Following a disappointing creative venture with Universal on his feature directorial debut The Last Remake of Beau Geste, it would be understandable if Marty Feldman (Young Frankenstein) wanted to pack it up and move on from the studio. While his highly touted five picture deal would eventually dissipate, Beau Geste was actually an unexpected hit for the studio which allowed for Feldman to negotiate for “final cut” on his next feature. This creative control would at least make him a bit more excited to make his 1980 sophomore feature In God We Tru$t (Or Gimme That Prime Time Religion) – henceforth shortened to In God We Trust. Universal would come to regret giving Feldman the power they did, but they made up for it by setting the film up for failure. While critics were not particularly kind to it at the time, the truth is that comedy fans are lucky that we have at least another small glimpse into the absurdly hilarious brain of Feldman. This comic genius would never again get to direct a film before his death in 1982, but the legacy he leaves behind is ripe for reevaluation.
It cannot be overlooked how bold it was of the British Feldman to come to America and craft a story that excoriated the way in which religion was used as an entrepreneurial endeavor. Feldman could see as clear as day the direction the country was heading in this regard, and he devised a brilliant way to take society to task. Thanks to this, few comedies from this era feel as prescient today as In God We Trust. Before Universal started seeing red flags within the content of the story, they had to at least have been pleased that on paper In God We Trust seemed like a way more accessible film that The Last Remake of Beau Geste. Not only did you have a story that “dumb Americans” could follow on a thematic level, even if they did not pick up on the cultural criticism, but it was also told in a more straightforward manner than Feldman’s previous film. If you take a look at it, In God We Trust seems downright conventional. If Universal could not find a way to properly care for this picture, it does not seem like there ever was going to be a way for these two parties to work amicably.
In this story, Feldman stars as Brother Ambrose, a curious monk who has spent his entire life in the monastery without any clues as to what wonders the outside world holds. From the earliest moments in the film, you can hear Ambrose speaking with God and trying to understand why certain rules are the way they are. He is devout in his beliefs, but there is a small part inside of him that has questions. His world is turned upside down when he is tasked by the abbot to head to Hollywood to raise $5,000 to keep their monastery from closing. He is on a mission to find televangelist Armageddon T. Thunderbird (Andy Kaufman, Taxi), but along the way he meets an assortment of eccentric characters that affect his life in one way or another. For someone who has never so much as seen a woman before, every aspect of the world is mindblowing to him. The movie wrings a lot of laughs out of the naive man in the big city dynamic, but it rarely feels cheap or lazy thanks to Feldman’s nuanced approach.
Along the way, Ambrose gets taken for a ride and subsequently befriended by religious huckster Dr. Sebastian Melmoth (Peter Boyle reuniting with his Young Frankenstein co-star). Boyle is in an energized rare form as the con artist who finds it hard to give up the life of duplicity. A force for good for Ambrose is the “prostitute with a heart of gold” Mary (Louise Lasser, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman), who helps him navigate the real world while falling for his open-hearted way of living. Ambrose is a pure soul without judgement – though he is not above a cold shower – and their relationship is a very enjoyable aspect of the film. Feldman gets to have some real fun with Kaufman, who is a delightful chameleon as the unscrupulous religious figure funneling money out of the pockets of his followers. Even Richard Pryor gets to have fun as God himself, which was an incredibly brave choice for this time. Feldman is not as inventive or boundary pushing as he has been in the past with this film, but it still offers up a lot of great laughs while tackling the entire religious institution. With clever physical and spoken gags flowing throughout the runtime, In God We Trust proves to be a very enjoyable time with a smart message.
Video Quality
In God We Trust makes its Blu-Ray debut courtesy of Kino Classics with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that appears to be derived from a really solid older master that is in good shape. Instances of print damage such as nicks and scratches occasionally pop up, but overall clarity and detail is excellent. The presentation is enjoyable throughout most of the runtime with image stability and delineation being top notch. This transfer maintains the natural film grain of the presentation with only minor instances of it seeming a bit thick. The picture can run a bit soft in long shots, but colors are well saturated with the bright Hollywood hues coming through. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial features easily noticeable in closeup. Black levels hold up well with very little in the way of crush. This presentation is even a bit more impressive than The Last Remake of Beau Geste, and worth the wait for Feldman fans.
Audio Quality
This new Blu-Ray comes with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that features all of the sounds of the film quite well. This is a film that utilizes music really well, including the recurring song “Good For God” from Harry Nilsson that serves as something of a theme song for the film. This and all of the other music is presented with great clarity and a pleasing fidelity as they come through the room. The dialogue holds up wonderfully, coming through clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the hustles and bustle of downtown Hollywood to the rhapsodic celebrating during the moments of worship on the bus. The track avoids most instances of age related wear and tear or distortion. This is a track that represents the film in a solid manner. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary #1: Sledge Hammer creator and Feldman friend Alan Spencer once again provides a fantastic commentary track in which he spills all the secrets that Feldman is sadly no longer around to tell. While this may be Feldman’s version of the story, Spencer reveals some of the gags that were not realized from the script, delves into the trouble he got into with the studio, relays anecdotes from famous names like Mel Brooks and Peter Sellers, and so many more fascinating insights.
- Audio Commentary #2: Entertainment journalist and author Bryan Reesman provides another fast and furious commentary track with loads of trivia that guides you through the story. There is some overlap between the two tracks, but both are more than worth a listen.
- Trailers From Hell with Alan Spencer: A three-minute piece in which Spencer appears on screen to give a brief rundown of the history of the project and details some of the issues Feldman faced with the studio.
- Radio Spots: A minute-and-a-half series of oddball radio spots which may give you some insight into why the film did not do well. The marketing was atrocious.
- Image Galleries: There are image galleries focusing on the promotion of the film and other black-and-white stills.
- Trailers: Two trailers for In God We Trust are provided here. There is also a trailer for Feldman’s other feature The Last Remake of Beau Geste, also newly released by Kino Classics.
Final Thoughts
In God We Trust is not Feldman at his most daring or hilarious, but is yet another enjoyable entry from a talent we lost too soon. Those who take a less serious approach to religion and are comfortable laughing at the hypocrisy of the whole endeavor should have fun with the low hanging fruit. Kino Classics has put together a nice Blu-Ray release complete with a pretty lovely A/V presentation and some insightful special features. Comedy fans will want to pick this one up along with The Last Remake of Beau Geste to spend some quality time with a comedy legend. Recommended
In God We Tru$t (Or Gimme That Prime Time Religion) will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on March 16, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
