“In the seminal Zucker, Zucker, and Abrams opus Airplane!, one character, played by Leslie Nielsen, asks another to pilot an passenger airliner in an emergency. The would-be pilot responds with incredulity, but is coolly rebuffed by the Leslie Nielsen character. This evinces laughter from the audience, as the exchange involves a confusion between two near-homophones.”
You might be interested to know that “Airplane!” was itself essentially a shot-for-shot remake of a “serious” made-for-TV movie with exactly the same plot—with, of course, jokes added in.
I was aware of the genre it spoofed, but I didn’t know that it was so specifically targeted. I’m tempted to try to find that made-for-TV movie and watch clips just to increase my appreciation of Airplane!
You might be interested to know that “Airplane!” was itself essentially a shot-for-shot remake of a “serious” made-for-TV movie with exactly the same plot—with, of course, jokes added in.
I was aware of the genre it spoofed, but I didn’t know that it was so specifically targeted. I’m tempted to try to find that made-for-TV movie and watch clips just to increase my appreciation of Airplane!
Zero Hour! It’s available on Netflix.