Mad Movies with the L.A. Connection (1985– ) User Reviews

Wow! This show really existed!

[trevor-246 · 9/10 · 19 April 2007]

My memories of this show are sketchy at best, as I was only six or seven when I saw it, but I've remembered it ever since.

Specifically I'm thinking of the Inspector General episode, where everyone's excited to have Michael Jackson come to town and his hair catches on fire.

Years later, in the mid-nineties I saw the REAL Inspector General at a movie rental place and convinced my friends to rent it, because it was in fact the funniest movie ever. I was not popular that night.

Anyway, this comment should be a blog post, I guess. I just wanted to share my happy memories of this show, it had my whole family in stitches back in the day.

Mad Movies with the L.A. Connection come back

[routeprod2 · 7 July 2005]

Good news to all of you who loved the classic Mad Movies from the 80's. Kent Skov of the L.A. Connection has issued news that they did not get the rights to the old shows, but they are going to remake new shows with the same films they produced in the 80's. These new shows will be uncensored and longer than the old versions we saw on TV. Best of all they are going to be released on DVD starting in 2006.

Words from Kent: We have good news and bad news.

The bad news is we have been trying for over 2 years to get back the rights to our original Mad Movies that aired in the 80's because we have had so many great letters and requests that we wanted our fans to be happy. We didn't get the rights. The good news is that we still have all those great films and we have decided to make brand-new, uncensored silliness once again using these great films. These new dubbing classics will be longer, around 25-30 minutes, updated to our times and commercial-free. That's right, Kent Skov, the original and current producer and writer, and his brilliant creative team, is back at it again.

So, if you liked the original Mad Movies you will love our MADDEST MOVIES on DVD for purchase this Fall, 2005.

The first title is fan favorite "Night of the Living Dead." We take this old movie and replace the dialog with a new, side-splitting funny story line. Here's a preview: A take off of 'Survivor' where the last one alive gets to keep the house. All the zombies are bankers, mortgage brokers, home insurance salesman and home improvement contractors all vying for a piece of the winner's equity! So, no need to be upset about not getting the original Mad Movies, this series will take comedy to a whole new level.

Starting in 2006 we take all 24 of the old movies you loved and replace each story line with insane new dialog for a new MADDEST MOVIES series.

Still Funny 20 years later!

[virgo10 · 10/10 · 6 August 2005]

I stumbled across MM one night on Nick. From that moment I was hooked. To this day I still have a tape with about 10 of the episodes on it.

My favorites were the Little Princess, DOA (Ruesie), Beneath the 12 Mile Reef (Blueberry pancakes!! LOL)... aw heck, I liked them all.

I'm so sorry that the LA Connection couldn't get the rights to the originals but I'm looking forward to the new ones that they'll be putting out this year and next. The writers and performers on this show certainly knew their stuff. It remains a mystery to me why Nick or the Comedy network never picked this up in reruns.

Great show with timeless humor.

Don't forget Lady X

[jonathan-214 · 10/10 · 4 June 2007]

I agree with the other posts praising this groundbreaking series. I am always at a loss to understand why those that control the rights to such wonder properties do not try to generate some revenue, especially when channels such as the iTunes store allow them to do so with very small amounts of capital. My favorite was "The Divorce of Lady X" with Olivier as a professional map folder. "I've no strength for folding maps when you wear dresses without straps" or the song: "I was an ordinary fellow 'till I ran into your ex, when she twirls her umbrella, it's better than having sec.. tions of a sandwich like a ham and cheese on rye."

Bring Mad Movies Back!

[kentskov · 10/10 · 31 January 2011]

Thanks to all of our fans for writing such great reviews about Mad Movies. It has been 26 years since we first aired in 1985 and I have had wonderful letters and emails from many fans. We do post dubbing clips on our website laconnectioncomedy.com Click on Dubavision to see new clips and then anniversary videos to see all sorts of fun stuff. Also we have some clips in promotional videos. We still dub live movies at our Sherman Oaks Theatre the L.A. Connection Comedy Theatre on the second Saturday of the month at 7pm. Soon we hope to post more pristine episodes on our website. We also have 2 new dubbing shows in development in hopes for a new series. Again thanks to all our fans for keeping Mad Movies alive after all these years. Kent Skov creator of Mad Movies.

It's a mad mad mad Movies show, with the L.A Connection!!

[buzznzipp1995 · 10/10 · 13 July 2006]

This program, okay first off I stumbled onto this one, thinking it was merely a 'joke' and not an actual show.

To my surprise, it was a whole episode, I remember, it was 1985 and I was visiting my sister and then next day she went to run some errands and as she left, she left the television on for me and I saw this old black and white show,that looked as if President Lincoln was speaking to an outdoor crowd at like a picnic, but the dialog was enhanced with someone else's voices and the stuff they were saying was not only right-on target, it was funny, I thought, whoever this is behind the scenes is about perfect in the lines and delivery, timing and execution of everything. This was better than Mystery Science Theatre 3000 and truly a wonderfully- 'everyone' viewable type show.

I saw a couple episodes and looked to find it again, seemingly with no luck at all! I looked at different channels and times and just couldn't find it anymore. I thought, What the?! Why would the network remove this fantastic show from it's line-up??? They should promote it, not take it off the air. I had nothing but contempt for that net work after that. I hope they fired those 'Execs' who made that decision. Too much Cocaine at the networks back then I guess. Maybe not enough, I don't pretend to know. Anyway, I have not even seen anything in that arena of a show, that is even close to the wit, wisdom and comedic brilliance that 'Big-bad' Bob Buchholz, and 'the sharpie' Connie Sue Cook, "Wild man" Steve Pinto, Stephen 'The Roller' Rollman, Paul 'The dude' Rugg and Kent 'The spoonerism' Skov had with this, beside being the voice talent, they were also the writers and part-production team as well. That is a lot of comedic-brains and business-brawn if you will. (I believe I will, someday) That's whats so disgusting. Sometimes the ones with the sidesplitting talent end up getting the shaft when there are so many others that seemingly don't have that Caliber of talent who are always around...I don't understand it.

This was a 'diamond' of a comedy show, lets face facts, it sucks that it is gone!!!!! I cannot find any of them anywhere currently thats whats curious to me. The only one I can find are Paul Rugg and Bob Buchholz and they are doing video-game related voice work, in Japan. Well Paul worked on stuff like the 'Animaniacs' too.

But at least I was able to enjoy it (The L.A. Connection's Mad Movies) for a while in the nineteen-eighties.

Whoopee!

[durinbaron · 10/10 · 4 October 2007]

I too loved watching Mad Movies with my brother and sister. The favorite things we remember is:

"Walk like a jerk across the floor, this will scare the demon Lenore" from the Shirley Temple movie.

"My heart burns... I have heartburn!"

And I liked the movie that took place at some docks. They had sponges they called whoopee cushions and anytime someone touched them they made a tooting noise and someone would shout "Whoopee!". Then, there was one entire sense of guys in a bar where everyone was saying "arrr, arrr" like pirates do.

How I miss this show. It was so funny. So, the first post said it was going to be redone and issued on DVD. Did it ever happen?

Wow there are other fans!!!

[marilynneX · 10/10 · 19 February 2010]

My favorite memories from this show...

"Give me a horse, a great big horse, or a great big kangaroo, and we can woo-hoo, woo-hoo, woo-hooooo..." The cowboy movie where the cowboy is taking off the kid's boots and he says "Put your foot on my butt and make a wish"... ! The Doobie Brothers - a bunch of guys stand up in a wagon of some sort and sing "Doobie doobie doobie DOOBIE"...

I'm sure there's more but these are one that I've remembered most over the years. Actually I did tape some of them, about 12 episodes, I wonder if I have "Night of the Living Dead" on there?

"Whose Line is it Anyway" used to do these as well, they called it "Film Dub". Nowhere near as funny as Mad Movies, though.

mad movies

[spookycats · 10/10 · 24 November 2007]

I have looked and looked for the old 80's Mad Movies and found that the L A Connection doesn't have the rights to them anymore. That is an awful shame and I wish they'd at least put it out on DVD. They were HILARIOUS! We first watched them on NBC late nights on Friday then they put it on Nick at Night. My friend and I quote them all the time, we both still have some of the episodes on video tape but I'm afraid we'll lose them eventually over time since video tape doesn't tend to last forever. PUT THEM ON DVD! PLEASE!!!! I would buy these in a heartbeat! I saw that they're remaking some of them, but it's just not going to be quiet the same. Kent Skov, get your movies back!

Ah, glad to see this show is still remembered.

[Dr Wily · 3 December 2003]

The premise is simple: take a movie, probably within the public domain or has a lot of copyright problems and can be obtained cheaply, trim it down to half an hour and dub in new lines. It's not a new premise, so, its success rests on the quality of the writing. And, Mad Movies certainly succeeded!

Back in my Beta days, I wore my tapes to death with repeats. The only episode I nearly completely (Missing credits.) have transfered to VHS was, thankfully, what is probably the best: "Night Of The Living Dead." ("I'll hide in the trash!") There was also some old cowboy movie that was interrupted intermittently by a song of praise for a jelly sandwich and a fresh rhubarb pie. ("Lost my sandwich, jelly sandwich, now a sad guy am I!") from its cast, including the lead horse. I think there was also a rif on some Carmen Miranda movie. Unfortunately, it's hard to review a series like this, because it depends on actually hearing the gags. Thus, you must see the episodes, which are probably locked in TV Land's vaults somewhere, never to be seen again.

The show aired on Nick@Nite, Sunday, around 10 PM or 10:30, for only a year. A few years later, I believe the L.A. Connection made Blobbermouth, where they spoofed the entire original "The Blob" for theatrical release, but, I've not seen it. After that, the Mad Movies concept and the L.A. Connection appeared to have just disappeared.

Mad Movies should appeal to fans of other similarly themed shows like: Dynaman, Samurai Pizza Cats, and Tokyo Pig.

Before MST3K there was Mad Movies

[adrianeverett74 · 10/10 · 5 March 2009]

I used to love watching this show back in the day ! My screwball family has been doing this kind of alternate dialog for movies way before this show was even created and that's going back to the 1960s and 70s. There is not a movie my family has screwed up deliberately. When this series came out on the non Mtv/Paramount Pictures/Viacom owned version of Nickelodeon it was the greatest thing since NBC's TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes. I wish the head honchos at Nick would get off their lazy collective rear ends and just give back the rights to this series to the creators, L.A. Connection. I too am glad that L.A. Connection is redoing the series longer uncensored and uncut but that is like trying to repaint the Sistine Ceiling in Rome.

Telegram.

[glassman-4 · 10 January 2002]

Since this seems to be the only place in the world where any memory of this hilarious show exists, I wanted to put in my 2 cents. I saw this show during the nascent days of Nick at Nite in 1985/86, when, due to lack of programming and sponsors, there were full length movies in the wee hours, black and white classic shows in the evening (starting at 8 PM), and only one commercial interruption during the shows. Ah, the good old days.

Mad Movies took a very old or "B" movie and edited it. The original dialogue was cut completely, and most footage deleted. The edited version was really nothing like the original, not even being in the same chronology, and often repeating clips. The purpose was to fit in with the new funny "plot" in which new dialogue was added, a la the well known MST3K, but thanks to the editing and killing the original dialogue altogether, Mad Movies was much funnier. MST3K, maintaining the original length of the movie and dialogue, usually dragged in my opinion.

One of the two movies I remember well is the oft mentioned (here anyway) "Night of the Living Dead" in which the new plot was the kids planning a big house party. They kept showing one of the zombies approaching the house, and he'd always say "Telegram."

The other was Shirley Temple in "The Little Princess." If you've ever seen the original, you know that she often gets mad and throws sort of an enraged tantrum. The mad movies spoof made use of this by making her a possessed girl that needed an exorcism. It's amazing how well the original movie fit this new plot once edited. I can never watch the original without thinking of the demon inside every time she gets angry and frustrated.

Sadly, I believe I will never see these shows again, especially on the pathetic remnants of "Nick at Nite" which is now nothing more than overnight sitcom filler for Nickelodeon. I wonder if they are available for viewing at the Museum of Television and Radio History.

The funniest TV show ever aired

[pjpaix · 28 May 2005]

It's so good to find others talking about this amazing show. My wife and I were just reminiscing about those old shows (and crying about the tape that we accidentally recorded over, years ago) and wondering if they're available on DVD.

I remember the night I came across it on TV. I started watching it and was laughing so hard I couldn't make it over to the VHS to start taping it. I could only tell my wife about it the next morning. (No, she didn't move out). The next time it was on, we taped it and played it more times for more people than the poor oxide on the tape could stand. The reaction was always the same: "When is this on?" Our answer ("It's not on anymore") always astounded our guests.

I hope that someone, somehow, gets this back into the public domain.

"Can I have your lunch?"

[hillary1 · 27 December 2002]

I'm so relieved to find a place where people know this show! I thought it was only a dream...This was far and away the most hilarious TV I've ever seen, back when it meant something to be a cable channel. Not a line is wasted in these dubbed over flicks and even now I'll see something that awakens in me an old memory (we were cleaning up the lawn the other day and I ran over to my sig other with a bundle of brush and shouted-"Quick! Give them these sticks!") Yes! Bring it back in some form so I can die fulfilled!!!

I totally remember this awesome show

[potidaean · 7 May 2003]

I must have been less than 10 years old, but this was the first real cable comedy show me and my older sister ever watched. Nickelodian was our dream channel at the time, and this would still fit right in on the Comedy Channel today. I'm really surprised no one ever did the idea again after all this time. I'm a big MST3K fan, but I think I liked Mad Movies just a little bit better.

I don't remember any of the episodes, and we used to have a ton on tape. They're probably long gone by now, but I still remember bits of the opening credits with closeups of everyone talking into mics. The only thing closely resembling this brilliant show is the similar game they sometimes play on Whose Line Is It Anyway, although that's improvised. In any case, I hope they re-air this show on Com Central sometime since it really is timeless... very few if any 80s jokes if I recall. Mad Movies!

Mad Movies - Funniest thing ever televised.

[mook-13 · 22 April 2005]

Mad Movies were the greatest. The only thing that comes close to this type of comedy is the original Mystery Science Theater. The LA Connection was way ahead of their time when they made these shows. You see their influence in everything now-a-days, like MXC, MST3K, Kung Pow, etc. Those old episodes need to be released on DVD. Anyone who purchases the rights to release them would make a ton of cash, hmmm, business venture... of course. I have a several episodes on VHS that I recorded as a kid. We watch them about once a year to refresh ourselves on all the one-liners. One of my favorites is their spoof of "Night of the Living Dead", where they twist the plot turning the zombies into unwanted party guests. Very, very funny stuff.

edits + voices+ funny writers= CLEVER!!!!

[ljarsonbeck · 5 November 2002]

This mid-80's funny show went beyond the simplistic making fun of a film as we watch i.e. MS3000. They didn't just use bad movies to make fun of they also used classics such as Cyrano and Shock. They edited the films to fit a unique story and told it with voice over characters of their own creation (in 20 minutes no less) As an example: in Below the 12 Mile Reef the film in transformed from a dull story about sponge divers filmed in Tarpon Springs,Florida to Jacques Cousteau fighting sea brain poachers. In one scene a ship is burning and the authorities come to investigate- they begin questioning a frail old man named Gupeteau who tells them about his whittling when suddenly Pinocchio burst into flame. Why the show was ever canceled I have no idea- perhaps AIDS took it's toll on the L.A. Connection...who knows...it was wonderfully funny and I still have a few shows taped and would be happy to share them with anyone who has an interest. Talent should not go unnoticed nor unseen. However, my absolute favorite episode was Cyrano..the redone story about a man with a chip on his shoulder. I do not own this one but would love to get my eyes on it one day...if anyone has it for loan or sale please let me know. On the other hand if any executives out there should happen across this memo you may want to pull them out for syndication or restart the genius behind the laughs consider this format again ...hell, I'd write for you! LBJ

PLEASE put Mad Movies out on video!!!

[marysue · 9 February 2001]

I'm excited about finding this title on the web - have searched before and unable to locate any info. In 1985, our eldest son died a tragic death - about that time we heard about Mad Movies - a few months later, we began taping the Mad Movies and this provided the comic relief our family needed. Then in 1987, our house was burglarized and all our tapes stolen!!! The children were heart-broken - we had quite a collection of Mad Movies. We still make remarks to each other which are lines from the Mad Movies - Night of the Living Dead, Zorro ("darned circus horse!, Miss Dollface, etc. If ANYONE knows how we might get copies of these - or if they are ever put out for the public to purchase, I would be the first customer!!!

m m m mad movies

[Greco76 · 23 June 2001]

I used to love this show! I think for a while they were aired on Nick at Nite... My family and I still quote and sing the little songs from this hilarious show... I still have a few on old video tapes but the quality is poor... This has to be one of my favorite shows of all time!

Paaaaaartyyyyyyyy

[cmuchick · 3 October 2001]

People thought I was making this up, that this series existed-- it was hilarious! My absolute favorite has to be "Night of the Living Dead". Every time I've seen a zombie movie, I say "paaaartyyyy....paaaaartyyyy" when the zombies do the painfully slow shuffle towards the living. I hope that someone puts this back in syndication, or releases the episodes on video!

this lettuce has gone bad!

[dbean-1 · 15 March 2004]

It was a great show. My fave was "Night of the Living Dead"---Darlene was having a party and Dwayne, her cousin, was trying to help her by putting together some snacks. She told him there was a head of lettuce upstairs, it was a mutilated human head and he said, "this lettuce has gone bad". There was also a Sherlock Holmes movie with totally absurd dialogue: "This is Paper? It's so thin!" and I think in the same movie, an artist was painting and said, "All the threes are brown and the fives are gray", I thought that was so funny because in the Mamas and the Papas song, "California Dreamin'", the first line is "All the trees are brown and the skies are gray". The dialogue was usually so funny because it was so totally unexpected. Does anyone remember the scene from "A star is born" when Stormin' Norman is drinking eggs (hangover remedy) and you hear "cheep, cheep"? Funny, funny show. I would love for it to be released on DVD or something.

Converting "bad" movies to "Mad Movies"

[tico-4 · 10 May 2000]

The group L.A. Connection was unknown to me before this series, and I haven't heard of them since, but their moment in the sun was brilliant. Some of the best writing of dialog and dubbing into excerpts of the old movies gave me many a laugh. I am old enough to remember most of these original movies, and believe me, the conversion of a "bad" movie to a "Mad" movie made it much more enjoyable. I hope we will see them again somewhere on TV, for that type of comedy is timeless.

So far ahead of it's time! I've tried to find them everywhere!

[mmclean4 · 2 December 2003]

I have several shows on an old VHS ep tape made in '87-'88. It was my favorite show then, and remains the funniest, most clever show I have seen to date. I break them out for friends occasionally and usually they/we choke with laughter! I am in the process of transferring them to DV and DVD so not to lose them to time. Their format was to take a classic movie, re-edit it to a 1/2 hr, write a new plot line with biting dialogue. Bob Hope, Roy Rogers, Shirley Temple, Perry Como...any movie was game! Tons of drug, sexual and cultural jokes with real insight and character development. I would dig finding any or all of these to add to my collection!

I laugh just thinking about it!

[utuk73 · 27 June 2002]

My sister and I would stay up just to watch these cracked up movies! Our favorite one was the Night of the Living Dead. Nearly twenty years later, when we say "Surprise", we say it the way the "zombies" did in the Mad Movie version. But, because it was so long ago, I couldn't remember who did them or what, but I did remember the logo at the beginning and I was searching for Mad movies when I came across MST3K, which became a huge favorite of mine, but I do agree that they are not as funny as the mad movies. Looking for it has definately brought back some hilarious memories!

a must see

[owenno6 · 12 December 2001]

"SURPRISE!!!""Its not a surprise party!!!" will be permanently burned into the recesses of my brain until i leave this earth (in fact, my wife cant watch the actual Night of the Living Dead without snickering through most of it). my wife introduced me to these shows when we met a few years ago and ive been wanting to find them on video tape ever since.

what few we have recorded are priceless comic gems, in fact i bought the original version of Nothing Sacred starring Carol Lombard and Fredrick March because of the hilarious spoof done by the L A Connection.

along the lines of Mystery Science Theater 3000, but perhaps even more creative, Mad Movies will keep you laughing every time you watch them, usually, you will pick up new and unnoticed things each time you watch them.