The Gong Show (movie)

[Alan Smithee]

Anyone see this one?
If so, how bad is it?

[Ash]

Are you talking about "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind"?

I haven't seen it.

[Alan Smithee]

No.
The movie I'm referring to was released in the late 70's or 1980. Right around the time the tv show was dying out. My Leonard Maltin book rated it as a 'BOMB'.

But, it might be so bad, it's good. On the other hand, it could be truly rotten,

No video rental stores carry it (obviously)- certainly, none of the chains.

Maybe some of the smaller, locally owned, places ight.

[Just Plain Horse]

Alan Smithee wrote:

> No.
> The movie I'm referring to was released in the late 70's or
> 1980. Right around the time the tv show was dying out. My
> Leonard Maltin book rated it as a 'BOMB'.
>
> But, it might be so bad, it's good. On the other hand, it could
> be truly rotten,
>
> No video rental stores carry it (obviously)- certainly, none of
> the chains.
>
> Maybe some of the smaller, locally owned, places ight.

Keep in mind, Leonard Maltin once gave"Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" the same rating as "Laserblast"...

[Fearless Freep]

Keep in mind, Leonard Maltin once gave"Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory" the same rating as "Laserblast"...

Good or bad?

Hmm...maybe a combination?   Taking that laser cannon to some Oompaloompas



Post Edited (09-24-05 12:04)

[Foywonder]

I have THE GONG SHOW MOVIE on tape. It's quite bad. It's only real entertainment value is the 70s time capsule quality it gives off but otherwise it's just a really bad comedy.

[Scott]

Watched the TV show every afternoon in the summer of 1976 while playing Monopoly at my friends house at 12 years of age and couldn't wait till the next show. We never could really play while the show was on as it was just to funny.

Later saw GONG SHOW THE MOVIE at the Drive-In Theater in Wellsboro, PA and couldn't help but like the film.

Some of my favorites were Gene Gene the Dancing Machine who would come out and then all kinds of craziness would break loose. Chuck Berris would say "oh no" when the Gene Genes music would start to play and then he would start dancing.

As far as the movie goes you might not be able to get into it unless you watched the show.

[Menard]

I did not see the movie, but, like Scott, I loved the TV show. Let's face it; how many shows would have had the gall to put Rex Reed, Jaye P Morgan, and Chuck Barris in the same room and let them improvise.

From this show we also had the Unknown Comic launch his career that lasted for a few years (A comedian discovers that he is funnier if he put a paper bag on his head. I'm not kidding).

There is also the infamous episode that was pulled from the air after it aired on the East Coast. This one involved the two teenage girls and popsicles.

I too loved the part where Gene Gene The Dancing Machine would tear up the stage and everybody would go bonkers.

I saw an interview with Barris later in which he talked about some of the things that went on behind the scenes, which he also wrote in a book. Many of those things were outright bizarre or hilarious. If the movie at least contains some of that, I would probably find it entertaining.

[Zapranoth]

I liked that bodybuilder guy who came out and flexed his pecs, alternately, to annoying music.  He always got gonged fast.

(I'm straight, FYI.  But it was just sooooooooooooooo annoying.)