80s-movies

Tootsie

2008-07-21T07:56:00.001-07:00

Tootsie (1982)
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Terri Garr, Bill Murray, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning
Memorable Line: "I think we're getting into a weird area here."

Tootsie hit the big screen and was a huge sensation (winning a Golden Globe) and I'm a huge fan of Sydney Pollack, but this isn't one of favorite Pollack films. I know I'm in the minority, but there a moments that this money seems like it's pandering. Maybe I missed something.

The Plot of Tootsie
Michael Dorsey (Hoffman) is an out of work actor who has little chance of getting work because he's a bit difficult to be worked with when he comes upon a kooky idea to try out for a female part on a soap opera -- as a woman. And he gets it. That's where the fun begins. Dorsey being a difficult male actors works back to his propensity for being a pain in the neck and his character on the soap suddenly becomes a sensation. As a female, he takes the name Dorothy and Dorothy becomes a confident and role model for another one of the actresses on the show, Julie (Lange). Michael, the man beneath the woman, starts to feel an attraction to Julie. Of course, this is only a small tip of the ice berg for him. Along with juggling this female impersonation, he has to keep his secret safe from his girlfriend (Garr). He gets assistance from his roommate, Jeff (Murray), but the whole thing is a high wire act that gets too much to bear as Dorothy gets a marriage proposal from Julie's father, another man serenading him and his desire to be closer to Julie starts to overwhelm him. Plus, there's the fact that he's not a woman.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Tootsie
The story of Tootsie is pure farce, but it works. The writers know how to provide comedic tension and keep piling on the complications. The performances excellent. Hoffman plays the Michael/Dorothy character well. Lange carries off the confused woman with grace and style. All the supporting roles are very well played with Murray getting some of the best lines.

My bone to pick with Tootsie is the direction (mostly the editing) and with some of the writing. I'm a huge Pollack fan, but there are times in this movie where he is either trying to make a throw-back movie or he's just pandering. There are too many pat montage sequences that seem clumsy. The writers, when writing the comedic complications are great, but at times, it seems preachy and thematic.

Summary Judgment of Tootsie
There's a lot to like about Tootsie. Hoffman brings his considerable talent to the film. The gags are good. The supporting cast is wonderful. But it just seems that Pollack makes some choices with the story and editing that seems to want to appeal to the lowest common denominator of the audience. No, this movie isn't a total sell-out. It's intelligent writing and an idea that has appeal, but the treatment didn't work for me. Sorry, Sydney.

The Fly (1986)

2008-06-30T05:40:00.001-07:00

The Fly (1986)
Director: David Cronenberg
Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Genna Davis, John Getz
Memorable line(s): "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

Director Cronenberg decides to re-make the sc-fi- horror classic The Fly (starring Vincent Price) and Cronenberg clearly puts his own stamp on this version. Albeit, a more engaging and gross stamp.

The Plot of The Fly
Seth Brundle (Goldblum) is a scientist attempting the unattainable -- teleportation. Completely convinced, when no one else is, that he can make teleportation a reality, the only interest he garners is from a lone reporter (Davis). As she delves deeper into the story, she becomes romantically involved with Brundle.

Working alone, Brundle has a huge breakthrough and decides it's time for the ultimate test -- teleporting himself. The only problem is that the teleportation process must be pure and his ultimate test is spoiled when a fly enters one of his telepods, causing a genetic fusing of man and insect to disastrous results. Initially, Brundle emerges from the experiment with amazing powers that develop more each day until they start to devolve -- or evolve as Brundle becomes less man and more fly.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of the The Fly
Goldblum's casting seems to be an effort of working against type, but it's this choice and his quirky style that gives the character of Brundle a believability and energy that is both engaging and wins us to the movie. In many ways, Davis is given a thankless role as the supportive and earnest reporter/girlfriend.

The script is a total re-working of the initial film and works quite well, seemingly only using the only using the original movie as inspiration. Brundle has facets and the script displays a deftness with dialog that fits Goldblum's performance accordingly.

Cronenberg has his roots in low budget horror, but his films have always been more thoughtful than the typical monster/slasher movies and The Fly is no exception. Intelligent and sometimes funny, Cronenberg makes The Fly stand out from what could have been a man becomes monster film.

Summary Judgment on The Fly
Some will say that The Fly devolved into a gross out flick about two-thirds into the movie and the special effects are quite graphic and shocking, but there's more to the film than just that. Goldblum makes the Brundle character quite convincing and Cronenberg delivers both the intelligent and visceral and graphic details to make The Fly an enjoyable movie for those who like some depth to their horror films and those that want some gore.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

2008-06-20T09:31:00.001-07:00

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Director: John Hughes
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Gray
Memorable Line(s): "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?" Really, was there a more likable film in the 1980's than Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Mostly innocent, warm-hearted with a little bit of snarkiness, this film is the no-contest winner of the easiest film to watch and watch too many times.

The Plot of Ferris Bueller's Day Off Ferris (Broderick) is the title character and he's a ultimate high school inside - friends with everyone and the envy of many. The film chronicles his ruse to take the day off school. His accomplice is the reluctant Cameron (Ruck) and the all too willing Sloane (Sara). Their day off is a real lark as they attend a Cubs game, visiting the arts museum and taking over a float in a parade. No film is without conflict and there are those that wish to bring Ferris down. One of those is Ferris' own sister (Gray) and the other is the bumbling, but Ferris-obsessed principal (Jones). But no matter hard they try, Ferris just has too many tricks up his sleeve to loose the day.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Ferris Bueller's Day Off Broderick is absolutely winning as Ferris. Charming and disarming, Broderick fully inhabits Ferris' winning ways and you can't help but like him. Ruck plays the sad-sack Eyore-type character quite well. We feel Cameron's woe. Sara's role isn't given a lot to work with and she does her best to stand in the shadow of Broderick's Ferris. Gray is wonderfully jealous of Ferris' effortless existence. Jones is given an over-the-top character and he pulls it off quite well. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is John Hughes at the top of his game when it comes to making light hearted comedies. He lets the heavy moments in, but only briefly and just enough to give the lighter moments have their full effectiveness. The dialog works so well and there are many quotable lines.

Summary Judgment of Ferris Bueller's Day Off John Hughes was one of the kings of the 80's in the delivering movies to the youth market and Ferris Bueller's Day Off is one of his crowning achievements. It's a true joy and there are few films that don't stoop to pandering and low brow humor that are has warm and funny as Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Legend

2008-06-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

Legend (1985)
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry
Memorable Line: "What is light without dark?"

To be charitable, Legend isn't really a misfire, but more of case of missing the bulls eye by about seven rings. In spite of this, there are still many things about Legend to enjoy.

The Plot of Legend
Legend places us in a fairy tale land with Jack (Cruise) and Lili (Sara) as two of creatures that live in the land of Light, while in the land of the Dark resides the Lord of Darkness (Curry) wanting to blot out the land of light. Jack and Lili, being innocent, frolic and cavort, generally have a good time being in love and everything goes well until Jack takes Lili to see the last two unicorns. These unicorns hold the key for the survival of the land of Light. Lili against all better judgment interferes with the unicorns, making an opening for the Lord of Darkness to destroy the unicorns which will bring eternal darkness to the land of light.

Now, it's up to Jack to save not only his lady-love, but all of mankind. Aided by elves and other hobbit-like creatures Jack has to face off the Lord of Darkness to make it happen.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Legend
There's something that just doesn't seem quite finished about Legend. One of the major clues to this is the fact that Scott changed the musical score completely before the U.S. release of the movie, switching from Jerry Goldsmith's orchestral score to Tangerine Dream's synth score. But that isn't the only symptom of something not quite right. The story has a disjointedness to it that is jarring at times.

Cruise seems wasted in a role that seems ill-fitted to him. Sara is somewhat forgettable, but Tim Curry, even beneath the fantastic make-up, is quite menacing and imperious.

What saves the movie from the brink of mediocrity is Scott's strength, the visual style of the movie. It's simply a resplendent in it's beauty, both in design and cinematography and that's what makes the movie worth watching.

Summary Judgment on Legend
Despite the problems with Legend, it is a movie worth watching simply for the visuals. The story, while fractured and unpolished, is still compelling to some extent. Whole not a whole hearted endorsement, I can say that Legend is a movie worth your time.

Three O'Clock High

2008-06-11T14:10:00.001-07:00

Three O'Clock High (1987)
Director: Phil Joanou
Cast: Casey Siemaszko, Anne Ryan, Richard Tyson, Jeffrey Tambor, Philip Baker Hall
Memorable Line: "You made me mad Jerry and now I'm gunna have to do something to work it off."

* Underrated and Overlooked *
This seems like one of the universal situations for many teenage boys in high school -- the "arranged" fight with the school bully. It happens in every high school. Three O'Clock High has this fertile ground to plow and for the most part makes it work.

The Plot of Three O'Clock High
Jerry Mitchell (Siemaszko) is just your average high school guy, not popular, not nerd, just keeping a low profile in the middle of the pack when, as a write on the school paper, he has to interview the class uber-hood, Buddy Revel (Tyson). Somehow, as with dealing with most psychopaths, Revel takes offense at Jerry and the fight is on -- Three O'Clock in the parking lot. The word spreads like wild-fire and suddenly low-profile Jerry is the talk of the town. But he wants nothing to do with it. Revel is a monster in just about every sense of the word and Jerry is now desperate to do anything to save what little dignity he has and to avoid the fight. Too bad, the fates do everything they can to get Jerry and Buddy together in the parking lot at Three O'Clock High.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Three O'Clock High
The cast is completely believable, although some of the adults have some cardboard on their edges. Siemaszko is both captivating and pathetic as the wimpy Jerry. We, at first, cringe for him, but ultimately end up rooting for him. Tyson is fantastic as the menacing Buddy Revel. When he speaks, you believe that he's broken a kids neck and beat up a coach.

Joanou's direction is crisp and kinetic, keeping the plot moving and not allowing the viewer to get caught in what could have been slow moments. The energy derived from the script and the direction powers us to the inevitable showdown in that parking lot. Some are not happy with the ending, but this is the stuff that Hollywood movies are made of and has little do with reality.

Summary Judgment on Three O'Clock High
Underrated and mostly forgotten, Three O'Clock High fell off the map before it even made a blip, but I think it is a movie worth your consideration. If you're cruising the cable listings and have nothing to do, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised if you give Three O'Clock High a chance.

Christine

2008-06-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

Christine (1983)
Director: John Carpenter Cast: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky, Harry Dean Stanton
Memorable line: "There's nothing like being behind the wheel of your own car!"

A boy and his first love. In the case of Christine, the first love is a car and there's something quite unholy about this story of devotion.

The Plot of Christine
Arnie (Gordon) and Dennis (Stockwell) are best friends. Arnie is the nerd and Dennis is the star athlete. Things are status quo until Christine enters. Christine is a 1958 Plymouth who, from the first look at her, looks like her best years are behind her and is well past recovery, but there's something sinister beneath her hood that draws the nerdy Arnie to the car, but it isn't something he recognizes.

Against all better judgment, Arnie buys Christine and takes her to a local garage which is under the auspicious of the incorrigible Mr. Darnell (Prosky) and Arnie begins his love affair with Christine and he starts to rehab her. A dual transformation occur during the rehab project -- Christine returns to splendor and Arnie emerges from his nerdy shell to become more confident, assertive and even a little dangerous - which attracts the new girl to school, the sexy, yet innocent, Leigh (Paul).

The all-new Arnie seems like an improvement at first, but the evolution doesn't cease and Arnie turns from being playfully dangerous to outright dangerous. Christine becomes lethal, too. Leigh is a threat to Christine as Arnie's devotion turns her way and when Leigh almost dies in the car, she refuses to go with Arnie anymore and Arnie is forced to choose -- the car or the girl. The bond is too strong and Arnie sticks with Christine.
All along this evolution, Arnie tangles with local hoods who in retribution from being expelled from school "because of Arnie," decide to trash Christine and do a pretty thorough job. But Christine decides to enact revenge in the most lethal way.

Both Dennis and Leigh decide it's time to break-up the unholy couple before it's too late. But will they be in time.?

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of Christine
Christine is based on the Stephen King bestseller by the same name and this is one of Carpenter's more polished movies. The action scenes are well directed and the character relationships seem genuine and provide a real depth to the movie that could have been missing. Gordon performs well in the ugly duckling emerging role and quite convincing as both the nerd and the man with menace in his eyes. Stockwell and Paul are handed difficult roles as the sympathetic friend and girlfriend, but they pull them off. Stockwell is more convincing than Paul who keeps her acting simple. Prosky eats screen real estate when he's on screen is a well written supporting role.

Carpenter keeps it all moving like a well oiled car all the way up to the end with only some slight hitches in the climax. He does a good job of making the characters real instead of just cardboard cut-outs for the plot. Carpenter intersperses '50's music throughout the movie for great affect.

Also, the special effects with Christine "healing" herself are fantastic.

Summary Judgment on Christine
While Christine will never be considered cinema-art, it does have a solid story beneath it and Carpenter balances out keeping the character's identifiable and likable with the action/horror. With his touches, Christine could have become completely forgettable, but there's a well made film here.

The Empire Strikes Back

2008-05-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Director: Irvin Kershner
Cast: Mark Hammill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
Memorable Line: "Luke, I'm your father."

Although it is a bridging movie in the Star Wars saga, The Empire Strikes Back is considered by many to the best of the entire series and I must say that I agree.

The Plot of The Empire Strikes Back
The movies starts as we find Luke (Hammill), Han (Ford) and Princess Leia (Fisher) secluded with rebel forces on a frozen planet. After some initial intrigue when Luke encounters a Yeti-like creature, the rebels find themselves ran off the planet by empire forces. Han (andChewie ) and Princess Leia head off with the fleet of rebels, but Luke, directed by the ghostly influence of Obi Wan, detours off to a jungle planet to be mentored in the ways of the force by the mysterious Yoda.

Han pulls out every thing in his bag of tricks to escape the empire's forces and they do finally make their way to a remote sky complex that just happens to be led by Han's old friend,Lando Calrissian (Williams). Meanwhile has started his Jedi studies with Yoda. The tables get turned on Han and empire forces along with Darth Vader close in on Han and Princess Leia. Luke sensing their peril heads off to rescue them and face off with Darth Vader only to have a terrible truth revealed to him.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of The Empire Strikes Back
It seems as if Lucas let go of the reigns of the Star Wars series in this movie. Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasden have crafted the most mature script of all the Star Wars movies and the Kershner's direction supports this maturer and darker take on the series. The actor's performances seem invigorated by Kershner's handling because all of the cast members do their best work in this episode, specifically Ford. My only criticism is that the character of LukeSkywalker seems to come off as petulant at times.

Summary Judgment on The Empire Strikes Back
There's a depth of story and character in this movie that seems lacking across all the other installments. There is time taken to allow the character's and their relationships to breath and mature. Some might find this bridge episode in the series unfulfilling, but I've always found The Empire Strikes Back to be the best of the series.

Robocop

2008-05-23T07:32:00.001-07:00

Robocop (1987)
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Cast: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith, Ronny Cox
Memorable Line(s) : "Excuse me, I have to go. Somewhere there is a crime happening."

Big and bold with a subversive comic undertone, Robocop has enough going for it to make an enjoyable viewing experience for most viewers.

The Plot of Robocop
Alex Murphy (Weller) is a good cop in the not too distant dystopian future where public law enforcement has given way to private run security forces . Teamed up with a feisty female partner (Allen), Murphy hits the streets trying to keep the streets of Detroit safe from rampant crime.

To cut the cost of crime fighting the corporate executives in charge of the new private security forces try to introduce new robotic droids to replace the current human cops, but see it backfire in the worst way. But they do have a back-up plan.

Murphy, while on patrol with his partner, find themselves in pursuit of a notorious crime gang leader, Boddicker (Smith). Boddicker gets the drop on the two cops and Murphy ends up being fatally wounded. Murphy is reported dead at the scene, but he is really diverted by the corporation to a new experimental program called Robocop -- part man, part machine.

This new cyborg cop is an extremely effective in crime fighting machine, but Murphy's personality is submerged within this new Robocop and starts to insert itself. So, along with fighting crime, the Robocop wants to find out how he went from being a living, breathing human to a machine.

The Performances and Direction of Robocop
I don't like knocking actor's performances, but there doesn't seem to be a big difference between Weller as a human and Weller as a robot. Maybe it was intentional, but the depth of his range in this movie isn't too varied. Nancy Allen has a unflattering role as the partner, but pulls it off for the most part. Kurtwood Smith eats of the screen as a very ruthless and memorable villain. It's strange to consider that he went on to a long and successful run on That 70's Show as the crusty Red.

Verhovoeven brings a detached and cool style to Robocop, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't have a sense of humor. Underlying the film are several subversive and subliminal jokes that elevate the film beyond just a simple action movie because Vehoeven is trying to make a comment on society. Verhoeven acquits himself well in the actions scenes.

Summary Judgment on Robocop
Robocop has a unique approach to the Sci-Fi action film and it works. Weller is a bit robotic in his role, but in spite of some nasty scenes courtesy of Kurtwood Smith, the film is still enjoyable romp.

The Thing (1982)

2008-05-15T09:31:00.001-07:00

The Thing (1982)
Director: John Carpenter
Cast: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Donald Moffat, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Richard Masur
Memorable Quotes: "I dunno what the hell's in there, but it's weird and pissed off, whatever it is."

The Thing deals out suspense and gore in equal amounts and for some, the gore may be over the top, but the suspense makes this move worth your time.

The Plot of The Thing
Although The Thing is really a remake, this version goes back to the source material which is a short story by Joseph Campbell called "Who Goes There" with all the paranoia and suspense that comes with it. Plus a lot of gore thrown in by director Carpenter.

The story starts when an isolated arctic outpost gets a distress call and they head out to investigate. Led by the helicopter pilot, McCready (Russell), they discover something terrible has happened at a peer outpost. Most of the inhabitants are dead. They also discover a massive hole in the ice, city blocks wide, that seems to be the excavated site of a alien ship' crash landing. While are humans are dead, there is one dog that is still alive and they decide to bring it back. And that's when the story really gets moving because something other worldly is brought back with the dog and the crew of the outpost find themselves fighting for their lives. And even more frightening is that that they may be fighting for the survival of humanity.

The Performances and Direction of The Thing
The film, while polished, has a low budget feel without looking cheap, but that doesn't hurt the the movie at all. Carpenter plays up the paranoia and suspense at the beginning of the movie to full effect. Russell leads the cast as McCready, but all the members of the cast bring a believability to their roles. All of these actors are experience veterans and the acting never seems like run of the mill low-budget horror film acting. Wilford Brimley and Donald Moffat stand out as the scientist and leader of the outpost.

Carpenter's directions works well for the movie, but I have always wondered if the film would have been more effective had he decided to dial back on the over-the-top gore and made a choice to stress the suspense and tension of the intrinsic dilemma that faced the characters in the film.

You can also tell that Carpenter had some influence on Ennio Morricone's score by it's simplicity and effectiveness in places.

Summary Judgment of The Thing
The Thing is not for everyone because it's gore sometimes gets out of hand, but don't get me wrong, it's not totally gratuitous. It's a directorial choice. Still, in spite of that choice, The Thing is truly a chilling cinema event.

Stand by Me

2008-05-13T10:24:00.001-07:00

Stand By Me (1986) Director: Ron Reiner Cast: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Jerry O'Connell, Cory Feldman, Keifer Sutherland
Memorable Quotes: "I was 12 going on 13, the first time I saw a dead human being."

Stand By Me is the ultimate coming of age movie for kids moving from childhood to the teenage years.

The Plot of Stand By Me
Based on a Stephen King novella, Stand By Me follows a four boys on a search for their morbid version of the Holy Grail -- the search for a dead body rumored to be just off the railroad tracks just outside of town. Our main character, Gordie (Wheaton) is an author in the making, is the pivot point for the movie. He is accompanied by a motley group of friends (Phoenix, O'Connell, and Feldman) as the make their trek. And as in all heroic journeys, the main characters must face obstacles, both external and emotional. The external obstacles consist of cross many miles and gang of older teen hoods led by a psychopath named Ace (Sutherland). The internal enemies are doubt, grief and the transition of going from being just kids to young men.

The Performances and Direction of Stand By Me
In less able hands than Director Reiner, Stand By Me could have been a very maudlin movie, but he keeps the movie from fall into the pit of pathos as we follow the boys on the journey. The leads all handle their roles well. Wheaton acquits himself well, but Phoenix stands out in his role. Those that have followed O'Connell's career in movies (Scream 2) and TV (Crossing Jordan) won't recognize him in this role. Sutherland hits all the right notes as the menacing Ace.

Summary Judgment on Stand By Me
There are moments where the acting and story teeters toward pathos, but the screenwriters, director and actors don't allow those moments to fall over the edge. Stand By Me is a movie for a universal moment in a kids life and it resonates well in capturing that time in our lives.

Ladyhawke

2008-04-24T05:14:00.001-07:00

Ladyhawke (1985)
Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leo McKern
Memorable Line: "Are you flesh, or are you spirit?"

Ladyhawke is a strange movie. It seems as if the writer, Edward Khmara, couldn't make up his mind what the movie was to be -- an adventure, a tongue-in-cheek swashbuckler, a romance?

The movie starts as we see Phillipe Gaston -- aka "The Mouse" (Broderick) -- making a near impossible escape from a dungeon prison and making his way to the country side. For some reason, a Bishop decides he must send his crack guards to hunt a petty thief and the track down Phillipe but just as they are about to capture him a mystery-man named Navarre (Hauer) and his hawk intercedes and decides to take on a team of these well trained guards to rescue "the Mouse." Navarre and "the Mouse" make an unique pair. Navarre is a real man of mystery with an unnatural bond with his hawk. Also, it seems as if at night, Navarre disappears and Phillipe finds himself with a new lady companion who goes by the name of Isabeau (Pfieffer). To add the intrigue, this new pairing is followed by a dark wolf. Where has Navarre gone and who is this woman? Why is their fate intertwined? That is the mystery of Ladyhawke.

Broderick is more than the comic relief, he is our eyes an eyes into the pair - Navarre and Isabeau. Broderick seems a bit awkward in his role at times. Hauer does have a commanding and intense presence as Navarre. Pfeiffer is lovely as the mystery lady, but not entirely convincing.

Tone is the biggest problem with Ladyhawke. It just can figure out what it is. There are some intense moments and nice, but lazily directed action sequences. There a some good comic gags too, but the film seems to meander towards an implausible conclusion. I think Donner would have been better to picked a tone and committed to it and Ladyhawke would have been a more well realized movie.

The Evil Dead

2008-03-27T12:13:00.001-07:00

The Evil Dead (1981)
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DaManincor, Theresa Tilly
Memorable Line: "We can't bury Shelly - S-She's a friend of ours."

To think that the director who brought you the Spider-man franchise got it his start with The Evil Dead. And it's not a bad beginning, but people watching The Evil Dead could never tell that the director of that film would ever go on to direct the amazingly good and lucrative Spider-man franchise.

Five college friends take a vacation to a secluded cabin in the deep woods and come face-to-face with a demon. That pretty much sums up the plot in a sentence, but there is more to The Evil Dead than that. They five discover a demonic book -- the Book of the Dead -- along with a professor's audio tapes detailing his unsettling experience with the book. Of course, the young people in the movie don't just decide to leave once the first few signs of evil appear, but like any Scooby-Do group of intrepid adventurers, they decide to dig deeper -- much to their disappointment and ultimate demise.

The Evil Dead was made on a shoestring budget and that's if you went out and borrowed the shoestring. The lack of a budget shows as times, but that's not to say that isn't any good because there are many inventive and chilling moments in the movie. For what they lack in money, the make up for it with energy and pace. There's a great deal of manic energy in The Evil Dead and it's the energy that propels the movie along.

Bruce Campbell headlines the no-name cast as Ash and this is the part that launched his career. The rest of the cast delivers some fairly uneven performances. But that isn't why most people come to see low budget horror movies is it? It's for the blood and gore and The Evil Dead has plenty of that.

Director Raimi is quite inventive with the camera angles and movement. At times, you'll not only get a little queasy from the graphic content, but a little motion sick from the camera movement. Raimi keeps the movie going by hook or by crook and the whole production seems to totter at times towards the brink of disaster. Still, The Evil Dead deservedly spawned 2 sequels and made a whole pile of money in video rentals and, if you're a horror fan, will provide you with a night of unforgettable entertainment.

Beverly Hills Cop

2008-03-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

Beverly Hills Cop (1986)
Director: Martin Brest
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Ronny Cox, Bronson Pinchot
Memorable Line(s): "This is the cleanest and nicest police car I've ever been in my life. This thing is nicer than my apartment."

In Beverly Hills Cop Eddie Murphy puts all his talent and charisma to work to make a by-the-numbers plot better, but just a little better.

Axel Foley (Murphy), a street-wise, inner city cop from Detroit, insinuates himself into Beverly Hills to solve the murder of one of his best friends. His street methods clash drastically with the staid native Beverly Hills cops and they try to send him packing, but he is able to teach them a few things about how to solve crime and wins them over. Axel ends up buddying up with two Beverly Hills detectives (Reinhold and Ashton) and they start down a trial to solve Axel's friend's murder.

It's been done before, but Murphy's charisma, at least at this point in his career, was able to make the film work and made it a big summer hit. There's not a lot new here. Murphy plays up his "blackness" amidst the sea of white folks, he show his street toughness with the criminals and makes buddy-buddy with his new friends teaching what street policing is all about.

Still, this was at the height of Murphy's super-stardom and it works for the most part. The direction is just above pedestrian and the actors all acquit themselves in likable roles. The movie did spawn a neat little musical hit called "Axel F" which played on the air waves about 6 months too long.

There are worst ways to spend a couple hours than watching Beverly Hills Cop, but you could find a better way to spend your time. Like picking a better movie.

War of the Roses

2008-03-17T18:20:00.001-07:00

War of the Roses (1989)
Director: Danny Devito
Cast: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny Devito, Sean Astin, Dan Castellanetta
Memorable Line(s): "How do you hold onto someone who won't stay? And how do you get rid of someone who won't go?"

War of the Roses is a dark, dark comedy. It has resonated over the years for me and still has the same disquieting effect.

Oliver (Douglas) and Barbara's (Turner) marriage goes south and while most divorces have some acrimony in them, this one is near nuclear. They begin to fight over the small things and this fight escalates until it becomes nearly lethal.

Douglas and Turner savagely eat screen real estate. The writing and direction are the real stars of the movie, though. Devito keeps the edge on every scene. You wait for it to let up and he takes you the edge of thinking that the movie will turn towards some sort normal path, but he retains his resolve and it stays in the dark till the better end.

Not for every taste, The War of the Roses is for people who want their comedy with a bite.

Silverado

2008-03-15T14:35:00.001-07:00

Silverado (1985)
Director: Lawrence Kasden
Cast: Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, Kevin Costner, Brian Dennehy, John Cleese, Linda Hunt, Jeff Goldblum
Memorable Line: "This used to be a peaceful town."

Silverado has just about every cliche a movie western could have -- cruel cowboys, oppressed settlers, a crooked sheriff, a stampede and heroes who can shoot straight and villains who can't. One of the villains even wears an eye patch. You'd think that all these hackneyed elements would lead to a real mess, but Kasden takes the best of these makes an enjoyable romp of movie.

Silverado features a quartet of main characters. Emmett (Glenn) is a cool and collected sort of cowboy who knows how to handle a fight and to avoid one and his brother, Jake (Costner) who is hot headed and quick to start a fight. Paden (Kline) is a man with past he's trying to put behind him, but just can't. Mal (Glover) is rarity in the west, a black farmer and cowboy who has to fight against racism and the cruel men who want to oppress others. All of these men start on separate paths, but due to circumstance end up banding together to fight to survive and overcome a common enemy - a patently cruel and arrogant sheriff (Dennehy) and his ruthless gang of deputies.

Kasden brings a modern sensibility to the genre and for the most part of the movie, it works. Silverado is more of homage to the western than a real western. Costner has a wonder "coming out" roll and really seizes it with a gusto that an audience is sure to enjoy. Glenn and Glover mirror each other in their roles and acquit themselves well and Kline has a downplayed role that works for the movie. The film is full of great supporting roles with John Cleese as a pragmatic sheriff, Linda Hunt as a saloon owner and Jeff Goldblum as a slick gambler in cohoots with the sheriff.

If you're looking for a enjoyable updating of the western, the Silverado is the movie for you.

Caddyshack

2008-03-14T07:37:00.001-07:00

Caddyshack (1980)
Director: Harold Ramis
Cast: Michael O'Keefe, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Ted Knight, Rodney Dangerfield
Memorable Line(s): "This crowd has gone deadly silent, a Cinderella story outta nowhere. Former greenskeeper and now about to become the masters champion."

A golf club for the upper crust. A caddy trying to decide if he wants to play the game and climb the ladder or be cool. A gopher who wants to take the course apart one burrow at a time. All these elements come together to bring us the hilarious Caddyshack.

Danny (O'Keeke) is a young caddy at an affluent golf course who must decide if really wants to suck up to the upper crust clientele just to get ahead. Judge Smails (Knight) leads Danny along, dangling the possibility of a golf course sponsored college scholarship. Ty Webb (Chase) is the slacker golf pro who tries to lure young Danny to not demean himself just for advancement. All the while this drama plays out, Carl (Murray), the crustygreenskeeper battles a gopher to protect the course.

Snappily written, Caddyshack crackles with manic energy. O'Keefe plays the straight man, but Chase, Knight, Dangerfield, and Murray bring the laughs in loads. Chase is in one of his better, less hammy roles. Ted Knight of Mary Tyler Moore fame is truly underrated and shines in the role as the pompous judge. Dangerfield plays to his strengths as Knights nemesis in the film. Murray almost steals the film as Carl thegreensekeeper. His portrayal is deliciously funny. He get some of the films funniest bits.

The script is full of quotable lines that will stick with you. Ramis knows how to move the film along and keeps the pace going to get us to the laughs. If you haven't seen Caddyshack, you're in for a real treat.

The Big Easy

2008-03-13T17:21:00.001-07:00

The Big Easy (1987)
Director: Jim McBride
Cast: Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, Ned Beatty, John Goodman
Memorable Line: "This is the Big Easy. Folks have a certain way o' doin' things down here."

Murder, intrigue and lust -- Cajun style.

I wasn't all that impressed with The Big Easy upon my initial viewing, but upon a new look, I can say that it fares well over time. There are some uneven moments, though.

The story follows the volatile uniting of a charismatic and free-wheeling cop, Remy (Quaid), and the repressed, yet attractive new district attorney, Anne (Barkin). Remy is a cop who plays it loose and easy. Anne is a by the numbers litigator. He's laid back and she's uptight. A match made in, well, in many movie scripts. In the midst of a murder case, they butt heads and he tries his best to woe her, but she initially resists. In the end, his charm his too much. Then the charm is broken when Remy is caught up in what seems to be rampant police corruption. He must face what he's become and she must find a way to reconcile her distaste of what he does and her feelings. And they both have to survive as their case blows up their faces.

There are some tonal problems in The Big Easy that noticeable. The film can't quite figure out what it is at times - thriller, sultry romance, or comedy and more than a couple times it looses its way. Still the center holds and the sparks do fly between Quaid and Barkin. The script is both witty and smart. I think the direction could have been a little more tight as some of the acting seems less than polished across all the performances.

Even with it's blemishes, The Big Easy is still a worth viewing.

The Fog (1980)

2008-03-12T09:03:00.001-07:00

The Fog (1980)
Director: John Carpenter
Cast: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Hal Holbrook, Charles Cyphers, John Houseman, Janet Leigh
Memorable Line(s): "To the ships at sea who can hear my voice, look across the water, into the darkness. Look for the fog."

There's a famous poem by Robert Frost with the line, "The fog comes in with little cat feet." In The Fog, the fog comes in and people die.

Antonio Bay is small, sleepy, coastal village with not a lot going on today, but with a dark secret in its past. Stevie Wayne (Barbeau) is a night DJ at a local radio station that is perched with a view over the ocean when she witnesses a large, mysterious fog bank coming in from the sea. Ships caught in the fog find their crews attacked by something in the mist. Citizens in the town run for cover. A minister (Holbrook) in the town knows the secret of the town's past and he know he is the next target for whatever is in the fog.

The Fog uses a similar style that director John Carpenter used effectively with Halloween. He spends a good deal of time setting up the story and telling us about the town and it's inhabitants. The slow build works effectively and Carpenter sustains the suspense through the middle of the movie, but then falls to a problem that would plague some of his future films -- he doesn't know how to finish a movie. By all accounts, Carpenter had a different ending, but the ending he did use seems forced and artificial.

Still, The Fog has enough going for it in the first two thirds of the movie to make it worth your time.

The Breakfast Club

2008-03-11T05:47:00.001-07:00

The Breakfast Club (1985)
Director: John Hughes
Cast: Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Paul Gleason
Memorable Line(s): "We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all."

Ask anyone who spent their teens or even early twenties in the 1980s and you're very likely to get them to admit that The Breakfast Club was a resonant movie for them. At least, at that time and place in their lives.

It's Saturday and five high school students find themselves in detention. They represent the disparate edges of high school life -- the jock (Estevez), the brain (Hall), the criminal (Nelson), the freak (Sheedy), and the socialite (Ringwald). Lording over them on this Saturday detention is their imperious, yet detached Principal (Gleason). It's is not a Saturday of heads down on desks to sleep away the day or Saturday to study or Saturday to goof off. It is day in which each of the characters must face themselves, face each other and learn to accept who they are.

The Breakfast Club is sort like The Big Chill for the teen set. For a teenage watching it in the 1980s, I would imagine that it was insightful journey of introspection. Looking from afar and over the years, it does seem like director/writer John Hughes may have overplayed his hand with the poignancy of the story. Still, I would imagine that this movie continues speaks to teenagers in their place of alienation and confusion even though the movie tends to be more fairy tale than reality.

Each of the actors has meaty roles as they get to explore teen angst and the class-war that is being a part of high school and the actors meet the task well. The script, though forced at times, works for the most part in getting the key points across, but really isn't a reality that too many of of lived. But who goes to the movies for reality? Reality is what we live day and day out. We go to the movies to escape. So, if it's a poignant tale of teen life in the 80's you want, The Breakfast Club has enough craft and talent to certainly meet your needs.

Hannah and Her Sisters

2008-03-07T10:46:00.001-08:00

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, Woody Allen, Max von Sydow, Diane Wiest, Carrie Fisher
Memorable Line(s): "What if there is no God and you only go around once and that's it. Don't you want to be part of the experience? What the hell? It's not all a drag."

Hannah and Her Sisters is one movie that's hard for me to be objective about because it's my favorite Woody Allen movie and that's because it balances out Allen's penchant for being a comedian and a nihilist all wrapped into one package.

Hannah and Her Sisters is an ensemble piece with multiple sub-plots running like crossing parallel lines. Hannah (Farrow) and her husband, Elliot (Caine), are one plot avenue. Elliot is infatuated with Hannah's sister, Lee (Hershey), who happens to be married to a reclusive artist and intellectual (von Sydow). The infatuation blooms to a full born affair. Hannah, self-reliant and independent woman, is left in the dark. Hannah has another sister, Holly (Wiest), who is ship looking for a direction and going in too many mis-directions. In the picture too is Hannah's ex-husband, Mickey (Allen) who is hopeless hypochondriac facing his own existential abyss, but offers the comic relief.

Probably one of Allen's warmest movies, he takes his usual cynical bite off the movie and gives us a rosier look on the human condition. (Especially when you compare it to his Crimes and Misdemeanors.) Allen lets the actors and the dialog carry the scenes with long takes and he uses small episodic segments to break the film into discrete sections that move the movie and the characters along. Caine is wonderful as the confused and conflicted Elliot. He is the pivot of the movie, but all the characters have their own epiphanies and all the acting is first rate all the way down to the supporting cast members.

From the description above, the movie may sound like a melodrama and it is a drama, but with Allen's typical skill, there's plenty of humor in there. Allen's own character, Mickey, provides the most laughs, but we also get to see his character go through his own crisis of faith.

In the movie going world, there seems to be those that love Woody Allen movies and those that don't care for them. For those that don't think that Woody Allen movies are for them, I would recommend giving Hannah and Her Sisters a chance and for those of you who are fans but haven't seen the movie, you're in for a real treat.

Big Trouble in Little China

2008-03-06T15:11:00.001-08:00

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Director: John Carpenter
Cast: Kurt Russell, Kim Cattrall, Dennis Dun, James Hong
Memorable Line: "This is Jack Burton in the Pork Chop Express, and I'm talkin' to whoever's out there."

Big Trouble in Little China is one of the movies that really got misunderstood by critics and some audience members. Part kung-fu, part comedy, and mostly funny, director John Carpenter has just a little trouble with mixing the two genres, but still delivers a decent comedy.

By just doing a little favor for a friend, blue collar trucker, Jack Burton (Russell), somehow slips from our world into a supernatural world in San Francisco's Chinatown in which he battles ancient oriental sorcerers, mystic creatures and whatever comes at him. The main nemesis is an immortal sorcerer, Lo Pan (Hong), who must marry a girl with green eyes to regain his mortal form. Unfortunately, this green eyed girl just happens to be Jack's friend's girlfriend and there's no way Jack can let that happen. No way at all.

Critics took this movie to seriously when it was released. Carpenter and his crew of screenwriters including W.D. Richter throw in every Kung-Fu cliche and make a pretty funny movie that certainly doesn't take itself seriously. Russell plays a laconic, street-wise, macho guy who's in over his head but with bluster and bravado somehow prevails against the immense forces of darkness that surround him.

If you're looking for a night of decent yucks, then Big Trouble in Little China is the right ticket for you. As long as you don't take it too seriously. I mean come on. Sheesh!

Crimes and Misdemeanors

2008-03-03T16:49:00.001-08:00

Crimes and Misdemeanors
Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Martin Landau, Anjelica Huston, Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Alan Alda, Sam Waterson, Jerry Orbach
Memorable Line: "If you want a happy ending, you should go see a Hollywood movie."

* Underrated and Overlooked *
Everyone seems to relate Woody Allen movies with neurotic and funny movies, but while Crimes and Misdemeanors is neurotic and has some funny moments, it is not a comedy. In fact it is a very dark movie, but that doesn't mean it's not good because it is very, very good.

The overarching questions of Crimes and Misdemeanors is how people can live with their sins.

The film follows a loose collection of people related by blood or relationship or work. The central character is Judah Rosenthal (Landau), a respected opthamologist, who has fallen into a long term affair with the wrong woman (Huston), Delores, a flight attendant who decides she wants and deserves more from Judah. For Judah, it was exciting and fun, but his life is his life and he wants to get back to it. Delores wants and demands more and this puts Judah in a tight spot. If his secret comes out, his personal and professional life could be ruined. He faces a decision and decides that he must protect his life at all costs and approaches his brother (Orbach) who stands on the other side of the law and asks if he could help him out of the situation.

Other plots in the movie includes Cliff Stern (Allen) a struggling documentary filmmaker, while he works on an esoteric project and also becomes infatuated with a young editor (Farrow). Thrown a project by family member as a favor, Cliff is forced to do a documentary on a famous but vapid TV producer (Alda). Another plot is Cliff's sister searching for a new man in her life only to have things go very wrong. Sam Waterson plays a rabbi who is going blind.

The phrase "It's always darkest before it goes pitch black" aptly fits this movie. The movies doesn't rub your nose in it, but where you may want to find the good in people and the hope in life, Allen's take on it is that for every silver lining, there is a dark cloud.

Crimes and Misdemeanors reinvigorated Landau's career and his performance is sublime. You feel his angst and his remorse. Huston is wonderful as the driven and almost obsessed lover. Allen has his character down pat and plays a variation on a theme character from his other films. Alda plays against type and nails the arrogant and self-indulgent blow-hard.

Not a feel good movie at all, Crimes and Misdemeanors is filled with allegory and it is probably the best blending of Allen's dark topic films and his off-beat comedies.

Dune (1984)

2008-02-28T14:48:00.001-08:00

Dune (1984)
Director: David Lynch
Cast: Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Linda Hunt, Brad Dourif, Richard Jordan, Jurgen Prochnow, Sting
Memorable Line: "God created Arrakis to train the faithful."

Dune taught me a valuable lesson in movie appreciation -- don't fall in love with a book and expect a film maker to make the movie you want made from it for you will surely be disappointed.

It's far into the future and the young Paul Atreides (MacLachlan) and his family, led by his regal father, Duke Leto Atreides (Prochnow), have taken over leadership of a far-flung desert planet, Arrakis, also called Dune. Arrakis, primarily a desert planet, is a key source of spice which is necessary for space navigation, therefore Arrakis is a pivot point for space trade and a much fought over planet. A coup for power erupts and Paul and his mother are forced to flee among the planet's native and savage people called the Freeman. It is here that Paul learns that he is apivotal figure in the planet religious prophecy and once enmeshed in his prophecy leads the planet and it's inhabitants on the path to revolt.

First, let me put forth my disclaimer; I'm huge fan of the Dune series of books by sci-fi and futurist, Frank Herbert. While this movie tries to capture the book and quite a few people who saw the movie without knowing the book felt like they needed a lexicon or guide from the book to understand the movie, this movie is one huge misfire. Humorless and self-indulgent, the movies shoots for some sort of high language and Gothic take on this high concept sci-fi epic series of books and misses terribly.

The actors have a huge challenge of getting in lock-step with Lynch's leaden vision of the movie. MacLachlan is quite wooden in the lead role and that doesn't help the movie at all. Sting is stuck with the thankless role of ranting and screaming his lines. While the cast brought some basic talent to the table, the direction of the movie basically wastes it.

To make matters worse, the special effects of 1984 were nowhere ready to pull of a movie of this complexity and depth. Many of the effects are almost laughable which is evidenced when the characters PaulAtreides has to ride a sand worm and the scene looks like a badly done back-screen scene from a '60s Beach movie.

I'm sad to report that I cannot recommend Dune because I'm such a fan of the books. With that being said, I think I can safely say that I'm objective enough to say that I can separate a movie from a book and this is a true disappointment as a movie. Try the sci-fi channel's version made years later and skip this adaptation of Dune.

An American Werewolf in London

2008-02-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Director: John Landis
Cast: David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter
Memorable Line: "The wolf's bloodline must be severed; the last remaining werewolf must be destroyed."

Imagine you're a fun loving college guy bumming around England with your best friend -- just looking for a good time. It's a dark night and you stumble into a rural inn with some sour and morbid looking locals who warn you to stay off the moors. "Stay off the moors" resonates with you for a moment, but you're young -- immortal and invincible. So, it's off you go and into certain doom. That's the introduction to An American Werewolf in London.

David (Naughton) and Jack (Dunne) are backpacking around England, having a good old time when they attacked by some creature on the moors. David is bitten and Jack is killed along with the creature. But now the creature isn't a creature, it's a man. David regains consciousness in a London hospital under the care of an attractive London nurse (Agutter). His wounds mysteriously heal almost overnight and although he's lost a friend, he gains a girlfriend in the nurse. Not all is well, as they say, as David begins to feel strange urges and things go from bad to worse when his friend Jack starts to haunt him from beyond the grave. Then comes the full moon.

An American Werewolf in London isn't the most polished production made and the directing is workman like, but there are moments in the movie that are truly inspired. The ghostly visitations by Jack are real highlights of the movie and there's a dream sequence not to be missed. Naughton (best known for a series of Dr. Pepper commercials) has charisma, but a more seasoned actor might have been better in the part. Griffin Dunne has a peach of a role as the ghostly Jack and he fills the character with a snarky brio.

An American Werewolf in London was produced at a time with special effects such as werewolf transformations were just revving up into a fever pitch, therefore the transformation sequences take center stage and actually slow down the pace of the movie for the modern film goer as these sorts of transformations are now common place. What I appreciate about An American Werewolf in London is the script. While not perfect, there are some moments in which Landis tries to de-construct the horror genre and seems years ahead of his time.

An American Werewolf in London is not for the faint of heart as it has some pretty gory moments. Landis lets a couple scenes such as a multiple car crash in Piccadilly Circus get a little out of hand, but still, I can heartily recommend An American Werewolf in London for those looking for a fun night of horror.

The Goonies

2008-02-25T08:26:00.000-08:00

The Goonies (1985)
Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Kerri Green, Joe Pantoliano, Robert Davi, Anne Ramsey
Memorable Line: "Down here, it's our time."

Some kids about to lose their home, a family of criminals, a monster, and a lost treasure -- the stuff that Saturday afternoon matinees we made of.

A group of misfits calling themselves the Goonies are about to be forced to move by a mercenary housing developer, when they come upon the chance to find a "mythical" treasure after they stumble upon a treasure map. It's their Holy Grail and although there's little chance of the finding the treasure -- left by no other than "One-Eyed Willie" -- they feel they have only once chance to save their homes. The big problem is that the path to the treasure leads to a house inhabited by a criminal gang of thieves and counterfeiters. The other problem being that they must get past all of "One-Eyed" Willie's bobby traps and then get out alive. Their biggest obstacle is believing in themselves enough to even try.

A huge hit for the kid demographic, this film seems schizophrenic in tone. At times, it seems to want to be a heart warming tale of this group of misfits and at other points it just devolves into sophomoric slapstick going for the lowest denominator laugh.

This is a Richard Donner film, but it was produced by Steven Spielberg from his original story and you can see his fingerprints all over it. At points, the directorial style borders on chaotic as it seems like the kids are ad-libbing dialog and actions. Now, for seasoned-pros like the cast of a Christopher Guest movie, this works, but these kids aren't always up to the task. With this being said, there's an undeniable energy and likability behind the movie. That's what saves this movie -- well, that and that it has a tremendous appeal to the 8-14 demographic.

The Goonies is a good Saturday afternoon movie to watch with your kids, but you will out grow it sooner, rather than later