The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)

Adventurer, brain surgeon, rock musician Buckaroo Banzai and his crime-fighting team, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, must stop evil alien invaders from the eighth dimension who are planning to conquer Earth.

Director:

W.D. Richter

Writer:

Earl Mac Rauch

Stars:

Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin

5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Weller	...	Buckaroo Banzai
John Lithgow	...	Lord John Whorfin / Dr. Emilio Lizardo
Ellen Barkin	...	Penny Priddy
Jeff Goldblum	...	New Jersey
Christopher Lloyd	...	John Bigbooté
Lewis Smith	...	Perfect Tommy
Rosalind Cash	...	John Emdall
Robert Ito	...	Professor Hikita
Pepe Serna	...	Reno Nevada
Ronald Lacey	...	President Widmark
Matt Clark	...	Secretary of Defense
Clancy Brown	...	Rawhide
William Traylor	...	General Catburd
Carl Lumbly	...	John Parker
Vincent Schiavelli	...	John O'Connor

Storyline

Brain surgeon, rock musician, adventurer Buckaroo Banzai is a modern renaissance man and has made scientific history. Shifting the Oscillation Overthruster into warp speed, he's the first man to travel to the eighth dimension - and come back sane. But when his sworn enemy, the demented Dr. Emilio Lizardo, devises a plot to steal the device and bring an evil army back to destroy Earth, Buckaroo goes cranium to cranium with the madman in a battle that could spell doom for the universe. With the help of his uniquely qualified team, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, Buckaroo is ready to save the world on a moment's notice.

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Plot Keywords:

alien | sci fi spoof | pastiche | u.s. president | watermelon | 

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Taglines:

Expect the unexpected. He does.

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 August 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai

Filming Locations:

Mount Hollywood Dr Tunnel, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$620,279, 12 August 1984, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$6,254,148

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sherwood Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby (35 mm prints) 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The logo on the side of the Rug Suckers van reads, We clean carpets the ol' fashioned way.

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Goofs

As Lizardo discovers Banzai has infiltrated Yoyodyne, he yells to turn off the klaxon sounding the alarm. His mouth says "Goddam klaxon" but what is dubbed is "Gosh darn klaxon".

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Quotes

Lord John Whorfin: History is-a made at night. Character is what you are in the dark.

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Crazy Credits

During the closing credits, Buckaroo's team assembles, one by one, walking along. Included in the group is Clancy Brown, whose character, Rawhide, dies during the film. (There is a claim that his character is not dead but in a coma under constant supervision and that was simply never dealt with in the film.) Also in the Closing Credits, Perfect Tommy's (played by Lewis Smith) outfit changes

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Alternate Versions

The Special Edition DVD contains 14 deleted scenes and an extended introduction, several of which make reference to Hanoi Xan, the leader of the World Crime League, who murdered Buckaroo's parents and his wife, Peggy. As mentioned in the "Crazy Credits" section, the World Crime League was mentioned at the end of the film as the focus of a planned sequel, but as of 2010 that film has yet to be made.

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Connections

Referenced in Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)

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Soundtracks

Since I Don't Have You
(uncredited)
Written by Joseph Rock and James Beaumont with The Skyliners
Performed by Peter Weller

User Reviews

Best viewed while wearing an aluminum foil helmet

This is the most bizarre movie I've ever seen - and it is one of my absolute favorites. The jokes are deeply embedded, and you have to pay close attention. The super-car that breaks sound (and dimensional) barriers idles when the ignition is turned off... the test code for the oscillation overthruster jet car is a spelling variation of "signed, sealed, delivered"... The high-tech, alien-technology visi-glasses are made of pink bubble wrap...amidst the deafening screams of fans and the jazz playing horn section of the Hong Kong Cavaliers, Buckaroo hears one single person crying.... It's these bizarre little jokes are that make the movie great, but they are not every one's cup of tea. It's good to have a very strange sense of humor - otherwise, you just won't understand why it's funny when... well, you just won't get why the movie is funny at all!