In response to real-ILX’s Repo Man thread (and the fact that my girlfriend had never seen it) I rewatched RM last night and noticed that it contains one of my all-time favorite cliched movie devices: the scene where protagonists knock out unsuspecting bystanders and change clothes with them as to be incognito.
It seems like dozens of movies have this but I can’t think of too many besides Repo Man (elevator scene), Blazing Saddles (“where the white women at?”), the Naked Gun (“Hey! It’s Enrico Pallazzo!”), and Indiana Jones (switching clothes with Nazis).
Here’s where you help me think of more.
good question. it happens a lot with guards.
dude this is like in every movie ever. and a lot of tv shows.
which star wars do they put on the storm trooper uniforms? i remember feeling all funny about seeing leia with one one but without the helmet
i believe that’s the first one. luke knocks some dude out and goes in to save her.
yeah, i had thought of star wars earlier but forgot to put it in the original post. george lucas digs it, i guess.
Going a step beyond this, I’m kind of perpetually amazed by the whole dramatic use of “knocked out” as a light substitute for “dead.” I think it’s all a vast conspiracy, so that when the aliens who are observing us via film and television attack, they’ll think all they need to do is knock people lightly over the head with stuff. And then we’ll kick their asses.
Do the Terminators count?
Or Paul McCartney’s grandfather?
i’m also a big fan of the “running from someone and ducking inside a building where you change your clothes and get mistaken for a renowned surgeon/lecturer/person of importance” scenario. i wish EVERY movie had this scene. of course, this can happen when you knock someone out and steal their clothes too. the getting mistaken for someone else thing.
austin powers has a classic gag with this
in re: how easy it seems to be to knock people out, i’ve always noticed that, too, but that’s part of why i like it so much. it’s always going to be funny how quickly people seem to be incapacitated instead of the real life scenario which would be much more “dude, wtf?”
also, blackjacks seem to be the ideal weapon of choice here. knocks motherfuckers RIGHT out.
yeah, i had thought of star wars earlier but forgot to put it in the original post. george lucas digs it, i guess.
— Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (swinging.addi...), February 17th, 2007.
lucas in loving cliches SHOCKAH
if i get hit in the head with something so hard that it smashes (eg ceramic plant pot) then i hope it does knock me out, becuase otherwise it’ll hurt like fuck.
Apparently a couple of pool balls in a sock don’t knock you out tho.
LOVE AND DEATH
any of the versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers
this one goes way beyond “knock-out”
In Armed and Dangerous John Candy and Eugene Levy knock out and switch clothes with a drag queen and a leather man in a porn shop.
Father Ted where the bad guy switches clothes with a priest—except the bad guy is already a priest. “Why did you switch clothes? You’re a priest!” “Ah it’s just the way things were going.”
Taking to too far
if i get hit in the head with something so hard that it smashes (eg ceramic plant pot) then i hope it does knock me out, becuase otherwise it’ll hurt like fuck.
Speaking pedantically here, it’s better for you if the thing you’re hit with breaks, because that means it absorbed more of the force of the blow. Also, even if it does ko yez, it’ll hurt when you wake up anyway.
Back on topic, Tom Cruise does this with foam rubber masks in the Mission Impossible movies.
Silence of the Lambs
Also, even if it does ko yez, it’ll hurt when you wake up anyway.
I’d sleep thru a lot of it though so it would be better. Although i would lose my clothes i guess.
Did James Bond ever do this? It seems like he must have, but I can’t think of a specific example.
Dr. No, I’m almost sure of it.
I like the 8 million Family Guy gags on this. Especially the one where Peter then knocks out a guy wearing his normal clothes and changes back.
Simpsons did a decent gag on this didn’t they
twice
Silence of the Lambs
“Back on topic, Tom Cruise does this with foam rubber masks in the Mission Impossible movies.”
Tom acts with the emotional range of a foam rubber mask at the best of times, so that disguise would be foolproof.
This happened fairly regularly on Get Smart as I remember.
That Father Ted episode was the first thing I thought of when I saw this thread!
In 24, Jack does his fair share of ‘knocking out’ innocent people. Not sure if he wore any of their clothes though.
Emma Peel to thread!!!!
Castle of Cagliostro has the only underwater clothes switcheroo I can think of.
Beating up women for their clothes and then making your getaway in drag is always a laff riot, as demonstrated by Gillo Pontecorvo in his 1966 screwball comedy caper, The Battle for Al’s Shears?!?
that wasn’t funny