This is an odd decade. For many my age, this was the decade of out teen years, so certain movies hold special places in our hearts. Don't get me wrong, John Hughes' films had a great impact in my youth, but like many things, the meaning fades slightly as time rolls on. This is not to say that John Hughes didn't have an impact. I even wrote a blog when hearing about his death, but his films don't stand up as classic films. Now memories can be strong and many will probably think I'm crazy with the films I've omitted from the list. You will not find The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi, because like most sequels, in my opinion they didn't live up to the original. I realize I'm in a minority with my views on Empire. You will not find Indiana Jones and The Raiders of the Lost Ark. I like the movie, but even back then, never loved it. Aliens, the superior sequel to the classic space horror film is not on my list. You won't find blockbuster Die Hard or the holiday great, A Christmas Story. Sure if I wrote this Christmas Eve it would make it, but in reality it's just a really good movie. The two movies that will most likely shock people by their absence are Scarface and Raging Bull. Scarface is a great movie, but even when I watched it then, there were segment that went on for 5-10 minutes that were pure torture. The overacting (A Pacino trait which has finally gotten to me) is so over the top, that while watching it now, at times, it feels like a really good Miami Vice episode, which if you never noticed, was awful. Even back then. Then there is Raging Bull, which was voted by many magazines and I believe even by the American Film Institute as the best film of the decade. I didn't even remotely like it. I actually rated it two stars out of five on Netflix. In actuality, other than teen romps, the 80's was a very week decade for movies. I only had eleven 5-star movies and that was probably the decade I watched more movies in the theatre than any other. So here's my opinion of the top ten. The film missing the cut was Platoon. Great film, but just a hair below the others.
10. The Little Mermaid - I know, not what you expected. This film stands the test of time though. The story is cute, the music is amazing and the character Ariel has taken on mythic status. Sure there's Belle and Pocahontas, but Ariel transcends animated films. People have her tattooed on them (male and female). There is just something about her. The beauty, the innocence, the situation that has her torn, that everyone especially teenagers, can relate to. As an adult, I enjoy the film for it's fluidity. Most animated films drag or have lulls. Not this one. A perfect Disney film.
9. Do The Right Thing - Many people hate this movie, because they deem it to be anti-white, but at the time this movie was dead on. Sure we don't like seeing "Tawana Told The Truth" written on a wall, but back then this was the feeling in black NYC. Spike Lee didn't write the film to make it look like blacks hated whites. He was trying to show just how delicate the balance can be and that just because things appear to be better, there is still much racial tension. Coupled with a slamming soundtrack which feature what many consider the most powerful rap song in history (Public Enemy's Fight the Power), this film is a tour de force which holds up today just as much as it did the day it came out.
8. Once Upon A Time In America - This was the 80's answer to the Godfather. James Woods and Robert Deniro star in this wonderful mobster movie (Patrick Dempsey plays the young version of Deniro I believe). While the movie doesn't stand up the way Godfather or Miller's Crossing does, it does have it's great parts. The two leads are excellent and the co-stars are solid. The beautiful Jennifer Connolly made her acting debut in this and at the time she was a classmate of my best friend. Maybe it's because I kissed her playing spin the bottle that made me like the film or maybe it's just a great film. I'll never know, but I still enjoy it today as much as when I first saw it.
7. The Shining - while I am not a fan of Stephen King's books, I will say, a few of his movies have been incredible. What I find ironic is that they got the great Stanley Kubrick to direct this and King hated it. Later did his own version, which flopped. Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duval give the performances of their lives (which is truly saying a lot with these two) in conveying the horror. Nicholson's transformation from family man to psycho is incredible. The child actor who played Danny had to be somewhat scarred for life after this film. Either that or he's learned to "just remember what the man (Scatman Crothers) said." Redrum! Love it!
6. Raising Arizona - quite possibly one of the funniest movies of all time. Nicholas Cage, one of my favorite actresses ever, Holly Hunter and some hilarious scenes from John Goodman and William Forsythe make this one of the ten greatest comedies ever made. Many don't like the over-the-top silliness, but coupled with the crazy music, Randall "Tex" Cobb chasing them, and of course, Nathan Jr. (we just call him junior), it works to perfection. It's like a slapstick act that's toned down to last 90 minutes. Every minute is sheer brilliance.
5. Full Metal Jacket - let me first state that if the second half of the movie had come even close to the second half, this might well have been the greatest movie of all time. The boot camp scenes are some of the best ever put on film. The second half starts strong but fails in the end. Leaving you to feel like you saw a weird double feature. R. Lee Emery as the drill Sergeant is one of my favorite movie characters ever. Where other movies used one standard line, he just kept going. Who can forget him yelling at Pvt. Joker and saying "Hell, I like you, you can come over and fuck my sister." Vincent D'Onofrio as Pvt. Pyle was so mesmerizing that so few people even knew it was him when he started to do other films and TV. So many classic lines and such a good beginning, it's a shame the second half faltered.
4. Manhunter - the "original" prequel to Silence of the Lambs, twenty years before Red Dragon came out. William Peterson plays the role of the agent after Dolarhyde. Brian Cox gives a performance which actually rivals Hopkins, as the first Hannibal Lechter. While some today might be put off by the Miami Vice look, this film is not fluff. It's a true psychological thriller and in my opinion, trounces the remake. Dennis Farina, who I believe was in everything in the 80's co-stars.
3. Cinema Paradiso - this is a classic Hopper film. Foreign, beautiful, somewhat slow, but captivating and then an ending to end all endings. I challenge any man not to weep uncontrollably at the end of this movie. Without giving anything away, it's about a young Italian boy, who grows up in a small town working at the local movie theatre. The owner and projectionist teaches him the trade, the movie business and in a nutshell, about life. He leaves the town the second he gets a chance, barely stopping to pay his respects to his mentor. He makes it big and upon hearing of his mentors passing, returns to his roots. I have chills just thinking about the finale. One of the greatest, if not the greatest endings to a film I've ever seen.
2. Lethal Weapon - when this first came out, I believe I saw it in the theatre four nights in a row. I believe this is one of the best American action films, if not the best, ever made. Gibson and Glover had an incredible chemistry and the sequels, while not nearly as good as the original were fantastic. Every scene works and as Hollywood as it is, there is something that keeps it from getting corny. Plus, as a teenage guy, the movie has one of the greatest opening scenes ever.
1. The Killer - until I saw this movie, Lethal Weapon was my favorite movie. Then I saw John Woo's The Killer. Chow Yun Fat and Danny Lee play "partners" on the different side of the law. Lee is after Fat's character, while Fat is trying to protect a girl he accidentally blinded on a hit job. The movie is fast paced and is a completely different kind of buddy film, in that the two main characters aren't buddies at all. The film is solid from start to finish, but as far as action films go, you ain't seen nothing til you watch the finale of this film. Poetic, operatic and ultra violent. There are more shots fired in this scene than in some wars. It's absolutely incredible. One note about this film. Please watch the Chinese version with subtitles instead of the dubbed version. The dubbing is awful and for some reason the two characters call each other Dumbo and Mickey Mouse which takes away from the film. Easily the best film of the 80's
Now, obviously I don't assume most have seen the two foreign films, but I suggest you do. One for it's cinematic beauty and one for it's gun-totting beauty. I apologize to all you Deniro fans who can't get enough of Raging Bull. I'll stick to Raging Fred on youtube!
10. The Little Mermaid - I know, not what you expected. This film stands the test of time though. The story is cute, the music is amazing and the character Ariel has taken on mythic status. Sure there's Belle and Pocahontas, but Ariel transcends animated films. People have her tattooed on them (male and female). There is just something about her. The beauty, the innocence, the situation that has her torn, that everyone especially teenagers, can relate to. As an adult, I enjoy the film for it's fluidity. Most animated films drag or have lulls. Not this one. A perfect Disney film.
9. Do The Right Thing - Many people hate this movie, because they deem it to be anti-white, but at the time this movie was dead on. Sure we don't like seeing "Tawana Told The Truth" written on a wall, but back then this was the feeling in black NYC. Spike Lee didn't write the film to make it look like blacks hated whites. He was trying to show just how delicate the balance can be and that just because things appear to be better, there is still much racial tension. Coupled with a slamming soundtrack which feature what many consider the most powerful rap song in history (Public Enemy's Fight the Power), this film is a tour de force which holds up today just as much as it did the day it came out.
8. Once Upon A Time In America - This was the 80's answer to the Godfather. James Woods and Robert Deniro star in this wonderful mobster movie (Patrick Dempsey plays the young version of Deniro I believe). While the movie doesn't stand up the way Godfather or Miller's Crossing does, it does have it's great parts. The two leads are excellent and the co-stars are solid. The beautiful Jennifer Connolly made her acting debut in this and at the time she was a classmate of my best friend. Maybe it's because I kissed her playing spin the bottle that made me like the film or maybe it's just a great film. I'll never know, but I still enjoy it today as much as when I first saw it.
7. The Shining - while I am not a fan of Stephen King's books, I will say, a few of his movies have been incredible. What I find ironic is that they got the great Stanley Kubrick to direct this and King hated it. Later did his own version, which flopped. Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duval give the performances of their lives (which is truly saying a lot with these two) in conveying the horror. Nicholson's transformation from family man to psycho is incredible. The child actor who played Danny had to be somewhat scarred for life after this film. Either that or he's learned to "just remember what the man (Scatman Crothers) said." Redrum! Love it!
6. Raising Arizona - quite possibly one of the funniest movies of all time. Nicholas Cage, one of my favorite actresses ever, Holly Hunter and some hilarious scenes from John Goodman and William Forsythe make this one of the ten greatest comedies ever made. Many don't like the over-the-top silliness, but coupled with the crazy music, Randall "Tex" Cobb chasing them, and of course, Nathan Jr. (we just call him junior), it works to perfection. It's like a slapstick act that's toned down to last 90 minutes. Every minute is sheer brilliance.
5. Full Metal Jacket - let me first state that if the second half of the movie had come even close to the second half, this might well have been the greatest movie of all time. The boot camp scenes are some of the best ever put on film. The second half starts strong but fails in the end. Leaving you to feel like you saw a weird double feature. R. Lee Emery as the drill Sergeant is one of my favorite movie characters ever. Where other movies used one standard line, he just kept going. Who can forget him yelling at Pvt. Joker and saying "Hell, I like you, you can come over and fuck my sister." Vincent D'Onofrio as Pvt. Pyle was so mesmerizing that so few people even knew it was him when he started to do other films and TV. So many classic lines and such a good beginning, it's a shame the second half faltered.
4. Manhunter - the "original" prequel to Silence of the Lambs, twenty years before Red Dragon came out. William Peterson plays the role of the agent after Dolarhyde. Brian Cox gives a performance which actually rivals Hopkins, as the first Hannibal Lechter. While some today might be put off by the Miami Vice look, this film is not fluff. It's a true psychological thriller and in my opinion, trounces the remake. Dennis Farina, who I believe was in everything in the 80's co-stars.
3. Cinema Paradiso - this is a classic Hopper film. Foreign, beautiful, somewhat slow, but captivating and then an ending to end all endings. I challenge any man not to weep uncontrollably at the end of this movie. Without giving anything away, it's about a young Italian boy, who grows up in a small town working at the local movie theatre. The owner and projectionist teaches him the trade, the movie business and in a nutshell, about life. He leaves the town the second he gets a chance, barely stopping to pay his respects to his mentor. He makes it big and upon hearing of his mentors passing, returns to his roots. I have chills just thinking about the finale. One of the greatest, if not the greatest endings to a film I've ever seen.
2. Lethal Weapon - when this first came out, I believe I saw it in the theatre four nights in a row. I believe this is one of the best American action films, if not the best, ever made. Gibson and Glover had an incredible chemistry and the sequels, while not nearly as good as the original were fantastic. Every scene works and as Hollywood as it is, there is something that keeps it from getting corny. Plus, as a teenage guy, the movie has one of the greatest opening scenes ever.
1. The Killer - until I saw this movie, Lethal Weapon was my favorite movie. Then I saw John Woo's The Killer. Chow Yun Fat and Danny Lee play "partners" on the different side of the law. Lee is after Fat's character, while Fat is trying to protect a girl he accidentally blinded on a hit job. The movie is fast paced and is a completely different kind of buddy film, in that the two main characters aren't buddies at all. The film is solid from start to finish, but as far as action films go, you ain't seen nothing til you watch the finale of this film. Poetic, operatic and ultra violent. There are more shots fired in this scene than in some wars. It's absolutely incredible. One note about this film. Please watch the Chinese version with subtitles instead of the dubbed version. The dubbing is awful and for some reason the two characters call each other Dumbo and Mickey Mouse which takes away from the film. Easily the best film of the 80's
Now, obviously I don't assume most have seen the two foreign films, but I suggest you do. One for it's cinematic beauty and one for it's gun-totting beauty. I apologize to all you Deniro fans who can't get enough of Raging Bull. I'll stick to Raging Fred on youtube!
I have to make my list but Das Boot will likely be No. 1
ReplyDeleteI've only seen it one time and I believe I was 11. Definitely have to check it out again. I remember it being good, but honestly, so long ago.
ReplyDeleteyou must see it again. German version of course.
ReplyDeleteI never watch dubbed movies or remakes until I've seen the original.
ReplyDelete