The Sex O'Clock News

My review was written in September 1986 after watching the movie on Prism video cassette.

Romano Vanderbes' "The Sex O'Clock News" arrives very late in the cycle of tv skit comedies, popularized a decade or so ago by "The Groove Tube" and "Tunnelvision". Pic achieved a regional theatrical release in August 1985 and is now available in home video stores.

While including the usual acted-out parodies of familiar tv commercials and newscast banter, Vanderbes differs from previous films in this genre by emphasizing the use of newsreel and other existing footage, redubbed and rendered comical by being taken out of context. Unfortunately, the laugh quotient is rather low. For example, a supposed wrestling match between Joan Rivers and Liz Taylor unflatteringly has footage of the Magnificent Moolah as Taylor. Footage from the feature "Hell's Angels Forever" is used to present a Hell's Angels comedy hour, programmed against Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show".

Doug Ballard and Lydia Mahan rise above the vulgar material as the anchors for KSEX Evening News. Although most of the feature revolves around sex jokes, there are a few segments of reasonably effective social satire, including a game show involving capital punishment for the losers.

The box boasts, "Guaranteed to offend everyone!" I suppose it might have in 1984. It doesn't today, but watch it anyway.

That 4 out of 10 I rated it is heavily padded. The few clever sparks of comedy are obscured by the other 80 minutes, a shameless parade of stereotypical nonsense. Not much effort went into the film. Not even a spellcheck: the word "TESTACLE" blinks on the screen. So that's what you're getting into. A couple hearty laughs, a few chuckles, and the rest is a conventionally outrageous humdrum.

It's a hodgepodge of humorous vignettes which require little concentration on your part. So go for it. The baby alligator sketch is great.

well, basically, if you liked the "kentucky fried movie" you will like this movie. this is a collection of short skits also, held together by an ongoing news program. there are some really funny moments, but most are kind of lame. for the budget they used, not bad at all. look for the "fed up express" its hilarious! there are other moments that could be so much better, but all in all, if you are looking for something to make your friends ask where the heck you found this movie, this is one of them! i would recommend renting it if you get a discount, but not at full price, you will be very disappointed. taken for what it is, this is not a wholly terrible film, although it does miss a lot of opportunities.

Hilarious old time low brown dirty comedy and nudity, drug references. Very entertaining. Highly recommended.

Saw the Sex O'clock News, and i actually felt embarrassed for the makers of this movie as I watched it... It's like it tries so hard to be funny... so hard. But alas it fails miserably. Made up of a string of skits held together under the premise of a news show, the jokes of the skits include: a play on words with the word 'tribe' saying that the lost tribe of Israel had been found, and then showing Indian tribes. Get it? Isnt that funny? Also there was a topless carwash that was a skit unto itself... but seriously, they have topless carwashes in real life... so where's the joke? Oh man, i dont think it is possible to express in words how bad this movie was... so bad that it was laughable.