The Hollywood Knights

Either this movie is a cynical attempt to cash in on Animal House, Meatballs, and Caddyshack viewers or it's a pleasant little nothing of a comedy with a simpleton-level story of barbarians trying to poke holes in the stuffiness of proper society. It's mighty crude with * and farts and "hummer" (no, not the car) jokes. There's no actual acting going on and I've heard that there really wasn't a script written, just improvised. It shows. Probably the only two things worth watching in Hollywood Knights are the spiking-the-punch scene and listening to a new version of Volare, one that relies heavily on the character's bean intake and your tolerance for bathroom humor. Welcome to it.

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source: The Hollywood Knights

In reality it is a poor movie. The acting is Luke warm. B U T . . It is a great movie too! The plot is thin and the stories were cut short. Too bad the cutting room floor clips weren't available for the DVD. The Cobra vs Project X race is incredible. Even though MSD electronic ignition and electric thin profile fans weren't available yet in '65. The Cobra still would have smoked the '57 and the T-Bucket. The hair-dos are more of the late '70s than the mid '60s. I have it on VHS & DVD as well as a couple of original posters and it ranks as one of my favorite movies. The cars are great to see. KNIGHTS RULE

They obviously borrowed heavily from American Graffiti and Animal House, both of which are far superior movies. I hadn't seen this since around 1985, and at the time it was my favorite movie. In the 15 years that have passed, it hasn't improved, but it's not that much worse either. It is what it is, and it has a good time doing it. For that alone it is worth watching.

"Hollywood Knights" is a tedious knock off of "American Graffiti", only with flashes of nudity to stand in for the nostalgia. Today it is only worth watching for the actors and actresses who would go on to become stars in TV and film, namely Fran Drescher, Tony Danza and Michelle Pfeiffer. Robert Wuhl, a lesser star but still an Emmy winner, plays the main character. This character's name, "Newbomb Turk", represents the high point of the filmmaker's creativity. Aside from that, the only memorable scene is a bit where a cheerleader comes out to do a routine on a basketball court and isn't wearing any underwear, flashing the audience. Pfeiffer and Danza are only in the movie to add a "serious" love story note, and in this case "serious" means "tedious". There is no chemistry between them, with Pfeiffer looking as bored as we are. These parts are the low point of a bad movie. They're also the only parts I remember that really have much of a narrative; the movie is an episodic job like "The Last American Virgin", and also like that movie, it seems to deliberately avoid making you feel anything other than mirth, which would be okay if it were funny in the least. It isn't.

I first saw this movie when it premiered on HBO in the early 80's. Having recently purchased a VHS (not Betamax!) videocassette recorder, I immediately taped it. Of the many movies I recorded at the time, The Hollywood Knights was the one I came back to over and over again, until one of my friends "borrowed" my cherished copy, never to see it again. But the one-liners and the jokes remained fresh in my mind for all these years, and now it is available ( finally, after 20 years !! ) on VHS and DVD. I must admit the R-rated jokes are not for the easily-offended, but they are FUNNY, and that's what being young in the early-mid 60's was all about... hot rods, music, women, and just having a good time. Years after I saw it for the first time, many of the actors kept appearing in new roles and I asked myself: Hey, wasn't he (or she) in the Hollywood Knights cast ? This is one of the few movies I can remember in which this happened several times (Pfeiffer, Danza, Pankin, Dresher, Wuhl, Helberg and Graham ). Every time I hear Domenico Modugno or Bobby Rydell sing "Volare", Newbomb's cover version pops in my mind. For all the one -liners, the practical jokes, the cast, the cars, and the music, it is a great movie to enjoy for years to come ... and yes, don't drink the punch !

Astoundingly bad drive-in type movie set in 1965 California. Truly one of the worst ever made. Lots of continuity errors and poor acting make this one to avoid.

I I still love this movie after 24 years. This show was to take place during Viet Nam era. I would say this is a movie for guys. Good looking muscle cars throughout the show. Hey they even cruise the burger joint !!!!! Good Motown music throughout. This show is the ultimate in high school pranks. Great cast of actors. Unbelievable what teenagers can get into when they're away from home. There are some very good moments of "growing up" in this film. Some one leaving to go to Viet Nam not sure if he'll come back to see his friends, so he hangs out with them the night before he leaves. The usual boy falls in love with girl ,then girl leaves for college stuff. Some good street drag scenes. A high school initiation quest. There are a lot more stories in this very well scripted film that are all TOO real. If you ever wondered what your parents did in the sixties then you need to watch the fun they had. It really did look like a blast. This is a must see! MY FAVORITE CHARACTER: Newbomb Turk

Whether you like good comedy or like movies that bring memories of a long-gone era, this is the guilty pleasure for you. The setting in 1965 with the Vietnam conflict, changes in race relations and music gaining momentum, makes for a perfect setting for a group of fun-loving senior high students who gather their car club together on Halloween night for an evening at the local drive-in burger joint nobody will forget. Big names--before they were big--like Robert Wuhl, Tony Danza and Fran Dresher, add to the fun. Everybody knows or has known a Newbomb Turk, guys will enjoy the cars and antics, and gals will like the nostalgia and the love story between Danza and Michelle Pfeiffer. Sure there are juvenile pranks (actually a lot of them), but all in good fun. If you're looking for something different in comedy, check this movie out.