Airheads (1994)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Michael Lehmann

Writer (WGA):

Rich Wilkes (written by)

Release Date:

5 August 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Music | Crime

Tagline:

The music. The legend. The hostage situation.

Plot:

Three band members hoping for a big break head to a radio station to play their demo tape and wind up holding everyone hostage with plastic guns when the head DJ refuses to play them.

Plot Keywords:

Radio | Radio Station | Hostage | Lead Singer | Heavy Metal

US TV Schedule:

Sat. July 11

6:25 AM

HBO

Cast

Brendan Fraser	...	Chester 'Chazz' Darvey
Steve Buscemi	...	Rex
Adam Sandler	...	Pip
Chris Farley	...	Officer Wilson
Michael McKean	...	Milo Jackson
Judd Nelson	...	Jimmie Wing
Ernie Hudson	...	Sergeant O'Malley
Amy Locane	...	Kayla
Nina Siemaszko	...	Suzzi
Marshall Bell	...	Carl Mace
Reg E. Cathey	...	Marcus
David Arquette	...	Carter
Michael Richards	...	Doug Beech
Joe Mantegna	...	Ian
Michelle Hurst	...	Yvonne

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude dialogue and some sexuality.

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby SR

Certification:

South Korea:15 | USA:PG-13 (Certificate #32726) | Finland:K-12 | Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Whisky a Go Go - 8901 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Making a cameo appearance is "Stuttering" John Melendez, who at the time was from the Howard Stern Show. He is billed in the credits as the "masturbating" rocker. He was invited to participate in this production because, as a new artist for Atlantic Records, his first album had just been released and his song "Talk My Way Out Of It" can be heard as Chaz and the boys are driving in the van on their way to the radio station. After years as a Stern employee, primarily assigned to do unconventional man-in-the-street and celebrity interviews, John was lured away from New York and is now the announcer and voice of Jay Leno's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (1992)

Goofs:

Plot holes: As the movie nears the end there are 2 plot points that are never adequately resolved. The first is the fate of the radio stations accountant, Doug Beech. He spends the majority of the film hiding in the air conditioning ducts and even as the the drama shifts from one of an apparently real hostage situation, to that of an elaborate record company ploy to exploit the band, he never emerges from his hiding place. Even after being blasted by a fire extinguisher, he merely retreats back into the ductwork never to be seen from or even referred to again. The 2nd point involves the SWAT leader, Carl Mace. When the gathered crown storms past the police lines to get near the band, Sgt O'Malley directs the other officers to simply let them pass. At this point we see officer Mace climb to the roof of a car and point a shotgun at the musicians on stage. Unfortunately, that is where his involvement ends and it is never revealed what happened from that scene on with regards to his preparing to shoot.

Quotes:

[the demo is briefly played on the air, but it's not played properly]
Chazz: Hey, what the did you do with it?
Ian: What did I do with it? Hey, I didn't do anything. Tonto must have loaded the tape in wrong.
Pip: Hey, your machine dilapidated it, man.
[suddenly, the demo is ruined by catching a fire]

Movie Connections:

References Wayne's World 2 (1993)

Soundtrack:

Curious George Blues

Not given enough credit

This is a great movie that simply doesn't get alot of credit. An amatuer band known as the Lone Rangers (Fraser, Buscemi, Sandler) sneak into a recording studio to have their demo tape played on the air. When refused, things get out of hand and they hold the place hostage.

This movie has an original plot line with good humour and good acting. Keep in mind that this movie comes very early on in the careers of all three title characters. Personally I find the calibre of acting that Fraser and Sandler have in this movie better than some that came afterwards.

When you start watching this movie, you'll want to finish it. Perfect example, my room mate who came in the room looking for something ended up staying for the whole movie.

Give this baby a chance. If you don't like it, you've lost the price of a rental.