National Lampoon's Movie Madness

National Lampoon's Movie Madness
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Bob Giraldi Henry Jaglom
Written by	Tod Carroll Gerald Sussman Shary Flenniken Pat Mephitis Ellis Weiner
Produced by	Matty Simmons
Starring	Robby Benson Richard Widmark Diane Lane Candy Clark Christopher Lloyd Peter Riegert Ann Dusenberry
Cinematography	Charles Correll Tak Fujimoto
Edited by	James Coblentz
Music by	Andy Stein
Production company	Matty Simmons Productions
Distributed by	MGM/United ArtistsDistribution and Marketing
Release date	April 23, 1982(1982-04-23)
Running time	89 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$15 million
Box office	$5,027,193

National Lampoon's Movie Madnessis a 1982 Americancomedy filmproduced byNational Lampoonas the second film from the magazine. The film was originally produced under the titleNational Lampoon Goes to the Movies;completed in 1981, the film was not released until 1982, and was reedited and retitled asMovie Madness.

Movie Madnessconsists of three short segments which satirize personal growth films, glossy soap operas, and police stories. The first two segments of the film,Growing YourselfandSuccess Wanters,were directed byBob Giraldi,while the film's final segment,Municipalians,was directed byHenry Jaglom,and featuringJulie Kavner's first film appearance. Its title song, "Going to the Movies", was sung byDr. John.The film was a critical and commercial failure.

Cast

Growing Yourself

Growing Yourselfhas a confused family man (Peter Riegert) who throws his wife (Candy Clark) out of the house in order for him to "grow" a new path in life and raise his four children on his own.

• Peter Riegertas Jason Cooper
• Diane Laneas Liza
• Candy Clarkas Susan Cooper
• Teresa Ganzelas Diana
• Schnootie Neff as Jennifer Cooper
• Andy Shakman as Josh Cooper
• Tamar Howard as Judy Cooper
• Ina Friedas Jeffrey Cooper
• Trinidad Silvaas Carlos
• John Lawloras Mr. Haggis
• Nedra Volzas Old Lady

Success Wanters

InSuccess Wanters,Dominique Corsaire (Ann Dusenberry) is a young college graduate determined to succeed in life, who in a few days time lands a job as a stripper, then becomes the mistress to the owner of a margarine company which she inherits when he dies, and is then romanced by a Greek shipping tycoon, and ultimately the US president (Fred Willard).

• Ann Dusenberryas Dominique Corsaire
• Robert Culpas Paul Everest
• Titos Vandisas Nixos Naxos
• Bobby Di Ciccoas Nicholas Naxos
• Margaret Whittonas First Lady Lousille Fogerty
• Fred Willardas President Robert Fogerty
• Olympia Dukakisas Helena Naxos
• Mary Woronovas Joyce, The Secretary
• Dick Milleras Dr. Hans Kleiner

Municipalians

Municipaliansincludes a naive rookie Los Angeles policeman (Robby Benson) paired with a cynical veteran (Richard Widmark) of the force to catch an inept serial killer (Christopher Lloyd).

• Robby Bensonas Officer Brent Falcone
• Richard Widmarkas Stan Nagurski
• Christopher Lloydas Samuel Starkman
• Barry Diamondas Junkie
• Julie Kavneras Mrs. Falcone (in her first film appearance)
• Elisha Cookas "Mousy"
• Rockne Tarkingtonas Black Cop

Production

National Lampoon Goes to the Movieswas the second film produced by the magazineNational Lampoon,afterAnimal House.National Lampoon Goes to the Movieswas conceived as a parody of ten film and television genres.InA Futile and Stupid Gesture,Josh Karp described the project as "a cocaine-fueled fiasco; nobody had a sense of structure or any idea how to write a screenplay."Eventually, the screenplay was trimmed down to four segments: a "divorce movie", a "making-it-big movie", a "cop movie" and a "terrorist movie".WriterShary Flennikensaid of the project, "We cut stuff and boiled it down. It lost its purpose and just became a bunch of crazy crap."

During the filming of "Success Wanters",Bob Giraldirequired an "opulent, yet tasty enough bedroom";Muhammad Aliprovided his own for the shoot, and Giraldi also filmed another scene in Ali's dining room. Ali received the standard location fee for the use of his rooms and props.

Release

Flenniken states that atest screeningof the film in Rhode Island was met with extremely negative response, and that audience members tore up the seats in the theater to express their dislike of the film.The film was completed in 1981, but not released until two years later.

A fourth segment intended for the film was entirely removed.A disaster movie parody directed by Jaglom, the segment was entitledThe Bomb,and starredKenneth Mars,Allen Garfield,andMarcia Strassman.Steven Bach,United Artists' vice president of production at the time, later wrote that the film's "high commercial promise was dashed when its two directors delivered three good, funny segments and a fourth that rendered the other three pointless because it was of an awfulness that made the whole picture--too short with merely three sections--look unreleasable."Nonetheless, images from the segment appeared in press materials, despite not appearing in the final film.

Reception

Leonard Maltingave the film a "bomb" rating, describing it as an "incredibly idiotic parody", describing the segments as "each one worse than the next [sic]. "

This film holds a 0% rating onRotten Tomatoes,from five reviews.ProducerMatty Simmonslater said, "Scenes betweenPeterandDianeinMovie Madnessare possibly worth the price of admission but the rest of the movie didn't come off as well. "

Soundtrack

There was never an official soundtrack released, but four songs are known for appearing in the film.

1. "Going to the Movies" byDr. John
2. "Growing Yourself" byDon McLean
3. "You Don't Love Me"
4. "Feelings"by New Orleans Nighthawks

External links

• National Lampoon's Movie MadnessatIMDb
• National Lampoon's Movie MadnessatBox Office Mojo