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:

Beings from Another Dimension have invaded your world.

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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

In the original script, Buckaroo was supposed to have an archenemy named Hanoi Xan, who was never seen, but referenced to by Buckaroo and the other characters. All scenes containing dialogue regarding Xan were deleted from the film's theatrical release, but are now available on DVD. Xan was supposed to be the mysterious head of a crime syndicate called the World Crime League, and also the man who murdered Buckaroo's parents and wife Peggy.

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Goofs

When Banzai is in the rocket car, and plugs the module in, you can hear them reading out his location as N28º 36' 30.32", W80º 36' 14.8". This is the location of the Saturn causeway at Kennedy Space Center. NOT the middle of a desert, with a convenient mountain to fly through.

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Quotes

Jack the Orderly: I've come for your tv. You've been using too much juice. Another 10,000 kilowatts again this month. Beats me how an old, homicidal loony can use that much power.

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Crazy Credits

The credits end with the announcement of the upcoming sequel "Buckaroo Banzai Versus The World Crime League". As of 2007, that film has yet to be made, pending approval from the film's current rights holders, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

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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 Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens (2016)

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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

I had forgotten how good this was!

What a great way to start the New Year! I just watched this flick for the first time in ages and remember now why I agree that it is a "cult classic"!

Made in 1984 way before most of the actors achieved real star status, this movie has so many "inside" references and jokes, it's a wonder that more isn't made of it! And if you are a real Star Trek fan, you will know that Yoyodyne Propulsion is on the commissioning plaque for the Enterprise as well as other Star Fleet vessels. The references to Grover's Mill and Orson Wells along with the whole deadpan tone of the film makes this an unbelievably funny experience. I only wish that "Buckaroo Banzai versus The World Crime League" had been produced.

Peter Weller, Jeff Goldblum, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Dan Hedaya, the entire cast must have had a great time making this movie. It is full of technojargon, double speak and just plain funny stuff that pokes fun at every bad B-movie scifi thriller/comic book/Saturday serial ever made. There is no bad language and no skin and lots to hear and see in this great movie!

It has one redeeming quality above all else for me... it makes the effects on Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and all of those other poor excuses for Saturday kid's entertainment look ridiculous. If the producers of this crap on TV that passes for action need some pointers on how to take useless stuff and make a cool, funny scifi flick, they need look no further that "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eight Dimension"!