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      Serial

      R Released Mar 28, 1980 1h 32m Comedy List
      60% 5 Reviews Tomatometer 77% 100+ Ratings Audience Score A man (Martin Mull) resists the California fads that his wife (Tuesday Weld), friends and Marin County neighbors embrace. Read More Read Less

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      Serial

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      Audience Reviews

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      Dave K Dated production that looks and sounds like 70s tv. And that's just half the fun! This hidden gem (took nearly 2 decades to be re-issued for home vid) still informs about the silliness of west coast new age spiritualism today. Yes it's still relevant. It's a bible for life when dealing with ridiculous progressives in the way Mike Judge's Idiocracy nails the zeitgeist of macho ‘Merica. Some of the funniest punch lines in movie history with a smart-alec cast. Mull at his snarkiest and Kellerman's character Martha slays…as does the rest of the cast. Endless one-liners, two-liners. Martha's wedding vows with Tommy Smothers as reverend: Martha: you-ness, me-ness, us-ness, we-ness, together-ness. And now, Bill, I'd like to hear where your head is at. Bill: Martha, thank you for pushing my buttons, for I am an asshole, which is neither good nor bad. It just is. Bam. Thank you, Serial. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/19/22 Full Review robert m A whacky little cult film that's still relevant to America in the 21st century. The "Me Decade" was the link between Woodstock and Wall Street. The bourgeois bohemians first appeared in places like Marin County. New "lifestyles" have developed with lots of pop psychology to "justify" the new narcissism. This movie is filled with caricatures but it delivers some social satire that's needed as the economy and the environment change. Have fun while the money lasts. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review mark v A wonderful movie that represents the "granola" culture of the 1970's in California. Terrific cast with clever dialog. If you grew up during this time you will love it!! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Serial hasn't aged well. The music, plot, and dialogue all were perfectly suited to parody the hippy dippy excesses of Southern California circa 1980. Now having someone's daughter run off and join a cult and constantly using the term "fag" are respectively anachronistic and unthinkable. While Martin Mull is still funny no matter what decade we're in, and some of the lines still elicit a chuckle, most of the movie belongs in the museum of "So that's what was funny 30 years ago?" Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Deliciously funny 1980 satire about a group of "me generation" folks looking for happiness with all the latest fads in Marin County, California. The terrific ensemble is led by Martin Mull and Tuesday Weld with standout perfomances by Christopher Lee and the always delightful Sally Kellerman. Loved it!!! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member A hilarious movie about family, fads, and the 70s. An interesting cast too, especially Christopher Lee, who is too funny. I highly recommend this comedy. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times ... for all of that, Serial just isn't very good. I think maybe that's because the characters are seen almost exclusively as caricatures. Rated: 1.5/4 Jul 22, 2019 Full Review Leonard Klady Winnipeg Free Press Serial is quite simply the funniest film of the year. Even though 1980 has nine months to go, I can't imagine anyone topping the wild, irreverent humor of this movie. I laughed so hard my sides hurt. Apr 7, 2022 Full Review Stephen Farber New West/California The games played by swinging young marrieds were satirized ten years ago in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, while the estian jargon was skewered more savagely in Semi-Tough. Serial fails to find new twists on these tired old jokes. Nov 4, 2021 Full Review David Cornelius DVDTalk.com The film is ruthless in bidding a not-so-fond farewell to the Me Decade. Rated: 3.5/5 Jul 15, 2008 Full Review Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice Serial is a whimsical parable about the burdens of always trying to stay up-to-date. Jan 29, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis A man (Martin Mull) resists the California fads that his wife (Tuesday Weld), friends and Marin County neighbors embrace.
      Director
      Bill Persky
      Distributor
      Paramount Pictures
      Production Co
      Paramount
      Rating
      R
      Genre
      Comedy
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Mar 28, 1980, Wide
      Release Date (Streaming)
      May 13, 2016
      Runtime
      1h 32m
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