming'.
Don't waste your time. This movie is so stupid I wonder why it got 2 votes of 10. It was probably the creators, trust me on this. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME!