Sneak Prevue Mailbag: Sneaking into R-rated films as a teenager

By TERRY R. CASSREINO

Nothing is better than a silly, pointless comedy. And “Kentucky Fried Movie” fits that requirement perfectly. I write a little about “Kentucky Fried Movie” in this edition of the Sneak Prevue Mailbag.

I also talk about the high cost of movie concessions and reminisce about sneaking into R-rated film as an underage teenager.

Every Friday, I dig deep into the mailbag and answer some of the more interesting questions from readers of this blog. If you have a question, write me at editor@sneakprevue.info and I’ll try to answer it on this blog.

Mr. Cassreino: I’ve been reading your blog now since it began last month. I find it quite interesting and even used your suggestions in deciding which films to watch on Netflix. Have you ever seen “Kentucky Fried Movie?” – John in Durango.

KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE (1977)

Dear John: First, thank you for your comments about Sneak Prevue. I appreciate it. And I hope you enjoyed the films you watched, whatever they were, based on my blog posts.

Yes, I did see “Kentucky Fried Movie.” As a matter of fact, I snuck into the Plaza Cinema 4 in New Orleans to watch it when it played there in 1977 and I was 16. I found it an incredibly funny film spoof of television, TV commercials, theatrical trailers and martial arts films. It’s still wildly funny today. The film’s writers, Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, went on to write and direct the classic comedies “Airplane!” and “Top Secret!” I am a huge fan of “Kentucky Fried Movie” and I’m glad someone else is, too.



Mr. Cassreino: What do you think of the superhero movie craze of the summer of 2011? Did you see “The Green Lantern?” “Did you see “Thor?” – Billy in Denver.

Dear Billy: I hate the craze, which only highlights the lack of originality in Hollywood. No, I have no desire to see the movies you mentioned. I especially hate they were released in 3-D, a gimmick I hope you avoided.




Mr. Cassreino: You often write about how you “snuck into” an R-rated film when you were underage. How could you do such a thing? Aren’t you setting a bad example for other children today who may read your posts? – Susie in Atlanta.

Dear Susie: Yes, I did sneak into several R-rated films as a teen-ager. I never, ever attempted to gain admittance into X-rated films – only R-rated films. I should state for the record that my parents were fully aware of my actions. They just got tired of me dragging them to the show whenever I wanted to see an R-rated film like “The Longest Yard” or “Rollerball.” I was 15 or 16 at the time and easily could pass for a 17-year-old teenage boy.

Let me also point out that when I gained admission to an R-rated film as a teenager, I paid the full adult admission price. I never ever tried to see a film without paying my way. So, no, I don’t think my posts about sneaking into R-rated films set as bad example. If you want to criticize someone for setting a bad example for our youth, go complain to adults who smoke or drink – and talk about how they did so as a teenager.

Today’s world is completely different from the 1970s when I was a teenager. R-rated movies back then would likely be rated PG-13 today. X-rated movies back then could probably get an R today. I saw several great R-rated films as a teenager: “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Black Sunday,” “Squirm,” “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and others.

Mr. Cassreino: I went to the show last week and paid almost $20 for concessions. Yikes! I fainted and woke up in the emergency room at the hospital. What do I do? – Mitch in Panama City

Dear Mitch: I hope you have good health insurance because if you don’t you are in for another heart attack when you see your hospital bill.

My advice to avoid sticker shock at the movie concession stand: Stay home. You don’t have to go to the show to watch a good movie. Rent a film on Blu-ray disc. Buy a film on Blu-ray. Buy a Roku set-top streaming device and watch Netflix movies on your big screen. Trust me. You’ll come out on top by avoiding the over-inflated cost of admission tickets and stale theater popcorn that was popped weeks ago.

Or, if you decide to go to the theater anyway – and I get the urge maybe once or twice a year – pick a decent film and attend a mid-week night time showing (when the number of filmgoers declines and chances are good you won’t have to listen to running commentary from someone sitting next to you. Before the film, stop at a convenience store to buy a Coke and bag of chips. Purchasing your own concessions should keep you from having to take out a small personal loan to go to the movies.

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