The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai

My memory for past events in my life are usually vague and hazy. However, I can remember with vivid clarity purchasing this book over 20 years ago (at the age of 15). I was on vacation, looking for something to read, and so I grabbed this book off a rack at the grocery store. I have never read anything quite like it. How to classify it? A sci-fi comic existenialist romantic action thriller? But that leaves so much out . . . so I will just quote the book: "if it's not one thing, it's another." It has remained my favorite book ever since. But I would recommend this book only to quirky, odd people like me. I'm thrilled to see the other reviews - - for the first time in 20 years, I know I am not alone.

This is one of my favorite books, it's hilarious!That being said Earl Mac Rauch's work is a fun filled romp through the Universe of the famous Dr. Banzai, emanate brain surgeon, physicist, and rock star whose band doubles as a science team and tactical strike force. I have to say the book is a masterpiece; this book is up there with the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy (Douglas Adams). Just read it for yourself, you won't be disappointed.

Reno: Buckaroo, the President's calling you.Buckaroo: Which President?Reno: The President of the United States.It's rare that I ever read the novelization of a movie, and it's extremely rare for me to read a book more than once, but BuckarooBanzai is the exception to the rule.The novel contains less humor than the equally wonderful movie of the same title, but makes up for it by expanding on the mythos that makes up the Banzai Universe. New characters (do you know who Hanoi Xan is? You should!), loads of background information(how did Buckaroo's wife die?), and further subplots take a single book/film and make it feel like an ongoing series; complete with footnote references to "previous" novels.With the promise of future novels and the hope of a TV series on the horizon you owe it to yourself to pick up the book (and get the DVD while you're at it).

I'm not quite sure when I saw the Buckaroo Bonzai film, sometime in the late 1980's. I don't think anyone is prepared for his or her first encounter with the smooth physicist, doctor, musician, inventor, philosopher, etc, etc, etc, who wanders onto the screen and promptly drives something called a jet car straight through the side of a mountain. Without a chance for a brath we are in the middle of an alien invasion led by the Mad Dr. Lizardo/John Worfin (I will warn you now that all the aliens are called John, and the good guys are always called things like 'Perfect Tommy')It can honestly be said that, in the intervening decade and a half, I never quite figured out what was happening in this film. I just knew that I liked it. This seems to be the typical state of many of the film's fans. Of course, it was never intended to enlighten, just to please and thrill, which it did a great job of doing. In addition, the dialog was unbelievable. Lines like 'hold my thruster,' and 'no matter where you go, there you are' abound. The closest thing there was at the time to an intelligent reader's comic book.Now I've discovered that the Buckaroo Banzai Rosetta Stone has finally been written. A new paperback containing not only the entire scintillating story, but a whole insert of color of photos and an introduction by the author himself. Suddenly, I am no longer one of the perplexed, but one of the cognoscenti. Now I understand the mystery of Penny Priddy and why a bunch of guys named John wanted to get at her overthruster. I know who in the blue blazes are the Blue Blazes, and why a scarlet cowboy in mohair chaps was called New Jersey.Of course some questions are best left unanswered. Such as why the alien police of Planet 10 (the Adders) felt it was necessary to trigger World War III on the Earth to stop the bad guys (the Lectroids). I would have used their incredible death ray to simply blow up the interdimensional spaceship being built at Yoyodyne Enterprises. Which shows that I have yet to learn about how to think like an alien (despite the claims of my friends). One the other hand, this whole book (and the film) wouldn't have occurred if someone had thought of that earlier. And so we are treated to the entire titanic struggle of B. Banzai to save the Earth. Complete with commentary.While the book stands quite well without the film, I think it would be scurrilous not so see the film and read the book. What order you should do this in is up to you. In retrospect, I thing you should read the book and then invite some unsuspecting friends over to see the film. During which you can make yourself popular by pointing out all the good parts and giving away the plot.