Chief Zabu

Chief Zabu

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Howard Zuker
Neil Cohen
Produced by Norman Leigh
Neil Cohen
Nancy Zuker
Howard Zuker
Written by Neil Cohen
Nancy Zuker
Howard Zuker
Starring Allen Garfield
Zack Norman
Allan Arbus
Ed Lauter
Manu Tupou
Music by Andrew Asch
Release dates
 2016
Running time
 75 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $187,966[1]

Chief Zabu is a long-unreleased film that was written, produced and directed by Neil Cohen and Zack Norman (under the pseudonym Howard Zuker).[2][3][4] It stars Allen Garfield, Norman and Allan Arbus, telling the story of a group of New York businessmen trying to take over a Polynesian nation.[5] Production began in 1986, but due to various issues Norman and Cohen were unable to complete the film until 2016. The film premiered at Laemmle Theatres' Monica Film Center on October 28th, 2016[6][7] and was followed by a November 7th screening at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival ("FLIFF").[8]The only scene released online is available through Vimeo, as is the official trailer, also on YouTube.

A long running advertisement for the film in Variety was the subject of a joke in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.[9]

Synopsis

The film follows an ambitious New York realtor who dreams of political power and decides to accomplish this by taking over a Polynesian nation.

Cast

Merchandise

At his TeePublic website, American entrepreneur Josh Abramson offers a t-shirt bearing an image of the Variety advertisement that ran consistently between 1985 and 1988.[10]

Reception

Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, calling it "A comic time capsule with a timeless punch."[11] Contrastingly, Michael Rechtshaffen of the Los Angeles Times called it a " tiresomely talky would-be satire" that "plays like bargain basement Barry Levinson".[12]

In anticipation of the film's screening at FLIFF, a Fort Lauderdale restaurant introduced a specialty cocktail named the "Chief Zabu".[13]

References

  1. ↑ Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival page
  2. ↑ Van Gelder, Lawrence (11 July 1986). "At The Movies: Only The Names Are Different". NY Times. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Chase, Donald (20 July 1986). "$200,000 Zabu Joins High-Priced Laugh Derby". Los Angles Times. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  4. ↑ Craig, David; Fadiman, Anne (April 1987). "Cut-Rate Moguls". Life Magazine. 10 (4): 44–48.
  5. ↑ Langman, Larry (1998-01-01). Return to Paradise: A Guide to South Sea Island Films. Scarecrow Press. pp. 289, 301. ISBN 9780810832688.
  6. ↑ "All Movie". www.allmovie.com. allmovie.com. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  7. ↑ "Chief Zabu"
  8. ↑ The 31st Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival Hosts Two Presidential Events In Honor of the Election
  9. ↑ Beaulieu, Trace (1996-04-01). The Mystery science theater 3000 amazing colossal episode guide. Bantam Books. p. 162. ISBN 9780553377835.
  10. ↑ Chief Zabu at Teepublic.com
  11. ↑ Sheri Linden, "'Chief Zabu': Film Review", The Hollywood Reporter, October 27, 2016.
  12. ↑ Michael Rechtshaffen, "The dusted-off comedy 'Chief Zabu' falls flat, even with a politically ambitious N.Y. developer", Los Angeles Times, October 27, 2016.
  13. ↑ Alona Abbady Martinez, "Mai-Kai Creates Cocktail in Honor of Film Chief Zabu, an Ode to Donald Trump", New Times Broward-Palm Beach, October 26, 2016.

External links

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