The Silence of the Hams

Last updated

The Silence of the Hams
The silence of the hams poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Ezio Greggio
Written byEzio Greggio
Produced by
Starring
Narrated byEzio Greggio
Cinematography Jacques Haitkin
Edited by
  • Robert Barrere
  • Andy Horvitch
Music byParmer Fuller
Production
companies
  • Silvio Berlusconi Productions
  • 30th Century Wolf
Distributed by October Films
Release date
  • 11 March 1994 (1994-03-11)
Running time
81 minutes [1]
Countries
  • Italy
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3 million

The Silence of the Hams (Italian: Il Silenzio dei Prosciutti) is a 1994 comedy thriller film written by, directed by, and starring Italian comedian Ezio Greggio. It is a parody of many popular thriller and horror films, notably The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho . Along with Greggio, it features an ensemble cast of Dom DeLuise, Billy Zane, Joanna Pacuła, Charlene Tilton and Martin Balsam.

Contents

Like many of its contemporary satires (including The Naked Gun ), it is largely driven by wordplay, sight gags, running jokes, [2] and references to popular culture of the time (such as Michael Jackson's Thriller ) and tongue-in-cheek references to then-current American politics (such as a fight scene between Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton). Mel Brooks, who made a number of well regarded parodies ( Blazing Saddles , Young Frankenstein , Spaceballs ), makes a cameo appearance.

Plot

The film follows rookie detective Jo Dee Fostar on his first case: apprehending a serial killer wanted for over 120 murders. To find the killer, Fostar enlists the help of convicted murderer Dr. Animal Cannibal Pizza. During the investigation, Fostar's girlfriend, Jane Wine is asked by her boss to take a large sum of money to the bank; instead, she leaves town with the money. She decides to hide out at the Cemetery Motel, which is revealed to be a cemetery named Motel after its owner, Antonio Motel. Jo must then enlist the help of Det. Balsam and Dr. Pizza to find not only the murderer, but his missing girlfriend. This takes the cast on many adventures at the Cemetery Motel. In the final confrontation, most of the characters are revealed to be other people in disguise.

Cast

Critical response

The Silence of the Hams has widely received negative reviews from critics and has a 0% approval rating on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes based on eight reviews. [3]

Time Out London called it a "wholly redundant exercise", [4] while Empire criticised it for "a script staggeringly bereft of humour or invention, and a clumsy, amateurish direction that seems largely concerned with focusing on Charlene Tilton's breasts". [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slasher film</span> Film subgenre that involves a killer murdering people using blades

A slasher film is a subgenre of horror films involving a killer or a group of killers stalking and murdering a group of people, usually by use of bladed or sharp tools. Although the term "slasher" may occasionally be used informally as a generic term for any horror film involving murder, film analysts cite an established set of characteristics which set slasher films apart from other horror subgenres, such as monster movies, splatter films, supernatural and psychological horror films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannibal Lecter</span> Character created by Thomas Harris

Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a character created by American novelist Thomas Harris. Lecter is a brilliant, cannibalistic serial killer and former forensic psychiatrist; after his incarceration, he is consulted by FBI agents Will Graham and Clarice Starling to help them find other serial killers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Friel</span> British actress

Anna Louise Friel is an English actress. She first achieved fame as Beth Jordache in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside (1993–1995), later coming to international prominence with her role as Charlotte "Chuck" Charles on ABC's Pushing Daisies (2007–2009), for which she received a nomination for the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. In 2017, she won the International Emmy for Best Actress for her portrayal of the title character in the ITV/Netflix mystery drama series Marcella (2016–2021). Her other accolades include a Drama Desk Award, an honorary degree, and a BAFTA nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Astin</span> American actor (born 1930)

John Allen Astin is an American retired actor and director who has appeared in numerous stage, television and film roles, primarily in character roles. He is widely known for his role as patriarch Gomez Addams in The Addams Family (1964–1966), reprising the role in the television film Halloween with the New Addams Family (1977) and the animated series The Addams Family (1992–1993).

<i>Silent Movie</i> 1976 American satirical comedy film by Mel Brooks

Silent Movie is a 1976 American satirical silent comedy film co-written, directed by and starring Mel Brooks, released by 20th Century Fox in summer 1976. The ensemble cast includes Dom DeLuise, Marty Feldman, Bernadette Peters, and Sid Caesar, with cameos by Anne Bancroft, Liza Minnelli, Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Marcel Marceau, and Paul Newman as themselves, and character cameos by Harry Ritz of the Ritz Brothers, Charlie Callas, and Henny Youngman. The film was produced in the manner of an early-20th-century silent film, with intertitles instead of spoken dialogue; the soundtrack consists almost entirely of orchestral accompaniment and sound effects. It is an affectionate parody of slapstick comedies, including those of Charlie Chaplin, Mack Sennett, and Buster Keaton. The film satirizes the film industry, presenting the story of a film producer trying to obtain studio support to make a silent film in the 1970s.

Joanna Pacuła is a Polish actress and model. Born in Tomaszów Lubelski and immigrating to the United States in the early 1980s, she first gained prominence through her modeling work for Vogue. Her breakthrough performance in the 1983 film Gorky Park earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. In the years since, she established herself as a character actress, appearing in numerous high-profile films and television series.

<i>All Dogs Go to Heaven</i> 1989 animated film directed by Don Bluth

All Dogs Go to Heaven is a 1989 animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Don Bluth and co-directed by Gary Goldman and Dan Kuenster. Set in New Orleans in 1939, it tells the story of Charlie B. Barkin, a German Shepherd that is murdered by his former friend, Carface Carruthers. Charlie escapes from Heaven to return to Earth where his best friend, Itchy Itchiford, still lives, in order to take revenge on Carface. Instead, he ends up befriending a young orphan girl named Anne-Marie. In the process, Charlie learns an important lesson about kindness, friendship and love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlene Tilton</span> American actress and singer (born 1958)

Charlene L. Tilton is an American actress and singer. She is widely known for playing Lucy Ewing on the CBS prime time soap opera Dallas.

<i>Problem Child 2</i> 1991 film by Brian Levant

Problem Child 2 is a 1991 American black comedy film and a sequel to the 1990 film Problem Child. It follows the exploits of Junior, an adopted orphan boy who deliberately wreaks comedic havoc everywhere he goes. John Ritter returns as his adopted father, Ben Healy. Amy Yasbeck, who played Ben's wife, Flo, in the first film, also returns, this time as school nurse Annie Young with a daughter named Trixie who is also a problem child.

<i>Red Dragon</i> (2002 film) Thriller film directed by Brett Ratner

Red Dragon is a 2002 psychological thriller film based on the 1981 novel by Thomas Harris. It was directed by Brett Ratner and written by Ted Tally. A prequel to Hannibal (2001) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991), it is the third film of the Hannibal Lecter franchise. It is the last film of the series distributed by Universal Pictures and the last film to star Anthony Hopkins as Lecter. It is followed by a prequel, Hannibal Rising (2007) which depicts Lecter's youth. The film sees FBI agent Will Graham enlisting the help of serial killer Hannibal Lecter to catch another killer, Francis Dolarhyde. Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson, Mary-Louise Parker, and Philip Seymour Hoffman also star.

<i>Haunted Honeymoon</i> 1986 film by Gene Wilder

Haunted Honeymoon is a 1986 American comedy horror film starring Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner, Dom DeLuise and Jonathan Pryce. Wilder also served as writer and director. The title Haunted Honeymoon was previously used for the 1940 U.S. release of Busman's Honeymoon based on the stage play by Dorothy L. Sayers.

<i>The Alzheimer Case</i> 2003 film

The Alzheimer Case is a 2003 Belgian action thriller film directed by Erik Van Looy, based on the novel De zaak Alzheimer by Jef Geeraerts. It follows an assassin with Alzheimer's disease, who plans to retire but ends up becoming a target himself after he refuses to kill a young girl.

Out of the Dark is a 1989 American slasher film starring Karen Witter. The film is notable for being the last acting credit of the drag queen Divine, who died slightly over a year before its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saoirse Ronan</span> American-born Irish actress (born 1994)

Saoirse Una Ronan is an American-born Irish actress. Primarily known for her work in period dramas since adolescence, she has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards and seven British Academy Film Awards.

<i>I Woke Up Early the Day I Died</i> 1998 camp black comedy film written by Ed Wood

I Woke Up Early the Day I Died is a 1998 American camp black comedy film, based on an unproduced screenplay written by Edward D. Wood Jr. in 1974. Wood originally wrote the script in 1961 as Silent Night, then rewrote it in 1974 as I Awoke Early the Day I Died, but he died before he could get it filmed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annabelle Wallis</span> British actress (born 1984)

Annabelle Frances Wallis is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Jane Seymour in Showtime's period drama The Tudors (2009–2010), Grace Burgess in the BBC drama Peaky Blinders (2013–2019), Mia Form in the supernatural horror film Annabelle (2014), Jenny Halsey in the supernatural adventure film The Mummy (2017), Rebecca Crosby in Tag (2018), Sandra in Silent Night (2021) and Madison Mitchell in the horror film Malignant (2021).

<i>The Frozen Ground</i> 2013 American thriller film by Scott Walker

The Frozen Ground is a 2013 American thriller film directed and written by Scott Walker, in his directorial debut, starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens, Katherine LaNasa, Radha Mitchell, and 50 Cent. Based on the crimes of the real-life Alaskan serial killer Robert Hansen, the film depicts an Alaskan State Trooper seeking to apprehend Hansen by partnering with a young woman who escaped from Hansen's clutches.

<i>Vengeance: A Love Story</i> 2017 American film

Vengeance: A Love Story is a 2017 American action thriller film directed by Johnny Martin, written by John Mankiewicz, and starring Nicolas Cage, Don Johnson, Anna Hutchison, Talitha Bateman and Deborah Kara Unger. It is based on the 2003 novel Rape: A Love Story by Joyce Carol Oates. The film was released on September 15, 2017, by FilmRise.

<i>A Vigilante</i> 2018 American film

A Vigilante is a 2018 American crime drama film written and directed by Sarah Daggar-Nickson in her feature directorial debut. Starring Olivia Wilde, Morgan Spector, Kyle Catlett, C.J. Wilson, Tonye Patano, Chuck Cooper, Betsy Aidem and Judy Marte, the film follows Sadie (Wilde), a woman who makes it her life's mission to help victims of domestic violence break free from their abusers.

<i>The Silencing</i> 2020 American action-thriller film directed by Robin Pront

The Silencing is a 2020 action-thriller film directed by Robin Pront from a screenplay by Micah Ranum. It stars Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Annabelle Wallis, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Zahn McClarnon, and Melanie Scrofano. The film is about a hunter and a sheriff who track down a murderer who may have kidnapped the hunter's daughter years before.

References

  1. "Silence of the Hams (15)". British Board of Film Classification . March 8, 1996. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Bignell, Darren (January 1, 2000). "Silence of the Hams". Empire . Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  3. "Il Silenzio dei prosciutti (The Silence of the Hams) (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes. 1994. Archived from the original on December 23, 2014. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  4. "The Silence of the Hams". Time Out . September 10, 2012.