The Day the Fish Came Out
A plane carrying a weapon more dangerous than a nuclear weapon goes down near Greece. To prevent panic, the officials go in dressed as tourists (who are dressed so casually that the pilots assume that they are all gay). The pilots are not to make themselves known and can't contact the rescue team. The secrecy causes a comedy of errors including the desolate Greek Isle deciding that since tourists have now arrived, they have to become touristy.
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TMDB Reviews
5 years ago
Those wild and crazy late 60s
Released in 1967, "The Day the Fish Came Out" was the next film of director/writer Mihalis Kakogiannis after his acclaimed "Zorba the Greek" (1964). This is a cautionary cold war satire that includes elements of "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming," "Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb," "Village of the Giants" and the goofier James Bond flicks of the 60s-70s, e.g. "Thunderball" and "Diamonds Are Forever."
THE PLOT: After NATO plane goes down near a desolate Greek island, the two British pilots wander around in their underwear trying to find the dangerous nuclear cargo they unloaded. Also looking for the weapons is an Air Force team that comes to the island masquerading as hotel entrepreneurs. The pilots mistake them as a group of gay guys due to their gaudy apparel and lack of female companionship. Once word gets out that the island may be the next hotspot, vacationers start flocking to the island in droves. The tourists include a man-crazy blonde (Candice Bergen) who sets her eyes on a member of the Air Force team. Meanwhile, a peasant couple find the most dangerous part of the cargo and threaten to contaminate the environment when they insist on opening it.
I saw this film a couple times on TV as a kid (at least the last hour or so) and it left a lasting impression. Seeing it again recently, it holds up pretty well. The build-up is a bit too long because the story doesn't really get compelling until the final 40 minutes, but the final act is worth the wait. Besides, the film is still fairly entertaining even during the slow build-up. I had a few giggles.
Some people have complained about the dancing & clothing of the vacationers and the Air Force Team, but the film depicts events in the near future. The year 1972 would've seemed futuristic in 1966 when the film was made. The strange dancing and apparel must be viewed with this in mind. Besides, these elements and the...