Club Fed

My review was written in June 1991 after watching the film on Prism video cassette.

Comedy isn't pretty (per Steve Martin), and it's also a fragile commodity, as evidenced by the strenuously unfunny "Club Fed". Direct-to-video release mainly is a showcase for Judy Landers.

Film is produced by Lander's mom, Ruth Landers, who in the spirit of equal time also produced (with the same director, Nathaniel Christian), a vehicle for daughter Audrey Landers titled "California Casanova", another upcoming video release. Siblings have starred together on tv and in the video "Ghost Writer".

Judy, as a murdered gangster's girlfriend, is framed and sent to the new security prison Club Fed. FBI director Joseph Campanella has sen agent Lance Kinsey there as part of an embezzlement scam involving prison warden Burt Young, and film depicts the slapstick high jinks of Kinsey and numerous guest star inmates.

Silly stunts and in-jokes don't add up to laughs, and as usual for a Landers production, there's plenty of sex tease involving low-cut gowns for Judy. Pic's nadir occurs when Kinsey is on the phone and says "I want to speak to the (FBI) director", and helmer Christian steps into the scene for a dumb gag. It might have worked had a recognizable director had pulled it.

Pic's obviously in trouble when extraneous drug routines are essayed by Allen Garfield, Kinsey and Sherman Hemsley. No less than eight writers are credited with "additional sight gags".

But not much. First off, this film is many things. It IS badly-acted, and Burt Young looks like he'd rather be anywhere else. It IS not funny. It IS not a satire or a Bergman-esque like examination of the treatment of white-collar criminals. You want to see a good satire? Go rent Dr. Strangelove or Network or even Starship Troopers. Club Fed is just a crappy comedy with a posse of washed-up TV stars and character actors, all of whom have a look on their face that says "Please don't let anyone see this movie" It's amazing that a film like this can even get financed when something like Memento can barely find a distributor.

I saw this late at night on the tube and burst out laughing from the get go. In the tradfition of the off-the-wall-alls-out spoffiness, this movie scores without having to rely on a big budget or fancy special effects. I was able to get my mind off of the daily doldrums and have fun, the old fashioned way by laughing.

I had a good time viewing this film. I liked its broad off the wall humor. It looked like everyone had a good time making this movie. Sherman Hemsley is hilarious as a preacher who gets thrown in a prison for rich people. Judy Landers is cute. There is also some fun performances by Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner, Karen Black, and Allen Garfield. The direction was quick non pretentious and lively.

OK, now I usually like bad campy films. I generally find them humorous. For example, the Ice Cream Man is a good "bad" film. It is so bad it is really humorous. Then their is Club Fed.

Now, if, say, Police Academy was too intellectual for you, you might give Clb Fed a try. It really tries to be PA or any one of the old Leslie Nielsen films; however it falls way short. It sucks in a a "Oh gross that kid just puked in the corner of the cafeteria" kind of way.

In conclusion, if you want to watch a stupid movie you will laugh at cause it is just so bad the get the Ice Cream Man and to this movie "just say no!"