Dreist und gottesfürchtig

Marty Feldman plays a meek monk who emerges from the monastery he's lived in all his life to get the money needed to save it. He travels to the big city and meets a number of characters who are obsessed with religion, money, or both. This movie manages to show devotion, delusion and hypocrisy with clarity and, yes, grace, while providing plenty of laughs. Blessed are the meek, for they get off easy in this one; the greedy and vicious are not so lucky. Andy Kaufman's performance as Armageddon T. Thunderbird is brilliant, chilling, and not to be missed.

This thing cracks me up.

I saw it on TV when I was a child.

My parents recorded it and it became a staple of my viewing choices while growing up.

I only wish they would have included the original opening title theme, "Good for God".

I was very disappointed when I finally got a new video copy several years ago.

I was poised for my traditional sing-along only to be presented with a new opening title.

If anybody has the ability to see the original, I would recommend it.

Either way, the movie is good for quite a few laughs.

Marty Feldman got another chance to write and direct a movie, and this one is a little less funny. Still, it provides a humorous view of televangelists and other religious organizations in their neverending pursuit of money over spirituality. Andy Kaufman, as televangelist Armageddon T. Thunderbird, is simply brilliant (which is not always the word used to describe him) and Feldman, Lasser, and Boyle also provide vivid characterizations. I enjoyed this film, even though Feldman gave Richard Pryor very little to do and the film runs out of steam near the end. Nevertheless, there are some big laughs, and any fans of Feldman should enjoy. Definitely worthwhile renting if you can find it. Not quite on the level as the equally irreverent "Life of Brian," but is quite good, too. My rating: 7/10 stars.

The late Marty Feldman's most notable directorial effort. The movie features an exceptional portrayal by Andy Kauffman of the Reverend Armageddon...who sports his blond pompador with great authority.

Most notable thing about the movie is the VERY clever writing. Much of the plot action is over the top slapstick, but sometimes the movie gets very sly and smart...especially when Andy is in the spotlight.

Fine funny performances from Peter Boyle and Louise Lasser.

"The meek shall inherit the earth" "Yeah, but only when the strong are through with it."

Religious types hate this movie and have tried to bury it with poor ratings. (Unfortunately, they've largely succeeded.) An example is the Blockbuster 1996 Movie Guide, which gives it one star (out of five) while, for example, giving the over-the-top, outrageously homo-erotic religious pic Ben Hur four-and-a-half stars.

Despite all the religious disinformation, this is a very well written, funny film. Marty Feldman is very good as Brother Ambrose, a painfully innocent monk cast into the devil's playground of L.A.; Peter Boyle is likewise good as Rev. Melmouth, a low-budget Jerry Falwell who takes advantage of Ambrose; and Louise Lasser does her best work since "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" as the heart-of-gold hooker who saves Ambrose from his religiously induced misery (to Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus").

In the end, the film does wuss out somewhat (no details -- I don't want to spoil it) -- it is a Hollywood film after all -- but it's still a stinging indictment of religious arrogance and hypocrisy.

If you're smart enough to resent the intrusive, authoritarian religious nuts who want to control your life (and everyone else's), you'll probably enjoy this film.