Buckaroo Banzai, born to an American mother and
a Japanese father, thus began life as he was destined
to live it - going in several directions at once...
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the Eighth Dimension is a film that has attained significant cult status. Filled with errors, omissions, inside jokes, inconsistencies, questionable directorial decisions, unfulfilled promises, and more problems in the eyes of the average movie viewer than one could shake a stick at, it is still an adorable and heartwarming film for those of us who truly grok it.
It's about a man who has lived an adventurous but comparatively sheltered life. He's a rich philanthropist with incredible credentials and successes to his name. His birth the result of an interracial marriage, Buckaroo Banzai contains the best of both worlds from his heritage, seeks out the brightest minds and bodies on the Earth and bands them together for a common purpose, to help him thwart evil and seek adventure however it comes their way. The tale told, and the world created for the tale, is incredibly hokey, childish and impossible to believe. On the surface this film looks like trash until one realizes what it stems from and what it represents.
This film is the culmination of an idea. There is so much about this character and his world that never made it to film. It's both an example of the potential for filmmaking and an example of what can go wrong if chaos overrides order in filmmaking. This film is like staring at a baby as it exits the womb. It's simultaneously horrific and exhaustingly beautiful at the same time.
The Cast, in order of appearance:
ED, the voice of Mission Control Kent Perkins
PROFESSOR HIKITA, a scientist Robert Ito
MARINE LIEUTENANT Radford Polinsky
GENERAL CATBURD William Traylor
PERFECT TOMMY, a Hong Kong Cavalier Lewis Smith
RENO NEVADA, a Hong Kong Cavalier Pepe Serna
BUCKAROO BANZAI, particle physicist,
rock star, neurosurgeon, etc. Peter Weller
NEW JERSEY, another neurosurgeon Jeff Goldblum
RAWHIDE, a Hong Kong Cavalier Clancy Brown
SENATOR CUNNINGHAM Mariclare Costello
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE Matt Clark
DOCTOR EMILIO LIZARDO, a scientist \
LORD JOHN WHORFIN, an evil alien dictator / John Lithgow
ANCHORWOMAN Francine Lembi
HOSPITAL GUARD Jonathan Banks
ARTIE DUNCAN, a New Jersey club manager Leonard Gaines
PENNY PRIDDY, Buckaroo Banzai's ex-wife's
identical twin Ellen Barkin
RADAR BLAZES Robert Gray
Gary Bisig
JOHN BIGBOOTE, a Red Lectroid Christopher Lloyd
JOHN O'CONNOR, a Red Lectroid Vincent Schiavelli
JOHN GOMEZ, a Red Lectroid Dan Hedaya
REPORTERS Ray Birk
Jane Marla Robbins
BLACK LECTROID WING COMMANDER Jessie Lawrence Ferguson
MOTORCYCLE EXHIBITOR Reed Morgan
BUBBA, a duck hunter James Keane
BURT, a duck hunter Kenneth Magee
JOHN PARKER, a Black Lectroid diplomat Carl Lumbly
HIGHWAY PATROLMAN John David Ashton
SCOOTER LINDLEY, a Junior Blue Blaze Irregular Damon Hines
CASPER LINDLEY, Scooter's father Bill Henderson
MRS. JOHNSON, Buckaroo's secretary Laura Harrington
JOHN GANT, Black Lectroid thermopod pilot Kevin Sullivan
BILLY TRAVERS, a Hong Kong Cavalier Michael Santoro
PINKY CARRUTHERS, a Blue Blaze Irregular Billy Vera
SAM, the jet car mechanic uncredited
JOHN EMDALL, Black Lectroid leader Rosalind Cash
PRESIDENT WIDMARK Ronald Lacey
SMIRNOFF, the National Security Advisor Yakov Smirnoff
JOHN YAYA, a Red Lectroid James Rosin
KOLODNY BROTHERS Sam Minsky
Robert Hummer
RUGSUCKER Gerald Peterson
Added Sunday February 5th, 2006
The Custodian says re Buckaroo Banzai: Hey, you might want to add... http://www.moonstonebooks.com/banzai.asp Woooohoooo!
Cool. Done. =)