Spy Hard is a 1996 Hollywood Pictures spy comedy film starring Leslie Nielsen and Nicollette Sheridan, parodying James Bond films and other action films. The introduction to the movie is sung by comedy artist "Weird Al" Yankovic.
Synopsis[]
In this spy parody, super secret agent WD-40 must put a stop to an evil General's scheme of taking over the world, but first he must team up with a hot KGB agent and a string of other outrageous characters.
Plot[]
Secret agent WD-40 Dick Steele (Leslie Nielsen) has his work cut out for him. Along with the mysterious and lovely Veronique Ukrinsky, Agent 3.14, he must rescue the kidnapped Barbara Dahl and stop the evil genius, a General named Rancor (Andy Griffith), from seizing control of the entire world.
Rancor was wounded in an earlier encounter and no longer has arms. However, he can "arm" himself by attaching robotic limbs with various weapons attached. Steele is talked out of retirement by an old friend, agent Steven Bishop, and given his new assignment by The Director (Charles Durning), who also is testing out a new variety of disguises. At headquarters, Steele encounters an old agency nemesis, Norm Coleman (Barry Bostwick), and flirts with the Director's adoring secretary, referred to as Miss Cheevus (Marcia Gay Harden).
On the job, Steele is assisted by an agent named Kabul (John Ales), who gives him rides in a never-ending variety of specially designed cars. They seek help from McLuckey (Mason Gamble), a blond child, home alone, who is very good at fending off intruders. Steele resists the temptations of a dangerous woman (Alexandra Paul) he finds waiting for him in bed. But he does work very closely with Agent 3.14 (Nicollette Sheridan), whose father, Professor Ukrinsky (Elya Baskin), is also being held captive by Rancor.
Everything comes to an explosive conclusion at the General's remote fortress, where Steele rescues both Barbara Dahl (Stephanie Romanov) and Miss Cheevus and launches a literally disarmed Rancor into outer space, saving mankind.
Cast[]
- Leslie Nielsen as Dick Steele, WD-40
- Nicollette Sheridan as Veronique Ukrinsky, Agent 3.14
- Charles Durning as The Director
- Marcia Gay Harden as Miss Cheevus
- Barry Bostwick as Norm Coleman
- John Ales as Kabul
- Andy Griffith as General Rancor
- Elya Baskin as Professor Ukrinsky
- Mason Gamble as McLuckey
- Carlos Lauchu as Slice
- Stephanie Romanov as Victoria and Barbara Dahl
- Dr. Joyce Brothers as Steele's Tag Team Member
- Ray Charles as Bus Driver
- Hulk Hogan as Steele's Tag Team Member
- Roger Clinton as Agent Clinton
- Robert Culp as Businessman
- Fabio Lanzoni as Himself
- Robert Guillaume as Steven Bishop
- Pat Morita as Brian the Waiter
- Talisa Soto as Woman in bed
- Mr. T as a helicopter pilot
- Alex Trebek as Agency Tape Recorder (voice)
- Taylor Negron as Painter
- Curtis Armstrong as Pastry chef
- Tina Arning as Dancer #1
- William Barillaro as Blind Driver
- Michael Berryman as the man with the oxygen mask
- Downtown Julie Brown as Cigarette Girl
- Stephen Burrows as Agent Burrows
- Keith Campbell as Thug #2
- Carl Ciarfalio as Thug #1
- Brad Grunberg as Postal Worker
- Wayne Cotter as Male Dancer
- Rick Cramer as Heimlich, Rancor Terrorist
- Eddie Deezen as Rancor guard that gets spit on
- Joey Dente as Goombah, Dead Wise Guy
- Paul Eliopoulos as Agent #1
- Andrew Christian English as Paratrooper
- Johnny G as Agent #2
- Michael Lee Gogin (Brad Garrett, voice) as Short Rancor guard
- Bruce Gray as The President
- John Kassir as Rancor guard at intercom
- Sally Stevens as Vocal conductor/singer
- Thuy Trang as a Hawaiian-dressed waitress
- "Weird Al" Yankovic as Himself in title sequence
Title sequence[]
"Weird Al" Yankovic sings the title song and directed the title sequence. It is a parody of title sequences from the James Bond films designed by Maurice Binder, specifically 1965's Thunderball, complete with multiple colored backgrounds, silhouetted figures, women dancing with guns, and "wavy" text. Additionally, an urban legend states that during the recording of the theme to Thunderball, Tom Jones held the song's final note long enough to pass out. Yankovic holds it so long that his head explodes. Originally, Yankovic had planned to loop the note to the required length, but in the studio, he discovered he was able to hold the note long enough that no looping was required. The sequence was later included on "Weird Al" Yankovic: The Ultimate Video Collection, although, for legal reasons, all credits and titles had to be taken out, excluding that of the film and of Yankovic himself.
Trivia[]
- This film is the first movie worked on by notorious filmmaking duo Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. The two of them would go on to make a career out of developing parody films that were infamous for their low budgets, non-sequitur pop culture jokes, and overall campy and unprofessional productions. Despite their promise of making more movies, they apparently ceased their Hollywood career in 2015 and have not made any updates since.
