Sunday 30 January 2011

What The F*ck Is Jungle Burger?

Probably the most vulgar piece of animation I've ever seen, this Monday sees the release of the Bill Murray and John Belushi voiced Tarzan spoof, Jungle Burger, on DVD.
Before you watch the following videos I'd also better mention that they are unequivocally, 100% definitely, I'm really not lying...
All clear? Okay then, brace yourself...


Call me prudish perhaps, but what the fuck is that all about? An army made out of little dicks? A well hung Tarzan character with a loin cloth not really covering his modesty? Don't even get me started on the not so casual racism. I'm sure the question you're all asking is how and why did Bill Murray and John Belushi get involved with a film like this? 


Well, originally they weren't. It was a 1975 animation from Belgian cartoonist Picha that eventually found its way to the States in 1978, where the first thing they did was re-record the dialogue using American actors, namely the Saturday Night Live stars John Belushi and Bill Murray, as well as Brian Doyle-Murray and Christopher Guest. It was released as 'Tarzoon: Shame of The Jungle' until a lawsuit by the estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs caused them to drop the Tarzoon name. To add insult to injury, the voice cast also featured Johnny Weissmuller Jnr, son of the original on-screen incarnation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan.


I'm not saying we're all going to end up on a register for watching it, but does anyone else find that very unsettling? In fact, did anyone else see a swastika in their formation marching? Wasn't it just the same piece of animation played over and over again? So many questions and no-one to ask about it. Here's another one; why isn't it funny?


For some reason in the UK, they opted to change the title to the innuendo-a-plenty Jungle Burger, although I can't find any record of it finding a cinema release over here. Perhaps it's just me, but adult cartoons have never held much appeal. I'm guessing that it may be a generational thing, and that back in the 80's it was the height of fashion to gather your friends and watch this smutty oddity on grainy video. It's like Derek and Clive meets George of the Jungle.


Either way, the short clips I've seen have left a decidedly nasty taste in my mouth, and if you'll excuse me I'm going to go and look up comedy in the dictionary. I don't expect to see a photo of Jungle Burger.


If you'd like to experience this bizarre, some would say justifiably forgotten film for yourself, it's out this week on DVD.

1 comment:

  1. I thought it was quite cool and sometimes its quite refreshing to see something not wrapped up in political correctness

    ReplyDelete