History Film / AgentForHARM

Shortly after Steffanic's arrival in the United States, his assistant is killed at his makeshift lab outside San Diego. The eponymous H.A.R.M. sends one of its agents, Adam Chance (Mark Richman), to help protect the scientist. Unfortunately, there's various and sundry baddies led by the evil Malko, who would love nothing more than to turn Stefanik into guacamole.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/agentforharmsmall_3523.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:You know your lead is lame when the ''two'' women he scores with get more poster space than he does.]]

''Agent for H.A.R.M.'' is a 1965 American spy movie.

The plot concerns the development and distribution of a biological warfare compound referred to as "spore." Said spore turns humans into "living fungus" rather quickly and is apparently painless. Comrade Basil Malko is developing the spore to destroy the population of the United States by dusting the crops. The only man that can stop him is Dr. Jan Stefanik, a biologist from behind the UsefulNotes/IronCurtain.

After Stefanik defects from behind the UsefulNotes/IronCurtain to the United States, his assistant is killed at his makeshift lab outside San Diego. The eponymous H.A.R.M. sends one of its agents, Adam Chance, to help protect the scientist. Unfortunately, there's various and sundry baddies led by the evil Malko, who would love nothing more than to turn Stefanik into guacamole.

The film was intended for television as a pilot, but was inexplicably given a theatrical release. Even the director was surprised.

* UnexplainedRecovery: As mentioned in DangerTakesABackSeat, at one point Adam strangles a henchman with a coat hanger from the back of his van, then jumps out just before the van goes off a cliff and catches fire. Somehow, this henchman ''survives'' that, only to be killed by Adam's electrified door trap later. (You'd be forgiven for not realizing it's the same guy, though, as the actor is so bland-looking and the comment from Adam confirming it is blink-and-you'll-miss-it quick.)

* ImproperlyPlacedFirearms: During the ColdOpen, a Soviet border guard chases Stefanik with an [=M16=] assault rifle. Not only is it a distinctly American firearm, but at the time it had barely been in military service for a year, making its appearance here even more implausible. Could double as ProductPlacement, as the credits specially thank Colt for supplying the film's firearms.

''Agent for H.A.R.M.'' is a 1965 American Spy Movie.

The plot concerns the development and distribution of a biological warfare compound referred to as "spore." Said spore turns humans into "living fungus," rather quickly and is apparently painless. Comrade Basil Malko is developing the spore to destroy the population of the United States by dusting the crops. The only man that can stop him is Dr. Jan Stefanik, a biologist from behind the UsefulNotes/IronCurtain.

* CaliforniaDoubling: A drainpipe somewhere in the LA hills is supposed to be Eastern Europe.
--> '''Crow:''' Ah, it's the Eastern Europe part of southern California!

* CoversAlwaysLie: As it says on the poster shown above: "They used the world's deadliest weapons against this super-secret agent! ...Women! ...Women! ...Women!" There's actually only ONE female main character, and Adam doesn't seem to be all that interested in her. The movie also makes a point of showing that the DuelOfSeduction doesn't really work, so clearly women aren't ''that'' deadly of a weapon.

* {{Deconstruction}}: Of James Bond style spy movies. Unfortunately, it mostly just showed why regular spy movies usually do rely on those tropes.
** Adam dresses in everyday clothes (mostly cardigan sweaters). He does wear a business suit once too, but [[BadassInANiceSuit never a tuxedo]]... which makes sense considering as a spy the goal is to blend in. Looking like a badass just makes you stand out.
** For that matter, the movie shows that in real life the spy doesn't always win. Neat, though a bit depressing.
** There aren't a whole lot of special gadgets. About the closest thing is Adam's recording device which happens to look like an electric razor, and Ava has a communication system built into a portable record player. Aside from that, it's pretty much just guns (albeit the spore guns are neat) and [[MacGyvering whatever's lying around]], the latter of which could have been cool if it was handled better.
** There are multiple scenes dedicated to showing that the DuelOfSeduction doesn't work. Adam explains this to a potential contact at the start of the movie ("Rely on charm, you're liable to get your head blown off. I want to see you on the Judo Range!") and later to Ava as well. Ava also tries using her sexuality to distract Adam when her allies show up to kidnap Stefanik... but since Adam had already set a trap for them it doesn't work out.
---> '''Ava:''' Are you coming, or do I swim alone?\\
'''Adam:''' Angelface, that's not the way cases are solved.\\
'''Ava:''' I swim alone then.
* DuelOfSeduction: Heavily {{Deconstructed}}, as mentioned above. There are multiple scenes dedicated to showing that sexuality is not a viable weapon in the spy game. Specifically...
** {{Conversed}} in an early scene. Adam is attempting to train a new female recruit who seems thoroughly uninterested. Adam explains that trying to charm the enemy is likely to get her killed, which leads to the infamous "Judo Range" line.
** This is also Ava's favorite tactic, and it doesn't work for her at all. It doesn't manage to distract Adam, nor does it manage to stop him from having her arrested at the end of the movie. To be fair, it's not that he isn't attracted to her, he's just very good at keeping his mind on his job.

* DirtyOldMan: Adam is ''easily'' old enough to be the extremely youthful Ava's father. This doesn't go unnoticed by the riffers, of course.

** Adam dresses in everyday clothes (mostly cardigan sweaters), [[BadassInANiceSuit never tuxedos]]... which makes sense considering as a spy the goal is to blend in. Looking like a badass just makes you stand out.

* InformedAbility: Subverted in that Ava's [[ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy terrible archery skills]] are lampshaded by Adam.
* LookBehindYou: Spaz Chop!

* CoversAlwaysLie: As it says on the poster shown above: "They used the world's deadliest weapons against this super-secret agent! ...Women! ...Women! ...Women!" There's actually only ONE female main character, and Adam doesn't seem to be all that interested in her.

'''Adam:''' That's not the way cases are solved, babycakes.\\

* HotScientist: Ava, at least insofar as she offers to help Stefanik with his experiments.

** There aren't a whole lot of special gadgets. About the closest thing is Adam's recording device which happens to look like an electric razor, and Ava has a communication system built into a tape recorder. Aside from that, it's pretty much just guns (albeit the spore guns are neat) and [[MacGyvering whatever's lying around]], the latter of which could have been cool if it was handled better.

* TheTeaser: The film opens on Stefanik's escape from Southern California--err, behind the Iron Curtain.

* FunWithAcronyms: Of the Desperately Shoehorned variety. H.A.R.M. stands for Human Aetiological Relations Machine. For the record, aetiology is the study of causation or origins. So, yeah, they couldn't have reached further if they'd used a cherrypicking machine.

* SacrificialLamb [[HeroOfAnotherStory of Another Story]]: Adam's first meeting with DaChief is suddenly interrupted by a distress call from another agent, who is swiftly killed. Adam's ready to go, but his boss already has him assigned to the spore case; he tells his secretary to assign another agent to clean up after the dead one.

** There are multiple scenes dedicated to showing that the DuelOfSeduction doesn't work. Adam explains this to a potential contact at the start of the movie ("Relying on seduction will get you killed. I want to see you on the Judo Range!") and later to Ava as well. Ava also tries using her sexuality to distract Adam when her allies show up to kidnap Stefanik... but since Adam had already set a trap for them it doesn't work out.

** There are multiple scenes dedicated to showing that the DuelOfSeduction doesn't work. Adam explains this to a potential contact at the start of the movie ("Relying on seduction will get you killed. I want to see you on the Judo Range!") and later to Ava as well. Ava also tries using her sexuality to distract Adam when her allies show up to kidnap Stefanik... but since Adam had already set a trap for them one of them dies anyway.

* ThePilot: Averted at the last moment.

* DangerTakesABackSeat: Adam kills one of Malko's cronies by strangling him with a wire hanger from the back of the van he's driving.
* {{Deconstruction}}: Of James Bond style spy movies. The spy here is kind of boring and a jerk. There's no real car chases or explosions. There are even multiple scenes dedicated to explaining how real spies don't rely on seduction and that cases are never solved by playing with sexy ladies on the beach. Unfortunately for the movie, it mostly just ends up showing why regular spy movies do rely on those things; it turns out real spying is kind of boring.

* GutturalGrowler

* HotScientist: Ava.

* TheMole: Ava

* SociopathicHero: While the modest cast list prevents him from racking up a significant bodycount, Adam is still pretty nonchalant when it comes to killing.

* ThanksForTheMammary: Adam "accidentally" cops a feel of Ava.

* DangerTakesABackSeat: Adam kills one of Malko's cronies by strangling him with a wire hanger from the back of the van he's driving - but not before forcing him to take him somewhere. Uh ''huh''.
** Chance attacks the {{Mook|s}} just as he's leaving the BigBad's hideout. If the guy didn't keep driving the other {{Mooks}} would know something was wrong.

* FailedASpotCheck: Since Ava was stupid enough to register for the Vienna Archery Competition using her ''real'' name, Adam easily caught her...after it was too late to actually do much. By that point she'd pretty done everything she set out to do short of killing Adam and/or escaping. So both of these morons get a round of applause for their ineptitude at their jobs.

'''''Agent for H.A.R.M.''''' is a 1965 American Spy Movie.

The plot concerns the development and distribution of a biological warfare compound referred to as "spore." Said spore turns humans into "living fungus," rather quickly and is apparently painless. Comrade Basil Malko is developing the spore to destroy the population of the United States by dusting the crops. The only man that can stop him is Dr. Jan Stefanik, a biologist from behind the IronCurtain.

After Stefanik defects from behind the IronCurtain to the United States, his assistant is killed at his makeshift lab outside San Diego. The eponymous H.A.R.M. sends one of its agents, Adam Chance, to help protect the scientist. Unfortunately, there's various and sundry baddies led by the evil Malko, who would love nothing more than to turn Stefanik into guacamole.

For the ''MysteryScienceTheater3000'' version, please go to the [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S08E15AgentForHARM episode recap page]].

* GoodIsNotNice:

* TheUnreveal: The film reveals quite early that Eva is TheMole.