Where were you in '62? George Lucas created a film that captured the essence of a generation, and managed to grab a pivotal voice from that generation. Wolfman Jack, for those of you who don't know, was a disc jockey who, along with Alan Freed, helped popularize rock 'n' roll in the early sixties. Throughout the film, he is heard over the radio's of the characters' cars as they cruise down the strip. It isn't until near the end, when Richard Dreyfuss' Curt finds his studio outside of Modesto, that you see him. He is looking for a blonde in the Thunderbird, so he heads to the studio, and hands Jack, who he assumes is the station manager, a message for her. He turns when he hears the famous howl of the Wolfman, and realizes he had been talking to him.
9. Zombieland: Bill Murray
There is one good scene in this movie, and it happens to have Bill Murray in it. The rest is just filler. The four character's break into his house, only to find him still occupying it, pretending to be a zombie (so he won't be killed). He hangs out with Woody Harrelson and Emma Stone, smokes some pot, plays some "Ghostbusters", and has a damn good time. When he decides to play a practical joke on Jesse Eisenberg, by sneaking up on him in full zombie costume, it ends with him getting shot. As he is dying Abigail Breslin asks him if he has any regrets. He responds, "Garfield, Maybe."
8. Man on the Moon: Jerry Lawler (also: The Cast of "Taxi")
I love watching biopics and seeing how stars play other famous people. But, what happens when a celebrity plays themself? Jerry Lawler, King of Memphis wrestling, did just that in Milos Forman's Andy Kaufman biopic, "Man on the Moon". Lawler relived his fake feud with Kaufman during Kaufman's "Intergender Wrestling Champion" period. The two went on Letterman's talk show to discuss their battle, and the tension ramp up until Lawler slaps the hell out of Andy. Lawler pulled it off without a hitch... again.
7. The Naked Gun/BASEketball: Reggie Jackson
The Queen of England visits America, and goes to a Angels game. Little does she know, there is a plot to kill her. This plot involves brainwashing Angels' right-fielder, Reggie Jackson, and having him shoot her during a bench brawl. I love that Jackson was willing to make himself a pawn in the name of comedy, which he would also do a decade later in the film "BASEketball" (also directed by David Zucker). Jackson gets a small part near the end, and a clip of his third home run in Game 6 against the Dodgers in the opening, and he tells Trey Parker's Cooper (who caught run #3) the importance of winning, and getting to keep the nostalgic aspects. It's worth it just to hear him say the phrase, "Some little shit took off with the third one."
6. Zoolander: Billy Zane
Ok. I'll admit it. I like this cameo for one line. Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is a fashion model who is losing his top spot to a newcomer named Hansel (Owen Wilson). When the two of them meet in public, things begin to get heated, and the dreamy... I mean... awesome, Billy Zane steps in to change Zoolander's mind about challenging Hansel to a walk-off, Zoolander wards him off. Hansel responds with, "Listen to your friend, Billy Zane. He's a cool dude." That one sentence is good enough for this spot. Oddly enough, this movie involves brainwashing a famous person to assassinate a world leader. This is turning into another list.
5. Dodgeball: Lance Armstrong
Another oddball sports film and another Ben Stiller movie. Vince Vaughn's Peter has just walked out on his team, and is sitting at a casino bar, when Lance Armstrong walks up and notices him. He tells Peter he is a big fan of the obscure sports network, ESPN 8 (the Ocho), and tells Peter he should hurry,or he's going to be late. Peter tells him he decided to quit, and Lance retorts with, "I was thinking of quitting once. When I got diagnosed with brain, lung, and testicular cancer. At the same time." And then asks what is killing Peter that is making him quit. Peter says, "Right now, it kind of feels like shame." Shame on you is right.
4. Happy Gilmore: Bob Barker
I could talk about this, or I you can just watch the host of "The Price is Right" (my favorite game show) dole out a string of lefts and gut shots on one of the most annoying movie stars.
3. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle: Neal Patrick Harris
We all knew this was going to happen, don't be shocked. This film came out around the time that Harris had been "Lanced", and it made the irony of this, and his character on "How I Met Your Mother", ever so delicious. Here was a man, forced to share his sexual orientation with the world, displaying a love for strippers, ecstasy, and fur-burgers (the funniest euphemism I may have ever heard). This cameo is so outrageous, and so popular, the writers had to put him in the two sequels, and in "American Reunion". In the sequels he trips on mushrooms, gets shot at a whore house, does a Christmas song and dance number, and reveals that his being gay is only an act to pick up more women. Comedic.Genius!
2. Mallrats: Stan Lee
Sure, Stan Lee has had a cameo in every Marvel film, and will probably be in every one until he dies. None of those compare to the bit he had on screen in Kevin Smith's "Mallrats". Brodie (Jason Lee) is jobless, aimless, and, very recently, without the love of his lady (Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned for Sega). As a ploy to help him get on track with his life, his friend Quint (Jeremy London) hires Stan Lee, who doing a signing at the mall's comic book store, to give him a pep talk. While Lee is trying to talk about romance, all Brodie wants to do is discuss the genitalia of the various superheroes in Lee's repertoire. Hearing the creator of "The Fantastic Four" say that he bagged more women than Mick Jagger will always be a special treat for me. Excelsior!
1. The Man With Two Brains: Merv Griffin
Never has a celebrity played a more twisted version of themselves than Merv played in "The Man with Two Brains". He plays "The Elevator Killer", a man who hides on elevators, and injects his victims with window cleaner. When he arrives near the very end, Martin's character is looking for a way to kill a woman without it looking suspicious, so he can replace her brain with the brain in the jar he has fallen in love with. When he finds he can't, it is done for him when the "Elevator Killer" offs his wife (Kathleen Turner). To Martin's shock Merv Griffin turns out to be the killer, and he asks him, "Why?" Griffin replies, "I don't know. I've always just loved to kill. I really enjoyed it. But then I got famous, and - it's just too hard for me. And so many witnesses. I mean, *everybody* recognized me. I couldn't even lurk anymore. I'd hear, "Who's that lurking over there? Isn't that Merv Griffin?" So I came to Europe to kill. And it's really worked out very well for me" This is the greatest reply anybody could have ever come up with.
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