It Came From Hollywood (1982)

It seems like a naturally winning combination. Classic comedians such as John Candy, Gilda Radner, Cheech and Chong, and Dan Akroyd lovingly host a clip show from various b-movies. Regardless, most of the reviews I've read of this have been pretty hostile; some lambasted the comedians involved as giving lukewarm contributions, and others bemoaned the films' choice of b-films (one reviewer from the IMDB, probably the worst place in the universe where you could get a reliable opinion on any movie, was positively furious over the inclusion of clips from allegedly classic sci-fi like The Incredible Shrinking Man). Another review I read actually blasted the movie as being downright hostile to the movies it was covering (which makes you wonder what they think of sites like mine).

Anyway, as for the actual film, it mostly goes like this: one of the comedians appear in an introductory sequence, usually with a Saturday Night Live-esque skit where they do their own thing but occasionally with a 'traditional' monologue; the clips are shown, always organized by a certain 'topic' ; the comedian who presented the introduction sometimes (but sadly rather infrequently) comments and jokes about the goings-on on screen; and then when that's over, if there isn't a closing skit, we get to the next comedian and so on. Glenda Radner does gorillas, bad musical numbers, and monsters; Cheech and Chong do giants and shrinking people, mad animals, and movies about pot (naturally); Dan Akroyd does aliens, troubled youth, and brain-centric movies; and John Candy does previews, technical troubles, and a homage of sorts to Ed Wood. Rather than somehow being lukewarm yet hostile, I found all the comedians made the sort of contributions that one would expect, but not hope for. The introductory skits only range from mildly amusing (except for one that has John Candy and Dan Akroyd re-enact the infamous Angora sweater scene from Glen or Glenda with hilarious results) to, depending on how much you actually like vintage Cheech and Chong, somewhat irritating. Unfortunately, as mentioned before, the cracks made while the clips are playing don't come at the pace of MST3K nor are they usually scathingly funny. It's not exactly what you'd expect if you got some well-known comedians and unleashed them on scenes from some b-movies. The film's one big mistake with its comedians, though, is that with Cheech and Chong, and to a lesser extent with Glenda Radner and Dan Akroyd, it forces them to go through their usual motions. They don't approach or comment on the materal as themselves, but as their 'stage selves.' This is a real shame, because not only should the film's producers have trusted the b-movies to stand more on their own, but also it would have been a much more memorable experience had we seen such talents as these tackle the subject with a personal face. So sadly, except for an all too brief talk on Ed Wood given by John Candy, there's very little by way of real commentary.

Fortunately, the comedians' presence turns out to just be a little chocalate syrup on the sundae. The clips really do make the movie for themselves. While there's the usual suspects, like clips from Attack of the Killer Tomatoes and Plan 9 From Outer Space, there's some films only those in the b-movie culture would recognize and appreciate (Mars Needs Women and The Brain From Planet Ardous), and some fairly obscure flicks (like Black Belt Jones). The variety alone makes it worth watching. Even those vastly more knowledgeable about b-movies than I am could at least get a kick out of playing "Name That Flick" with this.