Random In Defense Of 'Nothing But Trouble,' A Macabre Screwball Gem From '90s (12 items)

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  (#11) Valkenvania Is Based On A Real Place

  Valkenvania, the rural Pennsylvania town that was ruined by wealthy industrialists and turned into a desolate place where smoke and fire literally billow out of the streets, is actually based on a real place. Centralia, Pennsylviania, was once a major mining town before it was wiped out by an underground fire that began in 1962 and is still burning to this day. 

  Centralia has since become a ghost town with a handful of remaining residents. Aside from being the basis of the town in Nothing but Trouble, it's also the inspiration for the film adaptation of Silent Hill.
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  (#12) None Of The Actors Seem Like They're In The Same Movie

  This might seem like a criticism - and if this was any other movie it would be - but the fact that the actors are all acting like they're in a different movie just adds to the tonal weirdness on display. 

  Chevy Chase clearly took this job as a favor to a friend, and basically sleepwalks through the movie. Dan Aykroyd, meanwhile, puts out enough manic energy to power the sun. Demi Moore is relegated to being a kind of scream queen but without any screaming. John Candy does his best Divine impression, but he's kind of laidback about the whole thing. And then there's the couple - which isn't a couple but a brother-sister duo - who are doing impressions of flamboyant Brazilians. They basically just walk out of the movie and take Candy's police officer with them.

  It's weird. It's going to make your head hurt. Just don't try to overthink it. 
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  (#2) John Candy Also Doubles Up On His Roles

  Even though he plays two roles, there's not enough John Candy in this movie. For the first half, Candy mostly appears as officer Dennis Valkenheiser, a constable who pulls over drivers that pass through his speed trap. At about the midpoint of the movie, the audience meets Eldona Valkenheiser, the judge's daughter - a character also played by Candy.

  Eldona is mostly silent through the back half of the film, with her appearance being more of a visual goof. Unlike Aykroyd, Candy doesn't wear a lot of prosthetics. Instead, he wears a series of unflattering dresses and wigs. None of it's bad; it's just strange to see Candy sidelined to a supporting role as a visual gag.  
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  (#5) '90s Rap Group Digital Underground - And Tupac - Perform In The Film

  Near the end of the film, the Digital Underground - of "The Humpty Dance" fame - show up in court because they were caught speeding in a hearse. When the group states that they're musicians, this piques the judge's interest (naturally, because he's played by bluesman Dan Aykroyd). After they treat Valkenheiser to a performance of "Same Song," in which the judge joins in on the organ, he happily lets them go. 

  As strange as the whole Digital Underground thing is - and it's very strange - the wildest part of the whole performance is that it features a young Tupac Shakur singing backup with the group. 
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  (#1) Dan Aykroyd Plays Two Grotesque Roles

  Dan Aykroyd was a busy man on the set of Nothing but Trouble. He not only co-wrote the script with his brother, he also directed the film. On top of all that, he plays two prosthetic-heavy parts. The first is the film's main antagonist, Judge Alvin "J.P" Valkenheiser, a decrepit old coot who is literally falling apart. He's nasty and gross and it's impossible to look away from him when he's on screen. 

  Aykroyd's second role is Bobo, a weird mutant adult-baby who spends the entire movie in a diaper and slathered in some kind of goo. What kind of goo? No one ever says, so you'll have to assume it's something normal and not gross at all. Just kidding - it's very upsetting. 
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  (#9) There's Some Pretty Biting Commentary About Backroad 'Good Ol' Boy' Culture

  The movie doesn't let anyone off the hook. The yuppies played by Chevy Chase and Demi Moore are shown to be vacuous and fearful of outsiders and any people who are different than they are - something that makes their time in Valkenvania all the worse.

  The most cutting commentary is saved for the good ol' boy mentality that runs through small town police departments, as well as larger government organizations. Even after escaping the clutches of the judge, Chevy Chase and Demi Moore find that the US government knows all about Valkenvania. Even worse, these authority figures respect Valkenheiser's jurisdiction.

  The writer-director's feelings about these guys is clear when they're all swallowed up by an earthquake. 

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