In the film, an editor by the name of Alan Smithee (played by Eric Idle) has been allowed to direct "Trio", a big-budget action movie starring Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jackie Chan. However, the studio recuts the movie, and when Smithee sees the results (which he describes as being "worse than Showgirls") and realises he cannot use a pseudonym (because the only one allowed is "Alan Smithee") he steals the film and goes on the run, threatening to burn it.
The film was written (and produced, though he wasn't credited for it) by Joe Eszterhas[?], and directed by Arthur Hiller[?]. However, Hiller was credited as Alan Smithee after Eszterhas recut the film in a way that Hiller objected to.
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