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Conference bookie::movies

Title:Movie Reviews and Discussion
Notice:Please do DIR/TITLE before starting a new topic on a movie!
Moderator:VAXCPU::michaudo.dec.com::tamara::eppes
Created:Thu Jan 28 1993
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1249
Total number of notes:16012

1083.0. "Spy Hard" by BUSY::SLABOUNTY (Catch you later!!) Fri May 17 1996 21:08

    
    	Has anyone heard of "Spy Hard", starting 05/24/96 and starring
    	Leslie Nielsen as a spy?  It's a satire [of course!!].
    
    	Weird Al Yankovic does the theme song ... it's included on the
    	"Gump" CD single.
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1083.1Looking forward to see thisPOLAR::LYLEGot a picture of a photographMon May 20 1996 10:0411
    
    Yup, seen the comercials for this, as well as Weird Al's vid.
    
    Looks about as funny as the Naked Gun movies, and those were some funny
    movies.
    
    I wonder if they'll do an O.J. spoof somewhere in it. If they do, it
    would really comical.
    
    Dave
    
1083.2KERNEL::PLANTCA song..played on a solo saxaphone..Mon May 20 1996 11:0215
    
    
    Looks hilarious!!!
    
    
    Nielsen to woman : I love you!
    
    woman: What about my husband?
    
    Nielsen: I like him too but I'm just getting to know him.
    
    
    
    Chris
    :)
1083.3EDSCLU::JAYAKUMARMon May 20 1996 15:496
Question: Is this a spoof on Die Hard? 

I hope not, since I haven't seen Die Hard I wouldn't enjoy this as much.

Thanks
-Jk
1083.4BUSY::SLABOUNTYDo ya wanna bump and grind with me?Mon May 20 1996 16:048
    
    	Well, I guess it's possible that there could be references ...
    	but I don't think that's the main intent of the movie.
    
    	Wait a minute ... how could you NOT have seen "Die Hard" yet?
    	Don't you know there are also 2 sequels that you haven't seen
    	yet either?  8^)
    
1083.5KERNEL::PLANTCA song..played on a solo saxaphone..Mon May 20 1996 16:078
    
    
    
    It's a spoof of all the spy movies , the trailers show scenes of spoofs 
    of True Lies for example.
    
    Chris
    :)
1083.6SUBSYS::NEUMYERYour memory still hangin roundMon May 20 1996 16:484
    
    And Speed.
    
    ed
1083.7Adding to the number of spoofsCHEFS::BUSSONGTue May 21 1996 08:122
    I think there is a take off of the John Travolta dance from Pulp
    Fiction as well.
1083.8SUBSYS::NEUMYERYour memory still hangin roundTue May 21 1996 13:185
    
    	Heard that a reviewer said that the Weird Al Yankovitch song is the
    highlight of the movie.
    
    ed
1083.9BUSY::SLABOUNTYExit light ... enter night.Tue May 21 1996 13:323
    
    	What do you expect from a reviewer?
    
1083.10KERNEL::PLANTCA song..played on a solo saxaphone..Tue May 21 1996 13:336
    
    
    Leslie Nielsen is just soooo funny that the movie has to be a success!
    
    Chris
    :)
1083.11He's got a brother in Parliament ya know?"POLAR::TYSICKYou're a daisy if ya do...Tue May 21 1996 13:5814
    I'd have to agree with the funny guy thing!
    
    	I've never sat through any of his flick with out finding something
    that gave me a good ab workout.  Only problem with this season being the 
    time when all movies come out, I probably won't catch this one till it
    hits the videos or a second feature at the drive in.
    
    A little mis-quote:
    
    Drebin - "Did you get a description?"
    
    ?????? - "He was about 170 lbs, dark hair, moustache, bout 6 feet."
    
    Drebin - "That's a pretty big moustache!" 
1083.12aah mr bond!PGREEN::FLINTMTue May 21 1996 16:0210
    There is supposed to be quite a lot of James Bondesque bits in it.
    
    They were doing some filming at LAX when i flew back to the uk only 2
    months ago.  But i didn't see much going on.
    
    
    mike
    
    
    
1083.13BUSY::SLABOUNTYForget the doctor - get me a nurse!Tue May 21 1996 16:4347
                              Spy Hard (1996)

                                   1996

Produced by: Hollywood Pictures Corporation / Buena Vista Pictures
(distributor)
Genre(s)/keyword(s): Comedy / spoof
Certification: USA:PG-13
MPAA reasons: Rated PG-13 for crude humor and sexual innuendo.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Directed by
     Rick Friedberg

Cast (in credits order)
     Leslie Nielsen .... Dick Steele (Agent WD-40)
     Nicollette Sheridan .... Agent 3.14
     Charles Durning
     Marcia Gay Harden
     Barry Bostwick
     Andy Griffith .... General Rancor
     rest of cast listed alphabetically
     Weird Al Yankovic .... Himself

Cinematography by
     John R. Leonetti

Music by
     Bill Conti
     Weird Al Yankovic (theme "Spy Hard")

Other crew
     Weird Al Yankovic (title sequence director)

Links with other movies

spoofs
     E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
     Die Hard (1988)
     Sister Act (1992)
     In the Line of Fire (1993)
     Pulp Fiction (1994)
     Speed (1994/I)
     True Lies (1994)

1083.14Cherry 3.14POLAR::TYSICKYou're a daisy if ya do...Tue May 21 1996 16:505
    RE: -1
    
    	Agent 3.14 = Agent pie...oh thats rich!
    
    I'm dyin' over here!
1083.15STRWRS::KOCH_PIt never hurts to ask...Wed May 22 1996 16:074
    
    What is even more amazing is that Leslie Nielsen was always a dramatic
    actor. He's making more money doing comedy that he ever did as a
    dramatic actor. 
1083.16BUSY::SLABOUNTYAct like you own the companyWed May 22 1996 17:025
1083.17REGENT::POWERSThu May 23 1996 13:166
1083.18SCAMP::FORTIN_CWorked the Bars & Sideshows....Fri May 24 1996 17:485
    
    Thank-God someone did!!!
    
    
    CF
1083.19A disconnected jumble of gagsTUXEDO::FRIDAYDCE: The real world is distributed too.Tue May 28 1996 14:4026
We saw Spy Hard this weekend.

I've really liked previous Leslie Nielsen movies and was looking
forward to Spy Hard.  But I found this one a major disappointment.
After I fell asleep during the movie my wife and son had to stop
me from snoring.  So I was glad I saw it during a matinee at
reduced price.

IMO, the best part of the movie was the opening theme song done by Al
Yankovic.  Otherwise the movie was unable to sustain my interest.

The biggest problem with the film seemed to be a lack of continuity. 
It seemed to be a jumble of skits, jokes, sight gags, and cameo
appearances with almost nothing holding it together. It was almost as
if they'd collected all the funny ideas they could come up with, put
them in a blender, and used the result as the script.

There was nothing wrong with Nielson's performance.  But the almost
total lack of a storyline to hold it together reduced his performances
in the various scenes to a disconnected hodgepodge.

Rich




1083.20EDSCLU::JAYAKUMARTue May 28 1996 18:4812
>>But the almost total lack of a storyline to hold it together reduced his 
>>performances in the various scenes to a disconnected hodgepodge.

	Storyline?

Is this really required for his movies ? -): Somehow I have always enjoyed 
comedy flicks with - zero continuity and story line. Who cares for the plot ? 
The more the hodgepodge the better -):

But then I am yet to see this one.. so I can't comment!

-Jk
1083.21ODIXIE::MOREAUKen Moreau;Technical Support;FloridaTue May 28 1996 19:0017
re: last several -<Storyline?>-

The complete lack of storyline didn't bother me too much (I enjoyed Airplane
I and II as well as Naked Gun I and II, none of which had much of a storyline
either), but what bothered me about this movie was the lack of jokes.

I was amused a couple of times, but I never had the belly-laughs that I got
from the other movies listed above.  It was cute, and I certainly agree with
one of the credits (listed below), but I wish I had waited for the video.

One of the jokes in the credits was:

	Agent 3.14:		 Nicollette Sheridan
	Ms Sheridan's stand-in:	 <xxx>
	Ms Sheridan's stand-out: her legs

-- Ken Moreau
1083.22sense?STRATA::GARRITYWed May 29 1996 05:035
     I think ifyou are looking ofr a storyline and a plot then you might
    want to go see "Bridges of Madison County" or something to that nature.
    These are goof ball movies and they aren't suppose to make any sense!!
    
     imho
1083.23STRATA::GARRITYWed May 29 1996 05:043
     Does anybody out there think they went with this movie instead of
    making another naked gun movie because of the OJ crap? Was there any
    spoofs on the oj story at all?
1083.24BUSY::SLABOUNTYBuzzword BingoWed May 29 1996 13:306
    
    	Was this a Zucker/Zucker movie?
    
    	If not, I doubt that it was a substitute for a "Naked Gun"
    	sequel.
    
1083.25Not ZAZ filmTHEBAY::WIEGLEBLook at the dirty water...and swimMon Jun 03 1996 17:205
    Nope.  This one was not done by Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker, nor any subset,
    nor any relatives.  The only connection between this and the "Naked
    Gun" movies is Leslie Nielsen.
    
    - Dave
1083.26BUSY::SLABOUNTYA Parting Shot in the DarkMon Jun 03 1996 19:293
    
    	And Weird Al Yankovic, of course.
    
1083.27KERNEL::PLANTCA song..played on a solo saxaphone..Tue Jun 04 1996 10:197
    
    
    Well I saw this one on the weekend with my wife and we thought it was
    funny. Much like the previous movies Neilsen has done.
    
    Chris
    :)
1083.28S&E gave it two thumbs downTUXEDO::FRIDAYDCE: The real world is distributed too.Tue Jun 04 1996 13:472
    S&E gave it two thumbs down
    
1083.29chayna.zko.dec.com::xanadu::eppesNina EppesWed Jun 05 1996 16:4310
I saw it last Sunday and thought it was okay, not great.
Not worth paying full price (sigh).

I laughed hardest (1) at Weird Al's title song (it's a hoot),
and (2) during the Bond-spoofing title sequence when two of 
the silhouetted swimming women bumped head-on into each other.

I basically enjoyed the movie, but would've liked more big laughs.

-- Nina
1083.30BUSY::SLABCome On'N'OnMon Dec 16 1996 14:0312
1083.31BUSY::SLABForeplay? What's that?Tue Dec 17 1996 21:195