Top Secret! (6/9) Movie CLIP - Backwards Bookstore (1984) HD

Top Secret! movie clips: BUY THE MOVIE: Don’t miss the HOTTEST NEW TRAILERS: CLIP DESCRIPTION: A Swedish bookstore owner (Peter Cushing) arranges for Nick (Val Kilmer) and Hillary (Lucy Gutteridge) to meet the resistance. FILM DESCRIPTION: The second of Zucker-Abraham-Zucker’s theatrical-feature spoofs (Airplane was the first, discounting the patchwork Kentucky Fried Movie), Top Secret! lampoons practically every film genre. Specifically, however, this is a hybrid of an “Elvis“ movie and a World War II “underground resistance“ thriller. In his film debut, Val Kilmer plays Nick Rivers, a Presley-like American rock idol sent behind the Iron Curtain on a goodwill tour. Before long, he is involved in a complex espionage scheme thanks to beautiful Lucy Gutteridge, the daughter of a scientist (Michael Gough) held captive by the Communists. Also essential to the action is flamboyant resistance leader Christopher Villiers, who behaves like Victor Mature in Betrayed (1954) and talks like James Mason. Adhering to Z-A-Z’s cheerful disregard for people, places and events, the East Germans are depicted as Nazis, while the Underground is comprised of Frenchmen. The plot is mainly an excuse for the Z-A-Z team’s fondness for joke-a-minute lampoonery, skewering cinematic targets ranging from The Blue Lagoon (1980) to The Wizard of Oz (1939). As in Z-A-Z’s other efforts, Top Secret! scores its biggest yocks when invoking cliches that we never realized were cliches-and falls on its face whenever attempting a too-obvious gag (the biggest clinker: that pigeon statue in the park). Everyone has his or her favorite bits in this film: our faves include the resistance fighter named Deja Vu (“Haven’t we met somewhere before?“), Kilmer’s horrible nightmare while being tortured (he arrives too late to take final exams), the army-booted cow, the sensitive Pinto, and the East German National Anthem, sung to the tune of the Shorewood (Wisconsin) High School marching song. But let’s say no more: comedy of this nature is designed to be seen, not written or read about. CREDITS: TM & © Paramount (1984) Cast: Lucy Gutteridge, Val Kilmer, Peter Cushing Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker Producers: Jim Abrahams, Jon Davison, Tom Jacobson, Hunt Lowry, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker Screenwriters: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Martyn Burke WHO ARE WE? The MOVIECLIPS channel is the largest collection of licensed movie clips on the web. Here you will find unforgettable moments, scenes and lines from all your favorite films. Made by movie fans, for movie fans. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MOVIE CHANNELS: MOVIECLIPS: ComingSoon: Indie & Film Festivals: Hero Central: Extras: Classic Trailers: Pop-Up Trailers: Movie News: Movie Games: Fandango: Fandango FrontRunners: HIT US UP: Facebook: Twitter: Pinterest: Tumblr: