The Once Over Twice: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension

(1984) Directed by W.D. Richter; Written by Earl Mac Rauch; Starring: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd and Robert Ito;

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Rating: **** ½

“…no matter where you go, there you are.” – Buckaroo Banzai

As a gawky, impressionable teenager, I wanted to be Buckaroo Banzai.  Oddly enough, I still do.  The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8^th Dimension chronicles the storied life of crime fighter, neurosurgeon, rock star, adventurer extraordinaire Buckaroo Banzai* (Peter Weller) and his crack team of misfits, The Hong Kong Cavaliers.  For me, it wasn’t merely entertainment, but a guiding influence on my formative years.  I recall placing this movie in heavy rotation during my video store days, much to the consternation of some of the clientele.  It became a staple, as my co-workers and I traded choice lines from the film.

* Fun fact: Perhaps channeling one of his most famous performances, Peter Weller is a bit of a Renaissance man himself, as an actor, marathon runner, performer in a jazz band (coincidentally with his co-star Goldblum), and professor of Literature and Fine Arts at Syracuse University.

Director W.D Richter commented that the filmmakers originally wanted the title to be Buckaroo Banzai, but the studio felt that the name was too strange, and insisted on The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (aka: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8^th Dimension).  In retrospect, this was just the tip of the iceberg.  When the producers saw Earl Mac Rauch’s script, they wanted a more straightforward action movie, resulting in a constant push-pull struggle with Richter to bring Rauch’s vision to life.  Richter mused that he ultimately won more battles with the producers than he lost, as evidenced by the final results.  In retrospect, the producers (thankfully) never had a chance to get the conventional action movie that they envisioned.

 

In our initial introduction to Banzai, he’s performing brain surgery*, while fellow doctor New Jersey (Jeff Goldblum) assists.  We don’t have much time to assess his surgical prowess before the action jumps to the desert, and his supersonic jet car.  The car’s test run literally takes a strange turn, as it detours straight through a mountain, thanks to Banzai’s oscillation overthruster.  This invention enables him to cross the boundaries of the 8^th dimension, a universe existing parallel to our own.   His achievement catches the attention of the United States government, as well as some residents of the 8^th dimension.  Weller handles the role of Banzai with ease, understated and likable, confident, but never arrogant.  

* Banzai glibly warns New Jersey, “…don’t tug on that.  You never know what it might be attached to.”

 

It’s almost an exercise in futility to describe The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai to someone who hasn’t seen it.  The film plays like the middle part of a trilogy, implying that you have some familiarity with the various characters and their prior exploits.  The labyrinthine plot concerns aliens known as Lectroids from Planet 10 (by way of the 8^th dimension), and Dr. Banzai’s efforts to thwart the Red Lectroids, who have waged war against the Black Lectroids.  Earth’s fate lies in the balance, as Banzai looks for a way to stop the evil Red Lectroids’ plans, aided by the Rastafarian-resembling Lectroid, John Parker (Carl Lumbly).  Amidst the chaotic action, however, there’s still time to reignite an old flame, with Penny Priddy (Ellen Barkin), his deceased wife’s twin sister. 

John Lithgow is especially memorable as the deranged Dr. Emilio Lizardo (a former colleague of Banzai’s father, Professor Hikita), whose body is inhabited by the Red Lectroid leader John Whorfin (one of the running jokes is that all of the Lectroids are named John).  He delivers some of the film’s funniest lines (“Laugh while you can, monkey boy!”), and it’s hard not to smile at his megalomaniacal rants, which were inspired by Benito Mussolini.  He’s flanked by his Lectroid henchmen John Bigboote (Christopher Lloyd), John O’Connor (Vincent Schiavelli), and John Gomez (Dan Hedaya).

 

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai is peppered with eccentric touches throughout.  These little details, too numerous to catalogue, reward on subsequent viewings and make the film so endearing to many and off-putting to others.  A few highlights include: the fanciful design of the jet car, obviously derived from a common Ford pickup truck; the President (Ronald Lacey), laid up in a hospital room and confined to a rotating bed while contemplating signing a Declaration of War: The Short Form; or a stray line of dialogue referencing a Beach Boys song.  Anyone trying to divine too much sense from the proceedings is missing the point

 

In the end credits, a sequel, Buckaroo Banzai Against the World Crime League, was promised, but never made.  Over the years, efforts to resurrect the character on the big and small screen, including a proposed television series, ended up going nowhere.  I would love to have seen where the further adventures of Buckaroo Banzai could have taken us, but I suppose we’ll have to resign ourselves to enjoying this one-of-a-kind bit of inspired lunacy.  Is this for everyone?  Nope, and that’s a good thing.  The film’s off-center sensibilities were never designed for mass acceptance, yet The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai managed to find its audience.  I may wonder how it ever got made in the first place, but I’m certainly thankful for it.             

November Quick Picks and Pans

 

The Hole (2009) My expectations for Joe Dante’s latest directorial effort were relatively low, regarding his film’s checkered history, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised.  Although The Hole was finished three years ago, it failed to find distribution in the States.  It was released theatrically in Europe, where it received mostly good reviews and performed reasonably well at the box office, but seemed to vanish without a trace.  That’s too bad, because American audiences missed out on a nifty little 80s throwback family horror flick.  It’s a nice little sleeper that compares favorably to other titles in Dante’s resume, with his trademark blend of light and dark elements.  It’s refreshing to watch a family flick that’s not afraid to go into dark territory that most similar movies tend to shy away from

Perhaps it was The Hole’s lack of bankable stars (Bruce Dern is the closest thing to a “big name” as Creepy Carl) that worked against it, although this didn’t seem to stop Super 8, which had a similar retro vibe, from becoming a hit.  Most of the story focuses on the younger performers.  There’s some nice work by the leads as Dane (Chris Massoglia), his pesky little brother Lucas (Nathan Gamble), and Julie (Haley Bennett), the girl next door.  The two brothers discover a padlocked trap door, covering a seemingly bottomless hole in the basement.  There are some good scares and suspense as we’re left to ponder what lies within the hole’s murky depths.  What secrets does it hide?  Now that The Hole is finally available on DVD and streaming, we can all watch and find out.  Don’t forget to look out for a (wordless) cameo by Dante regular Dick Miller about midway through the film. 

Rating: *** ½.  Available on DVD, Blu-ray and Netflix Streaming

 

Yobi: The Five-Tailed Fox (aka: Cheon-nyeon-yeo-woo-yeo-woo-bi) (2007) If Hayao Miyazaki had directed Lilo and Stitch, it might look a little like this.  This charming animated film by director Sung-gang Lee combines Korean folklore with a sci-fi twist.  The story focuses on a 100-year-old fox girl who befriends a group of aliens that have crash-landed on Earth.  Her capricious nature is the perfect metaphor for adolescence.   She detests humans, yet seems fascinated by them, using her shape-shifting skills to blend in as a student at a school for kids that don’t fit in elsewhere.  It’s an amusing, beautifully animated, frothy confection that will disappear the moment that it’s imbibed, but it’s sure fun going down.

Rating: *** ½.  Available on Netflix Streaming

 

 

Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) This truly unique entry in the Hammer Frankenstein series stars Susan Denberg (in her final role), along with the ubiquitous Peter Cushing as Dr. Frankenstein.  Frankenstein is still pursuing the elusive secrets of life, much to the chagrin of his fellow townspeople.  During the course of his latest experiments, he discovers a means of harnessing the soul, which he believes will be the key to conquering death.  Frankenstein Created Woman differs from the other Frankenstein films for a number of reasons.  Aside from the existential themes, the “monster” of the story isn’t monstrous at all, but alluring and genteel.  Instead of creating a disfigured creature, Dr. Frankenstein takes the body of a disfigured woman (and the soul of her wrongfully executed lover) and makes her beautiful.  What results is a conflict between souls, as she exacts revenge on the people that killed her father and framed her lover for the murder.  Even Dr. Frankenstein is more sympathetic this time around.  He’s still obsessed by his experiments, but seems genuinely concerned about the welfare of his latest creation.  There’s more emotional resonance as he watches the tragic consequences of her actions unfold.

Rating: *** ½.  Available on DVD

Iron Sky (2012) I was intrigued and frustrated by director Timo Vuorensola’s sci-fi comedy about Moon Nazis, which never quite lives up to its decidedly ridiculous premise.  At the end of World War II, Nazis left Earth for the Moon, establishing a base on the dark side, away from prying eyes.  Similar to the Martians in The War of the Worlds, they quietly observe, while plotting their ultimate invasion of Earth.  Considering the film’s modest budget, many of the computer-generated visual effects are stunning.  The designs of the moon base and Nazi machinery are rendered in fetishistic, loving detail, but much less effective are the awkward attempts at social commentary. Julia Dietze and Götz Otto are good as Nazi elite, and Udo Kier does his best, in a small, but wasted, role as the new Furor.  Stephanie Paul as a Sarah Palin-esque president and Peta Sergeant as her adviser are less effective.  It’s obvious from the DVD commentary that Vuorensola and his crew put a great deal of effort into making this movie with limited resources, but something seems to be missing from the finished product.  Many of the jokes fall flat, and the overlong third act plays like a dull Star Trek parody (not surprising, considering that Vuorensola’s first film was the appropriately titled Star Wreck).  Iron Sky isn’t nearly as funny or clever as the filmmakers seemed to think it is, which leads me to wonder if the movie could have worked under the guidance of someone more attuned to the subject matter.  Maybe making fun of Nazis should be left in the hands of Mel Brooks. 

Rating: ** ½.  Available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Cinematic Dregs: Howard the Duck

(1986) Directed by Willard Huyck; Written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz; Starring: Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones and Tim Robbins; Available on DVD.

Rating: * ½

“It always looked like a midget in a duck suit.  You couldn’t get around it.” –Willard Huyck (from George Lucas – The Creative Impulse, by Charles Champlin)

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I figured it was the perfect time to spend some time with a turkey… or, should I say, turducken (sorry, I should be ashamed).

 

I recall walking with my older brother in Westwood Village (a popular movie watching spot in West Los Angeles), and pausing to take in a huge billboard for Howard the Duck.  A huge duck bill and cigar thrust outward from the sign with pathetic Freudian urgency.  While we regarded the none-too-subtle advertisement, I commented to him that the movie would be a bomb.

“How do you know?” he asked. 

“I just know.” I replied. 

I don’t think it was any prescient ability on my part; I just tapped into the general consensus that most film-goers reached – the world was not ready for a movie about a sentient duck.  Taking into account Howard the Duck’s infamous reputation, I never felt particularly compelled to see the movie.  In light of Disney’s recent acquisition of Lucasfilm, however, I felt the time was ripe to give this one a look from a new perspective.  Was this an unfairly maligned cult classic or a disaster?

Howard might have been “trapped in a world he never made,” as the taglines suggested, but we’re trapped along with him.  Howard the Duck got its start as a relatively obscure series of Marvel comics by Steve Gerber.  Producer George Lucas introduced screenwriters Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz (who worked with him on American Graffiti) to the comics as the possible basis for a movie project, and the rest is history.  What we got was nearly two hours of tedium as Howard stumbled through various misadventures on Earth.  Although I never read the original source material, it was by all accounts relatively subversive, with a high degree of pop culture savvy; presumably everything that the movie wasn’t.  The script relies on awful duck puns (i.e., “Book ‘em, ducko”), in the place of actual wit.*  Trust me, even if you enjoy puns, your tolerance will be stretched to the limit. 

*Yes, I’m aware of the inherent hypocrisy of this statement, considering my opening paragraph.

Probably the most damning aspect of Howard the Duck, besides the weak story and tepid dialogue, is the way Howard is brought to life.  The filmmakers originally conceived it as an animated film, but instead opted for practical effects, utilizing a duck suit and animatronics.  Huyck conceded that they were limited by the effects limitations of the time, never quite attaining the suspension of disbelief that comes from a successful melding of artistic talent.  Instead, we’re left scratching our heads as a guy runs around in a duck suit.  Howard was played by several actors, but notably Ed Gale, who does his best with what he’s given.   

The human leads in Howard the Duck don’t fare much better than their avian counterpart.  Beverly Switzler (Lea Thompson), lead singer of the group Cherry Bomb, is Howard’s nominal love interest (yep, you’ve read that right).  There’s a sublime moment of unintentional horror when Beverly discovers a condom in Howard’s wallet.  The story reaches a nadir in the subsequent scene, when Howard and Beverly almost consummate their shared affections, coming awfully close to bestiality (not the sort of thing that usually turns up in a family flick).

Tim Robbins is wasted as goofball lab assistant Phil Blumburtt who helps Howard.  There’s an implied love triangle going on, but we can’t be too sure, since his character doesn’t display much in the way of ambivalence toward Howard.  He’s obviously (at least by the logic of this flick) a rival for her affections, but by the film’s conclusion, you’re still not exactly sure what Phil and Beverly’s relationship is.

The John Barry score is better than the movie deserves, lending an almost James Bond-like flair to the action.  The synth pop songs by composer Thomas Dolby are mostly forgettable, with the exception of the title track (co-penned by George Clinton), which will embed itself in your brain like a Naegleria fowleri.  Consider yourself warned. 

To paraphrase another Lucas movie, if there’s a bright spot in the universe, Howard the Duck is probably the farthest from it, but there’s one highlight worth mentioning – the stop-motion animation by effects wizard Phil Tippett.  His creation, an evil galactic overlord, looks a bit like a cross between a scorpion and Cthulu, and would have made Ray Harryhausen proud.  Unfortunately, its appearance towards the end of the film does nothing to erase the pain of the previous 90 or so minutes.  If you’re still inclined to check it out, you’re probably better off watching the clip on You Tube.

There. I’ve saved you the anguish of watching the rest of the flick. 

  You can thank me later.

 

I can’t help but imagine that someone could actually make a Howard the Duck movie work, but it would require a completely different approach.  It’s doubtful, however, that Disney (which coincidentally owns the rights to the Marvel catalog) would likely greenlight a sequel or remake (animated or otherwise) anytime soon.  As a result, we’re left with this $35 million example of lowest common denominator filmmaking.