There's A '90s Dan Aykroyd Movie That's Supposed To Be A Comedy, But I Think It's Nightmare Fuel

I’ll never see hot dogs the same way again. In the 1980s, Dan Aykroyd was a key figure in some of the decade's best movies, but one film stands apart—not for laughs, but for its unsettling tone: the 1991 movie Nothing But Trouble.

If you haven't seen or even heard of it, that’s understandable. The movie aired frequently on cable back then and featured an all-star cast including Chevy Chase, Demi Moore, and John Candy. Despite its flaws, I’ve watched it more times than it merits.

Looking back, the film no longer feels like a comedy. Instead of humor, its horror elements linger in memory, and that's not just due to the weak script. Written and directed by Dan Aykroyd himself, the movie gathered four of the biggest stars of that era.

Chevy Chase was fresh from the success of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, a classic holiday favorite.
John Candy had just appeared in Home Alone, another blockbuster hit.
Demi Moore came from the acclaimed film Ghost.
Aykroyd himself starred in My Girl earlier in the same year.

It’s difficult to imagine a more successful ensemble of recent hits, only for them to collaborate on a film as disappointing as Nothing But Trouble.

Plot Overview

The film’s premise is straightforward: Chevy Chase and Demi Moore’s characters embark on a road trip and end up in the strange and eerie town of Valkenvania.

“Now, when I think back, I don’t think of the laughs; I think of the horrors of the movie, and it’s not just the crummy writing.”

The unsettling atmosphere overshadows the intended comedy, making the movie more nightmare fuel than entertainment.

Author's Summary

This film, despite its star-studded cast and comedic intent, leaves a haunting impression far from the fun audiences expect.

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Cinemablend — 2025-11-04