Rent Nothing But Trouble (1991)

What Happens When No One Says ‘No’ - Nothing But Trouble review by griggs

Nothing But Trouble feels like a nightmarish fever dream from the mid-'80s, even though it limped into cinemas in '91. Dan Aykroyd—still riding his post-Ghostbusters high—goes full mad scientist here: directing, co-writing, casting Chevy Chase, and subjecting us to not one but two hideously unfunny roles, complete with grotesque prosthetics and a nose that looks suspiciously phallic. He ropes in Demi Moore and a game John Candy—both being the only ones to emerge with any dignity intact.

The origin of Nothing But Trouble is almost as baffling as the film itself. Aykroyd claims the idea came after being pulled over in a small town and taken to court for a minor traffic offence—hauled before a local judge in a surreal scene that stuck with him. Rather than process the moment like a normal person, he turned it into a grotesque comedy-horror hybrid, apparently inspired by a viewing of Hellraiser.

There are giant mutant babies and a junkyard theme park. It's a whirlwind of unoriginal tropes and chaos from start to finish—but not the fun kind. Then, Tupac, yes, Tupac, randomly shows up for a musical interlude that reeks of studio interference—going nowhere and adding nothing. In a film already bursting with nonsense, it's like someone accidentally spliced in a music video, and nobody bothered to cut it.

It's the sort of mess you watch in disbelief, wondering how anyone said yes to it, often finding yourself chuckling at the sheer absurdity of it all rather than anything intentional.