Club Fed

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.

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.

Fans of the Police Academy series of broad comedies will find plenty to enjoy here; Lance Kinsey, who appeared in most of the Police Academy films, is the lead here. Others will not. Lots of silly, obvious jokes. Some are painful, but, I must admit, some of the gags had me laughing. But only some.

This is the kind of movie that throws everything at the wall and sees what sticks up there. If a joke isn't funny, relax, another gag will be along in half a second. The writing is uneven, and again, sometimes the script is funny, and at other times is just plain pathetic. All the lead actors are screen veterans, and in spite of the low budget, seem to be throwing their all into it. Hard to believe Allen Garfield devolved from an Academy Award nomination to this, but hey, sometimes you have to take whatever work you can get.

Overall, undemanding comedy fans may find this worthwhile to watch on TV. Okay, that sounded a bit harsh. But probably warranted.

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.

Well, first of all, the premise is a bit much. But it is a broad comedy and it takes you for a a wild ride. Rich people in prison! Okay, I guess we can match the names with the characters. Whether you like to chuckle or laugh, you'll do both with this film. Burt Young is the warden of a prison for the wealthy. JosephCampanella is an FBI director who plants an agent in CLUB FED. Alan Garfield is a crooked investment broker. Karen Black is a rich hotel owner. Sherman Hemsley is a crooked preacher and Judy Landers is an innocent girlfriend who takes the rap for her dead mafia boyfriend. We watched it late at night and had a great time.