Alright, fellow tapeheads, gather 'round. Remember those glorious days trawling the aisles of the local video store? Sometimes, tucked between the familiar action heroes and screaming queens, you'd find... something else. Something baffling. Something that made you squint at the cover, read the title twice, and think, "Wait, what?" Friends, let me transport you back to one such glorious discovery: the feathered phenomenon that is Jerry Calà's 1996 magnum opus (of sorts), Chicken Park.
Imagine pitching this mere three years after Spielberg changed the blockbuster game forever: "It's Jurassic Park... but with enormous, killer chickens!" Somehow, Italian comedy stalwart Jerry Calà, known back home for beach comedies like Sapore di mare (1983), not only got this poultry parody made, he wrote, directed, and starred in it. The sheer, unadulterated audacity is something to behold, captured forever on glorious, fuzzy VHS.
### Welcome... to Chicken Park!
The setup is pure B-movie gold. Vladimiro (Calà, playing his usual charming rogue type) owns a prize-winning rooster named Jo-Jo. When Jo-Jo vanishes, Vladimiro's frantic search leads him not to some disgruntled neighbour, but to a ridiculously sunny theme park in the Dominican Republic (where much of the film was actually shot on location). This park, the titular Chicken Park, is the brainchild of the cheerfully maniacal Sig. Sigimondi, played with gusto by the legendary Italian comedian Paolo Villaggio (instantly recognizable to Italian audiences as the creator of the iconic character Fantozzi). Sigimondi, in a blatant riff on John Hammond, has used Jo-Jo's potent DNA to clone gigantic, prehistoric-sized chickens. What could possibly go wrong?
Everything, naturally. And that's where the fun, such as it is, begins. Calà, pulling triple duty, infuses the film with his trademark blend of slapstick, romantic interludes (with co-star Demetra Hampton as the obligatory scientist/love interest), and a distinctly Italian comedic sensibility that might feel... unique... to international viewers raised on Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker spoofs.
### Low-Budget Mayhem, High-Concept Goofiness
Let's be clear: this isn't Airplane! (1980) or The Naked Gun (1988). The humour is broad, often predictable, and deeply rooted in Calà's specific comedic persona. But watching it now, there's an undeniable charm to its commitment to the bit. The film knows exactly what it is: a low-budget cash-in doing its level best to mimic iconic scenes from its multi-million dollar inspiration, but with poultry.
And the chickens! Forget sophisticated CGI; this is the realm of glorious, tangible absurdity. We're talking oversized puppets, possibly some forced perspective shots, and maybe even the occasional actor sweating inside a feathered suit. Remember the T-Rex jeep chase? Here, it's a giant hen waddling menacingly. The velociraptors in the kitchen? Prepare for clucking chaos. It’s precisely this kind of earnest, practical silliness that defined so many VHS-era oddities. There's a weird integrity to seeing the strings, metaphorical or otherwise. You can almost feel the crew working overtime on a shoestring budget, trying to make these ridiculous giant bird effects land with some kind of impact. It’s a world away from today’s seamless digital creations, and honestly? Sometimes, that palpable effort is half the fun.
### A Product of Its Time (and Place)
While the core parody target is obvious, Chicken Park also throws in references that might fly over the heads of non-Italian audiences. Calà even shoehorns in musical numbers for himself, because why not? It’s a strange brew, further flavoured by Paolo Villaggio’s delightfully eccentric performance, chewing scenery like it’s premium bird feed. Demetra Hampton, an American model and actress who found fame in Italy, does her best with a somewhat thankless role, gamely playing along with the surrounding madness.
Unsurprisingly, Chicken Park wasn't exactly a critical darling, nor did it set the international box office alight. It was a quick, cheap attempt to ride Jurassic Park's coattails, primarily for the Italian market. Finding a copy outside Italy back in the day often meant stumbling upon a dubbed version on a dusty shelf, making it feel even more like forbidden fruit. It’s the kind of film you’d rent with friends late on a Friday night, fueled by pizza and sugary drinks, ready to laugh at it as much as with it.
### Final Thoughts: Worth Hatching a Plan to See?
Chicken Park is undeniably silly, frequently clumsy, and packed with humour that hasn’t exactly aged like fine wine. Yet, there’s an infectious, goofy energy to it. Calà’s enthusiasm, Villaggio’s veteran comic timing, and the sheer nerve of the concept make it a fascinating relic of 90s parody filmmaking. It’s a reminder of a time when spoof movies didn’t need nine-figure budgets, just a ludicrous premise and a willingness to commit.
VHS Heaven Rating: 4/10
Justification: This isn't 'good' filmmaking by conventional standards. The jokes often misfire, the production values scream 'low budget', and its appeal is niche. However, for fans of bizarre spoofs, Italian comedy curios, or simply the weirdest corners of the VHS era, it offers genuine laughs (intended or not) and represents a specific, wonderfully strange moment in movie history. The 4 is for the sheer audacity, the committed silliness, and its status as a truly unique VHS oddity.
Final Word: Forget spared no expense; Chicken Park feels like they spared every expense, and somehow, that’s precisely its enduring, feathered charm. A clucking strange time capsule worth digging out, if you dare.