Nothing but Trouble (1991 film)

Plot[edit]

While hosting a party in his Manhattan penthouse, financial publisher Chris Thorne meets lawyer Diane Lightson and agrees to escort her to consult a client in Atlantic City the following day. Thorne's clients, obnoxious but wealthy Brazilian siblings Fausto and Renalda Squiriniszu, meet up with them and invite themselves along.


Chris takes a detour off of the New Jersey Turnpike, ultimately ending up in the run-down village of Valkenvania. After running a stop sign and subsequently attempting to escape pursuing chief of police Dennis Valkenheiser, the group is captured and taken before his 106-year-old grandfather, Judge Alvin Valkenheiser. After Chris offends Alvin, the yuppies are locked in a hidden room under the courthouse to be judged the next day, and they overhear Alvin violently executing a group of convicted drug dealers in a deadly roller coaster nicknamed "Mr. Bonestripper".


Chris, Diane, and the Brazilians attend Alvin's dinner, learning that Alvin is holding them there as retribution for a coal deal which the Valkenheiser family blames for their poverty as Chris keeps correcting him that he's a financial publisher and not a banker. The group attempts an escape, but Alvin's granddaughter Eldona captures Chris and Diane. After being chased by Dennis' cousin Miss Purdah, the Brazilians escape by cutting a deal with Dennis, who decides to escape with them.


Alvin holds Chris and Diane hostage, but they eventually escape, get lost through hidden hallways and slides and become separated. Escaping into the property's salvage yard, Diane meets and befriends Alvin's severely deformed grandchildren Bobo and Lil' Debbull who are barred from living in the house. However, she also notices Eldona destroying Chris's BMW 733i. Alvin catches Chris sneaking into his personal quarters and punishes him per house policy, which decrees that Chris must marry Eldona.


Meanwhile in the court room, Digital Underground is being held on charges of speeding. Alvin releases them after being charmed by an impromptu rap performance. He also asks them to stay as witnesses for the wedding, which Chris reluctantly goes through with in exchange for his life, but is later caught pleading with the band to help him escape. The band leaves without understanding him, and Alvin furiously sentences Chris to die in "Mr. Bonestripper". The machine breaks down just before Chris is fed into it, and he escapes. Alvin nearly kills Diane with another claw contraption known as the Gradertine, but Chris retrieves her at the last second and the two jump on a freight train back to New York.


After the two report their plight to the authorities, local and state police raid Alvin's courthouse. Chris and Diane are asked to accompany the FBI agents to Valkenvania only to find out that the state troopers involved are fully aware of and allied with Alvin since they dump some of their captive lawbreakers on him. The couple escapes when the area's underground coal fires cause a colossal earthquake, fatally destroying Valkenvania.


In Brazil, Dennis becomes Fausto and Renalda's head of security as he vows that nobody will harm them on his watch.


Back in New York, Diane wakes Chris from a daymare as the news broadcast of the Valkenvania disaster is shown where there is oil everywhere. In a twist-ending, Chris sees Alvin on a news broadcast rummaging through the debris where he states to the reporter that he and his family survived. While brandishing Chris's driver's license, Alvin announcing to the reporter that he and his family plan to move in with his new grandson-in-law while vowing to see that "banker" soon. This causes Chris to comically flee for his life leaving a hole in the shape of him in the wall.