The Adventures of Ford Fairlane

Plot

Private investigator Ford Fairlane is seen sitting on a beach smoking with great melancholy as the film opens. A flashback initiates, showing a roaring crowd at a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Morrison, Colorado, given by fictional popular heavy metal band, "The Black Plague". Lead singer Bobby Black makes an eccentric entrance down a zip line from Creation Rock onto the stage and begins performing. Shortly into one of the band's songs, Bobby Black starts gagging and collapses dead on stage.

Later, shock-jock Johnny Crunch, an old friend who came west with Fairlane to become a rock star, hires Fairlane to track down a mysterious teenage groupie named Zuzu Petals, who may have a connection to Black's mysterious death.

Soon after hiring Fairlane, Crunch is electrocuted on the air. "The World's Hippest Detective" soon finds himself trading insults with a group, including ruthless record executive Julian Grendel, former-disco-star-turned-clueless-cop Lt. Amos, merciless hit man Smiley, and countless ex-girlfriends out for his blood. Aiding and abetting Fairlane is loyal assistant Jazz and a hip record producer at the head of a bizarre lineup of suspects, victims, beautiful women, and a koala as he finds himself hip-deep in the case of his life.

The MacGuffin of the film is three data CDs which -- when read simultaneously -- detail the illegal dealings of Julian Grendel, who profits handsomely from bootlegging his record company's music. Fairlane deduces Grendel murdered Bobby Black when Grendel discovered Black had acquired the CDs with the incriminating evidence.

Two of Fairlane's beloved possessions, his house and his car, are blown to bits, courtesy of Grendel, and he sacrifices his prized guitar (a custom design for the original owner, Jimi Hendrix) in a fight with Smiley.

The first disc is discovered with Colleen Sutton (who had also hired Fairlane to find Petals after Crunch's death), the second with Zuzu Petals, and the third hidden under the star for Art Mooney on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

It is later revealed Grendel actually killed both Bobby Black and Johnny Crunch because they demanded more money for their involvement in Grendel's CD piracy.

Fairlane kills Grendel by setting him on fire with a flammable alcoholic milkshake and a lit cigarette. Jazz ultimately leaves Fairlane, believing him to be not good for her, and that he will never return the feelings she has for him.

Smiley unexpectedly shows up intending to finish off Fairlane, and reveals he killed the father of his young neighbor, "The Kid." Fairlane distracts Smiley, then kills him with a sleeve pistol.

Ultimately, Fairlane and Jazz reconcile, while the Kid decides to join their detective agency. Fairlane wins a million-dollar radio contest and buys a yacht. He sails away with Jazz, The Kid, and the koala (wearing a neck brace), now one big, happy family.

Cast

• Andrew Dice Clay as Ford Fairlane
• Wayne Newton as Julian Grendel
• Priscilla Presley as Colleen Sutton
• Lauren Holly as Jazz
• Brandon Call as The Kid
• Maddie Corman as Zuzu Petals
• David Patrick Kelly as Sam
• Morris Day as Don Cleveland
• Robert Englund as Smiley
• Ed O'Neill as Lieutenant Amos
• Gilbert Gottfried as Johnny Crunch
• Vince Neil as Bobby Black
• William Shockley and M. Russell Zulke as Punk Gunslingers
• Steve White as Detective Benny
• Kari Wuhrer as Melodi
• Sheila E. as Club Singer
• Lala as Sorority Girl
• Delia Sheppard as Josie
• Pamela Adlon as "Pussycat" (credited as Pamela Segall)
• Diana Barrows as Sorority Girl
• Tone-Loc as "Slam"
• Kurt Loder as Himself
• Cindyana Santangelo as Lydia

Howard Stern was originally considered for the role of Johnny Crunch. Billy Idol was originally to play Vince Neil's role, and David Bowie was approached to play Newton's.

Production

According to writer Daniel Waters, the film was slated for release in May 1990 for slate against Cadillac Man and Bird on a Wire, but Fox moved it back to July "to build Dice awareness", which he cited as a mistake.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack album was released by Elektra Records on June 12, 1990, featuring songs by Billy Idol, Mötley Crüe, Queensrÿche, and Richie Sambora.

A number of the musicians featured on the soundtrack also appeared in the film itself, including Morris Day, Sheila E., and Tone Loc (as Slam the Rapper). The members of the fictional band Black Plague are played by professional musicians: Mötley Crüe lead vocalist Vince Neil, Ozzy Osbourne bassist Phil Soussan and drummer Randy Castillo, and Quiet Riot guitarist Carlos Cavazo. Richie Sambora's contribution to the soundtrack was a cover of the Jimi Hendrix song "The Wind Cries Mary". Yello's "Unbelievable" samples dialogue from the film, although a phone number given as "1-800-Perfect" is changed to "1-800-Unbelievable". Yello is also credited with the film's music score, and an early cut of their album Baby is used as the film's incidental soundtrack. Not appearing on the soundtrack is "Booty Time", the song that Ed O'Neill's character performs during the film.

Barry McIlheney of Q magazine was critical of the collection and only highlighted the Billy Idol contribution while giving the overall release 2 out 5 stars.

Track listing

Release

Critical response

The film received generally negative reviews upon release. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 25% based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 4.3/10. On Metacritic, the film has a 24 out of 100 rating based on 13 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade "B" on scale of A+ to F.

Roger Ebert gave the film 1 star out of a possible 4, and called the film "loud, ugly and mean-spirited" but he also suggested that Clay had the confidence and screen presence for a successful acting career if he could move beyond his shtick. He and fellow critic Gene Siskel each gave the film a thumbs down on their series Siskel & Ebert & the Movies.

Box office

The film was not a financial success during its original theatrical release, making just over $21 million in the U.S. According to Clay, "They pulled my movie...in a week...I was a lightning rod for everything [politically correct]".

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

References

1. (September 17, 1990). "''THE ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE'' (18)". [[British Board of Film Classification]].
2. "AFI|Catalog".
3. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210117072902/https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/66661/the-adventures-of-ford-fairlane#overview Turner Classic Movies]
4. [https://www.avclub.com/inventory-stop-that-vehicle-20-misbegotten-movies-cus-1798209998 Inventory: Stop That Vehicle! 20 Misbegotten Movies Custom-Made For The Utterly Unworthy - The A.V. Club]
5. (2018-07-17). "The (Original) Adventures of Ford Fairlane: The Long Lost Rock n' Roll Detective Stories". Rare Bird Books, A Vireo Book.
6. [https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=268031 Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990) comic books]
7. "FORD FAIRLANE FILMING Red Rocks Amphitheatre".
8. Evans, Bradford. (February 9, 2012). "The Lost Roles of Howard Stern".
9. (November 16, 2021). "Gilbert Gottfried Calling Lucy in the Hospital".
10. (October 27, 2017). "Interview: Writer/Director Daniel Waters » We Are Cult".
11. "Adventures of Ford Fairlane - Original Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic".
12. McIIheney, Brian. (March 5, 1991). "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane OST".
13. [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-11-ca-35-story.html MOVIE REVIEW : Role of the Dice : Comedy: The controversial Andrew Dice Clay sanitizes his stand-up act for ‘Ford Fairlane,’ but it’s a pointless exercise for the Diceman. - Los Angeles Times]
14. "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)". [[Fandango Media]].
15. "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane Reviews". [[CBS Interactive]].
16. "Cinemascore".
17. Ebert, Roger. (July 11, 2019). "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane Movie Review (1990)".
18. [https://siskelebert.org/?p=5638 Ghost, Quick Change, Arachnophobia, The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Jetsons: The Movie, 1990 - Siskel and Ebert Movie Reviews]
19. "The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (Summary)". Box Office Mojo.
20. Harris, Will. (2007-03-26). "Andrew Dice Clay Interview. Dice: Undisputed Interview". Bullz-eye.com.