Category Archives: Return to the ’80s Movies

Blog-a-thon, Movies, Return to the '80s Movies

Return to the ’80s Movies – Rocky III

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Welcome to my contribution to the Box Office Jocks blog-a-thon, which I am hosting with Dubsism. If you are not following J-Dub, you should check out his awesome blog. Dubsismmainly concentrates on sports, and holds no punches, and tells it like it is, which is very entertaining. So, we combined the sports of Dubsism with the retro of Return to the ’80s, and present to you this blog-a-thon.

In addition to sharing the participants’ posts, I will also share my own article. This blog-a-thon is all about movies featuring actors who used to be athletes at the college, Olympic, or professional level, OR movies in which a famous athlete appears.

Not only did I pick a film that was a sports theme (which was not necessary), but this is a film that features a couple of professional athletes. A lot of people may not know this, but Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed) was a linebacker for the Oakland Raiders in 1971. He also spent two years in the Canadian football league. And of course, Rocky III features Hulk Hogan as Thunderlips. That role gave the professional wrestler national prominence before Hulkamania was born.

I saw Rocky III in the theater when it was originally released…most likely opening weekend. And I saw it many, many times after. It helped that it was in heavy rotation on HBO. However, it has been years since I have seen it. Funny how time slips away from you. I was a little nervous because this was one of my favorite movies in my teen years. I was afraid that it may come off as cheesy now that I’m older. I am happy to say that I still liked it just as much now as I did then, and maybe even more now. So, here is my review.

Starring
Sylvester Stallone
Talia Shire
Burt Young
Carl Weathers
Burgess Meredith
and introducing Mt. T

Rated PG
Runtime 1hr 39min
Released May 28, 1982
Synopsis: After winning the ultimate title and being the world champion, Rocky falls into a hole and finds himself picked up by a former enemy. – imdb

Last time I had seen this? Probably not since the late ’80s.

Summary/Review
As with Rocky II, this movie opens with the end of the previous film’s match. And now that we are in the decade of montages, Rocky III immediately goes into a montage of Rocky defending his title, beating several opponents. Of course the song that is playing, is Survivor’s legendary “Eye of the Tiger” (which was my favorite all-time song at the time that this was released). As this is happening, a mohawked monster of a man is getting angry over each of Rocky’s wins. During the montage, we learn that his name is the perfect boxer name, Clubber Lang. We then see Clubber defeating several opponents, very viciously. Clubber is also very focused on training, which is just as aggressive as his fighting. At the same time, Rocky is having fun, making all kinds of media appearances, including The Muppet Show! So, we get the idea that Rocky is now coasting along, while Clubber is focused on climbing the ladder to get to the top. Hmmm. Maybe “Eye of the Tiger” is Clubber’s song, and not Rocky’s. And we are almost 7 minutes into the film before any dialogue is spoken.

Rocky’s popularity led him to a charity fight against a giant wrestler, called Thunderlips. Thunderlips was played by Hulk Hogan. This was pre-Hulkamania Hulk Hogan. Hogan had been wrestling in the AWA at the time. His scene in this movie, is what brought Hogan to the national stage. This was a fun match to watch. But, it wasn’t too fun for Mickey, as he started having problems with his heart when Rocky was getting tossed all over the place. This was a little foreshadowing of what was to come.

Next up, there is a statue dedication for Rocky at the iconic stairway by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where Rocky announces his retirement. Clubber Lang was in attendance, and lost his shit at that announcement. He was able to goad Rocky into finally getting a shot at the belt.

Rocky doesn’t take his training too seriously, as he makes it a public event, and even selling merchandise, and taking pictures, and receiving kisses from adoring women, much to Adrian’s chagrin. In the meantime, Clubber is training ruthlessly, just as Rocky did in the previous films.

Just before the big fight, Rocky and Clubber get in an altercation backstage. Clubber pushed Mickey, which caused Mickey to have a heart attack. Rocky was tempted to cancel the fight, but Mickey talked him into going out there.
Well, it turned out to be a bad day for Rocky. He got destroyed within 2 rounds. And Mickey died in front of Rocky.

After a mourning montage, Rocky’s old frenemy, Apollo Creed shows up, and convinces Rocky to not retire, and to work on getting that “eye of the tiger” back. Of course, there are strings attached. Apollo offers to train Rocky in exchange for a future favor. What favor? Apollo said, “You’ll see”. But in my mind, all I heard was “Ding. Ding.”

So Apollo takes Rocky to train at Apollo’s no frills gym where he once trained, Tough Gym in Los Angeles. Things are slow-going, as Rocky is still having a pity party, and training half-assed. I don’t know which was worse…the pity party, or Paulie’s racism. Of course, it took a talk with Adrian to pull his head out of his ass, in one of Talia Shire’s greatest scene’s ever. And that’s really saying something about The Godfather vet.

Then we really get back to basics, with a montage featuring Bill Conti’s classic, “Gonna Fly Now”. And now Rocky has earned my respect again.

This brings us to Madison Square Garden for the big rematch. Clubber’s interview before the fight, has two of the best quotes of any of the Rocky movies: “I pity the fool”, which of course, became Mr. T’s trademark line, and was one of the most iconic lines of the decade, and:

Interviewer: What’s your prediction for the fight?

Clubber Lang: My prediction?

Interviewer: Yes, your prediction.

Clubber Lang: Pain!

I suppose I’m confusing all my Rocky fights, but I didn’t realize that this did not last too long. As with all the final fights in all of the Rocky films, if you don’t get all pumped up, and feel good inside, then you are dead inside. Of course, Rocky has his eye of the tiger back. He put Apollo’s training to good use, along with his own boxing smarts, to wear down the champ. It was a very entertaining fight, and I loved the trash talking. There were just some parts that were distracting because it was visible that the punches were not landing. This seemed to happen with Stallone’s punches on Mr. T. Mr. T’s punches looked pretty real. It doesn’t matter though. It was just great seeing the underdog come out on top.

And now it was time for Rocky to pay his favor to Apollo. The favor was a rematch, which was their own private fight. The punch each other into a freeze frame, closing out to “Eye of the Tiger”. We don’t find out until 2015’s Creed.

Worth the Return?
Yes! The Rocky series had become a running joke with all the sequels. I personally loved all of them. But, I understand how it could get that long-in-the-tooth reputation. But, this film was just a strong as the first two movies. You witness Rocky’s fall from grace, and then rise from the ashes. I am not a professional film critic by any means, but I feel that every single performance was outstanding. It is definitely worth a re-watch, especially if you haven’t seen it in a while. I also saw it with a little different eyes this time. Clubber Lang wasn’t as evil as I had remembered. He was an angry dude. However, he was hungry for the title, and did come after it honestly. I could understand his frustration of not getting a title shot, and why he went about getting the title shot like he did. Apollo trash talked in the previous movies just as bad as Clubber did in this one. The only thing that made Apollo the antagonist was his cocky attitude. Clubber had the attitude, and was a more dangerous opponent for Rocky. However, even though I understood Clubber a little more now, I still found myself rooting for Rocky again at the end.

Rating:

4 Eyes of the tiger

Does the movie stand the test of time?
Considering they are still making these movies (in the form of Creed), I would say yes.

What did you think of this movie? Which Rocky movie is your favorite?

Movies, Return to the '80s Movies

Return to the 80s Movies: Crocodile Dundee

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There is a very cool blog-a-thon happening this month! Nuwan, from the blog No Nonsense with Nuwan Sen, is hosting The October Birthdayz Blogathon, in honor of his sister, who turned 38 this month. We were asked to cover an actor, who has an October birthday. There are several great 80s actors who have had birthdays this month. So, I decided to cover Crocodile Dundee, starring Paul Hogan, who was born on October 8, 1939.

Starring

Paul Hogan
Linda Kozlowski
Mark Blum
John Meillon
Reginald VelJohnson

Rated PG-13
Runtime 1hr 37min
Released September 26, 1986

Synopsis: An American reporter goes to the Australian outback to meet an eccentric crocodile poacher and invites him to New York City. (imdb)

Last time I had seen this? Probably not since the ’80s.

Summary
New York reporter, Sue Charlton (Linda Kozlowski), doing a story in Australia. She hears about the legendary Michael J. “Crocodile” Dundee (Paul Hogan), who lost half his leg to a crocodile, and managed to crawl hundreds of miles to safety. Apparently she got her information from fake news, as she meets him, with all limbs in place.

However, when their adventures begin in the Outback, Dundee impresses Sue. He tames a giant water buffalo, kills a snake with his bare hands. They then came across some jerks who were shooting at kangaroos. After Sue pleaded with Dundee to make them stop, he was able to chase them off in hilarious fashion. The next day, Sue was offended that Dundee referred to her as a “sheila”, implying that she could never survive in the Outback alone. So she went off, to prove him wrong. Unbeknownst to her, Dundee followed her to make sure she was OK. She was faring very well, until she came across a giant crocodile. Dundee jumped into action and saved her life. He was still impressed that she was able to handle herself, and she found herself becoming attracted to him, after he saved her life and changed his attitude about her.

When it was time for Sue to head back to New York, she wanted Dundee to come back with her. she used the excuse that she could continue her feature story. So, the second half of the movie moves from the Outback to the Concrete Jungle, that is New York. At first, Dundee was perplexed about the city. It was funny seeing him confused in the fancy hotel room. Honestly, if I was in a 5 star hotel room, I would probably be just as confused as him! Even though Dundee was not aware of the customs and behavior of the locals, he adapted very well. In addition, he had to deal with Sue’s asshole boyfriend, Richard (Mark Blum). In a typical romantic trope, whenever we want to see a couple get together, and they are already with somebody else, that significant other is always an asshole. And it may or not be a coincidence that Sue’s boyfriend’s nickname could be “Dick”.

Well at a party, “Dick” makes a show, proposing to Sue in front of everybody, and she appeared to accept. So, Dundee is understandably disheartened, and decides to go decides to go on a ‘walkabout’ around the US. Does Sue track him down at the airport subway station? Check out the movie to see what happens, mate.

Worth the Return?
I remember liking this when I had first seen it. I think there had been more action than I expected. I was not disappointed this time either. Linda Kozlowski was great as Sue. It was great (and shocking) to see Reginald “Carl Winslow” VelJohnson as a limo driver instead of a cop for a change. Of course, that didn’t stop him from saving the day in one scene.

And Paul Hogan was awesome and charming as “Mick” Dundee. I don’t remember seeing him in any other role, but he was outstanding here, and possibly underrated. Of course, his “That’s not a knife…THAT’s a knife” quote is one of the most iconic lines of the decade (along with Jack Nicholson’s “Heeere’s Johnny”, and Clint Eastwood’s “Go ahaead, make my day”). But, this movie is so much more than that. Paul Hogan had some great action scenes. And his humor was spot-on.

The talented Paul Hogan, not only starred in the movie, but he was also one of the writers. In the ’80s, The U.S. had a major obsession with Australia. From getting “Physical” Olivia Newton-John and Men At Work coming from the land “Down Under” in the early ’80s, to the annoying Energizer commercials starring Jacko, doing the “Locomotion” with Kylie Minogue, seeing Yahoo Serious as “Young Einstein”, to a Facts of Life special, to Fosters beer. With all this obsession, it’s really saying something when the stand-out is Paul Hogan’s Crocodile Dundee.

So yes, this was totally worth the Return! What more could you ask for? There was action, romance, and comedy.

Rating:
4 REAL knives!

Does the movie stand the test of time?

Yes it does. The story is classic, and could take place in any time period. New York was a little grittier in the movie than it is now. But, it would definitely still work.

With that being said…Please Hollywood, DON’T TOUCH THIS MOVIE!!! The story is great, but this specific movie does not work without Paul Hogan, who just turned 79. Hollywood, I’m sure you are just dying to remake this with Chris Hemsworth. JUST DON’T!!! This has been a public service announcement from Return to the ’80s.

 

Again, please go ahead and check out Nuwan’s blog No Nonsense with Nuwan Sen, and take a look at the blog-a-thon, and see who else had a birthday in October.

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4

Crossover Events, Movies, Return to the '80s Movies

The Mean Season

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Here is my contribution to this week’s Kurt Russell Blog-a-thon, hosted by RealWeegieMidget and me. I decided to cover a movie I had never heard of before, let alone see. This movie is The Mean Season, which was released on February 15, 1985.

Starring
Kurt Russell
Mariel Hemingway
Richard Jordan
Richard Masur
Richard Bradford
Joe Pantoliano
Andy Garcia

Rated R

Run Time 1 hour 43 minutes

Summary/Review
Kurt Russell plays Malcolm Anderson, a burnt out reporter of the Miami Journal. Having just returned from a vacation in Colorado, he felt like it was time to move somewhere more quiet, instead of covering grisly murders that take place in Miami. In the meantime, he covers the murder of a teenage girl. You can understand how he is burned out by seeing him go to the crime scene, along with photographer Andy Porter, played by Joe Pantoliano (The Goonies, The Fugitive), and going to the murder victim’s house to interview the mother. Malcolm goes back to the newsroom to write his story, with his boss, Bill Nolan (played by character actor Richard Masur, who you would recognize from many movies and television shows), hanging over his shoulder. An interesting fact about this newsroom, is that it was filmed in the actual newsroom of the Miami Herald, and not a sound stage. Actual reporters were consultants on the film, and even played some of the extras.

Malcolm’s girlfriend, Christine (Mariel Hemingway) is a school teacher. He visits her at work and promises to quit the paper, so they can move to Colorado. Of course, if he actually was able to quit right away, this would have been a very short movie.

While at the newsroom, Malcolm receives a phone call from a strange dude who said he killed the girl from the story that Malcolm had just written about. The killer says that he will kill again, and wants Malcolm to cover the story. He gave a clue about the murder to prove that he was telling the truth. So Malcolm went to see his friend Ray (Andy Garcia), who is a cop, and Ray’s partner, Phil (Richard Bradford), who Malcolm butts heads with throughout the whole movie. Ray confirmed that the killer’s clue was true, so they knew that this was indeed the real killer who was contacting Malcolm.

And sure enough, there is another grisly murder. Malcolm is torn. He doesn’t want to cover the murders because it could encourage the killer. On the other hand, he could try to help figure out who the killer is, and put a stop to it. Then it turns out that Malcolm doesn’t have a choice but to write about the killings because he was starting to get calls at home from the psycho.

It turns out that the killer was reproducing murders that he had done in another state. He was angry that he didn’t get credit for the murders. So, he was hoping to get attention in Miami. However, instead of the killer getting the attention, Malcolm began getting the attention for covering the murders. So, the line was blurred between Malcolm covering the story, and being part of the story. And as you can imagine, this does not go over too well with the killer. The movie then turns into your classic suspense film.

I really enjoyed this movie. I can safely say that I still haven’t seen a Kurt Russell movie that I didn’t like. Kurt Russell was as likable as you would expect Kurt Russell to be. He really stood out among a great cast. Mariel Hemingway was OK. She really didn’t have much to work with. Her character was a typical 80s female romantic partner/nag/woman in peril. She did as well as anybody could do with that role. The killer was creepy, which was cool. He kind of reminded me of a Dirty Harry villain.

I did really enjoy how the movie made a solid social commentary statement, and at the same time, was a sold suspense story. The movie title refers to the late summer months in Florida, where they get nasty storms every day at the same time.

Does the movie stand the test of time?
Story-wise I feel it does stand the test of time, between the theme and the suspense. However, there is a lot of outdated material, such as the newspaper itself. The phones are very old school as well. As much as I despise remakes, I think this is one instance where an updated version wouldn’t be too bad of an idea. It seems that a lot more people are looking for attention these days. Malcolm could be an online reporter or a blogger.

Worth the Return?
I would definitely recommend this movie. Especially, if you are a Kurt Russell fan. The cast and story are great.

Rating
4 stalker/killer phone calls

Artists, Movies, Music, Return to the '80s Movies, Soundtracks

Return to the ’80s Movies Soundtracks: Top Gun

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The Return to the ’80s Movies series continues, with a look at one of the best soundtracks of the ’80s. If you’d like, you can go back and check out the review of the Top Gun. Today, Robert is going to discuss the awesome music, which is a vital part of the movie. Take it away, Robert!

Top Gun – Part 2, the Soundtrack

Yesterday we took a look at the blockbuster movie Top Gun; now let me turn your attention to the soundtrack of the same Top Gun. This soundtrack serves as an excellent example of what many ‘80s movie used as a clear, intentional, and clever promotion. It is clear that this combination was and purposeful way to flood the pop culture market through multiple means of exposure.

Top Gun is an excellent soundtrack that works extremely well in enhancing the movie. The songs are used to make the aerial sequences more exciting and the love scenes more romantic. The film only features a few of the songs with more than just snippets or as background music. Unlike Footloose, Top Gun is not music based, therefore does not rely on the songs to represent character’s traits or emotions. The songs in Top Gun also provide no clear connection to the theme of the film. Ultimately though, this is a solid soundtrack with good songs that are easy to listen to. There are no real dips in the quality of the songs and most of them clearly fit the tone of the film.

Like the film, which was the most successful one of 1986, the soundtrack also sold well. It reached the top of Billboard’s album charts for a total of five weeks (although they were not consecutive weeks). During the months of August through October Top Gun battled with the likes of Madonna and Lionel Richie for album supremacy. All told, the soundtrack sold nine million copies, making it not only one of the top albums of 1986, but the twentieth best selling album of the decade. The album also spawned four Top 40 singles, with Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” reaching all the way up to #1.

Track Listing:

Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins (#2)

Yes, Kenny Loggins is back and making another appearance on an ‘80s soundtrack, strengthening his legacy as the soundtrack king. This song was a massive hit on the radio and was in high rotation on MTV. The song is perfectly placed (several times) during the film’s aerial sequences. It has the right amount of guitar and builds nicely. Lyrically the song matches the action of the film as well, “Highway to the danger zone / Gonna take it right into the danger zone.”

Mighty Wings by Cheap Trick

There is never a problem with Cheap Trick making an appearance on any soundtrack. This songs strikes me as being very similar to “Danger Zone” – good energy, driving guitars, and lyrics that sound like planes speeding across the sky. These aerial scenes is exactly where this song is used.

Playing with the Boys by Kenny Loggins (#60)

Here we have yet another appearance by Loggins and the final single released from the soundtrack. This song has been beat up a bit due to it’s placement in the film. It is paired with the volleyball scene where Maverick and Goose take on their rivals in a sand volleyball match. Take the chorus of this song and three very well built men without shirts, and the jibes are easy to figure out. The song is upbeat and fun. It may not be one of Loggins’ best, but it is a good song that has an intensely catchy hook.

Lead Me On by Teena Marie

This is the first track that could be considered more of a dance song. There are some clear rhythm guitars that help connect to the other songs, but it is clearly not a priority. It surfaces in the film during an evening out in the clubs, so it is fitting.

Take My Breath Away by Berlin (#1)

This is easily the biggest hit on the soundtrack, a breakthrough song for Berlin, and one of the best love songs from the ‘80s. Obviously, it is used in the scenes that feature Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis. The song is played nearly in it’s entirety the first time, but an instrumental version is used throughout the second half of the film. Berlin had a moderate hit before this song with “No More Words” and would follow with “Like Flames“, but none of their other songs would reach the heights of this one. The most memorable part of this song is that killer bass line – within three or four notes the song is easily recognized and the swaying starts.

Hot Summer Nights by The Miami Sound Machine

– After achieving wild success in Holland, this band was gaining strength here in America. While this song was never released as a single, the Latin influenced rhythms make it recognizable as the same band who hit with “Conga” and “Bad Boy“. This song helped build their reputation and lead the way for future hits like “Rhythm is Gonna Get You“.

Heaven in Your Eyes by Loverboy (#12)

Full disclosure: I am a huge Loverboy fan. This is great song that, I feel, should have been a bigger hit. It is clearly in the shadow of the big love song “Take My Breath Away”, but it does deserve it own recognition. It has the classic Loverboy sound with strong vocals by Mike Reno and solid guitar work by Paul Dean. This song showed up on every mix tape that I made for my girlfriend. It is a simple love song, but it did work, capturing a simple, powerful sentiment, “In your eyes, I want to see your love again / In your eyes, I never want this feeling to end / It took some time to find the light, but now I realize / I can see the heaven in your eyes.”

Through the Fire by Larry Greene

On a strange note: this song was listed in the closing credits, but was never played in the movie – I checked (twice) – and this is a fact. It is a good guitar driven song – too bad they could not find a place for it in the final cut of the movie.

Destination Unknown by Marietta

Another decent song that did not have a major role in the film. It has a catchy chorus and a good beat. It does not really distinguish itself on the soundtrack itself, but is not a bad song.

Top Gun Anthem by Harold Faltermeyer and Steve Stevens

I am pretty sure this instrumental has the most film time; it is played in multiple scenes, most of them containing some sort of plane. The song has an excellent guitar based theme and builds to a fantastic climax. It is one of those instrumentals that you hum constantly after hearing it just once.

As a junior in high school I loved both the movie Top Gun and the soundtrack Top Gun. I clearly remember watching the movie over and over after I bought it on VHS. It was one of the first movies to be released on VHS for an affordable price due to a commercial being placed before the feature presentation. I also clearly remember listening to the soundtrack over and over – quickly memorizing it. Now, nearly thirty years later, I think the soundtrack stands up to the test of time as does the film.

Movies, Return to the '80s Movies

Return to the ’80s Movies: Top Gun

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Starring
Tom Cruise
Kelly McGillis
Val Kilmer
Anthony Edwards
Tom Skerritt

Rated PG

Runtime 110 minutes

Released May 16, 1986

 

 

Synopsis: As students at the United States Navy’s elite fighter weapons school compete to be best in the class, one daring young pilot learns a few things from a civilian instructor that are not taught in the classroom. – imdb

Last time I had seen this? Maybe 10-20 years? I had seen this many, many times throughout the ’80s and ’90s.

Summary:
Tom Cruise currently has a smash hit out in theaters right now – Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. But, he has been in blockbuster films for over 30 years, including this movie. Did this movie deserve to be a hit? Let’s find out.

The movie begins with Maverick (Tom Cruise) and Goose (Anthony Edwards) in one F-14A Tomcat, and Cougar and Merlin in the other, on a mission over the Indian Ocean. They come across a Russian jet. No shots were fired, but Maverick and Goose chased it off. Both Maverick’s and Cougar’s plane were low on fuel, so they headed back to their aircraft carrier. However, Cougar had a meltdown, and panicked. Against orders, Maverick headed back out and helped bring Cougar back in.

It turns out that Cougar was intended to be going to Top Gun – school for the best of the best pilots. But, Cougar gave it up because he has an unborn child he wants to see. Despite his recklessness, Maverick is sent in Cougar’s place.

Not long into this, we already get the “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” serenade scene, where Maverick tries to woo Charlotte “Charlie” Blackwood (Kelly McGillis). He gets shot down. It turns out that Charlie is a civilian Top Gun instructor.
imagesIn a combat game, Maverick beat the Lieutenant Commander of the school, Jester (Michael Ironside). However, he broke a rule to do it. Then he topped it off by doing a flyby really close to the control tower. Maverick and Goose get in trouble with the commander, Viper (Tom Skerritt). Maverick also finds a rival in Iceman (Val Kilmer), who doesn’t care for Maverick’s methods. We find out that Maverick’s recklessness comes from compensating for his father. His father, Duke Mitchell, was shot down and killed in the Vietnam War.

Then we have the beach volleyball scene. Yeah, that was critical to move the plot along. Actually, that scene was probably in the movie to draw in the female demographic. Poor Anthony Edwards was the only one to leave his shirt on. I wonder if he started taking his shirt off, then saw the other guys, and said, “Aw, forget it!”

Then we have a blooming romance between Maverick and Charlie. Charlie is conflicted, because she doesn’t date her students. But, this is Tom freakin’ Cruise! Decisions, decisions. In class, she used one of Maverick’s missions as an example of what not to do. Maverick doesn’t take to kindly to the criticism. The have a confrontation, which leads to Maverick’s bedroom.

Maverick get’s humbled by his commander, as Viper and Jester use teamwork to defeat him in a training exercise. Next there is a party where we meet Goose’s family, which includes Meg Ryan as his wife. Since we meet his family, we know something not good is going to happen.

In the next training mission, Maverick and Iceman are taking on Viper. Iceman is having a hard time getting a lock on Viper. Maverick keeps trying to tell Iceman to move, and let him take the shot. Iceman finally had enough of the nagging, so he moved. But in the process, the jetwash of Iceman’s plane causes Maverick’s engines to flameout. So, he and Goose are spinning out of control, and Maverick can’t regain control. They eject, but Goose hits the glass canopy of their jet, and dies instantly.

Although the formal board of inquiry clears Maverick of responsibility, he feels guilt for Goose’s death, and loses his confidence. Maverick considers retiring. Then he spoke with Viper, and Viper told him that he served with Maverick’s father in Vietnam, and tells him classified details that show that Duke Mitchell died heroically. He tells Maverick that he can graduate tomorrow, if he chooses. Maverick chooses to graduate, but Iceman wins the award for top pilot.

Oh, but the movie is not over yet! During the graduation party, a few of the pilots, including Iceman and Maverick, are ordered to report to the aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise. There is a crises situation where a communications ship drifted into hostile waters. There is an awesome air battle. Maverick learned from his mistakes, and even used one old trick. Celebration time! Maverick decides to become an instructor at the Top Gun school. At the bar near the school, Maverick has the place to himself. He plays “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” on the jukebox. Then Charlie walks in, and they are reunited. The end.

Does the movie stand the test of time?
Pretty much. The theme of personal growth is still appropriate. I don’t think movies, these days, have many music montages. Instead, I think there is a full movie about the beach volleyball scene. I believe the movie was called Magic Mike. Some other things don’t stand the test of time, although they were way better back then. First, the music is incredible. With Kenny Loggins, king of the ’80s movies soundtracks, performing a couple of songs, you know that this is an ’80s movie. They don’t have good music like that in movies these days. And second, no CGI was used. They used actual jets in the flight sequences. According to Wikipedia, “Paramount paid as much as $7,800 per hour for fuel and other operating costs whenever aircraft were flown outside their normal duties.” I’m sure some kind of CGI would be used in most movies. One major exception is the aforementioned Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, which stars…Tom Cruise. Over the past month, all we have been hearing about, is that Tom Cruise actually did that stunt himself, on a real plane.

So, the final verdict is that this movie does stand the test of time, and more movies would do well these days if they took some notes from this movie.

Worth the Return?
It’s worth checking out again, if you haven’t seen it in a while. I felt that some parts were boring, but the action sequences were amazing. One funny thing I noticed was that I used to think Val Kilmer’s Iceman was an asshole in this movie. After just watching it again, I feel like I was on his side this time. But, I think him snapping his jaw at Maverick when Maverick said, “That’s right. I’m dangerous,” was one of the dumbest moments in movie history. So, I’m actually kind of mixed on this. Some parts were great, and other parts prevent this from being a perfect movie. One other note: Apparently, this movie caused a spike in Naval recruitment. I joined the Navy almost 3 years after this was released, and my decision definitely was NOT based on this movie.

 

Rating: 3 Dead Geese

What? Too soon?

You may have noticed that I did not really touch on the great music too much here. There is a reason for that. Tomorrow, Robert is going to take us on an in-depth journey of Top Gun‘s music. So, be sure to check back in tomorrow!

Artists, Movies, Music, Return to the '80s Movies, Soundtracks

Return to the ’80s Movie Soundtracks: Footloose

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 Our coverage of the classic 1984 movie, Footloose, continues today. Yesterday was a review of the movie itself. Today, Robert is going to cover what very well may be the heart and soul of the movie - the music. Enjoy!

Movie-wise this is my absolute favorite not very good movie. The plot is weak, the acting is passable, and the dialogue is, at times laughable. Consider when Ariel is spitting mad at Chuck Cranston. During an argument, Chuck is being petty and jealous while physically roughing Ariel up a bit. Now, Ariel has every insult and curse at her disposal; and she opts for, “You’re so stupid!” It is difficult to find a positive review by any movie critic . . . and I don’t care- I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!! One thing I have always enjoyed more than the actual film is the movie’s soundtrack. I have seen the movie countless times: several times in the movie theatre, nearly 30 times on VHS and a dozen times on Netflix (in fact, I have it on Netflix as I write this). All of these viewings do not hold a candle to the number of times I have listened to the soundtrack. I own it on vinyl, cassette, and CD – always at the ready in case someone asks about it or I just want to be washed away in nostalgic memories.

According to Billboard, the soundtrack has sold a total of 9,000,000 copies and was #1 on the album charts for weeks (April 21 – June 30, 1984). This soundtrack spawned six Top 40 songs with three of those being Top ten hits: “Footloose” #1, “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” #1, and “Almost Paradise” #7. With all of this success, this soundtrack must be loaded with great songs, so let’s take a look.

Footloose (#1)  by Kenny Loggins (opening credits, bar scene, and prom)

Loggins is easily considered the “soundtrack king” of the ‘80s, and this song is one of the big reasons why. It is not his first soundtrack hit nor will it be his last in the ‘80s, but it may be the most popular. I recently took my younger daughter to a popular local event “Daddy Daughter Date Night.” It is an annual dinner and dance for fathers and their daughters (between first and fifth grades). During the dance portion, the DJ played Footloose and all of the girls screamed and rushed to the dance floor. As much as I love this song, the reaction of all of these young girls to a song released over twenty years before they were born gave me goosebumps; this must be a sign of a true classic. The video contains clips from the film. The original video release was Ren’s big dance scene – that never made sense to me because they used a different song in the film (see track 9).

Let’s Hear it for the Boy (#1) – by Deniece Williams (Ren teaching Willard how to dance)

Despite this song being a huge hit and being used in a funny montage in the movie, it may be my least favorite. It has a memorable chorus and a smooth dance beat, but it has never really appealed to me – I have no good reason – it just doesn’t.

Almost Paradise (#7) – Almost Paradise by Mike Reno (from Loverboy) and Ann Wilson (from Heart) (prom as well as an instrumental version in the music box that Ariel gives Ren)

There is not much I can say about this song. It is one of the all time great love songs from the ‘80s. I have danced to it with my girlfriend (now wife) and it will always be one of my favorite romantic songs that I cannot, and will not, turn off before it is finished.

Holding Out for a Hero (#34) – by Bonnie Tyler (tractor chicken race)

I love Tyler’s first big hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart“, but I think this song is even better. I am shocked it only reached #34 on the Billboard charts. This song has some grit and enthusiastic drive. It has some of my favorite lyrics on the soundtrack. I have even used these lyrics in my English classes when discussing the importance of heroes to society and literature and the difficulty we have pinpointing the constantly changing definition, “Where have all the good men gone and where are all the gods? Where is the street-wise Hercules to fight the rising odds?”

Dancing in the Sheets (#17) – by Shalamar (Ariel caught by father dancing at drive-in fast food spot)

This is a good, catchy dance tune. The first thing that pops in my mind now is a friend of mine who directed Footloose: The Musical at the high school where I teach. He was forced to cut this song because of its suggestive lyrics. C’mon, that is kinda funny. The video is from American Bandstand (remember that show?).

I’m Free (Heaven Helps the Man) (#22) – by Kenny Loggins (decorating for prom)

This is Loggins’ second appearance on this soundtrack, and, while I possess the proper reverential love for the title track, I do like this song better. It should be impossible to separate a good soundtrack from the film; perhaps this becomes a reason that I really like this song. This song fits the movie perfectly, maybe even better that all of the others. Lyrically the song is about fighting for what you believe in and striving to achieve success. In the film, this song marks Ren’s success at the town council meeting and the beginning of the preparations for prom. This lyrics to this song serve an inspirational purpose and the fit perfectly for the film’s transition to the prom scene, “Looking in your eyes, I know I’m right / If there’s anything worth my love, it’s worth the fight / We only get one chance, and nothing ties our hands / You’re the one I want, listen to me / Nothing I want is out of my reach.”

Somebody’s Eyes – by Karla Bonoff (Ariel and Chuck sneaking away to the woods)

This is the only track on the original soundtrack that does not receive any primary attention in the film. It is heard in the background, playing on the radio that Ariel brings with her on a secret, and illicit, meeting with her jerk boyfriend. The song itself is an easy-to-listen to pop song with a good chorus and decent guitar solo. Bonoff’s vocals are haunting and soothing at the same time.

The Girl Gets Around – by Sammy Hagar (Ariel switching cars while driving down the highway)

This is the only true rocker on the original soundtrack. Honestly, Hagar is somewhat out of place here. Even though this appearance is before he joined Van Halen, he was already known as the Red Rocker and had a number of heavy guitar driven, popular songs. The song is great – it fits Hagar’s style and matches the scene in the film quite well. Despite this, it does not truly match the overall sound of this soundtrack. The video is from a live performance in St. Louis.

Never – by by Moving Pictures (Ren’s solo dance of frustration)

This is my personal favorite track. I love the rhythm guitar riff and I think the scene it is used in fits perfectly. I have always been a bit of a sap for the cheesy inspirational lyrics and this song has a great one, “If you don’t give your heart wings, you’ll never fly.” I do not even care that Kevin Bacon is not the one dancing in this scene- this song carries an uplifting message with a catchy beat.

The 1998 reissue of the soundtrack included four additional tracks, but I am sticking with the original release.

In the ‘80s there was such a strong connection between movies and their soundtracks. In some of those films the music played a prominent role. If you track Top 40 hits from soundtracks, you will see double digit numbers in ‘84, ‘85, and ‘86. Footloose is clearly one of the most famous and successful examples. The music on this soundtrack can be called nothing except iconic. I never tire of watching the movie or listening to this amazing soundtrack. Every list of best soundtracks is obligated to include this shining example at at near the top.

Movies, Return to the '80s Movies

Return to the ’80s Movies: Footloose

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Starring

Kevin Bacon
Lori Singer
Dianne Wiest
John Lithgow

Rated PG

Runtime 107 minutes

Released February 17, 1984

 

Synopsis: A city teenager moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace. – imdb

Last time I had seen this? I own the dvd, so I’ve seen this movie frequently over recent years. However, this is one of those classic ’80s movies that I did not see in the ’80s. The first time was about 15 years ago. I’ve more than made up for it though!

 

Summary: Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) is a teen who moved to Bomont from Chicago, with his mother, to live with his aunt and uncle. We find out that Bomont is a very town, pretty much run by Reverend Shaw Moore (John Lithgow).

Early on, Ren becomes friends with Willard (Chris Penn). It is through Willard that Ren and the audience learns that dancing and rock music is banned in the town. Ren also keeps running into Ariel, the rebellious daughter of Reverend Moore.

It doesn’t take long for Ren to become enemies with Ariel’s jerk boyfriend Chuck Cranston. Cranston challenges Ren to a game of chicken with tractors, with Ren winning – inadvertenly. In one of my favorite scenes of the movie, Ren’s shoelace gets caught, and he can’t jump off of his tractor.

Throughout the movie, most of the people of Bomont don’t like Ren, and he always gets in trouble. His uncle is no help as he acts like a jerk just like his fellow townspeople. The two have an argument which leads Ren to storm off and do an “angry dance” in a warehouse. Ariel sees him, and they bond. The reverend was not too happy about Ariel hanging around this new troublemaker, so he forbids her from seeing him. Well, that didn’t work out too well.

Ren takes Ariel, Willard and Rusty (Sarah Jessica Parker) out of town to a club where there is dancing. But, Willard don’t dance. Everybody else has a good time though – until somebody tries dancing with Rusty. We cannot have a bar scene from the ’80s and not see a fight! As they are driving back home we learn that the reason why there is a ban on dancing and music. There were kids fooling around with their cars, which resulted in an accident with both cars going over a bridge, and the death of the kids. One of those kids was Ariel’s brother – Reverend Moore’s son.
Ren gets an idea of getting rid of the no dancing law, and have a senior prom. The first order of business? Teach Willard how to dance. ’80s movie music montage time!

In order to have the prom, Ren must make his case to the city council. The catch? Both Reverend Moore and Chuck Cranston’s father are on the council. Ren makes a great case, thanks to Ariel’s help of getting bible verses that support dancing. Although he made a great case, the council still turned down the dance.

 

 

Reverend Moore’s wife Vi (Dianne Wiest) is team Ren, and tries to talk some sense into her husband. Then Reverend Moore sees that the townspeople are having a good old-fashioned book burning. Sure, he may be against singing, dancing, rock music, and is not above smacking his daughter in the face. But, a book burning? He sees that the people of the town are crazier than he is, and is out of control. So, he stops the book burning.

Since the kids couldn’t have a prom in Bomont, they decided to have their prom outside the town limits. So, at the next mass, Reverend Moore asks the people to pray for the kids and pretty much support them.

At the prom, everybody was doing the classic move…standing around staring at everybody else. Ren and Ariel finally break the ice with a slow dance, and more and more people started slow dancing. In the meantime, Willard arrived with Rusty. Willard was then jumped by that ass hat Cranston and his gang. Ren came out and he and Willard beat the crap out of the gang. Now Ren was all pumped up, and walked back in to the dance with the classic line: “Hey, hey! What’s this I see? I thought this was a party. LET’S DANCE!”

For a townspeople who had not been allowed to dance, these people had some skillz! And somehow, had awesome choreography!

Does the movie stand the test of time? I think it stands the test of time well enough so that a remake is not necessary. Oh, wait. ARRRGGGGGHHH!!! Damn you Hollywood!!!

Worth the Return? Yes!!! This is one of those movies that I stop and watch if I’m going through the channels on TV.  This movie is pretty much one music video after another with the story tying them all together, which is heaven for most people who grew up in the ’80s.

 

Rating: 5 pairs of feet cutting loose

 

This is a classic ’80s movie in every sense of the word. We have high school life, oppressors, bullies, buddies, and great music. If you have not seen this movie yet, and are a fan of the ’80s, this is a “must see”. I have never seen the remake, so I can’t comment on that.

You may have noticed that I did not get into the music aspect of this movie. There is a good reason for this. Tomorrow, there will be a companion piece to this article, by Robert, that will focus on the great, classic music of this film. In the meantime:

Everybody cut, everybody cut
Everybody cut, everybody cut
(Everybody) everybody cut footloose

Movies, Return to the '80s Movies

Return to the ’80s Movies: Lucas

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Starring

Corey Haim
Charlie Sheen
Kerri Green
Courtney Thorne-Smith

Rated PG-13

Runtime 100 minutes

Released March 28, 1986

 

Synopsis: A socially inept fourteen year old experiences heartbreak for the first time when his two best friends — Cappie, an older-brother figure, and Maggie, the new girl with whom he is in love — fall for each other. – imdb

Last time I had seen this? Never

What I knew about this movie before watching it Very little. I knew football was involved somehow. If you listened to the episode of The Forgotten Filmcast, of which I was a guest, Todd picked this film in the Movie Recommendations portion of the podcast. Todd won me over on this one. The cast alone got me very interested in checking this out.

 

Summary: Lucas, played by Corey Haim, is an intelligent and nerdy high school student. During the summer he meets the new girl in town, Maggie, played by Kerri Green (Andy from The Goonies). Of course, he has an instant crush on her. Despite his awkwardness, Maggie is nice to Lucas, and they hang out the rest of the summer. Lucas shares his love of bugs – especially the locusts which are out now, and won’t come back for another seventeen years. Lucas and Maggie became good friends.

Then the school year begins, as does the bullying. Lucas is teased and tormented by most of the kids, especially the football team. He does have a couple of friends, though – his best friend Ben (Ciro Poppiti) and Rina, played by Winona Ryder in her feature film debut, who has a big crush on the clueless Lucas.
It turns out that Lucas has another unexpected ally in a star of the football team, Cappie, played by Charlie Sheen. This was made evident when Lucas has an altercation with the lead bully, Bruno (Tom Hodges), and Cappie steps in to protect Lucas.

Unfortunately for Lucas, Cappie catches the eye of Maggie. Much to the chagrin of Lucas and Cappie’s girlfriend, Alise (Courtney Thorne-Smith), Maggie joins the cheerleading squad to get closer to Cappie. Lucas begins to irritate Maggie with his whining, and telling her how superficial cheerleading is. And he really got on her nerves when he told Cappie that they were going to the upcoming dance together, and that they can double-date.

Then, on the night of the dance Lucas, all dressed up in a tux, goes to Maggie’s. He finds Cappie there with her, and Cappie was upset. It turns out that Alise dumped him, and he went to Maggie’s for comfort. So, instead of the dance, they were going to go out for pizza. They invited Lucas to come along, but he was too pissed off to go. So, he sits by the lake overlooking the dance. Rina goes and sits with him. Even though she has strong feelings for Lucas, she tries console him about Maggie. Afterwards, Lucas happens upon Maggie and Cappie in the pizza place parking lot, and witnesses their first kiss.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Lucas decides to join the football team in order to impress Maggie, and get respect from his schoolmates. He is really tiny compared to the rest of the football team. Instead of becoming respected, the bullying intensified. But, Lucas is tenacious, and hangs in there.

Since there is football in this movie, according to film protocol, there needs to be a “big game”. The coach is already annoyed that Lucas is on the team. So the persistent Lucas, trying to get into the game, drives the coach even more crazy. Does Lucas make it in the game? If so, how does he do? I won’t spoil anything here, so you’ll have to check it out.

Does the movie stand the test of time? Definitely! Bullying still exists. And of course anybody from every generation remembers their first crush, and first heartbreak. And the spirit of never giving up still sends a positive message.

 Worth the Return? Yes! The cast alone makes it worth watching. Corey Haim is so good in this. It’s so sad that he’s no longer with us. What a talent he was! This was also Winona Ryder’s first movie. She was outstanding in the few scenes in which she appeared. You can see how she would become a big star.

This was a fun and emotional movie. And it is always great to see an ’80s high school movie.

 

Rating: 5 Locusts

Have you seen this movie before? What are your thoughts? Feel free to leave comments and your own review.

 

 

Movies, Return to the '80s Movies

Return to the ’80s Movies: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

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Dirty_rotten_scoundrels_film Starring

Steve Martin
Michael Caine
Glenne Headly

Rated PG

Runtime  110 minutes

Released  December 14, 1988

 

Synopsis: Two con men try to settle their rivalry by betting on who can swindle a young American heiress out of $50,000 first. – imdb

Last time I had seen this? Never

What I knew about this movie before watching it Very little. All I knew was that Steve Martin and Michael Caine were dirty, rotten scoundrels. And I remember the commercial where they were sitting at a dinner table, and Steve Martin (wearing an eye patch) said, “Excuse me. May I go to the bathroom first?” Michael Caine said “OK”. Then Steve Martin appeared to be relieving himself as he was sitting there, and then said, “Thank you.”

Review/Summary: Michael Caine plays Lawrence Jamieson, a suave con man living in the French Riviera. He seduces wealthy and morally suspect women, and steals money from them. Now he is concerned about a fellow con artist, known only as “The Jackal”, who is stepping on his territory by also stealing from wealthy victims.

Lawrence believes he has found the Jackal as he sees Steve Martin’s  Freddy Benson pulling a con. Lawrence decides to get rid of the competition by having Freddy arrested, and put on a plane to get him out of town for good. But, Freddy meets one of Lawrence’s marks, and figures out that Lawrence is a con artist as well. So, Freddy goes back, and forces Lawrence to take him on as a pupil in exchange for his silence.

Together, they run a string of cons, where Lawrence gets money from rich women, then brings in Freddy, posing as Lawrence’s mentally challenged, and socially inept brother, Ruprecht. This chases the women off, leaving Lawrence with the money.  Eventually Freddy had enough of being the subordinate in these scams, so he decided to go off on his own. But once again, Lawrence did not want the competition around.

So the two came up with a bet, where the loser would leave for good.  The challenge was that they would select a mark, and the first one to get $50,000 from them would be the winner. They select a naive American heiress named Janet Colgate (Glenne Headly).

Freddy poses as a psychosomatic crippled U.S. Army soldier (unable to walk after seeing his wife cheat on him with Dance U.S.A. host Deney Terrio) who needs to borrow $50,000 for treatment by an elite psychiatrist, Dr. Emil Shaffhausen. Lawrence discovers Freddy’s plan, so he pretends to be Dr. Emil Shaffhausen – the person who is supposed to receive the $50,000. Shenanigans ensue, with Lawrence and Freddy continuously sabotaging each other.

 

***Minor Spoiler Alert***

Lawrence finds out that Janet really is not wealthy, but is just a contest winner. She was going to liquidate all her savings and borrow money to pay the $50,000, out of the kindness of her heart. Lawrence is touched, and no longer wants to go through with the bet. Instead, Lawrence and Freddy decide to change the bet so that the winner is the first one to have sex with Janet. Shenanigans ensue again.

I’m not going to spoil anything, but there is a plot twist that is totally awesome, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.

 

Well, I’ve been finding good movies to review! This was another great one! Both Steve Martin and Michael Caine were incredible. And Glenne Headly was very likeable as Janet. The schemes were a lot of fun. And there was a ton of classic Steve Martin physical humor. The movie also moved pretty quickly.

Does the movie stand the test of time? Absolutely 100%. The humor is timeless, and was visually pleasing. There was nothing outdated in this movie. It could have been released in the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, or even currently, and it would be equally good in any of these decades.

Worth the Return? Definitely! I might not go out of my way to watch it, but if I happen to see that it’s on, I would definitely check in and watch it.

Rating: 4 stacks of $50,000

How many of you have see this before? What are your thoughts? Do you have any favorite quotes?

Movies, Return to the '80s Movies

Return to the ’80s Movies: Big Trouble in Little China

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Starring
Kurt Russell
Kim Cattrall
Dennis Dun
James Hong
Victor Wong

Rated PG-13

Runtime  99 minutes

Released  July 2, 1986

 

 

Synopsis: Kurt Russell plays hard-boiled truck driver Jack Burton, who gets caught in a bizarre conflict within, and underneath, San Francisco’s Chinatown. An ancient Chinese prince and Chinatown crime lord has kidnapped a beautiful green-eyed woman, who is the fiancee to Jack’s best friend. Jack must help his friend rescue the girl before the evil Lo Pan uses her to break the ancient curse that keeps him a fleshless and immortal spirit.

Last time I had seen this? Never

What I knew about this movie before watching it Not much. I knew Kurt Russell was in it. I had forgotten that this was a John Carpenter movie. I also knew it was an action/adventure movie.

Review/Summary: Truck driver Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) brings his friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) to the San Francisco airport to pick up Wang’s fiancee Miao Yin (Suzee Pai), who is arriving from China. While waiting at the airport, Gracie Law (Kim Cattrall) catches the eye of Jack. She is there to pick up another Chinese girl. As the passengers arrive from their flight, a gang tries to kidnap Gracie’s friend. Jack interferes, but they end up taking Miao Yin instead. Jack and Wang get in the truck and try to hunt down the kidnappers.
They end up in an alley, where they stumble upon a funeral procession that quickly erupts into a street fight between two gangs. Then three supernatural ninjas appear, and begin to slaughter the good gang. Jack and Wang get out of dodge by driving off. Then a sorcerer looking guy appears in front of Jack’s truck. Jack plowed him over. Jack gets freaked out and gets out of the truck, only to find the sorcerer behind the truck unscathed, and annoyed. Wang grabs Jack and they take off on foot before they get themselves killed.

They regroup at a restaurant that Wang owns, where they meet up with Gracie, Wang’s friend Eddie Lee (Donald Li), and magician Egg Shen (Victor Wong). Then they explain to Jack (and us) the story of Lo Pan (James Hong), the sorcerer that Jack ran over. Lo Pan and his men run a brothel, in San Francisco’s Chinatown, where they sell women as sex slaves – which is why they went to the airport to capture Gracie’s friend.

Jack and Wang go to rescue Miao Yin from Lo Pan. Instead, they get captured. They are brought to Lo Pan, who is now in the form of an ancient looking old man. Lo Pan needs a special green-eyed girl to break an ancient curse, and he intends to sacrifice Miao Yin. Centuries ago, Lo Pan, a great warrior and powerful wizard, was defeated by an emperor. The Emperor placed a curse on Lo Pan where his flesh disappears. Lo Pan can temporarily recover his body a little. But, in order for him to permanently break the curse and regain his human form, he must marry a woman with green eyes (which Miao Yin happens to have). And to satisfy the Emperor, he must sacrifice her.

Jack and Wang manage to escape, and free the sex slaves. Gracie and Eddie had gotten there in time to help. As they escaped the building Gracie gets captured. And as it turns out, she has green eyes too. Lo Pan decides to sacrifice Gracie, and make Miao Yin his wife. Wang and Jack go to see Egg Shen, and with the help of the good gang from earlier – Chang Sing – they enter an underground cavern to return to Lo Pan’s headquarters. Egg gives everybody a potion that makes them feel invincible. They arrive at the ceremony where Lo Pan is trying to break his curse, and a huge final battle ensues.

I was expecting an action movie, but nothing like this! This was a combination of standard action as well as supernatural action. And of course, action that is reminiscent of Kung Fu Theater. The movie was also funny, and had some great quotes. Kurt Russell was incredible. I still have yet to see a Kurt Russell movie that I did not like. Technically, this movie was a flop, grossing just $11.1 million with a $25 million budget. But, it has developed a cult following – justifiable so. Another great thing about the movie was the soundtrack. The music was written by John Carpenter, and nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Music. It was his trademark synthesizer/rock music style.

Some scenes were over-the-top crazy, especially with the death of one of the villains towards the end of the movie. But, this movie was so much fun! I can’t believe I had gone this long without seeing it. If you like Action/Adventure Comedies mixed with Kung Fu, I would highly recommend this movie.

Does the movie stand the test of time? Yes. I feel that the action is pretty timeless. Some effects did look a little cheesy, but that was what made it fun. This movie stands the test of time on its own. If it was ever remade, the remake would pale in comparison. So leave this movie alone, Hollywood!!!!

Worth the Return? Yes!!! This was a fun movie, and I would go back and watch it when I get a chance.

Rating 4 sets of green eyes

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Have any of you seen this movie? What do you think? Do you have any favorite quotes?  I love this exchange:

Lo Pan: Ching Dai will be appeased, my curse will be lifted!

Jack Burton: And you can go on to rule the universe from beyond the grave.

Lo Pan: Indeed!

Jack Burton: Or check into a psycho ward, whichever comes first, right?

Wang Chi: Jack, will you…?

Jack Burton: “Jack” what? I’m supposed to buy this shit? 2000 years, he can’t find one broad to fit the bill? Come on, Dave, you must be doing something seriously wrong!