by Frank Calvillo
Box Office Alternative Column
Box Office Alternative is a weekly look into additional/optional choices to the big-budget spectacle opening up at your local movie theater every Friday. Oftentimes, titles will consist of little-known or underappreciated work from the same actor/writer/director/producer of said new release, while at other times, the selection for the week just happens to touch upon the same subject in a unique way. Above all, this is a place to revisit and/or discover forgotten cinematic gems of all kinds.
The idea of a sequel to Independence Day actually becoming a reality was something I never thought would come to pass. Not only did the film seem to be purely a product of its time, but the original took itself far too seriously, so that it’s become almost an accidental comedy over the years. However, two decades later and in a time when virtually every other beloved and notable property is being (oftentimes forcibly) revisited, we now find ourselves with Independence Day: Resurgence at our feet.
If the film succeeds in at least one aspect, it will be in the bringing back of Jeff Goldblum, whose quirky and affable personality has always had the ability to liven up any project he’s been a part of. Known more today for his character parts than leading roles, many forget that Goldblum does possess enough of a capable screen persona to actually carry a film from start to finish. A fine example of this can be found in 1985’s little-seen Into the Night in which Goldblum starred opposite Michelle Pfeiffer in a delightfully dark and unpredictable L.A.-set heist comedy from director John Landis.
Into the Night sees Goldblum playing Ed Okin, an average man with an average life who seems to be suffering from an ongoing case of insomnia. Fed up with his lack of sleep, Ed decides to take a late-night drive to the airport hoping it will tire him out. Not long after parking in the garage a beautiful young woman named Diana (Pfeiffer) falls onto the hood of his car, climbs into the passenger seat, and yells for Ed to drive as four middle-eastern gangsters appear. What follows is a crazy adventure dealing with stolen jewels, mistaken identity, and an assortment of strange characters.
What makes Into the Night so easy to love is how it functions as an ’80s take on the old-fashioned crime capers of the ’50s and ’60s. Had the film been made in that era, it would be more than easy to see the likes of Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in the leading roles. So many aspects act work to make the film a loving throwback, such as the bevy of memorable side characters, each containing a piece of the puzzle Ed and Diana need to make it through in one piece. There’s the everyman quality of the film’s hero, the beauty and mystery of the story’s heroine, and a number of danger-filled sequences followed by quiet moments in which the two characters are allowed to get to know one another. More than anything, though, Into the Night recalls the crime capers of old thanks to its sense of place. Landis’ depiction of L.A. after dark has a sort of otherworldly quality, filled with the kind of characters and places that don’t seem to exist in the light of day, but all of which serve to pull Ed and Diana closer together.
Into the Night proves an unorthodox Landis title in a career filled with nothing BUT unorthodox titles. While the film is a comedy and contains plenty of dark laughs (with sequences taking place on a Hollywood movie set and in an airport terminal proving this), there’s a harsh realism to the film which shows that despite titles such as Coming to America and Animal House, Landis isn’t always content to play it safe. The film also doesn’t rely heavily on violence, bloodshed, or action in the way that Innocent Blood and Beverly Hills Cop III do, with Landis choosing to display his action in a quick and effective manner. Into the Night sees a more experimental Landis playing with the type of storytelling which had already helped establish him as one of the most entertaining filmmakers of his generation.
If there’s any reason Into the Night is remembered today as a cult film, it’s due to the many cameos within it. Recognizable faces from all past genres turn up here including Dan Aykroyd, Vera Miles, Bruce McGill, Richard Farnsworth, Irene Papas, Dedee Pfeiffer, Clu Gulager, and even David Bowie as a slick hitman. The cameos extend beyond actors to include well-known behind-the-camera figures with notable directors Jack Arnold, David Cronenberg, Jonathan Demme, Richard Franklin, Amy Heckerling, Jim Henson, Colin Higgins, Lawrence Kasdan, Jonathan Lynn, Paul Mazursky, Daniel Petrie, Don Siegel, Roger Vadim, and even Landis himself (as one of the gangsters hot on Ed and Diana’s trail) all popping up.
As for the film’s main couple, Into the Night provides its two leads with a fun showcase. Goldblum is able to indulge in some great physical comedy while acting as if he’s in a sort of wonderland as a result of his character’s sleep-deprived state. Pfeiffer meanwhile shows an early comedic flair that might be easy to miss thanks to the committed level of desperation and determination she also injects into Diana.
Despite a popular director, likable stars, and a soundtrack which included the likes of B.B. King (contributing original recordings, including the film’s rockin’ title theme), Into the Night was both a critical and commercial flop when released. Many pointed to Landis’ legal troubles stemming from his experience on Twilight Zone: The Movie as the cause for the film’s less-than-stellar performance. The fact that the similarly-themed After Hours ended up being released around the same time didn’t help matters, as the Martin Scorsese effort ended up becoming an instant classic of sorts, while Into the Night ended up fading into obscurity.
It’s a true shame as films such as this don’t come along often enough. Sure, there are offerings such as The Tourist, which more often than not mistake gunfire for adventure. Yet they never come close to capturing the manic energy, unpredictable turns and unmistakable excitement quite like Into the Night does.