What makes this movie special is that it tries to give you a comedic history of film in trailers, starting with silent films and ending with Star Wars. Obviously some of these parodies are more successful than others, but quite frankly it towers above the stupidity of Kentucky Fried Movie and others of that genre by its intelligence. Ira Miller and Royce D. Applegate who both wrote and directed the film were alumni of the great improv theater groups: Second City and the Committee. Their ability to not only craft such a brilliant comedy but also to involve a cornucopia of the best improvisational actors of that decade brings a sense of that lost era to life. These were the actors who changed the nature of American comedy. I cannot imagine how one could explain why this film has become the cult favorite of the twenty-first century except to wonder how soon it will be before the next 'History of Film as Seen Through Its Trailers' will arrive on our screens.
Review of Coming Attractions
