137 posts tagged with 1980s.
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Movie: The King of Comedy
Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin wants to achieve success in show biz by stalking his idol, a late night talk-show host who craves his own privacy. [more inside]
Movie: Streets of Fire
A mercenary goes after his ex-girlfriend, a singer who has been kidnapped by a gang. [more inside]
Movie: This Is Spinal Tap
Spinal Tap, one of England's loudest bands, is chronicled by film director Marty DeBergi on what proves to be a fateful tour. [more inside]
Movie: Silverado
A misfit bunch of friends come together to right the injustices which exist in a small town. [more inside]
Movie: The Big Red One
The story of a sergeant and the inner core members of his unit as they try to serve in and survive World War II. A semi-autobiographical account by director Samuel Fuller; the original version was chopped from a 270 minute cut to 113; most reviews below are from the 2004 "Reconstruction" version which, although it post-dated Fuller's death, likely comes closer to realizing his vision. [more inside]
Movie: The Fly
A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong. [more inside]
Movie: Pee-wee's Big Adventure
When eccentric man-child Pee-Wee Herman gets his beloved bike stolen in broad daylight, he sets out across the U.S. on the adventure of his life. [more inside]
Movie: RoboCop
In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories. [more inside]
Movie: Breaker Morant
Three Australian lieutenants are court martialed for executing prisoners as a way of deflecting attention from war crimes committed by their superior officers. [more inside]
Movie: Clue
In arguably the finest movie based on a board game, six guests are invited to a strange house, only to find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery where everyboddy is either a victim or suspect. [more inside]
Movie: Lost in America
A husband and wife in their 30s decide to quit their jobs, live as free spirits and cruise America in a Winnebago. [more inside]
Movie: The Hunger
The Egyptian vampire lady Miriam subsists upon the blood of her lovers. In return the guys or girls don't age... until Miriam has enough of them. Unfortunately that's currently the case ... [more inside]
Movie: Blood Simple.
A rich but jealous man hires a private investigator to kill his cheating wife and her new man. But, when blood is involved, nothing is simple. [more inside]
Movie: Escape from New York
In 1997, when the US President crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in for a rescue. [more inside]
Movie: Casualties of War
During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager. [more inside]
Movie: Heathers
In order to get out of the snobby clique that is destroying her good-girl reputation, an intelligent teen teams up with a dark sociopath in a plot to kill the cool kids. [more inside]
Movie: Down by Law
The story of three different men in a Louisiana prison and their eventual journey. [more inside]
Movie: An American Werewolf in London
Two American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists. [more inside]
Movie: Witness
A young Amish boy is sole witness to a murder; policeman John Book goes into hiding in Amish country to protect him until the trial. [more inside]
Movie: Valley Girl
Julie, a girl from the valley, meets Randy, a punk from the city. They are from different worlds and find love. Somehow they need to stay together in spite of her trendy, shallow friends. Top notch soundtrack. [more inside]
Movie: Manhunter
Former FBI profiler Will Graham returns to service to pursue a deranged serial murderer named "the Tooth Fairy" by the media. [more inside]
Movie: Purple Rain
A young musician, tormented by an abusive situation at home, must contend with a rival singer, a burgeoning romance and his own dissatisfied band as his star begins to rise. [more inside]
Movie: Midnight Run
An accountant is chased by bounty hunters, the FBI, and the Mafia after jumping bail. [more inside]
Movie: Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka)
A tragic film covering a young boy and his little sister's struggle to survive in Japan during World War II. [more inside]
Anyone interested in (re)watching Wiseguy?
I just noticed that Wiseguy, the 1987-1990 crime drama, is streaming on Hulu. Alan Sepinwall described it as "a dark, moody, intelligent drama" that was "20 years ahead of its time" due to its then-groundbreakingly-lengthy story arcs, which allowed the show to develop richer villains than the typical case-of-the-week shows of the time. From what I've read, it seems like an important foundational show for modern TV, but it's been largely forgotten today. I think I'm going to watch it - would anybody else be interested in watching along with me? [more inside]
Moonbeam City: The Strike Visualizer Strikes Again Season 1, Ep 3
Dazzle starts a friendship with an artist. Meanwhile, a killer called the Moonbeam Maniac is terrorizing the city.
Deutschland 83: Brandy Station Season 1, Ep 6
Martin wants to stay in East Germany after returning for his mother’s kidney transplant. Alex Edel takes General Jackson hostage. [more inside]
Deutschland 83: Northern Wedding Season 1, Ep 4
When the bug is found in Linda's desk, NATO is placed on high alert. Linda arrives to visit Martin, who scrambles to turn her loyalties around. [more inside]
Deutschland 83: Brave Guy Season 1, Ep 2
Martin is sent to break into the hotel room of a NATO analyst to steal a report, which turns out to be something different than the East Germans expected. Along the way he has another encounter with the General's daughter, and a run-in with a hotel waitress. [more inside]
Deutschland 83: Quantum Jump Season 1, Ep 1
A coming-of-age spy thriller set in 1980s Germany. The first German language series to air on US TV. [more inside]
Movie: My Dinner with Andre
This film depicts a conversation between Gregory and Shawn (not necessarily playing themselves) at Café des Artistes in New York. Based mostly on conversation, the two discuss experimental theatre, rebirth experiences, and the importance of electric blankets. [more inside]
Movie: Near Dark
A small-town farmer's son reluctantly joins a traveling group of vampires after he is turned by a beautiful drifter. [more inside]
Movie: They Live
Nada, a wanderer without meaning in his life, discovers a pair of sunglasses capable of showing the world the way it truly is. As he walks the streets of Los Angeles, Nada notices that both the media and the government are comprised of subliminal messages meant to keep the population subdued, and that most of the social elite are skull-faced aliens bent on world domination. With this shocking discovery, Nada fights to free humanity from the mind-controlling aliens. [more inside]
Movie: The Abyss
A civilian diving team are enlisted to search for a lost nuclear submarine and face danger while encountering an alien aquatic species. [more inside]
Movie: The Accidental Tourist
An emotionally distant and depressed writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after experiencing family tragedy. [more inside]
Movie: Parting Glances
Parting Glances was one of the first major films about out, gay characters and AIDS and portrayed an unusual (for Hollywood) love triangle that was deeply grounded in queer sensibilities. The film launched the career of Steve Buscemi and featured hits from Bronski Beat.
Reviews were mixed at the time, but it continues to be recognized as groundbreaking.
Movie: Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Bob Hoskins stars as the hard drinking hard boiled detective investigating a convoluted case in Toon Town, in a groundbreaking combination of live action and animated film. [more inside]