Movie Gadget Friday: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai

Ariel Waldman contributes Movie Gadget Friday, where she highlights the lovable and lame gadgets from the world of cinema.

The last installation of Movie Gadget Friday revisited the Final Cut of the sci-fi noir classic Blade Runner. This week shifts from the future of LA to an adventure in the 8th dimension. Achieving cult status over the years since its 1984 release, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension captures our love of silly 80s sci-fi, popped collars, and geeky gadgets. Appearances by sci-fi regulars such as Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Goldblum, John Lithgow, and Dan Hedaya are in no shortage throughout. While the uses for a lot the hardware featured in the movie aren't visually explained much more beyond "it blinks", we're taking an extended gander at the more elaborate inventions.

Oscillation Overthruster (above)
Small and powerful, this metal-cast, gyroscopic device can transport organic and solid matter into parallel dimensions. The Oscillation Overthruster works by systematically reordering three-dimensional matter, annihilating electrons and positrons to allow for penetration through static surfaces (read: warp). With minimal installation, the Oscillation Overthruster can be activated within a Dimensional Matrix Alignment system. The system emits a blue guidance laser, that when properly aligned, allows you to accurately aim for crossover into the 8th dimension. We can only hope that this gadget comes equipped with a P2i Ion-Mask in preparation for all the Planet 10 alien slime. More after the break.

Jetcar
Massively modified, the Jetcar was created out of the welding of a Ford F-350 truck, Grand National stock car, and a Douglas DC-3, which sounds like a candidate for a Darwin Award. This vehicle is definitely not an ordinary piece of chop-shop junk, as the nicely-equipped General Electric turbo jet engine can propel it past a Mach 1. Other standard features seen in the Jetcar include an embedded CRT for monitoring sine waves and the Dimensional Matrix Alignment system. We have to assume that this "hybrid" also comes with some serious weather stripping in order to keep Buckaroo Banzai safe from the 8th dimensional ooze. Not recommended for street use, as the undeniably large exhaust flames and nitrous oxide injectors may get you flagged by CARB.

3D projection record
Simply referred to as the "yellow record", this device was delivered to Buckaroo Banzai in a pink box from the Black Lectroids of Planet 10. The thick resin-based record requires a mobile alien stylus similar to a VW Van Vinyl Killer, as well as bubble-wrap goggles that both protect and allow the Hong Kong Cavaliers' eyes to view the 3-dimensional projection. Purely light-based, the 3d recording suffers from bad audio echoing, so we recommend using a headset at all times to avoid hearing feedback when communicating between dimensions.

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Ariel Waldman is a social media insights consultant based in San Francisco. Her blog can be found at http://shakewellbeforeuse.com.

[jbcaro @ Feb 2nd 2008 1:41AM]

I love that movie.

[twoeightnine @ Feb 2nd 2008 1:52AM]

Awesome movie. I ended up studying art history with/under Peter Weller in Italy. The man is incredibly brilliant.

[Brian @ Feb 2nd 2008 2:35AM]

No matter where you go... There you are.

[WorldCTZen @ Feb 2nd 2008 2:56AM]

"why is there a watermelon in a tensometer?"
"I'll explain later"

some of the best unexplained dialog ever..

[Jeremy @ Feb 2nd 2008 3:13AM]

...remember, no matter where you go, there you are.

[MannyV @ Feb 2nd 2008 3:26AM]

"Race riots in New Jersey? A girl named John?"

or the classic,

"Use more honey! Find out what she knows."

[MannyV @ Feb 2nd 2008 3:27AM]

Note that Target uses some of the oscillation overthruster sounds in the handheld scanners the associates carry around. It's very odd, hearing that sound in real life.

[TTgowings @ Feb 2nd 2008 4:08AM]

Will there ever be a HD version of this movie ?

[markcih @ Feb 2nd 2008 5:38AM]

What about the sequel listed in the freakin' credits - Buckaroo Banzai VS the World Crime League?!

[jim @ Feb 2nd 2008 7:38AM]

"sined" "sealed" "delivered"

[EdZ @ Feb 2nd 2008 8:30AM]

"Buckaroo! The President wants to know if everything is OK with the alien space cloud, or should he go ahead and nuke Russia?"
"Tell him Yes on 1 and No on 2"
"... Which was yes - Destroy Russia, or number 2?"

[Nelson @ Feb 2nd 2008 10:12AM]

Where are we going?
PLANET TEN!!
When are we going?
REAL SOON!!

[Zadillo @ Feb 2nd 2008 11:06AM]

Buckaroo Banzai: Let her out.
Female Prisoner: Hey, me too.
Perfect Tommy: Let her out?
Buckaroo Banzai: That's right, let her out. I'll be responsible.
Perfect Tommy: But she's a killer.
Buckaroo Banzai: No, she's not. Now, let her out and give her your coat.
Perfect Tommy: Why me?
Buckaroo Banzai: Because you're perfect.
Perfect Tommy: You have a point there.

[artisan555 @ Feb 2nd 2008 2:20PM]

character is whata you areee in the dark!

home is wherea you wear your hat!

[ZeroCorpse @ Feb 2nd 2008 2:37PM]

"It's BigbooTAY."

[strider_mt2k @ Feb 2nd 2008 3:15PM]

As a Blue Blaze Irregular from the Garden State, I approve.

Nuclear? Extortion?...A woman named John??

[kyle allen @ Feb 2nd 2008 4:29PM]

"i was ionized, but im ok now"

[Fungible @ Feb 2nd 2008 4:52PM]

John Bigbootay... there are MONKEYBOYS in the FACILITY!!!

[termini @ Feb 2nd 2008 6:37PM]

http://www.banzai-institute.com/

Get ur fix... and remember...
Buckaroo Banzai: It flies like a truck.
John Parker: Good. What is a truck?

[Ras Thavas @ Feb 2nd 2008 7:38PM]

It's not my damned planet, monkey boy!

[Bubba @ Feb 2nd 2008 11:27PM]

"Laugh while-a you can monkeyboy.
I'm sure that in the MISERABLE ANNALS of the Earth,
you will be duly enshrined!"

[Ian @ Feb 3rd 2008 3:33AM]

The Douglass DC3 was not a jet.

[Ceedee @ Feb 12th 2008 11:56PM]

John Valuk is dead, he fell on his head.

[Ed @ Feb 3rd 2008 9:57AM]

Some of the best dialog ever was in this movie.

I loved John BigBooty (BigBooTAY!). That scene where he flips off the boss is just classic. Fucking classic.

Oh and Steven Spielberg got some flak for making JaJa Binks have a Jamaican accent, but this movie the aliens WERE Jamaicans.. from the 8th dimension.

[Kirk @ Feb 16th 2008 1:33AM]

On the text commentary of the movie, it states that the Black Lectroids were scanning Earth to find the precise visual makeup of humankind, and it showed them Jamaica. They then assumed that everyone was like that. So in conclusion, George Lucas is still at least a racist.

[Timerider @ Feb 3rd 2008 2:26PM]

The first time I heard of an Oscillation Overthruster was in BZFlag. Where can I see this movie? The library doesn't have a copy.

[Jeff Goebel @ Feb 4th 2008 9:09AM]

I heard that BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA's first draft was a Bukaroo sequel, and then rewritten when Bazai didn't do as well as had hoped, and not everyone wanted to do a second.

[djrock3k @ Feb 4th 2008 11:53AM]

"History is made at Night! Character is what you are in the Darkness!"

Big Trouble is the sequel, re-Imagined. Another great movie for lines.

[Johnny Socko @ Feb 4th 2008 12:38PM]

"Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems: Where the future begins tomorrow!"

Maybe in the 8th Dimension, there is a Buckaroo Banzai sequel, a Big Trouble in Little China sequel, and a Red Dwarf movie.

[justyn Rowe @ Feb 5th 2008 9:33AM]

I'm still waiting for the sequel.... WHere the hell is that sequel?

[Mongo61 @ Mar 1st 2008 5:04PM]

1. The movie never made any money.
2. It took three viewings and a half-ounce of reefer before you could suss out the plot.

And THAT'S what happened to your sequel. Actually, there was talk of a TV series on Fox, but that fizzled, too.

According to http://www.banzai-institute.com/0901FAQ.html:
"Earl Mac Rauch and W.D. Richter, in collaboration with Reno Nevada, have written a pilot script for Buckaroo Banzai: Ancient Secrets and New Mysteries, a proposed TV series for Fox TV. A short promotional trailer (with a computer-generated Jet Car) was even made for the project by the visual effects wizards at Foundation Imaging. Unfortunately, the pilot was shelved by a network management change, although another outlet has reportedly expressed some preliminary interest. In the meantime, you can see the amazing Jet Car trailer on the DVD edition of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai."

[ArcLight @ Feb 6th 2008 10:46PM]

Sorry, Jeff. That's a common 'net rumor. Aside from Banzai's director W.D. Richter being brought in to rewrite the original "Big Trouble in Little China" script there's no connection. (well okay, one of the original World Watch One newsletters revealed that Jack Burton ran off with Billy Travers girlfriend - Billy was the Institute's young computer whiz)

As for further BB adventures, head over to
http://www.moonstonebooks.com

And feel free to join the rest of the BB fans online at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BuckarooBanzai/

[Ian @ Feb 5th 2008 2:18PM]

"Home is where you wear your hat."

[nick @ Feb 5th 2008 5:18PM]

hmmm moveis thats what i need to do

[Mongo61 @ Mar 1st 2008 4:59PM]

"Declaration of War: the short form."

I guess Dubya is a fan, too. Monkeyboy.