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Police Academy films

Started by Fambo Number Mive, July 20, 2021, 12:23:14 PM

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St_Eddie

Quote from: MoreauVasz on July 22, 2021, 09:01:55 AM
If the lads at the Blue Oyster were having sex, they'd just be different. The fact that they dance vaguely old fashioned dances whilst dressed in bondage gear makes them profoundly and terrifyingly other. That's homophobic too but it's a more thoughtful, interesting, and revealing hmform of homophobia than eww bummers.

But the joke at the end of the scene is that the cop is left behind with the gay men and they all surround him, looking at him with come hither eyes and the cop becomes uncomfortable because all the gay men want to bum him.  That's literally the joke and it absolutely hinges around the homophobic concept of "eww bummers".  It also reinforces the homophobic belief and fallacy that gay men are intrinsically rapists and that if a straight man is being hit on by a gay man, then they have something to fear, rather than simply politely stating that their bread's not buttered that way and carrying on about their day.

sevendaughters

Quote from: St_Eddie on July 22, 2021, 03:02:39 PM
But the joke at the end of the scene is that the cop is left behind with the gay men and they all surround him, looking at him with come hither eyes and the cop becomes uncomfortable because all the gay men want to bum him.  That's literally the joke and it absolutely hinges around the homophobic concept of "eww bummers".  It also reinforces the homophobic belief and fallacy that gay men are intrinsically rapists and that if a straight man is being hit on by a gay man, then they have something to fear, rather than simply politely stating that their bread's not buttered that way and carrying on about their day.

It's not exactly the most PC piece but there's far more going on than your one-sided reading of it. Sweetchuck wanders in there in his running away from the gang and ends up being protected by the patrons. the gang runs in and a fight ensues (with the gay clientele framed as heroes and winning). the police come and Hightower goes in to sort it out (we never see inside during this part). outside, the patrons find him powerfully erotic because he has heroically and singlehandedly stood up to the bullies wrecking their club. Hightower's reaction is a bit rum but there's nothing rapey about it at all. no lines crossed, and as I stated earlier, there is a subversive aspect to this.

i actually think people are confusing the scenes in PA2 and PA3, which have different Blue Oyster scenes. the PA3 is far worse and decidedly more homophobic.

kalowski

It's an age since I saw it but are you sure there isn't a combination of the "gay predator" trope and the "sexually powerful black man" trope all mixed in that scene?

sevendaughters

mining for tropes only produces superficial analysis imho, perfect for the internet era but boils down to well done you spotted an example of thing rather than thinking about how this particular example works in this particular context and how that is in fact different from other usages.

kalowski

I think you mean that I am right.

Famous Mortimer

Imagine how jaded you'd have to be to defend the Blue Oyster scenes in the "Police Academy" movies.

Dusty Substance

#66
I'll come back to this thread, read it properly and give some of my own thoughts on the films as they were hugely important to me as a kid, but off the top of my head I'd rank them like this:

1. PA1
2. PA6: CUS
3. PA2: TFI
4. PA4: COP
5. PA3: BIT
6. PA5: AMB

I was reminded of Police Academy when watching an episode of Taxi this morning which featured Bubba "Hightower" Smith. Him and Danny De Vito together in the same shot was quite something.

sevendaughters

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on July 22, 2021, 05:52:07 PM
Imagine how jaded you'd have to be to defend the Blue Oyster scenes in the "Police Academy" movies.

yeah let's all just agree with each other and save time having a forum

MoreauVasz

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on July 22, 2021, 05:52:07 PM
Imagine how jaded you'd have to be to defend the Blue Oyster scenes in the "Police Academy" movies.

So very jaded. These days, the only thing that can coax an erection from this aging husk of a body is Japanese drool porn and noticing beautifully weird and poetic moments in somewhat outdated mainstream Hollywood comedies.

evilcommiedictator

Name any other film in the 80s that has leather daddies in it. Representation matters!

Shaky

Thought I'd give PA5 a re-evaluation based on this thread and it's even worse than I'd remembered. There are almost no verbal jokes, and countless scenes of characters falling into water. Most of the main cast have all been reduced to briefly demonstrating their one bit of schtick by this point. The only semi decent gag is Proctor throwing water over an on-fire, off-screen Harris. Showed something approaching comic timing.

Sonny_Jim

Quote from: evilcommiedictator on July 22, 2021, 11:56:55 PM
Name any other film in the 80s that has leather daddies in it. Representation matters!
Cruising.

PlanktonSideburns


Lisa Jesusandmarychain

You Can't Stop The Music

That Village People film from 1980.


( Well, there's *one* leather daddy in it)


I wouldn't mind seeing that film again actually,  it was pretty decent for what it was. Nancy Walker and Valerie Perrine were also in it.

MoreauVasz

Quote from: Sonny_Jim on July 23, 2021, 09:12:05 AM
Cruising.

Both the source material for the gag and a way more homophobic piece of cinema.

Police Academy: Gay men attend clubs where they chastely dance with each other.
Cruising: Gay men attend clubs where they are interchangeably and indistinguishably both victimised prey and murderous predator.

Ant Farm Keyboard

Quote from: Lisa Jesusandmarychain on July 23, 2021, 09:53:09 AM
You Can't Stop The Music

That Village People film from 1980.


( Well, there's *one* leather daddy in it)


I wouldn't mind seeing that film again actually,  it was pretty decent for what it was. Nancy Walker and Valerie Perrine were also in it.

Cruising was actually shooting at the same time in New York. And a lot of gay activists had heard about it. So, every time they spotted in the streets a film crew and a few campy gay costumes, they would try to halt the production. It became a nightmare for Can't Stop the Music, and Steve Guttenberg has very negative memories because of it.

Anyway, "El Bimbo" was a big hit in France and a few other countries, before it was used as the compulsory soundtrack to the Blue Oyster Bar.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1zJK1ADSRM

Famous Mortimer

I read about that, didn't they get up on nearby roofs and play loud music, shine spotlights on the filming, and so on?

ElTwopo

Quote from: El Unicornio, mang on July 21, 2021, 01:23:57 PM
Was sad to read this about the actor who played Mauser (although it also sounds like something that might happen to his character in the films)

In September 1989, Metrano broke his neck and seriously injured his spinal cord after falling off a ladder while working on his house. While he was initially a quadriplegic,[7][8] he has since regained the use of his arms and legs, and is able to walk short distances with the help of crutches, although he regularly uses a motorized wheelchair.


Sadly passed away yesterday. Will never forget his hair-based shenanigans from Police Academy 2 (hairy hands, no eye-brows). Godspeed Mauser.

Dusty Substance


R.I.P Capt. Mauser

Quote from: ElTwopo on September 09, 2021, 11:28:07 PM
Will never forget his hair-based shenanigans from Police Academy 2 (hairy hands, no eye-brows).

When I was about ten, I would watch Police Academy movies with my Dad and I vividly remember the hairy hands scene, Mauser asking "Can anyone tell me how this happened?" and Mahoney saying "I can, Sir, and if you don't stop that you could go blind". Baffled by this joke, I asked my Dad what it meant and he must have panicked in the moment and said it was a joke about turning into a werewolf.

Custard

Watched the first one on Netflix last night, and although I didn't laugh that often, one line did crack me up

Harris shouting at the chubby lad "I could show a movie on your ass!"

Apparently the scene went on a fair bit longer, with Harris shouting out films which he'd watch on his arse, but I think it ended at the right point

lipsink

I loved them as a kid but I rewatched them as a grown up and they're pretty much awful but they do have their moments. 1 and 5 seem to be the best (though I was disappointed when 5 came out as Mahoney wasn't in it)

Oh, the main theme tune is incredible as well.

Quote from: lipsink on October 11, 2021, 06:49:19 PM
Oh, the main theme tune is incredible as well.

Just looked it up to see if it matched the music in my head (which it did).

The video had the original poster as the image which was very evocative of 80s video shops.



Edit: I didn't realise Kim Cattrall was in it.


lipsink

Quote from: Better Midlands on October 11, 2021, 08:08:28 PM
Just looked it up to see if it matched the music in my head (which it did).

The video had the original poster as the image which was very evocative of 80s video shops.



That poster confused me the other day cos they appear to have Callaghan in it twice (that's not meant to be Kim Catrall at the front, is it?)

Custard

Apparently they would add a sexy woman to the film posters who wasn't actually in the film, as a joke. There's definitely one on the second film poster too

Johnny Foreigner

Quote from: Lisa Jesusandmarychain on July 22, 2021, 08:56:43 AM
I also remain vindicated in my own assertion that all of the Police Academy films are a load of unfunny cobblers. I remain aghast at the praise being given to the series in this thread.
Yes. Police Academy is depressing drivel, and not even in an ironic, self-aware kind of way. These films try desperately to entertain and consistently fail at every instance. They are strong contenders for the most moronic load of bollocks ever to disgrace a screen. That and the National Lampoon monstrosity.

Famous Mortimer

Quote from: Johnny Foreigner on October 11, 2021, 10:21:21 PM
Yes. Police Academy is depressing drivel, and not even in an ironic, self-aware kind of way. These films try desperately to entertain and consistently fail at every instance. They are strong contenders for the most moronic load of bollocks ever to disgrace a screen. That and the National Lampoon monstrosity.
There are at least some great National Lampoon movies. There are no good Police Academy movies.

Famous Mortimer

Quote from: sevendaughters on July 22, 2021, 03:53:58 PM
Hightower's reaction is a bit rum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REwimg6y1Cg

At about 1:50, decide for yourself why this shit is being defended.

Quote from: Shameless Custard on October 11, 2021, 05:19:58 PM
Watched the first one on Netflix last night, and although I didn't laugh that often, one line did crack me up

Harris shouting at the chubby lad "I could show a movie on your ass!"

Apparently the scene went on a fair bit longer, with Harris shouting out films which he'd watch on his arse, but I think it ended at the right point

I remember this little exchange.

'Just remember, no-one screws with me.'

'Well, maybe one day you'll meet the right girl and that'll change.'

Sonny_Jim

I know I shouldn't find it funny because of the portrayal of homosexuals isn't exactly nuanced and the gay panic schtick is straight out of the 1970s, but hearing the Blue Oyster music always makes me laugh.

And yes, having loved them as a kid and rewatching them recently, you only ever really need to see the first one.  Maybe watch mission to Moscow just to see how bad they got.  There's the odd good joke sprinkled here and there throughout the series but I'm the whole they are pretty dire.

Can't wait for the eventual all female reboot.

evilcommiedictator

Quote from: Famous Mortimer on October 11, 2021, 10:38:00 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REwimg6y1Cg

At about 1:50, decide for yourself why this shit is being defended.
Ah yes, the comedy leather gays being interested in a tall black police officer who has just removed a bunch of brawlers from their bar. Yes, all gay men will rape you if you drop your wallet territory, but it is also comedy uncomfortable?

You also missed Mahoney knowing the address of a gay bar off the top of his head at the start too, something which was still being used in something as recent as Frasier