The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is something that cannot, and should not, ever be attempted to recreate. It's one of those bizarre mutations that came out of mid-80s Hollywood despite the machinations of mid-80s Hollywood. I love it and I never want it to change.
Not only is Peter Weller underrated as a actor, but the dude has a frickin’ PhD (and NOT an honorary one). It’s DOCTOR Peter Weller thank you very much!
Well, you and he may think a PhD is something special, but not one PhD alive is conscious, because I can prove everyone of them is not. Every PhD is afraid of me, because I have proved they have been formed as conscious as Frankenstein- alive with no age. Besides not one PhD can be in a conversation without telling you they have a PhD, it's like saying "i have a big dick, and you don't", and not one PhD has a dick (mind) that can match mine. Do you see any challengers? Well, do you? I will be right here, the only conscious human. Why am I the only conscious human? I am the 2012 Apocalypse, and every PhD allowed their TV to tell them, I did not happen, when I was written to be over 2,000 years ago. Logic begins at Zero, and you weren't, and neither was Peter. I am fact, and I have made fact 8-8-15 that moved Pope Francis to nearby NYC ten days later. Peter is fiction and the best he's moved is his bowels with his lips. I will be right here if Peter ever finds the nerve to face me LIVE. He won't, because PhD's are like JEWS, and all Jews are cowards. Check Twitter a few months before William Shatner donned a space suit to pretend to go into space when we are under a Dome, because I proved to him I am the 1st space traveler, the 1st man outside our Dome, and that JEW blocked me and his ego made itself prove to himself, that I was wrong. Shatner fears me like the plague- all JEWS do, because I prove JEWS are DEMONS, because no Jew has a right to call me anti-anything. The fact they think they can, makes them DEMONIC. I will be right here Jew. I will be right here PhD. I am fact and in my presence you are fiction.
His true identity is shrouded in mystery, Mr President. All I'm saying, and I hope that I speak for everyone here, is that I am scared. I'm barely holding on to my fudge.
I remain heartbroken that this didn’t become a series of movies. Glad to hear the nod to Adam Ant (I always felt it). I still think there was a big Doc Savage vibe to the work (I read all the Doc Savage books as a kid). Nobody but Peter Weller could have played the role.
John Lithgow absolutely is a Top Tier actor. I’ve never seen him “phone in” a performance. He makes everyone around him better and still shines brightest.
Buckaroo Banzai remains to this day one of my favorite movies of all time. I was 8 yrs old when it came out and I am 46 in a month from now. It remains one of the defining movies of my life.
@illuminator777 No beef... I'm the one that upvoted your comment, since it is an absolutely correct observation, albeit a very obvious one. Are you one of the pedantic, easily offended 'guys' that takes any correction as a personal attack? Thanks for the confrontational response, and baiting me to waste 30 seconds on a reply.
Buckaroo Banzai is a great great movie. If you get it you will love this movie. If you don't get it then your brain will hurt by the time the movie is over.
He’s not only an impressive actor and director, he has a PhD in Italian Renaissance Art History. I loved Buckaroo and was disappointed when they didn’t make a sequel.
Don't overthink it. Just watch it. Repeatedly. You'll figure it out, without help from anybody. And then you'll know joy better. And you'll deserve it.
Buckaroo Banzai is hands down one of the most entertaining and incredible movies ever made. That it got made at all is amazing, it never would today. I've watched it at least a dozen times and never tire of it. How many movies can you honestly say that about? And it has some of the most classic quotes since Casablanca with of course the best being "don't be mean, we don't have to be mean, because remember, no matter where you go...there you are". I've seen the entire quote, and more often the last eight words, repeated in various places all over the world. And how many movies can you say that about too? I don't care what other movies or tv shows he's been in, or that he has a PhD and taught college courses in real life, to me Peter Weller will first and foremost always be Buckaroo Banzai.
This movie is in my Scifi collection of DVDs and gets a regular watch from me. I love movies that don't take themselves seriously and this certainly fits that description.
One of my all-time favorite films. Dr. Buckaroo Banzai was more than a great character, he was an inspiration. I always wished I could be a "Blue Blazer regular."
There has never been a film like The Adventures Buckaroo Banzai, it's like a tootsie roll of all your favorite, weird, bizarre, fun, funny, witty, nerdy fantastical flavors all rolled up in one. I'm from the generation of TV Guide and not even that circular could adequately describe what the heck this is 😂 I remember watching this film back in the 1984 and it came on the late late show and I caught it somewhere around 15/20 minutes into and I knew immediately this was going to forever be apart of my life journey and a film I would never forget. Wes Andersen's 'Life Aquatic w Steve Zissou' is chock full of references to this film. The cast was the perfect assemble of wacky wafers right down to the adorable little Scooter Lindley. To this day whenever I watch this film I'm still in child like awe of it. Thanks for the post Chief!
I saw Mr. Weller introduce the movie at a screening. He said Rauch had a bible like 3 inches thick about BB, and he said he skipped that and went with "Adam Ant". The original novelization is fantastic, btw - it's like reading Book 22 of the series, with footnotes referencing other adventures, it explains the watermelon, and more.
I LOVE this movie! I've been quoting it for years and most people don't get it . When they do, it's a weird bond. Wherever you go, there you are, It's not my planet, monkeyboy! And I still have a serious crush on Peter Weller, as anyone of taste would.😘
I had a guy waiting by my truck one day at Walgreen's and I thought he smashed into it but he just wanted to say he though Buckaroo was the best movie ever. I have a vinyl cutout with the Dr saying "Laugh while you can monkey boy" on my vent window.
Buckaroo Banzai is my 2nd favorite all-time movie behind only the incomparable Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Great cast, great writing, great music, funny little details in all the sets, and just hilarious. I saw it twice in the theater and I've bought it on both VHS and DVD as time has moved on. Truly, this is a great movie and I hope it picks up a new generation of fans :)
Years ago, when I found the VHS of this film at a local discount store I almost wept! Still one of the few movies I know by heart and can quote whole scenes from...
I wanted to see it but my gf at the time insisted on seeing Dreamscape (she loved Dennis Quaid lol). A couple of weeks later BB had already been pulled from the local theater and I had to wait for the video release. Needless to say we rented it and loved it, but to this day I wish I had seen it on the big screen.
@@chiefscheider I worked in a "2nd run" theater that brought it back quite a few times. such a classic- good reminder to watch it again, it's been quite a few years
I have no less than 5 copies of the movie on DVD, two tshirts, a movie poster, a fridge magnet, several cosplay identification badges, quite a few pins, a copy of the Marvel comic book adaptation and the topper is a YoYodyne Propulsion Systems coffee mug. To this day the movie remains my favorite of all time. I might attend a Comic-con soon and get a pic with Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller). Buckaroo Banzai was my first real action hero even before they were called that. Peter Weller in an interview once said Buckaroo isn't a superhero and is made better by the people he surrounds himself with. Those hard rockin' Hong Kong Cavaliers, Buckaroos most trusted inner circle. Turning 60 this year reminds me that next year the movie celebrates its fortieth anniversary. I even have my eye on an Oscillation Overthruster. Well as of this moment, for my 60th Birthday I now actually own a genuine Oscillation Overthruster. In my opinion the holy grail of prop replicas. Mr. Peter Weller you will always be my favorite actor who in this movie could not place in any one movie genre. No matter where you go, there you are.
Dr. Weller is one of my all-time favorites. I have watched this movie 50+ times (I have it in my VuDu library) and can still come away with small things I had not seen before. Back in the 90s, when I was fresh out of Coast Guard OCS, I reported to my new duty station in Alameda. I found that my new boss had a Ford AeroStar Van with the bumper sticker "No Matter Where You Go, There You Are." We got along great!
I love this movie! The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is extremely underrated. It doesn’t get nearly enough love and attention! Also, I can totally see Adam Ant in Buckaroo’s character now that Peter Weller explained where he got the inspiration from. Wry cool indeed. 👍🏻😎
I so love this movie. I didn’t get to see it in a theater (poor me) but I have seen it every time I am able to find it on the TV. I was a big fan of the Doc Savage series of novels in my early and mid-teens and somehow this movie seemed to plug right in to that. Doc Savage (genius, perfect physical specimen - nearly superhuman, world class surgeon, scientist, on-and-on) and his group of five (?) associates - each an expert in a different field, all adventurers and evil-fighters. Buckaroo Bonzai was not exactly the same as Doc Savage, but was brilliant and Uber-talented in his own way, and surrounded by his own group of devoted good-doers. How I so expected to be treated to not one but several sequels. Dang it!
When I saw Buckaroo Bonzai on Betamax or VHS around 1985, it clicked because it felt like the days when my group of friends were outside pretending there was some alien invasion, unrelated to any existing sci-fi property. Each kid was fully immersed in the scenario, to the point we could almost see what we were interacting with in our imaginations, and each of us making up our characters as we went based on some exaggeration of our own interests. We were all different in some ways, but all completely bought into this pretend world unfolding in that place where our backyards all connected. Each of us trying to one up the other's with some extraordinary talent belonging to our character, so we could contribute to saving the day. We were all completely oblivious to the absurdity of our playing and just loved the moment. No two days of this type of imaginative play would ever be repeated. I can't say I was a diehard fan, but to me the movie never needed an explanation, and it was entertaining.
I never felt so betrayed after leaving the theatre where they put at the end "Buckaroo Banzai will return in..." and...nothing happened. I loved this movie.
AMEN! I would always use the line "No matter where you go, there you are." on my kids for years & they were always like WTF does that mean? Then one day I was watching BB & my son came in & started watching it with me & right before he says that line, I asked my son, remember my golden pearl of wisdom (that's what I called that quote)? He said yes & then BB said it & he went nuts because all this time my "wisdom" was from this movie. Which he really enjoyed BTW.
There isn't a single frame of Buckaroo Banzai that I don't positively adore. I must've seen it 30 times and it never loses its charm. I only wish they would've made a sequel!
I saw it in the theater when it was released in 84. Will never forget it. Saw it at the Fayette Mall in Lexington, Kentucky. I watch it 3 or 4 times a year and now my son loves it as well.
Louisville here! (the late, lamented Showcase Cinemas). I think I got my dad to bring me to two showings. Dad was born in 1939, and had already turned me on to a cassette of the War of the Worlds radio broadcast (I have since performed it as an actor in a staged reading, which is on TH-cam). My only memory of dad's reaction was "The drummer has an UZI!!!!"
I got to see Buckaroo Banzai in the theater as a kid. I loved it, though there were parts I couldn't quite follow. There was just so much to it. After reading the Marvel Comics adaptation and seeing it a couple more times on VHS I finally got it, and that's when I became a true fanatic (and collector of books, memorabilia, and doesn't versions of the movie). Several years ago, a good friend and fellow Blue Blaze Irregular once gave me an original Team Banzai promotional headband from just before the movie hit theaters. I had to fight back tears. When I got a 3D printer, I made him an oscillation overthruster.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Mr. Weller and everyone who made BB a movie. I have never tired of watching it and regularly accost respected friends with it. I cannot thank you all enough. ...still waiting for the sequel though... .. .
Peter Weller, thanks for one of the most memorable movies of all time. I’ve seen Buckaroo Banzai at least a dozen times start to finish. Such a fun time, every time. Signed, John Papwithanhatchet.
This isn't enough for me. I need to hear the complete interview. I love Peter Weller and could listen to him talk for days. I really wish I could get my hands on some authentic Buckaroo Banzai material. This movie deserved and deserves a sequel, or something.
I was 18 years old and saw this movie in the theater when it came out. People often say this or that movie "changed their life," but no joke, this one really did change mine. Thank you, Peter Weller!
One of the reasons why Buckaroo Banzai remains prominent in geek culture is its sincerity. It has more in common with Miami Connection than The Room or Birdemic. Granted, Buckaroo Banzai wasn't made by amateurs. The film has a love for pulp sci-fi while not being afraid to poke fun at the genre. It does that in a respectful manner rather than in a mocking tone.
Weller you are one of all time great actors of American Cinema. You have had such an astounding career and phenomenal characters, I’m overstating the obvious. Your character and movie choices were spot on, hopefully not finished quite yet, but we all deserve a retirement at some point. Thank you sir.
"Laugh while you can, MonkeyBoy" This film is certainly a litmus test. Thanks for posting this - it led me to Elia Kazan, who I had not learned about before. Also, for Peter Weller fans who may not have seen it, PW also played John Paxton, one of the most three-dimensional villains in Star Trek, in what many consider the true series finale of Enterprise.
One of the ways I've heard it described is that it's designed to feel like a middle episode of a larger series that doesn't exist, as if you were to pick up one issue of a comic book you've never heard of.
I was so taken by that film. Of course it was absurd, but it was done for us. The cast is legendary and I still get excited when I think about Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers. Tnx for the interview.
I worked at UCLA the humanities when Peter was getting his PHD in Art History, the faculty liked what he was doing in Art History. That's how he got his Doctorate, but they didn't even know he was an actor. He had a late night showing of ROBOCOP , for just the faculty and grad students, because they had now idea about his other career.
I had the honor of serving as his driver for one of his many productions. It was an era of delightful oddities. Pure, ardent, driven, funny, and so freaking smart. A troublemaker made from the finest cloth.
Buckaroo Banzai was an homage to classic pulp fiction, whereas a future generation got Venture Bros as a pastiche of pulp fiction. I wish we had gotten more Buckaroo Banzai, but I'm thankful for what we got!
"Buckaroo" is one of my all-time favorite films. I have the novel, the Blu-ray, the comics, a framed mini poster over my computer desk with a Banzai Institute Visitor pass clipped onto it, my 22-song extended soundtrack and a fading T-shirt that I need to needs a replacement. So yeah, I'm a fan. The film is a classic. Totally agree that Lithgow nailed the role of Lizardo perfectly.
I heard or read a review once that pointed out that the film drops the audience into a world as if there is already a lot of assumed knowledge, but it never explains the assumed knowledge. Kind of like if you'd never read a comic book or seen a comic movie in your life and someone showed you Avengers: Endgame. I freaking love this film. One year recently for my birthday, my best friends and I ordered pizza and watched Buckaroo Banzai, and it was an awesome day.
My dad and I really looked forward to seeing this but by the time we got to the theater had removed it due to bad feedback. By the time I got to see it, it was on HBO and I didn't understand it very well. 40+ years late I'm going to have to watch it again!
Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers always reminded me of Doc Savage and his group of scientific crime fighters. Loved this movie. Always wanted to see him fight the World Crime League.
I love how Peter Weller still enthusiastically embraces his work in a movie like Buckaroo despite going on to make much more 'serious' movies. A brilliant guy.
Wow, listening to him talk about this is amazing. There is so much depth to what he is saying. It is light years beyond the normal drivel you get out of a lot of current actors who are nothing more that talking heads. How many people go on to get PhDs in renaissance art later in life like he did?
Mr. Weller, I met you on the Sony lot in 2007 when you were directing an episode of Las Vegas, and I was a previz supervisor on Disney's G-Force. You generously spoke for a good 5 or 10 minutes about art and film, and I pray you had no idea what sort of crazed fan-boy you were talking to! Buckaroo was my hero as a kid, and the film helped me get through some troubling times. To this day, there has never been anything quite like that character, and I don't believe anyone else could have embodied the uniquely 80s-style, pop-culture confluence of ideas the way you did. Thank you for RoboCop, Naked Lunch and a host of other films... but more than anything, thank you - and everyone else involved with the film - for your singular and inimitable portrayal of Buckaroo Banzai. PS - I actually live near the Sepulveda Dam [but not by design, just coincidence!]
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is something that cannot, and should not, ever be attempted to recreate. It's one of those bizarre mutations that came out of mid-80s Hollywood despite the machinations of mid-80s Hollywood. I love it and I never want it to change.
Well said. A beautiful monster that gets better and better.
Amen, brethren!
That's the kind of statement that might put the Russians on edge, they're sort of trigger happy as it is.
Weller is so underrated.
He'd tell you so himself.
Even loved him in Screamers.
He was ALMOST the lead in BASIC INSTINCT
Massively underrated.
I'm trying to remember what of and where he is/was a Professor at
Not only is Peter Weller underrated as a actor, but the dude has a frickin’ PhD (and NOT an honorary one). It’s DOCTOR Peter Weller thank you very much!
Well, you and he may think a PhD is something special, but not one PhD alive is conscious, because I can prove everyone of them is not. Every PhD is afraid of me, because I have proved they have been formed as conscious as Frankenstein- alive with no age. Besides not one PhD can be in a conversation without telling you they have a PhD, it's like saying "i have a big dick, and you don't", and not one PhD has a dick (mind) that can match mine. Do you see any challengers? Well, do you? I will be right here, the only conscious human. Why am I the only conscious human? I am the 2012 Apocalypse, and every PhD allowed their TV to tell them, I did not happen, when I was written to be over 2,000 years ago. Logic begins at Zero, and you weren't, and neither was Peter. I am fact, and I have made fact 8-8-15 that moved Pope Francis to nearby NYC ten days later. Peter is fiction and the best he's moved is his bowels with his lips. I will be right here if Peter ever finds the nerve to face me LIVE. He won't, because PhD's are like JEWS, and all Jews are cowards. Check Twitter a few months before William Shatner donned a space suit to pretend to go into space when we are under a Dome, because I proved to him I am the 1st space traveler, the 1st man outside our Dome, and that JEW blocked me and his ego made itself prove to himself, that I was wrong. Shatner fears me like the plague- all JEWS do, because I prove JEWS are DEMONS, because no Jew has a right to call me anti-anything. The fact they think they can, makes them DEMONIC. I will be right here Jew. I will be right here PhD. I am fact and in my presence you are fiction.
@@markjaycox8811 take your meds buddy, and Jesus Christ is a Jew
His true identity is shrouded in mystery, Mr President. All I'm saying, and I hope that I speak for everyone here, is that I am scared. I'm barely holding on to my fudge.
I remain heartbroken that this didn’t become a series of movies. Glad to hear the nod to Adam Ant (I always felt it). I still think there was a big Doc Savage vibe to the work (I read all the Doc Savage books as a kid). Nobody but Peter Weller could have played the role.
Yea, it was sort of a Doc Savage for the 1980s. Great movie that should have been a series.
Anyone who has read the Doc Savage novels IMMEDIATELY understood that's what was going on with Buckaroo Bonzai. (At least I did.)
John Lithgow absolutely is a Top Tier actor. I’ve never seen him “phone in” a performance. He makes everyone around him better and still shines brightest.
He was brillant in this.
@@martinbrown2268 "hold my overthruster!"
Buckaroo Banzai remains to this day one of my favorite movies of all time. I was 8 yrs old when it came out and I am 46 in a month from now. It remains one of the defining movies of my life.
The shortest description for this movie: functional chaos that accidentally found purpose.
A girl named John?
The one thing Buckaroo Banzai does really really well is make me wish there was more Buckaroo Banzai movies out there.
The comic books were quite good.
Weller actually holds a PhD in Italian Renaissance art history. One of the few celebrities that holds a real PhD, not an honorary degree.
I remember him on history channel doing documentaries about European history.
I would say one of the only ones Worthy of holding a PHD.
I've met tons of "real" ones that were still absolute morons.
@@Rensune True. A college education doesn't mean you are intelligent or functional.
@illuminator777 It's true, that the statement should have been qualified with 'necessarily'... but you know exactly what they meant.
@illuminator777 No beef... I'm the one that upvoted your comment, since it is an absolutely correct observation, albeit a very obvious one. Are you one of the pedantic, easily offended 'guys' that takes any correction as a personal attack? Thanks for the confrontational response, and baiting me to waste 30 seconds on a reply.
It’s a movie that, when it’s over you say both “ What the hell did I just watch?” & “I can’t wait to see it again!”
It’s got an amazing cast too.
Buckaroo Banzai is a great great movie. If you get it you will love this movie. If you don't get it then your brain will hurt by the time the movie is over.
He’s not only an impressive actor and director, he has a PhD in Italian Renaissance Art History. I loved Buckaroo and was disappointed when they didn’t make a sequel.
I legit was stoked for the Against the World Crime League sequel
Don't overthink it. Just watch it. Repeatedly. You'll figure it out, without help from anybody. And then you'll know joy better. And you'll deserve it.
Buckaroo Banzai is hands down one of the most entertaining and incredible movies ever made. That it got made at all is amazing, it never would today. I've watched it at least a dozen times and never tire of it. How many movies can you honestly say that about? And it has some of the most classic quotes since Casablanca with of course the best being "don't be mean, we don't have to be mean, because remember, no matter where you go...there you are". I've seen the entire quote, and more often the last eight words, repeated in various places all over the world. And how many movies can you say that about too?
I don't care what other movies or tv shows he's been in, or that he has a PhD and taught college courses in real life, to me Peter Weller will first and foremost always be Buckaroo Banzai.
This movie was just so friggin FUN, was a wild ride.
" it would never be made today".
I won't even attempt to think of a "woke" version of this movie.
I wore out 2 VHS copies and 1 DVD. On my 2nd DVD now.
This is truly a stand-alone, one-of-a-kind film. As Mr. Weller says, "Even I didn't know what is was about." But it's so much fun.
the most underrated hero flick of the 80's . I love Buckaroo always have always will!
no matter where ya go.....there ya are...... i still use that today !!!
This quote is on the Star Trek Enterprise D's Plaque on the bridge.
@@bakersnuts100 ....no waaay
This movie is in my Scifi collection of DVDs and gets a regular watch from me. I love movies that don't take themselves seriously and this certainly fits that description.
One of my all-time favorite films. Dr. Buckaroo Banzai was more than a great character, he was an inspiration. I always wished I could be a "Blue Blazer regular."
There has never been a film like The Adventures Buckaroo Banzai, it's like a tootsie roll of all your favorite, weird, bizarre, fun, funny, witty, nerdy fantastical flavors all rolled up in one. I'm from the generation of TV Guide and not even that circular could adequately describe what the heck this is 😂 I remember watching this film back in the 1984 and it came on the late late show and I caught it somewhere around 15/20 minutes into and I knew immediately this was going to forever be apart of my life journey and a film I would never forget. Wes Andersen's 'Life Aquatic w Steve Zissou' is chock full of references to this film. The cast was the perfect assemble of wacky wafers right down to the adorable little Scooter Lindley. To this day whenever I watch this film I'm still in child like awe of it. Thanks for the post Chief!
You're very welcome, t! Happy to hear from another BB fan👍
It was love at first sight for me too. And I cannot help but think of The Firesign Theater everytime I see it. Briliantly irreverent.
One of my absolute favorite movies and a film you can just tell everyone was having an amazing time making.
Buckaroo was so far ahead of its time that I'm not sure we've reached that time yet.
I saw Mr. Weller introduce the movie at a screening. He said Rauch had a bible like 3 inches thick about BB, and he said he skipped that and went with "Adam Ant". The original novelization is fantastic, btw - it's like reading Book 22 of the series, with footnotes referencing other adventures, it explains the watermelon, and more.
I've watched the movie at least once a year, since I was 10. The next time I watch it, I'll be 50.
An absolute classic with some of the best lines ever.
The Buckaroo Banzai end theme by Michael Boddicker is still one of my favorite 80s movie theme!
I loved this movie as a kid. So many great one liners and the absurdity of it all was right up my ally.
When he said Adam Ant was an inspiration for Buckaroo I was immediately like,”yes!” It’s so clear now that he says it!
I LOVE this movie! I've been quoting it for years and most people don't get it . When they do, it's a weird bond. Wherever you go, there you are, It's not my planet, monkeyboy! And I still have a serious crush on Peter Weller, as anyone of taste would.😘
I had a guy waiting by my truck one day at Walgreen's and I thought he smashed into it but he just wanted to say he though Buckaroo was the best movie ever. I have a vinyl cutout with the Dr saying "Laugh while you can monkey boy" on my vent window.
Buckaroo Banzai is my 2nd favorite all-time movie behind only the incomparable Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Great cast, great writing, great music, funny little details in all the sets, and just hilarious. I saw it twice in the theater and I've bought it on both VHS and DVD as time has moved on. Truly, this is a great movie and I hope it picks up a new generation of fans :)
One of my fav movies of all time
Years ago, when I found the VHS of this film at a local discount store I almost wept! Still one of the few movies I know by heart and can quote whole scenes from...
And now the blu-ray is almost impossible to get unless you're willing to pay big $$
I loved this movie. So few people even know about it now.
I'd looked at Buckaroo as a modern day Doc Savage back then. Loved this movie long time.
saw this movie so many times when it came out - definitely one of my favorites!
I wanted to see it but my gf at the time insisted on seeing Dreamscape (she loved Dennis Quaid lol). A couple of weeks later BB had already been pulled from the local theater and I had to wait for the video release. Needless to say we rented it and loved it, but to this day I wish I had seen it on the big screen.
@@chiefscheider I worked in a "2nd run" theater that brought it back quite a few times. such a classic- good reminder to watch it again, it's been quite a few years
One of my favorite movies to this day, you nailed the character perfectly.
Peter really was perfect for that role. What an incredible performance.
Not going to lie, I’m still waiting for the sequel…
I have no less than 5 copies of the movie on DVD, two tshirts, a movie poster, a fridge magnet, several cosplay identification badges, quite a few pins, a copy of the Marvel comic book adaptation and the topper is a YoYodyne Propulsion Systems coffee mug. To this day the movie remains my favorite of all time. I might attend a Comic-con soon and get a pic with Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller). Buckaroo Banzai was my first real action hero even before they were called that. Peter Weller in an interview once said Buckaroo isn't a superhero and is made better by the people he surrounds himself with. Those hard rockin' Hong Kong Cavaliers, Buckaroos most trusted inner circle. Turning 60 this year reminds me that next year the movie celebrates its fortieth anniversary. I even have my eye on an Oscillation Overthruster. Well as of this moment, for my 60th Birthday I now actually own a genuine Oscillation Overthruster. In my opinion the holy grail of prop replicas. Mr. Peter Weller you will always be my favorite actor who in this movie could not place in any one movie genre. No matter where you go, there you are.
This was one of my top favorite movie growing up. Always wish there was a second movie
Nobody beats Peter Weller. Buckaroo is a underated classic masterpiece ❤❤😂
Dr. Weller is one of my all-time favorites. I have watched this movie 50+ times (I have it in my VuDu library) and can still come away with small things I had not seen before.
Back in the 90s, when I was fresh out of Coast Guard OCS, I reported to my new duty station in Alameda. I found that my new boss had a Ford AeroStar Van with the bumper sticker "No Matter Where You Go, There You Are." We got along great!
I love this movie! The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is extremely underrated. It doesn’t get nearly enough love and attention! Also, I can totally see Adam Ant in Buckaroo’s character now that Peter Weller explained where he got the inspiration from. Wry cool indeed. 👍🏻😎
I was 11 years old when I saw this in 1984. I’m now 50, and I STILL love this movie!
I so love this movie. I didn’t get to see it in a theater (poor me) but I have seen it every time I am able to find it on the TV. I was a big fan of the Doc Savage series of novels in my early and mid-teens and somehow this movie seemed to plug right in to that. Doc Savage (genius, perfect physical specimen - nearly superhuman, world class surgeon, scientist, on-and-on) and his group of five (?) associates - each an expert in a different field, all adventurers and evil-fighters. Buckaroo Bonzai was not exactly the same as Doc Savage, but was brilliant and Uber-talented in his own way, and surrounded by his own group of devoted good-doers. How I so expected to be treated to not one but several sequels. Dang it!
We need to agitate for a theater showing! AMC has been showing cult films all summer….when is it Buckaroo’s turn?
When I saw Buckaroo Bonzai on Betamax or VHS around 1985, it clicked because it felt like the days when my group of friends were outside pretending there was some alien invasion, unrelated to any existing sci-fi property. Each kid was fully immersed in the scenario, to the point we could almost see what we were interacting with in our imaginations, and each of us making up our characters as we went based on some exaggeration of our own interests. We were all different in some ways, but all completely bought into this pretend world unfolding in that place where our backyards all connected. Each of us trying to one up the other's with some extraordinary talent belonging to our character, so we could contribute to saving the day. We were all completely oblivious to the absurdity of our playing and just loved the moment. No two days of this type of imaginative play would ever be repeated. I can't say I was a diehard fan, but to me the movie never needed an explanation, and it was entertaining.
That was a big thing all over in the 80s for kids. My friends and I did similar but with different films of the era.
I never felt so betrayed after leaving the theatre where they put at the end "Buckaroo Banzai will return in..." and...nothing happened. I loved this movie.
They made the sequel of sorts. It just came out recently
Guilty pleasure? Hell no. I sincerely and unironically love Buckaroo Banzai.
AMEN! I would always use the line "No matter where you go, there you are." on my kids for years & they were always like WTF does that mean? Then one day I was watching BB & my son came in & started watching it with me & right before he says that line, I asked my son, remember my golden pearl of wisdom (that's what I called that quote)? He said yes & then BB said it & he went nuts because all this time my "wisdom" was from this movie. Which he really enjoyed BTW.
@@jimapplebee5322 I have a similar story, but I was the son.
There isn't a single frame of Buckaroo Banzai that I don't positively adore. I must've seen it 30 times and it never loses its charm. I only wish they would've made a sequel!
I absolutely loved Buckaroo Bonsai and am still waiting for the promised sequel!
Buckaroo Bonsai ... must have been the miniature version.
I saw it in the theater when it was released in 84. Will never forget it. Saw it at the Fayette Mall in Lexington, Kentucky. I watch it 3 or 4 times a year and now my son loves it as well.
Louisville here! (the late, lamented Showcase Cinemas). I think I got my dad to bring me to two showings. Dad was born in 1939, and had already turned me on to a cassette of the War of the Worlds radio broadcast (I have since performed it as an actor in a staged reading, which is on TH-cam). My only memory of dad's reaction was "The drummer has an UZI!!!!"
As an Adam Ant and Buckaroo Banzai fan at the same time in the 80s, it makes sense now.
"Remember, no matter where you go... there you are."
{S APPLAUSE}
I got to see Buckaroo Banzai in the theater as a kid. I loved it, though there were parts I couldn't quite follow. There was just so much to it. After reading the Marvel Comics adaptation and seeing it a couple more times on VHS I finally got it, and that's when I became a true fanatic (and collector of books, memorabilia, and doesn't versions of the movie).
Several years ago, a good friend and fellow Blue Blaze Irregular once gave me an original Team Banzai promotional headband from just before the movie hit theaters. I had to fight back tears.
When I got a 3D printer, I made him an oscillation overthruster.
"Hold my overthruster! John Bigbooty, stand by my side" John Lithgow's best work
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Mr. Weller and everyone who made BB a movie. I have never tired of watching it and regularly accost respected friends with it. I cannot thank you all enough.
...still waiting for the sequel though... .. .
Peter Weller, thanks for one of the most memorable movies of all time. I’ve seen Buckaroo Banzai at least a dozen times start to finish. Such a fun time, every time. Signed, John Papwithanhatchet.
This movie is wildly underrated.
Ah the 80’s, it was a great time to be young then, I had a blast and so glad I got to experience it.
This isn't enough for me. I need to hear the complete interview. I love Peter Weller and could listen to him talk for days. I really wish I could get my hands on some authentic Buckaroo Banzai material. This movie deserved and deserves a sequel, or something.
"No matter where you go, there you are." - Buckaroo Bonzai
This is on my Steam Profile page and has been since I started using it ;)
I was 18 years old and saw this movie in the theater when it came out. People often say this or that movie "changed their life," but no joke, this one really did change mine. Thank you, Peter Weller!
" No matter where you go .... there you are " ... Based my Life on this
One of the reasons why Buckaroo Banzai remains prominent in geek culture is its sincerity. It has more in common with Miami Connection than The Room or Birdemic. Granted, Buckaroo Banzai wasn't made by amateurs. The film has a love for pulp sci-fi while not being afraid to poke fun at the genre. It does that in a respectful manner rather than in a mocking tone.
Couldn't have said it better, fellow Chief 👍
Weller you are one of all time great actors of American Cinema. You have had such an astounding career and phenomenal characters, I’m overstating the obvious. Your character and movie choices were spot on, hopefully not finished quite yet, but we all deserve a retirement at some point. Thank you sir.
This movie franchise is gold he is a rockstar/neuro surgeon / fighter pilot/ physicist / alien hunter played by one of the greatist actors ever
I loved this movie when it came out. None of my friends could understand it, but i loved it
If you're wondering what his PHD is in it's Renaissance art history and he's also an Adjunct Professor at Syracuse University.
"MonkeyBoy" is still my favorite insult.
God I love this movie. Blew my mind as a kid when it first came out and continues to do so
One of the greatest and enlightened sci-fi films of all time. Got Peter Weller the gig for “Robocop”. 😎 “no matter where you go, there you are” 😆
Yes!!!!! When I was a little boy in the 80s he was my hero Peter Weller kicked ass I also loved him in robo cop
"Laugh while you can, MonkeyBoy" This film is certainly a litmus test. Thanks for posting this - it led me to Elia Kazan, who I had not learned about before. Also, for Peter Weller fans who may not have seen it, PW also played John Paxton, one of the most three-dimensional villains in Star Trek, in what many consider the true series finale of Enterprise.
Home is where you wear your hat.
One of the ways I've heard it described is that it's designed to feel like a middle episode of a larger series that doesn't exist, as if you were to pick up one issue of a comic book you've never heard of.
I describe it as part 2 of a trilogy where part one is not explained and part 2 doesn’t exist. Such beautiful world building.
One of my all time favorite movies.
I was so taken by that film. Of course it was absurd, but it was done for us. The cast is legendary and I still get excited when I think about Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers. Tnx for the interview.
Weller is an amazing actor with a PHD from UCLA in art history. Guys amazing.
I worked at UCLA the humanities when Peter was getting his PHD in Art History, the faculty liked what he was doing in Art History. That's how he got his Doctorate, but they didn't even know he was an actor. He had a late night showing of ROBOCOP , for just the faculty and grad students, because they had now idea about his other career.
@@chrismullin2522 that’s amazing thanks for sharing!
I had the honor of serving as his driver for one of his many productions.
It was an era of delightful oddities.
Pure, ardent, driven, funny, and so freaking smart.
A troublemaker made from the finest cloth.
Buckaroo bonsai is a huge favorite in our family. I still pull up quotes from it. Often.
Buckaroo Banzai was an homage to classic pulp fiction, whereas a future generation got Venture Bros as a pastiche of pulp fiction. I wish we had gotten more Buckaroo Banzai, but I'm thankful for what we got!
Love Peter Weller... Because of Buckaroo Banzai. One of my most favorite movies.
"Buckaroo" is one of my all-time favorite films. I have the novel, the Blu-ray, the comics, a framed mini poster over my computer desk with a Banzai Institute Visitor pass clipped onto it, my 22-song extended soundtrack and a fading T-shirt that I need to needs a replacement. So yeah, I'm a fan. The film is a classic. Totally agree that Lithgow nailed the role of Lizardo perfectly.
I heard or read a review once that pointed out that the film drops the audience into a world as if there is already a lot of assumed knowledge, but it never explains the assumed knowledge. Kind of like if you'd never read a comic book or seen a comic movie in your life and someone showed you Avengers: Endgame. I freaking love this film. One year recently for my birthday, my best friends and I ordered pizza and watched Buckaroo Banzai, and it was an awesome day.
My dad and I really looked forward to seeing this but by the time we got to the theater had removed it due to bad feedback. By the time I got to see it, it was on HBO and I didn't understand it very well. 40+ years late I'm going to have to watch it again!
Always loved this movie and wished it was better known. Along with Big Trouble in Little China it’s in my life time top movies
When I ask someone to do something, and they say “Why’d you ask me?” my response will always be “because you’re Perfect Tommy.”
Oh yeah.
I loved, loved, loved this movie as a kid. I still do so much so I showed it to my kids. I alway prayed there would have been sequels to this movie.
Big Trouble is in the same universe.
Buckaroo Banzai and the Hong Kong Cavaliers always reminded me of Doc Savage and his group of scientific crime fighters. Loved this movie. Always wanted to see him fight the World Crime League.
That was the idea. What if Doc Savage was created in the 80's instead of the 30's.
I love how Peter Weller still enthusiastically embraces his work in a movie like Buckaroo despite going on to make much more 'serious' movies. A brilliant guy.
I lost my oscillation overthruster and I haven't been the same since.
John Lithgow & Christopher Lloyd are my heroes in this film. Funny doesn't even begin to cover it 😂...
One of my all-time favorite movies thank you for giving it to the world Peter
This movie is so complex and groundbreaking. Buckaroo is also my hero.
Another reason why growing up in the 80s was awesome.
Wow, listening to him talk about this is amazing. There is so much depth to what he is saying. It is light years beyond the normal drivel you get out of a lot of current actors who are nothing more that talking heads. How many people go on to get PhDs in renaissance art later in life like he did?
The man is so multi-talented, and even now, that shine in him is still able to light up anywhere. Wow. You are truly an immortal soul.
I wish there had been more Buckaroo movies
In a few year A.I. can spit a few out for ya.
I almost consider Big Trouble in Little China a sibling film. A WD Richter script with similarly bonkers elements.
I like that one too, got to meet James Hong once! Nice guy, a bit arrogant...lol@@jmalmsten
I think there may have been early talks but then Peter got "Robocop"
@jmalmsten Richter is one of the most original screenwriters in movie history.
The movie was a quirky masterpiece. Must have seen it 30 times. Never ceases to amaze me how many younger people love it.
HBO played Buckaroo Banzai back in the mid 80s when i was a kid. I must have watched it every time HBO played it.
Mr. Weller, I met you on the Sony lot in 2007 when you were directing an episode of Las Vegas, and I was a previz supervisor on Disney's G-Force. You generously spoke for a good 5 or 10 minutes about art and film, and I pray you had no idea what sort of crazed fan-boy you were talking to! Buckaroo was my hero as a kid, and the film helped me get through some troubling times. To this day, there has never been anything quite like that character, and I don't believe anyone else could have embodied the uniquely 80s-style, pop-culture confluence of ideas the way you did. Thank you for RoboCop, Naked Lunch and a host of other films... but more than anything, thank you - and everyone else involved with the film - for your singular and inimitable portrayal of Buckaroo Banzai.
PS - I actually live near the Sepulveda Dam [but not by design, just coincidence!]