Space Camp

Space Camp offers one of the most dated 80s pictures of technology, almost relic-like with its "state of the art" robot and machinery. Set in Nasa in the 1980s, the story follows a group of kids enrolled in space camp who are accidentally launched into space with only the help of a seasoned pilot, Andie Bergstrom (Kate Capshaw), as their supervisor.

They are all at space camp for different reasons, but placed on the same team and become friends accordingly. Their drills at Nasa, however, leave something to be desired, as each team member fails at a task and is chewed out by Andie at some point in time or another. She isn't great with kids or thrilled to be at camp, as she was passed over as the next astronaut to go up in space and thus stuck doing camp.

They face many obstacles which force the kids to learn to work together as a team. Everyone brings unique qualities to the floor-- whether it's Kathryn Fairly's (Lea Thompson)knowledge of piloting, Tish Ambrosei's (Kelly Preston) photographic memory, Rudy Tyler's (Larry B. Scott) science knowledge, or youthful Max Graham's (Joaquin Phoenix) size. Notably, they have to figure out how to obtain more oxygen, as their level is too short to allow them to land back on earth.

The movie's dialogue is laughable:

Kathryn: Why are you so hard on me?
Andie: Because someday, you're goin' up. But the only way that will happen is if you have every drill here down better than everyone else. There's no room for mistakes. Every 'i' dotted, every 't' crossed. That's the way I learned it. That's the way you'll learn it. You copy?
Kathryn: I copy.


Andie: Hideo Takamini... HIDEO TAKAMINI?
Kevin: Right here!
[holding up a stolen nametag]
Andie: Hideo Takamini?
Kevin: Well actually it's pronounced "Kevin Donaldson."
Andie: I don't have a "Donaldson."
Kevin: Well, you have one now.

Andie: So what brings you to space camp?
Tish: Well I did this audit at GPL on Radio Astronomy; it was unbelieveable! I mean can you imagine an extra terrestrial disc jockey? I mean like listening to radio waves from space? I mean like waiting for signs of intelligence?
Andie: ...Like I know the feeling.


The movie's plot is laughable, the movie's dialogue is laughable, and the movie itself? should be avoided.

Top 40 Films Right Here

Check out this list of greatest 80s films.

Platoon

Caution: This film is not for the faint of heart.

Oliver Stone's, Platoon (1986), transports the viewer into the jungle of the Vietnam war in the year 1967. The film focuses on the experience of Chris Taylor, an intelligent young man who, despite his parents wishes, dropped out of college to serve his country. However, what he found in Vietnam was far from what he had imagined. Stone does a fantastic job of depicting the horrors of the Vietnam War and the reality that sometimes the toughest enemies are your own men.

The film is obviously not set in the 80's, however it stars some big 80's actors, such as the young Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, and Forest Whitaker. The subject of the Vietnam War, which was considered to be taboo in the 1970's, came to prevalence in the 1980's with films like Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, and the Missing in Action trilogy. The film purposefully focuses on the negative aspects of the war, such as war crimes and the deplorable conditions in which the soldiers lived, in order to convey a disdainful message regarding war. Despite the bleak nature of the film, it remains to be one of the most influential war films of all time.

I would not recommend the film to anyone with a weak stomach or sensitivity to violence, however for advocates of films such as Saving Private Ryan and The Patriot, this film is for you.

Going into “Overboard”, I didn’t think it looked like that good of a movie but I was curious to see a film with Goldie Hawn especially the one where she supposedly fell in love with Kurt Russell. Yet, right from the beginning I found myself really enjoying this funny and amusing love story between two opposites. Goldie Hawn was great as Joanna/Annie, starting off as an obnoxious, spoiled yet highly amusing bitch Joanna. Yet by the end of the film, you were convincingly able to see how Joanna became the lovable and good-hearted Annie after falling overboard a boat and suffering amnesia. The idea is a little far fetched but so was the other 80’s Gary Marshall film “Pretty Woman” where a wealthy man fell for a hooker. It between the classic mean girl turned good transformation, the film kept things light and interesting as Kurt Russell’s character Dean, her carpenter who despised her, and his four mischievous sons tricked and harassed Joanna/Annie, while convincing her she’s their wife/mother, into doing stuff that her old self, would never be caught dead doing. Some funny examples were her sawing wood and almost burning the kitchen down making dinner. It’s hard at first to decide who to root for as Joanna was first a huge bitch but you can’t help feel bad for her while Dean puts her through hell. Yet, of course she adapts and not only obviously falls in love with Dean but his motherless children as well. The love story was believable because it took a while for the sparks to fly with Joanna/Annie and Dean because clearly they had to search for the good in each other which of course they brought out. The film even made the audience love the, at first really annoying, four kids and I’ll admit had me in tears in the scene when chasing Joanna/Annie’s leaving limo at the end calling for her as their mom. The legend with jumping into the ocean and swimming to ones true love was also a cute touch and made for a cheesy yet needed romantic ending which no audience can resist. Even though I could probably not pass up the opportunity to live on a yacht, I would easily and surprisingly choose the poor but charming Dean over the rich but slimy Grant, who was played by the grandfather from “Gilmore Girls” who always plays rich so well. Yet, in the ultimate happy ending, Joanna/Annie doesn’t have to settle at all because she remembers that all the money belongs to her. All in all, this was a pretty good romantic comedy because it made you laugh, cry and fall in love with the characters too, even if it was a little cheesy but all the best ones usually are.

We're the girls from Beverly Hills, Shopping is our greatest thrill!

Immediately when I started watching “Troop Beverly Hills” I saw my own mother in the main character Phyllis Nefler. Not only because she is also a fabulous shopper who’s sense of style outweighs her wilderness skills or sense of direction but because like Phyllis, she may do things a little differently yet she still has good intensions and always accomplishes her goal. Even though Shelley Long was playing a typical Beverly Hills housewife as Phyllis Nefler, her character was surprisingly very lovable and fun. The film had fun with some stereotypes of rich people and Beverly Hills like how Phyllis is obsessed with shopping or all the girls liking expensive things and being daughters of actors, plastic surgeons, directors, athletes or child stars themselves. However, the film also defied the stereotypes of everyone from Beverly Hills or with money being stuck up or not adventurous. The film had a positive message, especially for young girls, of how anyone can accomplish their goals and prove everyone wrong if they aren’t afraid to work hard and really try. It also touched on subjects of children of divorced parents or children who feel neglected. It did all this while having fun with the characters and having Phyllis lead them into hilarious situations like having them check into a four star hotel instead of camping out or performing on stage “It’s Cookie Time” instead of selling cookies door to door. Betty Thomas as Velda Plendor, made a terrific villain as the more butch, experienced, and mocking troop leader of the Red Feathers. Whether or not you agreed with the different way Phyllis lead her troop of Beverly Hills girls, it’s hard not to root for them to win the wilderness girl trophy. Phyllis also has the audience root that not only she proves her husband wrong that she can’t lead the girls but also that they will eventually get back together because the movie shows how one must find themselves before they can be in a good relationship. Phyllis is an all around modern woman not afraid of a challenge and to go outside her comfort level especially in one of the last scenes of her leading the girls into a hike through treacherous woods or actually wearing the awful color that is khacki. While on the subject of fashion, this film was not afraid to have fun with clothes and give the characters, especially Phyllis who redid her troop leader uniform and had a fashion show, fun crazy 80’s styles that designers still play up today. This movie definitely reminded me of “Clueless” or “Legally Blonde” but with a little more of an adventure aspect in how the girls had to earn their patches. After watching this, I would say that maybe I would have considered joining wilderness girls if I had a troop leader like Phyllis because her approach to wilderness is way more exciting and glamorous.

The Cannonball Run (1981)

“If we were Methodists we'd have a good shot at gettin' laid”




This movie is about an illegal car race called “The Cannonball Run”. This film switches from racer to racer showing audience members why each individual wants to win and how they plan on doing it. Although showing the multiple characters, the movie focuses on J.J Mclure and his partner Victor who steal use an ambulance as a means of bypassing everyone throughout the race and getting out of trouble with the law.
It was really hard for me to get into this movie. There was no suspense, hardly any plot and because the movie kept switching focus from character to character all the time it became hard to connect to any of them since they didn’t feel properly developed. I cringed when J.J. was trying to pick up Pamela Glover by guessing her name wrong several times and resorting to calling her “Beauty”. This goes to show that having an all-star cast which included the late Farrah Fawcett, Burt Reynolds, Dean Martin, Roger Moore, Jackie Chan and Dom DeLuise doesn’t necessarily mean that the movie is going to be good. Throughout the entire movie it seems as though none of the characters care about being ticketed by cops and even when they do get in trouble they really couldn’t give a care even if they have to go to jail or pay a hefty fine. The directors didn’t seem to try to give this movie any sort of style or realistic aspect to it. However, they did manage to throw in every typical stereotype imaginable from how females act promiscuously to get what they want to portraying how Asians, Blacks and Arabs act. The only two mildly entertaining parts of this film were the cooky doctor and the fact that Roger Moore was making fun of himself as James Bond throughout the entire movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85PcMJ9D8X0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24hSpYAIMhY

Risky Business

“Sometimes you gotta say “What the Fuck”, make your move”



I would say that turning your parents’ house into a brothel for a night to make some money is more than a Risky Business. That is simply one of the many predicaments that Joel Goodson gets himself into on a weekend where his parents are out of town.
If you asked a group of people what they knew about the movie, I’m sure many would talk about the famous scene where Tom Cruise is dancing in his underwear and sunglasses alone in his parents’ house. This scene was the only aspect of the film that I knew prior to watching the movie. I had no idea what it was about, where it took place or even why he was dancing.



This movie is your typical “guys” movie. From the prostitutes, to the parents being away, the parties, and the sex this movie screams teen flick. Nonetheless, I found that I was still able to connect and enjoy the film even though it started off really slowly. Tom Cruise makes his character believable and it is no wonder that this is the film that jumpstarted his career. The plot was fairly predictable but nonetheless entertaining. I found myself hysterically laughing and rolling my eyes as Phil Collins music played during the final sex scene. This is the kind of movie where you simply have to role with the punches. As unrealistic as it is for a high school student to pick up a prostitute and end up with her, at least audience members learn how easy it is to get into an Ivy League school such as Princeton with a 3.1 GPA.

Clips from the movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bodVVtqmbZE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDlTGhe3YoE

The Thing

"I dunno what the hell's in there, but it's weird and pissed off, whatever it is."

Our modern sensibilities of horror and fright have ultimately dissipated with the advent of graphic displays of foreign and domestic violence, transforming the spattering of blood into a bawdy spectacle. For this reason, many horror films often fall short, on the one hand, because they are poorly made (see the new Wolfman, for example), and on the other because the filmmakers fail to tap any of our primal fears. The Thing is a rarity in its genre, it is terrifying, and it is successful both as a horror film but also as an exploration of the effects on isolation, loneliness, and desperation on the human mind.
"The thing" is an apt title for the monster in the film, because it does not take on a definitive form; it is always changing. What's more the form into which it is changing is you, that is whenever the monster contacts one of the Arctic researchers of the film, it can imitate their form. And here we see the central conceit of the film: The monster could be in any one of the people on screen. Who are we to trust? Who are we, even more importantly, not to trust? And ultimately, is the monster present within us at all times?Thus, all of the characters are faced with an interesting ethical conundrum, are the bonds of friendship and personal affection enough to overcome the monster inside of us all? To make matters worse, the entire film takes place in a barren and frozen landscape, the cast of characters are devoid of civilized contact. In many ways this film echoes, in a more horrific manner, the social realities espoused in works such as Lord of the Flies. This film is, most certainly not bound to the 1980's in fact, it proves more successful, both as a horror film and as a sweeping social commentary, than most horror films of our day.

Disclaimer: This is disturbing, and by that I mean: Great fun!

The Breakfast Club

I have seen bits and pieces of Breakfast Club when I was younger but never watched it in its full entirety. My previous views were that it was a cult classic and a good comedy. However, after recently watching it I found that I did not enjoy it all that much and that my expectations were not met. Perhaps my maturity has become a factor in this but I found the movie uneventful and the characters overly dramatic in their teen-anxt outbursts. I found it unrealistic that students would divulge so much to one another in one day without having ever previously met each other. I believe that this movie is a cult classic because firstly, Molly Ringwald is in it who was considered an 80’s icon and secondly John Hughes scripted many of the other cult classics such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Weird Science, Pretty in Pink and Sixteen Candles (all classics of that time period). This 1985 American teen comedy is something I would recommend to young teen girls who are looking for an easy watch. The stereotypes represented are those that are still present in society today. Therefore this movie stands against time since it is timeless in the sense that there will always be the jock, nerd, freak, rebel and basketcase. The positive factor that you get out of this film is seeing that you should never judge a book by its cover. Everyone has their own problems and this movie teaches teens that important lesson. Each individual who has attended high school can relate to at least one of these teens represented in the film.

The important lesson to learn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv1I4q6lOpo

Fame: "Remember my name" (1980)

Fame is set at New York's High School of Performing Arts, where talented teens train for arts-related careers. The film is concentrated on gifted students: singer Coco (Irene Cara), actors Montgomery (Paul McCrane) and Ralph (Barry Miller), dancer Leroy (Gene Anthony Ray), and musician Bruno (Lee Currieri). Director Alan Parker illustrates an inspiring story of rough New York teenagers who are given free rein to grow up and make their own journeys while attending an arts high school; their talent enables them to overcome their backgrounds, their sometimes terrifying social issues, and their own personal shortcomings. Followed by Footloose and Dirty Dancing, Fame is one of the most prominent films focused on dance and the arts as a metaphor for successful development and maturation. Although a distinctly 80s film due to the teenage fashions and award nominated soundtrack, Fame stands the test of time as it deals with students and their struggles, trials, and efforts to succeed; Montgomery deals with his own acceptance of his sexuality and Coco is forced to consider how far she’s willing to go to achieve great success. In addition to these conflicts, Fame also emphasizes the importance of keeping up one's academic achievements in an arts specialized school. The music and dancing are spectacular and entertaining with spontaneous dancing in the streets as well as a staged, ending musical performance at graduation. Fame is a feel-good movie and remains relevant to current audiences. A remake of Fame was released in 2009.