Into the Night is a 1985 American black comedy action thriller film directed by John Landis, starring Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer. The film focuses on an insomniac aerospace engineer (Goldblum), who is approached by a jewel smuggler (Pfeiffer) whose life is in danger, on the run from several international foes.
The film was a box office and critical failure, with critics noting that the large number of cameo appearances by Landis's friends and colleagues was unnecessary and distracting.
Plot
Upon discovering that his wife is having an affair, aerospace engineer and depressed insomniac Ed Okin drives to LAX on his friend Herb's suggestion. There, he is surprised by a beautiful jewel smuggler, Diana, who jumps into his car and begs him to drive her away from four Iranian SAVAK agents who are chasing her. She persuades him to drive her to various locations, and he becomes embroiled in her predicament. After becoming increasingly exasperated with her demands, he discovers that Diana has smuggled priceless emeralds from the Shah of Iran's treasury into the country, and is being pursued by a variety of international assailants.
The couple's caper gets increasingly out of hand, until Diana is eventually taken hostage by the thugs at the airport; here, Ed shares his ennui with the man holding a gun to Diana's head. The man shoots himself, instead. Taken to a motel room by federal agents, one of whom gives them a briefcase with (equivalent to $ million in ) in cash from one of Diana's wealthy friends. Diana showers and Ed finally sleeps. He wakes up after a full night's rest to an empty hotel room, with most of the money gone. However, when he leaves the room, Diana is waiting for him, with the money, a smile, and a request for a ride to the airport.
Cast
Cameo appearances
In addition to Landis, the film’s director, appearing as one of the SAVAK agents, he invited numerous filmmakers, actors and musicians to make cameo appearances in the film: Jack Arnold, director of science-fiction films, including It Came from Outer Space (1953), as the man with the dog in the elevator Rick Baker, Academy Award-winning make-up artist on An American Werewolf in London (1981), as the drug dealer Paul Bartel, director of low-budget films, including Eating Raoul (1982), as Beverly Wilshire Hotel doorman Jonathan Demme, who at the time had directed a number of lower-budget and exploitation films, as the thin federal agent with glasses Richard Franklin, Australian director of Roadgames (1981), as the aerospace engineer sitting next to Herb in the cafeteria Carl Gottlieb, who co-wrote Jaws (1975), as the large federal agent with moustache. Amy Heckerling, director of Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), as "Amy", the clumsy waitress. Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets, as the man on the phone talking to 'Bernie' (likely a reference to Henson's manager Bernie Brillstein, who had also executive-produced The Blues Brothers and Spies Like Us for Landis). Colin Higgins, who wrote Harold and Maude (1971) and directed The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982), as the actor in the hostage film Lawrence Kasdan, writer and director of Body Heat (1981), as the police detective who interrogates Bud Jonathan Lynn, co-writer of Yes, Minister, as the tailor who fits the SAVAK agents Andrew Marton, film director, as Freeway Driver Daniel Petrie, director of A Raisin in the Sun (1961), as the director of the hostage film Dedee Pfeiffer, actress and sister of Michelle Pfeiffer, as the hooker Waldo Salt, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Coming Home (1978), as the derelict who informs Ed of his car having been towed Don Siegel, director of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) and Dirty Harry (1971), as the man caught with a girl in the hotel bathroom "Blue" Lou Marini, saxophonist, in the airport crowd
Members of the production crew also had cameos: Wes Dawn, makeup artist, and Christopher Dunn George, camera operator, appear as LAPD cops who remind Ed of the green light on his way to the airport Eddy Donno, stunt coordinator, as LAPD officer Sue Dugan, costumer, as Freeway Driver William B. Kaplan, sound mixer, David Sosna, assistant director, Saul Kahan, unit publicist, as grip, assistant director, and publicist of the hostage film Robert Paynter, director of photography, as Security Guard