I Watched All 7 Police Academy Movies And This Is What I Learned
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
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I just reviewed Revenge of the Nerds! Fight me, coward.
...I am not a fan.
I was waiting for this comment
@@LegalEagle _Revenge of the Nerds:_ At least it isn't _Porky's._
@@patrickhwillems Also, you should have talked to me before making this video. It turns out people don't really want to watch videos about movies that aren't good, have no cultural relevance, and they never saw.
But Devin when has that ever stopped me before
Here in Britain, the Police Academy movies (and Porky's for that matter) were still talked about way into the 2000s. Much more than Spaceballs or Stripes or Animal House (I'd literally never heard of Meatballs before this video). They were always on British TV on Saturday afternoons. As a result, the whole premise of this video feels like some weird alt universe creative writing project.
I dunno. I'm British and was born in 1989, and I'd never heard of these Police Academy films, or anyone talking about them. The only time I'd heard about them was online, with Americans talking about them. I completely agree on Spaceballs, Stripes and Animal House though. Never heard of any of then until very recently (like the last 5 years) and I've only ever seen Spaceballs. In the UK, nobody seems to really know about Mel Brooks and his movies. I've never had a conversation with other brits about blazing saddles, yet Americans talk about it constantly (usually to whine about the so called "PC culture"). I think people generally know about The Producers, because I think the stage musical was running in London's West end for a while. But I mainly know it from that season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. And that's another thing, no other brit has heard of Seinfeld or Curb Your Enthusiasm (or of the 2 people Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David). I'm always wanting to talk about those shows, but nobody else has ever heard of them.
Anyway I only started hearing about any of these around the sort of time when RUclips finally started getting popular, and when I finally got a PC that was powerful enough to watch RUclips videos (the one I'd got in 2005 or so couldn't display RUclips videos, they were always very very stuttery and unwatchable). So in like 2008 or so, let's say, I started hearing about these films
Although until literally watching this video, today in 2021, I thought the Police Academy films were like a spinoff of Airplane and starred Leslie Neilsen. I guess I must have just imagined that while dreaming or something. I guess he was never in a series of comedy films about being in the police after all, it was just an invention of my mind
And I've never heard of Porkys before this video. I've never seen anyone talking about it online before, even Americans, I have absolutely no idea what it's even about from that title, is it about sausages? Or is it about people telling porkies (i.e. telling lies)? I dunno. I've heard of revenge of the nerds though, cos I've heard a lot about the rape scene in it (and the fact the rape is played for laughs, and is meant to make the rapist more likeable, which is just fucking bizarre).
The American films I grew up with were the ones that were always on terrestrial TV cos my family didn't get cable TV until like 2002. So Superman 4: The Quest for Peace. That film was ALWAYS on, every single Christmas, and very very rarely did they show any of the other superman movies. I never saw the first 2 superman films until the last 5 years or so.
And Inner Space. That film was constantly on terrestrial TV. That's the one where Dennis Quaid becomes really really tiny and enters Martin Short. It's a really weird film. But I have a lot of nostalgia for it.
And the film Stay Tuned, which is about an evil satellite TV dish that terrorises a family. Its a load of fun, that film. They get sucked into an evil TV world and there's lots of parodies of TV shows and films in it. For example there's a parody of Wayne's World called Duane's Underworld where the two guys (and the audience in attendance) are all undead zombies. That film scared the ever loving shit out of me as a kid, but it was always on TV in the UK, and so I watched it a lot. I just had to close my eyes and look away at certain points in it.
Oh and Cocoon. That was ALWAYS on TV in the UK back then in the 90s too, and it also scared the shit out of me.
Those 4 films are what I remember the most, Superman 4, Inner Space, Stay Tuned, and Cocoon. Those 4 films dominated British terrestrial TV in the 90s.
Having said all of that, the more I watch this video, the more these police academy films seem to ring a bell. I recognise Steve Gutenberg for example. Even though the only other thing he's starred in that I've watched is Cocoon. So I must have watched them at some point. But I don't remember them much at all
Same here in Spain, me and my friends were huge fans as kids
Nah It's just US Dissonance
Born in 89 and remember these movies being shown on Saturdays on ITV in the mid to late 90s/early 00s.
@@duffman18 and this is why British comedy will be inferior to American comedy: lack of Mel Brooks
Funny. Here in Finland they show all the Police Academy movies at least once a year on TV, possibly even twice. Way more often than legendary movies like Back To The Future and so fourth. Interesting how some movies have way more cultural relevance in countries like mine than in the countries they originate from.
Do they still show them like they used? I remember them always airing on summer.
The appeal of these movies is that they were more family friendly than the National Lampoon movies but still raunchy.
These movies were classic, and fantastically 80's. I have seen and love them all.
When I went to Universal Studios in 1997, there was a Police Academy stage show. This was the first and last time I heard about Police Academy.
Is the Police Academy bigger in Norway? As a 90's kid (that was born in the 80's) I couldn't get away from it, and everytime put on the TV on a Friday there is a Police Academy film or James Bond film on a certain channel. Every fucking time.
Most of Europe, I guess. Here in Italy most tv channels had the same stuff cycling endlessly.
People who watched TV movies and went to Blockbuster prior to 2010 saw Police Academy, but sequels are largely forgotten. There was also a decent TV show in the early 2000s that didn't last.
In the UK these used to be shown all the time so I watched them as a kid and was a fan. its very 80s and is probably the only comedy from the 80s shown here so it got a lot of fans
Growing up in the 90's I used to watch these movies a lot and I still like to go back to them now again, especially the first three.
But seriously, I would watch the hell out of a Police Academy reboot on HBO Max with Steve Gutenberg as the new commissioner. Have every episode feature two new recruits who are forced to be partners despite or because of their obvious flaws, and use this concept to showcase up and coming comedians / actors / writers. Every week the review community gets to fawn and make content over the different styles and you are effectively doing back door pilots for these characters for upcoming seasons…
Damn, that would actually be a quite competent and awesome Idea. It would give some new talent a chance, while changing it up and keep it fresh till they found some that stick. Its not going to be easy these days to know who got it and who doesnt. I would love Kathy Griffin to give it a try, she is already an oldie, but certainly could bring some spunk to the Episode.
I learned there were 7 Police Academy movies just by reading this title and I've only seen one. That's good.
Even as an 80's kid I checked out after the third. It was a fun enough ride but I didn't need any more of it.
One of the reasons, Guttenberg didn't return for Police Academy 5 was that he had a falling out with G.W. Bailey (Sgt. Harris), who didn't want Guttenberg to date his daughter.
I wish Guttenberg cameod on Brooklin-99, the spiritual successor of Police Academy.
One thing that aged the worst about the franchise are the "Blue Oyster Bar" scenes, which could be perceived as homophobic today.
I'm perennially surprised that Police Academy hasn't been rebooted. I think if you brought the right cast and writers, it could be great.
P.A.1 and 3 are personally my favourite ones
I have fondis memories of the Police Academy movie series: they used to air it on TV like all the time in the summers and I was a child at the time so yeah. I also remember the live action tv show don't remember much of it.
I don't even know why but I always wanted to just watch all of them. I don't know why.
I don't think you quite got to the heart of why these films were so popular. Even if you didn't like them, millions of people did. But from the tone of your comments you'd imagine no one would like these, or only morons.
Police Academy will always be the most hilarious movie to have ever been released to me.
Sequels were NOT as big of a problem in the 80's as they are now. Not even close. Hell, they're even making sequels to 80's stuff today that didn't get sequels back then. :)
Ratner and Arnold from Fast Times at Ridgemont High are in the third and fourth movies.
The advent of cable television and home video in the 80s cannot be understated. It opened the flood gates to: "Hey lets make a movie. If sucks at the box office it will still make a killing on the cable rights and home video."
Police Academy didn't launch the career of Steve Gutenberg. Can't Stop The Music did.
American Pie is the Police Academy of a Younger Generation
Actually, I've seen at least one movie in all the franchises you flashed onscreen. My favorite Police Academy is City Under Siege.
I know you almost never read the comments but as I watch the video I noticed strong similarities with a Turkish comedy franchise: Hababam Sınıfı (The Chaos Class) It’s first movie was a box office hit in Turkey (during 70’s) and later it also got franchised.
Also I’m a bit surprised that you’ve never brought up Brooklyn 99, especially since it’s the exact product of your suggestion to the producers of PE
Haven’t you learned anything from that guy who gives those sermons at church? Captain Whatshisname? We live in a society of laws!
Why do you think I took you to all those Police Academy movies? For fun? Well, I didn’t hear anybody laughing, did you?
Except at that guy who made sound effects. [makes sound effects and laughs] Where was I? Oh yeah! Stay out of my booze."
You know, as progressive for the time as the originals premise might have felt.
The real reason they actually did lower the standards for police training, was not to diversify, but to make the police force cheaper. They wanted to fill the ranks with people that would not complain too much when their pay and resources are cut. These were real programs that were done in the early 80s, people wanted more cops but they didn't want to pay for them(this is also the reason why so many 80s movies has the trope of the police going on strike). Conservatives were for the program to get spending cuts, progressives because they liked the idea of getting a more diverse police force. And in the end it was one of the reasons why police brutality surged, while it did bring more minorities into the police force, they also didn't screen the recruits for violent behaiviour or stuff like that.
So the police forces were filled with Tackleberry-type guys, since no one with a half of a brain cell would want to become a cop anymore.
In this sense Tackleberry as a character has aged the least, he is just supposed to be looked as a warning of times to come.
Frankly I saw only Police Academy 1 and that was it. Yes it was when I was growing up ... and not in US 😁. Captain Harris and Mahoney were the main deal for me. Trying to mimic them was fun. I thought it was a cult classic but looks like it hasn't been one.
I'm 24 and grew up watching movies like that. So when i heard name Mahoney it made me wanna cry for some reason.
P.S. i'm from Russia and this Franchise is pretty popular there. At least it used to be
True for Porkys but Ive known a lotta ppl whove seen Revenge of the Nerds
Police Academy is still funnier than any comedy after the Hangover
I just realized this is not a movie lover channel.
Now i need to see a Police Academy movie starring Post Maloney.
100 % agree with those rankings
I don't think I've ever seen any PA movies. I also have no desire to either.
Lassard carried the series, comically ,after Guttenburg left ...IMO
If you say its "problematic" or "didnt age well" once in this video im out
I've gotta say, Post Mahoney is one of the best rappers out there right now
Came here looking for this joke!
Post Malone on the other hand is the current incarnation of the ambivalent Sumerian spirit which at one time inhabited Hoobastank.
Dude .. Shame on you😂😂😂
I prefer Pre Mahoney myself
I think I saw him open for Pat Metheny! Or was it the other way around?
As a person who had "The Reason" lyrics as his away message after his college gf broke up with him...I appreciate this video.
My manager at Hardee’s would regularly sing that during shifts. He was… an okay singer.
If you were named winema, it would be sick
@@DavidSavy 📠
Welp
@@DavidSavy 🤨
No, it wouldn't
I'm a 30 year old guy from Spain and I LOVE the Police Academy movies. Hearing your statements on those movies is like watching an Alien talking about pizza. "WHAT IS THIS? WHY IT IS ROUND? WHY WOULD ANYONE EAT THIS?"
I feel similarly!
This comment is amazing! While he was hating on the Movies saying they werent funny, I was busting up! These movies are so funny!
you nailed it!
VW BOHNEN-GOLF =
VW BEAN-GOLF
Seems lik PA is more loved outside the US than within it.
"Michael winslow - he's the guy who makes the sound FX, who you probably know best from Space Balls"
Me, when I saw Space Balls for the first time as a kid "Hey, it's that guy from Police Academy who does the sound FX". Am I really that old now?
Same here
him: Most of my audience is under 40 years old
me: uncomfortable that I'm too old for this channel who actually likes the raunchy films of the 80's.
Born 1992, I recognized him from Police Academy when I saw Space Balls
Yeah this dude doesn't know what he's talking about and just applying his own experience to everyone in and below his age group lol. I've seen most if not all of them and grew up in the 90s
A couple of years a go, he was touring. He performed in my city, the poster said: The guy who performs sounds in the Police Academy movies.
"This guy is no Steve Guttenberg" needs to become part of colloquial conversation.
You’re no Steve Guttenberg to have this kinda influence buddy
@@myndwork and we have made a loophole. Noice.
It's the first line in the Steve Gutenberg Bible
@@Leo-sd3jt Steve Guttenberg is no Steve Guttenberg?
@@Gloomdrake Exactly!
I’d argue that ‘The Blue Oyster Bar’ is a character.
That is one joke that would never work today.
I can hear the song in my head instantly
Sraight macho mens insecurity of their sexuality is funny. That scene has a special place in my heart.
As somebody who watched the first three in the theater -- Patrick's right, they were pitched to kids! -- I'd argue that the Blue Oyster song was maybe the punchline that lived the longest of the whole series.
@@ABoyNamedArt I saw 1 & 2 on HBO, had my mom bring me to see 4 and 5 in the theater. We rarely went to movies when I was a kid, but somehow I got my mom to bring me to see Police Academy 4, Robocop and Garbage Pail Kids all in the same summer. What a saint!
I'm stunned to see you imagine few under 40 have seen these films. I grew up in Sweden in the 90s and they were on TV all the time. Everyone knew a few scenes. Kids at school would imitate "the voice guy" (Michael Winslow)
Yeah, I don’t get that at all. Guy was 40 just a year ago so he did grow up as a kid in the 80’s to a point like myself. They were always talked about at school and constantly on TV.
Yeah, he's way off. Probably he was a nerd at high school too, and his friends only watched Rushmore or something like that
Britain in the early 90s used to chuck these on between Christmas and New Year so I'd seen them all around the time that the Moscow one came out, which I was very excited to see in an actual cinema. I was young enough to find it amusing enough, although I remember it more as being a cinema trip by myself, mum dropping me off with £10 to get a ticket and some popcorn. I have no clue what sensible adult would have paid money for it, although I guess the lack of a part 8 explains that...
By the time Patrick and ppl younger than him really started being into movies, there were so many comedies that surpassed them. By the mid 90s, we had gotten Wayne's World, Jim Carrey was huge, Pauly Shore had his moment, Adam Sandler was starting his run, Eddie could still release a hit and the Austin Powers Trilogy was beginning.
This is not to say ppl weren't discussing Police Academy at all, but when you think about what was likely being discussed on the playground, the ones I mentioned would've been way more likely by then.
Calling it a sitcom is spot on. I saw them as a kid growing up in the 90s in Estonia. Enjoyed them a lot and then never thought about them again until this video.
As a 23 year old guy from Switzerland I can for some reason claim to have seen all those movies when I was a kid, because they played them here on reruns in the early 2000s for some reason.
same here in greece! i recall they were playing every weekend basically, so they're very nostalgic, they played along w the dennis the menace movies iirc and maybe national lampoon
They did it here throughout the 90s (Italy) but I'm not sure I ever watched all seven, the first one for sure while the others sort of blur into each other.
Here in Brazil, too
Also Switzerland, they would rerun them a lot in the early/mid 90’s too.
same in Finland
Thank you for not spoiling that "Bonerz" was spelled with a "z". I cackled when I saw his name on the screen.
Matched only by the follow-up being that Director Bonerz was the one guy trying to class up the film, which is in turn matched only by the fact that it _extremely did not work_
@@merlinthetuna Peter Bonerz played Jerry the dentist on The Bob Newhart Show, back in the Seventies.
That it's spelled with a Z makes it objectively funnier
That dude must’ve been bullied to hell and back with that name growing up.
@@Deondre_Clark I literally said those exact words out loud while watching the video.
One small correction: the most important thing about “Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol” is that the subtitle is a backronym for “cop”.
I thought the most important thing about Police Academy 4 was that, thanks to the Bones Brigade, it has some of the best skateboarding ever in a movie.
I don't know if "backronym" was a thing before, but it is now.
@@NoiseDay It's very much a thing, yes, and means "deciding what the acronym will be before the name of the project is decided so that you can get that resulting acronym you think is funny." Basically any government project runs on this naming logic.
@@drakkenmensch This is my new favoirite piece of trivia
I thought it was that it made me fall in love with Corinne Bohrer and ultimately made me relate to Keith Mars the most on Veronica Mars, because who wouldn't burn it all down for Corinne Bohrer? It, along with the OC, made me realize I was starting to relate to the parents, not the kids. I was only like 30, which puts me above the normal demo for this channel. YA DAMN KIDS!
what the heck, I hardly know anyone born between 85 and 95 that hasn't seen the movies or the cartoon -- at least over here in Portugal. The first two movies were hugely popular, they were aired multiple times per year on TV, even in the 00's.
I understand what you're saying but the first two movies were incredible, I just adored them- I had them in vhs, almost every week I watched them when I was a kid XD
His elitism is hilarious. I guess looking like Jim Rash gives him extra credibility.
I'm sorry I listen to Hoobastank once a month when I rewatch Todd in the Shadows trashing them!
Jokes on you, Patrick, I'm 22 and saw all Police Academy movies as a kid and really liked them back then. But there's very specific reason for this, in the early 2000s Police Academy movies were the "famous" American comedies imported into former countries of the Soviet block and broadcasted in primetime as the entertainment television highlight of the week. Yeah, they were/are pretty well known over here...
There is also 2 movie franchise of Czech movies based on them. Premise is leader of police academy there saw all these movies and decided use them as blueprint.
I’m also 22, same thing.
@@petrfedor1851 What are titles of those? I remember watching them as a kid but don't know specifics.
@@bullseye911 Byl jednou jeden polda
@@petrfedor1851 I really want Patrick to review these movies now
In Serbia, where I come from, The Police Academy movies were extremely popular due to endless reruns on TV during the late 90s and early 00s, when I was in primary school. I never thought they were particulary funny, but my friends found them hilarious.
It's been forever since I've watched them... but I remember the first two having a decent amount of solid gags... Bobcat was pretty funny in the 2nd one. The rest of them all kinda blend together after that. I remember the Moscow one being pretty bad.
Same thing here in Croatia.
It was the same here in Germany with endless reruns on TV from the mid 90s onward. Every year one channel would have a TV marathon of all seven movies in the span of a few days. I was curious and checked and they're still doing it, and not on some obscure streaming thing, on a regular German TV channel, _Kabel Eins_ (Cable One). This year, May 2022 they showed all seven of them. But it was the late late slot, like between midnight and six in the morning. For me it's probably over 20 years ago when I last seen one of them. I know I've seen them all as a kid, some probably multiple times, but yeah, it's all one big blend ^^
@@almightytallestred Must be an European thing, I remember these movies fondly when I was a kid in Finland, but can't remember anything specific about any of them. They were on tv all the time.
@@zlodrim9284 Same thing in Italy.
As someone who grew up in the '80s, I vividly remember watching ALL the "Police Academy" movies - and loving them. In fact, at the start of the pandemic, they were all available for streaming on Netflix and I rewatched them as they provided a sort of comfort during that initially horrifying stretch of time. Yeah, they aged poorly and a lot of the humor wouldn't fly today, but there's still a certain goofy charm to (most of) them, and I found myself often laughing loudly while watching them. Anyway, thanks for this video and sharing your thoughts.
"and a lot of the humor wouldn't fly today" that's more of a problem for today, than for those movies
You could say the same thing in the defence of Birth of a Nation and it would likewise be a ridiculous.
While these films are in no way as obsolete, both highlight that culture is not a static thing, it evolves with the times, what was once deemed appropriate may not always be considered so while other are.
The portrayal of the Police higher ups in the first PA, as obstructive bigoted fossil, certainly holds up, as does some of the humor, but its a simple fact that some simply doesn't. That is not a probelm with today, that is simply how it is.
The characters are absolutely fantastic in the first 3 movies and modern comedies could learn a lot from them.
Plot Twist : the original Police Academy movies are diverse, but they had FUN with the diversity without (a) being mean against a minority or (b) pandering to them either. Be it gender or race, they could be the funny one or they could be the butt of the joke.
I can't believe that as a 45 year-old long-time subscriber, I've just been outed as too old to be in Patrick's core demographic.
And yes: that does mean I actually watched the Police Academy movies when they first came out. 😢👴
Right there with you, except I've managed to never see a Police Academy film. :o
also watched them as they came out except "Mission to Moscow" didnt know it existed and im glad that I have the internet as an excuse to not watch it now
Welcome to the club. I also watched the first movies on their first release in the cinema here in Germany. Being now 47. For my 11 year old self they where hilarious but now it's kinda hard to imagine.
At 57, I'm clearly not part of the 'core', so am I part of the mantle?....the troposphere?
Yep, I watched the first 5 or 6 as a kid, although I don't remember much about any of them.
You gave me time to react then threw that whole "it is spelled with a z" at me without comment. Beautiful.
I only just now realized I was mixing up Police Academy and “Police Squad!” I kept expecting Patrick to talk about Leslie Nielsen.
Cigarette?
Yes, it is.
Well…
🤣😂😆
Wtf took me sometime too
Leslie Nielsen: the great paradox of our age. He gave us Airplane & Police Squad but as his career progressed he tried to act funny when his greatest strength was deadpan. Shoulda learned from Keaton that stone-face was the key to that facet of comedy.
I was born in the late 70s and I grew up with these films. Watched them religiously in the latter part of the 80s when I was about 10 or 11. I recently did a run of them, and I'll not lie - it was the most fun I've had in a long time! The first 3 are by far the strongest, and I was surprised at just how engaging and entertaining they were outwith the nostalgia factor.
I also have a soft spot for the next 3 as I saw them in the cinema, although objectively they do get progressively worse. 6 is my limit, and the only reason I like it is nostalgia alone. I could never stomach 7 no matter how hard I tried, and to this day I've still not seen it all the way through.
There's more good to this series than bad, and while they'll never be classed as masterpieces, I think they deserve more credit than they currently get.
I think that’s what’s missing in the analysis. These where mostly movies enjoyed by kids, and while obviously containing adult humor (especially the first) they clearly shifted as time went on. Just like ghosts busters it even got a cartoon.
The first one is a classic. This guy doesn't know what he's talking about, at least with regards to the first one. The writers, Neal Israel and Pat Proft, co-wrote REAL GENIUS and BACHELOR PARTY (a movie that, as they say, "could never be made today") and Proft co-wrote all the NAKED GUN and HOT SHOTS movies.
These became cult classics in Greece when I was growing up (I'm 28 now). We thought these movies, specifically the first two, were the height of comedy. Then again, Greece experienced the 80s during the 90s, the 90s during the 00s and so on. I still remember the characters fondly.
Edit: I didn't know there were 7 what the frick--
They were a cult classic in probably all the European countries.
@@mesicek7 I expect they were very popular worldwide because slapstick and pratfall comedy travels much better than any other kind. Same reason why Bud Spencer/Terence Hill movies were popular everywhere.
@@KillahMate Bud Spencer and Terrence Hill were mostly unknown in the USA. Different story in Europe though. I doubt Patrick himself even knows who they are.
@@mesicek7 Right, that's my point - they were popular in a lot of places where English presented a language barrier (subtitling or bad dubs for example, which back then they all were).
I'm from Portugal, and my thoughts exactly!
I'm fascinated by Michael Winslow's incredibly specific niche and level of "fame." I've never seen a Police Academy, but I am familiar with his character through cultural osmosis. My favorite of all pop cultural references to him is, of course, Key & Peele Season 1: Episode 7 McFerrin vs. Winslow
I'm stealing the term "cultural osmosis"
Can I just say how glad I am that these videos aren't cynical? I'm not a particular fan of Police Academy, but it's low hanging fruit to mercilessly "critique" in CinemaSins style, and I just get *nothing* out of hit pieces like that.
Actually taking the time to properly examine films and their broader relevance, no matter the respectability, creates *infinitely* better videos. So thanks - a great watch!
Being cynical is the easiest thing in the world
AVGN and CinemaSins destroyed an entire generation of critics
Surprisingly, but police academy was a huge hit in Russia in 90s. I remember watching them as a kid dozen times
It was a huge hit all over Europe. It also continued to do great as VHS in videoclubs and then as DVDs
Yes, more like a HUUUUUGE hit in late 80s and 90s, this is one of the reasons they set (the awful) part 7 in Moscow.
"Police Academy is basically Hoobastank" might the meanest thing Patrick has said in ages. I mean... fair, earned, but mean.
I was a kid when I watched these movies, and even then I thought "Huh, so Tackleberry and Hooks are literally just going to do the same joke every movie? That's not great."
Also it took years, maybe decades, to really wrap my head around the fact that main antagonist Harris and his replacement for 2 and 3, Lt. Mauser, weren't played by the same guy. Still feels wrong. They feel too interchangeable to be different actors.
Anyway thanks for reminding me that as a youth I watched some dumb, dumb things on purpose.
I honestly can't tell who looks worse for the comparison, Police Academy or Hoobastank
@@InnuendoStudios I want to say Police Academy but mostly because I was personally wronged by The Reason by Hoobastank at a party. There was a karaoke video game and some friends sang it three times in a row and those scars never healed.
It also helps that both Hoobastank and Police Acadeny both came from the Great White North
That's the best joke I've heard in the past month at least.
NAE JOBBIES IN THE FIXIES !☝
I love these kinds of analyses. Patrick, ever considered interviewing moviemaker execs from the '80s about this very topic? We the general public generally have no idea of the nuts-and-bolts internals of these things, and they're generally much more nuanced and multifaceted than we know. There must be loads of retired(?) execs who'd love to spill the beans and talk shop.
This would be really interesting to see
I very much think these kinds of movies in the '80s show how exec-driven productions got. Like, these movies weren't even "made" by directors or producers.
Funny, when you said Gen X probably doesn't know about "The Reason", my son piped up and said you are wrong. Apparently it still gets a lot of airplay, and my son agrees it is an awful song.
It's the only song I know of the ones he mentions. It was actually average compared to all the shitty nu-metal and rap-rock
Wait. The Reason isn't a well liked song? Why not?
@@bigben01985 Probably because it feels like one of those songs where a nu metal band tries to make a soft song, and for some people it just sounded dull.
@@Josep_Hernandez_Lujan I think that's actually the point: mediocrity is the most unmemorable. The whole, "The opposite of love isn't hate, it's apathy" deal
I'm 45, grew up in the 80s, watched these movies a lot on VHS in the 80s and I'm fairly certain I never saw them again once I hit High school in 1990.
That's funny. I started watching them in 1990, after the Iron Curtain fell and probably stopped watching them after seeing the seventh installment in cinema.
I love that these videos are essentially placeholders, but they’re still over 30 minutes and just as in depth as Patrick’s standard videos. Willems doesn’t know how to do anything halfway 😂.
I absolutely LOVED the police academy movies as a kid, my uncle had the 1st and 6th on on VHS so I watched those many times, and was always excited when the others would come on TV, or we could rent them. I tried to watch the 7th when it came out and found it unmemorable.... Watched them all again recently, and enjoyed the first 6 enough, but didn't get through all of the 7th..
There’s no shame in getting therapy.
Interesting point about how the first movie addressed the issue of lack of representation in the police force. It wasn't unusual at the time fro these stoner comedies to have some meaningful writing on relevant social issues. I remember one of the later Porky's movies addressing anti-semitism.
I think part of that might have been the budget. If you're making a $5M movie where you know you're going to sell tickets just based on the "It's Friday night what else are we going to do?" effect, then hey, why not overtly address some social issues, the potential financial risk is low. In comparison to these multi-million tentpole movies we have now where they have to play it a lot safer.
All of these films tended to have a female, overweight and/or nerdy character challenging the establishment and status quo, so I never thought of that as being unusual for this franchise. To me, it was just a 'done thing'.
I haven't seen any of the later movies, but the first movie does address it, with Schwartz beating up one of the characters who calls him a "kite" repeatedly because he can't get his slurs right.
“Today” by Hoobastank was still getting radio time well into 2011, somehow.
2011 Poe Dameron: "Somehow, Hoobastank has returned"
I kind of remember that song, it's not a bad song. Honestly I'm more likely to listen to that one since I like rock music, not hip hop. And no, it's not because I'm racist, I just like music with guitars and musicians in it.
@@jimmym3352 hi there jimmy, I also like rock music, lots and lots of rock music, but Hoobastank is boring. And not good.
As an 80's kid, I grew up watching the later sequels and cartoon show. These movies are so successful because they are so broad and unchallenging. If they implemented the script suggestions you propose, they would be much more funny to SOME people, but not nearly as available to MOST people, which is how they made such complete gobs of money for so long. They would be more memorable, but less successful.
Exactly that.
Born in 1981 and grew up on the Police Academy movies. Still love them, particularly 1 - 4.
Same. Born in 1975 and grew up on these movies. Still love them also.
“police academy”, the “hoobastank” of an entire generation.
i love it!
Thinking about the 36 years of my life, I realise I have cried from laughter before. But “this guy is no Steve Guttenberg” took it to a whole new level. Thank you.
KOHBAASTS WITHOOT END AND GALORE FIR SURE DADDY'O ☝
Steve Guttenberg is actually really good. Just watch Diner or his cameo in Party Down.
"Launched the career of Steve Guttenberg..."
This phrase boosts Police Academy and diminishes Can't Stop the Music in ways I just can't accept.
Well, it flopped hard in theaters so it really didn't *launch* Gutenberg's career. Police Academy was his first hit.
Although I suppose it still gets credit for launching Caitlyn Jenner's career...
My parents got tickets to an advance screening of Can’t Stop the Music. My mom kinda liked it.
Do you mean The Boys from Brazil?
Wait, I thought The Stonecutters made Steve Guttenberg a star?
The Day After launched Steve Guttenbueg’s career. And because after watching it President Reagan started to negotiation nuclear treaties with the Soviets it means Steve Guttenburg SAVED THE ENTIRE PLANET FROM NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION.
Crocodile Dundee, 3 Men and a Baby, Mannequin, Look Who's Talking..man, the 80's were LOADED with hit series that immediately went into the dustbin of history. I was born in 1980 and have fond memories of the Police Academy series but that's probably moreso because it had a cartoon spinoff complete with toys. Like, until now, I had no idea there were seven of these movies?! I would have sworn there were four, max. I applaud your deep dive.
Oh man Look Whos Talking was my absolute favorite movie when I Was like 7! I also never knew there was more than 4 police academy movies haha.
I think people are a bit more aware of crocodile dundee, but only because of Australian stereotypes that still exist
Fun Fact: Crocodile Dundee was nominated for quite a few awards, including an Oscar for Original Screenplay for which Paul Hogan was a credited writer, making him an Academy Award Nominee. And he actually won the Golden Globe for acting in the comedy category.
"Three Men and a Little Lady" has always been a favorite in my family. I have seen it more times than I can remember.
Crocodile Dundee was HUGE. It was in theaters for almost a year. It was largely responsible for the brief late-'80s American interest in Australia that was itself referenced by the Simpsons and led to things like the promotion of Yahoo Serious as the Next Big Thing (and if you've never heard of him or Young Einstein, you already know how that turned out).
I knew this vid was coming... mainly because I follow Patrick on Letterboxd so I know what he’s watching but still I knew
I mean Why else would anyone binge the entire police academy series unless their making a video eassy on it.
@@notchuckproductions5029 Very true
I knew because on twitter, he talked about maybe watching all of them and people dared him to do it.
Besides being an early example of IP-as-king, I'd also argue that in the long run the Police Academy movies were to the 80s what the Scary Movie series and its knockoffs were to their time -- recyclable stories that could be reliably pumped out for as long as possible.
I never really thought about just how insubstantial these movies wound up being. Like, how can something with so many entries fall so far out of pop culture consciousness? _~looks slowly at a Mega Man helmet on a distant shelf~_
I mainly remember Police Academy being mentioned on Community by Troy. "By the time Pierce was my age, he had already been fired from 15 jobs. I've only seen two Police Academies... the last two."
“You can’t find all the answers in the criterion collection.” -Patrick H. Willems 2021
That was m favorite as well ...
I've seen all of the "Mahoney era" movies multiple times, but barely remember the ones afterward (e.g. I thought Matt McCoy's character was Mahoney's nephew for some reason). I also didn't know that the ratings for them loosened as time went on (PG? Really?).
Here's two fun facts for ya:
- The premise of the first Police Academy is based in real life. There was an academy that loosened its requirements so all sorts of normally-unqualified people signed up -- the soon-to-be creators of the series got wind of this and thought it'd be a great basis for a comedy.
- Hooks's soft-spoken voice is actually the actress's impression of Michael Jackson.
If your friends aren't talking about Revenge of the Nerds, Porky's or Police Academy, then it sounds like you need new friends. These movies are classics.
Isn't revenge of the nerds.. A lot of sexual harrasments? Is that what your friends are talking about?
@@demox4435 I reject your hypothesis.
One of my favourite questions to random strangers of a certain age is “what’s your favourite police academy film?”. It never fails to raise a smile.
lol! I’ve seen them all apart from Moscow, but I couldn’t possibly tell you which was my favourite because they all merge into a big blur.
Thank you for this, Patrick. I now have more context to two random things in Community that I only had about 50-75% understanding of before. And if making Community very very slightly better isn't justification for a video then idk what is.
Sounds like this video made you streets ahead.
@@galactic85 I was definitely streets behind before this video.
Fun Fact: Steve Guttenberg was in Season 6 when they're trying to make a movie to piggyback off Chang's success as the Ham Girl Guy, he was the film exec. RIP Glip Glop.
Here in Lithuania these were pretty popular back in early 2000s. Being born in 90s i could say I'd grew up with them because they were constantly on tv. I'm not sure about now, but i wouldn't be surprised they show reruns every now and then. There are jokes that we still use in our family. Good stuff Patrick
It used to be shown quite often on polish tv in early 00s. I remember my dad watching it when I was a kid.
I also remember liking a tv show.
"My mother's name was Jughead" still kills me.
The supermarket scene in Police Academy 2 is hands down one of the funniest scenes in comedy history. 😂
Pat, my dude; I think you were a bit too harsh on the first _Police Academy_ movie. (You're more-or-less right about the sequels, though.) It's a better movie, with more heart, than you give it credit for. Two things I think you overlook:
1) Sure, _Police Academy_ shares the general "slobs vs snobs" formula, but what makes the film unique is its influences. (The best examples of the formula also set their own criteria for uniqueness, but that's another conversation.) Its biggest influence is cartoons, particularly _Looney Tunes,_ along with sitcoms, like _Car 54, Where Are you?_ and _F-Troop,_while being a send-up of "serious" cop shows, like _Dragnet_ and _TJ Hooker_ or a loopy concept played straight, like _Lone Wolf McQuade._ True, the characters may be one-dimensional, but that's their distinguishing charm.
2) _Police Academy_ may not have a "let's work together and show those jerks we can beat them" moment, a la _Revenge of the Nerds,_ _Meatballs,_ or _Animal House,_ but the characters do come together to complete the story's arc, achieving success by demonstrating the team's strengths, by overcoming personal hurdles, even if they're all one-note. Also, the Mahoney character needed to be affable, but also not hog the limelight, instead let the supporting cast showcase their eccentricities. Someone like Bill Murray would be too much. Maybe Tom Hanks could've threaded that needle better... but Steve Guttenberg did a perfectly good job, it still worked, so why worry?
Maybe it's nostalgia talking, or fond memories of watching it on VHS, my sister and I laughing with our grandparents, both of whom are gone, now... Or maybe it really *Is* something you have to be above a certain age to really "get,' because you absorbed the experience in its as-it-happened context, not as some artifact of a distant decade? Hell, you might one day find the very idea of searching for Problematic Concepts in old movies a ridiculous exercise, and feel a little embarrassed, looking back at your youthful works. (And by saying that, I'm expecting you to have a long, fruitful career.)
Anyway, that's my two cents. Hope it gives you some food-for-thought. All the best, my dude.
It’s funny to hear the way you described movies like Police Academy, Revenge of the Nerds, and Porky’s as sort of having been on the periphery of pop culture for your generation. Because I was born in ‘77, making me 44, and those 3 movies were some of the most memorable, fuzzy vibe-inducing, nostalgia machines for myself and others roughly my age. Anytime movies from the mid to late ‘80s like Robocop, Poltergeist, ET, Gremlins, and soooo many more come on tv sort of unexpectedly, I feel almost obligated to watch them despite the fact that I’ve seen them all a hundred times.
..and it's always better when it's on tv 😂
Goonies don't forget that gem
Revenge of the Ninja!!! Epic film making.
I'm a 87 kid with a movie nerd father equipped with the first vhs player in out village... Even I get that
We watched these movies in the 90's. He is in a bubble.
Having watched all of these, I hope you can fully appreciate the Simpsons jokes. Those of us who grew up in the ‘80s didn’t have a choice; Police Academy was ubiquitous. I watched the cartoon, the movies were in constant Saturday syndication on the local TV stations, and I’m pretty sure my friends and I played some kind of Police Academy game we made up. One-off Simpsons jokes were the only way we could cope.
I know your pain.
Grew up in Switzerland, born in '83. Police Academy movies were super popular, screened at least once a year the various French speaking channels we had access to (French and Swiss channels). And oh boy, how excited I am to continue to watch this video...
Entirely fair. The first movie was a broadly competent movie of its time, and after that, the series essentially defines the term 'diminishing returns'. I loved your point about the 'slobs versus snobs' genre, that was a spot on insight - as was the fact that PA is a sitcom. It had never occurred to me before, but you're spot on.
Does this count as Copaganda?
Short answer: yes.
Long answer: yes and thank you to commandant Lassard, Chief Hurst, Madam Mayor, Mr President, his Holiness the Pope, the King of Norway and the other honoured guests.
Hey! Leave Hoobastank alone. I've been to their concert in 2018, and let me tell you, all of us 20 people there agreed that they are maybe more mediocre than ever!
You've made an enemy of the Stone Cutters this day
Damn. That’s the metric system held back for another decade.
In sweden (between 1995-2000) Channel 4 and Channel 3 ran all 7 movies atleast 1 time each year.
“No one listens to The Reason today”
Me, an elder millennial: 😭
I am 49 and grew up watching these movies. Yeah they’re dumb, but it was still fun to watch. Maybe because the cast was so perfect for the roles. They knew as well that it was dumb but had so much fun with it. Like on The Office where the employees all took part in making Threat Level Midnight with Michael. They all knew it was dumb but had so much fun making it and laughing at it.
!
Me, a 24 year old: I watched this on marathon at my gran's house when I was 10. I wonder how this holds up.