Peace and love, Atouk!

When it came to making good movies, The Beatles pretty much stopped that about the same time the four members retired as a group.

But should we make an exception for 1981's "Caveman?" The film, financed by George Harrison, featured Ringo Starr, a scrawny prehistoric man trying to get by in "One Zillion BC."

The movie is possibly best remembered because it's when Starr met future wife Barbara Bach, formerly famous for being the Bond girl in "The Spy Who Loved Me." But the flick also had Dennis Quaid, Shelley Long and former football player John Matuszak in prominent roles.

As most fans remember, very little dialog was spoken in English. Rather, a fake "caveman" language was used. (When Shelley Long did her audition, she spoke no words, preferring to grunt instead.) Only one character speaks English -- "Nook" played by Evan Kim ("Kentucky Fried Movie") -- but nobody knows what he's saying.

Ringo turns 68 years old today. When recently asked the media if he had a birthday wish, he had one request (no, not the release of a 2-disc special edition set for "Caveman"): "It would be really cool if everyone, everywhere, wherever they are, at noon on July 7 make the peace sign and say 'Peace & Love.' "

Comments

[Marissa]

At one point doesn't Barbara Bach get dropped in a steaming pile of dinosaur dung?
Drive-in flick. I'm sure I saw it at the now defunct Starlight? Skyline?Drive-in right here in Kankakee.

Peace & Love, dudes @ noon.

[Rosa]

Was that the movie where they tried to cook a dinosaur egg on a volcano or something?

[Matt]

Oh man -- I forgot all about this movie. Wow. This is one of those movies I'd watch on HBO about three times a week -- along with Superman 2, Flash Gordon, Super Fuzz and The Cannonball Run.

[CHAD]

the movie is pretty funny. at least what i remember of it. like matt said, i used to watch this flick all the time on showtime. its pretty funny to a 10 year old, but i dont know how funny it would be today. the fact that dennis quaid still has a great career, it cant be that bad.

[Bassnote]

Wasn't the reference to sex "zug zug?"

[Mike in Austin]

Funny Bassnote I remember the same thing:

"Atouk Zug Zug Lana" (I think). I believe he was doing the zug zug motion when saying the line.
From what I also remember is the tribe making music one night around a camp fire, accidentally of course.

[Rick]

What I remember most about the movie -- yes, seen at the Starlight Drive-in -- was that even despite Barbara Bach, me and my horned out friends were more interested in beer and high jinks.

Now, beer and high jinks were high priorities at the time, but a distant second to laughter and scantily clad women. I recall the highlight (ouch that hurts) being Ringo & Quaid getting a dinosaur high by dropping a huge load of pot into a volcano (?).

I guess George Harrison had just as much money to burn.

[jo]

At 12:00 Noon in Chicago today, thousands of people gathered in front of the Hard Rock Hotel waiting for Ringo who is celebrating his birthday there. He came out on cue & everybody did the peace & love thing.

[Neil]

I saw "Caveman" as a double feature at the Davis Theater in Chicago. I can't remember what the other movie was so maybe this movie didn't suck as much as I thought.

[Rick]

Think again, Neil. ;-)

[Blaine]

I liked it back in '84 or so when Ringo hosted SNL and appeared in a "Fernando's Hideaway" bit; I think Fernando brought up this flick.

[don in tulsa]

i think i saw parts of this film but not all of it. i wonder if ringo got any of the peace signs turned around?