DAVID ZUCKER
David Zucker (born October 16, 1947) is an American film director. Zucker was
born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Charlotte, an actress, and Burton Zucker, a real
estate developer. He graduated from Shorewood High School. Zucker is married to
Dr. Danielle Zucker, with whom he has two children, Charles and Sarah. He is the
brother of filmmaker Jerry Zucker, brother of actress Susan Breslau.
Zucker's movies include The Kentucky Fried Movie in 1977, The Naked Gun in 1988,
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear in 1991, BASEketball in 1998, Scary Movie 3
in 2003, its sequel Scary Movie 4 in 2006, Scary Movie 5 (due in 2008).
He co-directed several films including Airplane! in 1980 and Top Secret! in 1984;
along with his brother, Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams, the trio make up the ZAZ
team of directors. He has also worked with Pat Proft (with whom he first teamed
up on the Naked Gun show Police Squad!) and Craig Mazin (writer of three of the
four Scary Movies).
ZAZ and Proft are renowned to have created the parody genre of films, in which
jokes are spit out with rapid-fire, using puns, physical humor, wit, and double
entendres. Some of the veteran actors of ZAZ's vision of parody include Leslie
Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Charlie Sheen, Julie Hagerty, and Anna Faris (who has
starred in all four of the Scary Movie series). In his movies, his mother is
often cast in a small bit part (like one of the Lucille Ball impersonators in
Rat Race, and Vincent Ludwig's secretary Dominique in The Naked Gun: From the
Files of Police Squad!).
David Zucker has stated that his dream project is a Davy Crockett biopic.
He mentioned his enthusiasm for the Davy Crockett project during an
interview in 2006 for the feature length documentary, "That Guy: The Legacy of
Dub Taylor", on the life of Dub Taylor, which has received support from the
Taylor Family and many of Dub's previous co-workers, including Bill Cosby, Peter
Fonda, Dixie Carter, Don Collier, Cheryl Rogers-Barnett, as well as many others.
The project is scheduled to have its World Premiere at Taylor's Childhood
Hometown of Augusta, Georgia on April 14, 2007. The project is from Executive
Producers Stokes and James Kicklighter from JamesWorks Entertainment and
Professor Pauper Productions. Part of his interview is on YouTube.
A campaign contributions search for Zucker, once a longtime liberal Democrat,
shows his first right-leaning contribution as US$2647 to ClubforGrowth.NET, a
website which hosts political videos including his initial anti-Kerry video.
This donation is in line with his change to the Republican party, and vote for
George W. Bush in 2004, all of which are reportedly due to his concerns over
national security.[citation needed] Further using campaign donations as a guide,
his brother Jerry apparently continues to identify as a Democrat. On October 10,
2006, the Drudge Report published a link to a political ad Zucker produced and
later appeared on Youtube. The ad was intended for use by GOP organizations, but
was considered too controversial by GOP Strategists. In a quote
from a Drudge Report exclusive:
In the ad, Zucker....recreates former Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright's 2000 visit to North Korea. During the visit, Secretary Albright
presented North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il with a basketball autographed by
former NBA superstar Michael Jordan.
The actress, Adele Stasilli-Fernandez, playing Secretary Albright is shown
presenting Kim Jong Il with the Michael Jordan basketball, painting the walls of
Osama bin Laden's Afghanistan cave and turning a blind eye to suicide bombers.
In one scene, her skirt rips as she changes the tire of a Middle Eastern
dictator's limousine.
One GOP strategist said "jaws dropped" when the ad was first viewed. "Nobody
could believe Zucker thought any political organization could use this ad. It
makes a point, but it's way over the top."
On October 23, 2006, a second Zucker video, was posted to
YouTube. This humorous clip suggests Democrats, if elected, would raise taxes
affecting all people, no matter their income level, age, or political
affiliation. On December 18, 2006, a third was posted, this time with the Iraq
Study Group in his sights. This video compares study group's recommendations
with that of the British appeasement of Hitler prior to World War II.
David Zucker (born October 16, 1947) is an American film director. Zucker was
born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Charlotte, an actress, and Burton Zucker, a real
estate developer. He graduated from Shorewood High School. Zucker is married to
Dr. Danielle Zucker, with whom he has two children, Charles and Sarah. He is the
brother of filmmaker Jerry Zucker, brother of actress Susan Breslau.
Zucker's movies include The Kentucky Fried Movie in 1977, The Naked Gun in 1988,
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear in 1991, BASEketball in 1998, Scary Movie 3
in 2003, its sequel Scary Movie 4 in 2006, Scary Movie 5 (due in 2008).
He co-directed several films including Airplane! in 1980 and Top Secret! in 1984;
along with his brother, Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams, the trio make up the ZAZ
team of directors. He has also worked with Pat Proft (with whom he first teamed
up on the Naked Gun show Police Squad!) and Craig Mazin (writer of three of the
four Scary Movies).
ZAZ and Proft are renowned to have created the parody genre of films, in which
jokes are spit out with rapid-fire, using puns, physical humor, wit, and double
entendres. Some of the veteran actors of ZAZ's vision of parody include Leslie
Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Charlie Sheen, Julie Hagerty, and Anna Faris (who has
starred in all four of the Scary Movie series). In his movies, his mother is
often cast in a small bit part (like one of the Lucille Ball impersonators in
Rat Race, and Vincent Ludwig's secretary Dominique in The Naked Gun: From the
Files of Police Squad!).
David Zucker has stated that his dream project is a Davy Crockett biopic.
He mentioned his enthusiasm for the Davy Crockett project during an
interview in 2006 for the feature length documentary, "That Guy: The Legacy of
Dub Taylor", on the life of Dub Taylor, which has received support from the
Taylor Family and many of Dub's previous co-workers, including Bill Cosby, Peter
Fonda, Dixie Carter, Don Collier, Cheryl Rogers-Barnett, as well as many others.
The project is scheduled to have its World Premiere at Taylor's Childhood
Hometown of Augusta, Georgia on April 14, 2007. The project is from Executive
Producers Stokes and James Kicklighter from JamesWorks Entertainment and
Professor Pauper Productions. Part of his interview is on YouTube.
A campaign contributions search for Zucker, once a longtime liberal Democrat,
shows his first right-leaning contribution as US$2647 to ClubforGrowth.NET, a
website which hosts political videos including his initial anti-Kerry video.
This donation is in line with his change to the Republican party, and vote for
George W. Bush in 2004, all of which are reportedly due to his concerns over
national security.[citation needed] Further using campaign donations as a guide,
his brother Jerry apparently continues to identify as a Democrat. On October 10,
2006, the Drudge Report published a link to a political ad Zucker produced and
later appeared on Youtube. The ad was intended for use by GOP organizations, but
was considered too controversial by GOP Strategists. In a quote
from a Drudge Report exclusive:
In the ad, Zucker....recreates former Clinton Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright's 2000 visit to North Korea. During the visit, Secretary Albright
presented North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il with a basketball autographed by
former NBA superstar Michael Jordan.
The actress, Adele Stasilli-Fernandez, playing Secretary Albright is shown
presenting Kim Jong Il with the Michael Jordan basketball, painting the walls of
Osama bin Laden's Afghanistan cave and turning a blind eye to suicide bombers.
In one scene, her skirt rips as she changes the tire of a Middle Eastern
dictator's limousine.
One GOP strategist said "jaws dropped" when the ad was first viewed. "Nobody
could believe Zucker thought any political organization could use this ad. It
makes a point, but it's way over the top."
On October 23, 2006, a second Zucker video, was posted to
YouTube. This humorous clip suggests Democrats, if elected, would raise taxes
affecting all people, no matter their income level, age, or political
affiliation. On December 18, 2006, a third was posted, this time with the Iraq
Study Group in his sights. This video compares study group's recommendations
with that of the British appeasement of Hitler prior to World War II.