The defence The Popcorn Loyalist
“It owes the canon nothing.”
The movie pursues immediacy and audience pleasure without begging institutions to certify its worth.
Back to trending 
The Kentucky Fried Movie
Comedy · 1977
A series of loosely connected skits that spoof news programs, commercials, porno films, kung-fu films, disaster films, blaxploitation films, spy films, mafia films, and the fear that somebody is watching you on the other side of the TV.
Movie details
The Kentucky Fried Movie
“The hottest, most out-of-control movie ever to stagger onto the screen!”
1977 Comedy 1h 23m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.2 / 10
Community rating
A series of loosely connected skits that spoof news programs, commercials, porno films, kung-fu films, disaster films, blaxploitation films, spy films, mafia films, and the fear that somebody is watching you on the other side of the TV.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over The Kentucky Fried Movie?
For the defence
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Big-Idea Head
“You watch with your brain, not your gut.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
The Onion Movie
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Venerable newscaster Norm Archer reports the latest news in politics, health, culture and entertainment - such as an automotive recall of decapitation-inducing "Neckbelts" and a study finding that "depression hits losers hardest". This compilation of bogus news stories, celebrity profiles, movie trailers and skits come courtesy of the ace satirists at The Onion.
The TV Set
Comedy · 2007
As a writer named Mike struggles to shepherd his semi-autobiographical sitcom into development, his vision is slowly eroded by a domineering network executive named Lenny who favors trashy reality programming. The irony, of course, is that every crass suggestion Lenny makes improves the show's response from test audiences and brings the show a step closer to getting on the air.
Not Another Teen Movie
Comedy · 2001
On a bet, a gridiron hero at John Hughes High School sets out to turn a bespectacled plain Jane into a beautiful and popular prom queen in this outrageous send-up of the teen movies of the 1980s and '90s.
Scary Movie
Comedy · 2000
A familiar-looking group of teenagers find themselves being stalked by a more-than-vaguely recognizable masked killer! As the victims begin to pile up and the laughs pile on, none of your favorite scary movies escape the razor-sharp satire of this outrageously funny parody!
UHF
Comedy · 1989
The eccentric new manager of a UHF television channel tries to save the station from financial ruin with an odd array of programming.
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
Comedy · 2006
Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev travels to America to make a documentary. As he zigzags across the nation, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences. His backwards behavior generates strong reactions around him exposing prejudices and hypocrisies in American culture.
Amazon Women on the Moon
Comedy · 1987
Centered on a television station which features a 1950s-style sci-fi movie interspersed with a series of wild commercials, wacky shorts and weird specials, this lampoon of contemporary life and pop culture skewers some of the silliest spectacles ever created in the name of entertainment.
Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs
Comedy · 2023
In a rowdy stand-up set, Shane Gillis riffs on his girlfriend's Navy SEAL ex, touring George Washington's house and being bullied by an Australian Goth.
In the Loop
Comedy · 2009
The US President and the UK Prime Minister are planning on launching a war in the Middle East, but—behind the scenes—government officials and advisers are either promoting the war or are trying to prevent it.
Ricky Gervais: Mortality
Comedy · 2025
Ricky Gervais tackles life, death and the state of the world in a brutally honest special that spares no topic, even his own mortality.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
John Landis
Written by
Jim Abrahams · Jerry Zucker · David Zucker
Evan C. Kim
Loo (segment "A Fistful of Yen")
Bong Soo Han
Dr. Klahn (segment "A Fistful of Yen")
Agneta Eckemyr
Ming Chow (segment "A Fistful of Yen")
Marilyn Joi
Cleopatra Schwartz (segment "Cleopatra Schwartz")
Marcy Goldman
Housewife (segment "Household Odors")
Bill Bixby
Himself (segment "Headache Clinic")
John Landis
TV Technician Thrown by Gorilla (segment "A.M. Today")
Court is in session
Put The Kentucky Fried Movie on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Big-Idea Head
“Easy pleasure, short half-life.”
It moves efficiently through the moment but offers little reason to keep arguing once the credits end.