Chief Zabu
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Neil Cohen
Nancy Zuker
Howard Zuker
Neil Cohen
Nancy Zuker
Howard Zuker
| Chief Zabu | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Howard Zuker Neil Cohen |
| Written by | Neil Cohen Nancy Zuker Howard Zuker |
| Produced by | Norman Leigh Neil Cohen Nancy Zuker Howard Zuker |
| Starring | Allen Garfield Zack Norman Allan Arbus Ed Lauter Manu Tupou |
| Music by | Andrew Asch |
Release date |
|
Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $187,966[1] |
Chief Zabu is a long-unreleased film that was written, produced and directed by Neil Cohen and Zack Norman (under his birth name, Howard Zuker).[2][3][4] It is a socio-political comedy about a New York real estate developer who tries to take over a Polynesian nation. The film starred Norman, Allen Garfield and Allan Arbus.[5] Production began in 1986 but, due to various issues, Cohen and Norman were unable to complete the film until 2016. It premiered at Laemmle Theatres' Monica Film Center on October 28, 2016[6][7] and screened a week later, on November 7, at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival ("FLIFF").[8] Trailers and clips are available through both Vimeo[9] and YouTube.[10] On August 16, 2017, Zabu's co-writer/directors were pictured on the front page of the New York Times Arts Section with a history of the film's unique and unusual journey.[11]
A long running advertisement for the film in Variety was the source of a recurring joke on Mystery Science Theater 3000.[11][12]
The film follows an ambitious New York realtor who dreams of political power and decides to accomplish this by taking over a Polynesian nation.
Cast
- Allen Garfield as Ben Sydney
- Zack Norman as Sammy Brooks
- Allan Arbus as George Dankworth
- Marianna Hill as Jennifer Holding
- Manu Tupou as Chief Henri Zabu
- Ed Lauter as Skip Keisel
- Joseph Warren as Arthur Keisel
- Betty Karlen as Linda Gato
- Shirley Stoler as Joan Ironwood
- Lucianne Buchanan as Monica Keisel
- Ferdinand Mayne as Seth the Butler
- Charles Siegal as Seth's Assistant
- Tom Nardini as the Gatekeeper
- Harsh Nayyar as the Prime Minister
Merchandise
At his TeePublic website, American entrepreneur Josh Abramson offers a T-shirt bearing an image of the Variety advertisement that ran consistently between 1985 and 1988.[13]