The fundraisers for the annual Victoria Film Festival are a clever bunch. It was their ingenious idea to launch a “Quote-Along Classics” movie series at The Vic Theatre.
In November, the selected film was the loopy 1980 comedy Airplane! with Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, and Leslie Nielsen.
The disaster-movie spoof is among the outright silliest movies I’ve ever seen, filled with slapstick gags and groan-worthy puns. Remember these absurd exchanges?
- Hanging Lady: Nervous?
- Ted Striker: Yes.
- Hanging Lady: First time?
- Ted Striker: No, I’ve been nervous lots of times.
- Rumack: You’d better tell the Captain we’ve got to land as soon as we can. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital.
- Elaine Dickinson: A hospital? What is it?
- Rumack: It’s a big building with patients, but that’s not important right now.
- Rumack: Can you fly this plane and land it?
- Ted Striker: Surely you can’t be serious.
- Rumack: I am serious . . . and don’t call me Shirley.
It quite tickles my funny bone to imagine a theatre full of Airplane! fans calling out in unison: “And don’t call me Shirley!”
For the month of December, two Quote-Along Classics are planned, both family-friendly holiday-themed films.
- Elf (2003) with Will Farrell is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 1.
- A Christmas Carol (a.k.a. Scrooge), the 1951 version of starring Alastair Sim, will play on Saturday, Dec. 15.
Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m. Admission is $10 plus HST. Advance tickets may be purchased online or take your chances at the door.
- The Vic Theatre: 808 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC
