Home  Episode Summaries Season 1 Lights! Camera! Cobra! - Notes
Credits: written by Buzz Dixon
Production Number: 600-10
Original Airdate: October 10, 1985
The Joes travel to Hollywood to serve as technical advisers on a movie about their special missions unit, bringing with them real Joe hardware and even a captured Cobra Stinger for use in the film. But the Stinger’s auto-pilot memory contains the location of the secret Cobra temple - and Cobra Commander is determined to get it back.
| THE PERSONNEL |
| G.I.Joe: Blowtorch, Dusty, Recondo, Mutt, Junkyard, Cover Girl, Shipwreck, Bazooka |
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Cobra: Cobra Commander, Destro, Zartan, Buzzer, Ripper, Torch, Crimson Guard, Cobra agents, Tele-Viper |
| THE GEAR |
| G.I.Joe: APC, Silver Mirage, Skystriker |
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Cobra: Stinger, Ferret, Firebat (grey), Trubble Bubble, Rattler |
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Once again, Cobra's base is designed like the one seen in the mini-series
"The Revenge
of Cobra" (AKA "The Weather Dominator").
While challenging Recondo and Dusty to a midnight race, Zartan calls
the Cobra Ferret a "Cobra Python Cycle".
Living with an overactive imagination may be my Achilles' heel, however,
a sub-plot may have been cut out of the script. In the episode "Countdown
for Zartan," Destro was tricked when Zartan disguised himself as Cobra
Commander and mimicked the voice of Cobra's leader. After Zartan removed
his hood, he asked the surprised Destro, "Who plays the fool now, Destro?"
During "Lights!
Camera! Cobra!", Cobra Commander explained to Destro that stealing
the Firebat with the homing device would be cheaper than paying for a new
plane. After Zartan failed to destroy the Firebat in the desert, Cobra
Commander later called Zartan a fool for failing in his mission. The sub-plot
that could have been cut out was Destro somehow mimicking Cobra Commander
and then sabotaging the communication by changing the order from recapturing
the Firebat to its destruction, a move that would not have been out of
character for the arms dealer. After all, Destro would later help the Joes
stop Cobra's scheme in the two-part episode "The Synthoid Conspiracy" because Zartan and Cobra Commander created a synthoid of Destro that bowed to both of them. Also, Destro would have been able to sell Cobra
Commander another fifteen million dollar homing device and later call Zartan a fool after explaining how Cobra Commander's order was changed, which would allow Destro to have his revenge for Zartan's actions in "Countdown for Zartan."
Just in case you start believing my imagination, you should know that Buzz Dixon emailed the following note: "No missing sub-plot in 'Lights! Camera! Cobra!' Flint Dille and I often wondered how Cobra financed its operations since they never seemed to be very successful against the Joes and decided that they'd try to cut corners wherever possible, such as sending a team to recover a vehicle rather than buy a new one" (September 13, 2000).
If you watch the pan shot of the Dreadnoks' hideout carefully, you will
see beer bottles in the motel room. While trying to scare away a pack of
coyotes away from Dusty and Mutt, one of the coyotes grabs Shipwreck's
leg, however, it is kicked off and falls into a river. Leaning outside
the Trubble Bubble, Shipwreck mimics the Loony Toons Roadrunner character
famous line: "Meep-meep!" George Lanceburg, who also appears in "Cold Slither," is the director of the G.I.Joe film. (Matthew Pak's 3 3/4" G.I.Joe Collector Guide - Volume Two: The Television Episodes; my thanks to Dino Virgilio Monzon for reminding me to add Lanceburg's appearance, which was noted in Matthew Pak's guide)
Because the episode took place in Hollywood, it may explain why there
were several other sound effects samples and references from the films. For example,
a nod to the old Daffy Duck cartoons occurred when Shipwreck yelled at
the end of the episode, “Let me at him! I’ll murederlize the bum!” Special
effects sounds from Star Wars, like the humming of a lightsaber
and Vader's tie fighter while racing in the Death Star's trench, were used
during the glowing of Zartan's armor and the landing of Shipwreck's Trubble
Bubble, respectively. And like "Money
to Burn," the Brinks security company was parodied with the appearance
of a Blinks security van.
The episode was released as Volume
9 in the FHE commercial tape series.
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| So was Bazooka severely sun-burned or was there a mix-up between Bazooka and Alpine's character colors resulting in a totally botched inking job? |
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| Mutt's pants should be blue to match Torch's, and the color is correct in the next shot. |
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| Lanceburg's glasses change from tinted to clear lenses while he orders the drivers in a truck to drive around during the battle at the studio. |
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The design of Shipwreck's Trubble Bubble changed from a three-engine to
two-engine vehicle, which is the correct design.
  
Shipwreck's gloves appear and disappear on Shipwreck's hands while avoiding the shots fired by Cobra agents. Another error with Shipwreck occurs when he flies back to Cobra's base. Also, his legs appear to be cut off while unconscious in the cockpit.
I
Dialogue:
Shipwreck: Hot dang! Look at that - Hollywood! Hey, when do
we get shore leave?
Cover Girl: C’mon, no time for that, Shipwreck.
Producer Marty Goldblat: We're way behind schedule. In fact,
we are going directly to our desert location.
Shipwreck: Ohhh!
Time: 26 seconds
II
Dialogue:
Torch: ‘ello, police? I’d like to report a riot.
Time: 10 seconds
III
Dialogue:
Cobra agent: Firebat approaching. Defense positions!
Time: 9.5 seconds
IV
Dialogue:
Director Lanceburg: Two weeks behind schedule and not a single
foot of useable battle film!
Time: 10 seconds
V
Dialogue:
Cobra Commander: Blast them into eternity! Scatter their bones
at my feet!
Destro: They’re mine.
Time: 16 seconds
Snow Job
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Original:
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According to Snow Job, if someone is on ice that is starting to crack,
you should use a branch to pull someone in rather than walk out on the
ice. |
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USA:
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Same as above |
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Movie Clip: Cobra Commander orders his troops to scatter the bones
of the Joes at his feet [278 kb]
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