Customer Reviews

The Hollywood Knights

5 star:		(100)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I saw this flick on a movie channel back in the 80's and was shocked to find that it wasn't available on video until just recently. The casting for this film was tremendous. You will recognize several actors who went on to make it big in Hollywood many years after this film was made (1980).

If you love vintage hot rods, you'll want to see this movie for this reason alone. The cruising scenes are brief, but they're great fun. You may also be interested in the great music in this movie.

The premise of the movie is that a car club called "The Hollywood Knights" is having their hang-out (Tubby's drive-in) torn down by an association that is tired of their pranks. In addition, interest in the club is on the decline and one of its member's is headed for Vietnam. The guys in the club decide to have one last big night of pranks and fun. Newbomb Turk played by Robert Wuhl is the catalyst for the pranks and from "spiking" the punch, to pranks at the prep rally, you'll find yourself laughing hysterically at a movie that probably has the best adolescent humor along with "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."

I've been waiting ever since the early 80's for this movie to come out for sale; it'll NEVER be mistaken as enlightened moviemaking but if you like low comedy you'll be rolling on the floor with this one. Inspired by the earlier "American Graffiti", this adaptation is played much more for laughs and tries not to take itself too seriously. The music is great, something for everyone who enjoys 60's Rock & Roll; and the cast includes several who went on to at least semi-stardom, such as Robert Wuhl (Arli$$), Tony Danza (Who's the Boss?), Fran Dreischer (The Nanny) and of course, Michelle Pfeiffer. Like "American Graffiti", there's also a serious side: one of the Knights is about to ship out for Vietnam the next day, the movie's way of saying that this was an age of innocence that was just about to change into what the Late 60's became. However, the main plot is that it's Halloween night, the drive-in's closing for good the next day, and tonight's the night to go all-out with cruising, playing pranks, and getting initiated into the gang! A HILARIOUS movie!

The real star of this movie is Robert Wuhl, whose Newbomb Turk character steals the show. This is the kind of movie that had an inexplicably short life in the first run theatres before trickling down to the local "buck-a-seat" houses. That was where I first saw Hollywood Knights, on a night when I was so bored that I took a chance on a no-name comedy and parted with my hard earned dollar. I've rarely recieved so much bang for my buck since. If you like this one, give it's fellow classics Spring Break and Porky's a chance also.

I seriously PITY anyone who doesn't agree with this; especially someone who don't agree with this WHO'S ACTUALLY SEEN the movie! I recently looked at 'The Wizard of Oz', 'It's a Wonderful Life', and 'Star Wars' as the three best flicks of all-time (not necessarily in any particular order), but ever since I got 'Hollywood Knights' on DVD for Christmas last month and have seen it ever some more times since I first became familiar of it all them years ago, I would HAVE to say that it DOES join in the Top-FOUR (neither of the quartet in any particular order). The flick is just so POWERFUL to me! Yes, the flick has a bit of 'Porkys', 'Animal House', and 'American Grafitti' inspiration, but the thing is......is that it's BETTER than ANY of them flicks! BETTER than 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High', BETTER than 'Sixteen Candles' or ANY of the awesome brat-pack flicks, BETTER than 'Dazed and Confused'; etc, etc, etc......HOLLYWOOD KNIGHTS RULES!! Plain and simple. 'American Grafitti', as classic as it is (and it is INDEED a classic, and deservingly so), is a little too politically-correct/PG-rated ala Richy Cunningham/Shirey (Happy Days). Hell, Lucas already is in my Top-4 flicks of all-time anyway. 'Knights' is a little more lewd, but much more to-the-point than 'Graffiti' as far as straight-comedy is concerned. Tony Danza and Michele Phiefer are the two 'stars' of the flick (most-likely because the movie wanted to sell more tickets being that Tony was already known for starring in 'Taxi' at the time and that Phiefer was a budding-star and EVER-so a Goddess - and is she EVER, EVER-so a Goddess in this flick; oh my!!), but it really is Robert Wuhl (in his first ever role) who completely steals the flick with his non-stop, endless comedy tactics as the role of Newbaum Turk. Too, too, TOO funny he is! He just rules!! And to think (acccording to the director's take) that he actually was 'nervous', 'shy' when this flick was being done. I can't even TELL you just how much of a trip he is throughout this flick without keeping you for 3 hours so I will simply just have to tell you to get this flick and see it for yourself. He practially REINVENTED comedy-relief in this cult-classic. This is one of Fran Drescher's first roles as well. Not only is she, as well, hot-as-hell in it but she also shows just how cool, fun, and spunky she can be as well. Fran rules! However, this flick isn't only a strictly funny flick with practical jokes galore (ala 'Porkys'), but it definitely takes you back to a crossroads of an era - an era that not only is of the most significance of the 20th century, but the most significant decade in AMERICAN HISTORY (the 1960s) - most drastic! Haloween 1965 is when this classic takes place, and although the 60s was already 'the 60s' when this flick took place, there were still many circles throughout the country that were still feeling the 50s (hot-rod clubs, greasers in leather jackets, etc). Despite the colorful 60s-friendly soundtrack, not a single Beatles or Dylan song was in it. The Hollywood Knights was a hot-rod club that was spending it's last night before their main hangout, Tubby's Drive In - Home of the Big One, would get closed down by some conseravative Beverly Hills beauracracy crap. Play as many practical jokes as possible before closing down, ala Neubaum, would be their game. One can actually feel the LATE 60s creep in as the movie went on. That character, one of the Knights, (who ended up playing in 'Alien Nation') who was going to Vietnam the next day and everyone in the flick wondering if the 'Knights' were going to stay together after the closing of Tubby's and the car which they were going to save for him when he came back home (with an EIGHT-TRACK inside - 'California Dreaming' playing ), only FOUR guys trying to initiate themselves into the 'Knights' instead of many more like in years past and having to run naked through Watts - when it wasn't quite what it would become - and request a song on the local radio station to Tubby's then make it back to Tubby's by 2AM are ALL examples of this change in the era. Even if you weren't around in this very very turbulant era, you can for sure feel it in this flick; and laugh out loud all at the same time. Just like 'Fast Times' marked a time just before the 80s became...MTV and just like 'Wayne's World' marked a time when metal-heads were still doing their thing when Cobain and Pearl Jam (Ugly Kid Joe) were already making their mark, 'Hollywood Knights' marked that time just before the 60s, indeed, BECAME THE SIXTIES. This movie simply offers you everything, without boring you for a second. Even the cheesy love plot between Danza and Phiefer have something to offer, whether it is with the help of such powerful 60s songs like 'Out of my Head' or just the fact that the two wanted to simply do something else with their lifes; MOVE ON (to, perhaps, the LATE 60s). Like 'Grease' (obviously a super-classic), what made the movie a total blast wasn't just the 'nerd' of the movie getting picked on and the odd way in which he acted ('mother, I knooooow'; 'I need my puffer'), but everything else besides it (ESPECIALLY Wuhl); but what makes this one even BETTER, is that Dudley at least ended up getting EXCEPTED where as Eugene even on the last day of school (carnival) was still not liked by the others. 'Hollywood Knights' is simply one of the four best flicks of all-time and if you see it for yourself and don't agree, I truly, TRULY feel sorry for you. I do. KNIGHTS RULE!

PS - And for those who do see it for yourselves and AGREE, I expect you to say, "Thanks.....maaaaaaaan."

"There is a man in a Major Domo outfit..." If you have seen this movie, you can easily finish this sentence. This classic mix of "low-brow" humor and early 60's ambiance is great fun. Look for Leigh French (formerly the Hippy hostess Goldie in the old Smother's Brothers Comedy Hour) as the society do-gooder pushing to get the local teen hang-out closed down once and for all. Robert Wuhl is outstanding as Newbomb Turk and Fran Drescher shines as his girlfriend. I have a VHS copy I play whenever I want a good laugh. The Hollywood Knights is a classic you'll want to watch over and over. I can't wait to get my DVD edition. Just thinking about it makes me want to launch into a refrain from "Volare"!

America had waited 40 years after Gone with the Wind for another work of equivalent merit when the Hollywood Knights was issued. Fortunately, it only took another 19 to have South Park. To appreciate the artistic lineage of these timeless masterpieces, one must study the Hollywood Knights, a very difficult occupation task in recent years, since it stopped being rerun on HBO and Cinemax. This wonderful film continues the rich tradition of body function humor in Western Civilization begun by Aristophanes and matured in Chaucer, Rabelais and Swift. No one can claim to be liberally educated without a familiarity with it and no one knows how hard they can laugh until they've seen it. By way of a recommendation, I specifically suggest that viewers keep an eye out for Robert Wuhl's virtuoso rendition of the classic Volare, the performance by Sasha Dubinsky, the world famous one armed violinist and the delivery of punch by Mintoff's caterers to the Beverly Hills Country Club. A profoundly good time is guaranteed for all.

This 20-year old film is not to be missed. This coming May, 2000 will be the first time it will be available, so make sure it's on your list of movies to check out! The film takes place in 1965 at "Tubby's" Drive-In. The central character is Newbomb Turk(Robert Wuhl)and his rambunctious gang of "Knights" running around their Town and playing funny pranks on themselves, the bumbling police and their school. Hollywood Knights is considered to be the clone of the many "Drive-In" type movies, most notably, "American Graffiti"(1973) but I guarantee you will laugh your socks off. This film is also notorious for featuring the debut performances of, Robert Wuhl, Fran Drescher and Michelle Pfeiffer. Tony Danza, Stuart Pankin, and Gary Graham also appear.

Can it really be nearly a quarter of a century since I first saw this riotous film during it's initial theatrical release in early 1980? For years afterwards I had to content myself with watching it on and taping it from HBO and Cinemax, all the while wondering why it had never been made available on home video. Now, I am quite happy to say that I own the film on both VHS and DVD. I am stunned but not surprised by all of the reviews raving about this wonderfully funny film. Although Tony Danza and Michelle Pfeiffer are given top-billing, they are overshadowed by the hilarious and talented Robert Wuhl as Newbomb Turk, the little-known at the time, Fran Drescher as Sally and Stuart Pankin as Dudley Laywicker. The two bumbling Laurel-and-Hardy-like Beverly Hills police officers are also extremely funny. It has a great soundtrack of classic 1960's music, some great-looking 1960's cars, some great-looking women and also well-captures the flavor and the spirit of the 1960's. It is for everyone who has ever hung-out at the local drive-in, gone cruising and longed to return to a simpler time. The DVD, while it does offer a great looking transfer of the film, in both fullscreen (pan-and-scan) and widescreen (letterbox) versions, it is surprisingly and unfortunately double-sided. Curiously, it also features "bonus" trailers of a few later Michelle Pfeiffer films, but absolutely no trailers whatsoever for The Hollywood Knights!! This is one of the funniest films I have ever seen, along with Smokey And The Bandit, The Odd Couple, Dragnet and Planes, Trains And Automobiles. If you love The Hollywood Knights, I wholeheartedly recommend checking out the 1982 film Losin' It (another one of my favorites), starring Tom Cruise, Jackie Earle Haley and Shelley Long. It is very similar in tone and humor. What a pity there were never any sequels made to The Hollywood Knights!!

Hollywood Knights.....simply the BEST cult comedy film.When you need to laugh this movie is the one. A hot rod Caddyshack. No need to rent it, buy it, you'll wear it out. CAUTION..."it has a little wang in it."

If anyone knows what part of the movie my title is from then you to should be an honorary Hollywood Knight. I am glad that I am not alone in thanking the higher powers for releasing this classic movie. I can't tell you how many times we sat down as a family in my childhood and watched this movie! Yes, I did say my childhood. Hell your kids are going to learn about the raunchy but hilarious hijinks in this movie someday anyway. We too discovered it on HBO and Cinemax in the early 1980's. We made a VHS copy of it but someone actually stole it a the pizza shop my brother worked at! At Easter this year we got to talking about it and my brother told me that it was being released and I am now the proud owner of this movie on DVD. My Dad is coming over this weekend and I can't wait to watch it with him again. Since all of us kids have grown up and our family has gotten a lot bigger we now have more people to share it with. However, we ruin it for them because we recite the lines!

To the viewer who said they mention Tony Danza's name you are wrong. They mention Tony Nancy who is a custom car builder. If you don't believe me check the credits and you will see that he stars in the movie as himself.

I could write more but I think I am about to go past the 1,000 word limit! With a movie this good that is easy to do.