Pretty Good

One of my all time favorites.

I'll tell you why so serious

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Having starred in the zany "Groove Tube", Chevy Chase then had a brief appearance in the wacky "Tunnel Vision", about a Senate subcommittee investigating Tunnel Vision, the first free network, in 1985. The channel features various loony shows and commercials, the sort of things that "UHF" later portrayed. Part spoof of '70s TV, part prediction of what the '80s would be, the movie's a hoot. Probably the funniest scene is Henry Kissinger (not the real one, obviously) getting interviewed on a kids' show where the puppet has a comment about Nixon. Along with Chevy Chase, also starring are John Candy, Al Franken, Tom Davis, Betty Thomas, Jane Curtin and Laraine Newman.So, in conclusion, the best movies ever made about TV are: "The Groove Tube", "Tunnel Vision", "The Kentucky Fried Movie" and "UHF".

This one is definitely a product of the 1970's with it's post- Watergate and Viet Nam cynicism. Perhaps it's a bit dated, but does a great job capturing the smarmy quality of TV commercials of the era, especially because it uses some of the best voice over talent of the time (Ernie Anderson, Danny Dark, etc.). Look for pre-fame bit parts by John Candy, Chevy Chase, Ron Silver, and director Betty Thomas.

I really wanted to like this movie. With a cast like this, I expected better. Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Howard Hesseman and more. The reason I picked it up was because Ernie Anderson plays Quant O'Neil, Tunnel Vision anchorman. He only appears a few times but he narrates throughout the movie.This movie suffers due to bad writing. I can't imagine that I would've thought this movie was funny even back in 1976 and stoned. I think I chuckled once, not sure when. It's really only worth watching to see these folks in their youth, before they became big and famous.

If you don't think today's American comedies have been dumbed down, you should give TUNNEL VISION a look. Crude and tasteless, extremely dated, but very, very smart. It's amazing how many jokes you miss because here, it's all in the writing. Sure, kids today won't get a lot of the 70's pop and political references, but if you actually paid attention in your history and political science classes (as well as TNN and TVLAND), it shouldn't be a problem. Can you say that about TOMCATS and AMERICAN PIE? The wraparound segments of a federal hearing pertaining to the effects on the nation for watching the Tunnel Vision network are eerily prophetic given the current Media Marketing Responsibility Act Lieberman and Clinton and Kohl are trying to push. Politically Correct viewers may balk at some of the bits on race, but the film skewers everybody, plus it's obvious that there's more going on then just a cheap laugh at different minority (and majority) groups' expense. TUNNEL VISION is more than just an old sketch comedy movie from the 70's, and it's sad that most modern comedies can't approach the cerebral humor on display here.