Last Foxtrot in Burbank (1973) – Charles Band’s Forgotten Fever Dream

Lizzy’s Take:

Well, folks, I survived another one. Somewhere out there, Marlon Brando is ghost-screaming. Meanwhile, Michael Pataki is giving it his all, despite the fact that the script was probably scribbled on a cocktail napkin. Do I regret watching it? No. Do I understand what I watched? Also no.

👉 Recommended if: You love bizarre parodies, Full Moon curiosity pieces, or the idea of Shakespearean sex puns.

🚫 Skip it if: You prefer your satire to have structure, funding, or dignity.

Last Foxtrot in Burbank (1973) – Charles Band’s Forgotten Fever Dream

Before Charles Band became the king of tiny terrors and direct-to-video chaos, he directed Last Foxtrot in Burbank (1973), a movie so obscure that even Band himself probably forgot it existed. This Last Tango in Paris parody stars Michael Pataki in a low-budget, high-absurdity version of Marlon Brando’s iconic role. And by “parody,” I mean if Last Tango in Paris had been written by a group of drunk college students who just discovered slapstick comedy.

To be clear, this is not a good movie. It’s barely a movie. But what it lacks in coherence, it makes up for in awkward sexual humor, bad wigs, and the kind of low-effort jokes that make you groan and chuckle at the same time. Case in point: at one moment, a character deadpans, “To cum or not to cum.” Shakespeare is rolling in his grave, but I have to respect the commitment.

A Glimpse of Band’s Future (For Better or Worse)

While Last Foxtrot in Burbank isn’t officially part of Full Moon Features, it does share DNA with his later softcore fairy tale spoofs like Cinderella (1977) and Fairy Tales (1978). These were the training wheels for the Band brand—films where plot was optional, nudity was mandatory, and comedy was… well, attempted.

That said, Michael Pataki’s impression of Brando is bizarrely on point. The man commits. He treats this film with the same intensity he’d later bring to Halloween 4 and Star Trek: The Next Generation, which is either admirable or deeply concerning.

Should You Watch It?

Do you love Last Tango in Paris but wish it had more dick jokes and fewer production values? Congratulations, this is your new favorite movie. If, however, you prefer your films to have things like “structure” or “basic competence,” you may want to steer clear.

Final Verdict:

A fever dream of a parody that’s equal parts baffling and hilarious—but only if you’re in the right (possibly intoxicated) mindset. Watch at your own risk.

Sources:

• Muir, John Kenneth. Horror Films of the 1980s. McFarland, 2011.
• Towlson, Jon. Subversive Horror Cinema: Countercultural Messages of Films from Frankenstein to the Present. McFarland, 2014.
• “Last Foxtrot in Burbank (1973) – IMDb.” IMDb