# Please help identify this 80s spy comedy! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 1, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181 "2008-12-01T14:10:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/1 "2008-12-01T14:10:22Z")
I was reminded by a post about something else entirely of an 80s-era film the title of which I absolutely cannot remember. The basic gist of it was that these two young guys (early-to-mid-20s) are mistaken for spies and kidnapped by the Soviets (I think). They’re set up in this elaborate duplicate of an American town, with supposedly American citizens who are actually Russian operatives. The Soviets are trying to find out something that one of the guys knows and are using this scheme to get them to be comfortable enough to tell one of the townsfolk (most likely the love interests). At the end, the whole thing is revealed (I think it was never made explicit what was going on before). I seem to remember the operatives they interacted with throughout the several days or weeks or however long they were there pretty much rebelled because the two were such nice guys or something. I can distinctly remember the reveal scene, when the guys figure out that everything is fake. The rest of it’s kind of blurry. I can’t remember who played anybody, either. Thanks in advance, folks! ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/2 "2008-12-01T14:17:44Z")
Sounds like an interesting movie, but I don’t think I’ve seen it. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/3 "2008-12-01T14:18:49Z")
[The Experts](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097314/) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/4 "2008-12-01T14:25:57Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > [The Experts](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097314/) That’s it! How could I forget that Travolta was in it? And the sad thing is that I could actually SEE Arye Gross in my mind but couldn’t remember his name. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/5 "2008-12-01T14:38:00Z")
Ah hell, I know the movie you are thinking about, the 2 guys are actually disco developers, and the russians import them to this town to modernize their spy training program so everybody isnt all leave it to beaver 50s like … For the life of me i cant remember the name of it … but the scene where they briing in the load of modern electronics is hysterical. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/6 "2008-12-01T14:44:12Z")
Wow! I’d forgotten all about this movie. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/7 "2008-12-01T15:14:21Z")
And I’m going to have to find it for the library. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/8 "2008-12-01T15:19:53Z")
If I recall correctly–and this may only be a rumor, so don’t quote me on it–this is the film where Travolta met Kelly Preston and was introduced to Scientology (through her). ---
**Author:** ![Shecky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shecky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shecky)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/9 "2008-12-01T20:44:09Z")
-“Are you hiring me just because I’m black?” –“Yes.” “No…Yes.” -“All right!” ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/10 "2008-12-01T22:27:41Z")
That’s one of my favorite bad movies. Right up there with _Bad Medicine_. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/11 "2008-12-02T03:50:17Z")
Does this movie have a scene where they limbo under one of those traffic arms that are at toll booths and the exits of airport parking lots? ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-identify-this-80s-spy-comedy/475181/12 "2008-12-02T03:54:08Z")
> [@Shecky](#): > > -“Are you hiring me just because I’m black?” > –“Yes.” “No…Yes.” > -“All right!” “Does anyone in this town know how dance?” “I do” Pump it up baby just like that…