BUCKAROO BANZAI : Now i get it!

[Flangepart]

Just watched the special ed. of B. BANZAI. Neat stuff. And this time i "Get it".  The first time out, i had a hard time seeing what the popularity was about. Now, takeing the time to watch it all the way, i see what makes this a cool flick. Wellers performance was a bit restrained, but Lithgow was enjoyably over the top! Chris Loyde as "John Big bootey "(boo-tay!), and the back ground verbal gags, (Starting today, valium can no longer be bought on credit) keep the thing moveing. And,....i have confirmed where Joel and the Bots got the infamous "Monkey Boy"! Ever since they used it in "Lost continent" (go away, little monkey boy.), i've never watch Sid Melton the same since....sid..you know...Monkey boy! Check out the Album covers for the Hong Kong Cavilers...and tell me you would not like to hear those song titles made real. Could be good! What say thou?

[Vermin Boy]

I've always enjoyed BB, but I agree that the clearer picture and sound (not to mention widescreen) somehow makes it easier on the senses. There were entire subplots (like the secretary of defense trying to steal the overthruster from Buckaroo) that, for some reason, I never caught until recently. It's one of those movies you really have to examine closely in widescreen to catch all the background jokes in (Repo Man is another).

Also, if anyone hasn't checked out the DVD, it's got some pretty cool stuff on it. It's got a whole bunch of deleted scenes (including the legendary flashback scene with Jamie Lee Curtis as Buckaroo's mom), as well as a featurette and commentary in which director W. D. Richter maintains, absolutely straightfaced, that the movie is actually a depiction of real events, and that he had cooperation from the Banzai Institute.

[Cullen]

I've been a fan of Buckaroo since the early days (y'know, before DVD.)  It pains me to admit that a lot of that movie went right over my head.  Like the arcade game that Lizardo/Wharfin passes in his escape.  Stuff like that.

This and "Repo Man" are my favorite sci-fi/comedies/whatever-they-are.

[Neville]

Oh man, I love this movie. probably it is the first B-movie I understood and appreciated it for what it is. So mad... I really enjoyed Lithgow work (sort of Mussolini resurrected) and so did Weller's job.