by pierce raleigh
Follow me on this limb a minute. I’m not fighting world hunger but I’d like to launch this thought into the stratosphere for a few moments in time. I want to pay homage to two courageous action films from the eighties featuring prominent SNL alumns. I have sincere admiration for Fletch and Beverly Hills Cop. I was once quoted with tears in my eyes (blazed and unemployed at the time) as saying that “Beverly Hills Cop should’ve won a fuckin’ Oscar, it’s one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen.” Little did I know that it actually was nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay in 1985. But I come from a different angle today because I’ve discovered that 1 out of every 3 twenty year olds doesn’t remember Chevy Chase’s Fletch, but they can hum bop you the beat to Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop. It got me thinking and it got me pissed.
 |
|
…
Both those movies were/are fantastic but the Fletch score was bombastic cheese that I hypothesize may have hindered it’s longevity. Where as Harold Faltermeyer created a Grammy winning, 80’s symphonic masterpiece for Beverly Hills Cop which still gets play and more importantly, remembered. Truth be told, it also comes down to the successful sequels and overall branding which made Beverly Hills Cop stand the test of time. BHC2 came out in 1987 and the trinity was completed with BHC3 in 1994, ten years after the original debuted. As it stands today, the series has grossed over $735,534,503 world wide.
On the flip side, the Fletch sequel (Fletch Lives) dropped in 1989. And despite the incomparable Hal Holbrook co-starring as the villain, and Cleavon Little (Blazing Saddles) playing an undercover FBI agent, the movie is pretty terrible. I DVR’d it a few weeks back and barely made it through despite my plethora of movie watching supplies. The leading lady wasn’t as hot as Dana Wheeler-Nicholson who played Fletch’s original love interest Gail, and the script seemed rushed and unbelievable.
Why do I bring up all of this now, 25 years after these films premiered to American audiences? Because they’re both coming back. Beverly Hills Cop IV is in production and due for a 2012 release via Paramount. Eddie Murphy is set to reprise his role as Axel Foley and Brett Ratner was reportedly set to direct.
And yes, there’s going to be another Fletch. A prequel actually, entitled Fletch Won. Kevin Smith has been rumored to direct and John Cusack, Zach Braff, Joshua Jackson, and Ryan Reynolds had all been linked to star in the flick. But in a report last week, Chevy Chase hinted that he’s actually in talks to reclaim the role which seems to be the prevailing sentiment for all involved.
Long story short, these films won’t fade away. This final wave will be the last chance for Fletch to brand itself in the minds of younger generations. Let’s hope it doesn’t suck.
