- Time
- (Edited)
- Post link
does somebody has these rare documentaries about the Lethal Weapon films ?:
<span class=“Italics”>Mel Gibson’s Video Diary 2: Lethal Weapon 3 (1991) (TV)
HBO
This little video feature was a neat sales stunt. It’s a “video diary” by Gibson (actually some PR people) combining videotaped stunt footage with Gibson “fooling around” during the filming of the movie. More than anything, it emphasizes Gibson’s ability to play a wiseguy - which he does better here than in the theatrical film he was making. Things like having a stunt double spliced in to do a “breakdancing” Danny Glover work - the endless attempts to make car crash stunts sound “funny” aren’t. Let’s be honest, it’s a half-hour commercial for the movie.
Mel Gibson’s Unauthorized Video Diary (1991) (TV)
HBO
This was a half hour look at the making of Lethal Weapon 2, but not your common, run-of-the-mill behind-the-scenes-show. This one is video taped clips featuring Mel Gibson goofing around on the set, mostly scripted, and it’s extremely funny. The clips range from slapstick, to satire, to parody, with some off-the-cuff interviews with the crew, and even a musical number is added. I hate to admit, but Gibson does really well here at physical comedy.
Let me note that some of the gags and jokes are cheap laughs, but many, many more are absolutely brilliant. For example, Mel touches on pampered celebrities when he finds a “Quitter”- a non-elastic sock. He furiously confronts an executive of Warner Bros.(knocking out the guy’s secretary in the process), only to find Chevy Chase has one too. They are calmed by new socks and shoelaces. Also, after he admits to wearing a toupee, he cites that there can be industrial espionage to halt movie production. That fact is demonstrated by Dan Ackroyd, who throws a knife into Mel’s leg. Funny sight gag. And, Mel and Joe Pesci re-enact the “hit me” scene from Raging Bull atop a building, but Joe was goaded into participating.
One hilarious running joke is where Mel is looking for Danny Glover! The best part of this gag is where he peeks into Glover’s trailer and–sort of like the Tardis from Dr. Who–it’s a full nightclub! As Mel entered and is searching within he finally asks the crowd, “Who are you guys? Are you all friends of his?” The brief interview by M.G. to the crew had one standout moment. A crew member, with Mel says to the camera “This is one of my oldest and dearest friends here. We’ve known each other about six or seven…hours?” There is also a very funny parody of autograph seekers, as a man runs after Gibson driving a car.
The only negative is that, as Mr. Gibson said from the beginning, we aren’t always able to see and hear stuff, because they use a very cheap video camera.
