A mystery from my childhood solved: I was in sixth grade back in the early 1990s and one day at lunch a couple of classmates were laughing about "Duane's Underworld" (which I figured was a parody of "Wayne's World", but I had no idea what it was from). For about 30 years I never gave it any further thought, until I saw your video featuring the title card! You're doing good work, Barkey!
Actually, I remember thinking this movie was kinda fun. It's a total parody of television in general -- including, of course, a lovely spoof of Three's Company. I seem to recall the ending not being very satisfying, but it's been a while since I've seen the film so I don't remember my last impression of it. Seeing Jeffrey Jones as an agent of the Devil does hit a little close to home these days. When I saw the cartoon segment, I was thinking more of one of my favorites, The Mouse That Jack Built, which was a cartoon parody of Jack Benny's radio show with the radio cast voicing mouse versions of the characters. After the cartoon, we see Jack in live action complaining about seeing himself and Mary Livingstone as "two little mice trapped inside a cat!" Then one last cartoon gag gives us one of Jack's patented double-takes. Jack loved the cartoon so much that he asked Warner Bros. for a copy of the film.
That "Three's Company" bit has to be the most meta thing ever! I don't think I've ever seen the Jack Benny cartoon, sadly, 'cause I love him. But it looks like the matchbook on the mouse's wall from the "Home Sweet Home Cafe" is a running gag with Chuck Jones. He used it in the Honey-mousers and again in a cartoon called "Mouse Warming" about some mice trying to avoid a cat so they can go on a date.
Thanks for reviewing this! Yes, I must admit "tepid" is a good description. This movie, like many I have seen, rolls down the runway and acts like it's taken off when the wheels are still on the ground-- never got to flight speed. Still, a lot to recommend it. 1992 was the cusp of the Cable revolution-- cable and satellite had been around since the 80's but the 90's was the tipping point where wired in sets eclipsed over the air broadcast and suddenly everyone had dozens (or maybe a whole 150!) channels to choose from. The Test Pattern days of stations "going off the air" was in the rearview mirror. and The "Entertainment Center" (or Altar, depending on your point of view) was a familiar Livingroom fixture. I enjoyed it and got all of the references when I saw this in the theater and still enjoy it on a rewatch but my kids do look curiously at some of it. (Got to admit I admired the chutzpah of them spoofing "Three's Company"). But somehow it just never reached flight speed. I wonder what was left on the cutting room floor.
There was at least something with Kristen Cloke that got cut, as we see her approaching the characters, but then says nothing and runs away with the the others. She's credited as "Velma," so she probably had lines. When Ritter first appears as a private eye, you can just see someone moving behind the frosted glass in the outer office, presumably a sexy secretary. Whether that was also Cloke or not I can't say, but it would make sense. There's no other credit for the intercom voice, so that could have been "Velma." That would give his wife another reason to be mad at him, which you kind of see, but by that point in the story they were on the road to making up. So maybe they felt it was better to cut all that. Maybe if someone sees Cloke at a con or something they could ask and let us know!
@@BarkeyDog Went back and re-watched it again and figured out one of the issues; the main man is just too soy. He's a beta male and we needed a hero. John Ritter is great doing his thing (See Hero At large) but while it's goofy comedy to see him get beat up by the wrestlers, to have his wife grabbing a mike stand and beating the wrestlers just emasculates him and he never recovers. HE is the TV junkie-- he should be immediately at home in TV Land, so to speak, but it is Pam Dawber who immediately adapts to the situation. Wrong. I think it would have helped if we saw John Ritter at the beginning as a guy who tried to launch a fencing school, failed and was broken by his failed dream. Then he gets the chance to redeem himself.
Awesome review Dog I remember enjoying this movie it is fun. You made alot of good points And I've never seen a doing review a movie before so your a miracle in of its self
The movie trailer showed the best scene in the whole film... (The Three's Company clip). It annoys me when trailers do this. It would have been a nice surprise if the trailer hadn't spoiled it. I did like the Chuck Jones cartoon clip, though. It's kind of a shame that as talented as John Ritter was, that he didn't have a bigger film career.
Yeah, it seemed like the poor guy couldn't catch a break on the big screen. He certainly had the talent, just not the best vehicles to show that talent off.
![KAYTRANADA - Witchy (feat. Childish Gambino) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/jGK3YVmGZ3Y/mqdefault.jpg)
A mystery from my childhood solved: I was in sixth grade back in the early 1990s and one day at lunch a couple of classmates were laughing about "Duane's Underworld" (which I figured was a parody of "Wayne's World", but I had no idea what it was from). For about 30 years I never gave it any further thought, until I saw your video featuring the title card!
You're doing good work, Barkey!
Party time! Ex-ell-ent!
@@BarkeyDogagreed 😊
Actually, I remember thinking this movie was kinda fun. It's a total parody of television in general -- including, of course, a lovely spoof of Three's Company. I seem to recall the ending not being very satisfying, but it's been a while since I've seen the film so I don't remember my last impression of it. Seeing Jeffrey Jones as an agent of the Devil does hit a little close to home these days.
When I saw the cartoon segment, I was thinking more of one of my favorites, The Mouse That Jack Built, which was a cartoon parody of Jack Benny's radio show with the radio cast voicing mouse versions of the characters. After the cartoon, we see Jack in live action complaining about seeing himself and Mary Livingstone as "two little mice trapped inside a cat!" Then one last cartoon gag gives us one of Jack's patented double-takes. Jack loved the cartoon so much that he asked Warner Bros. for a copy of the film.
That "Three's Company" bit has to be the most meta thing ever! I don't think I've ever seen the Jack Benny cartoon, sadly, 'cause I love him. But it looks like the matchbook on the mouse's wall from the "Home Sweet Home Cafe" is a running gag with Chuck Jones. He used it in the Honey-mousers and again in a cartoon called "Mouse Warming" about some mice trying to avoid a cat so they can go on a date.
Thanks for reviewing this! Yes, I must admit "tepid" is a good description. This movie, like many I have seen, rolls down the runway and acts like it's taken off when the wheels are still on the ground-- never got to flight speed. Still, a lot to recommend it. 1992 was the cusp of the Cable revolution-- cable and satellite had been around since the 80's but the 90's was the tipping point where wired in sets eclipsed over the air broadcast and suddenly everyone had dozens (or maybe a whole 150!) channels to choose from. The Test Pattern days of stations "going off the air" was in the rearview mirror. and The "Entertainment Center" (or Altar, depending on your point of view) was a familiar Livingroom fixture.
I enjoyed it and got all of the references when I saw this in the theater and still enjoy it on a rewatch but my kids do look curiously at some of it. (Got to admit I admired the chutzpah of them spoofing "Three's Company"). But somehow it just never reached flight speed. I wonder what was left on the cutting room floor.
There was at least something with Kristen Cloke that got cut, as we see her approaching the characters, but then says nothing and runs away with the the others. She's credited as "Velma," so she probably had lines. When Ritter first appears as a private eye, you can just see someone moving behind the frosted glass in the outer office, presumably a sexy secretary. Whether that was also Cloke or not I can't say, but it would make sense. There's no other credit for the intercom voice, so that could have been "Velma." That would give his wife another reason to be mad at him, which you kind of see, but by that point in the story they were on the road to making up. So maybe they felt it was better to cut all that. Maybe if someone sees Cloke at a con or something they could ask and let us know!
@@BarkeyDog Went back and re-watched it again and figured out one of the issues; the main man is just too soy. He's a beta male and we needed a hero. John Ritter is great doing his thing (See Hero At large) but while it's goofy comedy to see him get beat up by the wrestlers, to have his wife grabbing a mike stand and beating the wrestlers just emasculates him and he never recovers. HE is the TV junkie-- he should be immediately at home in TV Land, so to speak, but it is Pam Dawber who immediately adapts to the situation. Wrong. I think it would have helped if we saw John Ritter at the beginning as a guy who tried to launch a fencing school, failed and was broken by his failed dream. Then he gets the chance to redeem himself.
That makes a lot of sense!
Great review of this 90s movie
Awesome review Dog I remember enjoying this movie it is fun. You made alot of good points And I've never seen a doing review a movie before so your a miracle in of its self
I swear I've seen this dog running around my neighborhood. Thanks Barkey for the review.
earth falls flat too
Sphere we go again!
Funniest movie ever made 😄
The movie trailer showed the best scene in the whole film... (The Three's Company clip).
It annoys me when trailers do this. It would have been a nice surprise if the trailer hadn't spoiled it.
I did like the Chuck Jones cartoon clip, though.
It's kind of a shame that as talented as John Ritter was, that he didn't have a bigger film career.
Yeah, it seemed like the poor guy couldn't catch a break on the big screen. He certainly had the talent, just not the best vehicles to show that talent off.
@@BarkeyDogagreed 😊