Here comes The Karate Kid

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Top Gun

What TOP GUN is really about by Quentin Tarantino

The Princess Bride (1987)

A classic in and of itself, is there anyone who actually hasn't seen The Princess Bride? I grew up watching this 1987 film, and I have to say that it probably affected my vision of true love more than any of the Disney fairy tales.

What makes this film so great? Westley's undying love for Buttercup? Inigo's unfaltering allegiance to his father's memory? Miracle Max and Fezzik's (not together like the clip might suggest, for the rare one's that haven't seen it, that scene is between Inigo and Fezzik) great sense of humor? I'm not sure, but I do know that I could watch this movie back to back and not get tired of it.

The one thing that I don't like about this movie though, is how ditsy Buttercup is. I mean, when you first meet Buttercup and Westley and they're still on the farm you think "oh, they're probably both just daft because of the intensity of this new love or something." I mean, we've all been there. But after Westley goes off and makes his way in the world, you start to realize that he's actually a pretty smart and courageous guy. But Buttercup, she does nothing to prove that she has even the minutest amount of intelligence. I'm not talking about how she doesn't recognize her "one true love's" chin, either. Because you know, that's a willing suspension of disbelief and all. Come on though, seriously, when he's fighting the ROUS in the Fire Swamp she just STANDS THERE! Doesn't kick him his sword, nothing. Not to mention that she doesn't figure out Prince Humperdink's scam until the movie is practically over. How dumb do you have to be to be fooled by that jerk?

Believe it or not, as nerdy as this sounds, I actually named my car after Westley. Hey, when I was in high school, my car was the ultimate hero.

P.S. As great as the movie is, the book is like fifty times better.

St. Elmo's Fire (1985)

Okay, so, truth. A really good friend of mine bought me this movie like five years ago on a random midnight run to WalMart. It was in the $5.99 bin, and I told him that I'd never seen it before, so he picked it up for me. It has sat on my shelf since then, still wrapped in celophane, waiting to be watched. So I finally yanked it out and was pleasantly surprised.

St. Elmo's Fire is the story of seven friends who graduated from college just a few months before the film is set. It's about the trials and tribulations that these kids meet as they enter into the world of adulthood. Growing up all the while, Billy (Rob Lowe) learns that life isn't all fun and games just in time to save Jules (Demi Moore) from a coked out loss of reality. Kirby (Emilio Estevez) doesn't get the girl he's looking for, but realizes that maybe there's more to life--following your own dreams and not someone else's. Leslie (Ally Sheedy) is torn between her first love, Alec (Judd Nelson) and his best friend, Kevin (Andrew McCarthy). And Wendy learns that all of life does not revolve around Billy. In the end, they all realize that as long as they still have each other's friendship, it doesn't matter what happens in life.

Plus, who would want to miss Rob Lowe rocking out on a saxophone? An all star eighties teen flick cast, makes this film a must see.

On a personal note, I hate that Ally Sheedy and Andrew McCarthy don't end up together. He loves her, he's always loved her, and that stupid ass Judd Nelson cheated on her. Why does she have to think about it? Why does she need time without miracles when that great guy has been right under her nose for so long. Her relationship with Judd definitely didn't seem like a miracle to me. Couldn't that have been considered a time without miracles? My best friend, Aubrey, tells me that it isn't supposed to be about love and happily ever afters, that the film is supposed to be about friendship and making friendship last. I get that, really, I do, but seriously! It wouldn't hurt to have one couple end up together and Judd Nelson should just have to choke it down because his character, Alec, was a douche. (rant over)

The Blues Brothers

Joliet and Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Akroyd) are on a mission from God. As the Blues Brothers, two white orphans who grew up in the inner city of Chicago and were raised on the blues, they must raise the money to save the orphanage that raised them from going bankrupt due to back taxes.

The movie starts with Joliet ,John Belushi, being let out of jail and picked up in an old cop car, the Bluesmobile, by his brother Elwood, Dan Akroyd. They learn of the orphanage's plight and set out on their mission from God to form their old band and play a charity concert to raise the money to pay the taxes. They get in a fight with a country and western band, they cross cops and wives, they cause a riot in fancy restaurant, and even get a price on their head by Illinois Nazis. And who doesn't hate Illinois Nazis?

The final scene of this movie is the greatest car chase of all time.

This movie is full of huge names in music, such as Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, and plenty of classic blues studio musicians.

The Blues Brothers is one of my favorite movies from all time, and it has an amazing soundtrack that I own and listen to often. It's pretty much my dream to put giant speakers on the roof of my car. A sequel came out in 2000, but John Belushi is dead so I have no want to see it.

Porky's

Porky’s (1982) is essentially a 1980’s American Pie, paving the way for that genre along with Animal House and others. The story is told through the eyes of high school boys, filled with testosterone and slight perversion. It is filled with the boys peeking into the girl’s locker room shower (as featured in the movie poster), going to the strip club Porky’s, and playing pranks on each other. While the humor is extremely juvenile and raunchy, the film is quite entertaining, especially if you are a teen. My favorite part is when Pee Wee, an extremely horny virgin boy, goes out on a date a little over ambitiously, already wearing a condom upon arrival. Also, more sexual humor includes the boys encounter with “Cherry Forever” a stripper, and a gym teacher out to find the culprit by hiring a sketch artist to draw a penis. On of the boy’s then jokingly remarks, “Have you seen this prick?” I truly believe that this film strongly influences films of today, and had a major impact on the teen sex film genre. It is not distinctly 80’s, as the subject matter of teen sexuality and confusion transcends the decades. I stated earlier, I would recommend this movie to teens (especially boys) but however not to adults. Adults seem to not appreciate this type humor. For example, I wouldn’t recommend this movie to my grandmother. So as long as your not watching with your parents, grandmother, or anyone over the age of 30, this is a classic 80’s movie which is an absolute essential for any American Pie fan.

Batman(1989)

Tim Burton’s 1989 film Batman will always be looked at as the start to an era of films. Since Burton’s film in 1989, four films about the dark night have come out with another on the way. Batman is centered on Bruce Wayne, a wealthy businessman and alter character Batman, a dark crusader who fights crime in the hellish city of Gotham. Actor Michael Keaton plays batman. Batman’s main enemy is the psychopathic clown The Joker, played by Jack Nicholson. Bruce Wayne and Batman’s main love interest in the film is Vicki Vale, a reporter/photographer who comes to Gotham City to find out more about the mystery that is Batman. The story takes us on a true adventure, giving us the feeling that we are actually right inside a comic book. The film however is not your average action film; it is rather dark and gothic. Batman is a true thrill ride and a film that inspired the string of superhero movies that we see making a popular genre today. The Washington Post said that batman is “Dark, haunting and poetic. Tim Burton’s Batman is a magnificent living comic book. From its opening shots, as the camera descends into the grim teeming streets of Gotham City, the movie fixes you in it’s gravitational pull.” This quote gives a good summarization of the film. The film shows little to no elements from the 1980’s, with amazing special effects and all star acting, I would recommend Batman to anyone who wants to watch a truly amazing film.

A Fish Called Wanda

A Fish Called Wanda is a 1988 classic dark comedy featuring Jamie Lee Curtis, John Cleese and Kevin Kline. Wanda (Curtis) is a sexually empowered woman (to say the least) with a lust for wealth, specifically diamonds. She plans to steal a large diamond from a London museum along with her boyfriend Otto (Kline) and two others. When plans go awry, each of the four begin a downfall of backstabbing in attempt to get the diamond for themselves. My favorite part is when Wanda and Otto need to talk their way out of a sticky situation when the lawyer’s wife comes home while Wanda is seducing him. In another hilarious part, Wanda continues her seduction with this lawyer at luxurious flat. This, however, is also interrupted, this time by an entire family walking in the door. The film stands up over time because it has you laughing out loud at the absurdity of the extremely well developed characters. Also, it is somewhat distinctly 80’s because it has a more modern view on women in society, having a sexually empowered female as the main character. Wanda is a woman who gets what she wants however necessary, including using men through seduction. You find yourself rooting for Wanda and other characters, even though they are not exactly moral people by any standard. I would recommend this movie to any comedy fan, and would actually go as far to say I would guarantee you would laugh. Also, who doesn’t love watching people try to pull off a heist? This is an 80’s film not to be missed.

The Fox and the Hound

“Forever is a long, long time, and time has a way of changing things.”

This is the touching story of a hunting dog and its friend who is supposed to be his enemy. A fox, Todd, and a hound, Copper, become friends, not knowing that they are supposed to be mortal enemies. They meet as young pups and their friendship simply expands as they grow older. That is until Copper realizes that his job, what he has been raised to do is to kill Todd. Copper tells Todd that their relationship is over and he and his fellow hounds chase the fox. Todd escapes while one of Copper’s friends is injured. From then on Copper swears to get revenge on the fox. After running hiding and moving around there is a showdown between the hunter, his hounds and the fox. During their chase the hounds disturb a bear, however, despite now being enemies Todd turns back and saves his former friend. The fox and the hound then go their separate ways, but knowing their friendship is intact.

This is probably one of Disney’s most under-rated movies. It is a story of friendship and persevering through the even the hardest times with those friends help. In this movie two things that were bred and told to be enemies survive because they went against the norms and were friends. I would recommend this for people watching movies with a young audience.