The Silence of the Hams (Italian: Il Silenzio dei Prosciutti) is a 1994 Italian-American satirical comedy film written by, directed by, and starring Italian comedian Ezio Greggio. It is a parody of many popular thriller and horror films, notably The Silence of the Lambs and Psycho. Along with Greggio, it features an ensemble cast of Dom DeLuise, Billy Zane, Joanna Pacuła, Charlene Tilton and Martin Balsam.
| The Silence of the Hams | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ezio Greggio |
| Written by | Ezio Greggio |
| Starring |
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| Narrated by | Ezio Greggio |
| Cinematography | Jacques Haitkin |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Parmer Fuller |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | October Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 81 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $3 million |
Like many of its contemporary satires (including The Naked Gun), it is largely driven by wordplay, sight gags, running jokes,[2] and references to popular culture of the time (such as Michael Jackson's Thriller) and tongue-in-cheek references to then-current American politics (such as a fight scene between Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton). Mel Brooks, who made a number of well regarded parodies (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs), makes a cameo appearance.
Plot
The film follows rookie detective Jo Dee Fostar (Billy Zane) on his first case: apprehending a serial killer wanted for over 120 murders. To find the killer, Fostar enlists the help of convicted murderer Dr. Animal Cannibal Pizza (Deluise). During the investigation, Fostar's girlfriend, Jane Wine (Charlene Tilton) is asked by her boss to take a large sum of money to the bank; instead, she leaves town with the money. She decides to hide out at the Cemetery Motel, which is revealed to be a cemetery named Motel after its owner, Antonio Motel (Greggio). Jo must then enlist the help of Det. Balsam (Balsam) and Dr. Pizza to find not only the murderer, but his missing girlfriend. This takes the cast on many adventures at the Cemetery Motel. In the final confrontation, most of the characters are revealed to be other people in disguise.
Cast
- Ezio Greggio as Antonio Motel
- Dom DeLuise as Dr. Animal Cannibal Pizza
- Billy Zane as Jo Dee Fostar
- Joanna Pacuła as Lily Wine
- Charlene Tilton as Jane Wine
- Martin Balsam as Det. Martin Balsam
- Stuart Pankin as Insp. Pete Putrid
- John Astin as The Ranger
- Tony Cox as Jail Guard
- Mel Brooks as Checkout Guest (uncredited)
- Phyllis Diller as Old Secretary
- Shelley Winters as Mrs. Motel (The Mother)
- Bubba Smith as Olaf
- Larry Storch as Sergeant
- Rip Taylor as Mr. Laurel
- John Carpenter as Trench Coat Man
- Eddie Deezen as Cameraman
- Pat Rick as Bill Clinton
Critical response
The Silence of the Hams was widely panned by critics and has a 0% "rotten" rating on review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes based on eight reviews.[3]
Time Out London called it a "wholly redundant exercise",[4] while Empire criticised it for "a script staggeringly bereft of humour or invention, and a clumsy, amateurish direction that seems largely concerned with focusing on Charlene Tilton's breasts".[2]
References
- ^ "Silence of the Hams (15)". British Board of Film Classification. March 8, 1996. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
- ^ a b Bignell, Darren (January 1, 2000). "Silence of the Hams". Empire.
- ^ "Il Silenzio dei prosciutti (The Silence of the Hams) (1994)". Rotten Tomatoes. 1994. Retrieved February 29, 2012.
- ^ "The Silence of the Hams". Time Out.