"Spies Like Us"

For the past 2 years, I've really been analyzing the comedy film and television work of the Second City/National Lampoon/Saturday Night Live crew that pretty much dominated American comedy from the mid 70s to early 90s. Why? Because these comic actors and writers have shaped so much of the current comic/satirical atmosphere. Just about everything we associate with funny would be much different. Plus, I grew up loving their stuff. There's just so much colorful work to review.

But lets look at "Spies Like Us", a popular title but often berated little film that isn't too big on the filmographies of Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase and John Landis. Its a dream team. but kind of a throwaway film. This was made for fun and some pocket change, not to say anything big or change film. Its pretty cute, lightweight entertainment too.

Dan Aykroyd wrote the script with himself and John Belushi in mind for thetitle roles. But after Belushi passed, the role went to their "on-again-off-again" cohort Chevy Chase, who had been doing great minus the support of his fellow Not Ready For Primetime Players. Dan must have wrote this to hightlight his more dramatic side, as this is really one of his earliest straight man roles. To modern audiences its pretty normal to see him so normal like the father he played in "My Girl" or the son in "Driving Miss Daisy".

Aykroyd plays the smart and upstanding role while Chevy is the immature and wisecracking fool. Chevy is the highlight of this movie as he steals every scene he's in. Dan is very dry and not as sharp with his humor here. Akroyd's scripts are usually full of stale characters and wooden dialogue which is great for people like Belushi, Chase and Bill Murray to bring their streetwise comedy style and highjack the picture.

This is really one of the last times the original Saturday Night Live spirit is translated to film. There's some dark humor and rather adult reference in here that are absent from their post-80s stuff.

Donna Dixon: Doctor, I've read all your papers.
Chevy: My papers? How did you get my papers?

I'd say the film is right there with the second-tier original SNL alum comedies with "Stripes", "European Vacation" or "Caddyshack 2". Certainly above the interesting mess "Nothing but Trouble" that would be the last Chas/Aykroyd team-up.

The Magic of "Caddyshack II"

When people who are very familiar with movies think of bad sequels, they think Caddyshack II. I will analyze this belief and offer my extreme opposition to it.

The early 80s were a one-of-a-kind decade defined by its pop culture. Forget politics and all that serious shit. It was about having fun. Look to its films. The movies were light and fun. And when things are light and fun, the genre of comedy shall reign. And it did with two styles: SNL-inspired (comedian-filled, slapstick-driven, drug-induced) and Teen Comedy (T&A, double entendres, etc). And 1981's immortal Caddyshack is the only film to successfully marry the two while they were still young and virile.

But years passed and things changed. By the end of the 80s, EVERY celebrity and film executive was coked-out of their mind and everyone wanted to just take it easy for the next decade. And someone said "Hey! Lets make another Caddyshack!! Who cares if its been 7 years?" But comedies got more fluffly and whacked out as well.

A film full of cynicism and teen sexual exploits could not fly anymore. So Harold Ramis, in his divine inspiration, wrote a Caddyshack full of more obvious social satire and family-friendly humor. I can imagine all of the fans of the original having their bubbles burst right there in the theatre. They were already pissed that they couldn't smoke pot in the theatre and get head at the drive-in. But what is this shit? A plot? Replacing Bill Murray with the always stiff and intellectual Dan Aykroyd? This was "comedy blasphemy".

But I was born in 1987. The heyday of the early 80s was only a dream to me. And I grew up knowing the sentimental fluff of endless Disney feature films and Chevy Chase/Jonathan Taylor Thomas vehicles. So to me, Caddyshack II is a beautiful happening. I mean, you could never imagine a family-friendly Animal House: Post-Grad. But a few big lawless comedies of the 80s went this route. "Ghostbusters 2" is quite fuzzy and toothless, but still pretty good. And watching the later "Revenge of the Nerds", you'd never guess that this is the series that spawned the phrase "We've got bush!". I know that these were made for the fans who had settled down to enjoy with their wife and children.

And in that light, C2 is one hell of a good time. Totally ridiculous and at times tasteless, but it means well and shocks with its inspired moments. And you do get alot of adult crassness for a PG-rated film. This was from that weird period where Weekend at Bernie's could become a cultural phenomenon. The late 80s are the strangest period in our recent pop culture. We're still trying to figure out Steven Seagal and the appeal of Arsenio Hall.

As a sequel, it works too. The character of Ty Webb has always struck me as Chevy Chase's cleverest and most ripe for broad comedy. He returns here in a "Guest Appearance", even though it seems his screentime is equal to the first go 'round. Jackie Mason is a fine substitute for Rodney Dangerfield and adds a great flavor to the childish foolery surrounding him. But I admit, I'd have preferred Rodney. He started making lesser films of this ilk anyway. Randy Quaid is quite the scene-stealer and brings some of Murray's scary anarchy. The plot is tighter and more sentimental. Not quite as effectual or funny, but you have to admire it's trying to evolve the "Slobs vs. snobs" angle. I love the fact that this film has even less to do with caddies than the first film.

The ridiculousness has been amplified to the extreme. The iconic gopher isn't content to just hang in the background and dance. He decides to steal a plate of spaghetti, derail the antagonists' evil plot and flirt with a poodle. Oh yeah. He can kind of talk now. He's more Bugs Bunny than Roadrunner this time. The club was nearly destroyed in the first film. This time, its turned into a giant commercial theme park. Just compare the poster art to the first film's. Pretty amazing. Yes, the gopher is wearing 80s hipster shades. Now try and hate this movie.

The biggest plus to the film is Dan Aykroyd. Dan was the heaviest performer on the original, most-influential Saturday Night Live. But he didn't blossom as well as Chevy or Bill Murray did. He never found his great post-SNL performances as he was always a "character comedian" and writer/improviser. Caddyshack 2 provides him with that very broad and intense character-based silliness he's always thrived in. His "Capt. Tom Everrett" is obviously meant to replace Murray's "Carl Spackler", but they are different enough to highlight Aykroyd's under appreciated brand of comedy.

What pisses me off most about this movie is that there is little information on its production and no attempt to preserve its existence. The trailer reveals there are some deleted scenes, including a much longer version of the seconds-long exchange between Chevy and Dan. Ridiculous. The best scene in the original is Chevy and Bill just winging it. And this time, we get another pairing of Not Ready For Primetime Players, and we're cheated out of the resulting scene. I'd love to read the original script which included Rodney's character and probably Murray's "Carl".

This whole film is a great "What might have been?". Its "A Night in Casablanca" to Caddyshack's "Duck Soup". Or the Three Stooges to Caddyshack's Marx Brothers. Its a piece of pop art I think. And it deserves more love than it gets. Or at least a better DVD.

Also, the theme song "Nobody's Fool" rocks. It sums up the greatness and horror of the 80s perfectly. Its like a stamp on the whole ordeal. Funny how Kenny Loggins made so many classic film theme songs and it was his last, for the sequel to the very film that started his soundtrack career, that really feels genuinely about something."Caddyshack" has that effect on most people.