Video: Pfeiffer & Goldblum Chase Shah's Crown Jewels

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Video: Pfeiffer & Goldblum Chase Shah's Crown Jewels
by Darius Kadivar
24-Jul-2008
 

This is a silly and strange film that came out in the 80's and was one of Michelle Pfeiffers first films before she hit Stardom. She and Jeff Goldblum are pursued by Former SAVAK Agents ( some being cameo's by such stars as British David Bowie, French Roger Vadim  or Greek Iren Papas ) who are running across Hollywood trying to recuperate the Shah's stolen Jewels. A few Iranian actors like Houshang Touzie have small parts. Its filled with prejudice and ignorance about Iran and Iranian history which reflects some of the naive outlook of Americans about Iran in the years that followed the Hostage Crisis Ordeal in Tehran. Its meant to be funny and at times it is but it was no surprise if the film was bombed by serious film critics like Roger Ebert. Interestingly Ebert was to support the release of the first Iranian American film Maryam directed by Ramin Serry (see his review).

Into the Night does not really aim to political analysis but simply attempts and fails at  being an entertaining thriller. As for Pfeiffer she is really pretty and shows some bare skin to our delight but along with Goldblum they seem to be struggling to make sens out of a very thin and bad script.

See Plot here :

Ed Orkin (Jeff Goldblum) is having a bad night. He can't sleep, he hates his job as an aerospace engineer, and he's just discovered his wife in bed with another man. Suffering another sleepless night, he attempts to flee the disaster of his life, driving into the Los Angeles airport parking lot at the same time that a mysterious and beautiful woman (Michelle Pfeiffer) lands on his windshield. The mysterious Diana has smuggled six emeralds into the country and is being chased by Iranian SAVAK Agents who have just killed her companion. The items she handed over are priceless emeralds from the fallen Shah of Iran's treasury which Diana has just successfully smuggled into the country. Unfortunately, at least two parties know of her operation and are trying to obtain the jewels, former SAVAK agents and a mysterious Frenchman.Suddenly Ed and Diana find themselves thrown together in an effort to outrun the gangsters. The fugitives become involved in one disaster after another, narily escaping Elvis-crazed relatives, insanity on the freeways, a terrifying hitman played by David Bowie, and general mayhem during the fast-paced chase. The gangsters wreak havoc on L.A., destroying anything they come into contact with as they pursue the star-crossed fugitives in this seductive and moody portrayal of Los Angeles after hours. This dark thriller/comedy features cameos by numerous directors as well as Landis himself, playing a gangster.

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more from Darius Kadivar
 
Darius Kadivar

Thanks The Pope

by Darius Kadivar on Fri Jul 25, 2008 01:33 AM PDT

Thats Very True. Thanks for the feedback.

D


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ThePope

The I.R. of Iran's movies and t.v. series of the Shah

by ThePope on Thu Jul 24, 2008 05:18 PM PDT

The mullahs have made tons of films about last Persian king and they still continue to do... And I don't know where the hell they find all these actors who resmble the Shah so much. Moslty one of them, which I don't know his name, but who looks exactly like the late shah. Like an apple split in two! And the only role played by this actor is Shah's character.

But, the scripts of their anti-Shah films are so much filled with bullshit that it's only aired on I.R. national tv channels.
Every year, to celebrate the victory of the stupid revolution (dahe-yeh zajr), a new film, serie or documentary is aired to enjoy the fall of the Shah (or Iran!). It's also a very good brain washing method for the new generation of Iran who does not know anything about our last King. The majority of todays youth inside Iran, think of Shah as a brutal, stone-hearted king who just killed and sucked peoples blood for money.

One of these dumb films was made in the 80's. It presented the king being bald, wearing a wig by gluing it to his head, only being concerned about his baldness and spending lots of the nation's wealth on his bald head!!!

Anyway, hope Iran will be the first to make a real, true faithfull film on the last Shahanshah as soon as the mullahs regime's falls.


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bajenaghe naghi

darius jan

by bajenaghe naghi on Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:32 AM PDT

thank you for the great information. i will see if i can rent these films. they all seem to be very interesting films. 


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Darius Kadivar

bajenaghe naghi: Films Shah, Soraya, Hostage Crisis

by Darius Kadivar on Thu Jul 24, 2008 11:11 AM PDT

Hi Bajenaghe Jan, 

This film: Into the Night is available on amazon. Its a curiosity if anything else but not really a great film nor intended to be one.

Two films actually were made with the Shah as main character.

1) The first was made in Canada with French Star Daniel Gelin in the role of the shah and about the rescue of Canadian Hostages during the Tehran Embassy Crisis. It was called "Days in Crisis" . It is not a Bad film actually although dramatized and overlooks some historical details for dramatic purposes. But its watchable but unfortunately the costumes of the Shah or the Royal Army officers for instance are not at all accurate. Another film on the same subject was on the Ross Perot rescue attempt and stars Burt Lancaster and Richard Crenna in the title roles and based on a Ken Follet novel: On Wings of Eagles But I have not seen them available on DVD yet.

2) Soraya:  A Fairly good TV film produced by the Germans, Italians and French. A German Turk actor  Erol Sander plays the young Shah and Italian actress Anna Valle plays Soraya. Sander really looks like the Shah and the costume and sets are accurate enough to allow identification. But the actor who plays Mossadegh really doesn't look like him at all. And there are some details that have been invented for purposes of dramatization. It passes every christmas on French and German TV. You can buy it on amazon.fr here ( Unfortunately it has not been dubbed in English and its only available in French and German).

There still need to make a really faithful film on the Shah and the Revolution with a good cast and good actors and an interesting angle to tell the story. I am sure that day will come like for so many other historical figures like David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia,  Bertollucci's Last Emperor ( China's Pu Yi) or so many films on Napoleon.

Oliver Stone also refers to the Shah with news footage in his film on Richard Nixon and JFK.

cheers,

D

 


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amirkabear4u

WHY ....

by amirkabear4u on Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:23 AM PDT

Sometimes ago I was thinking shah good or bad was a middle eastern leader. It is not 5 years yet they already made a film about sadam housain. He was not even liked that much he is on screen. Then there are other leaders again good or bad have one or two films made about them too. Why no one made any film about shah. You know what I think there are a lot about him we do not know and governments do not want us to know. Otherwise what is the reason(s)?


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bajenaghe naghi

darius jan

by bajenaghe naghi on Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:23 AM PDT

i saw maryam for the second time last night and i enjoyed it very much. i don't think i have seen into the night. 


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