History Film / JumpinJackFlash

'''Jumpin' Jack Flash''' is a 1986 UsefulNotes/ColdWar suspense comedy starring WhoopiGoldberg as Terry Doolittle, a data entry worker in the processing department of a downtown New York City bank. One of her guilty pleasures at work is to drop notes to the operators at the receiving ends of the transfers she processes, who are often in another country, which generates a number of international friendships and trading of recipes, mixtapes, etc. Right after her boss (Peter Michael Goetz) tells her to stop wasting company resources ("Computers are not friendly, Ms. Doolittle." "I'm not a computer, Mr. Page."), she receives a message from "Jumpin Jack Flash", which she tries to dismiss, but becomes intrigued with his mysterious statements. She arranges a time to chat later that night (in the office), but first has to deduce Jack's "code key", which (though it is not stated) will encrypt their communications. The answer is in Music/TheRollingStones song ''Jumpin' Jack Flash'' ("Sing with me and find the key,") and while she comes up with many seemingly good guesses, she realizes that the "key" is, literally, the ''key'' of the music: "B-Flat".

'''Jumpin' Jack Flash''' is a 1986 UsefulNotes/ColdWar suspense comedy starring WhoopiGoldberg as Terry Doolittle, a data entry worker in the processing department of a downtown New York City bank. One of her guilty pleasures at work is to drop notes to the operators at the receiving ends of the transfers she processes, who are often in another country, which generates a number of international friendships and trading of recipes, mixtapes, etc. Right after her boss (Peter Michael Goetz) tells her to stop wasting company resources ("Computers are not friendly, Ms. Doolittle." "I'm not a computer, Mr. Page."), she receives a message from "Jumpin Jack Flash", which she tries to dismiss, but becomes intrigued with his mysterious statements. She arranges a time to chat later that night (in the office), but first has to deduce Jack's "code key", which (though it is not stated) will encrypt their communications. The answer is in the RollingStones song ''Jumpin' Jack Flash'' ("Sing with me and find the key,") and while she comes up with many seemingly good guesses, she realizes that the "key" is, literally, the ''key'' of the music: "B-Flat".

* DiegeticSwitch: Terri trying to make sense of Music/MickJagger's lyrics leads to the inevitable TimePassesMontage to the music of "Jumpin' Jack Flash".

-->"I was raised by two lesbians? [clip] Mick, Mick, Mick...[[InEnglish speak English!]]"

* BlackTieInfiltration: Terry breaks into the British Consulate during a party, claiming to be the entertainment (dressed in a spangly gown and lipsyncing to The Supremes). She's really there to hack the computer.

* WigDressAccent

-> '''Terri:''' ''Personal chit-chat is prohibited on the International Bank Transponder.''
-> '''Jack:''' ''Not on it.''
-> '''Terri:''' ''How are you transmitting?''
-> '''Jack:''' ''Clamshell terminal. Can't say anymore. This channel unsecured.''
-> '''Terri:''' Whoa.

* ViewerFriendlyInterface: Averted until Jack's code key is entered. At which time Terry's hi-res (for the time) bland amber monochrome spectacularly transforms into a lo-res 16-color display.

* ViewerFriendlyInterface: Averted until Jack's code key is entered. At which time Terry's bland amber monochrome spectacularly transforms into a 16-color display.

'''Jumpin' Jack Flash''' is a 1986 ColdWar suspense comedy starring WhoopiGoldberg as Terry Doolittle, a data entry worker in the processing department of a downtown New York City bank. One of her guilty pleasures at work is to drop notes to the operators at the receiving ends of the transfers she processes, who are often in another country, which generates a number of international friendships and trading of recipes, mixtapes, etc. Right after her boss (Peter Michael Goetz) tells her to stop wasting company resources ("Computers are not friendly, Ms. Doolittle." "I'm not a computer, Mr. Page."), she receives a message from "Jumpin Jack Flash", which she tries to dismiss, but becomes intrigued with his mysterious statements. She arranges a time to chat later that night (in the office), but first has to deduce Jack's "code key", which (though it is not stated) will encrypt their communications. The answer is in the RollingStones song ''Jumpin' Jack Flash'' ("Sing with me and find the key,") and while she comes up with many seemingly good guesses, she realizes that the "key" is, literally, the ''key'' of the music: "B-Flat".

'''Jumpin' Jack Flash''' is a 1986 ColdWar suspense comedy starring WhoopiGoldberg as Terry Doolittle, a data entry worker in the processing department of a downtown New York City bank. One of her guilty pleasures at work is to drop notes to the operators at the receiving ends of the transfers she processes, often whom are in another country, which generates a number of international friendships and trading of recipes, mixtapes, etc. Right after her boss (Peter Michael Goetz) tells her to stop wasting company resources ("Computers are not friendly, Ms. Doolittle." "I'm not a computer, Mr. Page."), she receives a message from "Jumpin Jack Flash", which she tries to dismiss, but becomes intrigued with his mysterious statements. She arranges a time to chat later that night (in the office), but first has to deduce Jack's "code key", which (though it is not stated) will encrypt their communications. The answer is in the RollingStones song ''Jumpin' Jack Flash'' ("Sing with me and find the key,") and while she comes up with many seemingly good guesses, she realizes that the "key" is, literally, the ''key'' of the music: "B-Flat".

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: zigzagged, for the man in the street who waves back at Terry while she is trapped in the phone booth. Also to some extent, the window washer in the same scene.
* DramaticSpotlight: when Archer confronts Terry at Liz Carlson's vacant house.
* FeetFirstIntroduction: The shiny-shoed killer

* GroinAttack is how Terry disables Talbott at the end, rather graphically, without actually showing anything.
* HatPull: how Terry escapes the cop car.
* HesitationEqualsDishonesty: blatantly, when Liz introduces Terry as her cousin.
* HollywoodTourettes subverted as an excuse for Terry's expletive-laden rant at the police station. Perhaps one of the first places the term was used in popular culture -- the speaker has to explain it, and the listener asks someone to look it up.
* IncrediblyLamePun: "pawn" and "prawn".

* PercussiveMaintenance on the malfunctioning monitor.

* RepeatingSoTheAudienceCanHear: Justified because Terry has a habit of talking to herself (given that she's socially isolated) and most of the time she's reading out loud what Jack is typing on her screen.

* TruthSerum which doesn't ''quite'' work
* UnsettlingGenderReveal: a preemptive SamusIsAGirl, which is partially averted.
* WardrobeMalfunction: Averted, but played up, when Terry's dress gets caught in a shredder. She desperately holds on to the dress' cups to prevent it. Regardless, her dress does get much shorter as a result.

* RepeatingSoTheAudienceCanHear

* RepeatingSoThatTheAudienceCanHear

-->'''Terri:''' ''*giggles*'' I'm not gonna say anything. Well, maybe one or two things. C'mere. All six of you, come here!

-> '''Jack:''' ''Clamshell terminal. Can't say more. This channel unsecure.''

* BlackAndNerdy: Terry, played mostly subverted, but cracking code keys and having more online friendships and romances than in real life is pretty damned geeky, especially for 1986.
* ThinkingOutLoud: Whenever Terry types a message -- and until she hears his voice, every time Jack sends one back, after which his messages are [[VoiceOverLetter Voice Over Letters]].
* MistakenForSpies: Both Van Meter and Talbott do this to Terry.
* UnsettlingGenderReveal: a preemptive SamusIsAGirl, which is partially averted.

* TruthSerum which doesn't ''quite'' work

* TheMole: Talbott.

* DramaticSpotlight: when Archer confronts Terry at Liz Carlson's vacant house.

!!''Series/JumpinJackFlash'' includes examples of the following tropes: