Looking for a silly nautical / pirate movie from the '80s or early '90s

April 6, 2015 6:34 PM

The details I remember: the crew reach a Greek / Roman themed paradise (think togas and grapes and naked attractive people with palm fronds), and run away comically when they go to a concert which consists of weird noises coming from a clockwork / steam powered machine.

I'm specifically interested in finding this scene, which is the one part of the movie that stuck with me, and is significant for personal reasons.

I thought it was Yellowbeard, but I purchased the movie, and watched it, and there was no scene matching this.

I don't think it was Cabin Boy, the synopsis on Wikipedia does not mention a scene like this.

posted by idiopath to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

Was it The Pirate Movie?
posted by wintersweet at 6:44 PM on April 6, 2015

Best answer: Eric the Viking?
posted by pompomtom at 7:01 PM on April 6, 2015

The Pirate Movie was the first thing I thought of, but I can't think of a scene like that. My husband suggests Joe Versus the Volcano, but I don't think that's it.
posted by OrangeDisk at 7:01 PM on April 6, 2015

Erik the Viking?

But in that one, it is a horn that is blown.
posted by jb at 7:02 PM on April 6, 2015

There is very bad music in the paradise of Hy-Brasil.
posted by jb at 7:03 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

I'm pretty sure you're thinking of Terry Gilliam's Eric The Viking. The vikings visit a sun-drenched Mediterranean land ruled by Terry Jones in a toga, and terrible music is played on a big wheeled instrument made from, like, bones and saucepans.
posted by EXISTENZ IS PAUSED at 7:06 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]

Erik the Viking is a Terry Jones film (not Terry Gilliam) and while my memory of it is a bit hazy this line in the Wikipedia entry is promising: "Erik and crew are astonished to find it a sunlit land whose people are friendly (if musically untalented)." This is describing an island ruled by Terry Jones' character, and they have kind of a fairytale version of a Greek/Roman look going on.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 7:34 PM on April 6, 2015 [2 favorites]

Whoops, EXISTENZ IS PAUSED kind of beat me to the punch. Well, it's a little more info anyhow, and there's a link to that picture.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 7:36 PM on April 6, 2015

Response by poster: Yes, it was Erik the Viking! this was the scene I was thinking of.

Thanks all for the suggestions.
posted by idiopath at 10:55 PM on April 6, 2015 [1 favorite]