Archive for 80's
Movie Reviews
Iron Man – 5/5 Loved It
This movie has renewed my faith in comic-based movies. Well, this and the new Batman franchise. Robert Downy Jr. was incredible. I so want to buy this movie now. Really hoping The Dark Knight can top the bar now set this Summer.
The Martian Child – 4/5 Really Liked It
John Cusack continues to put out some really good movies. I love the story of this movie. If you’re at all interested in adoption or foster care or kids in general I think you will too.
Lost In Translation – 3/5 Liked It
Interesting and artsy, and kinda slow. Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson both were great, but it just didn’t hold my attention tremendously. Could have been the timing, but I thought it was just alright.
War Games – 4/5 Really Liked It
To my amazement I had only seen bits and pieces of this movie and never the whole thing. I thought it was really well done. Wonder how much Burger King paid to have that machine named WOPR.
Munich – 4/5 Really Liked It
This was like a much slower paced, and more serious James Bond movie. And it was roughly based on true events. My appreciation with this movie came especially with the internal struggle with the main character.
Highlander – 3/5 Liked It
Not bad for an 80’s classic. I’d be interested in seeing the next in the series, but it wouldn’t really hurt my feelings if I didn’t get around to it.
This Is England – 3/5 Liked It
Not a bad little flick. I felt bad for the little guy.
Rendition – 4/5 Really Liked It
Saw this on recommendation of Shaun and Portorikan, but knew nothing about it going in. I really liked the story and the internal conflict the characters played. The practice of rendition is real, and it is also real stupid.
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull – 2/5 Didn’t Like It
Wow. I’m starting to question the whole Indy franchise at this point. Hopefully when I watch Raiders again my faith will be redeemed, but Crystal Skull was just bad all around. I laughed out loud a few times, but I suspect they weren’t intended as laughing points.
Next 3 in the Que:
The Constant Gardener, What Would Jesus Buy, Walk Hard
I Need A Battery For My Swatch Watch
So this time last year I declared my war on pop culture movies that I had sadly never seen. I’ve made a pretty serious dent in the list thanks to Netflix and a new schedule that allows it. Since the beginning of last year I’ve been able to watch just shy of 200 movies. (Click here and here for detailed lists, or click here for brief reviews.)
In addition to watching some Indiana Jones on Saturday, last week I added a few 80’s classics to my Que that, to my own amazement, I have never watched before. I’ve seen most of the classics, but I’ve never seen the following…
• St. Elmo’s Fire
• Pretty In Pink
• Sixteen Candles
• The Pick-up Artist
• Highlander
What other 80’s classics are a must see?
Temple of Dumb
Saturday night a few of us watched 2/3 of the Indiana Jones trilogy in preparation for Kingdom of the Crystal Skull coming out this weekend (Much love to Tonia for buying me the box set last week just because she’s so awesome). I must say I honestly can’t remember the last time I watched any of these from start to finish. It has been at least 15 years, which is just crazy when I think about it.
That said, I really found that I don’t care for The Temple of Doom. After watching a nice classically cheesy 80’s flick in Raiders of the Lost Ark, I found myself confused and bored with Temple of Doom. Am I the only one that feels this way?
Here are some facts I didn’t know going in about Temple of Doom…
• It was meant as a prequel. This second edition of Indiana Jones took place in 1935, whereas Raiders (the first movie) took place in 1936. This really confused me the entire time because I had never known that before, and the story-line seemed to ignore the first movie. Now I know why.
• It is credited with creating the PG-13 rating. The entire time I was watching this movie I was wondering how this was rated PG with all it’s heart ripping out goodness. Apparently after this movie there was an outcry from the public and Steven Speilberg suggested the MPAA create a new rating. On July 1, 1984 they introduced PG-13. (The first widely distributed PG-13 movie was Red Dawn).
Here’s hoping that the Last Crusade is all I remember it to be, and Crystal Skull exceeds my expectations.
Pure Energy
Driving home last night I was flipping through the radio stations and What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy) by Information Society came on. My mood instantly switched from tired with a headache, to extremely upbeat and couldn’t sleep if I tried.
There’s just something about the music of the Eighties that pump me up! And there may be no other song that more completely wraps up my love for the 80’s than this one does. Funky beats and synthesizers galore. My body wants to do crazy things when that guitar starts playing.
What’s On Your Mind – Information Society
Here are some others from that decade that stop me in my tracks.
Take On Me – A-ha
Forever Young – Alphaville
Word Up – Cameo
Lean On Me – Club Nouveau
Rock Me Amadeus – Falco
Rock It – Herbie Hancock
Walking Away – Information Society
Rocket 2 U – The Jets
Just Got Paid – Johnny Kemp
Freakazoid – Midnight Star
Blue Monday – New Order
Bizarre Love Triangle – New Order
I Can’t Wait – Nu Shooz
Jam On It – Old Skool Professors of Funk
If You Leave – OMD
The Rain – Orange “Juice” Jones
Always On My Mind – Pet Shop Boys
Let’s Go All The Way – Sly Fox
Rumors – Timex Social Club
Wishing Well – Terance Trent D’arby
The Promise – When In Rome
Situation – Yaz
It’s going to be an all 80’s day today. The sun is already brighter!
What’s on your list?
**UPDATE**
» More Mud Puppy posts on the 80’s.
» Jason has the 90’s covered.
Mish-Mash
» I found a great video this morning of the unaired 1994 pilot of 24. Times sure have changed in the last 13 years. —Link
» Yesterday Jake started a great conversation about defining christian music, and its necessity (or lack thereof). —Link
» Another one bites the dust. Tecumseh Products Company announced recently that it will relocate its manufacturing facility out of Tecumseh, Michigan. 160 more Michigan workers will lose their jobs. —Link
» I watched VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of the 80’s the other night. That was a blast. Not only did they count them down, but they played the videos as well as showed some clips of what the artists are up to now. Great show. —Link
Here’s the top 10 on their list:
1. Livin’ on a Prayer — Bon Jovi
2. Pour Some Sugar On Me — Def Leppard
3. Hungry Like The Wolf — Duran Duran
4. Billie Jean — Michael Jackson
5. When Doves Cry — Prince
6. I Can’t Go For That — Daryle Hall & John Oates
7. Sweet Child O’ Mine — Guns N’ Roses
8. Like A Virgin — Madonna
9. Walk This Way — Run D.M.C.
10. You Shook Me All Night Long — AC/DC
Milli Vanilli
Remember Milli Vanilli?
Milli Vanilli was a pop and rap music group formed by Frank Farian in Germany in 1988, fronted by the duo of Fab Morvan and Rob Pilatus. The group’s debut album, Girl You Know It’s True, achieved high sales internationally which earned them a Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 1990. The group went on to sell more than 30 million singles, 14 million albums and become one of the most popular pop groups in the late 80’s and early 90’s.
Then it happened. A skipping record at a concert, combined with demands to actually sing on their next album, eventually led to the demise of Milli Vanilli. The man who took them from a couple of homeless brothers, and handcuffed them to a fraudulent contract, decided to save his butt and place all the blame on Fab and Rob. They were immediately black-balled from the entire entertainment industry, and as a result Rob went into a deep depression and eventually died of a mixture of drugs and alcohol in 1998.
It’s an extremely sad story, and one that has perplexed me since I played that album on repeat for a straight year. Who in the world cares who sang and/or produced that album? If it was so off the hook, why couldn’t the real people behind the magic produce more? Are we so into looks and image that it just couldn’t work with some nerds with great voices? Did we have to have great looking front men that can dance great to make it a hit? If that’s the case, we live in a really sad world.
I for one still love this album. Enjoy this little diddy—once my all time favorite song. Gotta love that bass drop there in the beginning!
Blame It On The Rain — Milli Vanilli
Save Ferris!
I saw a mention of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off recently and was reminded again about how much I love that movie. For as long as I can remember it’s been my hands-down favorite movie. The funny thing is, I didn’t watch it when it first came out. I think I discovered it on TBS some Saturday afternoon while I was in High School—well after the release in 1986.
There’s just something about this movie that struck a cord with me. It didn’t hurt that there was a scene at Wrigley field. But there was just something about a simple day off from school and some life contemplation that made this special.
Anyway, here’s the Unofficial Official soundtrack since the Official Official soundtrack never got made. I compiled this about 5 years ago. It makes for some great ipod filler!
Love Missile F1-11 (Dance Mix) – Sigue Sigue Sputnick
Oh Yeah – Yello
Beat City – The Flowerpot Men
Star Wars Title Track
B.A.D. – Big Audio Dynamite
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want – The Dream Academy
Danke Shoen – Wayne Newton
Twist and Shout – The Beatles
Radio People – Zapp
I’m Afraid – Blue Room
Taking the Day Off – General Public
The Edge of Forever – The Dream Academy
March of the Swivelheads – The English Beat
Words to live by…
Where Are They Now
Any big fan of the Eighties will remember her simply as Baby Jessica. In 1987, and only 18 months old, she fell into a well and captured the worlds attention as her rescue ensued.
Today she’s 21 years old, married, and a college student.
» Watch An Interview with Jessica
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Lost Boys. License To Drive. Corey Feldman and Corey Haim were a team to be reckoned with in the Eighties. Then the Hollywood life caught up with them. Today they’re trying to make a comeback, and doing a realty show together called The Two Corey’s. It’s set to begin this Sunday on A&E.
Quick Hits
Better Off Dead – While I was watching this one I kept thinking how cheesy it was. It was pure eighties, but cheesy. But I’m a big Cusack fan and now I keep laughing when I think about it—and who wouldn’t like those Asian brothers who liked to race. I was taken back with how much I liked that Camaro. Apparently I’m not the only one. They have the original trailer on YouTube. And for those that have seen the movie, here’s a funny spoof trailer.
Ratatouille – I really liked this movie. Tanner and I went to see this one Friday night. I didn’t come out of it saying it was a must own, and Tanner kept asking when it would be over, but it had a good story-line and the animation was great.
The Godfather III – Although Jason said I’d hate this one, I actually enjoyed this finale. Again there were tons of plot-lines to keep up with, but the struggle to get legit, and the involvement with the Vatican were done well.
The Royal Tenenbaums – Best movie of the five here. Wes Anderson and his loyal cast did a great job once again. The thing that kept hitting me in the face with this movie was how quickly we want to forgive people if they’re truly contrite. I felt myself rooting for Royal to gain favor with his family. Great story. Can’t wait for the new Wes Anderson coming out soon.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail – Yeah. Completely lost on me. The flesh wound, the killer rabbit, the knights who say nee. Not getting it done for me. I’d honestly rather have a heart to heart with my brother on the merits of Ann Coulter than watch this again. Perhaps this is what Tanner will be saying about Napoleon Dynamite in 20 years. I did enjoy the ending however.
