The Sex and Violence Family Hour was a Canadian television special made for The Playboy Channel. It’s an adult sketch comedy show in the vein of The Kentucky Fried Movie, and since it was on cable, they could show a little skin (although probably not as much as you would expect). It feels like it was meant as a vehicle for Murray Langston, who was The Unknown Comic on The Gong Show. Unfortunately, he only does one stand-up routine and spends most of his time without his trademark paper bag on his head.
This would’ve been largely forgotten if it wasn’t for the participation of a young Jim Carrey who acts as the “host” (although he appears in just as many sketches as any other cast member). Carrey’s knack for doing impressions (he appears as Ronald Regan in one sketch), weird characters, and generally acting over the top is already evident. It’s just that the material he’s been given isn’t funny. Because the writing is so weak, he works overtime trying to make you laugh, which only makes it more cringe-inducing.
The wraparound segments, where a pair of prospective producers go around to various networks pitching their new TV shows is kind of similar to Movie 43. Their shows include “Eyewitness Nudes” (a naked news show), a film noir parody called The Big Salami, a game show, and a soap opera spoof. Whenever things completely fall apart (which is often), they just cut to a random nude dancer, which was a good idea if you ask me. Other bits include a Benny Hill-style fast-motion chase scene, Langston doing a lounge singer act, and an S & M cocktail party.
The Unknown Comic provides the only laughs when he takes the stage at the very end. His set isn’t very long though, and the jokes, while funny, will be familiar to his fans. The rest of the show isn’t funny at all, but it remains an interesting relic of the early cable TV era.
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