Airheads
Airheads, 1994
Plot-A band called the Lone Rangers (hey, you can't pluralize that, can you?) breaks into a radio station in the hopes of having their demo played, but they end up taking the employees hostage instead.
Starring-Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler, Michael McKean
Musician appearances-Lemmy has one line, White Zombie appear as themselves playing in a club.
The good-This exchange between Chaz (Fraser) and a cop posing as a record executive (Harold Ramis).
Chazz:Okay, lemme ask you a question: who's side did you take in the big David Lee Roth-Van Halen split?
Cop:What?
Chazz: Who's side did you take: Halen or Roth?
Cop:Van Halen
Chazz and others: HE'S A COP!
There were a few good lines here and there about working hard trying to get signed, but not quite enough of them to mean that much. Steve Buscemi was far and away the best of the three band members. Joe Mantegna was overall one of the more interesting characters in the film as DJ Ian who still seems to have some respect music and musicians left in him. Chris Farley was starting to hit his peak at that point, it's a shame he didn't get a bigger role in this film.
The bad-Despite the fact that Brenden Fraser looks like Dave Mustaine here, you will soon realize that is the same guy who was outacted by Daffy Duck in that Looney Toons movie a few years ago. Yet Fraser has some moments where he is not too bad. Adam Sandler is far worse, this guy has skated by for like 15 years by sticking his chin out and talking like a little kid. He is just not funny often enough although Happy Gilmore and the Wedding Singer managed to be good. Sandler would be the worst character in the film if it wasn't for an even worse actor being present. That would be David Arquette who has a small role as a surfer dude, but he just can't even pull off a simple small role. There are way too many jokes that fall flat in this film.
The ugly- I think that after the band takes over the radio station that the script just falls apart and it never comes back together again. The lines that Adam Sandler says about black people not liking him are lame and just in poor taste.
Final Word- How could a film with Steve Buscemi, a Spinal Tap member (Michael McKean), two Ghostbusters (Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson) plus Chris Farley, Michael Richards and Lemmy not be good? Two words-poor writing. The script zips back and forth between comedy, drama, romance and some dribble about musical integrity yet it never does enough with any of those things to be very successful. The main characters are not that likeable and the film eventually becomes a little hard to watch. It cost me $5.50 at Wal-mart and it may have been worth that much, but that's about it. You are better off watching Wayne's World or This is Spinal Tap for the 50th time instead of watching this.
Grade:D+
Next up it's a heavy metal horror movie starring a bunch of people you never heard of, but it does have small roles from Gene Simmons and Ozzy. It's Trick or treat, a low budget film from 1986. Maybe it might just be better than you think.
Plot-A band called the Lone Rangers (hey, you can't pluralize that, can you?) breaks into a radio station in the hopes of having their demo played, but they end up taking the employees hostage instead.
Starring-Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler, Michael McKean
Musician appearances-Lemmy has one line, White Zombie appear as themselves playing in a club.
The good-This exchange between Chaz (Fraser) and a cop posing as a record executive (Harold Ramis).
Chazz:Okay, lemme ask you a question: who's side did you take in the big David Lee Roth-Van Halen split?
Cop:What?
Chazz: Who's side did you take: Halen or Roth?
Cop:Van Halen
Chazz and others: HE'S A COP!
There were a few good lines here and there about working hard trying to get signed, but not quite enough of them to mean that much. Steve Buscemi was far and away the best of the three band members. Joe Mantegna was overall one of the more interesting characters in the film as DJ Ian who still seems to have some respect music and musicians left in him. Chris Farley was starting to hit his peak at that point, it's a shame he didn't get a bigger role in this film.
The bad-Despite the fact that Brenden Fraser looks like Dave Mustaine here, you will soon realize that is the same guy who was outacted by Daffy Duck in that Looney Toons movie a few years ago. Yet Fraser has some moments where he is not too bad. Adam Sandler is far worse, this guy has skated by for like 15 years by sticking his chin out and talking like a little kid. He is just not funny often enough although Happy Gilmore and the Wedding Singer managed to be good. Sandler would be the worst character in the film if it wasn't for an even worse actor being present. That would be David Arquette who has a small role as a surfer dude, but he just can't even pull off a simple small role. There are way too many jokes that fall flat in this film.
The ugly- I think that after the band takes over the radio station that the script just falls apart and it never comes back together again. The lines that Adam Sandler says about black people not liking him are lame and just in poor taste.
Final Word- How could a film with Steve Buscemi, a Spinal Tap member (Michael McKean), two Ghostbusters (Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson) plus Chris Farley, Michael Richards and Lemmy not be good? Two words-poor writing. The script zips back and forth between comedy, drama, romance and some dribble about musical integrity yet it never does enough with any of those things to be very successful. The main characters are not that likeable and the film eventually becomes a little hard to watch. It cost me $5.50 at Wal-mart and it may have been worth that much, but that's about it. You are better off watching Wayne's World or This is Spinal Tap for the 50th time instead of watching this.
Grade:D+
Next up it's a heavy metal horror movie starring a bunch of people you never heard of, but it does have small roles from Gene Simmons and Ozzy. It's Trick or treat, a low budget film from 1986. Maybe it might just be better than you think.
posted by Metal Mark at
12:09 AM
7 Comments:
Agreed -- Airheads is a waste of time and money!
-- david
I have to agree to disagree. I liked 'Airheads'. The Bea Arthur lines is one of my favorite comic lines of not only this movie but of any. I admit that this movie was light weight fluff but it didn't pretend to be otherwise.
Sgt. Fluffy-I agree the soundtrack is pretty good.
Ben-It has it's moments if your expectations aren't too high.
David-I have given this one a chance and hasn't grown on me over the years either.
Fuzzbox-The Bea Arthur lines are funny and there are some funny lines, but just not enough of them for my tastes.
This movie had so much promise...a ton of talent there. Ramis is a great director as well (Caddyshack, Groundhog Day).
Phoenix- I agree that this film had a lot of promise. I firmly expected it to be very good, but it came up short.
De-lurking because I really have a soft spot for this movie. I agree with you that Buscemi is probably the best thing in it, but I would give it higher letter grade .. maybe a c+?
Also: this a great blog, love the theme weeks.
t-Welcome.The review for Trick of Treat is up, hope you enjoy it.
miss blaylock-Welcome. Some people like this film, but I just didn't think had enough going for it.
fredcq-Welcome. You are exactly right. The Lone Rangers start out as being just a little stupid and get worse throughout the film.
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