Leonard Part 6
| Leonard Part 6 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Paul Weiland |
| Produced by | Bill Cosby |
| Screenplay by | Jonathan Reynolds |
| Story by | Bill Cosby |
| Starring | Bill Cosby Tom Courtenay Joe Don Baker Moses Gunn Gloria Foster Victoria Rowell |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Jan de Bont |
| Editing by | Gerry Hambling |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | December 18, 1987 (USA) |
| Running time | 85 min |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $24 million[1] |
| Box office | $4,615,255 (USA) |
Leonard Part 6 is a 1987 comedy film that parodies spy movies. It was directed by Paul Weiland and starred Bill Cosby, who also produced the film and wrote its story. The movie also starred Joe Don Baker and Gloria Foster, the latter of whom played the villain. The movie was filmed in the San Francisco Bay Area, and was rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America. It earned several Golden Raspberry Awards; indeed, Cosby himself denounced and disowned it in the press in the weeks leading up to its release.
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[edit] Plot
Bill Cosby plays Leonard Parker, a former CIA spy. According to the opening sequence of the movie, the title refers to the idea that this film is actually the sixth installment of a series of films featuring the adventures of Leonard, as parts one through five were locked up in the interests of world security.
The movie starts with Parker being re-recruited by his former employers in the CIA to save the world from an evil vegetarian who brainwashes animals to kill people. The film ends with Leonard infiltrating the vegetarian base, fending off the vegetarians with magic meat he received from a Gypsy, freeing the captive animals and flooding the base using Alka-Seltzer. He escapes by riding an ostrich on the roof of the building, with the ostrich flying him down.
[edit] Reception
The movie received overwhelming negative criticism.[2][3][4] When the film was released in 1987, Bill Cosby said he was so disappointed with it that he publicly advised people not to waste their money on it.[5] Cosby attributed most of the movie's problems to first-time director Weiland, whom he felt was too young and inexperienced. Cosby himself was producer and writer of the story.
[edit] Box Office
The movie was a box office flop.[6][7] It only grossed $4.6 million—a mere fraction of its $24 million budget.
[edit] Accolades
The movie won three Golden Raspberry Awards, for Worst Actor (Cosby), Worst Picture, and Worst Screenplay (Jonathan Reynolds and Cosby). It was nominated for two more Razzie Awards, for Worst Supporting Actress (Foster) and Worst Director (Weiland). A few weeks after the ceremony, Cosby accepted his three Razzies on Fox's The Late Show. He requested that the three Razzies he earned be specifically made out of 24 karat (99.99%) gold and Italian marble. For the 2005 Razzies, the movie earned a nomination in the Worst "Comedy" of Our First 25 Years category.
[edit] Home media
Leonard Part 6 was released by Columbia Pictures (now owned by Sony) on DVD, on April 26, 2005.
[edit] References
- ^ Dick, Bernard F. (1992) "Columbia Pictures: Portrait of a Studio" (p. 46). The University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1769-0. Retrieved on November 28, 2010.
- ^ Thomas, Kevin (1987-12-18). "Cosby's 'Leonard' a Super-Inane Superspy". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1987-12-18/entertainment/ca-19771_1. Retrieved 2010-12-12.
- ^ Willman, Chris (1988-01-24). "Confessions of a Film Masochist Nothing Explains `Leonard Part 6'-That's Why It's Fun". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1988-01-24/entertainment/ca-38089_1_leonard-part. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
- ^ James, Caryn (1987-12-18). "Film: Bill Cosby's 'Leonard Part 6'". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/18/movies/film-bill-cosby-s-leonard-part-6.html. Retrieved 2010-11-09.
- ^ Broeske, Pat H. (1987-12-20). "Leonard RIP?". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1987-12-20/entertainment/ca-29856_1_leonard-part. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
- ^ Mathews, Jack (1988-01-06). "Laughing Their Way to Bank Hollywood Accounts Swell From `Baby' and `Momma'". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1988-01-06/entertainment/ca-22861_1/3. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
- ^ Mathews, Jack (1987-12-22). "Weekend Box Office". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1987-12-22/entertainment/ca-30480_1. Retrieved 2010-12-26.
[edit] External links
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Under The Cherry Moon and Howard the Duck |
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture 8th Golden Raspberry Awards |
Succeeded by Cocktail (1988 film) |
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