Airheads
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- This page is about a film; for other uses, see Airhead (disambiguation).
Airheads | |
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Airheads poster |
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Directed by | Michael Lehmann |
Produced by | Mark Burg Robert Simonds |
Written by | Rich Wilkes |
Starring | Brendan Fraser Steve Buscemi Adam Sandler |
Music by | Carter Burwell |
Cinematography | John Schwartzman |
Editing by | Stephen Semel |
Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date(s) | 5 August 1994 |
Running time | 92 min. |
Country | USA |
Language | English |
IMDb profile |
Airheads is a comedy film released on August 5, 1994. It was written by Rich Wilkes and directed by Michael Lehmann.
It stars Brendan Fraser, Adam Sandler, and Steve Buscemi as a group of loser musicians called The Lone Rangers who take a radio station hostage, just so that their song would get some airplay. Joe Mantegna plays the radio station's disc jockey.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Chazz (Fraser), Rex (Buscemi) and Pip (Sandler) are a would-be rock band calling themselves The Lone Rangers (prompting the question 'How do you pluralize the lone ranger? There's three of you, you're not exactly lone'). The guys are continuously turned down as they try to get their demo tape heard by producers. They finally decide to try and get the local rock station, Rebel Radio 103.6, to play it on the air, after they saw how Rebel Radio helped another band (The Sons of Thunder) get a record deal. Their first break-in attempt is using Pip's ATM card and its PIN. Then, Rex tries to "short circuit" the electronic lock with Pip's Big Gulp. They finally get in when a station employee comes out (and goes back in) and they keep the door from shutting. Once inside, disc jockey Ian the Shark (Mantegna) puts them on the air without them knowing. The station's sleazy manager Milo (Michael McKean) overhears them and intervenes. After Milo calls Rex "trash", Chazz and Rex shove water pistols (that look like Uzis) loaded with hot pepper sauce in Milo's face and demand airplay. After setting up a reel-to-reel for the demo, the tape starts... and is destroyed when the reel runs out and catches fire in an ashtray. The guys try to run, but Doug Beech (Michael Richards), a station employee called police and the building is surrounded. They soon realize that they are armed hostage takers, and begin negotiations with the police. Eventually, the record executive who rejects Chazz in the beginning of the movie comes to the radio station. The band signs a record contract and goes out on stage to play, only to realize that they are supposed to lip sync the song and fake playing the instruments. They refuse to lip sync while the music is playing and get a round of cheers from the audience, who rush the stage. Afterwards, we learn that the the three were sent to prison, but served only a short time and had their album (which was recorded while the trio was imprisoned) go triple platinum.
[edit] Cast
- Brendan Fraser - Chazz (Chester) Darby
- Steve Buscemi - Rex
- Adam Sandler - Pip
- Chris Farley - Officer Wilson
- Michael McKean - Milo
- Judd Nelson - Jimmie Wing
- Ernie Hudson - Sergeant O'Malley
- Amy Locane - Kayla
- Nina Siemaszko - Suzzi
- Marshall Bell - Carl Mace
- Reginald E. Cathey - Marcus
- David Arquette - Carter
- Michael Richards - Doug Beech
- Joe Mantegna - Ian
- Kurt Loder - Himself
[edit] Trivia
- The song "Degenerated" was originally written and performed by Reagan Youth, although it is not mentioned in the end credits. D Generation was asked to submit their cover of the song to the soundtrack but it was decided than the voice did not fit Fraser's face during the closing jailhouse scene. It was decided that the song would remain with Fraser's vocals overdubbed.
- Beavis and Butthead (voice of Mike Judge) call into the hijacked radio station.
- The KPPX building used in the film is also featured in the movie Die Hard. You can see it in the plaza across from the Nakatomi building at the beginning of the movie. Both buildings are in both films.
- Lemmy of Motörhead has a cameo in the movie. He is credited as Lemmy von Motorhead.
- The band Galactic Cowboys perform in the movie under the name Sons of Thunder.
- The music video that Chazz (Brendan Fraser) watches at the beginning of the movie is "Janie's Got a Gun" Performed by Aerosmith.
- White Zombie Is the band playing at The Whiskey while Officer Wilson (Chris Farley) character looks for Kayla (Amy Locane); The song they are playing is "Feed the Gods".
- In much of the movie Rex is wearing a Road Kill Cafe t-shirt which was originally located in Big Timber, Montana.
Airheads (Soundtrack) | ||
Studio album by Various | ||
Released | 1994 | |
Recorded | 1994 | |
Genre | Rock music | |
Length | 49:43 | |
Label | Arista Records | |
Producer(s) | Lonn Friend | |
Professional reviews | ||
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[edit] Soundtrack
- "Born to Raise Hell" - Motörhead with Ice-T and Whitfield Crane – 4:57
- "I'm the One" - Four Non Blondes – 3:58
- "Feed the Gods" - White Zombie – 4:05
- "No Way Out" - DGeneration – 4:26
- "Bastardizing Jellikit" - Primus – 4:11
- "London" - Anthrax – 2:54
- "Can't Give In" - Candlebox – 3:15
- "Curious George Blues" - Dig – 4:03
- "Inheritance" - Prong – 2:11
- "Degenerated" - Lone Rangers – 3:53
- "I'll Talk My Way Out Of It" - Stuttering John – 3:40
- "Fuel" - Stick – 4:57
- "We Want the Airwaves" - Ramones – 3:21