Ten Great “K” Films!
A theater full of laughing patrons sums up the letter “K” – because a couple of the movies beginning with that letter are the funniest of all time!
I’m counting down “Movies A-Z”, and this edition focused on the letter “K”, which has some classic action, comedy AND Quentin Tarantino, of course!
No real order, just ten reasons to love cinema – let’s get going with one of the funniest movies ever released!
10 – “Kentucky Fried Movie!”
The Zucker Brothers are best known for the comedic masterpiece “Airplane!”, but they warmed up with this classic comedy – a series of sketches with a ton of great Guest Actors…here is the trailer:
There are great comedy sketches and a 30-minute scene-for-scene parody of the great Bruce Lee film “Enter The Dragon” – see more about that here:
https://johnrieber.com/2013/06/03/big-jim-slade-fistfuls-of-yen-its-the-kentucky-fried-movie/
The movie also contains a trailer for the movie “Catholic High School Girls In Trouble!”
The movie trailer is hilarious, and the “Actress” in the trailer is none other that legendary sex kitten Uschi Digard!
She has fond memories of her role in the film, and you can read them here – along with a look at her eclectic movie career!
Comedy comes in all forms – including a genius kung fu action comedy from Hong Kong!
9 – “Kung Fu Hustle”
“Kung Fu Hustle” is a 2004 Hong Kong-Chinese martial arts gangster musical comedy that was directed, co-produced and co-written by Stephen Chow, who also stars!
The trailer alone will blow your mind!
Stephen Chow knocked it out of the park with this classic action/comedy – this is a movie worth finding!
Another Hong Kong action film is on the list – but this one’s not funny – just one of the greatest action movies of all time!
8 – “The Killer”
John Woo blew away audiences with this incredible action thriller starring Chow Yun-Fat.
Here is the original Asian language trailer for this 1989 action masterpiece – trust me, you don’t need english for this:
This, along with John Woo’s “Hard Boiled” and his American film “Face/Off” are a triple bill of action that can’t be topped – click here to see more of Woo’s terrific work:
One of America’s great Directors also set out to make an action classic – and went to the far east for inspiration!
7 – “Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2”
Can you believe it’s been 14 years since Quentin Taranto unleashed the double-barrelled whammy of “Kill Bill” on us?
Let’s begin with the trailer for part one:
One year later, Tarantino gave us the second half of the story – here is the trailer for “Kill Bill Volume 2”:
Both are great for different reasons, and Tarantino has yet to give us a “combined, added-scenes-and-directors-cut” version of the movie, which has been long rumored. We shall see…did you know where he got the inspiration for Elle Driver, played by Darryl Hannah?
Well, that would be “Artsploitation” legend Christina Lindberg of course! Click here to see her great sexploitation classic that inspired Quentin!
“Kill Bill” is full of kung fu and exploitation homages – and who knew these genres better than the iconic “B” movie Director Larry Cohen!
6 – “King Cohen!”
You may not know Director Larry Cohen – but you should! There’s a terrific documentary that tells his amazing story – here is the trailer:
Larry Cohen made such classic exploitation films as “Black Caesar” and “It’s Alive!” Here is a look at all of his great films!
Cohen has a great career to be proud of – and here is another Director who has made some of cinema’s wildest adventures, including this recent one:
5 – “Killer Joe”
William Friedkin directed such classic films as “The French Connection”, “The Exorcist” and “To Live And Die In LA” – but this recent outing was one of his best – check out this all-star cast:
The material is dark dark DARK, but the entire cast digs in and delivered a black comedy that was so wild it was rated NC-17!
Read more about the film here:
Friedkin released his autobiography, and it’s a terrific read as well. Another brilliant Director also has an amazing body of work, including this dark dark DARK comedy with Robert DeNiro:
4 – “The King Of Comedy”
This 1982 film was trashed when released, but is now considered a prescient masterpiece….first, see the trailer:
Robert DeNiro gives a great performance as Rupert Pupkin, a delusional comedian who will do whatever it takes to become famous.
Scorsese’s masterpiece also starred Jerry Lewis as a late night Talk Show Host who meets Pupkin – and everything escalates from there.
In a world of “instant celebrity” – as well as being “Famous for being famous”, this movie, 25 years ago, captured this world before anyone could imagine how real it would become.
There was an anniversary screening lately – and a new blu-ray with tons of great extras – check it out here:
https://johnrieber.com/2014/03/25/the-king-of-comedy-goes-blu-amazing-extras-scorsese-grills-pupkin/
Another legendary Director is next up on the list – Sam Peckinpah directed “The Wild Bunch”, “The Getaway” with Steve McQueen, and this 1975 action thriller starring James Caan and Robert Duvall:
3 – “The Killer Elite”
James Caan is great a government Agent who’s betrayed by a co-worker, Robert Duvall. Check out the vintage trailer:
Duvall and Caan are both great, and there are several terrific action sequences as well – Peckinpah was known for his “ballet of violence” – and you can see more about him here:
https://johnrieber.com/2014/08/05/the-wild-bunch-billy-the-kid-sam-packinpahs-soup-tossing/
A step away from Hollywood – very far away from Hollywood – like the middle of the Pacific Ocean!
2 – “Kon-Tiki”
Adventurer Thor Heyerdahl decided to see if South American explorers could have travelled more than 4,000 miles from Peru to settle islands in the South Pacific. So he did it! Here is the trailer:
The Kon-Tiki expedition led by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl happened in 1947, and the documentary was released in the United States in 1951. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
It’s a fascinating trip, with footage shot by the team while on the ocean!
Back on dry land, here is my last film with a “K”, and it’s one of the most under-rated comedies ever – about bowling!
1 – “Kingpin”
After “Dumb and Dumber” and “There’s Something About Mary”, the Farrelly Brothers win streak continued with this hilarious 1996 bowling film, starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid and Bill Murray.
Here is the trailer:
Harrelson is Roy Munson, who loses his chance at bowling stardom when he loses his hand!
Redemption comes via Randy Quaid, who plays Ishmael – who is Amish and sneaks away from the farm to bowl.
Ultimately, they go up against champion bowler Ernie McCracken, played with a brilliant deadpan and magical comb-over by Bill Murray.
ESPN Announcer: So Roy, where have you been for the last fifteen years?
Roy: Well, I uh, well, ya see, I uh… Drinking. Lot a drinking.
ESPN Announcer: I see. Well, are you still drinking?
Roy: No. I uh… I put… uh… Why, you buying?
There is SO much to love about “Kingpin”: terrific acting, hilarious set pieces, memorable characters, and of course, BOWLING…see more great bowling films here:
https://johnrieber.com/2012/04/14/kingpins-slimeballs-the-dude-lets-go-bowling-in-the-movies/
There is a list of ten great movies that begin with “K” – and of course there are many more…also, if you missed my list of “J” movies, you didn’t see my love for this gem:
Yes, “Jackass!” Hilariously funny and profane – just one of the movies beginning with a “J” – and you can see them all here:
I have missed a ton of great movies on my “Movies A-Z” list, like this great film:
That’s right – “Boogie Nights” is one of my all-time favorite movies, but it wasn’t on my “B” list! However, here are the films that DID make my lists of “A-F” movies – check them out here:
Let me know your favorite film with a “K”!
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johnrieber 
I love old trailer guys, “They were close-but not close enough.”
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Yes, the vintage trailers are so great!
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Some great choices John, I will have to see Killer Joe if Ebert rates it but what I really want to see is The Killer Elite and King Cohen. What a legend!
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Yes, Larry Cohen has such a unique body of work! Killer Joe has an unrated edition – that’s the one to see!
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Oooh.
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I love Kill Bill, that’s what I call a blast.
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Perhaps one day he will indeed put together the Director’s Cut with both films together plus material not included…we can dream….
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Oh that would be a dream come true.
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We can dream, seems like the kind of thing he has hinted at in the past…
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I enjoyed Kill Bill I & II immensely. King of Comedy is a great choice, too. A personal guilty pleasure includes ‘King Arthur’ and a slew of King Kong films.
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Yes, once again so many great “K” choices –
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Some great K choices, John. Although I don’t care for the Kung Fu genre, especially the comedic films, I love many of the others, especially ‘King of Comedy’. I will just add the one today, the dark British thriller ‘Kill List’, which I already know you like.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Yes Pete, “Kill List” is terrific!
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