{"product_id":"surely-you-cant-be-serious-the-true-story-of-airplane-9781250289315","title":"Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNAMED ONE OF THE BEST COMEDY BOOKS OF 2023 AT \u003ci\u003eVULTURE\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eSurely You Can't Be Serious\u003c\/i\u003e is an in-depth and hysterical look at the making of 1980's comedy classic \u003ci\u003eAirplane!\u003c\/i\u003e by the legendary writers and directors of the hit film.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAirplane! \u003c\/i\u003epremiered on July 2nd, 1980. With a budget of $3.5 million it went on to make nearly $200 million in sales and has influenced a multitude of comedians on both sides of the camera. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eSurely You Can't Be Serious \u003c\/i\u003eis the first-ever oral history of the making of \u003ci\u003eAirplane! \u003c\/i\u003eby the creators, and of the beginnings of the ZAZ trio (Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker) - charting the rise of their comedy troupe Kentucky Fried Theater in Madison, Wisconsin all the way to premiere night. The directors explain what drew them to filmmaking and in particular, comedy. With anecdotes, behind the scenes trivia, and never-before-revealed factoids - these titans of comedy filmmaking unpack everything from how they persuaded Peter Graves to be in the movie after he thought the script was a piece of garbage, how Lorna Patterson auditioned for the stewardess role in the back seat of Jerry's Volvo, and how Leslie Nielsen's pranks got the entire crew into trouble, to who really wrote the jive talk. The book also features testimonials and personal anecdotes from well-known faces in the film, television, and comedy sphere - proving how influential \u003ci\u003eAirplane! \u003c\/i\u003ehas been from day one. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFour decades after its release, \u003ci\u003eAirplane! \u003c\/i\u003econtinues to make new generations laugh. Its many one-liners and visual gags have worked their way into the mainstream culture. This fully organic expansion of the ZAZ trio's fan-base, prompted solely by word-of-mouth, comes as no surprise to longtime fans. When all around us is in flux - laughter is priceless.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDAVID ZUCKER, JIM ABRAHAMS, and JERRY ZUCKER knew one another growing up in Shorewood, Wisconsin. While attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the trio founded a small theater known as The Kentucky Fried Theater in 1971. They moved to Los Angeles in 1972, which led to their first film \u003ci\u003eThe Kentucky Fried Movie\u003c\/i\u003e in 1977. ZAZ's next film was their breakout hit \u003ci\u003eAirplane!\u003c\/i\u003e in 1980, which remains a revered comedic milestone.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"St. Martin's Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50578698535186,"sku":"9781250289315","price":25.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_01e90854-2925-4c67-9298-8e750bf4b827.jpg?v=1731999918","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/surely-you-cant-be-serious-the-true-story-of-airplane-9781250289315","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}