''National Lampoon's Men in White'' is a 1998
TV movie
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
parodying contemporary
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
films, mainly ''
Men in Black
In popular culture and UFO conspiracy theories, men in black (MIB) are purported men dressed in black suits who claim to be quasi-government agents, who harass, threaten, or sometimes even assassinate unidentified flying object (UFO) witnesses t ...
'' and ''
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
''. It debuted on the
Fox Family Channel
The American cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and six different name changes) during its hi ...
.
Plot
Roy DuBro (
Karim Prince
''Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers'' is a ''Power Rangers'' mini-series set immediately after the end of the third season of ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers''. As with the third season of ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', this mini-series adapted fo ...
) and Ed Klingbottom (
Thomas F. Wilson) are garbage men who are constantly undermined by their corrupt boss Junior Assistant Dispatcher Trainee Stanley Snyder (
M. Emmet Walsh
Michael Emmet Walsh (born March 22, 1935) is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 films and television series, including small but important supporting roles in dozens of major studio features of the 1970s and 1980s. He starred in ''Bl ...
).
One day, the earth is secretly invaded by an army of flying saucers, commanded by a
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
-esque alien called Glaxxon (
Dave Fennoy
Dave Fennoy is an American voice actor. His video game roles have included Lee Everett in '' The Walking Dead'', Bluebeard in '' The Wolf Among Us'', Finch in '' Tales from the Borderlands'', Gabriel the Warrior in '' Minecraft: Story Mode'', a ...
). A saucer abducts the two men and the aliens on board attempt to vivisect them. They awaken just in time and escape back to earth with an alien fire extinguisher. When they arrive late for work and try to tell Stanley about the aliens, he doesn't believe them, having heard every alien story ever from fellow worker Old Bob (
Don Stroud
Donald Lee Stroud (born September 1, 1943) is an American actor, musician, and surfer. Stroud has appeared in over 100 films and 200 television shows.
Early years
Stroud was the son of vaudeville actor Clarence Stroud (of "The Stroud Twins" team ...
).
President Smith (
Barry Bostwick
Barry Knapp Bostwick (born February 24, 1945) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Brad Majors in the musical comedy horror film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975) and Mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom ''Spin City'' (199 ...
) and his significantly more competent press secretary (
Donna D'Errico
Donna Jeanette D'Errico (born March 30, 1968) is an American actress and model. She posed for ''Playboy'' as its Playmate of the Month for September 1995 and had a starring role (1996–1998) on the television series ''Baywatch''. She continue ...
) receive news about the invasion from General Vice (
George Kennedy
George Harris Kennedy Jr. (February 18, 1925 – February 28, 2016) was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 film and television productions. He played "Dragline" opposite Paul Newman in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), winning the Academ ...
) and the President tells his advisor, Dr. Strangemeister (
Wigald Boning
Wigald Boning (born 20 January 1967) is a German comedian, television presenter, actor, and author.
Boning has appeared in different TV and film productions in Germany. He became famous as an actor in the television comedy programme '' RTL Sam ...
), to find two people with alien experience and make them into secret agents. Unbeknownst to anyone, Strangemeister is secretly in league with Glaxon, who is infuriated by Ed and Roy's interference. Strangemeister hires the two of them, believing that they are destined to fail and transforms them into 'The Men in White'.
The aliens start abducting people all over the world. Roy suggests the two of them use a cow as bait. The plan works and they successfully capture an alien spaceship. They discover
a device that makes them forget the last several seconds, and the two of them get stuck in a continuous loop for several hours until its batteries run down.
After a brief musical number, Strangemeister convinces the President to make a broadcast, assuring the remaining humans that they are safe. Meanwhile, the device runs out of battery power and the two men are freed from the loop. The two discover a weapon on the ship called the "Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator" and take it. They also fuel their garbage truck with Dylythium Blend from the spaceship's engine, enabling it to fly.
Roy uses the Modulator to destroy the invading saucers. Strangemeister combats this by telling the president that they intend to use the Modulator to take over the world. Glaxon sends four bounty-hunters to destroy the two heroes and at the same time, the president sends in the Special Forces (including a cowboy, an Indian, a fencer and a group of girl scouts) to do the same. Ed and Roy are chased into a factory and manage to elude both forces, which in turn start attacking each other. In the confusion, the Modulator overloads and destroys the bounty-hunters, with all the humans escaping just in time.
Glaxon, on Strangemeister’s suggestion, uses the mother ship’s main weapon to destroy every garbage truck on the planet. Ed and Roy escape by flying into outer space. They overcome a series of obstacles and make their way towards the mother ship. The president addresses the press and is then taken to the war-room, in an underground bunker. The generals and Strangemeister join them soon after. Ed and Roy board the mother ship and crawl through the air ducts to the computer room.
While Ed hacks into the computer and installs a self-destruct virus, Roy wrestles with Glaxon and ultimately defeats him by launching him into space. With the virus uploaded, all the on-board humans and aliens make their way to the escape-pods a good ten seconds before the ship explodes. Ed and Roy land in a swimming-pool. Unable to comprehend being defeated by garbage men, Strangemeister exposes his true intentions to the President and reveals that he was actually a tiny man (
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy Stein (born November 25, 1944) is an American writer, lawyer, actor, comedian, and commentator on political and economic issues. He began his career as a speechwriter for U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford before ente ...
) inside a robotic humanoid suit who was shrunken in a sauna by an alien.
To reward them for their success, the President promotes the two heroes to 'Senior Assistant Dispatcher Trainees' and demotes Stanley who is forced to pick up the trash for everyone on the planet (as all the other garbage trucks were destroyed). The two reconcile with Bessie the cow and the film ends.
Cast
Main
*
Thomas F. Wilson as Ed Klingbottom
*
Karim Prince
''Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers'' is a ''Power Rangers'' mini-series set immediately after the end of the third season of ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers''. As with the third season of ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'', this mini-series adapted fo ...
as Roy DuBro
*
Barry Bostwick
Barry Knapp Bostwick (born February 24, 1945) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Brad Majors in the musical comedy horror film ''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' (1975) and Mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom ''Spin City'' (199 ...
as President Smith
*
M. Emmet Walsh
Michael Emmet Walsh (born March 22, 1935) is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 films and television series, including small but important supporting roles in dozens of major studio features of the 1970s and 1980s. He starred in ''Bl ...
as Junior Assistant Dispatch Trainee Stanley Snyder
*
Brion James
Brion Howard James (February 20, 1945 – August 7, 1999) was an American character actor. He portrayed Leon Kowalski in ''Blade Runner'' and appeared in ''Southern Comfort'', '' 48 Hrs.'', ''Another 48 Hrs.'', '' Silverado'', ''Tango & Cash'', ' ...
as General
*
Wigald Boning
Wigald Boning (born 20 January 1967) is a German comedian, television presenter, actor, and author.
Boning has appeared in different TV and film productions in Germany. He became famous as an actor in the television comedy programme '' RTL Sam ...
as Dr. Strangemeister
*
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy Stein (born November 25, 1944) is an American writer, lawyer, actor, comedian, and commentator on political and economic issues. He began his career as a speechwriter for U.S. presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford before ente ...
as Man in Dr. Strangemeister's Head
*
George Kennedy
George Harris Kennedy Jr. (February 18, 1925 – February 28, 2016) was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 film and television productions. He played "Dragline" opposite Paul Newman in ''Cool Hand Luke'' (1967), winning the Academ ...
as General Vice
*
Donna D'Errico
Donna Jeanette D'Errico (born March 30, 1968) is an American actress and model. She posed for ''Playboy'' as its Playmate of the Month for September 1995 and had a starring role (1996–1998) on the television series ''Baywatch''. She continue ...
as Press Secretary
* Rodger Halston as Glaxxon
* Don Stroud as Old Bob
* John Bishop as G-Man
* Charles Philip Moore as Alien #1
* John Rizzi as Alien #2
Supporting
*
Patricia Elliott
Patricia Elliott (July 21, 1938 – December 20, 2015) was an American theatre, film, soap opera, and television actress.
Early life
Elliott was born July 21, 1938, in Gunnison, Colorado to Clyde and Lavon (née Gibson) Elliott. She claimed dire ...
as Girl Scout Leader
*
Melissa Rivers
Melissa Warburg Rosenberg (previously Endicott; born January 20, 1968), known professionally as Melissa Rivers, is an American actress and television host. She is the only child of comedian Joan Rivers and producer Edgar Rosenberg.
Early life
M ...
as Female Reporter #1
* Amy Kidd as Female Reporter #2
* Blaine Etcheverry as Male Reporter
* Lacey Taylor Robbins as Girl Scout
* Michael James McDonald as Secret Service Agent
* Paul Di Franco as General Pandemonium
*
Carlos Bernard
Carlos Bernard Papierski (born October 12, 1962) is an American actor and director, best known for his role as Tony Almeida in '' 24'', which he played from 2001 to 2006, and then reprised again in 2009, 2014 in '' 24: Solitary'' and 2017 in '' ...
as Alien
* Rob Kerchner as Lifeguard
* Corliss Bernard as Alien
* Glenn Hermans as Singer
* Kathleen Lantos as Ring Girl
* Kevin Lee as G-Man
* Michael Reardon as Spock
* Joe Ruffo as Alien #3
* Mary Ann Schmidt as Bikini Girl
Voices
*
Dave Fennoy
Dave Fennoy is an American voice actor. His video game roles have included Lee Everett in '' The Walking Dead'', Bluebeard in '' The Wolf Among Us'', Finch in '' Tales from the Borderlands'', Gabriel the Warrior in '' Minecraft: Story Mode'', a ...
as Glaxxon
*
Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker (born August 31, 1962) is an American voice actor. Much of Baker's work features vocalizations of animals and monsters. Baker's roles include animated series such as ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'', ''Codename: Kids Next Door'', ...
as Subordinate Alien
*Danny Mann as Alien #1
*
Susan Silo
Susan Silo (born July 27, 1942) is an American actress who is known for her work in voice-over roles.
Early life
Susan Silo was born in New York City. Both her parents were actors.
Career
Her acting career started in television on the episo ...
as Alien #2
*
Bobby Edner
Robert Charles Edner (born October 5, 1988) is an American actor, singer, dancer, and rapper. He was a member of the boy band called Varsity Fan Club.
Early life
Edner was born in Downey, California to Robert and Cindy (née Halverson) Edner. ...
as additional voices
Cameo/uncredited
* Seth Bailey as John Wayne Gacy's 'Pogo the Clown'
* Sebastian Mitzig as Extra
*
Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Audrey Coolidge (born August 28, 1961) is an American actress known for her roles in comedic film and television particularly in American Pie (series), ''American Pie'' film series (1999–2012), Legally Blonde (franchise), ''Legally Bl ...
as Extra
* Preston Ahearn as Extra
* Manny Fernandez as Extra
* James Brise as Extra
External links
*
*
{{ABC Family Original Movies
1998 television films
1998 films
1998 comedy films
Independence Day (franchise)
Men in Black (franchise)
National Lampoon films
1990s English-language films
Saban Entertainment films
American science fiction comedy films
Alien invasions in films
American science fiction television films
1990s science fiction comedy films
Films directed by Scott P. Levy
1990s American films