Nick de Semlyen

“Try to imagine what cinema would look like without them. Collaborating with behind-the-camera talents including John Landis, Ivan Reitman, Carl Reiner, and John Hughes-and fellow stars such as Tom Hanks, Robin Williams, and Golden Hawn-this new wave would produce a litany of big, brash blockbusters and evergreen oddities: National Lampoon's Animal House, The Jerk, The Blues Brothers, Caddyshack, 48 Hrs., Trading Places, The Man with Two Brains, Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters, Fletch, Coming to America, and Scrooged, to name but some. That list alone makes a compelling case that this period is as good as things have ever gotten for big-screen comedy.

Quentin Tarantino certainly thinks so. "I think the '80s is the worst decade, with the '50s being the second worst, in the history of Hollywood," the director said in 2015. "The only movies from the '80s that I find myself really, really hanging on to, oddly enough, are the silly comedies. They're the ones that you have the most affection for.”
― Nick de Semlyen, Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever

“The following February, Chan appeared for the first time on David Letterman’s talk show. “The number-one box-office star in the world,” hyped the host. “We’re not talking about here in New York. We’re not talking about Phoenix. We’re talking about the world.” An ebullient Chan, in a white turtleneck and black blazer, proceeded to smash a glass on Letterman’s desk before clambering onto it and kicking a succession of bottles toward the audience. Then, taking over the host’s chair, he barked, “Now—interview!”
― Nick de Semlyen, The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood's Kings of Carnage