Movie Club: Jumpin' Jack Flash

Community Introductions & Off Topic
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WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE LATEST DISCUSSION THREAD OF THE NEW MOVIE CLUB. A big thanks to everyone that are joining us through all of this.

This week we’re back in the 80s with Jumpin’ Jack Flash.

Remember any ideas for films to discuss are most welcome, and should be made on the Movie Club Introduction thread (the sticky one), and anyone is welcome to add their thoughts about movies already discussed on their respective threads.

Just a friendly reminder to everyone that, whilst fans are obviously welcome to passionately discuss and give their views on these movies, please remember to keep things on a friendly footing and respect your fellow posters.
Also, please do not post where or how to find the full movie online. And do not post asking others to PM it to you. You are however allowed to watch the movie in whatever manner you want.

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I really love this movie. Quite a fan of a few of Whoopi Goldberg’s late 80’s and early 90’s movies and this is definitely among my top three. Favourite being Sister Act.
I recall seeing this when I was about 10 years old or so one night when I was allowed to stay up late and really enjoyed it.
The story is really enjoyable and interesting.
Whoopi definitely steals the show though.
Almost anytime this movie is on TV even if i miss the start of it I ususally end up watching all of it.
Overall very good enjoyable movie.

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Just seen this film for the first time in longer than I can remember. That’s why I picked it, because I figured it should be uncontroversial enough and I needed to rewatch it.

This film is a cross between a screwball comedy and a Hitchcock thriller that is so rooted in the 80s it’s perfect. It’s “everything you go to the movies for” - as Michael J. Fox said about Back To The Future, to which the statement also applies in equal measure.

The spy element is great because normally with things like this we’re following it from the spy’s perspective, but here Whoopi Goldberg plays the innocent civilian who gets caught up in something big - this forms a quintessential part of many a Hitchcock thriller, from North By Northwest to The Man Who Knew Too Much to The 39 Steps to The Lady Vanishes and probably more as well. He character Terri Doolittle reacts how we’d all react to this, with disbelief. But she goes through with it, and manages to show great flare and inventiveness for getting out of trouble.

There’s a lot of other good names in the cast too - Stephen Collins, best known to me for playing Captain Decker in the first Star Trek movie, has a difficult part to play but handles it very well. James Belushi has an interesting part as a minor villain, and who is last seen trapped next to a moving car - a fate his hero dishes out in turn on a minor villain at the start of K-9, funnily enough! Annie Potts, best known as Janine from Ghostbusters, has a much more serious role here and handles it well enough while the comedy work sidekick is played by Carol Kane, who was also in The Princess Bride. The most interesting cameo is Roscoe Lee Browne, the voice of Reekon and Merklynn in Visionaries, playing Archer Lincoln, the guy in the wheelchair. Listen closely and you will recognise his voice.

I enjoyed this. I will definitely not go as long between viewings again.

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I just watched Jumpin’ Jack Flash for the first time ever (on the DVD), thanks to this thread. Excellent film, and - as an '80’s kid - I’m surprised I missed this for so long. Prior to seeing this, I hadn’t known it was directed by the late Penny Marshall.

I agree completely that many elements of the film remind me of a classic Hitchcock flick, i.e. with the innocent protagonist getting inadvertently involved in an espionage situation completely out of her control. I also saw elements of neo-noir, especially the night scenes with jazzy music being played in the background- very cool.

Being a huge movie fan myself, it was nice to see the classic movie posters on Terri Doolittle’s walls (in her apartment) - this also emphasized the homage(s) to Hitchcock.

-Great cast in the film - in addition to WG, the movie featured the late Phil Hartman, John Lovitz, Annie Potts, James Belushi, Jonathan Pryce (as Jack, at the end), etc.

The comedic elements were great, and I laughed out loud numerous times throughout the film:

-Doolittle’s wardrobe choices were hilarious - i.e., a shirt/outfit seemingly inspired by the “Raggedy Ann” doll - LOL; a yellow scarf & yellow shoes combo.; a red scarf/red shoe combo. - etc. She looked outlandish & ridiculous - which I’m sure was intentional.

-It was hilarious when Doolitle got into that argument/fight with the guy over who was going to use the pay phone next; this definitely dates this film to the '80’s - ha ha. I haven’t seen a working pay phone (at least not in the U.S.) since around 2002, given that everyone has cell phones these days.

-Great scene when Doolittle’s blue dress got caught in the shredder at the British embassy - very funny :wink:

-Doolittle’s manager at the bank - Mr. James Page - had one of the ugliest rugs (hairpieces) I’ve ever seen in cinema - hilarious!

-The blonde woman (in the pink dress) @ the front desk in the British embassy was the spitting image of Princess Diana, circa the '80’s - which I’m sure was intentional - LOL.

Also - Jumpin’ Jack Flash is one of my favorite tracks by the Rolling Stones, and it was nice to see the song featured in the film - when Doolittle was trying to decode the clues by listening to the song. Also enjoyed the excellent r&b cover version by artist Aretha Franklin, which was heard over the end credits.

I liked this film so much that I will probably watch it again, sometime in the next year. Well-done!

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