Black Lectroid John Parker (Carl Lumbly) brings a grim message from leader John Emdall (Rosalind Cash): Earth will be destroyed unless Buckaroo and his Cavaliers stop the Red Lectroids in time. But the lawful, benign Black Lectroids don’t want them back. Red Lectroids John Bigboote (Christopher Lloyd) and John O’Connor (Vincent Schiavelli) steal the Oscillation Overthruster invented by Professor Hikita (Robert Ito) and are working to return to and re-conquer the 8th dimension. They’ve taken possession of Doctor Emilio Lizardo (John Lithgow) who now goes by the name of Lord John Whorfin. Need a rundown on the dilemma faced by Buckaroo in his one and only screen adventure? Surgeon, rock musician, particle physicist and commander of the Hong Kong Cavaliers, Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller) comes back from a trip to the 8th dimension with the ability to see the villainous Red Lectroids that have come from that alternate reality and are living among us. That Buckaroo didn’t snag the gold ring may just have been a matter of timing. I mean, a fan base still exists for the animated buddy ensembles in Hanna-Barbera’s Jonny Quest, not to mention their Top Cat. The particular hip attitude employed may tickle some viewers and annoy others - there’s no way of telling. Purposely confusing and sometimes laboring too hard to be off-the-wall flippant, the show nevertheless shapes up as a fun adventure something like a Republic Serial, but with a relentlessly hip attitude. With its mash-up of Doc Savage, The Lone Ranger and a rock ‘n’ roll superstar, Buckaroo Banzai was a box office flopparoo back in 1984. Thirty-two years later, its impressive roster of up ‘n’ coming actors commands attention in itself. The Banzai cult is small but still enthusiastic, so I think we need to chalk up his one screen outing as a success. The ‘extended universe’ pulp franchise of Marvel superheroes has dominated action filmmaking for ten years now. Nobody denies that attempting to emulate George Lucas was a smart move. That has to beat bashing one’s brains out screen-writin’ for The Man. The success of Indiana Jones suggested that in a few years they could be cashing checks from a mountain of sequels, tie-ins and ancillary toy merchandising. Richter and producers Sidney Beckerman and Neil Canton were hoping to launch a game-changing, ever-broadening super-franchise, going so far as to write a number of sequels into all of the talent contracts. This two-disc set brings it back to our shores with a new documentary and audio commentary.īack in 1984 Buckaroo Banzai was a hip offering clearly aiming at cult status. Richter’s quasi-cult title The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai has been out in a number of editions, and a Blu-ray was released last year in Region B. Not content with its already well appointed special Blu-ray editions, Shout! Factory is inaugurating a new Shout Select branded line with the intent of turning out an even more refined series of disc offerings with ‘special’ special extras. Produced by Sidney Beckerman, Neil Canton, W.D. Starring: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey, Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Bill Henderson, Damon Hines, Billy VeraĪrt Direction Richard Carter, Stephen Dane The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimensionġ984 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 102 min. And this oddest of oddball sci-fi pictures has a backstory worth documenting. The new branded line Shout Selects chooses Buckaroo for special-special edition treatment, with a long making-of docu just like the ones from the heyday of DVD.
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