Surf Nazis Must Die (1987)

I have to say, I was totally disappointed that no one seem the least bit intrigued by this movie. It's about Neo-Nazi surfers who take over a beach and are stalked down by an angry, middle-aged black woman called Leroy's Mama! I guess no one enjoys the idea of cheap exploitation films the way I do. While this is definitely no Killer Klowns in terms of pure entertainment value, it does have its moments. It just goes to show that people in the 80s were freaking crazy enough to think of this plot and actually go through with making such a movie.

The story is about a post-earthquake California beach where Nazis take over and wreak havoc. The only problem with this is that the "surf Nazis" don't really have anything in common with real Nazis except that they're lead by a guy named Adolf and have swastikas painted all over them. I guess if you want to get unwarranted attention for your movie you just have to hint that it could include something horribly offensive.

I have to say, I didn't enjoy this as much as Killer Klowns even though I considered both to be deserving of the 'awesomely bad' category. Killer Klowns very obviously does not take itself seriously and encourages the audience to laugh, but at times it redeems itself by being totally freaky. Surf Nazis is just barely on the border of awesome and bad, but leaning towards the bad side. There were a few laughs, but overall it was just...bad. And I'm so disappointed because I was legitimately excited to watch this, but I guess everyone was right for kind of staring at me blankly. Just as a reminder, here's the trailer again:

Dangerous Liaisons

"You'll find the shame is like the pain, you only feel it once."

Of the films I have watched in conjunction with this class, I have alighted some sort of sorted 80's reality. Often the reality is stark, as in Wall Street; or precautionary, as in Fatal Attraction; or allegorical as in Aliens. But, Fatal Attraction is historification at its finest: The film is set in Rococo France; the aristocracy have grown tired of their tedious days and they want some spice in their life. A period piece, yes, but stale, no, try sordid. Had it not been for the petticoats and breeches, I would have figured this film was in fact set during the 1980's (considering Keanu Reeves' ability to butcher beautiful prose, it's not a stretch).
The name of this 18th century game is "Lust. Seduction. Revenge." as so indicated by the film's apropos tag line. The tag line goes on to state, "The Game as You've Never Seen it Played Before;" I take contention with this statement. This entire semester, we have watched 80's films that deal in unethical, immoral, an illogical behavior and action: This is the game as we've seen it, time and time again. But, this does not discount the craft and cunning of this fantastic film. The games of cat and mouse, the witty banter that turns torturous and maniacal, the drawing rooms, the beds, so steeped in lust, feel as common as ever; it's purposeful, and exquisitely executed.



As the clip will indicate, the film deals entirely with the scheming of ex-lovers Valmont and Merteuil. As reviewers stated, "the filmmakers put the audience in the room with their characters." This is accurate and this is also intentional. If you found Glenn close frightening in Fatal Attraction, this little period films will have you knocking your knickers in minutes flat. Fatal Attraction called for a less than subtle portrayal of a woman falling into the abyss of self-pity, self-sacrifice, and self- mutilation. But Close's study of this character, Merteuil, is delicate and paced; she draws us in, she draws us in close. Before you know it, she's turned animal and clawed us to death.



Beautiful film all around. If anything, I hope the 80's never, ever repeats itself; Glenn Close was too frightening, John Malkovich wore too much make-up, and Keanu Reeves was still bad at acting.

It's elementary, dear Dawson.

The Great Mouse Detective is the Walt Disney version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Sherlock Holmes series... as well as one of the greatest examples of classic Disney animation.

It takes place in 1897 London, with Olivia Flaversham celebrating her birthday with her father. The festivities are cut short when Fidget, a peg-legged bat who works for the evil Rattigan, kidnaps Olivia's father, leaving her an orphan. She finds a friend in Dr. Dawson, who leads her to the world-famous detective and arch nemesis of Rattigan, Basil of Baker Street.

What begins as a simple kidnapping turns into a plot against the Crown as Basil, Dawson, Olivia, and Toby (Sherlock Holmes' eager dog) race against the clock to save Olivia's father, protect the Queen and her kingdom, and defeat Rattigan.

There's nothing distinctly "1980s" about The Great Mouse Detective, but it is an example of why I loved Disney so much as a kid. It was one of the first to use CGI (in a chase scene that takes place inside Big Ben), but the characters are still all hand-drawn. It's also got good, catchy songs (including "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind"), lovable characters, a thoroughly evil villain, and a fast-paced plot that adults can enjoy as much as children. So, Disney, can you stop making Toy Story sequels now and go back to the way you used to make animated films?

Fame is another 80’s movie about teenagers and the trials and tribulations they go through trying to “find themselves”. Fame focuses on a performing arts high school in New York City, opening with the auditions for freshmen year and ending with graduation. The films follows the ensemble cast through their many teenage issues and experiences as they mature and experience more of the real world.

This movie is distinctly 80’s because of the themes it introduces and the ensemble cast structure. It is much like The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo’s Fire in its lack of a main character. Rather, all the characters are important and focused on equally. The coming of age drama is very common in the 80’s.

My favorite scene was Doris getting high in the movie theater and doing the Time Warp Dance from Rocky Horror Picture Show. Though this may seem like a light-hearted movie at first, some of the issues it addresses are of a more serious nature. Ralph’s five year old sister is assaulted, and Coco has her first experience with a sleazy photographer, and experiences with depression, suicide, and abortion are also addressed. The trust and innocence the characters had at the beginning of the movie is gone by the time they reach graduation.

I would recommend this movie to someone who is looking for more than just a movie to pass the time. The film can stand the test of time due to the universal issues it addresses.

School Daze (1988)

Inspired by our viewing of Do the Right Thing, I decided to watch another, earlier Spike Lee film, School Daze. The film follows politically conscious Dap (played by Laurence Fishbourne when he was still called "Larry") at the historically black Mission College as he feuds with Dean Big Brother Almighty, member of the Greek system (Gamma). Lee plays Half-Pint, who, to the chagrin of Dap, wants to pledge Gamma.

Although it is its own film, there are a lot of similarities between School Daze and Do the Right Thing, most noticeably the theme of "waking up." In School Daze, though, the fight is not black against white, but darker-skinned blacks against lighter-skinned blacks. The film also touches on other issues including college-educated students and their relationships with the economically disadvantaged people in the communities surrounding and perhaps more superficially, the menace of Greek hazing on the college campus.

If I were to base my thoughts on Spike Lee solely on this film and Do the Right Thing, I would say there is definitely a formula. Lee uses the same actors, themes and similar music in both films. Both also feature sequences where the fourth wall is broken and the messages seem to be aimed at the audience and the characters alike.

This film can stand the test of time just because these types of issues are still relevant. Lee uses his films as a call to America and specifically the black community to take action, which is why people will continue to watch even if it is a very distinctly 80s film.

What a Way to Make a Livin'

9 to 5, now a hit Broadway musical, began as a successful '80s film about sexual politics in the workplace. Three female office employees (Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda) fantasize about getting even with the company's "sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot" of a boss.

When a mix-up leads the women to think they have accidentally poisoned their boss' coffee, though, they hatch a scheme to protect themselves by stealing his body from the morgue. When he turns up alive and threatens to have them thrown in jail, he finds himself a prisoner in his own home. His employees then use the occasion of his absence from the office to make some changes in the workplace.

I grew up listening to Dolly Parton, but was never a huge fan of her work. Watching her in this satire, though, I have a newfound respect for her comedic chops. She also wrote the extremely catchy title song.

There are a lot of great moments: Judy's experience with the office Xerox machine, Violet pretending to be a doctor at the hospital, and of course Doralee (whom Hart calls his "mistress") tying up her boss in his own home.

I think I (along with so many other women, even 30 years later) can relate to the basic plot premise, which probably has something to do with why the movie did so well. I spent four years in a workplace in which I was the only female; not only that, but I was the only employee under 30. There were so many times that I thought, If only I could actually make some changes around here. Maybe they take it a little too far, but you can't help but think that Hart had it coming.

La Femme Nikita (1990)

"There are two things that have no limit: femininity and the means to take advantage of it."

Nikita, a convicted felon and drug user, is sent to jail for the murder of a cop. While there, she is informed that everyone in her life believes that she committed suicide, and now she has two choices: become an assassin or actually join the ranks of the dead. After sleeping on it for an hour, Nikita chooses the assassin route and trains for about three years, learning not only how to kill effectively but also how to use her femininity to her advantage.

Nikita is then released into the "real world," where she meets a man named Marco at the supermarket where he works. Life goes on as normal, and Marco believes Nikita works the night shift at the hospital; he knows nothing of her assassin life.

The film is not distinctly 80s, but given that it was made in France and that it is a spy film, such is to be expected. Some of the music in the movie does seem to have synthesizers, and it is definitely Tears for Fears-esque.

La Femme Nikita can stand the test of time because even though it is 2010, films featuring women with assassin jobs, etc. are not very common. People will always be interested in watching this type of film, which is why it is so long-lasting.

I enjoyed the film. It was interesting to see what Nikita would do in various situations, and I especially liked the scene featured in one of the clips we watched in class when Nikita attempts to complete her first mission only to find that "of course it (the window) was bricked."

Overall, I would recommend this film to anyone looking for a bit of action/thrill that is not typical of Hollywood movies. That said; don't expect a fairytale ending, either.

The Blues Brothers

Starring Jim Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, The Blues Brothers is a comedy with a cast of famous singers and musicians with great classics. I decided to watch this film because I have always been a fan of Saturday Night Live skits and a couple times I have seen reruns of the sketch on the blues brothers. I never watched this movie, but of course being a classic movie with timeless characters, everyone knows of Jake and Elwood. Jake, played by Belushi, is released from jail and picked up by his brother, Elwood, in a former police car. The car with the giant microphone would become an iconic symbol of the brothers. They visit the “penguin” at the Catholic orphanage that will be closed unless the nun raises $5000. While visiting a church service, Jake has an epiphany that he is on a mission from God to form the band again. They begin to visit their former band mates and reunite everyone. In the process they ruin a mall, almost run over neo Nazis and basically upset many characters. They pose as the band “the Good Ol’ Boys” in a western bar who is scheduled to play that night. Later, they perform at the Palace Hotel and are then offered a recording contract that would cover the orphanage. Police, SWAT and firefighters then chase the brothers around Chicago. Their car breaks down and they run inside to pay their tax bill. They are then handcuffed, arrested and sent to jail with the rest of the band.

I would definitely recommend this fun, upbeat film. I feel the cameos kept me glued to the movie because I waiting to see who would appear next.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Fast Times at Ridgemont High: The ultimate 80s classic. The story revolves around several kids that go to Ridgemont High and what it's like to be a teenager in the 80s. While this movie is humorous, it hits upon several controversial topics such as drug abuse, abortion, and sex. All the characters undergo certain troubles throughout the film that in the end teach them what true happiness is.

I had always heard about this movie and seen it referenced in the I love the 80s series on VH1, but I did not realize this movie was more than just a teen flick. The issues discussed are still relevant to kids today and therefore this movie has withstood time.

I really enjoyed this movie. I laughed, but I also felt for the characters because anyone who has gone through high school knows it's not an easy place to me. However, I really did not like the character Stacy. I felt she was boring and brought little to the table against the other characters who were full of life. As I watched the movie I was wishing she would show some sign of emotion, but I was disappointed. She also got a happy ending with Mark which I didn't think was necessary.

This movie was done is the typical 80s style. Music, fashion and design were all staple 80s looks. I would recommend this movie to anyone who has gone through high school. It's fun, funny and also a bit heart warming at times.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)

I put this film in my powerpoint because it's pretty much the epitome of an 'awesomely bad' movie. The premise is so ridiculous that it works. Although the first 10 minutes were hilariously bad, both in terms of acting and situations, parts are so creepy that it can work as a pseudo-horror film.

If you don't already know, Killer Klowns is about a small town that is invaded by a circus tent shaped spaceship full of killer clowns. Through the movie, they turn their victims into cotton candy, try to stop people with a popcorn gun, and use a balloon animal to track the main characters through the woods. The good thing about this film is that it doesn't take itself seriously, and the makers want the audience to laugh with them. While there are countless classic scenes from this movie, this guy compiled a pretty good collection to give people a taste of what to expect from this movie.

Another thing I liked about this movie is that it is pretty much in real time. That's rare with movies in general, but especially horror movies. The clowns are introduced 10 minutes into the movie and it apparently only takes an hour and a half for the few remaining townspeople to figure out how to take them down.

All in all, if you have the time, definitely watch this movie. It's on Netflix instant if you have a membership. At the very least you'll get some good laughs and get a craving for carnival food.