MovieChat Forums > The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) Discussion > How come this is not in IMDB Bottom 100?

How come this is not in IMDB Bottom 100?

posted 19 years ago by rmohan80
119 replies | jump to latest

Seriously, i thought this movie was crap and i'll give it a 1/10 (1 point for the fast pace and scattered humour)...

how come everybody loves this movie? Is it because i'm not american and don't understand the jokes and references in this movie?

i'm not saying that my judgement is best; but i mostly agree with other users when it comes to an average rating; but strangely i couldn't understand sh*t of this movie and actually finished it in 2 sittings!

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] savgehenry101 19 years ago

Agreed this movie is a cult classic, needs to be put in a time capsule with Repo Man and Big Trouble in Little China.

[–] neil-610 19 years ago

"How do turtles make love?"
"In......"
Cut the guy some slack-he might NEVER like it. Fine. Thats normal in my book.
Some people hate some movies, for whatever reason.
As a rule, I generally DETEST this one Italian Director's movies, and I have tried and tried and tried to really like them. Go figure. So I respect his work ,but I don't like it. It doesn't RESONATE. AT ALL.EVEN IF IT ROCKS!

RESONATE-what does that really mean?
Most systems, when struck with sufficient force will generally ring (continue to vibrate for a long time) at their first resonant frequency.
In other words, a movie may or may not "ring your bell".

Number 23...The Larch
"Out....."

Buckaroo Banzai is a great innoculation against the tremendously NEGATIVE and anti-human movies of Tarantino...and some Italian directors who detest and mock marriage and the family....what the hell is WRONG with those guys? Fellini? I don't get it...I had to WALK OUT on some his crap...

Tarkovsky, now THERE is a REAL film maker! Yeah....anyway...

Buckaroo Banzai reminds me of this cool Polish movie where all the men are dead in the future, except these two frozen guys who wake up in the future in a society run by women...cheap special effects, but a GREAT STORY...even though I didn't understand it! Really!

Number 23....The Larch

A world without Buckaroo Banzai would be a very sad one indeed...
The VERY pithy "No matter where you go...there you are." is a very in-your-face philosophical urging to accept yourself as you are and not try to escape-because you CAN'T!!! duh. Sometimes the simplest ideas-like that you can control what thoughts you dwell upon-are the MOST DIFFICULT to grasp, even harder to apply!

So cut a brother some slack if he doesn't RESONATE-after all, his first frequency may not be yours!
"In...."

[–] cableaddict 19 years ago

I can't add anything that hasn't already been said perfectly, above.

A cult classic, but really much more. If you can appreciate the humor (I guess I can see how some folks might not) you then can start to appreciate how amazingly well-made this movie is.

The acting, direction, screenplay, etc are all simply amazing. There are so many tiny little touches that you miss the first time, and attention to small details that is sadly lacking in even mega-buck Hollywood blockbusters.

I cold watch this movie another 100 times and not be bored. Definitely in my "top 20 of all time" list.

[–] randyhndrsn 19 years ago

I love this movie and I alwaus think of it as a scifi classic, but I can see this being in the bottom 100 because it is that type of movie.When I 1st came to check it's score I was sure it would be in the bottom, then I saw the good score and it made me happy.So thanks people, I am glad other people find this as a really cool movie and get the point that it is a comedy.

[–] The_Listerfiend 19 years ago

This movie is great especially the part where Peter Weller is walking and all the other castmembers fall in with him. That part cracked me up

NO... NO... That's not true, That's IMPOSSIBLE!!!!
-Luke Skywalker

[–] docthunder5 19 years ago

________________________________________________________________________________
Q:"What'a that watermelon for?"
A:"I'll tell you later."
...and it is never mentioned again.
________________________________________________________________________________

It was mentioned in the script or novel, I forget which. The watermelon was engineered to survive falling out of a plane so they could be dropped on starving nations, but they couldnt figure out how to cut them open once they landed. As for why it's not in the bottom 100? Because enough people like it.

The larch.

[–] cableaddict 19 years ago

quote: "The watermelon was engineered to survive falling out of a plane so they could be dropped on starving nations, but they couldnt figure out how to cut them open once they landed. "

In a weird way, that's a perfect metaphor for the entire movie.

(vis-a-vis the Hollywood machine. Oh, nevermind.)

[–] jml225-1 18 years ago

It's a great film - you must be not only from another country, but from another dimension.

"Remember, no matter where you go . . . there you are."

[–] KingAtor42 18 years ago

There is something to be said for movies that are bad but don't try to be good at the same time. Take the Evil Dead movies for instance. They never TRIED nor WANTED to make a quality horror him, it's filled with camp and low-budget effects. This movie took sci-fi trends at the time and spoofed them entirely. It does so amidst a deliberate attempt at actors over-acting, deliberately rehearsed bad lines, and against, keeping the effects as low budget as possible. It's made to make you laugh.

Now, if it completely failed to get everyone to laugh at it and point fingers then it would be a truly bad movie. Also note: Lost Skeleton of the Cadaver. A perfect production where they spoofed 50s and early 60s sci-fi monster films.

Aristophanes once wrote, roughly translated...

[–] MetalMiike 18 years ago

Any film that DOESN'T make this much sense has to be admired. I have never seen such inspired randomness.

Where Japanese cinema meets Keith Chegwin...

[–] junkevil 18 years ago

"how come everybody loves this movie?"

because its actually a pretty well thought out flick and highly entertaining albeit low budget.

"Is it because i'm not american and don't understand the jokes and references in this movie?"

nationality has little to do with it, but you may be on to something with the understanding part. if you didn't get this movie then you have the cognitave skills of leonard maltin, the worst film critic ever.

"i'm not saying that my judgement is best;"

I'll second that.

"but i mostly agree with other users when it comes to an average rating"

maybe you're not looking at many cult flicks. i suppose old yeller and titanic are movies you can better relate too. I'd say transylvania 6-5000 is right out for you, and stay away from rocky horror too. these movies will confuse and scare you. its alright, its nothing serious, you're just incredibly stupid.

[–] gooseman1 18 years ago

"When you're this far in the brain, it all kinda looks the same"

If you gotta ask, you'll never know

[–] rmohan80 18 years ago

i've decided to stop being infamous by deleting my original comment so that this thread becomes obselete....please direct any last minute objections immediately

[–] TheTikiGod1976 18 years ago

Just your preference I guess. I absolutely love it; definitely one of my all time fav films.

[–] Ford_Maverick 18 years ago

You know, I really like this movie, but I can't for the life of me explain why. Maybe it's because I'm an American and therefore it was aimed at me a little more.

It's quirky and strange and if I went through it I could point out dozens of things that could have been changed, improved or just done away with, but somehow I still come away liking it.

I can understand perfectly why other people wouldn't though. It's a terminally flawed little film, but maybe that's it's charm?

I'm Ford W. Maverick and I'll see you in hell.

http://whistlinginthegraveyard.blogspot.com/

[–] artistathome 18 years ago

Doesn't anybody get it?
Do you get "Best in Show" by Christopher Guest?
Your mind has to be able to suspend reality a little while and stop being so literal.
This movie was meant to be exactly what it was...a Sci Fi spoof and a cult classic. My daughter and her friends memorized all the lines. They showed it every Saturday night at the same theater in our town in Texas (not a small one)
until the parents insisted it get pulled. The kids were starting to dress and act like the characters in the movie!!
Will Ferrell's Anchorman is in the same genre. Do we take that one seriously?
No but just like Buckaroo we remember and quote lines from it!

Let us not forget to mention all the superb tongue in cheek lines from Banzai and all the great actors....Peter Weller is soooo perfect as Buckaroo. Also it is appearing on Encore now.
Good Day, sir! I said Good Day!!!

Nina