Men in White (1998 film)
Encyclopedia
National Lampoon's Men in White is a straight-to-television satirical parody of contemporary science fiction
movies, mainly spoofing Men in Black
and Independence Day
. It debuted in 1998 on the Fox Family Channel.
) and Ed Klingbottom (Thomas F. Wilson
) are garbage men, constantly undermined by their corrupt boss, Junior Assistant Dispatcher Trainee Stanley Snyder (M. Emmet Walsh
).
One day, the earth is secretly invaded by an army of flying saucers, commanded by a Darth-Vaderesque alien called Glaxon (Rodger Halston). A saucer abducts the two men and the aliens on board attempt to vivisect them. Fortunately, they awaken just in time and escape back to earth with an alien fire extinguisher. When they arrive late for work and try to tell Stanley about the aliens, he doesn't believe them, having heard every alien story ever from fellow worker Old Bob (Don Stroud
).
President Smith (Barry Bostwick
) and his significantly more competent press secretary (Donna D'Errico
) receive news about the invasion from General Vice (George Kennedy
) and the president tells his advisor, Dr. Strangemeister (Wigald Boning
), to find two people with alien experience and make them into secret agents. Unbeknownst to anyone, Strangemeister is secretly in league with Glaxon, who is infuriated by Ed and Roy's interference. Strangemeister hires the two of them, believing that they are destined to fail and transforms them into 'The Men in White'.
The aliens start abducting people all over the world. Roy suggests the two of them use a cow as bait. The plan works and they successfully capture an alien spaceship. Unfortunately, they discover a device that makes them forget the last several seconds and the two of them get stuck in a continuous loop.
After a brief musical number, Strangemeister convinces the president to make a broadcast, assuring the remaining humans that they are safe. Meanwhile, the device runs out of battery power and the two men are freed from the loop. The two discover a weapon on the ship called the "Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator" and take it. They also fuel their garbage truck with Dylythium Blend from the spaceship's engine, enabling it to fly.
Roy uses the Modulator to destroy the invading saucers. Strangemeister combats this by telling the president that they intend to use the Modulator to take over the world. Glaxon sends four bounty-hunters to destroy the two heroes and at the same time, the president sends in the Special Forces (including a cowboy, an Indian, a fencer and a group of girl scouts) to do the same. Ed and Roy are chased into a factory and manage to elude both forces, which in turn start attacking each other. In the confusion, the Modulator overloads and destroys the bounty-hunters, with all the humans escaping just in time.
Glaxon, on Strangemeister’s suggestion, uses the mother ship’s main weapon to destroy every garbage truck on the planet. Ed and Roy escape by flying into outer space. They overcome a series of obstacles and make their way towards the mother ship. The president addresses the press and is then taken to the war-room, in an underground bunker. The generals and Strangemeister join them soon after. Ed and Roy board the mother ship and crawl through the air ducts to the computer room.
While Ed hacks into the computer and installs a self-destruct virus, Roy wrestles with Glaxon and ultimately defeats him by launching him into space. With the virus uploaded, all the on-board humans and aliens make their way to the escape-pods a good ten seconds before the ship explodes. Ed and Roy land in a swimming-pool. Unable to comprehend being defeated by garbage men, Strangemeister exposes his true intentions and reveals that he was actually a tiny man (Ben Stein
) inside a robotic humanoid suit.
To reward them for their success, the president promotes the two heroes to 'Senior Assistant Dispatcher Trainees' and demotes Stanley, who is forced to pick up the trash for everyone on the planet (as all the other garbage trucks were destroyed). The two reconcile with Bessie the cow and the film ends.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
movies, mainly spoofing Men in Black
Men in Black (film)
Men in Black is a 1997 science fiction comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, originally published by Marvel Comics. The film featured the creature effects...
and Independence Day
Independence Day (film)
Independence Day is a 1996 science fiction film about an alien invasion of Earth, focusing on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same...
. It debuted in 1998 on the Fox Family Channel.
Plot synopsis
Roy DuBro (Karim PrinceKarim Prince
-Roles:*General Hospital *Self Medicated *CSI: Miami *They Shoot Divas, Don't They? *Family Law *How to Make a Monster *FreakyLinks*Buffy the Vampire Slayer...
) and Ed Klingbottom (Thomas F. Wilson
Thomas F. Wilson
Thomas F. Wilson is an American actor, writer, musician, painter, voice-over artist and stand-up comedian. He is best known for playing Biff Tannen in the Back to the Future trilogy and Coach Ben Fredricks on NBC's Freaks and Geeks.-Early life:Thomas Francis Wilson, Jr. was...
) are garbage men, constantly undermined by their corrupt boss, Junior Assistant Dispatcher Trainee Stanley Snyder (M. Emmet Walsh
M. Emmet Walsh
Michael Emmet Walsh is an American actor who has appeared in over 100 film and television productions.-Life and career:Walsh was born in Ogdensburg, New York, the son of Agnes Kathrine and Harry Maurice Walsh, Sr., a customs agent...
).
One day, the earth is secretly invaded by an army of flying saucers, commanded by a Darth-Vaderesque alien called Glaxon (Rodger Halston). A saucer abducts the two men and the aliens on board attempt to vivisect them. Fortunately, they awaken just in time and escape back to earth with an alien fire extinguisher. When they arrive late for work and try to tell Stanley about the aliens, he doesn't believe them, having heard every alien story ever from fellow worker Old Bob (Don Stroud
Don Stroud
Donald Lee Stroud is an American actor and surfer who appeared in many films in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and has starred in over 100 films and 175 television shows to date.-Early life:...
).
President Smith (Barry Bostwick
Barry Bostwick
Barry Knapp Bostwick is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing Brad Majors in the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show, replacing Peter Scolari as Mr. Tyler in the sitcom What I Like About You, and playing mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom Spin City...
) and his significantly more competent press secretary (Donna D'Errico
Donna D'Errico
Donna D'Errico is an American actress and model. She was chosen Playboy Playmate of the Month for September 1995. Her centerfold was photographed by Richard Fegley.-Career:...
) receive news about the invasion from General Vice (George Kennedy
George Kennedy
George Harris Kennedy, Jr. is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 film and television productions. He is perhaps most familiar as the convict Dragline in Cool Hand Luke , airline troubleshooter Joe Patroni in the Airport series of disaster movies from the 1970s and...
) and the president tells his advisor, Dr. Strangemeister (Wigald Boning
Wigald Boning
Wigald Boning is a German actor, singer, writer and television presenter.- Life :Boning works as actor in different TV and filmproductions. He became in Germany famous as actor in television comedy programme RTL Samstag Nacht. Together with Olli Dittrich Boning sang in Die Doofen. Boning wrote...
), to find two people with alien experience and make them into secret agents. Unbeknownst to anyone, Strangemeister is secretly in league with Glaxon, who is infuriated by Ed and Roy's interference. Strangemeister hires the two of them, believing that they are destined to fail and transforms them into 'The Men in White'.
The aliens start abducting people all over the world. Roy suggests the two of them use a cow as bait. The plan works and they successfully capture an alien spaceship. Unfortunately, they discover a device that makes them forget the last several seconds and the two of them get stuck in a continuous loop.
After a brief musical number, Strangemeister convinces the president to make a broadcast, assuring the remaining humans that they are safe. Meanwhile, the device runs out of battery power and the two men are freed from the loop. The two discover a weapon on the ship called the "Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator" and take it. They also fuel their garbage truck with Dylythium Blend from the spaceship's engine, enabling it to fly.
Roy uses the Modulator to destroy the invading saucers. Strangemeister combats this by telling the president that they intend to use the Modulator to take over the world. Glaxon sends four bounty-hunters to destroy the two heroes and at the same time, the president sends in the Special Forces (including a cowboy, an Indian, a fencer and a group of girl scouts) to do the same. Ed and Roy are chased into a factory and manage to elude both forces, which in turn start attacking each other. In the confusion, the Modulator overloads and destroys the bounty-hunters, with all the humans escaping just in time.
Glaxon, on Strangemeister’s suggestion, uses the mother ship’s main weapon to destroy every garbage truck on the planet. Ed and Roy escape by flying into outer space. They overcome a series of obstacles and make their way towards the mother ship. The president addresses the press and is then taken to the war-room, in an underground bunker. The generals and Strangemeister join them soon after. Ed and Roy board the mother ship and crawl through the air ducts to the computer room.
While Ed hacks into the computer and installs a self-destruct virus, Roy wrestles with Glaxon and ultimately defeats him by launching him into space. With the virus uploaded, all the on-board humans and aliens make their way to the escape-pods a good ten seconds before the ship explodes. Ed and Roy land in a swimming-pool. Unable to comprehend being defeated by garbage men, Strangemeister exposes his true intentions and reveals that he was actually a tiny man (Ben Stein
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
) inside a robotic humanoid suit.
To reward them for their success, the president promotes the two heroes to 'Senior Assistant Dispatcher Trainees' and demotes Stanley, who is forced to pick up the trash for everyone on the planet (as all the other garbage trucks were destroyed). The two reconcile with Bessie the cow and the film ends.
Cameos
- The titular character, Mrs. DoubtfireMrs. DoubtfireMrs. Doubtfire is a 1993 American comedy film starring Robin Williams and Sally Field and based on the novel Madame Doubtfire by Anne Fine. It was directed by Chris Columbus and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It won the Academy Award for Best Makeup...
, makes a brief appearance for a few minutes in the movie, leading a group of Girl Scouts into fighting aliens.
- Over a dozen monsters from the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers series make a very brief appearance in a musical scene with Strangemeister.