Modern Girls (1986)

I love films of the 80s—the cheesier the better, but Modern Girls is one of the worst films I’ve ever watched. The bad thing is that it has all the potential in the world: hot girls, some good music (Depeche Mode), fast cars, and LA. Margo (Daphne Zuniga, Melrose Place), CeCe (Cynthia Gibb, Fame the series), and Kelly (the extremely talented, Virginia Madsen, Sideways) are twenty-something singles and roommates. This is one of the first 80s films I’ve seen that has three women as the main characters with a male sidekick. Clifford (Clayton Rohner, Just One of the Guys) is a nerdy, nice guy, who falls for Kelly. Cliffy, CeCe, and Margo spend an entire night chasing after Kelly, whose out on the town mourning her two-timing boyfriend. The best parts of the movie are the LA club scenes: the bar décor at Club Voodoo is outrageous and check out those crazy 80s outfits . . . ah, memories. During the course of the night, CeCe meets rock star Bruno X (also played by Clayton Rohner—I know, I know), and they fall crazy in love. Of course, these two lovers lose each other and we follow CeCe running into the streets and every club they pass, screaming for Bruno. Gibb couldn’t have struggled with learning her lines for this film, because she repeats them over and over again. Margo and Clifford hate each other from the start, but that is only a guise for how they truly feel. There are a few sort-of-funny scenes—like the food fight, but very few. As the film title suggests, this is an attempt to show strong, young women who can stand on their own two feet without a man. In the end, CeCe and Bruno X are reunited. Even though, this rich, “sexy,” rock star offers her the world, CeCe decides she likes her life just like it is, nixing the princely rescue for more wild and crazy nights with her friends. The retro clips of MTV are great. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_PPhc55TQU.

Big is about a thirteen year old Josh Baskin (Tom Hanks) who makes a wish to be big on a carnival wizard game, because he was humiliated while trying to impress a girl at the carnival and thinks that growing up will solve his problems. When he wakes up the next morning he finds out that he's grown to about 30 years old. A funny scene is when his mom freaks out at the stranger in her house that is actually her son. Josh has to convince his best friend the he’s who he says he is so that he will accompany him into New York City on a quest to find the carnival machine. Once he finds the machine he will hopefully be able to get his youth back. He finds that it will take a few weeks to track it down so he gets a job at a toy company.

I was very impressed with how well Tom Hanks was able to capture the child like innocence in his character. Everything from the way he carried himself to his facial expressions perfectly exemplified the spirit of a child. I loved watching this movie as a kid because I always thought it would be so cool to be an adult just for a few days. I also like how the film was able to reveal how adults could behave in places like the office if they had a pure heart like the heart of a child’s. I like that Josh has to navigate the adult world with the mind of a child. In doing so he realizes that he is missing the fun and struggles of being a youth and that a great part of his life would be missing if he were to choose to remain an adult.

Big is one of the greatest movies ever simply because of the idea of a kid trying to be an adult and an adult still trying to hang on to being a kid, and all that things that Josh gets to experience while doing that.

Revenge of the Nerds is the ultimate underdog story. The story begins with Louis and his buddy Gilbert leave for there first year in college. The two nerds both are eagerly entering their freshman year of college. As soon as they get there they are categorized as nerds and are kicked out of their rooms and must sleep in the gym with all the other nerds. A few of the boys decide to form their own fraternity, Lambda Lambda Lambda. Through the fraternity the boys create great friendships and get back at the Jocks that have made fun of them all their lives. In the end, the nerd gets the cheerleader and the guys come out on top.

Gross-out jokes, sexual situations, and all sorts of other crazed perversions fuel the entire film. The movie is a success because the cast is highly likeable on both the nerd and the jock side. Naturally the audience roots for the nerds because they are the underdogs but the crazed idiotic football players are also very fun to laugh at. The modern social class system is represented greatly in this film with the jocks being the hierarchy. This movie is appealing to a vast group of people because everyone knows what it feels like to be treated with disrespect just for being themselves. The film is packed with hilarious scenes including my favorite scene where the nerds perform a spectacular song and dance routine using computers and sound effects. This movie is a hilarious underdog story that everyone should see. Stay away from the sequels because nothing compares to the original.

Memorable Quotes:
Lewis: Jocks only think about sports, nerds only think about sex.
Stan Gable: What are you looking at, nerd?
Booger: I thought I was looking at my mother's old douche-bag, but that's in Ohio.
Lamar Latrell, Tri-Lam: Clap your hands everybody, and everybody clap your hands. We're Lambda Lambda Lambda and Omega Mu. We come here on stage tonight to do our show for you. We got a rockin rhythm and a hi-tech sound that'll make you move your body down to the ground. We got Poindexter on the violin, and Lewis and Gilbert will be joining. We got Booger Presley on the mean guitar and a rap by little ol' me Lamar. We got Takashi beating on his gong, the boys and the mu's are clapping along. And just when you thought, ya seen it all, along comes a Lambda four foot tall. So won't ya come on out here on the floor, so we can move our bodies, like never before.

Caddyshack is a 1980 U.S. comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis and Douglas Kenney. It stars Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe and Bill Murray.

Danny Noonan is a young caddy at Bushwood Country Club who has no idea about where his future will lead. His best chance at getting his life on track is to earn a caddy scholarship from Judge Elihu Smails, the owner of the Country Club. Al Czervik is a rude and eccentric millionaire who has interests in purchasing Bushwood. Judge Smails shows a quick disliking towards Al and soon there is a conflict between the Judge and Al, the Judge and Danny, and even between the Judge and Ty Webb the charming golfer who is slowly helping Danny figure out his real goals. Another less serious conflict in the movie is between Carl, the golf course grounds keeper, and an annoying gopher who chews up holes throughout the course. Rodney Dangerfield is definitely my favorite actor in the movie. His character is so outrageous and he keeps the audience guessing what he will do next.

This movie really tested the limits with many raunchy aspects. One of the great scenes is when the candy bar is put in the pool and everyone freaks out because they think it is feces! I love the snobs against the slobs aspect of the movie. All of the slobs are such eccentric characters and the snob members are so aggravating that its fun to watch the rebellious acts of the slobs. The film has a very antagonistic spirit, which appeals to all of the typical rebellious teenagers. Overall the movie is great because it provides the viewers with non-stop laughter and its mischievous feel appeals to a vast audience.

Back to the Future is a 1985 science fiction–comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg. It stars Michael J. Fox as teenager Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as mad scientist Doctor Emmett L. Brown. Marty is Sent thirty years back in time in a De Lorean time machine and accidentally interferes with his parents' relationship which forces him to make them fall in love, or he will never be born.


Back To The Future is such a creative and exciting film that it is impossible to forget about. I saw the movie when I was very young and even when I am flipping through the channels and its on I will watch it every time because I never get sick of this movie. The casting of every character involved was totally perfect, and the performances were fantastic. I really enjoy movies that make you think and any movie with time travel will definitely challenge the mind. After I saw this movie I began watching many other films that include time travel, one of them being Donnie Darko, which is one of my favorite movies. I have had long in-depth conversations about this film mainly because of the time travel aspect. Time travel is simply fascinating no matter what angle you look at it. The story is awesome, it is delivered cleverly and entertainingly, and the movie as a whole is just really fun to watch. I really love all the stereotypes that are represented by the characters. Naturally everyone loves to see the nerd knock the crap out of the big bully to save the girl he loves. That was always my favorite part because the film does such a great job of forcing the audience to absolutely hate the bully, especially when he is being sexually forceful with Lorraine.

The only complaint that I might have is that the film starts a little slow, but it gradually accelerates as it progresses. There are also a few aspects of the film that don’t add up but there always tends to be some unexplained holes in time travel movies. These are very small negatives that don’t take away from the overall impact of the film. Overall it will always be one of my favorite movies and I feel deeply sorry for anyone who has not had the privilege of watching this classic 80’s film.

Party on

License To Kill

License to Kill is a Bond movie made in 1989, starring Timothy Dalton as 007. Immediately this movie is different because we see James, not as 007, but as the best man at his friend, Leiter’s wedding, in Florida. When Leiter is badly wounded by being fed to a shark, and his wife is murdered, James decides to take the case, against the will of the American authorities and Her Majesty’s Government. His license to kill is actually revoked when he resigned from the government in order to take his friend’s case, his resolve is only strengthened when his other friend, Sharky, is also murdered by Sanchez’s people. For once Bond is not working for the greater good, he is working for his own personal vendetta. A recurring theme through this movie is Bond insisting on working on his own, and trying to push his friends away.

This time the bad guys are not Russian communists, this time Bond is dealing with drug dealers, while Sanchez is possibly Columbian he was working in Cuba so communism as evil is still a theme. Again with time the chase scenes and effects get better and more creative (although the computer was still laughable). One really interesting part of the plot was the way the drug lord, Sanchez, had so much power that what seemed to be a charity telethon on public TV in the Latin American city of Isthmus actually involved people buying drugs from him.

Of course just because he technically isn’t working with the British government, it doesn’t stop his friends, Moneypenny and Q, from coming to help him out. Q as usual provides a more lighthearted scene as he shows off the gadgets he brought for 007’s ‘vacation’. This time Q actually works in the field, rather than just providing gadgets for Bond. Unlike the first Timothy Dalton as Bond movie, this one has a strong female character, Pam Bouvier, and there is a somewhat weaker female character, Lupe (the girlfriend of Sanchez). In the end, not my favorite Bond movie, but still Bond can never be bad.

The Dead Zone (1983)

Today, Anthony Michael Hall plays in the hit TV series based on this 1983 psychological thriller starring the great Christopher Walken (Wedding Crashers). THE DEAD ZONE opens with schoolteacher Johnny Smith (Walken) driving home at night in the rain and fog and crashing into a tractor-trailer carrying milk.
In a coma for 5 years, Johnny awakens with the “power of second sight”. Whenever he touches people’s hands, he is able to see into their future. If he touches the hand of the deceased, he can see what happened to them. There are some really freaky scenes where he actually becomes a part of those visions—he is present while someone is murdered and sees the murderer’s face. People are afraid of him, and they think he is crazy. Johnny feels that his power is a curse, until he realizes how it can be a blessing in changing the results of the future. There are some visions that he sees but can feel something missing—that’s the dead zone. As his Doctor, Sam, explains it to him, “Not only can you see the future but you can change it.” That’s where Martin Sheen appears as a sleazy, dirty politician, Greg Stillson. (A total contrast to the moralistic Carl Fox of Wallstreet.) As Stillson shakes Johnny’s hand, his true political platform comes to light: Stillson is the next Hitler. Johnny decides that his power is a blessing after all, and sets out to change the future. At the heart of the story is the romance between Johnny and his ex-fiancée, who marries while he is in the coma. Both of them are still in love with each other, but unlike his ability to alter the future, he is powerless to change the past. Based on a Stephen King novel, The Dead Zone was directed by David Cronenberg (The Fly). Check out the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYHsEK_oTI8.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

This is the ultimate quintessential 80’s teen, high school movie. You get to see the stereotypes come into play, the raised sexual awareness of the generation, and the constant struggle between kids and authority figures. What more do you need in a film?

The film centers around a year in high school year focusing on the characters Spicoli, Stacy, her brother Brad, Rat, Mike, and Linda. During one of the first scenes we discover that Stacy, who is 15, is a virgin which is a shock to her older friend Linda. Linda then takes it upon herself to help set Stacy up with a cute guy who comes into the pizza shop they work in at the mall. The guy takes Stacy out, we learn that he is 26, and they have sex. This shows the promiscuity of the girls at Ridgemont High. We are next introduced to Rat, who is Stacy’s age and who has a crush on her. His friend Mike thinks himself an expert on the subject of women and helps him get a date with her, which ends up awkwardly. Rat is also a virgin and won’t sleep with Stacy which confuses her. Frustrated that Rat won’t sleep with her she ends up having sex with his friend Mike. Stacy gets pregnant and gets an abortion with the help of her brother, and none from Mike. When Rat finds out what has happened he and Mike get into a fight over her. They stop being friends, but since this is a great 80’s teen movie we know everything’s going to end well. Mike and Rat reconcile and Rat ends up with Stacy, with her realizing they don’t have to rush into anything.

The most famous character from this movie is Sean Penn’s Spicoli. His character is the stereotypic stoned surfer who couldn’t care less for school. He lives for the waves and doesn’t put effort into his schoolwork. Some of his best scenes are those in which he faces off against Mr. Hand, the history teacher who is convinced that all of his students are stoners, which in Spicoli’s case is true. There is also the memorable scene in which he totals Charles Jefferson’s (played by a young Forrest Whitaker) car, and to hide this fact from him he covers it in graffiti framing their rival school for the damages.

This movie is a lot of fun and while it may seem over the top and ridiculous it makes it all the better to watch. It’s a must see for anyone who enjoys 80’s teen movies, and if you don’t like them maybe watching this one will change your mind. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it was exciting seeing actors who have gone on to win Academy Awards for serious roles in such a carefree movie.

The Living Daylights

The Living Daylighs is a Bond movie from 1987, starring Timothy Dalton making his debut as James Bond. As with the previous Bond movies, Russia is the enemy and international security rests on the shoulders of Agent 007. Unlike For Your Eyes Only, I was not at all fond of the female character in this movie. Her character was basically there so that there would be some clues to go on in the beginning of the movie, and the rest of the time (when she is working with Bond) half her lines seem to be along the lines of ‘Oh! I thought I’d never see you again’ and then she’d run dramatically into this arms. And unlike Melina, from For Your Eyes Only, she can barely hold a gun, and when she gets mad at James she chooses to attack him with a pillow (okay she beat up one guy towards the end, it still doesn’t count that much since she was wailing for James three seconds later). Although my annoyance may also stem from her throwing James Bond out of an airplane and then almost flying that same airplane into a mountain . . . how do you not see a mountain? While that aspect made the movie a bit less interesting, the effects were admittedly better than the pervious movies (obviously since it had been six years). This time Q provided 007 with an interesting key chain that could not only provide stun gas, but could also cause an explosion large enough to blow open a safe; the key chain also came with a nice little key that could apparently open approximately 90% of the world’s locks, handy for when one ends up in handcuffs. This movie also had a fully equipped Bond car, complete with tires that can shoot lasers. Along with the typical explosions and chase scenes, quite a bit of this movie took places outside of the usual upper class areas where Bond normally works, so the movie had a bit of a different feel to it, even with all the typical bombs that come along with a Bond movie.

For Your Eyes Only

For Your Eyes Only is a Bond film from 1981, starring Rodger Moore as Agent 007. The movie starts out curiously in that we first find James at his wife’s gave, before he is quickly dragged back into his peril filled life. The title is interesting because it also appears on the file that James is given before his mission. It is a typical Bond movie with car chases, many explosions, an inexplicably complicated plot, fancy gadgets from Q, the overly burly but essentially brainless henchman, and some one line quips. This movie also has a common theme for the 80’s, the villain is always a Russian communist, in 1981 the Regan administration was in place and tensions between the USSR and the United States were high. Actually when the ‘bad guy’ has escaped Bond comments that he must be ‘halfway to Havana or Moscow by now’, which shows who the enemy countries were at the time. The movie also shows the typical fear of shark attacks as James and Melina frequently face the possibility of being eaten by sharks and a couple of henchmen are actually eaten by them. This could be because the movie is coming out only six years after Jaws. Considering the time period and the fact that it is a Bond movie, the female character Melina is surprisingly interesting, the movie begins with the murder of her parents, which is how she gets dragged into the plot. It turns out she is surprisingly capable with a crossbow, and shoots people with it quite often. She is out for revenge as she claims that Greek women are like Electra and always avenge their loved ones. All together the movie was entertaining, as always, although I will admit by the end I had forgotten what they were all fighting over to begin with, but that’s Bond for you.

Never Say Never Again

Never say Never Again is a Sean Connery Bond film made in 1983. This is Sean Connery’s last appearance as Bond, and technically the film is considered an unofficial Bond movie because it was not produced by the companies that normally produce the Bond films. The movie starts out with Agent 007 practicing a search and rescue mission simulation for the new director, who has suspended all the double 0 agents. Bond is then forced to attend Shrublands, which is supposed to be a health farm where 007 is supposed to be learning how to take better care of himself. Of course, being Bond, he gets himself into trouble and falls neatly into a plot from the secret terrorist organization SPECTRE. This organization has somehow reconstructed the eye of a member of the U.S. Air Force so that on a retinal scan it will read just as the President’s would, they place 12 (a.k.a. Fatema Blush) in charge of his ‘care’ until the operation is ready to go. Blush turns out to be a psychotic murderess who enjoys blowing people up, ironically that’s how she is killed later on. This movie has every typically Bond twist and turn you can think of, right down to fighting off assassins in a tuxedo. Interestingly, this movie was part of the ‘battle of the Bonds’ that took place in 1983, when both Never say Never Again (featuring the aging Sean Connery) and Octopussy (starring Roger Moore), the official movie from the Bond franchise were released in the same year. Ultimately Octopussy did better in the box office, but many fans still enjoy Never Say Never Again, even though the ending insinuates the end of Bond.

The movie is typically 80’s in that it dealt with terrorists stealing the nuclear bombs and somehow it was all Russia’s fault again. Interestingly there was no Bond car in this movie, but there was a Bond motorcycle, which seemed to work better for the car chase scene anyway. Bond had his fancy gadgets created by Agent Q, one of which being a pen bomb that he used to blow up Fatema Blush. Again as we seem to have seen with early 80’s movies (or even Bond movies in general) females are generally flat characters who are either evil or good and rarely in between (and if they aren’t central to the plot they die most of the time anyway). Still a Bond movie is a Bond movie, they are always interesting, with insane plots that no other action hero could pull off, and most of all they keep us entertained as we are dragged into the world of international espionage for two hours and thirteen minutes.

Spaceballs

“In a galaxy very, very, very, very, far away…” Mel Brooks, comic genius, has once again created a creative, hilarious spoof focusing mainly on Star Wars, but with a few other movies alluded to if close attention is paid. During the 80’s technology was improving and there were more science-fiction movies and shows coming out. So in that sense this is a distinct 80’s film.

The film follows Lone Star on his quest to bring Princess Vespa home safely in return for money to get him out of trouble with Pizza the Hut. Of course it’s not that easy since the Spaceballs are standing in their way, they wish to use Princess Vespa for leverage to get her father to give up the code for their planet’s air shield so that the Spaceballs, led by Dark Helmet and President Skroob, can steal all their air, having run out of it on their own planet. When of course the moment comes when it appears the Spaceballs are going to suck the air off of the planet the ship becomes a huge maid with a vacuum cleaner. As the bag fills up it’s Lone Star to the rescue as he uses the schwartz to reverse the vacuum to put the air back. He then of course must board the ship and fight the evil Dark Helmet to rescue the princess whom he ha fallen in love with. He brings her back to her wedding, doesn’t take the money, finds out he himself is a prince, and then makes it back in time to stop the wedding and they get married instead. If all of this sounds unbelievably cliché, well that’s the point. It doesn’t try to hide being cheesy and that adds to the humor of it.

I would recommend this movie, or any other Mel Brooks movie for that matter, to everyone. They’re funny, lighthearted, and well written. It spoofs on all the major themes of Star Wars and does a damn good job of it. Right down to the Princess Leia cinnamon bun hairstyle earphones.

Dead Poet's Society

“Seize the day, gather ye rosebuds while ye may.” That’s the message of this amazing movie.

The Setting – the stereotypical strict, prestigious New England Boarding school

The Catch – Mr. Keating (Robin Williams), a new teacher who’s gonna shake things up

This movie has stood the test of time because it’s easy to relate to the plot and the lovable characters. (With the exception of Cameron) The message of the film is to live each day to the fullest and to think for yourself, these are universal themes which won’t easily die between generations. The film doesn’t have the same hokey feel as some of the other 80’s teen movies we’ve watched, but it does have the two major themes occurring in those other movies. It has the teens, led by their captain, rebelling against the administration, and it also has the importance of friendship.

The film develops nicely, showing us the kids learning to accept Mr. Keating’s new philosophy and living their lives accordingly. We see them in the beginning, going through their boring, uniform classes and then entering into Keating’s class. They have no idea what to do with him at first, a strange teacher who whistles, asks to be called “Oh Captain, My Captain”, and has them rip pages out of a textbook, “It’s not the Bible, you’re not going to go to hell for this.” As the movie goes on they not only accept his ideas, but dive headfirst into them, following in his footsteps and recreating the Dead Poet’s Society. The boys each get something new out of his teachings; Neil decides to finally do something because he wants to do it, auditions for a play and gets the lead without his father’s permission; Charlie/Nuwanda uses the new confidence to rebel against the school’s policies and standing up for the man who has given him this new outlook; Knox is able to approach a girl he likes and has the confidence to read a poem to her and ask her out; Todd goes through a great change because of Keating’s persistent encouragement and Neil’s death so that he is able to stand up for what he believes in and leads the class in giving Mr. Keating a final salute. This movie works because it does not forsake the world outside of their enlightened group; their parents are more in the picture than in any of the other 80’s films, and not in a positive way. Their parents all want them to go in a certain direction, often forcing them into a field of study, and as in Neil’s case there are tragic consequences when the parents’ wishes are not carried out.

I love this movie for the story, the actors, and the passion which drives it. Robin Williams gives a brilliant performance as do the boys, all working off of each other creating great dynamics. While people may consider the ending to be too extreme or over the top, I think it can be justified with the plotline leading up to it. Neil was constantly restricted by his father, he learned to open his mind and think for himself, and just when he’s comfortable with who he is and has found something he’s passionate about he’s once again restrained. He sadly feels he has no way out and decides to end things. This event is a turning point because it is when the boys’ true colors come out with the administration blaming Mr. Keating for Neil’s death. Cameron is shown to not have understood anything, Nuwanda lets out his anger by punching him, Todd gains the courage to stand up to authority giving Mr. Keating a heartfelt goodbye, and the others follow suit. I would recommend this movie to anyone because it is truly great.

License To Drive (1988)

The Two Corey’s—it doesn’t get much better than that! Corey Haim and Corey Feldman team up again for License to Drive. Les Anderson (Haim) is preparing for the most important event in every young man’s life . . . he’s going for his drivers license. Everyone assumes he’ll pass including Les, who cruises into the exam with total cockiness. “Why don’t they just give licenses away,” he mumbles as he initially answers the questions with ease. One wrong answer blows his confidence and Les fails the test. The scene with the SCARY DMV lady is pretty funny.

Les decides not to tell anyone that he didn’t get his license, especially the girl of his dreams who calls, asking him to pick her up for a date. Mercedes Lane (Heather Graham) is wild, crazy, and beautiful. Les has his hands full trying to keep up with her all night: ex-boyfriend slapping, champagne drinking, car hood dancing. He’s in way over his head. Before the night’s over, Grandpa’s antique, baby-blue Cadillac (which was taken without permission) is ruined.
When Les makes it back home, his mother is in labor and dad’s looking for the Cadillac to get to the hospital. The battered caddy will only drive in reverse now, and Les redeems himself by showing off some mad driving skills as he gets him mom to the emergency room just in time!

The best scene is when Les’s dad allows him to drive, before he’s gone to try for his license, to take Mercedes home from school. His Dad had just been grocery shopping, takes all of the bags out of the car, and allows Les to impress her. Les promises to be just a few minutes. When he finally gets back, his dad is walking home, sweating profusely, and dropping groceries everywhere.

The film centers around Haim’s character, but Feldman offers great support as the “seize the day” best friend. In Ferris Bueller fashion, Les Anderson talks to audiences/the camera, too: “An innocent girl. A harmless drive. What could possibly go wrong?” And of course, the answer is everything. Corey Haim did an excellent job carrying this film— he was in his prime. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MdozlUSwhY.

Pump Up the Volume (1990)

We’ve all been there; you know what it’s like. You’re trapped in a high school where the faculty’s unfair, your parent’s don’t understand you and you swear that where you live must be the most boring place in the universe. That’s the situation that Mark Hunter (Christian Slater) finds himself in at the beginning of the film Pump up the Volume.

Just on the cusp between the eighties and nineties, Pump up the Volume takes on many of the same characteristics that the teen flicks we watched in class have with the dark side of eighties classic dark comedies like Heathers.

In this groundbreaking film Mark Hunter is faced with having just moved to a small town in the middle of Arizona from a big city out east. He was uprooted from his school and his friends and plopped down in the middle of nowhere, where the only thing to do is go to the mall. Luckily, he’s at one of the best school’s in the area Hubert Humphrey High School (HHH). But is this school really as dreamy as the high academic scores make it seem? Not quite. It’s warped with the corruption of the principal who in addition to being blind to the difficulties that face all teenagers expels students with no reason except that they might bring down the school’s ranking.

Mark decides to voice his opinion about the school and how life as a teenager just sucks on a pirate radio show under the guise of the hard talking pseudonym Happy Harry Hard-on (HHH). Unfortunately, inciting kids to take action and speak out against the wrongs that they see in the world doesn’t really sit well in this small Arizona town. And using a pirate radio station to start this uprising doesn’t really sit well with the Federal Communication Commission.

But remember, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t

"find your voice and use it! Talk HARD! "

Keep your eyes peeled for a cameo by comedy genius Seth Green.

Moonstruck (1987)

I full-heartedly believe that you should live your life full of passion. In my opinion, if you aren’t living every moment to it’s fullest and with the most intensity then you aren’t really living. That’s what the film Moonstruck is all about, living with intensity and passion.

This film is centered around Italian-bred Brooklynite Loretta Castorini (Cher) and her attempts at love seven years after the death of her first husband. Loretta, is your average Italian New Yorker. She’ straightforward, to the point, she doesn’t have time to deal with the folly of messy details like love and romance. She made an attempt at the “right marriage” once, seven years before the movie is set and it didn’t work out so now she thinks that she’s cursed. Therefore, when boyfriend Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello) asks her to marry him she says yes, but only because she isn’t in love with him. However, everything gets turned on its tails when Johnny has to fly to Italy to be with his dying mother and Loretta meets Johnny’s passionate and charming brother Ronny (Nicolas Cage).

At first, this movie seems to portray a bleak outlook on love. Romance seems to be tainted by cheating and curses throughout the film. When Loretta’s mother Rose (Olympia Dukakis) finds out that her daughter agreed to marry Johnny the first question she asks is “Do you love him?” But to Loretta’s resounding no she seems pleased saying, “Good, when you love them, they drive you crazy, because they know they can.” However, as Loretta falls for Ronny she seems to remember how important love is, and how falling in love can bring you back from the dead.

This movie is laden with Italian stereotypes that I find amusing, being heavily Italian myself, on my dad’s side.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) Amy Heckerling

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is the quintessential high school movie. We have all the classic characters, the stoner, the jock, the outsider, the creep, the new girl, and the best friend/mentor. Fast Times at Ridgemont High shows us a realistic perspective of high school, the good, the bad and the ugly. The themes in the movie deal with everything from after school jobs, crashing cars, smoking marijuana, strict teachers, first dates and abortion. Many of the subjects are risky, but the movie was a success in spite of it. This movie will hold up to the test of time because it doesn’t sugarcoat high school, and shows us as vulnerable and naïve as we all were at some point. There’s poor Ratner who is madly in love with Stacy, yet he doesn’t even know her. Stacy’s multiple sexual escapades, from losing her virginity to a much older man at a baseball dugout, to the awkward sex she has with Damone. When he completely ignores her afterwards and gets her pregnant, she feels extremely hurt. Thankfully, she has Ratner who still cares about her. Jeff Spicoli is the ultimate stoner. He continually butts heads with his teacher, Mr. Hand. Spicoli’s easy going attitude does not fit well with Mr. Hand’s strict rules. Spicoli doesn’t really care though, he is never in a bad mood and only gets upset when his brother comes into his room. Brad deals with the loss of his job and then with the challenge of finding another one that doesn’t make him go completely crazy. His personality changes from the outgoing, friendly guy, to a withdrawn one who just works a lot at a job he hates. This movie is a great 80s movie; it pushes the limits on the more controversial material and is really true to the lives of teenagers. I would recommend this movie to everyone because I think people relate well to it and will truly enjoy it.

St. Elmo's Fire

St. Elmo’s Fire (1985) Joel Schumacher

St. Elmo’s Fire is a movie about the lives of seven friends, Kirby Keger, Billy Hicks, Kevin Dolenz, Jules, Alec Newbary, Leslie Hunter, and Wendy Beamish. These seven friends are struggling with life after graduation and entering the real world. This movie has a lot of similarities to the TV show Friends, and the movie The Breakfast Club (it even has 3 of the same actors). All of the characters are extremely unique. There’s Kirby, the obsessed stalker, Billy, the bad boy, Kevin, the one everyone thinks is gay, Jules, the crazy, party girl, Alec, the one who has it all together, Leslie, Alec’s girlfriend and Wendy, the good girl and virgin. The group goes through love, heartbreak, different jobs, obsession, desperation, regrets, and helping a friend in need together. Kirby’s unhealthy obsession with Dale turns into him taking every effort to talk to her and eventually just stalking her. Billy is down and out, losing jobs, a kid and a wife. He’s the bad boy that breaks hearts left and right. Kevin is madly in love with his friend Leslie, who just happens to be in a relationship with his other friend Alec. Everyone just assumes Kevin is gay because he never pays attention to any girls. Jules is living life in the fast lane, and comes crashing down hard. Alec has everything together, he has a steady job, he’s becoming a republican and wants to marry his girlfriend Leslie. Leslie is unsure about wanting to get married to Alec, because she feels she has to have something for her self first. Wendy lives with her strict parents, she spends her time volunteering and helping those worse off than her. She’s still a virgin, but her parents are pressuring her to get engaged to Howie. The movie has a tumultuous plot line, with witty one liners. All the characters are so out there that there is one that everyone will relate to. The movie is a classic 80s movie from the music, to the themes it contains. The film stands up over time because of the relationships these friends have. The themes never get old and I think we’re all just trying to discover our place in the world. I would recommend St. Elmo’s Fire to anyone for a good movie that will warm your heart and make you laugh.

Spaceballs

Spaceballs (1987) Mel Brooks

Before we had Scary Movie and Not Another Teen Movie, there was Spaceballs. A parody of many popular films, Spaceballs never fails to take it to the next level. The plot of the movie circles around President Skroob’s plan to steal the air from Druidia. His plan consists of kidnapping Princess Vespa in a ploy to convince the King to give him the combination to the airshield. When Princess Vespa refuses to marry Prince Valium, she drives on off to outer space in her Mercedes with maid of honor, Dot Matrix, in tow. Dark Helmet spots her and the spaceballs go forth with their plan to try and kidnap her. Thankfully, Lone Starr and his sidekick Barf, are there to save the day and rescue the princess in the nick of time. Sadly, the spaceballs manage to kidnap her and then it’s up to Lone Starr to get her back. With the help of Yougurt, Lone Starr learns to use “The Schwartz” which in the end, helps him defeat Dark Helmet. The movie is a satire and spoofs many movies such as Star Wars, Flash Gordon, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Transformers, and the Princess Bride to name a few.[1] The movie also has a recurring theme of Jewish stereotypes and jokes such as: “the Schwartz,” Dr. Schlotkin, Princess Vespa’s nosejob, “A Druish Princess,” “Funny, she doesn’t look Druish,” “Druish princesses are often attracted to money and power, and I have both,” “Well it sure ain’t Temple Beth Israel,” to name a few. The movie also has many sexual references: “I bet she gives great helmet.” “Ohhhh, your helmet is so big!” “Oh, my God. It's Mega Maid. She's gone from suck to blow.” “You have the ring, and I see your Schwartz is as big as mine. Let's see how well you handle it.” “Say goodbye to your two best friends, and I'm not talking about the ones in the Winnebago!” “Shit! I hate it when I get my Schwartz twisted.” These are just a few of the sexual references. Spaceballs stands the test of time because of it’s offensive humor. Most comedians today use the same kind of offensive humor that Spaceballs started with. Just a few who come to mind include Dave Chapelle, Carlos Mencia, Dane Cook, Chris Rock, Steven Colbert, John Stewart. I don’t think Spaceballs is a distinctly 80s film because I think it breaks a lot of boundaries that most 80s movies don’t. It’s raunchy, offensive and extremely controversial. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is not easily offended and wanted a good laugh. If you enjoy South Park, Family Guy, Superbad, Anchorman and Scary Movie, you will enjoy Spaceballs.
[1] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094012/movieconnections

Scarface

Scarface

“Say hello to my little friend!” Scarface is the story of Tony Montana (Al Pacino), a Cuban emigrant who grows into a powerful drug distributor. He starts small and down at the bottom of the business and he has to survive extreme hardships and attempts on his life in order to become a powerful cocaine trafficker. However, as Montana’s jealous enemies and his own paranoia start to lead to the downfall of his empire. Eventually people break into Tony Montana’s mansion in an attempt to assassinate him. He, however, puts up a valiant, and coked up, fight against his dozens of intruders. Despite being shot many times Montana still manages to kill many people and shouts his famous line that is stated at the beginning of this piece.

This is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. By greatest what I really mean is masculine, the idea of doing coke, violently enforcing your policies, and shooting up anyone in your way is, to me, amazing. This movie has survived the years through its memorable quotes and detailed plot line. Also, the fact that tensions with Cuba and the drug issue have remained hot topics has kept Scarface a relevant movie. I would definitely recommend this movie for anyone who has the stomach to deal with some gruesome scenes.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0086250/

Rain Man

Rain Man is a film that was done in 1988, with (undoubtedly) Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman. It consists mainly of a rich yuppie (played by cruise) trying to connect with his severely mentally handicapped brother. The reasoning behind the needed friendship between the vastly different brothers relies in terms of materialistic values. Dustin Hoffman is the individual who inherited the money from their father's death, and Cruise (not even knowing he had a brother) is determined (employing ethical egoism) to get the money from his brother. Starting out the movie depicts Cruise as a greedy, selfishly motivated "brother" taking Hoffman as the passenger across the United States to the estate's attorneys. As the movie progresses, it turns from the sin of greed to the idea humanistic acceptance on Cruise's behalf. He changed from an ice-cold character, motivated by an estate inheritance, disregarding the emotional estate of his new-found brother, to a character of generosity, heart-felt feeling and logical reasoning. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, not just because it did the "normal" cinematic turn around of "everything ending up okay," but instead, it was the power of the acting that is seen by the audience through the character Hoffman takes on. I was completely astonished at the guy (Hoffman), who went from the "playboy" Graduate, to a emotionally invoking character, who is so vividly, and well portrayed on Hoffman's behalf. Truly, if it's not for the kinship that is displayed in the end (when Cruise gains custody of Hoffman's character), and the memorable "underwear" scene, I loved the level of natural talent and dedication on Hoffman's behalf that was displayed in this film. Simply moving.

Top Gun

The 1986 film Top Gun, stars the 80's man himself: Mr. Tom Cruise. Joining alongside Cruise's flight training is Val Kilmer as The "Ice" Man and Anthony Edwards as "Goose." Basically, the film is an over-amped version of an earnest American symbol of pride and masculinity. I was watching the film, thinking to myself how weird it was to see the cinematic ideas of what flight school is and what flight school should be. My father was in the Air force and I questioned him on the naturalism of this movie--his reaction was completely in agreement with mine...it was just another blockbuster formula. The idea of going through training, flying, losing a friend (goose), gaining the respect of a competitive comrade (ice) and on top of all that--Cruise manages to find a beautiful woman to fall in love with. The cohesive elements of the film just don't make sense. But it's fun to watch, knowing that the glue that held this film together in Cruise's hay-day has now lost it's "stickiness" because he has been jumping on to many couches.

Although, I do have to say there are some pretty memorable shots in terms of the utilization of special effects with the fighter jet scenes and the nostalgic feature of "American Pride." I mean, I can't really say sappy love scenes and unconventional male bonding over a little game of volleyball are really my thing; but the sound-track is a different story.

Anthem

"Take My Breath Away"

Heathers

Heathers is a 1989 film starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, and Shannen Doherty. Basically, the movie revolves around four best friends (three of which are named Heather) that are wrapped up in the world of malicious adolescent extremes. The movie is considered to be a black comedy, and simply stating has issues that directly deal with manipulation, sex, scandal, and even murder. Basically, it takes the idea of high school drama, and pushes the envelope to extreme measures. The movie takes ideas of "mean-spirited" attributes to a new high--achieving the most dominate of social hierarchy by utilizing sex appeal, peer pressure , the prominent desire (stemming from outsiders) to be accepted by the "popular" kids. With controversy and domination the plot line, the movie ends up taking a turn towards the demented side with the coaxing of an "accidental" killing; therefore spurring a slew of repeated mimics of suicide attempts, etc--all for the price of being "accepted." It seems like this "acceptance" policy is something that is a running theme in many teen movies. This need for social praise seen in Heathers, seems to be directly correlated to a newer movie which portrays the manipulative qualities of "four" best friends: Mean Girls.

The "cat-like" qualities girls invoke can be compared in these two clips from each movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ-3rikUQ34

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxf3RZ-3GD8

My innate reaction was to think that Mean Girls is the Heathers of my generation. Granted, because Mean Girls is directed towards more a "kid-friendly" crowd, it still employs the psychological manipulation and constant striving for social acceptance many adolescent-based films incorporate. But frankly, what was the most disturbing was to see Heathers take the domination to the extreme, which interestingly enough, made it that much better of a movie--there was always a way to "one-up" the influential reasonings the popular crowd had, and a shift in ethically acceptable lies to unsound righteousness for murder.

Coming to America

The first movie I watched was Coming to America by director John Landis. It is a comedy filmed in 1988, starring the outlandish Eddie Murphy. He played an African prince of a fictitious country. His character is spoiled by the riches of his family, and therefore does not know anything about what can be deemed as the "real world." Eddie Murphy's character has every need/wish granted at every moment, therefore producing a feeling that there is a lack of "substance" in his life. This idea is further seen when Murphy ventures into America (the main plot of the film) to find a woman of marriage quality; which is not like the subordinate women of his home country. I found it rather interesting that when someone (Murphy's character) of such stature and protected-elite upbringing is even depicted as a person who is having inner conflicts between the morality of his ethical foundations. He could, for instance, have found nothing wrong with the "mindless" bride-to-be his parents presented him with; but instead chose challenge the thoughts of his prestigious family--venturing into a world of havoc. The film portrays the problems prince Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy) has adjusting to America, and turns the idea of a non-worldly individual into scenes of comedic laughter (ie. the scene with the curly hair gel). I also would like to point out how the ideas of cultural relativism come into play as a strong theme throughout this movie. Although Murphy's quick remarks and angles on comedic scenes are unprecedented; it is eerie to see the effects of such an "outsider" trying to adjust to chaos that is New York. The whole movie is about Akeem's plight for a "normal" wife, while he tries to adapt to the cultural "melting pot." The only thing that really did disappoint me with the film was the choice of employment for Murphy's character: a fast food joint. The restaurant was made to be a private business competitor with the globalized chain that is McDonalds. I know the choice to place his character in such a position was because they wanted to take him out of his "comfort zone" and have Eddie's character being the call-slave to others, since he had probably never been in that position before in his life. But honestly, could we represent the stereotyped trends of obesity in America any better? Maybe I have to take a step back and realized that it was filmed in 1988, but still, couldn't he have worked at some where else of servitude characteristics--like a clothing store? But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Great comedic timing, and a plot that asks, "what more could he really not know?"

How I Got Into College

This movie follows the life of high schoolers trying to, as the title suggests, get into college. Specifically it follows Marlon Browne (Corey Parker) a struggling student attempting to go wherever his significantly smarter crush, Jessica Kailo (Lara Flynn Boyle) goes. However, there are smaller stories to those of athletes and low income students who are all trying to get into the prestigious Ramsey College. They go through the whole painstaking process of attending college fairs, the visits, the interviews and the crunch time applications. The story also looks at the job of those who examine the application in the admissions department of Ramsey College. Kip Hammett (Anthony Edwards) is the caring officer who connects with the students and tries to look beyond the numbers a school that is obsessed with SAT scores and GPA’s. Through hard work, persuasion and a little bit of trickery Marlon, despite his lackluster numbers, and Jessica, despite almost crumbling under the stress both manage to get in. Meanwhile, for discovering such “hidden gem” students Kip defeats the traditional recruiter and becomes the Dean of Admissions.

` This was not nearly as good a choice as my previous movies. This tried desperately to compare with the classic 80’s teen movies like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Breakfast Club, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High but it failed miserably. The humor was so off the wall that it was very hard to take the plot seriously at all. I did not care whether the main characters got accepted or not because I was to busy wondering how they got the whole marching band to the college fair. Sure, the movie touches on a subject that I went through and teens will go through for many years to come, but I really did not connect to the characters. All the plot lines were annoying and took away from the main story. We here are sorry to inform you that this movie is bad.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0097530/

The Terminator - 1984

In 1984 James Cameron brings science fiction and action movie addicts the film The Terminator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. This film will later become a cult classic for the science fiction and action world. An important film to the 80’s because it opens doors to new technology and raises the bar to what special effects are all about. The Terminator is a story following Sarah Connor, the woman who’s son who is not born yet is the worlds only hope for the world to survive beyond the year 2029. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character is a machine sent back from the future to destroy Sarah Connor and her only line of defense is Kyle Reese played by Michael Biehn, a soldier sent back by Connor’s not yet born son to protect Sarah Connor.
This film had more of a plot to it than it seemed to have when first watching the film. Although the plot is more in depth than it seems to be at the beginning, the film is still fairly easy to follow. By the end of the film I thought of it as more of a psychological science-fiction than more of a science fiction action film. I thought the film was fairly good, but I believe that it would not have the same impact in 2007 as it did in 1984. Arnold fits perfectly with the character that he plays, he doesn’t have to say much and just plays a built up killing machine.
The Terminator is a distinctive 80’s film especially when you notice the shady cinematography and the cheesy special effects. Although the special effects were innovative for the time, they do not hold up in 2007. I would recommend The Terminator to anyone who would want almost get too involved in a film that is not worth it.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JTR6PhjbxYc for a sneek peak

Dead Poets Society

“Oh Captain, My Captain!” This proves to be the rallying cry for a group of young men who had their mind liberated by a unique professor, John Keating (Robin Williams). The group of boys, who attend a very strict and traditional prep school, are told to do things like stand on the teacher’s desk and rip pages out of books, not traditional things. The group, led by Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard), decides to restart a secret society that Keating had started when he attended school there. All the boys are greatly affected by the professor Knox Overstreet (Josh Charles) stand up to his fears and pursue the love of his life. Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawk) starts to get over his fear of public speaking due to the teachers methods. However, Neil is the most changed, he stands up to his father and participates in the school play. When his father bans him from his acting dream and says he is going to force Neil to change schools Neil kills himself. The school’s administration quickly blames the out of place professor for the incident, and he is fired. As Keating is leaving the classroom Todd Anderson truly comes out of his shell as he stands on his desk and yells “Oh captain, my captain.” The movie ends with many kids doing the same.

Again, I decided to watch a very good movie. It definitely is still accurate today in the fact that classes and teachers can struggle very hard, but it takes a very skilled person to truly connect with kids. I do not know the pressures of my parents having my life planned, but I would imagine it is very stressful and can lead to some extreme outbursts like the one portrayed in the movie. It is definitely a great movie, so my advice, Carpe Diem, seize the day, watch this movie

http://imdb.com/title/tt0097165/

Blade Runner (1982)

"Describe in single words only the good things that come into your mind about... your mother."

As best as I can tell, Blade Runner is about a cop named Deckard (Harrison Ford) who is employed to hunt down robots which have evolved to the point of feeling human emotion rather than simulating it, and therefore can become dangerous and irrational. The robots, known as Replicants, look, act, and talk exactly real humans, and after a riot, it became known that the robots had developed the ability to think. Deckard, as a Blade Runner, must hunt down all the remaining Replicants and destroy them so they cannot mimic dangerous human emotions.

The movie follows Deckard as he chases 5 off-world mining Replicants through the gritty, decadent world of Las Angeles. The world is portrayed as dark - smog fills the skies 24 hours a day. Children beat people in the streets, sin is the city's biggest business, and animals no longer exist - they are crafted. The wealthy have all left for nicer planets.

This movie contains a lot of symbolism, and borrows heavily from Isaac Asimov’s Robotics books, along with the movie's source material "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" I personally found it incredibly slow and faintly rehashed. I was constantly reminded of films that used the same inspiration and used it to grander means, such as Ghost In The Shell (1995) and Avalon (2001)

The acting is poignant and powerful, although Harrison Ford seems almost over-the-top at times. (It's welcome though, because its an action movie and I was falling asleep). I liked the twist at the end where the director leads you to think if whether or not Decker himself is a Replicant. If more movies ended like this, maybe cinema could be an art form again and not merely a media outlet. An excellent speculation on what it means to be human.

Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters:

“Who you gonna call?” GHOSTBUSTERS! is a great movie. The story follows Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), who studies the supernatural. When he and his partners Dr. Raymond Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) and Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis) are kicked out of the university for studying such a “useless” field they set up a Ghostbusting business. They quickly become celebrities because of an increased amount of supernatural activity in New York. Their first customer’s, Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver), problem proves to be a portal to the other side. When the EPA attempts to shut down the Ghostbusters all the ghosts are released and the portal is blown open. In order to defeat the ultimate supernatural being the Ghostbusters have to “cross the beams,” which they have been told never to do, but Dr. Spengler assures them “there is definitely a small chance we will survive.” Through a large explosion the supernatural beast is defeated and order is returned.

There is a reason that Ghostbusters is considered a classic movie and is still referenced to this day. It is a great movie with a mix of action, comedy and romance that is very hard to do, much less do well. This movie has endured the test of time and has remained influential. It is still referenced and joked about currently. To this day if you pull out your phone and someone asks who you are going to call you are hard pressed to not hear a voice say “Ghostbusters.” This was a movie I had been told to watch many times and now that I finally have I will be the one doing the persuading.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OVahVLJzrVQ

Annie (1982)

The timeless tale of the red-headed sweetheart Annie was made into a movie in the 1980's. The movie was filled with singing, dancing and a warm and fuzzy ending. Although the film was a little on the corny side, it is one of those classics you just can't turn off.

The movie stars an orphan named Annie who, along with all of her orphan friends, dreams of nothing more than to become adopted. Their heatless caretaker, Ms. Hannigan, despises each of the orphans and tries her hardest to make their lives miserable. For reasons unknown, Ms. Hannigan has it out for Annie and loathes her more than any of the others.

The story line really takes off when a wealthy man by the name of Daddy Warbucks decides he wants one of the orphans to live with him for a bit. His assistant, Grace Farrell, comes to the orphanage. Out of all the girls, she chooses Annie to come stay at the mansion. The plan is for Annie to only stay for two weeks however; Grace, Daddy Warbucks and the rest of the people at the mansion fall in love her and decide they are going to adopt her. Just when you think Annie's dream is about to come true, Ms. Hannigan intervenes. She plots to steal Annie along with her accomplice, Rooster.

Like any classic, the end results in favor of the beloved main character. Annie, Daddy Warbucks, Grace Farrell, and the rest of the staff at the mansion overcome Ms. Hannigan and all ends wonderfully. Annie is finally adopted and leads the life she had always wanted.

I don't think this film was distinctly a 80s film. Although certain clothing and hair styles were portrayed throughout the movie, I think it could have taken place at any time and still have had the same affect. I would definitely recommend it to others. It is a timeless tale that captured the hearts of many back in the 80's and still continues to do so today. Here is one of the famous songs in the movie http://youtube.com/watch?v=7yywaoba1Io take a look!!

Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters

In 1984 one of the best movies ever made was released, the first Ghostbusters. I highly recommend this movie if you haven’t seen it, which should be considered crime. It was one of my favorite movies when I was growing up and still is. There was never a dull moment because the movie had the best of both worlds, action and a comedy. The action scenes were awesome. The ones in particular, which stood out, were when slimmer was first introduced and when the sky began twisting and turning ominously. However, the best scene without a doubt in the flick is when Marshmallow Man came storming through New York City. Marshmallow man is by one of the most badass bad guys ever. Some of the comedic scenes were pretty funny, especially when Slimer spit all his green spit all over the Ghostbusters. The cast itself was pretty good you had Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray, Rick Moranis and Sigourney Weaver. As good as the cast was, it’s what helped make the movie a distinctly 1980’s film. Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd and Rick Moranis were at the peak of their comedic careers. Sigourney Weaver’s career skyrocket after this movie. Even the theme song from the movie has electronic beats in the background, which was typical of 1980’s movies. How can you not like the Ghostbusters? They have a cool office in an abandoned firehouse, a sick car. However, best of all the badass weapons like the backpack with the laser gun to hold the ghosts in place and the ghost trap. There is no reason for you not to watch this movie.

Robocop

Robocop 1984

Robocop was overall a decent movie, not great but not terrible. As well, there wasn’t a single noteworthy actor within the entire cast. The movie stood up over time because there were certain scenes, which were very entertaining. One scene in particular is when Robocop raids the drug factory. At the same time, there were also scenes, which were used to fill the story line for example when he was damaged and lying on the table in the lab.
The 1980’s were known for attempting to portray what the future had in store and this movie was no different. Robocop was designed to portray the future of law enforcement. He was made out of metal, and had an extensive computer system installed into him which included tactical weapons such as night vision. In the 1980’s the use of illicit drugs was becoming a widespread epidemic, especially the use of crack cocaine. Also, in the drug ridden 1980’s the famous slogan “Just say no” was born.
A drug was created in the movie to predict what future drug use would be like. There is a constant theme within the movie and it is good triumphing over evil. However, the theme is not only the police defeating the criminals, it’s also the police prevailing in the war on drugs. The excessive use of action scenes was used to subtly to portray the message about the drug use in an urban environment and also that crime never pays. All in all, this movie had the subtleties of politics intertwined with action.

Major League

Major League

The movie Major League follows these “baseball players ”through tryouts for the Cleveland Indians. It is by far one of the funniest sports movies I have ever seen. Through the entirety of the movie there was never a dull moment. Some of the funniest scenes from the movie were when Willy Mays Hayes attempted to slide into second base but came up way short and when Roger Cedeno hits the bird and runs out to make sure it’s alive and is tagged out. The actors, the music and the clothing style are typical of the 1980’s era. Charlie Sheen aka Wild Thing was in the prime of his acting career during the decade along with Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and Rene Russo. In the 1980’s a hit song came out titled Wild Thing and it became a vastly popular song and it became Charlie Sheen’s nickname in the movie. Fashion in the 1980’s was absolutely ridiculous. This is no different for the movie Major League Willy May Hays has the gangster gold chain; Wild Thing has his ripped up leather jacket and the lightning bolts shaved into his hair. Tom Berenger dresses as any older man in the 1980’s would; loafers with jeans, a button down dress shirt and sport coat.
If there was to be a main theme surrounding the movie it would have to be the Cleveland Indians putting aside their differences and becoming a team and the end result is more than satisfactory.
I would definitely recommend this movie to everyone, not just sports fans because it is a hilarious movie.

BIG

BIG

In 1988 a classic was born and it was titled BIG. It featured a soon to be very well known and respected actor Tom Hanks. There’s absolutely no reason for anyone to have not seen this movie before, and if you haven’t it’s a crying shame and you should see it. I was never bored while watching the movie because of the two elements, which were included: comedy and drama. One of the most dramatic and memorable scenes in the movie is when Josh wishes to be big at a magic teller machine, and the wish actually comes true. It’s also a very unique scene because it plays against the cliché of everyone wanting to go back to his or her childhoods. Also, another dramatic scene is when Josh realizes that it’s not fun being an adult because there’s too much responsibility. When Josh is dancing on the huge piano keyboard in FAO Schwartz in New York City it was by far the funniest scene in the entire movie.
The underlying theme throughout the movie is the idea of growing up to fast. Even though Josh’s wish was granted, it’s ironic how the next morning he is an adult because it’s showing how fast the progression is from youth to adulthood. Also, it’s contrasting the two different worlds; as a child it’s care free and as an adult there’s many responsibilities. However, the movie also proves that we will always have our inner child.
The fashion, the video games, FAO Schwartz, New York City and Tom Hanks are all characteristics of a 1980’s flick. The Nike sneakers Josh is wearing were standard for stylish people in the 1980’s and the leather jacket his friend Billy wears with the patches all over it was typical for punks in that era. Josh had all of the video games that were necessary in the 1980’s, which would be awesome to have. FAO Schwartz is the toy store of toy stores and it was very popular to shop there in the 1980’s. New York City during the decade seems to be the most popular destination for films and it’s due to the high tourism rate to the city as well. This was the era when Tom Hanks began his long, continuing acting career.
You really have to watch this movie, it’s a guaranteed winner.

Top Gun

Top Gun

The movie had two things that made me enjoy it so much; the cast and the incredible jet fighting scenes. Tom Cruise plays the cocky jet fighter pilot with the pilot name of Maverick extremely fitting as he is the wild stallion of the movie. Goose, played by Anthony Edwards, is Tom’s best friend and co-pilot; they enter the elite jet fighting school Top Gun together. Val Kilmer plays Iceman, Maverick’s competition in the beginning of the film. Tom Cruise’s love interest in this movie is Kelly McGillis who plays one of the flight instructors at the Top Gun school.

I found myself becoming emotionally attached to the characters as Goose’s final scene hit me hard, I almost felt as though the movie shouldn’t continue similar to Tom’s attitude to flying after the incident. I remember being completely obsessed about jets when I was in grade school, but unfortunately I was unable to see this movie then because it was R. If only I had seen this movie then I probably would have joined the Navy by now. Maybe that was a good choice by the parents. The film continues with Maverick staying in the flight school, after he overcomes some of his guilt. After Tom graduates the flight school there is one final aerial battle that has such intense dog fighting scenes I don’t think any other film could match it.

Top Gun has one of the best theme songs; Danger Zone. The song is a serious hit and goes along perfectly with the film. Add in the aviators and you have yourself a great 80s action film.