In celebration of Buckaroo Banzai -- HONG KONG CAVALIERS UNITE

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VERY much on DVD, with commentary and extra features and an Easter Egg about the watermelon (sorta) and...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, my foolish brain! You already knew that and were asking Francis.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:53 (twenty-two years ago)

I was talking to Francis. If it's DVD and you're UK or will accept UK cash, I will buy yours off you!

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Nah, Kate. I knew you'd ask, but I'm all the way down in the Caribbean. It would probably cost more to ship it than to buy it. I got it for 10 smackeroos and am willing to let it go for 5, but hey...

― Fr4ncis W4tlingt0n (Francis Watlington), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 14:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Ach, oh well, it was worth a try.

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:00 (twenty-two years ago)

But if anybody in the US wants it, hey!, HOLLA AT ME.

― Fr4ncis W4tlingt0n (Francis Watlington), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

dude you know I want it.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Any films with Thomas Pynchon references in them are fine in my book.

And someone simply must talk about the end credits sequence.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Doo doo doo doot, doo doo de-doo de-doo...

Famous San Fernando demi-landmark, that place, it's some sorta flood control thing I think. Elvis T. would know more. I was an extra in a BP commercial filmed there in 1989 and felt like I had been on a pilgrimage (the graffiti was long gone).

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

dude you know I want it.
-- hstencil (hstenci...), June 9th, 2004.

Haha! But... are you willing?

― Fr4ncis W4tlingt0n (Francis Watlington), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

the flesh is willing, but the wallet is weak.

seriously though, $5 plus shipping, I can swing that.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"BP commercial filmed there in 1989"

May I inquire as to what BP stands for?

the flesh is willing, but the wallet is weak.
seriously though, $5 plus shipping, I can swing that.
-- hstencil (hstenci...)

Cool beans, hstencil. Send me an e-mail. But gimme a while, so I can list other DVDs on here which I'm trying to get rid of and that perhaps I could interest the other posters in.

― Fr4ncis W4tlingt0n (Francis Watlington), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:27 (twenty-two years ago)

May I inquire as to what BP stands for?

British Petroleum. You know, the GOOD oil company. ;-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:27 (twenty-two years ago)

BEYOND petroleum, Ned.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh my forgetful mind.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:36 (twenty-two years ago)

well it sure wasn't BEYOND shit in 1989, so don't fret.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Is it *really* "Beyond Petroleum"? Really? You're making that up! It's British Petroleum. Or is that one of those things that happened while I was away, like we can't call the Post Office Tower the Post Office Tower, we have to call it the BT Tower.

(And has BT been changed to Beyond Telecoms now, because that's right about appropriate for them.)

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

BEYOND PETROLEUM is their crap (yet somehow effective with the yokels) marketing campaign.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, officially, the only thing it says about their name (that I can find) on their official website is this:

Anglo-Iranian - which was renamed The British Petroleum Company in 1954

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

It may be a "rebranding" rather than an actual corporate namechange. Oh, how the British love to rebrand.

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:42 (twenty-two years ago)

yes it is a rebrand.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

BACK TO FILM PLEASE.

http://www.hammerposters.com/pics/ger10061.jpg

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh the hottness. I can barely stand it.

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

"Because you're perfect."

"...you got a point there."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:45 (twenty-two years ago)

(Actually at this point I'm waiting for Elvis T. to notice this thread, then two hundred posts in two hours.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm beginning to sense a real common thread between all the BB enthusiasts...

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm beginning to sense a real common thread between all the BB enthusiasts...

SPACEMEN 3! Oh wait.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, it's for, like, people who like Rock with their astrophysics and astrophysics with their Rock.

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:48 (twenty-two years ago)

And a fair amount of Michael Moorcock.

"And you are? JOHN SMALLBERRIES!"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:49 (twenty-two years ago)

history is made at night!

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Comments
From Richard Lane:
Buckaroo Banzai was the SF franchise that never happened. Created by writer Earl Mac Rauch and directed by W.D. Richter, it was based around a genius neuro-surgeon /rock star/ cultural hero Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller), and his band, the Hong Kong Cavaliers. There was also a network of over 6,000 civilian supporters/aides de-camp called the Blue Blaze Irregulars, ready to rise to the occasion. Intended as a multi-media series across films, novels, comic books, etc., the box office failure of the first film nixed those plans.
Earl Mac Rauch used Pynchon's corporation Yoyodyne as the name for the company run by the evil alien race of Red Lectroids. Another tip of the hat appears to be the naming of John Lithgow's character, the alien Lord John Whorfin, and its loose proximity to Pynchon's seventeenth century playwright Richard Wharfinger in The Crying of Lot 49. As Lord Whorfin is rather fond of himself, his workers are subjected to countless bizarre homilies, quasi-Marxist exhortations, and egocentric PSAs over the Yoyodyne public address system, including this quote from Pynchon's V., itself an old movie title: "History is made at night!"

In an unusual twist, Pynchon returns the favor, and 1990's Vineland appears to reference the movie -- the band "Eddie Enrico and his Hong Kong Hotshots" pops up in the novel. (Also note the alliteration of the singer's name.) Further proof may be gleaned by the mention of Ramon Raquello on the same page -- the name of the fake orchestra leader that is "interrupted" during the fabled Orson Welles 1939 production of "War of the Worlds." In Buckaroo Banzai, Yoyodyne is based at Grover's Mill, the actual site in New Jersey where Welles had his Martian invaders land.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Good lord, fan art:

http://www.angelfire.com/hi3/Highlander2000/CBArtBB.html

"A GROWING EXCITED COMPANY." Goddamn I love this film.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

I met Clancy Brown once!

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Now I *need* to see this film as an adult even more. I knew I loved it as a teen. Now I might actually get all the jokes. Crikey.

― Possibly Kate Again (kate), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:53 (twenty-two years ago)

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember at the time thinking the band's music wasn't so bad, now it's all 'oh, early eighties bar band generic hash' -- BUT! Weller's minitrumpet solo is some kinda genius. As is the moment when Penny Priddy misfires her gun and the entire band is revealed to be packing heat.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:57 (twenty-two years ago)

the band isn't bad! I'd rather listen to them than John Cafferty or Huey Lewis or some other crap.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I think their advantage was that for the 'rockin' number it was an instrumental.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 15:59 (twenty-two years ago)

it's kind of cool, that instrumental. I like the ascending horn lines.

― hstencil (hstencil), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 16:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Ellen Barkin here
attained maximum hottness
(as did Carl Lumbly)

― Begs2Differ (Begs2Differ), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Begs severely and completely OTM re: Ms. Barkin. I suspect this is where my regard for short-haired blondes comes from.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 16:15 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.ernestcline.com/screenwriting/bbawcl/bbawcl-poster.jpg

http://www.ernestcline.com/screenwriting/bbawcl/sfw.htm

― Dale the Titled (cprek), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I love the kooky theme song a great deal. Now THAT is all kinds of greatness. I can hum it in my sleep even.

― Fr4ncis W4tlingt0n (Francis Watlington), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 16:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I like how at one point Goldblum is playing the song on the piano at the lab.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 16:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I still have my Team Banzai headband (they were giving them out at the Atlanta Fantasy Fair).

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

You'd think I'd be Pinky Carruthers, but I guess not.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Get Photoshoppin'

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 18:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Godfuckingdamn I LOVE this movie

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 9 June 2004 18:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 122 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Fun post about BB in pop culture -- some of these I knew but not all

http://www.thegeektwins.com/2013/01/10-ways-buckaroo-banzai-has-infiltrated.html

Also the Institute is on FB

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Banzai-Institute/119214478147645

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 19 January 2013 17:07 (thirteen years ago)

Don't know why I didn't post a year ago to say I went to that screening. Lithgow had a family emergency and couldn't make it, but Weller was an absolute peach. He went to school in Denton, and with Robocop filmed in Dallas his roots here are strong. Told lots of personal stories about the filming of Buckaroo and the friendships that came out of it, and asked anyone who understood what it was about to please explain it to him. Very dry and funny man.

― EZ Snappin, Saturday, 19 January 2013 17:12 (thirteen years ago)

Hahah nice. Can't wait to see him in the new Star Trek movie, that's inspired casting. Always was bummed he never became as big a star as he deserved to be.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 19 January 2013 17:14 (thirteen years ago)

Anyway, this all prompted by bringing over my DVD to a friend's last night -- she'd be talking forever about how her son finally needed to see this (very much a geek family, hers), but she didn't have a copy of the film around. Her son took to the film pretty quickly -- I found it interesting how he did so; when I saw it at about his age, a little younger (14 or so), I remember thinking it was cool but it took a couple more viewings on my part for it to fully sink in. But he's been primed by everything from new-Who to video games to everything else to roll with humor, weird details and explaining-as-you-go rather than everything-on-a-plate just like that. I do think new-Who was key for sure, though!

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 19 January 2013 17:17 (thirteen years ago)

Ned, I don't know what new-Who is - Dr. Who, Townshend, Daltrey et al, something else? Will this deficit cause problems when I rescreen?

― The Teardrop ILXplodes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 January 2013 17:20 (thirteen years ago)

This was the first movie I ever saw on VHS; my mom rented it and a VCR for my 12th birthday. I was in love with it in the first 5 minutes. Cool clothes, rad car, aliens and rock and roll. I can't ask for much more.

― EZ Snappin, Saturday, 19 January 2013 17:25 (thirteen years ago)

xpost -- haha. New Dr. Who, yes.

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 19 January 2013 17:27 (thirteen years ago)

I wish I had these as a kid:

http://mlkshk.com/r/LIM1

― EZ Snappin, Saturday, 19 January 2013 17:43 (thirteen years ago)

I feel so break up, I want to go home!

― The Teardrop ILXplodes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 January 2013 21:22 (thirteen years ago)

Forgot this song was in it: Songs where it's fun to say HOOS in place of the actual lyrics

― The Teardrop ILXplodes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 January 2013 21:33 (thirteen years ago)

Wellers commentary track on Naked Lunch made me love him for all time. So exciting to hear that he's in the new movie !

― consistency is the owlbear of small minds (Jon Lewis), Saturday, 19 January 2013 22:54 (thirteen years ago)

No one on this borad commented that the music supervisor and sound designer was Bones Howe?KPLOK

― The Teardrop ILXplodes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 January 2013 23:27 (thirteen years ago)

Don't know what KPLOK is. The spirit of Don Martin momentarily seized control of my keyboard.

― The Teardrop ILXplodes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 January 2013 23:28 (thirteen years ago)

wait, "flying smurf"?

― epistantophus, Sunday, 20 January 2013 01:33 (thirteen years ago)

three years pass...

Hey, Blu-ray en route, no word on extra features yet

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/action-adventure/the-adventures-of-buckaroo-banzai-across-the-8th-dimension-collector-s-edition

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 12 May 2016 17:31 (ten years ago)

But on the HORRIBLE DOWNSIDE

http://io9.gizmodo.com/kevin-smith-is-making-an-adventures-of-buckaroo-banzai-1776882034

Smith also says he’d want to cast himself in the John Bigbooté role.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 16 May 2016 18:46 (ten years ago)

omg no

― Οὖτις, Monday, 16 May 2016 18:51 (ten years ago)

I'm already fearing the ads.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 16 May 2016 19:13 (ten years ago)

one year passes...

should i watch this now y/n

― spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 19 May 2017 21:51 (nine years ago)

you're an adult make your own decision jfc

― kurt schwitterz, Friday, 19 May 2017 22:03 (nine years ago)

deciding to take that as a no

― spud called maris (darraghmac), Friday, 19 May 2017 22:11 (nine years ago)

one year passes...

I am reluctantly passing on a 35mm screening tonight

shd I do $3 on Amazon? haven't seen since its first run

― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 February 2019 00:23 (seven years ago)

Yeah go for it. (Distance dates many things about it even more than ever, but yet.)

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 20 February 2019 00:45 (seven years ago)

"You had bitterwatchoutforme, John Bigboote!" That's from memory, 35 years.

― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 February 2019 01:01 (seven years ago)

Distance dates many things about it even more than ever

these would be washed away by the fun of a 35mm screening with an appreciative audience imo

― steven, soda jerk (sic), Wednesday, 20 February 2019 02:10 (seven years ago)

This is not news, but just to clear up the Kevin Smith thing from a few years ago:

https://deadline.com/2016/11/kevin-smith-buckaroo-banzai-tv-series-no-longer-involved-mgm-1201860756/

― ☮ (peace, man), Wednesday, 20 February 2019 15:29 (seven years ago)

https://doddlenews.com/buckaroo-banzai-director-speaks-about-film-and-lawsuit/

― ☮ (peace, man), Wednesday, 20 February 2019 15:34 (seven years ago)

With all due respect to W D Richter, the most important thing he did in Hollywood was the script for Philip Kaufman's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. (Slither is pretty good, too.)

― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 20 February 2019 15:57 (seven years ago)

five years pass...

so is syndrome in the incredibles a deliberate ringer for john lithgow's emilio lizardo? is this something everyone but me already spotted and knows?

in my defence i only just watched this movie for the first time ever just now

👍🏽

― mark s, Saturday, 1 February 2025 23:39 (one year ago)

Better late than never! And that's an interesting comparison...

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 1 February 2025 23:46 (one year ago)

https://i.imgur.com/sT4XGyz.png

https://i.imgur.com/AoeaxUD.jpeg

― mark s, Saturday, 1 February 2025 23:59 (one year ago)

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