Released on July 2, 1980, Airplane! was a smart and sensationally silly comedy that was a joke-a-minute spoof of the sort of disaster films that dominated the box office at the end of the 1970s. It went on to become the fourth highest-grossing film of the year, and remains a beloved cult sensation to this day thanks to its incredible cast (including Robert Hays, Leslie Nielsen and Barbara Billingsley) and unforgettable lines like “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.” The production team of Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker later found similiar success with the high-joke ratio of The Naked Gun films and, to a lesser degree, Top Secret and Hot Shots. But many film fans feel that the original Airplane! is still their best effort. Check out the trailer for this comedy classic above, and we recommend checking it out this weekend. And yes, we are serious.
