I always wanted to see The Gong Show Movie. As a kid, I was a big fan of Mr. Barris. I wanted to grow up to be just like him. He represented the ultimate in manhood.

Made near the end of the Gong Show's run in 1980, Chuck Barris made a critically lambasted vanity project about how much "fun" it was being the host of the program. Unlike Mariah Carey's "Glitter", Chuck Barris wasn't trying to make a masterpiece. He pretty much portrays a week in the life of himself. You get to see the "talented" contestants attempts to impress him to get a chance to appear on T.V. (some of whom were deemed too racy for the 1970's so this R-rated movie showcases performances that never aired). Wherever he goes, he runs into people who were smart enough to know that having zero talent was good enough to appear on The Gong Show; everyone is trying to audition for him on the spot with some zany numbers. Cameos by just about all his favorite judges appear (I liked Rip Taylor's hilarious role as a waiter) and there are some amusing numbers; especially the showstopper "Don't Get Up For Me". Although it's not a very good film, it's great to finally be able to see a time capsule of one of the most off-beat programs ever aired on the boob tube. My next wish: I want too see the "Best Of The Gong Show" on DVD. Now!

BTW, it was great to see "The Unknown Comic" again. The idea of putting a paper bag on your head while cracking horrid jokes was pure genius. I think he even had his own movie made in the mid-80's, too.