Movie Flop of the Week- Nothing But Trouble (1991)

-In the late 80s, the trio of Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase and John Candy were at the height of their fame before passing the torch of comedic movie star over to the likes of Rob Schnieder, Adam Sandler and Kevin James. These actors starred in an array of screen comedies that all played on thier various comedic strengths which they had earlier showcased on SNL. It seemed for a while that these surefire funny men could do no wrong creatively. That is untl Nothin but Trouble came their way.

Co-written and directed by Aykroyd, this dark comedy tells the story of a group of New Yorkers (which includes Chase and Demi Moore) on their way to Atlantic City for a conference when a wrong turn leads them into the city of Valkenvania; an eerie looking town filled with decaying buildings and questionable characters. Upon failing to notice a stop sign, Chase and co. find themselves being pursued by a local policeman (Candy). After deciding the outrun the cop, the group is eventually captured and taken to the local jail/courthouse; a dilapidated mansion with various mazes, trapdoors, secret rooms, and hidden stairwells. After being presented to the local justice of the peace (a heavily-made-up Akyroyd) the group's trial is postponed until the morning and are placed into a holding cell. Desperate to escape, the trendy New Yorkers plunge ahead through the many traps the manaical judge and his family have set up.

It seems that everyone involved (save for Aykroyd) must have seen the writing on the wall with regards to the outcome of Nothing But Trouble. Although the studio was willing to give the actor turned novice director a chance, interference from executives was still a factor as they tried to bleed originality from Aykroyd's screenplay in favor of a more audience-friendly outing ( the most notable example of this was changing the film's title from the original Valkenvania to the overly-generic, not to mention critics' favorite Nothing But Trouble.) It seemed the cast didn't have much faith in the film either with Chase reportedly telling everyone he knew the film was bad news and how he committed to the project only to please his friend Aykroyd. Audiences shared the same reaction as Chase and the studio (who released the film in early February- the dumping time for films studios have lost faith in) as the $40 million movie grossed a measly $8 million. Adding to the proceedings were the 6 Razzie Nominations the film received the following year for Worst Supporting Actor (Akyroyd-for which he won), Worst Supporting Actress (Candy-for playing his twin sister), Worst Actress (Moore- who received another nomination that year for The Butcher's Wife), Worst Director (Akyroyd), Worst Screenplay (Aykroyd and his brother Peter) and Worst Picture.

It becomes obvious that there are only two types of audiences suitable for Nothing But Trouble: the first is comprised of fans of Candy (who also plays his character's twin sister), Chase and Aykroyd, who must have taken delight in seeing the three comedic giants share the same screen. The second are fans of dark, macabre comedy who appreciate Aykroyd's decidedly harsh touches. Its true that at times the movie does become a tad mean-spirited such as when another group of lawbreakers (this time a group of drugged-out party animals) are sentenced to death and are placed on a rollercoaster which throws them into a machine which tears off their flesh and spits out their bones onto a dart board or when Chase and Moore encounter a room full of IDs belonging to the judge's many past victims including the never-found Jimmy Hoffa. Yet even these touches are filled with more imagination than most of today's dark comedy offerings.

Its no surprise the critics hated Nothing But Trouble with a passion. While their lambasting of the film is overblown, to their credit there are some points in the film which simply don't work. For example, the casting of Moore (the only non-comedian in the film), the side plot featuring the derranged family's estranged cousins, and the musical number featuring Tupac Shakur (in which Aykroyd joins in) are all elements which should have been rethought.

And yet in spite of this, Nothing But Trouble is still a great deal of dark fun thanks to the cast, its winding story which never lets up, and incredible set pieces including an elaborate junk yard and a funhouse from hell. It may have been one of the biggest flops of 1991; spelling the end for Aykroyd as a director, but Nothing But Trouble remains today what its creator intended it to be-a great deal of dark, twisted fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgBxhLgTEvg
-enjoy watching Siskel and Ebert take the movie apart on their program in a misjudged review...