NOTHING BUT TROUBLE

(director/writer: Dan Aykroyd; screenwriter: from a story by Peter Aykroyd; cinematographer: Dean Cundey; editors: Malcolm Campbell/James Symons; music: Michael Kamen; cast: Chevy Chase (Chris Thorne), John Candy (Dennis Valkenheiser/Eldona Valkenheiser), Demi Moore (Diane Lightson), Bertila Damas (Renalda), Taylor Negron (Fausto), Dan Aykroyd (Judge Valkenheiser/Bobo), John Daveikis (L’il Debbull), Daniel Baldwin (Dealer #1) ; Runtime: 93; MPAA Rating: PG-13; producer: Robert K. Weiss; Warner Home Video; 1991)

“Its only distinction is that it is difficult to name a comedy that’s worse.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

This was the comedian Dan Aykroyd’sonly outing as a director (Mercy!). He also is the writer and star, working from his brother Peter’s lame story. It’s an unwatchable train wreck. The dismal comedy has no redeeming qualities. Its only distinction is that it is difficult to name a comedy that’s worse. The film lost lots of money and the critics bombed it.

The smarmy NYC financial publisher whiz Chris Thorne (Chevy Chase) takes on a business trip his beautiful apartment building new neighbor, the lawyer Diane Lightson (Demi Moore), in his BMW, to Atlantic City, along with a pair of zany wealthy Brazilians, Fausto (Taylor Negron) and Renalda (Bertila Damas).

When they turn off the NJ Turnpike to examine a property on the side roads, they get caught going through a stop sign in the hellhole town of Valkenheiser. The sadistic Judge Valkenheiser (Dan Aykroyd) gives them a life sentence, and the foursome try escaping through a junkyard with death traps.

John Candy is misused playing both the grotesque local cop and his sister. Demi Moore has nothing going for her in a role she’s lost in. Chevy Chase is painfully awkward and not funny. Aykroyd is delusional if he finds his character anything but hideous covered in mounds of make-up and prosthetics.

Supposedly the film’s comic highlight is that the judge’s nose looks like a dick.

REVIEWED ON 3/20/2017 GRADE: D