Into the Night

Jeff Goldblum plays Ed, a depressed insomniac with a dead-end job and a tedious life.

After he catches his wife in bed with another man he abandons his safe suburban existence in favour of nocturnal prowlings in L.A.

One night, while in the parking lot of LAX, Ed encounters Diana, a mysterious blonde played by Michelle Pfeiffer, who's on the run from a group of killers. Diana jumps in Ed's car and the two escape "into the night."

This is the beginning of an endless chase through the streets of Los Angeles as the unlikely duo find themselves being pursued by Iranians, a British hitman, a French jewel thief and a bunch of other lively characters, most of whom are really Hollywood directors doing cameos.

This bizarre, inventive and delightfully offbeat thriller is one of John Landis's most enjoyable, yet most underated, film. His use of the various LA locations is inspired to say the least. As Ed and Diana race from the yachts of Marina Del Rey via Rodeo Drive to the Marion Davis mansion in Beverly Hills, he creates a vivid atmosphere of dreamy suspense and a unique perception of Los Angeles as a mythical, mysterious city.

The two lead performers are excellent and maintain solid chemistry throughout. Goldblum is at his deadpan best, while Pfeiffer takes the ditzy "damsel-in-distress" role to frightening new heights. While the cameos might seem excessive and self-indulgent to the casual viewer. Some, like David Bowie's appearance as mobster are real gems.

The film has often been ridiculed for having a limited appeal towards film buffs rather than general audiences(due to the endless cameos and in-jokes). Those critics may have a point, but I propose a different theory. INTO THE NIGHT is a movie for people who KNOW John Landis and his trademark touches as a director. If you can recite THE BLUES BROTHERS word for word then you'd most likely enjoy this.

Either way I say the following with strong confidence: INTO THE NIGHT is the greatest "late-night" movie ever made. It was specifically designed to be watched when there's nothing on TV and you can't sleep and since its main protagonist has insomnia, it's pure genius!