Tunnel Vision (1976 film)

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TunnelVision
Phil Proctor
  • Al Franken
  • Ron Silver
  • Tom Davis
    • Music by
    Distributed byWorld Wide Pictures
    Release date
    • March 1976 (1976-03)
    Running time
    		70 minutes
    LanguageEnglish
    Box office$4.35 million (U.S. and Canada rentals)[1][2]

    TunnelVision (also known as Tunnel Vision) is a satirical 1976 comedy

    Phil Proctor, Al Franken, Ron Silver, Tom Davis, and Michael Overly, with appearances by voiceover artists Ernie Anderson and Danny Dark.[3][4] It was directed by Neal Israel and Bradley R. Swirnoff and produced by Joe Roth.[5]

    Although the title is repeatedly displayed in the film as being spelled "Tunnelvision",[6] it is frequently identified as "Tunnel Vision" in home video reissues.[7]

    Plot

    In the then-future year of 1985, a new

    trailers for fictional movies, shown during a Congressional Oversight Committee hearing as a representative day of TunnelVision programming. At the end of the film, the committee finds in favor of TunnelVision, but the network president is shot and killed by a crazed French chef who had been a running gag throughout the film.[8]

    Production

    Despite appearances by a raft of future comedy stars (see above), character actor Roger Bowen was the most famous actor at the time of the film's release and was afforded top billing. His portrayal of Henry Kissinger in this film had become a familiar comic staple industry-wide.

    Segments

    TunnelVision programming spoofs various popular films and television shows of the day, including:

    • "Remember When": A game show where contestants must answer embarrassing personal questions truthfully or receive electric shocks.
    • "Young Peoples After School Press Conference": Henry Kissinger (Bowen) appears on a children's show and is upstaged by a foul-mouthed puppet.
    • "Get Head!": An action-adventure drama starring a disembodied head as an undercover cop.
    • "Secret Camera": A Candid Camera parody supposedly presented by the CIA.
    • "Ramon and Sonja": A sitcom containing many racial and ethnic stereotypes.
    • "Police Comic": A cop show starring a comedian who uses his routine to take down a sniper.
    • "The Pregnant Man": A film trailer.
    • "The King of TV": The president of a beleaguered network listens to pitches for terrible shows.

    Various news broadcasts are also seen, as are commercials for bogus products and services. A "criminals wanted" segment fingers the Pep Boys as robbing 85,000 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during a Los Angeles Rams-Minnesota Vikings game in 1981.[9] One public service announcement features a nude Dody Dorn, who later became an award-winning film editor. Another involves Vitabrain Capsulised Library, vitamins containing classic literature.

    The closing credits contain the following disclaimer: "This film is intended as a comic parody of commercial television programming. The persons and scenes shown are presented only in that spirit and not as a serious reflection of reality."

    References

    1. ^ Cohn, Lawrence (October 15, 1990). "All-Time Film Rental Champs". Variety. p. M192.
    2. ISBN 9780835717762
      . Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
    3. ^ AllMovie
    4. ^ Letterboxd
    5. ^ Moviefone
    6. ^ Unsightly "Tunnelvision'-The New York Times
    7. ^ Amazon.com: Tunnel Vision VHS Uncensored, 1976
    8. ^ FilmAffinity
    9. ^ In reality, the two teams did not play each other that year, and in any event the Rams had moved to Anaheim, then later to St. Louis. But, in 2018, the Rams had returned to the Coliseum, and met and defeated the Vikings, 38-31.

    External links

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