Chicken Park Explained

Chicken Park
Director:Jerry Calà
Cinematography:Blasco Giurato
Producer:Galliano Juso
Distributor:Variety Distribution
Runtime:93 minutes
Country:Italy
Dominican Republic
Music:Giovanni Nuti
Umberto Smaila
Language:English

Chicken Park is a 1994 comedy parody film directed by and starring Jerry Calà that parodies various films, especially the 1993 film Jurassic Park.[1] The film is Calà's directorial debut.[2]

Synopsis

When Vladimiro's (Jerry Calà) chicken is stolen while he is in the Dominican Republic for a cockfight, he immediately begins trying to get it back. During his searches he discovers an entire zoo full of gigantic chickens.[3]

Cast

Production

The film was shot between Santo Domingo, L'Aquila and Rome.[4] It was filmed in English.[5] The budget was two and a half billion lire.[5] [6] The film marked both the directorial debut of Calà and the film debut of actress Alessia Marcuzzi.[7] It was also the last work as special effects artist for Antonio Margheriti.[8] Calà had previously announced his debut as director with a completely different project, a biographical drama film about Umberto Bossi and Lega Nord, Il Longobardo, that was eventually abandoned.[4]

Parodies

The film mainly parodies Jurassic Park but also references many outer films and cultural icons in some gags, such as The Addams Family, Home Alone, The Deer Hunter, Full Metal Jacket, Sister Act, Pretty Woman, Hot Shots!, and Edward Scissorhands. Moreover, Pope John Paul II appears as a washer.

Release

Chicken Park premiered at the 14th edition of Fantafestival, in which it entered the main competition.[9] Due to production problems, it was not released theatrically in Italy.[6] Broadcast by Italia 1, at its television premiere the film was seen by over 4 million people.[10] The film was released in Turkey on 5 April 1996 as Piliç parki and subsequently in Spain as Pollo jurásico.

Reception

Critical reception for the film was generally negative, with L'espresso calling the film "trash" and MDZ Online commenting that the film was of such poor quality that it had the potential to become a cult classic.[11] [12] Film critic Marco Giusti described the film as "supertrash", "more stupid than funny" and a film in which the best actor probably is Jo, the chicken owned by Calà.[13] According to film critic Paolo Mereghetti the film fails almost entirely to raise a smile and the English version of the film, with Calà self-dubbing himself, is a must for trash-lovers.[14] According to author Massimo Bertarelli, the film is just made of "exasperating drollery and depressing sloppiness".[15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Scheda del film Comico di Jerry Calà. Il Cancello. 25 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130302233451/http://www.ilcancello.com/film-comici/8408-chicken-park-jerry-cala.html. 2 March 2013. dead.
  2. Web site: When Comedy Fails: Two reviews by SC magazine contributor Mike Sullivan. 23 January 2008 . Shock Cinema Magazine. 25 February 2013.
  3. Book: Pino Farinotti . Rossella Farinotti . Il Farinotti 2012. Dizionario di tutti i film. 2011 . Newton Compton, 2011. 978-88-5413-182-8.
  4. News: Giovanna Grassi. Cala' : con i polli sfido Spielberg. 27 February 2013. Corriere della Sera. 12 January 1994.
  5. News: F. C.. Attenti al gallo, è un vero gigante. La Stampa. 10 March 1995. 27.
  6. News: Giovanna Grassi. Cala' : mi gioco Demetra contro Lorella. 27 February 2013. Corriere della Sera. 9 March 1995.
  7. News: Andrea Scalzi. Ero "bona" ora sono timida. La Stampa. 29 December 2005. 29.
  8. Book: Luca M. Palmerini . Gaetano Mistretta . Margot Winick . Spaghetti nightmares. 1996 . Fantasma Books, 1996. 09-6349-827-4.
  9. News: Roma capitale dell'horror: saranno le donne a scegliere il mostro più " bello ". 27 February 2013. Corriere della Sera. 8 June 1994.
  10. News: Alessandra Comazzi. Nell'orticello di Jerry Calà un gallo non è un dinosauro. La Stampa. 12 March 1995. 25.
  11. Web site: Joyas del "cine basura": "Pollo Jurásico", esas películas malas que da gusto mirar. MDZ Online. 25 February 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092133/http://www.mdzol.com/nota/350555-joyas-del-cine-basura-pollo-jurasico-esas-peliculas-malas-que-da-gusto-mirar/. 4 March 2016. dead.
  12. Book: L'Espresso, Volume 42, Issues 1-8. 1996. L'Espresso Publishing. 97.
  13. Book: [[Marco Giusti]]. Dizionario dei film italiani stracult. 1999. Sperling & Kupfer, 1999. 88-200-2919-7.
  14. Book: [[Paolo Mereghetti]]. Il Mereghetti. 28 May 2024 . B.C. Dalai Editore, 2010. 978-88-6073-626-0.
  15. Book: Massimo Bertarelli. Millecinquecento film da evitare. 2003. Gremese Editore, 2003. 88-8440-264-6.