Rookies Run Amok

Rookies Run Amok (Les bidasses en folie, 1971) is Claude Zidi's French army farce, free to watch online on iFILM. Five friends want to start a band — then the draft notices arrive and scatter the dream.

Barracks replace the stage, and the comic troupe Les Charlots turns drill sergeants and military red tape into one long run of pranks. It was Zidi's directing debut and the first of the gang's service-comedy hits: loud, broad slapstick with no hidden depth and no apologies. Good fun if you have a soft spot for vintage French buffoonery. Stream Rookies Run Amok (1971) online on iFILM.