The Outsiders: A Struggle to Belong

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 remake of S.E. Hilton’s classic novel, The Outsiders, paints the dismal picture of a social struggle that many teens still face: the desire to fit in and truly belong as a member of society. As the motion picture follows these efforts of the teenage protagonists, known as the ‘Greasers’ – personified by the star-studded cast of C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Patrick Swayze, Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, and Emilio Estevez – it is made clear through the continuing failures of their attempts that the social divide between them and the wealthy ‘Socs’ of the town’s South Zone is one that will not be broken.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tgJqnVMAtc

Although the stress of the Greasers’ futile struggles finally amounts to be too much for them – culminating in the disheartening downfall of the group – the viewer is left with a very positive and powerful message: the desire to fit in socially is not fulfilled through one’s acceptance into the popular or wealthy crowd, but by the natural acceptance that is demonstrated by true friends. As stated by the Soc, Randy: “You can't win. You know that, don't you? It doesn't matter if you whip us, you'll still be where you were before, at the bottom. And we'll still be the lucky ones at the top with all the breaks. It doesn't matter. Greasers will still be Greasers and Socs will still be Socs. It doesn't matter.”

Thematically, violence plays a very pronounced and significant role throughout The Outsiders. While fights between the Greasers and the Socs are used to depict the initial struggles of the Greasers in breaking the social divide, the vehemence of their violent struggles increases with each progressive confrontation between the groups. As this ultimately results in the deaths of three teenagers (the Soc, Bob; and the Greasers, Johnny and Dallas), the severity of the effects that this social divide has had on the conflicting teenage groups is illustrated – showing that the intensity of the conflict between the groups has effectuated three deaths. Overall, it is clear that these deaths are implemented for one reason: to highlight the uselessness and waste that is so present in divides created in teenage social contexts.

Johnny kills a Soc: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sIhtnqTDKo

Overall, I would highly recommend this movie, as it is both thoroughly engaging and enlightening. Furthermore, as one is truly able to watch the characters develop with the film’s progression, the effects that social divides can create in teenage society are fully manifested – resulting in both a decidedly entertaining and enlightening film.

Over the Top (1987): Amazingly Terrible

There is nothing quite like this movie. Before I even started the movie, I knew three things: the film won two Razzies (the polar opposite of the Oscars), Stallone co-wrote the screenplay, and the movie is based around arm wrestling. Oh man, was I in for a treat. The movie jumps into a relationship between the non-existent father, Stallone, and his thirteen-year-old military- schooled son . Let me ask one question: who wants to see Stallone try to be a father? I want to see Rambo kicking ass or Rocky fighting someone half his age. Putting him as a father figure is downright irresponsible.

So besides the relationship with his son, there is some arm wrestling action. The whole concept of “over the top” is when Stallone contorts his fingers to change the momentum of the match, where Stallone easily beats his opponents. It seems as if this concept is a secret, and takes years of work to master this skill, when all Stallone does is move his fingers up about two inches in his grip.

I don’t want to bash this movie fully, because there are two scenes, which are absolutely incredible. This first scene may be incredibley bad, but nonetheless, incredible. The scene is shot in documentary type cinematography, where Stallone and his opponent in the arm wrestling final are asked questions on video camera. In this scene, Stallone describes his rationale for turning his hat backwards before he starts an arm wrestling match. Surprised Stallone co-wrote the screenplay?

Just like Rocky, Over The Top portrays the same message of the underdog persevering through finding strength from someone they love. This moment is where Stallone becomes an absolute animal. Now this is what I love to see in Stallone- cashing checks and taking names. Do you see how he just bulldozed the body guard through the glass? What about the fact that he uses his drive for his son to beat guys that have at least a hundred pounds on him? Check out the intimidation technique of chugging motor oil. I got a big golf match this weekend, maybe I'll test it out.

I could sit here all day and talk about how terrible this movie is (his son drives to the airport alone at only 13 and not sense of direction), but at the end of the day, Stallone is awesome. No matter what he does, he will always be great.

You gotta watch out for those man eating plants...

Little Shop of Horrors - 1986

This film is another movie musical, but with a little more of an
absurd tone. Seymour Krelborn is an orphan who works in a flower shop.
He has a crush on his coworker, Audrey. One day he finds a mysterious
plant, and names it Audrey II, but the plant ends up having much more
of an appetite than expected. It eats people, and sure enough, the
plant soon consumes Audrey's boyfriend.

I have never actually read the play, and besides one high school showing at my school that I kind of remember seeing when I was in lower school… I have never really encountered Little Shop of Horrors in full. To say the least… this was a weird movie. It is most definitely a movie musical, but more of one geared towards horror, or thriller (?) than the normal “happy go lucky, lets go dance now” competitors of the time.

The film still had humor to it though, it opened with a trio of female singers belting the opening song and title, “Little Shop of Horrors”. The actors played their characters more like stage characters-- exaggerated and slightly over the top, whether in attitude, with voice, or in actions. The singing trio also reappears in different outfits to sing in harmony with various towns folk, hobos, and homeless people, which needless to say adds some more elements of humor (whether intended or not) to the film. The film does it’s best to be a theatre show that just happens to have editing cuts, but I’m not sure if this is the most successful way to go about being included into the new movie musical fad in the 80’s…

Overall, I thought the film could have been better, but that it was still distinctive and cute for an 80’s movie musical. I’d be interested in searching if “Little Shop of Horrors” was ever remade, I’m not sure if it would be more successful in this present time. Perhaps the new version would include less of the classic songs included in the theater version of the show. The movie seemed to include almost every song piece, which rather slowed down the plot, and would probably do more so for people not used to watching musicals.

Wow singing plant...: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLO7IxKwruc