This movie is that sub-genre I like to call "the 80s version of the 80s." Where the decades most baffling aspects are somehow distilled for our amusement.
Never thought I'd see you review Buckaroo Banzai. Love this movie, listen to the theme all the time. Also, cowboy Goldblum alone is worth the price of admission.
Oh, this is excellent timing. I tried watching it for the first time with a friend of mine who's also into (early) 80s sci fi movies. But we got so lost after the first 15 minutes that we decided to turn it off and watch the 1977 turkey The Car instead. But at least that plot made sense... The opening minutes of Buckaroo felt like we'd already missed half the movie. Sometimes that's enough to draw you in, you want to know what's going on... But this movie had the opposite effect, it felt like a jumbled bunch of random story elements thrown together + John Lithgow going nuts. 🙂Looking forward to hearing Chuck's take.
It’s essentially plotted like a Marvel movie-if you had only vaguely heard of Marvel, and decided to start with _Infinity War_ . You would have no idea who anyone was, what their deal was, or what was going on. You either picked it up as you went along-and became a huge fan-or you were totally lost. I was in group one. By the time they got to the watermelon, I knew exactly what Reno’s explanation to New Jersey would be. “I’ll tell you later.”
OG fan of the movie ever since the trailer was shown at a SF con and they gave out the headbands. Love that your opening effect in this video is from "Sliders" too. Cheers!
A friend introduced me to this during lockdown. I got to the point with Jeff Goldblum in a cowboy outfit and figured out quickly that it wouldn't be the most surreal point in the film.
A film that feels like "We wanna do Doc Savage.... IN THE 80S!" and feels like they went around the studio asking people "what's cool? Aliens? Rock stars? Dimension jumping? Clancy Brown? GET EM ALL IN THERE!" And not stopping for a damned second to go "wait, does any of this make sense?" Weird little flick. Kind of the precursor for modern films oddly.
God, I thought "wherever you go, there you are" was just a corny dad joke. I'm loving this interpretation, and I don't care if it's a big bag of hot air, I'm going to think of it that way from now on. like a big bag of hot-air-and-also-popcorn-in-the-bag.
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. Update: I actually now have a screen accurate Oscillation Overthruster
My music is varied. I'm more of a single song rather than a whole album type of guy. I can dislike the band/artist, I can still like a song from them. So I can also appreciate when songs incorporate instruments normally not apart of that genre. On an unrelated note, John Lithgow, Jeff Goldbulm AND Peter Weller. This movie is just brimming with talent.
Goldblum asks about a character that is not in the movie, and the fella he's talking to laughs. The character was female of course which explains the laugh. The watermelon thing is small potatoes (melons) compared to some of the weirdness in this movie.
4:16 "Laugh-a while you can, monkey boy"
I love this movie.
Totally agree about saxophones. I liked it when they used sax as the "response" vamp to the guitar's during the instrumental solos.
This movie is that sub-genre I like to call "the 80s version of the 80s." Where the decades most baffling aspects are somehow distilled for our amusement.
Never thought I'd see you review Buckaroo Banzai. Love this movie, listen to the theme all the time.
Also, cowboy Goldblum alone is worth the price of admission.
Oh, this is excellent timing. I tried watching it for the first time with a friend of mine who's also into (early) 80s sci fi movies. But we got so lost after the first 15 minutes that we decided to turn it off and watch the 1977 turkey The Car instead.
But at least that plot made sense... The opening minutes of Buckaroo felt like we'd already missed half the movie. Sometimes that's enough to draw you in, you want to know what's going on... But this movie had the opposite effect, it felt like a jumbled bunch of random story elements thrown together + John Lithgow going nuts.
🙂Looking forward to hearing Chuck's take.
It’s essentially plotted like a Marvel movie-if you had only vaguely heard of Marvel, and decided to start with _Infinity War_ . You would have no idea who anyone was, what their deal was, or what was going on. You either picked it up as you went along-and became a huge fan-or you were totally lost.
I was in group one. By the time they got to the watermelon, I knew exactly what Reno’s explanation to New Jersey would be. “I’ll tell you later.”
OG fan of the movie ever since the trailer was shown at a SF con and they gave out the headbands. Love that your opening effect in this video is from "Sliders" too. Cheers!
One of my favorites, the entire movie is awesome, all the way through the end credits 😜 so many quirky scenes
4:31 - The Buckaroo band's cover of "Rocket 88"!
6:42 So like how the Twelfth Doctor was talking about "without hope, without witness, without reward".
A friend introduced me to this during lockdown. I got to the point with Jeff Goldblum in a cowboy outfit and figured out quickly that it wouldn't be the most surreal point in the film.
A film that feels like "We wanna do Doc Savage.... IN THE 80S!" and feels like they went around the studio asking people "what's cool? Aliens? Rock stars? Dimension jumping? Clancy Brown? GET EM ALL IN THERE!" And not stopping for a damned second to go "wait, does any of this make sense?"
Weird little flick. Kind of the precursor for modern films oddly.
It feels like something I really SHOULD have liked, but somehow it just wasn't there. Like Yellowbeard.
Love the 50s era TV Batmobile reference in there
Uh, 1960's you mean.
Mike Ehrmantraut !!!!
He fkn killed Mike Erhmantrout from Breaking Bad! No comment?
Jon Lithgow was such a ham in his early career. At least he found his way eventually.
God, I thought "wherever you go, there you are" was just a corny dad joke. I'm loving this interpretation, and I don't care if it's a big bag of hot air, I'm going to think of it that way from now on. like a big bag of hot-air-and-also-popcorn-in-the-bag.
The key to watching this movie is to just watch it like a documentary.
Hey, wait a minute…. This is just Howard the Duck but without the Duck.
NO!
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.
Update: I actually now have a screen accurate Oscillation Overthruster
Still is an interesting setup.
My music is varied. I'm more of a single song rather than a whole album type of guy. I can dislike the band/artist, I can still like a song from them. So I can also appreciate when songs incorporate instruments normally not apart of that genre.
On an unrelated note, John Lithgow, Jeff Goldbulm AND Peter Weller. This movie is just brimming with talent.
5:38 Blatant lies. I just watched that video. The saxophone starts off like an air raid siren.
Mandela Effect much?
anyone who thinks rock doesn't have enough sax doesn't listen to enough tina turner...
Well she should differentiate. Cody WY, population about 10k people, is 355 miles from Laramie, which has a population of 31k. Big difference.
Goldblum asks about a character that is not in the movie, and the fella he's talking to laughs. The character was female of course which explains the laugh. The watermelon thing is small potatoes (melons) compared to some of the weirdness in this movie.
By the way everyone - this movie is a comedy, though you'd never know it from this video.
Its a fun weird movie but I can see why it can't ever be more than a cult thing.
Another cult classic to put on the list if I've got a couple hours to kill
Word Salads are the only kind of salads I ever eat.
Nice half measure joke.