Down Periscope (1996)

[BrianBerg 0]

Was just talking about this movie with a friend, and it was a hilarious conversation. Would love the crew take this one on

[SlidePocket 707]

This flick tried so hard to make Kelsey Grammer a movie star at the height of Frasier's success, but it just didn't work out and was the last movie directed by David S. Ward of Major League fame.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

Jesus, at least this wasn't "McHale's Navy". I'm the one that saw THAT in a theater. Ho. Lee. Shit...

[Maximilian 99]

Jesus, at least this wasn't "McHale's Navy". I'm the one that saw THAT in a theater. Ho. Lee. Shit...

I don't know what fantasy world I've been living in but I have been oblivious to the fact that McHale's Navy was made into a movie. I checked out the cast of McHale's Navy and I'm not brave enough to go as far as to watch the trailer. You truly are brave.

 

Is it just me or were the mid to late 90's over saturated in military themed comedies?

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

 

I don't know what fantasy world I've been living in but I have been oblivious to the fact that McHale's Navy was made into a movie. I checked out the cast of McHale's Navy and I'm not brave enough to go as far as to watch the trailer. You truly are brave.

 

Is it just me or were the mid to late 90's over saturated in military themed comedies?

I was young and stupid, and it had Bruce Campbell in it!

 

Steve Martin's "Sgt. Bilko" was pretty decent from what I remember.

 

I think maybe there were so many military themed comedies because there was absolutely jack shit going on at the time as far as any big threats. The first Gulf War was a joke and was treated as such, and while there were things happening here and there, it's not like it is now, so a lot of the comedies centered on these bums that were like "What's the worst that could happen?" That end up getting drawn into some ridiculous situation. I myself was in the Air Force from 1996-2000, which was about the least eventful stretch of the last few decades.

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

Down Periscope at least attempted to be fun. Mchales Navy was just a really shitty action movie built around Tom Arnold tossing out one liners.

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

And on the flip side, isnt this also when all the serious military movies started churning out one after the other ala Basic, The Generals daugher, Rules of Engagement, Courage Under Fire, High Crimes etc..

 

God what about Renaissance Man, i'd almost suggest that one for the podcast if it werent so painfully boring.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

And on the flip side, isnt this also when all the serious military movies started churning out one after the other ala Basic, The Generals daugher, Rules of Engagement, Courage Under Fire, High Crimes etc..

 

God what about Renaissance Man, i'd almost suggest that one for the podcast if it werent so painfully boring.

"Courage Under Fire" was '96, "General's Daughter" was '99", but all those other ones may have been in this century.

 

Speaking of "Renaissance Man", how about throwing in some "Major Payne"?

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

Fuck, how could I forget Major Payne. What a shit heap of a movie, of course it followed the eighties school of thought that every movie should end with the leads having to win a boat race or decathalon.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

And of course there's "In the Army Now", which also followed the "There's jack shit going on, what could POSSIBLY go wrong?" formula, starring Sir Paulie Shore.

[Ofcoursemyhorse 1043]

I want to find who was responsible for greenlighting a movie with Paulie Shore and Andy Dick as the leads and ask him for smidge of whatever the fuck he was on, cause it must have been some really good shit.

[Smigg 1488]

I actually love Down Periscope

[screa2008 13]

This movie has a cast that is way too talented for it: Bruce Dern, William H. Macy, Rip Torn, Harry Dean Stanton! And also Harland Williams, Lauren Holly, Kelsey Grammer, Rob Schneider, Patton Oswald (in a tiny role), Toby Huss. And then you've got one of the most annoying villains in Survivor history, and the dude who played Kyle in Above the Rim.

 

Rob Schneider chews scenery like a mo fo.

 

Lauren Holly's character sets women's rights back about 50 years.

 

Toby Huss does his Frank Sinatra impression on multiple occasions.

 

There is an entire scene oriented around a fart, and another that is a ridiculous "walk the plank" scenario. And a piece of spliced footage of a submarine breaching that is definitely not theirs.

 

And so much more. It has a plot, but there're zero stakes for any of the characters (at least not really). This is one of those movies that screams 90s to me. I think that the font was even the same as Crimson Tide!

 

I keep expecting Kelsey Grammer to say, "Go ahead, I'm listening."

[screa2008 13]

Oh, and how could I forget! A Village People music video over the end credits, singing "In the Navy": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmiqRaQadoY