The Silence of the Hams
| The Silence of the Hams | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Ezio Greggio |
| Produced by |
Julie Corman Ezio Greggio |
| Written by | Ezio Greggio |
| Starring |
Ezio Greggio Dom DeLuise Billy Zane Joanna Pacuła Charlene Tilton Martin Balsam |
| Narrated by | Ezio Greggio |
| Music by | Parmer Fuller |
| Cinematography | Jacques Haitkin |
| Edited by |
Robert Barrere Andy Horvitch |
Production company |
Silvio Berlusconi Productions 30th Century Wolf |
| Distributed by | October Films |
Release dates | March 11, 1994 |
Running time | 81 minutes |
| Country | Italy / United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3,000,000 |
The Silence of the Hams (Italian: Il Silenzio dei Prosciutti) is a 1994 parody film directed and written by Italian comedian Ezio Greggio. It is a parody of many popular thriller and horror films, notably The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho.
The comedy, like many of its contemporaries (including The Naked Gun), is largely driven by word-play, sight gags, running jokes,[1] and multiple references to popular culture of the time, like Michael Jackson's Thriller, and tongue-in-cheek references to the then-current state of American politics (such as a fight scene between Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton). As a curiosity, there is a Mel Brooks cameo in this film, who made a number of well regarded parodies (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs).
Plot
The film follows rookie detective Jo Dee Fostar (Billy Zane), on his first case. The case involves a serial killer, wanted for over 120 murders. In order to find the killer, he must enlist the help of convicted murderer Dr. Animal Cannibal Pizza (Dom Deluise). However, during the investigation, his girlfriend, Jane Wine (Charlene Tilton), is asked by her boss to take a large sum of money to the bank. Instead of doing this, she leaves town with the money. While hiding, she decides to rest at the Cemetery Motel, which is later revealed to be a cemetery named Motel after its owner, Antonio Motel. Jo must then enlist the help of Det. Balsam (Martin Balsam) and Dr. Pizza to not only find the murderer, but his missing girlfriend. All of this takes the cast on many adventures at the Cemetery Motel. In the final confrontation, most characters are revealed to be somebody else in disguise.
Cast
- Ezio Greggio - Antonio Motel
- Dom DeLuise - Dr. Animal Cannibal Pizza
- Billy Zane - Jo Dee Fostar
- Joanna Pacuła - Lily Wine
- Charlene Tilton - Jane Wine
- Martin Balsam - Det. Martin Balsam
- Stuart Pankin - Insp. Pete Putrid
- John Astin - The Ranger
- Tony Cox - Jail Guard
- Mel Brooks - Checkout Guest (Uncredited)
- Phyllis Diller - Old Secretary
- Shelley Winters - Mrs. Motel (The Mother)
- Bubba Smith - Olaf
- Larry Storch - Sergeant
- John Carpenter - Trench coat man
- Eddie Deezen - Cameraman
- Pat Rick - President Bill Clinton
Critical response
The Silence of the Hams has a 0% "rotten" rating on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes based on eight reviews.[2]
Time Out London called it a "wholly redundant exercise",[3] while Empire criticised it for "a script staggeringly bereft of humour or invention, and a clumsy, amateurish direction that seems largely concerned with focusing on Charlene Tilton's breasts".[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Darren Bignell, "Silence of the Hams", Empire Online, http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132614
- ↑ "Il Silenzio dei prosciutti (The Silence of the Hams) (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/silence_of_the_hams/ Accessed February 29, 2012
- ↑ "The Silence of the Hams". Time Out Film Guide website. http://www.timeout.com/film/reviews/74640/the-silence-of-the-hams.html