list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Spaceballs on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Spaceballs/32247/default.aspx Title: Spaceballs
Year: 1987
Director: Mel Brooks
Plot: A space bum helps rescue a princess from an evil overlord with the help of a benevolent elder in this Star Wars send-up written and directed by Mel Brooks. Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his half-man, half-dog co-pilot, Barf the Mawg (John Candy), are content to scour the galaxy living the easy life. But they reluctantly come to the rescue when Druish Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) is threatened by the evil Lord Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis), who wants to steal all of the air from her planet, Druidia. Trapped on a harsh desert world with Vespa and her robot chaperone, Dot Matrix (voice of Joan Rivers), Lone Starr and Barf are helpless to prevent Helmet from kidnapping the girl. But assistance arrives in the form of Yogurt (Brooks), a wizard who turns Lone Starr on to a mysterious power known as The Schwartz. Catching up with Helmet just as he's transforming his spaceship into a giant vacuum cleaner in orbit around Druidia, the reluctant heroes stage a dramatic showdown. Although it borrows most of its plot from the Star Wars series, Spaceballs also pokes fun at Star Trek, Snow White, and Planet of the Apes -- as well as the entire videocassette and movie marketing industries. The large supporting cast includes Dick Van Patten, Jim J. Bullock, and the voice of Dom DeLuise. John Hurt makes a cameo in a parody of the exploding chest scene he played in Alien. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 96
Number of Lists: 98
Number of blog posts: 7
Number of discussion threads: 14
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:42:36 GMTSpaceballs1987Mel BrooksA space bum helps rescue a princess from an evil overlord with the help of a benevolent elder in this <a href=/films/32762/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Star Wars</a> send-up written and directed by <a href="/players/P____83158/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Mel Brooks</a>. Lone Starr (<a href="/players/P____58045/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Bill Pullman</a>) and his half-man, half-dog co-pilot, Barf the Mawg (<a href="/players/P____10608/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Candy</a>), are content to scour the galaxy living the easy life. But they reluctantly come to the rescue when Druish Princess Vespa (<a href="/players/P____78728/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Daphne Zuniga</a>) is threatened by the evil Lord Dark Helmet (<a href="/players/P___103436/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Rick Moranis</a>), who wants to steal all of the air from her planet, Druidia. Trapped on a harsh desert world with Vespa and her robot chaperone, Dot Matrix (voice of <a href="/players/P___108387/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Joan Rivers</a>), Lone Starr and Barf are helpless to prevent Helmet from kidnapping the girl. But assistance arrives in the form of Yogurt (Brooks), a wizard who turns Lone Starr on to a mysterious power known as The Schwartz. Catching up with Helmet just as he's transforming his spaceship into a giant vacuum cleaner in orbit around Druidia, the reluctant heroes stage a dramatic showdown. Although it borrows most of its plot from the <a href=/films/32762/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Star Wars</a> series, Spaceballs also pokes fun at <a href=/films/287836/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Star Trek</a>, Snow White, and <a href=/films/192700/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Planet of the Apes</a> -- as well as the entire videocassette and movie marketing industries. The large supporting cast includes <a href="/players/P____72905/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Dick Van Patten</a>, Jim J. Bullock, and the voice of <a href="/players/P____87126/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Dom DeLuise</a>. <a href="/players/P____34099/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>John Hurt</a> makes a cameo in a parody of the exploding chest scene he played in <a href=/films/853/default.aspx style='text-decoration:underline'>Alien</a>. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide96Tag Target (>10)987143http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t81310x7xue.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Spaceballs/32247/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/the_mow/archive/2009/4/27/41806.aspx Post By: The_MOW
Post To: The_MOW Blog
Post Date: 4/27/2009 12:28:54 PM
Body: In a distant galaxy, the home planet of the Spaceballs is in danger of losing all of its oxygen. The largest ship in the Spaceballs' fleet, Spaceball One, is sent to drain the nearby planet of Druidia of all its atmosphere. On Druidia, a princess (Daphne Zuniga) is about to be married to the last available prince (JM J. Bullock), but she runs off and the princess runs away because she doesn't want to marry this man. The king (Dick Van Patten) hires the rogueish "Lone Starr" (Bill Pullman) and his partner, "Barf the Mawg" (the late John Candy). As they run from Spaceball One, commanded by "Dark Helmut" (Rick Moranis), they meet the master of the Schwartz, "Yogurt" (Mel Brooks, in one of two roles). The movie is packed with many sight gags and jokes. None of which are offensive. There are very few scenes where there isn't a joke. The cast is spectacular and deliver the jokes wonderfully. The chemistry between every actor is fantastic. The visuals are well done. There are however at least one special effect that looks fake. There is also a scene with actors in makeup reminiscent of a cult classic 1960's sci-fi movie that appears to be worse than the original makeup in that movie they are paying tribute to. Brooks has put together a wonderful comedic tribute to science-fiction movies that isn't violent like some other movies. There is some strong language and a few gestures that children should not see if they are real young. If you are looking for a funny movie with a lot of good laughs, this is one of the ones you should check out.
]]>Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:28:54 GMTThe_MOWThe_MOW Blog4/27/2009 12:28:54 PMIn a distant galaxy, the home planet of the Spaceballs is in danger of losing all of its oxygen. The largest ship in the Spaceballs' fleet, Spaceball One, is sent to drain the nearby planet of Druidia of all its atmosphere. On Druidia, a princess (Daphne Zuniga) is about to be married to the last available prince (JM J. Bullock), but she runs off and the princess runs away because she doesn't want to marry this man. The king (Dick Van Patten) hires the rogueish "Lone Starr" (Bill Pullman) and his partner, "Barf the Mawg" (the late John Candy). As they run from Spaceball One, commanded by "Dark Helmut" (Rick Moranis), they meet the master of the Schwartz, "Yogurt" (Mel Brooks, in one of two roles). The movie is packed with many sight gags and jokes. None of which are offensive. There are very few scenes where there isn't a joke. The cast is spectacular and deliver the jokes wonderfully. The chemistry between every actor is fantastic. The visuals are well done. There are however at least one special effect that looks fake. There is also a scene with actors in makeup reminiscent of a cult classic 1960's sci-fi movie that appears to be worse than the original makeup in that movie they are paying tribute to. Brooks has put together a wonderful comedic tribute to science-fiction movies that isn't violent like some other movies. There is some strong language and a few gestures that children should not see if they are real young. If you are looking for a funny movie with a lot of good laughs, this is one of the ones you should check out. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_November_24_Cyborgs_Androids/625/37706/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mciocco
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 11/28/2008 12:20:52 AM
Body: Good call with Dot Matrix from Spaceballs! [quote user="Tizzy"] I felt bad for the Buffybot! And I'm also a huge Buffy fan. I think Spaceballs is one of those eminently quotable movies, like Caddyshack, that I can't get out of my head sometimes. "What's the matter Col. Sanders? Chicken?!!" [/quote] Totally quotable. "So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb." Heh.
]]>Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:20:52 GMTmcioccoWeekly Theme11/28/2008 12:20:52 AMGood call with Dot Matrix from Spaceballs! [quote user="Tizzy"] I felt bad for the Buffybot! And I'm also a huge Buffy fan. I think Spaceballs is one of those eminently quotable movies, like Caddyshack, that I can't get out of my head sometimes. "What's the matter Col. Sanders? Chicken?!!" [/quote] Totally quotable. "So, Lone Star, now you see that evil will always triumph because good is dumb." Heh. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_November_24_Cyborgs_Androids/625/37692/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Tizzy
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 11/26/2008 4:43:02 PM
Body: I felt bad for the Buffybot! And I'm also a huge Buffy fan. I think Spaceballs is one of those eminently quotable movies, like Caddyshack, that I can't get out of my head sometimes. "What's the matter Col. Sanders? Chicken?!!" [quote user="mercurial"] Haha, I LOVED Dot Matrix in Spaceballs. I think it has to do with my secret enjoyment of batsh*t crazy Joan Rivers. "What the hell was that noise?" "That was my virgin alarm. It's programmed to go off before you do!" Hilarious! And I will admit the I kinda liked the Buffybot. I almost shed a tear when she was pulled limb from limb. Yes, I am a Buffy freak. [/quote]
]]>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:43:02 GMTTizzyWeekly Theme11/26/2008 4:43:02 PMI felt bad for the Buffybot! And I'm also a huge Buffy fan. I think Spaceballs is one of those eminently quotable movies, like Caddyshack, that I can't get out of my head sometimes. "What's the matter Col. Sanders? Chicken?!!" [quote user="mercurial"] Haha, I LOVED Dot Matrix in Spaceballs. I think it has to do with my secret enjoyment of batsh*t crazy Joan Rivers. "What the hell was that noise?" "That was my virgin alarm. It's programmed to go off before you do!" Hilarious! And I will admit the I kinda liked the Buffybot. I almost shed a tear when she was pulled limb from limb. Yes, I am a Buffy freak. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_November_24_Cyborgs_Androids/625/37690/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 11/26/2008 4:24:55 PM
Body: [quote user="Tizzy"] Maria is good! How about the Buffybot in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (tv series though)! But to get back to just androids, D.A.R.Y.L and Dot Matrix in Spaceballs. [/quote] Haha, I LOVED Dot Matrix in Spaceballs. I think it has to do with my secret enjoyment of batsh*t crazy Joan Rivers. "What the hell was that noise?" "That was my virgin alarm. It's programmed to go off before you do!" Hilarious! And I will admit the I kinda liked the Buffybot. I almost shed a tear when she was pulled limb from limb. Yes, I am a Buffy freak.
]]>Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:24:55 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme11/26/2008 4:24:55 PM[quote user="Tizzy"] Maria is good! How about the Buffybot in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (tv series though)! But to get back to just androids, D.A.R.Y.L and Dot Matrix in Spaceballs. [/quote] Haha, I LOVED Dot Matrix in Spaceballs. I think it has to do with my secret enjoyment of batsh*t crazy Joan Rivers. "What the hell was that noise?" "That was my virgin alarm. It's programmed to go off before you do!" Hilarious! And I will admit the I kinda liked the Buffybot. I almost shed a tear when she was pulled limb from limb. Yes, I am a Buffy freak. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_November_24_Cyborgs_Androids/625/37640/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Tizzy
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 11/25/2008 3:54:06 PM
Body: Maria is good! How about the Buffybot in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (tv series though)! But to get back to just androids, D.A.R.Y.L and Dot Matrix in Spaceballs. [quote user="mphmuse"] Maria in Metropolis (1927). http://lolbots.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/metropolis-maria-lumps.jpg [/quote]
]]>Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:54:06 GMTTizzyWeekly Theme11/25/2008 3:54:06 PMMaria is good! How about the Buffybot in Buffy the Vampire Slayer (tv series though)! But to get back to just androids, D.A.R.Y.L and Dot Matrix in Spaceballs. [quote user="mphmuse"] Maria in Metropolis (1927). http://lolbots.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/metropolis-maria-lumps.jpg [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Movie_Games/Tell_a_story_using_only_movie_titles_and_reference/598/37519/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: csprague
Post To: Movie Games
Post Date: 11/20/2008 8:41:51 PM
Body: I came up with this idea after reading Rjsprague's post in the Sci fi group about Movies that take place in the future: "I WANT A HOVERBOARD!!!!!!!!!! PLEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEE!!! That's how I used to be, before I got one of those sweet guns from The Fifth Element that has bullets that track a target. One of my former, stupid, roommates hit the red button on it while I was out at the movies. That was a real mess. Luckily I met this cool guy named HAL. He lives inside of a computer, I think, but we get along pretty well out here in the cold depths of outer space. That is, until this ghost chick kept stalking me as I approached the edge of a black hole. Needless to say, I made like Ripley and gtfo, if you know I mean. Then I hooked up with weird guys who kept talking about some guy named Schwartz or something. Anyway they were cool dudes so I didn't mind chillin'. Funny story, huh?"
]]>Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:41:51 GMTcspragueMovie Games11/20/2008 8:41:51 PMI came up with this idea after reading Rjsprague's post in the Sci fi group about Movies that take place in the future: "I WANT A HOVERBOARD!!!!!!!!!! PLEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEE!!! That's how I used to be, before I got one of those sweet guns from The Fifth Element that has bullets that track a target. One of my former, stupid, roommates hit the red button on it while I was out at the movies. That was a real mess. Luckily I met this cool guy named HAL. He lives inside of a computer, I think, but we get along pretty well out here in the cold depths of outer space. That is, until this ghost chick kept stalking me as I approached the edge of a black hole. Needless to say, I made like Ripley and gtfo, if you know I mean. Then I hooked up with weird guys who kept talking about some guy named Schwartz or something. Anyway they were cool dudes so I didn't mind chillin'. Funny story, huh?" http://www.spout.com/groups/sci_fi/Re_Movies_about_the_future/4/37513/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: rjsprague
Post To: sci-fi
Post Date: 11/20/2008 6:36:00 PM
Body: I WANT A HOVERBOARD!!!!!!!!!! PLEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEE!!! That's how I used to be, before I got one of those sweet guns from The Fifth Element that has bullets that track a target. One of my former, stupid, roommates hit the red button on it while I was out at the movies. That was a real mess. Luckily I met this cool guy named HAL. He lives inside of a computer, I think, but we get along pretty well out here in the cold depths of outer space. That is, until this ghost chick kept stalking me as I approached the edge of a black hole. Needless to say, I made like Ripley and gtfo, if you know I mean. Then I hooked up with weird guys who kept talking about some guy named Schwartz or something. Anyway they were cool dudes so I didn't mind chillin'. Funny story, huh?
]]>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 23:36:00 GMTrjspraguesci-fi11/20/2008 6:36:00 PMI WANT A HOVERBOARD!!!!!!!!!! PLEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEE!!! That's how I used to be, before I got one of those sweet guns from The Fifth Element that has bullets that track a target. One of my former, stupid, roommates hit the red button on it while I was out at the movies. That was a real mess. Luckily I met this cool guy named HAL. He lives inside of a computer, I think, but we get along pretty well out here in the cold depths of outer space. That is, until this ghost chick kept stalking me as I approached the edge of a black hole. Needless to say, I made like Ripley and gtfo, if you know I mean. Then I hooked up with weird guys who kept talking about some guy named Schwartz or something. Anyway they were cool dudes so I didn't mind chillin'. Funny story, huh? http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/11/5/37003.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 11/5/2008 5:00:44 PM
Body: When it was announced that David Wain would be directing Role Models — taking over from The Girl Next Door’s Luke Greenfield — there was room for disappointment. After all, for Wain to follow up his anarchic cult favorites Wet Hot American Summer and The Ten with a seemingly mainstream man-child comedy — one more suited to the talents of Todd Phillips or, well, Greenfield — was to crush his fans’ hopes for something more along the lines of his wacky web series, such as Wainy Days and Stella, or the old MTV sketch comedy show, The State. But Role Models does look funny, probably because Wain ended up rewriting (with Paul Rudd and Ken Marino) Timothy Dowling’s original script. And it’s not as if Wain has suddenly gone and sold out with a bunch of really broad family films, as did his former State mates Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant, the screenwriting duo behind The Pacifier, Night at the Museum and Taxi. Still, many of us are holding out for that rumored State movie, or even better, a big screen adaptation of any of the following State sketches: Louie (aka the “I wanna dip my balls in it” guy) The ensemble behind The State was never interested in recurring characters, but MTV supposedly pressured the show to be more like SNL, and so the ironic “Louie” was born. As little more than a joke on recurring characters and their catch-phrases, “Louie” may not seem the best character to mine for a feature-length movie. But considering Wain and the others were likely just as against sketches spinning off into movies as they were against recurring characters, it would be suitable for such a film, something to lampoon the Lorne Michaels tradition, if that’s at all possible. And I can already see the ad campaigns: posters with just a release date and the words “Dip Your Balls In It.” Lincoln Logs: The Unauthorized Biography of Honest Abe After the release of Oliver Stone’s W., something like this deserves to be made into a movie. Maybe Stone could even direct it from a script by some of the State writers. It could complete his evil Republican president trilogy. And if they act quick enough, it would be awesome if the movie could go up against Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. The Bearded Men of Space Station 11 This skit really stretches a single joke really thin (like many State sketches), but the simple premise — a space station crew is illogically incarcerated for growing beards in space — could be a mere jumping ground for an hilarious sci-fi comedy. Sure, the genre has hardly been successful outside of Spaceballs and Galaxy Quest, but if anyone can give us another great parodic outer space movie, it’s Wain and friends. Think of Hitchcock’s wrong man scenario, multiply it times five, and throw in a lot of silly shenanigans. Porcupine Racetrack This simple cross between Guys and Dolls, Cats and the “Ascot Gavotte” scene from My Fair Lady is so, so stupid, yet so, so brilliant. And a feature-length version would be as surprisingly beloved as the skit was, especially if there’s some way of also slipping in some reference to the “Gang Fight” skit (that was the “Beat It” video meets West Side Story segment involving an Amish street gang), the “Super Robby” skit (turns out the orphanage that needs saving is cruelly convincing kids they can fly out windows) and the “Mind Match” skit (the orphans are ultimately given away as prizes on a game show). If anything, a silly song penned by Teddy Shapiro would have to receive an Oscar nomination, thereby elevating the Hollywood cred of the State ensemble enough for potentially more ridiculous films. The Inbred Brothers I’ve come to realize that most of these movie ideas come from skits likely conceived by Lennon and Garant. This only furthers the point that the pair NEEDS to work on something State-related before putting on the blindfold and writing Night at the Museum 3. And there’s really no better project than a movie based on their Inbred Brothers characters, Emmett and Lyle. Think of Step Brothers with an even dumber duo. How could this not be a success? The merchandising alone is worthy: t-shirts that say “Whaddamydoin?”; talking dolls that also hit themselves in the head with sticks; Halloween costumes (I actually was a non-specific “Inbred Brother” for Halloween back in the ’90s). To make the dream complete, though, Michael Ian Black has to appear as the French exchange student. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:00:44 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com11/5/2008 5:00:44 PMWhen it was announced that David Wain would be directing Role Models — taking over from The Girl Next Door’s Luke Greenfield — there was room for disappointment. After all, for Wain to follow up his anarchic cult favorites Wet Hot American Summer and The Ten with a seemingly mainstream man-child comedy — one more suited to the talents of Todd Phillips or, well, Greenfield — was to crush his fans’ hopes for something more along the lines of his wacky web series, such as Wainy Days and Stella, or the old MTV sketch comedy show, The State. But Role Models does look funny, probably because Wain ended up rewriting (with Paul Rudd and Ken Marino) Timothy Dowling’s original script. And it’s not as if Wain has suddenly gone and sold out with a bunch of really broad family films, as did his former State mates Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant, the screenwriting duo behind The Pacifier, Night at the Museum and Taxi. Still, many of us are holding out for that rumored State movie, or even better, a big screen adaptation of any of the following State sketches: Louie (aka the “I wanna dip my balls in it” guy) The ensemble behind The State was never interested in recurring characters, but MTV supposedly pressured the show to be more like SNL, and so the ironic “Louie” was born. As little more than a joke on recurring characters and their catch-phrases, “Louie” may not seem the best character to mine for a feature-length movie. But considering Wain and the others were likely just as against sketches spinning off into movies as they were against recurring characters, it would be suitable for such a film, something to lampoon the Lorne Michaels tradition, if that’s at all possible. And I can already see the ad campaigns: posters with just a release date and the words “Dip Your Balls In It.” Lincoln Logs: The Unauthorized Biography of Honest Abe After the release of Oliver Stone’s W., something like this deserves to be made into a movie. Maybe Stone could even direct it from a script by some of the State writers. It could complete his evil Republican president trilogy. And if they act quick enough, it would be awesome if the movie could go up against Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. The Bearded Men of Space Station 11 This skit really stretches a single joke really thin (like many State sketches), but the simple premise — a space station crew is illogically incarcerated for growing beards in space — could be a mere jumping ground for an hilarious sci-fi comedy. Sure, the genre has hardly been successful outside of Spaceballs and Galaxy Quest, but if anyone can give us another great parodic outer space movie, it’s Wain and friends. Think of Hitchcock’s wrong man scenario, multiply it times five, and throw in a lot of silly shenanigans. Porcupine Racetrack This simple cross between Guys and Dolls, Cats and the “Ascot Gavotte” scene from My Fair Lady is so, so stupid, yet so, so brilliant. And a feature-length version would be as surprisingly beloved as the skit was, especially if there’s some way of also slipping in some reference to the “Gang Fight” skit (that was the “Beat It” video meets West Side Story segment involving an Amish street gang), the “Super Robby” skit (turns out the orphanage that needs saving is cruelly convincing kids they can fly out windows) and the “Mind Match” skit (the orphans are ultimately given away as prizes on a game show). If anything, a silly song penned by Teddy Shapiro would have to receive an Oscar nomination, thereby elevating the Hollywood cred of the State ensemble enough for potentially more ridiculous films. The Inbred Brothers I’ve come to realize that most of these movie ideas come from skits likely conceived by Lennon and Garant. This only furthers the point that the pair NEEDS to work on something State-related before putting on the blindfold and writing Night at the Museum 3. And there’s really no better project than a movie based on their Inbred Brothers characters, Emmett and Lyle. Think of Step Brothers with an even dumber duo. How could this not be a success? The merchandising alone is worthy: t-shirts that say “Whaddamydoin?”; talking dolls that also hit themselves in the head with sticks; Halloween costumes (I actually was a non-specific “Inbred Brother” for Halloween back in the ’90s). To make the dream complete, though, Michael Ian Black has to appear as the French exchange student. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/8/11/33867.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 8/11/2008 4:00:43 PM
Body: Lists of movies within movies are fairly common on the internet, enough that I now realize I need to finally see Bowfinger simply because I’ve counted about a million list makers in love with something titled “Chubby Rain.” And the lists are likely to keep on coming thanks to this week’s hot release, Tropic Thunder, which actually features two movies within (the Vietnam War film “Tropic Thunder” and the festival-winning making-of documentary “Rain of Madness”), as well as the upcoming How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, which has spawned a popular fake movie trailer for an NC-17 film titled “Mother Theresa: The Making of a Saint” (previewed above). Yet until someone makes a Wikipedia page for “List of Fictional Films,” these blogged and forumed lists are necessary to keep us movie fans remembering those non-existent movies we wish existed. Narrowing down to ten seemed to be difficult — fictional films have been at least nominally been created for tons of films about filmmaking, otherwise reflexive films, sketch comedies, spoofs, etc. — until I realized that a lot of these films within films are appropriately nominal or trailer- or clip-sized gags and would in reality be terrible (imagine actually watching the entirety of “Asses of Fire” from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut). Even “Je Vous Présente Paméla” (”Meet Pamela”) from Day for Night and the sci-fi film being made in 8½ would probably be major disappointments in actuality if you expected from them the work of Truffaut and Fellini, respectively. So, I went mostly with fictional films that would probably be bad, but would at least be amusingly bad — though I purposefully avoided fictional porns, including those from Boogie Nights and The Big Lebowski, of which there are literally thousands: “Gandhi II” from UHF - There’s just something about watching good people gone bad. But while the idea of the Good Will Hunting sequel, subtitled “Hunting Season”, thought up for Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is pretty ingenious, it just doesn’t have the same level of ludicrous exaggeration that a bloodletting follow-up to the Oscar-winning Gandhi has. Dude drives a Ferrari, can punch completely through a guy’s abdomen, and of course he knows how to party. He even eats meat, now. It’s not only funny because it’s the antithesis of what the Indian leader was all about, it’s also funny because it reminds me of all those straight-edge and vegetarian kids you knew in high school who now drink way too much (oh, yeah, I’m one of them). “Odyssey” from Contempt - When Fritz Lang showed up as himself in Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt, he’d already given the world his final film as a director (The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse). If only he’d really given us this one additional adaptation of Homer’s epic poem. Either as an art film, as Lang originally intends, or as a more commercial picture, as desired by the American producer played by Jack Palance. “Ants in Your Pants 1938″ from Sullivan’s Travels - The other famously named film within this film, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” was, at least in title, already made by the Coen brothers (see the side-by-side comparison in the video above — interestingly enough, their O Brother, Where Art Thou? is also an adaptation of Homer’s “Odyssey”, uniting #2 and #3 of this list). But I always try to imagine what a film titled “Ants in Your Pants 1938″ would have looked like. I always picture a cross between the Marx Brothers and Busby Berkeley, yet it’s got to be more shallow than that, according to how it’s referenced in Preston Sturges’ movie. “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure - What fan of the real Big Adventure wouldn’t like to watch it all over again as an action picture starring James Brolin and Morgan Fairchild? Maybe it wouldn’t be as good, but it does have ninjas. Anyway, because I love to relate seemingly unrelated movies via lists, let it be known that an episode of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse was titled “Ants in Your Pants”. And now that I think about it, that show was kinda like a cross between the Marx Brothers and Busby Berkeley. Kinda. “Habeas Corpus” from The Player - It’s a common staple for lists like this, and pretty much all Bruce Willis movies from the first half of the ’90s were awful (obviously Pulp Fiction is an exception), but I’d definitely watch the whole of this fake film, even though I’ve already seen how it ends. As with Fritz Lang’s “Odyssey”, I’d be curious to see both the originally planned version and the commercialized final version. “Crossed Sabres of Truth” from The Big Picture - Forget “Home for Purim”, that lame movie within a movie from Christopher Guest’s For Your Consideration. This earlier satire of Hollywood from Guest had far greater fake films, most of them fake student films, such as this one, made by the full-of-himself character played by Dan Schneider. It may not have starred Elliott Gould (as does “The Trial of Janet Kingsley”), or been an overly avant-garde work titled “Afterbirth of a Notion” (which reminds me of the opening to Pee-Wee’s Playhouse), or the actual winner of the National Film Institute’s student film award (that would be Kevin Bacon’s character’s “First Date”), but it has the fat kid from Head of the Class and Better Off Dead riding a horse in a 19th century war movie. How could you not want to see more? “See You Next Wednesday” from The Kentucky Fried Movie - I’m probably a bigger fan of weird movie theater gimmicks than the average moviegoer, but that’s probably because I didn’t get a chance to live through things like Smell-O-Vision, which sound neat in theory but which were reportedly very obnoxious in reality (I recently wrote elsewhere about how the return of Smell-O-Vision in pre-show advertising sounds terrible). The joke about “See You Next Wednesday” (a fake movie title referenced in most of John Landis’ films) is that it’s in “feel-around”, a gimmick that’s clearly annoying to experience. I’d definitely be willing to try it out once, though. Especially if it’s the closest thing I could get to one of the Feelies (tactual motion pictures) from Huxley’s “Brave New World”. “MANT” from Matinee - Movie theater gimmicks also have me curious about experiencing the schlock horror film shown in Atomo-Vision and Rumble-Rama. This is one of those film within a films that you get to see more than enough footage of, but I want to actually suffer it as it’s intended to be seen. “Jews in Space” from History of the World, Part I - Mel Brooks eventually did make a Star Wars spoof, one that featured a lot of Jews in space (Spaceballs), but that doesn’t mean this earlier parody idea wouldn’t also be worth seeing. I’d even settle for seeing the apparently hilarious 2005 Argentine film Jews in Space Or Why Is This Night Different, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to actually take place in space nor, tragically, involve spaceships shaped like the Star of David. “Those Darn Amigos” from ¡Three Amigos! - Because the synopsis of Tropic Thunder reminds me of the plot to Three Amigos, I feel it appropriate to include one of the fake films from the underrated comedy. At the beginning of the movie, we see one of the silent movies starring the Three Amigos (see the clip above), but I’m more interested in the trio’s flop, which diverted from the usual premise to be about three wealthy Spanish landowners who take a little vacation in Manhattan. If it didn’t appeal to the masses, I’ll probably love it. I’d also settle for seeing one of the early shorts featuring Ned Nederlander (Martin Short) known as “Little Neddy’s Knickers.” Considering ¡Three Amigos! is set in 1916, and Short was in his mid-30s, I believe it impossible that Ned could have been a child star of any younger than 30, so I’m pretty curious. BONUS: “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” from Lost in La Mancha - It isn’t a fake film, but it is technically a film within a film. And it’s so far non-existent, really. Terry Gilliam’s attempted loose adaptation of Cervantes was actually being made, with Johnny Depp in the lead. However, due to multiple complications, the production was canceled after shooting had begun, and all that remained was Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe’s depressing documentary Lost in La Mancha. Because sometimes the gods are good to us Gilliam fans, though, it was recently announced that the film is on being attempted again, reportedly still with Depp and possibly also starring Michael Palin. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:00:43 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com8/11/2008 4:00:43 PM Lists of movies within movies are fairly common on the internet, enough that I now realize I need to finally see Bowfinger simply because I’ve counted about a million list makers in love with something titled “Chubby Rain.” And the lists are likely to keep on coming thanks to this week’s hot release, Tropic Thunder, which actually features two movies within (the Vietnam War film “Tropic Thunder” and the festival-winning making-of documentary “Rain of Madness”), as well as the upcoming How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, which has spawned a popular fake movie trailer for an NC-17 film titled “Mother Theresa: The Making of a Saint” (previewed above). Yet until someone makes a Wikipedia page for “List of Fictional Films,” these blogged and forumed lists are necessary to keep us movie fans remembering those non-existent movies we wish existed. Narrowing down to ten seemed to be difficult — fictional films have been at least nominally been created for tons of films about filmmaking, otherwise reflexive films, sketch comedies, spoofs, etc. — until I realized that a lot of these films within films are appropriately nominal or trailer- or clip-sized gags and would in reality be terrible (imagine actually watching the entirety of “Asses of Fire” from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut). Even “Je Vous Présente Paméla” (”Meet Pamela”) from Day for Night and the sci-fi film being made in 8½ would probably be major disappointments in actuality if you expected from them the work of Truffaut and Fellini, respectively. So, I went mostly with fictional films that would probably be bad, but would at least be amusingly bad — though I purposefully avoided fictional porns, including those from Boogie Nights and The Big Lebowski, of which there are literally thousands: “Gandhi II” from UHF - There’s just something about watching good people gone bad. But while the idea of the Good Will Hunting sequel, subtitled “Hunting Season”, thought up for Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back is pretty ingenious, it just doesn’t have the same level of ludicrous exaggeration that a bloodletting follow-up to the Oscar-winning Gandhi has. Dude drives a Ferrari, can punch completely through a guy’s abdomen, and of course he knows how to party. He even eats meat, now. It’s not only funny because it’s the antithesis of what the Indian leader was all about, it’s also funny because it reminds me of all those straight-edge and vegetarian kids you knew in high school who now drink way too much (oh, yeah, I’m one of them). “Odyssey” from Contempt - When Fritz Lang showed up as himself in Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt, he’d already given the world his final film as a director (The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse). If only he’d really given us this one additional adaptation of Homer’s epic poem. Either as an art film, as Lang originally intends, or as a more commercial picture, as desired by the American producer played by Jack Palance. “Ants in Your Pants 1938″ from Sullivan’s Travels - The other famously named film within this film, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” was, at least in title, already made by the Coen brothers (see the side-by-side comparison in the video above — interestingly enough, their O Brother, Where Art Thou? is also an adaptation of Homer’s “Odyssey”, uniting #2 and #3 of this list). But I always try to imagine what a film titled “Ants in Your Pants 1938″ would have looked like. I always picture a cross between the Marx Brothers and Busby Berkeley, yet it’s got to be more shallow than that, according to how it’s referenced in Preston Sturges’ movie. “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” from Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure - What fan of the real Big Adventure wouldn’t like to watch it all over again as an action picture starring James Brolin and Morgan Fairchild? Maybe it wouldn’t be as good, but it does have ninjas. Anyway, because I love to relate seemingly unrelated movies via lists, let it be known that an episode of Pee-Wee’s Playhouse was titled “Ants in Your Pants”. And now that I think about it, that show was kinda like a cross between the Marx Brothers and Busby Berkeley. Kinda. “Habeas Corpus” from The Player - It’s a common staple for lists like this, and pretty much all Bruce Willis movies from the first half of the ’90s were awful (obviously Pulp Fiction is an exception), but I’d definitely watch the whole of this fake film, even though I’ve already seen how it ends. As with Fritz Lang’s “Odyssey”, I’d be curious to see both the originally planned version and the commercialized final version. “Crossed Sabres of Truth” from The Big Picture - Forget “Home for Purim”, that lame movie within a movie from Christopher Guest’s For Your Consideration. This earlier satire of Hollywood from Guest had far greater fake films, most of them fake student films, such as this one, made by the full-of-himself character played by Dan Schneider. It may not have starred Elliott Gould (as does “The Trial of Janet Kingsley”), or been an overly avant-garde work titled “Afterbirth of a Notion” (which reminds me of the opening to Pee-Wee’s Playhouse), or the actual winner of the National Film Institute’s student film award (that would be Kevin Bacon’s character’s “First Date”), but it has the fat kid from Head of the Class and Better Off Dead riding a horse in a 19th century war movie. How could you not want to see more? “See You Next Wednesday” from The Kentucky Fried Movie - I’m probably a bigger fan of weird movie theater gimmicks than the average moviegoer, but that’s probably because I didn’t get a chance to live through things like Smell-O-Vision, which sound neat in theory but which were reportedly very obnoxious in reality (I recently wrote elsewhere about how the return of Smell-O-Vision in pre-show advertising sounds terrible). The joke about “See You Next Wednesday” (a fake movie title referenced in most of John Landis’ films) is that it’s in “feel-around”, a gimmick that’s clearly annoying to experience. I’d definitely be willing to try it out once, though. Especially if it’s the closest thing I could get to one of the Feelies (tactual motion pictures) from Huxley’s “Brave New World”. “MANT” from Matinee - Movie theater gimmicks also have me curious about experiencing the schlock horror film shown in Atomo-Vision and Rumble-Rama. This is one of those film within a films that you get to see more than enough footage of, but I want to actually suffer it as it’s intended to be seen. “Jews in Space” from History of the World, Part I - Mel Brooks eventually did make a Star Wars spoof, one that featured a lot of Jews in space (Spaceballs), but that doesn’t mean this earlier parody idea wouldn’t also be worth seeing. I’d even settle for seeing the apparently hilarious 2005 Argentine film Jews in Space Or Why Is This Night Different, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to actually take place in space nor, tragically, involve spaceships shaped like the Star of David. “Those Darn Amigos” from ¡Three Amigos! - Because the synopsis of Tropic Thunder reminds me of the plot to Three Amigos, I feel it appropriate to include one of the fake films from the underrated comedy. At the beginning of the movie, we see one of the silent movies starring the Three Amigos (see the clip above), but I’m more interested in the trio’s flop, which diverted from the usual premise to be about three wealthy Spanish landowners who take a little vacation in Manhattan. If it didn’t appeal to the masses, I’ll probably love it. I’d also settle for seeing one of the early shorts featuring Ned Nederlander (Martin Short) known as “Little Neddy’s Knickers.” Considering ¡Three Amigos! is set in 1916, and Short was in his mid-30s, I believe it impossible that Ned could have been a child star of any younger than 30, so I’m pretty curious. BONUS: “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” from Lost in La Mancha - It isn’t a fake film, but it is technically a film within a film. And it’s so far non-existent, really. Terry Gilliam’s attempted loose adaptation of Cervantes was actually being made, with Johnny Depp in the lead. However, due to multiple complications, the production was canceled after shooting had begun, and all that remained was Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe’s depressing documentary Lost in La Mancha. Because sometimes the gods are good to us Gilliam fans, though, it was recently announced that the film is on being attempted again, reportedly still with Depp and possibly also starring Michael Palin. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_TOP_5_MOVIES_TO_TEACH_AN_ALIEN_ABOUT_EARTH/563/31525/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: sa54d
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 6/22/2008 7:40:49 PM
Body: Others have already thought of my idea: that the aliens may want to conquer us and therefore the movies selected should attempt to convince them to find easier pickings elsewhere. And a interplanetary civilization such as ours has absolutely no hope against an inter-stellar civilization. It's Pizzaro vs. the Incas, only worse for us. But maybe the aliens just want to find out more about us before they strike, on the off chance that we have some capability that they can not readily observe? Assuming we're trying to dissuade the aliens from trying to attack us my five suggestions are inspired by the "Twilight Zone" episode in which Andy Devine scares off an alien invasion by telling tall tales which the aliens believe to be literally true. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I almost went with Azkaban but the aliens likey understand physics well enough to know that you can not ever go back in time, and then that would give the game away. But any sufficiently advanced technology, to one who does not understand it, is indistinguishable from magic. Levitation, transfiguration, channeling energy through a mysterious device called a "wand" could scare the willies out of credulous aliens. And we show them that even our children can take on a Basalisk. War of the Worlds. The original, maybe they'll think it's a documentary? The Ten Commandments. If the aliens are in any way religious, this should put the fear in them. Spaceballs. If watching this Mel Brooks movie doesn't unsettle them, then maybe they'll become hopelessly confused. Poltergeist. How do aliens know whether or not ghosts really exist? Although almost any ghost movie would do, I choose one where the ghosts have some ability to influence and interact with the physical world. If this movie doesn't scare 'em off, nothing will.
]]>Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:40:49 GMTsa54dFilmgaming6/22/2008 7:40:49 PM Others have already thought of my idea: that the aliens may want to conquer us and therefore the movies selected should attempt to convince them to find easier pickings elsewhere. And a interplanetary civilization such as ours has absolutely no hope against an inter-stellar civilization. It's Pizzaro vs. the Incas, only worse for us. But maybe the aliens just want to find out more about us before they strike, on the off chance that we have some capability that they can not readily observe? Assuming we're trying to dissuade the aliens from trying to attack us my five suggestions are inspired by the "Twilight Zone" episode in which Andy Devine scares off an alien invasion by telling tall tales which the aliens believe to be literally true. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I almost went with Azkaban but the aliens likey understand physics well enough to know that you can not ever go back in time, and then that would give the game away. But any sufficiently advanced technology, to one who does not understand it, is indistinguishable from magic. Levitation, transfiguration, channeling energy through a mysterious device called a "wand" could scare the willies out of credulous aliens. And we show them that even our children can take on a Basalisk. War of the Worlds. The original, maybe they'll think it's a documentary? The Ten Commandments. If the aliens are in any way religious, this should put the fear in them. Spaceballs. If watching this Mel Brooks movie doesn't unsettle them, then maybe they'll become hopelessly confused. Poltergeist. How do aliens know whether or not ghosts really exist? Although almost any ghost movie would do, I choose one where the ghosts have some ability to influence and interact with the physical world. If this movie doesn't scare 'em off, nothing will. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/funny/MemberTagFilms.aspxfunny
Number of films tagged: 608

Number of people who tagged: 315

Number of times used: 941

]]>Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:28:29 GMT608315941Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/comedy/MemberTagFilms.aspxcomedy
Number of films tagged: 1087

Number of people who tagged: 253

Number of times used: 1342

]]>Tue, 15 Dec 2009 16:38:30 GMT10872531342Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspxLoved-It
Number of films tagged: 509

Number of people who tagged: 179

Number of times used: 921

]]>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:56:35 GMT509179921Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/hilarious/MemberTagFilms.aspxhilarious
Number of films tagged: 222

Number of people who tagged: 165

Number of times used: 331

]]>Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:39:04 GMT222165331Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/friendship/MemberTagFilms.aspxfriendship
Number of films tagged: 6791

Number of people who tagged: 154

Number of times used: 980

]]>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:42:20 GMT6791154980Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/future/MemberTagFilms.aspxfuture
Number of films tagged: 492

Number of people who tagged: 101

Number of times used: 258

]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:46:43 GMT492101258Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/personal-classic/MemberTagFilms.aspxpersonal-classic
Number of films tagged: 180

Number of people who tagged: 64

Number of times used: 274

]]>Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:21:00 GMT18064274Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Guilty-Pleasure/MemberTagFilms.aspxGuilty-Pleasure
Number of films tagged: 102

Number of people who tagged: 61

Number of times used: 152

]]>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:55:42 GMT10261152Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/space/MemberTagFilms.aspxspace
Number of films tagged: 494

Number of people who tagged: 54

Number of times used: 139

]]>Mon, 25 May 2009 14:36:30 GMT49454139Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/travel/MemberTagFilms.aspxtravel
Number of films tagged: 46

Number of people who tagged: 54

Number of times used: 91

]]>Wed, 02 Dec 2009 23:13:40 GMT465491Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/kidnapping/MemberTagFilms.aspxkidnapping
Number of films tagged: 2851

Number of people who tagged: 49

Number of times used: 172

]]>Sun, 16 Aug 2009 05:39:42 GMT285149172Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/dog/MemberTagFilms.aspxdog
Number of films tagged: 1373

Number of people who tagged: 47

Number of times used: 161

]]>Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:00:53 GMT137347161Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/chase/MemberTagFilms.aspxchase
Number of films tagged: 880

Number of people who tagged: 44

Number of times used: 109

]]>Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:13:34 GMT88044109Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/adolescence/MemberTagFilms.aspxadolescence
Number of films tagged: 398

Number of people who tagged: 38

Number of times used: 120

]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:43 GMT39838120Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/parody/MemberTagFilms.aspxparody
Number of films tagged: 42

Number of people who tagged: 36

Number of times used: 56

]]>Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:00:44 GMT423656Tag