Inexplicable pop star movie cameos!

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Was watching The King of Comedy today and was startled to notice that at the end of the scene where Sandra Bernhard's character is yelling at Robert DeNiro's character in the midst of a crowded street, standing there laughing at the whole situation are Don Letts and the Clash (sans Topper Headon). (I'm kinda guessing that Scorsese and the Clash were kinda pally or at least mutual fans, cf. the Taxi Driver refs in "Red Angel Dragnet" and Bringing Out the Dead's usage of "Janie Jones".)

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Saturday, 28 February 2004 20:40 (twenty-two years ago)

the cast of Prison Song is full of hip-hop icons, but what I find mindblowing is that Elvis Costello plays the Public Defendant (and Fisher Stevens is the prosecutor!!!)

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 28 February 2004 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

And of course, Mr Costello also pops up in Spice World. Well done that man.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 28 February 2004 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I believe the Clash are in After Hours, too.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Saturday, 28 February 2004 20:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I Can't Remember any movies right now.
but Tool Was on 1 0r 2 episodes of Mr. Show

― Dude (The Yellow Dart), Saturday, 28 February 2004 20:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I still think the Billy Idol cameo in The Wedding Singer was a stroke of genius.

― Al (sitcom), Saturday, 28 February 2004 20:51 (twenty-two years ago)

It's not inexplicable, since he was in with a lot of LA folks who were involved in the film, but for sheer mind-fuckery I've always enjoyed Zappa's cameo in The Monkees' "Head" film (he appears leading a cow on a rope, no less).

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Saturday, 28 February 2004 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

neil young in any alan rudolph film particularly the one where he plays a nerdy guy in glasses, forget the title

― jocko, Saturday, 28 February 2004 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

tricky in the fith element. Kinda caught me off guard as I was just getting into my tricky fandom at the time.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Saturday, 28 February 2004 21:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Doesn't quite fit your premise but I loved Patrick Ewing's cameo in The Exorcist 3 (as the Angel of Death, no less)

― Jay Smooth (jsmooth995), Saturday, 28 February 2004 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Patrick Ewing of the Knicks? I hope they pulled an Airplane and at least once had the angel of death dunk a basket

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 28 February 2004 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

surely Flea owns this thread

― dsj, Saturday, 28 February 2004 21:55 (twenty-two years ago)

hahahaWHAT?!

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Saturday, 28 February 2004 21:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Patrick Ewing? Angel of Death? GAH?

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Saturday, 28 February 2004 21:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Patrick was just kinda randomly standing there, as I recall.. that whole movie was pretty random.

Getting back on topic, Count Basie's scene in Blazing Saddles is a personal favorite.

― Jay Smooth (jsmooth995), Saturday, 28 February 2004 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, yes! I used to teach film sound classes and always used that clip from "Blazing Saddles" when I talked about diagetic/non-diagetic music.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Saturday, 28 February 2004 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

David Bowie to thread.

― maypang (maypang), Saturday, 28 February 2004 22:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Neil Young drives a truck, parks up, leans out of the window, says something, and all dialogue stops for 1 to 2 seconds so we can all say "Look, there's Neil Young!"

(forget the title.)

― mark grout (mark grout), Saturday, 28 February 2004 22:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Mulan?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 28 February 2004 22:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I believe the Clash are in After Hours, too.

Believe or know? Which scene?

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Saturday, 28 February 2004 22:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh - and Morrissey in the Brookside soap 'bubble' was completely inexplicable other than to show that he was a fan of brookside...

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Saturday, 28 February 2004 22:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Straight To Hell owns this fucking thread. Elvis Costello, the Pogues, Joe Strummer, Courtney Love, Zander Schloss, and Grace Jones. Plus Dick Rude (had the band Two Free Stooges) and Sy Richardson (vocalist on the track "Bad Man" from the Repo Man soundtrack).

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Saturday, 28 February 2004 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Speaking of soaps, how the heck did Chino XL wind up on "Young and the Restless"??

― Jay Smooth (jsmooth995), Saturday, 28 February 2004 23:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Phil Freeman otm.

Also, Will Oldham in Julien Donkey Boy, hanging around trying to be inconspicuous.

― Jim Robinson (Original Miscreant), Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Sy Richardson (vocalist on the track "Bad Man" from the Repo Man soundtrack)

Well, he did also perform in the film as well.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:25 (twenty-two years ago)

'David Bowie to thread.'

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

― pete s, Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha, I was thinking Zoolander.

― Dan I., Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

But his part in FWWM was the best scene in the movie (and that whole movie was totally underrated, too).

― Dan I., Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah sure. But still 'inexplicable'.

― pete s, Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:31 (twenty-two years ago)

"HE'S GONE! HE'S GONE!"
that's like the definition of inexplicable, there.

― Dan I., Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:33 (twenty-two years ago)

The Monkees in "The Brady Bunch Movie" had a subtle yet important role. Am I the only person who likes this film?
Steve Vai as The Devil in "Crossroads" (he played all of Ralph Macchio's guitar parts too I think).
Arto Lindsay pops up for about 5 seconds in "Desperately Seeking Susan", although I don't think you could call him a pop star really.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Believe or know? Which scene?

Believe. I remember reading this somewhere about After Hours -- I haven't seen either movie, btw -- but looking around and finding no mention of it, I suspect I'm in the wrong.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Henry Rollins in "Lost Highway"

― daavid (daavid), Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Fred Durst first appears in Zoolander as a cardboard decoy that's pointing at you cuz YOU DA MAN! Two Bizkit albums feature the word "Zoolander" in their liner notes (one in a song lyric) so you know he's proud. I would be too.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Gibby Haynes in "Dead Man", getting a blowjob in an alleyway.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Not that that's very inexplicable.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Sunday, 29 February 2004 00:44 (twenty-two years ago)

it is in the old west; blowjobs weren't invented until the late 1940s

― Nate in ST.P (natedetritus), Sunday, 29 February 2004 03:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Fellas! Fellas! Billy Ray Cirus in "Mulholland Drive"! Sting in "Dune"! Let's see some more David Lynch examples...

― Adam Bruneau, Sunday, 29 February 2004 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

chris isaak and david bowie in twin peaks: fire walk with me.

― brian badword (badwords), Sunday, 29 February 2004 05:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Circle Jerks in Repo Man!

I'm also still trying to come to grips with Miguel Sandoval in that film, unrecognizably playing the dopey punk rock hoodlum Archie, and how he was playing the drug lord in Clear and Present Danger, the drug lord in Get Shorty, etc etc

― Gear! (Gear!), Sunday, 29 February 2004 05:38 (twenty-two years ago)

All this talk about Patrick Ewing made me think of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Turns out, I was actually thinking of Clarence Clemons.

From imdb:

This movie featured a few musicians of prominent 80s bands. The Three Most Important People In The World are played by Clarence Clemons, Fee Waybill, and Martha Davis. Joan of Arc was played by Jane Wiedlin, guitarist for the Go-Gos. And Stevie Vai provides the fingering for Rufus during the jam session at the end of the movie.

Maybe I had just confused Bill & Ted's with Exorcist III.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Sunday, 29 February 2004 07:08 (twenty-two years ago)

The Nephilim's Carl McCoy in "Hardware"

Didn't one or both of the Pet Shop Boys appear in Neighbours asking for directions?

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Sunday, 29 February 2004 09:26 (twenty-two years ago)

In high school we were watching "Permanent Record" a movie staring Keanu Reeves as a dude in high school (just like me!) that was totally bummed when his friend commited suicide and Lou Reed had a cameo and I was startled and said, loudly, "Oh SHIT, its Lou Reed" and everyone looked at me weird.

― christhamrin (christhamrin), Sunday, 29 February 2004 09:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Arto Lindsay pops up for about 5 seconds in "Desperately Seeking Susan", although I don't think you could call him a pop star really
There's lots more in there actually. John Lurie's sax. Richard Hell! Ann Magnuson.

― nathalie (nathalie), Sunday, 29 February 2004 09:52 (twenty-two years ago)

aaargh! somebody beat me to richard hell in desperately seeking susan!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 29 February 2004 09:56 (twenty-two years ago)

richard edson in desperately seeking susan

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 29 February 2004 09:57 (twenty-two years ago)

feelies in something wild

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 29 February 2004 10:00 (twenty-two years ago)

the thirty nine steps in hannah and her sisters

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 29 February 2004 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

chilli and iggy pop in snow day

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 29 February 2004 10:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Didn't one or both of the Pet Shop Boys appear in Neighbours asking for directions?

Yep, they asked Annalise for directions to the recording studio.

Billy Idol in the Wedding Singer, as mentioned upthread, is utterly, hilariously dreadful/fantastic (cannot decide either way)

(Sir) James Martin out of Faith No More in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. Also Primus (these aren't totally inexplicable though)

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 29 February 2004 11:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Not inexplicable, but really crap cameos from lead singer of Crazytown and some guy from Jane's Addiction in rom-com Uptown Girls with Brittany Murphy and Billy from Neighbours. they asked brittany murphy's character to make them some customised denim clothes.

― lid, Sunday, 29 February 2004 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Anthony Kiedis in Point Blank? Flea as the Nihilistic fewl in Big Lebowski.

― nathalie (nathalie), Sunday, 29 February 2004 12:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Flea and Lee Ving in Dudes. Also Lee Ving in Flashdance (hectoring Jennifer Beals on the street, trying to get her to strip at his club) and Clue (the dead guy).

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Sunday, 29 February 2004 12:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Aimee Mann as a nihilist with a missing toe in the Big Lebowski

― Flotsam of the Fishfolk (Flotsam of the Fishfolk), Sunday, 29 February 2004 14:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Iggy Pop as the transvestite in Dead Man.

Henry Rollins was in Johnny Mnemonic as well.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Sunday, 29 February 2004 18:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Surely Anthrax appearing in Calendar Girls rules this thread.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Sunday, 29 February 2004 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

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