Twenty years ago today Shane Black's directorial debut received a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. Unfortunately, a limited release meant that Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was not the blockbuster hit it should have been. Or as Robert Downey Jr. put it; it "tanked". What could have been the start of a series of adventures - imagine a trilogy of mysteries with Gay Perry and his two misfit associates - sadly drifted into obscurity. Anyway, by now you may wonder how I wound up here. Or maybe not. Maybe you wonder how silly putty picks shit up from comic books. The point is, I don't see another Goddamn narrator, so pipe down. I first became aware of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang when I read about it in a film magazine (probably Empire ). The article featured that hilarious image of Downey Jr.'s 'Harry Lockhart' dangling from the hand of a corpse. Said hand is protruding from a coffin caught on a traffic sign, which is attached to a bridge in Long Beach, California....
They better not fuck this up! That was my first thought when I heard they were developing a sequel to the beloved sci-fi comedy, Spaceballs . I know I'm not alone in this. In fact, I'm sure there are many people thinking exactly the same thing. Probably even more so, now that the hilarious teaser has dropped. After 40 years, we asked "What do the fans want?" But instead, we're making this movie. Nothing is known of the plot, despite Mel Brooks' helpful introduction, but according to Deadline , the sequel has been described "by those who have not yet read the script" as "A Non-Prequel Non-Reboot Sequel Part 2 but with Reboot Elements Franchise Expansion Film". Which suggests - rather reassuringly - that those involved clearly aren't taking this too seriously, and that it's highly likely Disney is going to be the butt of many jokes. That last one being rather important! The trouble is, these legacy sequels can be rather risky. On th...