John Candy
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| + | '''John Franklin Candy''' (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian known mainly for his work in [[Hollywood]] films. Candy rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the [[Toronto]] branch of [[the Second City]] and its ''[[Second City Television|Second City Television (SCTV)]]'' series, and through his appearances in comedy films, including ''[[Stripes (film)|Stripes]]'', ''[[Splash (film)|Splash]]'', ''[[Cool Runnings]]'', ''[[Summer Rental]]'', ''[[The Great Outdoors (film)|The Great Outdoors]]'', ''[[Spaceballs]]'', and ''[[Uncle Buck]]'', as well as more dramatic roles in ''[[Only the Lonely (film)|Only the Lonely]]'' and ''[[JFK (film)|JFK]]''. One of his most renowned onscreen performances was as Del Griffith, the talkative shower-curtain ring salesman in the [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]] comedy film ''[[Planes, Trains and Automobiles]]''. | ||
| - | '''''TunnelVision''''' (also known as '''''Tunnel Vision''''') is a satirical 1976 comedy [[anthology film]] featuring [[Roger Bowen]], [[Chevy Chase]], [[John Candy]], [[Howard Hesseman]], [[Joe Flaherty]], [[Laraine Newman]], [[Betty Thomas]], [[Phil Proctor]], [[Al Franken]], [[Ron Silver]], [[Tom Davis (comedian)|Tom Davis]], and [[Michael Overly]], with appearances by noted voiceover artists [[Ernie Anderson]] and [[Danny Dark]]. It was directed by [[Neal Israel]] and [[Bradley R. Swirnoff]] and produced by [[Joe Roth]]. | + | In addition to his work as an actor, Candy was a co-owner of the [[Toronto Argonauts]] of the [[Canadian Football League]] (CFL), and the team won the [[79th Grey Cup|1991 Grey Cup]] under his ownership. Candy died in 1994 at the age of 43. His final two film appearances, ''[[Wagons East]]'' and ''[[Canadian Bacon]]'', are dedicated to his memory. |
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| - | Although the title is repeatedly displayed in the film as being spelled "TunnelVision," it is frequently identified as "Tunnel Vision" in home video reissues and critical reviews. | + | |
| - | ==Plot== | + | |
| - | In the (then-future) year of 1985, a new [[television network]] called TunnelVision is entirely free of [[censorship]] (aided by a new Bill of Rights, written in 1983), and has thus become the most-watched channel in history. The president of TunnelVision (Proctor) is under [[United States Senate|Senate]] investigation led by a Senator (Hesseman) who wishes to shut down the channel due to its perceived widespread negative effects on the population. ([[Al Franken]], who in real life was later elected to the Senate, appears in one of the segments.) The bulk of the film consists of mostly unconnected bits: commercials, [[film short|shorts]], and [[movie trailer|trailers]] for fictional movies, shown during a Congressional Oversight Committee hearing as a representative day of TunnelVision programming. At the end of the film, the committee finds in favor of TunnelVision, but the network president is shot and killed by a crazed French chef who had been a [[running gag]] throughout the movie. | + | |
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| - | ==Segments== | + | |
| - | TunnelVision programming spoofs various popular films and television shows of the day, including: | + | |
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| - | * "Remember When": A [[game show]] where contestants must answer embarrassing personal questions truthfully or receive electric shocks. | + | |
| - | * "Young Peoples After School Press Conference": Henry Kissinger (Bowen) appears on a children's show and is upstaged by a foul-mouthed puppet. | + | |
| - | * "Get Head!": An action-adventure drama starring a disembodied head as an undercover cop. | + | |
| - | * "Secret Camera": A ''[[Candid Camera]]'' parody supposedly presented by the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. | + | |
| - | * "Ramon and Sonja": A [[sitcom]] containing many racial and ethnic stereotypes. | + | |
| - | * "Police Comic": A cop show starring a comedian who uses his routine to take down a sniper. | + | |
| - | * "The Pregnant Man": A film trailer. | + | |
| - | * "The King of TV": The president of a beleaguered network listens to pitches for terrible shows. | + | |
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| - | Various news broadcasts are also seen, as are commercials for bogus products and services. One [[public service announcement]] features a nude [[Dody Dorn]], who later became an [[Academy Award|Oscar]]-winning film editor. | + | |
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| - | The closing credits contain the following disclaimer: ''"This film is intended as a comic parody of commercial television programming. The persons and scenes shown are presented only in that spirit and not as a serious reflection of reality."'' | + | |
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John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian actor and comedian known mainly for his work in Hollywood films. Candy rose to fame in the 1970s as a member of the Toronto branch of the Second City and its Second City Television (SCTV) series, and through his appearances in comedy films, including Stripes, Splash, Cool Runnings, Summer Rental, The Great Outdoors, Spaceballs, and Uncle Buck, as well as more dramatic roles in Only the Lonely and JFK. One of his most renowned onscreen performances was as Del Griffith, the talkative shower-curtain ring salesman in the John Hughes comedy film Planes, Trains and Automobiles.
In addition to his work as an actor, Candy was a co-owner of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL), and the team won the 1991 Grey Cup under his ownership. Candy died in 1994 at the age of 43. His final two film appearances, Wagons East and Canadian Bacon, are dedicated to his memory.
Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "John Candy" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.
