Films Outside the Loop Jeanne Chappé

I love silly movies when they are done well and this one is hysterically silly! This movie also stars two of my favorite actors...John Cusack and Tim Robbins. The music score by Fishbone and David Kahne is fabulous. You will be hopping around in your seat...unless you are brain dead! The executive producer of this movie is Michael Nesmith (the talented Monkee).

Ivan (John Cusack) and Josh (Tim Robbins) have been friends since childhood and are now two security guards with a dream. One has the talent and the other has the drive. They idolize a rhythm and blues duo from 20 years ago called "The Swanky Modes" (played by Sam Moore of "Sam and Dave" and Junior Walker). Josh and Ivan lose their security guard jobs and become THE VIDEO ACES! They are going to produce music videos with style. They start with a chicken and waffle commercial that is one of the funniest things you will ever see. They are paid for this with fried chicken (not uncommon). But, I am getting ahead of myself.

They decide to move to downtown L.A. where it is cheap, smoggy, harsh, ugly and rat infested. For no rent at all, they move into a loft with Belinda (Katy Boyer) who is a demolition artist. Ivan and Josh set out to make big bucks making music videos and end up working on 'spec' for Mo Fuzz (played by a smarmy Don Cornelius). If any of you are familiar with working 'on spec', it means NO MONEY...EVER!

Most music videos are vapid, mind-rot, stench, Pablum! Real truth but this comes from Mo Fuzz who says "There's only one thing that adds real production value...tits and ass!"

On their third 'spec' music video (part of the trilogy), Josh and Ivan are filming "The Blender Children" where everything goes terribly wrong. After the taping, a horrible (and wonderful) twist of fate. "The Blender Children" are killed by a fragment of Spylab-14 that hits them like a fireball out of hell while they are performing at the Greek Theater. The Video Aces now have the last tape of "The Blender Children". The dub of this tape gets mixed up with a living will video and the outcome brings them recognition and real FAME!

There is much more to this story. There is a possible presidential candidate whose odd sex life has been taped! He has hit men who are in search of this tape. These hit men are hilarious. Also, if you have to pass a sobriety test like Ivan and Josh did...you'd be in real trouble. With your eyes closed, recite the alphabet backwards skipping all the vowels while giving the sign language for each letter!

You don't want to miss Josh and Ivan dancing on the roof to the music of "The Swanky Modes" until dawn and the fight between the 'Ninja bitches'. There are great cameos in this movie from very unexpected people. Jessica Walter actually plays 'Kay Mart'!

The Video Aces are hired to produce a live televised concert by "Menudo" that is going by satellite to 30 million people and 30 countries. As you can imagine, all hell breaks loose!

"Let's get into trouble, baby!"

Runtime: 1:34

This film is available on DVD, VHS, cable or satellite.

---

This column is dedicated to those films that most of the world missed!