List of fictional films in Seinfeld
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The popular American sitcom Seinfeld mentions many fictional films, sometimes as major plot elements, sometimes minor plot elements, and often as running gags.
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[edit] Rochelle, Rochelle
Rochelle, Rochelle is a film referenced many times during the series. Like other films referenced by the show, it is never shown, but characters are portrayed watching it. The dialogue indicates it is an erotic romance, evidenced by the movie's tagline, "A young girl's strange, erotic journey from Milan to Minsk." George calls Rochelle Rochelle "A foreign movie...a film, is what it is" ("The Smelly Car"). Susan Ross notes that it contains "a lot of nudity." It is a possible parody of The Unbearable Lightness of Being in that both are "arty", East European-themed coming of age films, with some nudity.
The film is first referenced in "The Movie," when George goes to see Rochelle, Rochelle after losing his seat to see Checkmate (see below). Jerry and Elaine end up in the same theater. After watching the film for only a few minutes, the trio discover each other after hearing one another's audible disgust. Indifferent to the audience, they yell out how bad the movie is and then all three walk out. During this scene several bits of dialogue are heard from the movie (with Larry David voicing the role of a man convincing Rochelle to undress). It is learned that Rochelle resides in Milan and is visiting relatives in Minsk. According to a preview overheard in the episode, the The Village Voice called the film "a masterpiece."
The movie is mentioned again in "The Smelly Car," when George tries to hide from Susan the fact that he rented the movie, embarrassed to let her know that he watches movies for the nudity (though he asserts that it's not frontal, but "sidal" nudity).
The sixth-season episode "The Understudy" features a Broadway musical adaptation of Rochelle, Rochelle starring Bette Midler, who appears in the episode as herself. At the end of the episode, the understudy is seen performing the title number (sample lyric: "Oh, it's been a long journey from Milan to Minsk, Rochelle, Rochelle!").
Rochelle, Rochelle was referenced again in Larry David's show Curb Your Enthusiasm as a motion picture. There is also a San Diego band named Rochelle Rochelle.[1]
[edit] Prognosis Negative
Prognosis Negative is another film mentioned in the dialogue of several episodes, and in at least one episode a movie poster for it is visible. Such fictional works were a recurring gag in the series, but Prognosis Negative had its roots in an actual screenplay written by Seinfeld co-creator Larry David in the 1980s. It was never produced.[2]
In the episode "The Dog", Elaine wants to see Prognosis Negative with Jerry, and thus refuses to see it with George when Jerry cannot go because of the dog he is petsitting. Jerry eventually sees it with George while Elaine watches the dog, only to find out that the movie is terrible. Jerry does not tell Elaine that he saw the movie without her and is forced to go see it again with her.
According to an interview with Terry Gross on National Public Radio, Prognosis Negative "...is about a single guy who is unable to commit to a relationship. He finds out an ex-girlfriend has six months to live and decides it's perfect...he can commit without worrying about the long-term consequences".[citation needed]Robert Weide, who directed the faux documentary which would become the beginning of Curb Your Enthusiasm, met Larry David through his screenplay for Prognosis Negative.[2]
Prognosis Negative is also the name of a San Antonio, Texas rock band.
[edit] Sack Lunch
Sack Lunch is a film discussed in the episode "The English Patient." It is released the same day as The English Patient, a movie for which Elaine develops an intense dislike. Elaine's several attempts to see Sack Lunch are quashed, most notably when a group of disaffected Dominican Marxist crêpe rollers hijack Elaine's flight (which had a scheduled destination of Tunisia) to Cuba and demand that the captain turn off the in-flight movie. One of the burning questions that bothers Elaine is whether the people on the poster for the movie got shrunk down or are in a giant sack.
The film is apparently supposed to be a reference to light, escapist comedies that have large commercial appeal despite critical responses that are mediocre at best (as opposed to movies like The English Patient, which earn much critical acclaim and Oscar nominations, but find little popularity among the general populace).
Dabney Coleman is mentioned as the star of Sack Lunch.
[edit] Chunnel
Chunnel is a film mentioned in the episode "The Pool Guy." Elaine, Jerry and Susan watch the movie together in the episode; Jerry and Elaine's noisy discussion about the plot, which Jerry finds difficult to follow, ultimately causes Susan to break off the friendship she had just formed with Elaine. From what little is heard of the movie's content, the plot appears to involve an explosion in the Channel Tunnel which causes its evacuation. Larry David can be heard saying the line, "Everybody out of the Chunnel!" According to the DVD Commentary on the Seinfeld Season 7 Episode "The Pool Guy".
Writer David Mandel states that the plot of Chunnel involves the President's daughter being trapped in the 'Chunnel' between London and France. The tagline of the film was "Chunnel: 32 Miles of Hell". The portions of the movie that are seen in "The Pool Guy" are from The American President as Seinfeld needed to use Castle Rock film footage.
The film is mentioned later in the same season in "The Cadillac, Part 1," when Kramer remarks that it is airing on HBO that evening.
[edit] CheckMate
CheckMate is a film at the center of the plot of "The Movie": Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer all try to meet up to see the movie together, but through a variety of problems, three of them independently find themselves watching Rochelle, Rochelle. The movie poster for the film is visible in the episode.
Larry David voices a role in the film, parts of which are overheard when the characters are in the movie theater:
- Larry David: I didn't know you enjoyed chess, your majesty.
- King: Why wouldn't I?
- Larry David: Because the king is always in jeopardy.
- King: Yes, but it's only a game!
- Larry David: (suspiciously) Yes, of course...only a game.
[edit] Films referenced by Kramer in "The Pool Guy"
In the episode "The Pool Guy," Kramer gets a new phone number that differs by a single digit from the number for Moviefone. He begins answering the wrong numbers intended for Moviefone and looking up movies for people. Among the films he references:
- Agent Zero: This film was also referenced in another NBC sitcom of the time, NewsRadio, where Andy Dick's character describes it to a co-worker played by Phil Hartman through a series of sound effects. Agent Zero derives its name from a screenplay Seinfeld writer David Mandel always wanted to write.
- Brown-Eyed Girl (a reference to the song "Brown Eyed Girl" by Van Morrison)
- Chow Fun: Elaine calls to find out what time it will be showing.
- Cupid's Rifle
- Firestorm (also mentioned in "The Rye" and "The Engagement"): Jerry discusses the movie with a friend, commenting that at one point, Harrison Ford "jumped out of the plane and was shooting back up at them while he was falling." His friend references an "underwater escape." According to the father of Susan Ross, in one scene of the movie, a helicopter lands on top of a car. (Note: There was later a real action movie with this title starring Howie Long.)
- Mountain High: A film starring Kevin Bacon and Susan Sarandon. The tagline, according to Kramer, is: "There's no higher place than Mountain High."
In addition, George calls to find out when Chunnel is being shown, (see above).
[edit] Films bootlegged in "The Little Kicks"
In "The Little Kicks," Jerry is roped into a bootlegging venture for Brody, a friend of Kramer.
- Death Blow: Jerry bootlegs this movie and becomes a bootlegging legend for his excellent work in recording it. According to overheard dialogue, there is a character in the film named "Death Blow." An offhand comment by Kramer reveals that there is a Hawaiian man who may have received "the final Death Blow." Kramer delivers the tagline in this episode: "Death Blow: When someone wants to blow you up, not because of who you are, but for different reasons altogether!" Apparently, it also contains a scene in which an unnamed antagonist and the titular character "meet again."
- Cry, Cry Again: Described by Brody as "an arty movie," Jerry refuses to record a bootleg copy, and Kramer is forced to do it. The film takes place at least in part in Paris, France, as a view of the Eiffel Tower is shown near the end. However, the rest of the bootlegged copy is taped over by Elaine who wished to see how bad her dancing was. Jerry says that in one scene, a character is "trying to buy back a loaf of his soul," symbolized by a loaf of bread.
[edit] Vincent's Picks
In the episode, "The Comeback", Elaine rents several movies recommended by the adolescent video store employee Vincent. These include:
- The Pain and the Yearning ("The Comeback"): A 192-minute film, whose plot is simply "An old woman experiences pain and yearning." Elaine passes over this film to see Weekend at Bernie's II (which, incidentally, is not a fictional film).
- Betrayed ("The Comeback"): The film that Vincent recommends after Elaine opts to see Weekend at Bernie's II instead of The Pain and the Yearning, which he recommended (Elaine does not actually rent this movie).
[edit] Other films
- Blame it on the Rain ("The Calzone"): Elaine and her date Todd Gack are forced to see this movie when Means to an End (see below) is sold out.
- Blimp: The Hindenburg Story ("The Puerto Rican Day"): George sees this film and attempts to get a laugh by shouting out "That's gotta hurt!" as the Hindenburg explodes.
- Cold Fusion ("The Bizarro Jerry"): Jerry mentions plans to see this film with Kramer, who is unable to go because of a long day "working" at Brand/Leland.
- Means to an End ("The Calzone"): Even though it is sold out, Jerry's beautiful girlfriend Nikki manages to get two tickets to see this movie.
- The Muted Heart ("The Engagement"): Stars Glenn Close and Sally Field. George would like to see Firestorm, but due to his recent engagement with Susan Ross, he is forced to see this film instead.
- The Other Side of Darkness ("The Comeback"): A direct-to-video release about a female coma victim and her husband, played "unforgettabl[y]" by Eric Roberts. The film is longer than two hours and concludes with the coma victim regaining consciousness. Kramer rents this movie and subsequently visits a lawyer to deal with the possibility of himself being in a coma. A slightly baffling element to this episode is that Kramer claims to not have known that a coma victim may regain consciousness despite having previously witnessed Martin regain consciousness from his coma in "The Suicide". One conversation is heard by Kramer between the doctor and Mrs. Albright upon her awakening from her coma.
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- Doctor: Wait a minute, she's coming out of the coma. Mrs Albright, can you hear me? Are you okay?
- Mrs Albright: I feel so rested and refreshed. Get me a toothbrush.
- Ponce De Leon: Elaine and George see this film together in "The Dog" instead of Prognosis Negative. In "The Movie," they discuss the film; George liked it, while Elaine hated it. The film concerns the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León and his mythical search for the Fountain of Youth. This film is also referenced in Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm. In the Curb episode "The End", Larry claims to have written a screenplay about Ponce De Leon.
[edit] References
- ^ Johnson, Troy. Rochelle, Rochelle. SanDiego CityBEAT. Retrieved on 2006-08-06.
- ^ a b "Angry Middle Aged Man: Is Larry David funnier than everyone else, or just more annoying?", The New Yorker, January 19, 2004, by James Kaplan.
| Seinfeld |
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| Characters |
| Main Characters: Jerry Seinfeld | George Costanza | Elaine Benes | Cosmo Kramer |
| Related to Jerry: Helen Seinfeld | Morty Seinfeld | Uncle Leo | Kenny Bania | Sally Weaver | Dr. Tim Whatley |
| Related to George: Estelle Costanza | Frank Costanza | Susan Ross | Mr. Wilhelm | Mr. Kruger | Lloyd Braun | George Steinbrenner |
| Related to Elaine: J. Peterman | David Puddy | Mr. Lippman | Justin Pitt | Sue Ellen Mischke |
| Related to Kramer: Newman | Mickey Abbott | Jackie Chiles | Bob Sacamento | Babs Kramer | Lomez |
| Other: Soup Nazi | "Crazy" Joe Davola | Minor characters in Seinfeld |
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| Festivus | Master of Your Domain | Regifting List of fictional films in Seinfeld | Coffee Table Book About Coffee Tables |
| Episodes |
| List of Seinfeld episodes | The Seinfeld Chronicles |
| Other |
| List of Seinfeld references to actual people | Running gags in Seinfeld |
