1980s

9/24/25 "The Fog" 1980
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You're the only person I know who can make 'Yes, Ma'am' sound like 'screw you'." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I expected more out of John Carpenter with this film. Everyone seems to love the Fog, but I just personally didn't care for it. We follow a small California town as a strange fog comes into town with ghosts and ghouls and starts killing people. I personally wasn't afraid of the fog, and it didn't really have that much tension. Plus, I couldn't care less about the characters. They weren't endearing and seemed more to exist just to die in the script, which I didn't care about when they did. The cinematography and scoring were well done, but it just didn't wow me.

4/17/25 "Coal Miner's Daughter" 1980
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "An' stoppa that growlin'. You sound like a big ol' bar.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
If I had a nickel for every song from this movie that would be in "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles", I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. This was a pretty good bio-pic, it follows the life of Loretta Lynn and how she got her start. It's really well paced and doesn't fall into the "bio-pic" problems seen today. This is noteworthy for Sissy Spacek's oscar-winning performance as Lynn. While she does a really great job in the role, I feel she wasn't the best actress of that year. For my money, Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People should've won. That doesn't take away from this movie though. The movie can be a little cookie-cutter in some places, but overall, it's pretty good!

7/31/22 "Friday The 13th" 1980
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm the messenger of God. You're doomed if you stay here! This place is cursed. Cursed! It's got a death curse."
This is probably my favorite of the early slasher films (Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and this one). I feel like the villain in this one is what makes this movie so enticing. SPOILERS FOR A 42-YEAR-OLD MOVIE. For those who don't know this movie is about a group of camp counselors at camp crystal lake slowly being killed off by a mysterious source. It turns out it's Mrs. Voorhees (the mother of the more famous Jason Voorhees) whose son (Jason) died because he wasn't being supervised. Mrs. Voorhees is a refreshing villain in a sea of the same primary type of villain. She's not a masked crazy person out to kill randomly like Michael Myers or Leather Face. She has actually motivation and when we meet her she doesn't seem dangerous but if you notice her car is the same as earlier making her ominous. We don't meet her till the end, but before that, the killings happen at a good pace and we're given a chance to meet all the counselors. I would give this one a watch since it's a very important film

8/26/22 "The Blues Brothers" 1980
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Not the Mafia too!"
I was not expecting this to be as musical as it was. There were some amazing numbers, not only performed by the Blues Brothers but by some blues legends. There were numbers by Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and even Cab Calloway. They even had Cab Calloway perform his famous "Minnie the Moocher", a number he did 60 years prior, in the same suit and doing the same dances as he did in the 1920s. It was magical seeing him do this for the last time. The comedy in this movie is pretty good as well. I liked how the two brothers just don't care about anything that happens to them. The plot is really well put together and has the perfect amount of craziness. Although it does drag a little in some places, this can definitely be seen as a very influential comedy that's a swan song for John Belushi who would die two years later. Between this movie and Animal House, he should be remembered for this movie more.

8/15/22 "My Bodyguard" 1980
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "He watches T.V."
I feel like I've seen stuff like this all the time. It was an afterschool special which means that it's very cheesy. This feels like a goosebumps episode but without the horror elements. The main character is very annoying and can't get a clue about anything, his grandma is Maude though from Harold and Maude so this movie has that. There were some cute moments, but just nothing noteworthy.

8/29/22 "Caddyshack" 1980
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote " You take drugs, Danny?"
Awful. That's what this movie is. I didn't laugh a single time in this entire film. The humor of this film is dedicated to 5-year-olds and 75-year-olds. There's a lot of crude humor that boils down to "poop = funny!" (also that stupid gopher), but there's also a lot of Boomer Humor (mostly coming from Rodney Dangerfield) that just boils down to "Insensitive = funny!". There were many scenes where I predicted what would happen to beat from beat. I don't guy why everyone loves this film and hails it as one of the best comedies, it doesn't even scratch the top 3 in the year it was released (9 to 5, Airplane, and Blues Brothers all came out the same year and are way better). Avoid this one like the plague

3/18/24 "Xanadu" 1980
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I've been known to twinkle a toe or two." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes (several times)
Wow. I had no idea how to rank this film. There's so much to this film that you don't even know where to begin. So, let's start with some good. The production design is very excellent. I love the interesting mix of 1940s aesthetics with 80s rock influences. The songs are a little hit or miss, but the ones done by ELO are fantastic. Also, Gene Kelly gives a really sweet performance. This was his last film and it was really interesting to see him play a gentle old man character. The story is pretty nice, it's about a muse (Olivia Newton-John) who inspires people throughout the years to fall in love with a struggling artist and inspire him to make a roller rink with an old man (Gene Kelly) whom she inspired during the 1940s. The execution however is all over the place. There are several moments where I said out loud "What is happening?" This is such an odd film that had, let's say, interesting choices. The lead actor is horrible in this film. He didn't audition for the role, and they just automatically gave it to him. It's weird because Andy Gibb was originally cast, but he couldn't do it. John Travolta also turned down the role because he was filming "Urban Cowboy". I highly suggest watching this film with a group of people just so they can be as confused as you are.

12/23/24 "Melvin and Howard" 1980
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Honey, they didn't burn down Rome in one day - you got to keep pluggin'." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I thought that this film was sort of pointless. The most interesting aspect of the film is avoided for most of the film. We follow Melvin Dummar, a man who's down on his luck, and unknowingly picks up media-mogul Howard Hughes (played by Jason Robards) when he was hitchhiking. After this event, Howard Hughes doesn't appear again until the end, which makes me question the point. For the rest of the movie, we follow Howard and his relationship with his wife, Lynda (Mary Steenburgen). Steenburgen won an Oscar for this film, which is fitting since I consider her a very underrated actress. This winning best original screenplay is a different story. This film isn't really discussed today for a reason.

10/7/22 "Ordinary People" 1980
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You need everything neat and easy."
This was probably one of my favorite best-picture wins I have seen. This movie has such a human story to it. It's so realistic and the characters feel like they're real. This is partly due to Robert Redford's outstanding directing, excellent writing, and stand-out performances from the main four (Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch, and Timothy Hutton). Overall this was such an incredible film that touched on some pretty controversial topics for the time

6/15/23 "The Elephant Man" 1980
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'M NOT AN ANIMAL... I'M A HUMAN BEING! I. AM. A. MAN" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
The second feature-length David Lynch film and this is one of his better movies. It has some similarities with Eraserhead, which is always welcomed in my book but has a more grounded story. It keeps up the visual style of Eraserhead to show the seedy underground of the freakshow. This film also reminded me of Freaks in the way they treat the ridiculed. They constantly show how the elephant man is a really kind and intelligent person and how the people who ridicule him are monsters. It was a little slow, but it had great performances and cinematography

3/22/22 "Raging Bull" 1980
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote (*None of them are family-friendly*)
This was a pretty interesting character study. Scorsese has a habit of making biopics about people who aren't good people, this follows that with Jake LaMotta. The movie seemed a little all over the place with the random cuts to the boxing matches without setting it up in the story. Also sometimes Robert De Niro could be a little too much as this character. Honestly, not a lot to say about this movie. They had great shots but overall it's alright

10/2/25 "Altered States" 1980
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "She's still crazy about him. He's still crazy." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This movie is such a crazy ride. It's directed by Ken Russell, who's know for very daring and crazy movies, and this film is no different. This film follows a research scientist who explores different states of conciousness. This leads him to trying a new drug and sensory deprivation. The hallucinations and editing are done really well and lead to very trippy scenes. I also like the grounding story about the scientist (William Hurt) who becomes obsessed with his work, to the point where he sabotages his relationship with his wife. As a whole, this is such an interesting film that I might have to rewatch later to get all of.

10/13/23 "Scanners" 1981
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Sane." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I'm going, to be honest, I expected way more out of this one. A lot of film buffs say this is a great movie, but I just don't see it. The acting isn't great and definitely brings the movie down. The horror's alright, but I just wanted a little more (the ending scene though was fantastic, classic Cronenberg). A very auteur film that the director doesn't even like.

7/30/25 "The Postman Always Rings Twice" 1981
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "They hang people for that, Cora." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This felt like it was trying way too hard to renew a classic; it feels more dated than the original. This film is a remake of the '46 film of the same name, but doesn't live up to the original at all. They replaced the subtlety and character moments in the original with gratuitous sex and violence. They have great talent with Jessica Lange and Jack Nicholson, but it just feels like they're playing a watered-down Lana Turner and John Garfield. As a whole, this is the embodiment of the neo-noir genre at it's worst.

1/14/23 "Chariots Of Fire" 1981
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No.
Another best picture winner and this one was a doozy. This movie is famously boring and dull. 90% of this movie is just people running and that's basically all this movie is. It's also British, very British. How did this win against Raiders of the Lost Ark and On Golden Pond?

6/12/24 "Escape From New York" 1981
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Maybe later." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is arguably one of the most iconic 80s action films, and I can see why. The atmosphere and concept are very interesting and lead to a very engaging movie. In the distant year of 1997, New York is turned into a maximum security prison due to the rise in crime. No one goes in, no one goes out. The problem is the President's plane gets hacked and crash lands in this new anarchy state. It's up to former special forces agent turned criminal, Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) to save the president. If he saves the president, he's free to leave New York. I feel like one of the weakest parts of this film is Snake Plissken, he just feels so manufactured if that makes sense. It's clear they were trying to make a tough guy more than an actual character, so he ends up feeling like a send-up of John Wayne and Clint Eastwood more than he does a unique character. The world feels so realistic and gritty, which adds to the feel of this film.

9/9/25 "Friday The 13th Part 2" 1981
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I told the others, they didn't believe me. You're all doomed. You're all doomed." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I feel like this movie was such a letdown compared to the first movie. It's funny because it reminds us how good the first movie was, with the first five minutes just being a recap of the first movie. The whole thing was a dream by the final girl of the last movie, which any sane moviegoer would've gone, "oh, cool, so she's like the main character?" Nope, she gets killed immediately after. The new bunch of slaughter victims have no personality and are all pretty bad actors. There's one guy in this movie who I think had a bomb on his chest that would go off if he didn't speed through his lines. There were some alright action scenes, but the climax of the movie with the sweater was genuinely one of the dumbest things. It was something that Shaggy and Scooby would do to get out of a bind. As a whole, this is one of those "so bad it's good" movies, really funny and over the top, just not intentionally that way.

1/3/24 "Polyester" 1981
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "At first I thought he was walking his dog. Then I realized, it was his date." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
One of my favorite John Waters films. It blends a (somewhat) grounded story with that classic brand of John Waters oddness. It's about Francine Fishpaw (Divine) trying to keep her sanity as her dysfunctional family crumbles around her. This film is a perfect spoof of Soap Operas and 50s melodramas (especially ones by Douglas Sirk). It's odd seeing Divine play such a normal character. Normally, her characters are insane murderers, so this film was a nice change of pace. It's interesting seeing how instead of her causing all the pain, all the pain is inflicted on her. The humor of this film lies in how seriously all the characters take the most ridiculous situations. For instance, her son is the infamous "Baltimore Stomper" who goes around and stomps on the feet of innocent ladies around town. This is a great introduction to John Waters. It's weird, but not too weird

9/17/24 "Possession" 1981
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I can't exist by myself because I'm afraid of myself, because I'm the maker of my own evil." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was such an odd film. There are so many elements that I wouldn't want to spoil that made this such a wonderfully interesting film. The special effects are great and the acting is really well done (especially with Isabelle Adjani as Anna). The film follows a spy named Mark (Sam Neill) who comes home to find that his wife, Anna wants a divorce. However, Mark starts noticing something odd is happening with her and strange things start happening. I wouldn't say anything more about this film in fear of spoiling it, but it's great. It reminds me of Eraserhead and Videodrome.

1/22/22 "History of The World Part 1" 1981
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The Lord, the Lord Jehovah has given unto you these fifteen... [drops one of the tablets] Oy! Ten! Ten commandments for all to obey!"
This film went on a little too long. Its plot is divided into different sketches (all narrated by Orson Welles), but it's clear that some of them were better than others, like how the Spanish Inquisition was obviously the best and the Stone Age was obviously the worst. The Rome section went on far too long. I feel like the gags in this movie were very hit-or-miss, but when they hit, they hit. Good movie
Edit: Man, I sure hope they don't make part 2 a TV show where they take all of the charm out of the first one away and replace it with toilet humor and pop culture references

9/4/24 "Blow Out" 1981
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Now THAT'S a scream!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I've been hearing great things about this film, and when I finally saw it I understood why. Brian De Palma basically combined Blow-Up, The Conversation, and the Manchurian Candidate together and made a masterpiece. We follow Jack Terry (John Travolta), a sound effects technician who goes out one night to record ambiance for a horror movie he's working on when he accidentally records a failed assassination attempt. He works hard for the rest of the movie to put the pieces together to see what's really happening. Not only is the film extremely well shot (note the fireworks scene), but the editing really shines through. I can see why this is listed as a classic.

10/3/23 "Time Bandits" 1981
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Yes, why does there have to be evil?" "I think it has something to do with free will." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
One of the craziest and oddest films I've seen in a while. This is a Terry Gilliam film with half of the Monty Python gang (Terry Gilliam, John Cleese, Michael Palin) and is about a boy getting kidnapped by six small men who are going on a time heist. The whole film has such a crazy vibe to it and does so many things in such a short time. The plot can get a little messy and the jokes can get a little silly, but the jokes are quite funny and the cameos are really fun too! If you love Monty Python, I think you would like this. If you don't, you would hate this

7/4/25 "Body Heat" 1981
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I feel like I should wear a hat." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This feels like a pretty standard neo-noir movie. I feel like it takes a bit too much from Double Indemnity, but not really in as clever of a way as that movie does it. The story is about a man (William Hurt) and a woman (Kathleen Turner), having an affair during a heat wave as the woman tries to convince the man to kill her husband. Kathleen Turner does an incredible job in her film debut, really giving an iconic performance right out of the gate, but as a whole, the film isn't incredible.

8/3/22 "Evil Dead" 1981
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Yeah... truly amazing."
This was shocking, but I didn't really like this one. The problem with this one was the budget and inexperience. This was basically a student film and this was Sam Raimi's directorial debut. It's funny because you can see as the movie goes on it gets more and more Sam Raimi since it was shot chronologically. The beginning and middle were a rough watch since Raimi didn't have the budget to show his ideas. My advice is to watch this one last. This has nothing to do with the rest of the trilogy except Ash's character which gets reintroduced in the second one. I don't know if I would've seen the second one if I saw this first.

6/28/23 "Mommie Dearest" 1981
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "NO. WIRE. HANGERS!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Boy, do they! I
t's hard to rate a movie like this since it wasn't supposed to be this enjoyable. This was supposed to be a dramatic, oscar-winning film instead of the Razzie-winning cult classic. What happened to Christina Crawford was truly horrible, but since she wrote the script, she made her character perfect which wasn't really engaging and plus her actress was horrible. Faye Dunaway was unfortunately a horrible part of this film. She's a great actress, but this isn't her role despite looking a lot like her. She's way too overtop which led to this film being a cult classic. There are some interesting moments, but there are some acting flaws here and there

1/15/24 "Reds" 1981
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Jack dreams that he can hustle the American working man, whose one dream is that he could be rich enough not to work, into a revolution led by his party." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Wait... so Warren Beatty directed, wrote, and produced this film just for him to play the main character. Didn't someone walk up to him and tell him "You're So Vain". I'm not judging, I just took that long walk for the Carly Simon reference, now on with my review. It's a little long, but this film has really inspired performances. Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, and Jack Nicholson bring their A-game and give this story justice. The use of the witnesses is cool but takes you out of the movie. They happen all throughout with not a lot of rhyme or reason. This won best director at the Oscars, and I can see how with its lavish production and great character moments. This deserved Best Picture more than "Chariots of Fire" but not as much as "Raiders of the Lost Ark".

7/17/24 "Missing" 1982
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You Americans, you always assume you must do something before you can be arrested." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I was pretty let down by this one. The most enjoyable part for me was Jack Lemmon's acting, which was a really great performance. It follows an American (Jack Lemmon) going to Chile because his son was kidnapped by a military takeover, he's joined by his daughter-in-law (Sissy Spacek). As the film goes on, however, they start to learn that there's a series of cover-ups made by the U.S. government. It's an interesting film that's based on a true story, but the pacing was really slow and the writing wasn't anything special.

4/10/25 "Victor/Victoria" 1982
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I still don't care." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This feels like this movie would've done numbers in the 60s, but feels a little flat in the 80s. We follow a struggling Soprano, Victoria (Julie Andrews) who under the eye of the gay Toddy (Robert Preston), impersonates a female impersonator to get work. While in her Victor persona, she falls in love with a very dashing man (James Garner), who's straight but feels a strange attraction to Victor (not knowing Victor is a woman). There were some good gags here and there, but the characters just fell a little flat to me. It feels like Blake Edwards is both trying to make something new, but also holding on to what made his older films work. It's not a bad comedy, but AFI listing it as one of the best is certainly questionable.

12/21/23 "Diner" 1982
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote " Do you ever get the feeling that there's something going on that we don't know about?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Oh boy yeah
This is just American Grafitti but it's better in every which way. The characters are really funny and all have their quirks that set them apart. The story is about six guys in the 50s meeting at their old diner as their lives unfold before them. One of them is getting married, but he's set up a football test with his fiancee, and if she fails the wedding is off. No one likes this idea except the groom. Some of the little segments felt unnecessary, but as a whole, this was a pretty alright film. I'm sure I'll forget most of it in a month.

8/20/22 "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" 1982
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I guess she'd added them since the last time I'd seen her."
This is a crazy feat of editing and scriptwriting. This film is a spoof of Noir films that actually uses scenes from older noir movies (Lost Weekend, Suspicion, Notorious, White Heat, Double Indemnity among others) and uses them to tell the story. Steve Martin does such a good job being the deadpan straight man and just reacting honestly to most situations, except when anyone says "cleaning woman". I love how the writers include certain lines to build up to other scenes, like the scene where Betty Davis accidentally says cleaning woman so Steve Martin gets into a fit of rage. It's honestly pretty magical to see Steve Martin act with Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, James Cagney, and other big stars of the day. There were some questionable jokes, but they're supposed to be since they're making fun of how sexist the old movies were. Very funny movie with a very clever idea.

10/14/22 "The Thing" 1982
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You've got to be kidding me."
What a film! The Thing has some of the best special effects ever. The fact that all of the effects are traditional and aren't CG is astonishing because of how well they've held up. It's sad to say how some of the effects look better in this 40-year-old movie than in many modern Marvel projects. I also feel like the tension in the film is great and feels like you're only on edge. My problem has to be the characters though. I just feel like this movie would've been a lot better if we spent more time getting to know them. We get about 5 minutes, in the beginning, to get to know them, which isn't enough time considering there are 12 members of the gang. This is a landmark film, however, and for good reason, too!

9/5/24 "An Officer and A Gentleman" 1982
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You know something, you ain't nothing special." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is a pretty classic film that was done pretty darn well. We follow Zack Mayo (Richard Gere), a young man who wants to be a Navy pilot after a rocky childhood. While there, he had some troubles with the drill Sergeant Emil Foley (Louis Gossett Jr.). He can't really get ahead due to him being a little self-involved. While there, he also falls in love with a female cadet, which helps him learn to be more selfless. It's a very by-the-number movie, but it works for what it is. I'm gonna be honest though, it's Oscar win for "Up Where We Belong" should've gone to "Eye of the Tiger". I mean, it's clear today which one had more staying power. That's my little talkin' tangent, overall a pretty solid film.

7/27/24 "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" 1982
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "What happened." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's crazy watching this film in 2024 and seeing how many modern movies derive from this film. It follows the lives of various teens in their senior year of high school as Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh) wants to explore the world of dating. We follow her various attempts as the relationships around her start to get complicated. Everyone does such a great job in this film, but more specifically Sean Penn and Ray Waltson do wonders in their roles. They're the perfect foil to each other, leading to very funny scenes. I also really enjoyed seeing them work jobs in their off time (it reminded me of Clerks/Mallrats), it really added to their characters. This is what I would consider the start to the classic teen '80s movies.

2/7/23 "Gandhi" 1982
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: yes
Ah, nothing like a big cup of Oscar bait in the morning. I am being a little harsh, but I feel this is definitely Oscar bait. I mean, it has an intermission. What's more Oscar bait than that? This is a historical epic meaning that the film is a three-hour long film where they shove the spectacle of the movie in your face. I do have to give this movie credit, they laid out the story really well and made me interested in Gandhi. Counterpoint, making some interested in Gandhi isn't really a hard thing to do, I mean he's one of the most influential people who has ever existed. Ben Kingsley did a great job as Gandhi and deserved the win as a best actor but he does have to go in brownface in this film. Ben Kingsley is of Indian descent, but they had to really darken his skin using makeup and after seeing his other work it's very noticeable. While this film has its moments, it shouldn't have won the best picture. The Thing, King of Comedy, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, E.T., and Tootsie would've been better winners in my opinion. There's sort of a reason no one really brings this film up in conversation.

3/19/24 "The Verdict" 1982
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "They say, "Act as if ye had faith... and faith will be given to you." IF... if we are to have faith in justice, we need only to believe in ourselves. And ACT with justice. See, I believe there is justice in our hearts." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Another hit for Sidney Lumet. This film is filled with sleaze in the best possible way. It follows Frank Gavin (Paul Newman), he's a down-on-his-luck lawyer who's in desperate need of a case. He spends most of his time in the bar, if he's not there, he's crashing funerals to try to get a role. When he finally gets one in a negligence case against a hospital. He gets a change of heart when he has a chance to settle out of court for money but chooses to take the case because he believes what he's doing is right. It's a really interesting look at Frank Gavin as we see him slowly start getting more and more into the case. The other actors do a great job and really sell their characters, (especially James Mason). I really feel like this could've won the Oscar for Best Picture (especially against Gandhi). This is a really solid film.

8/16/24 "Sophie's Choice" 1982
6/10 Stars, 1Favorite Quote: "You know, when you... when you live a good life... like a saint... and then you die, that must be what they make you drink in paradise." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I'm shocked to say that I wanted more of Sophie's Choice in a movie called Sophie's Choice. Growing up, I thought this movie focused entirely on Sophie and the horrible situation she was placed in. However, Sophie made up 1/3 of the film. The other third of the film is Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol. Kevin Kline makes sense tonally, he's a Jewish man living after the holocaust, so he's not entirely there. What I don't gel with however is Peter MacNicol's character. His whole deal is he wants to have sex, and that's it. So we get very tone-deaf sequences where we hear the horrors of Sophie's life and then we hard cut to Peter MacNichol being like "Hermmm, I wish I could have sex with a girl." We don't need that character to look at Sophie's character, we could've just seen the story through Sophie's eye. Meryl Streep gives her best performance, which is one of the best parts of this film. It's true magic seeing one of the greatest actresses performing her best role, it just stinks we couldn't have gotten more of that.

10/15/23 "Videodrome" 1983
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "After all, there is nothing real outside our perception of reality, is there?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes!
I think out of all the David Cronenberg films, this film sums up his style the best. It's filled to the brim with odd imagery, straightforward characters, and messed-up body horror. This film also feels a lot like David Lynch because of how surreal the whole thing feels. It's all about a trashy TV station picking up a new show called "Videodrome" where it's just people getting tortured. The president of the station (James Wood) shows the tape to his girlfriend (Debbie Harry of Blondie), and she auditions for the show and then never comes back. The whole movie is such a great satire on the state of television, and how much its audience craves violence. This ranks up there as one of the strangest films I've ever seen.

5/6/23 "Without a Trace" 1983
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You can't afford this!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Kind of a slow thriller film. It starts right away, which is great, but then it drags for the rest of the film. Several of the scenes seemed unnecessary, like seeing her complete every step to enter a jail when it could've just cut to her in the jail. The main actress doesn't really do a good job I feel. She lost her son and yet she always just seemed miffed at most. Also, she has some of the worst fake crying noises I've ever heard. Judd Hirsch does a great job, but his character was written in such an annoying way that he was always wrong but they never call him on it. Some scenes were done extremely well like the ending and the few twists and turns, but the rest of the film was pretty slow with some sloppy writing.

12/22/25 "Local Hero" 1983
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "How do you do business with someone who doesn't have a door?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a very charming watch. We follow a man who works for an American Oil company. His boss (Burt Lancaster) sends him to a small town in Scotland that they want to buy and make a refinery, but the town starts to grow on him. The characters are really endearing, and they really convince you that a character like that could change his mind. Also, the cinematography really highlights the beauty of the town.

12/26/24 "Tender Mercies" 1983
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I don't trust happiness. I never did, I never will." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a surprisingly sweet movie. We follow a washed-up country singer (Robert Duvall) who stays at a motel that's run by a widow and her son. The country singer doesn't have a lot of money, so instead, he starts working at the motel with her. There he starts to fall for the widow and forms a connection with her son. While this is happening, his career is getting an unlikely comeback, so he has to choose between these two lives. It's a really sweet movie that isn't really talked about these days.

11/14/25 "L'Argent" 1983
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Everyone will be happy soon. I won't wait around for that. Believe me, it will bore us stupid. I want happiness now, on my terms." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was the last film of the iconic director, Robert Bresson, and unfortunately, it's just too similar to another, better film of his. This film follows a young boy who unknowingly gets counterfeit money and gets nearly arrested for it, but ends up losing his job and going down a dark path due to this mistake. While this film analyzes the themes of justice quite well, I just found it far too similar to Pickpocket by Bresson, which, in my opinion, focuses on the same themes, but does it in a better way.

1/5/24 "War Games" 1983
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The only winning move is not to play" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Oh boy yeah
When I first started watching this, I was surprised to learn that this was before "Ferris Bueller". I thought that was his breakout role, but after watching the movie it figures that this was his first role. His acting is a little all over the place, however this is a very solid movie. It's about a young boy hacking into what he thinks is a brand new video game but it turns out to be a war simulator that might cause World War 3, so it's up to him to stop it. It feels like a nice mix between "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Dr. Stangelove" with its political satire and warning of future technology. It's a pretty well-written script that had moments where you laugh and some pretty suspenseful moments as well. A pretty underrated gem.

7/17/24 "The Big Chill" 1983
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Amazing tradition. They throw a great party for you on the one day they know you can't come." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is a film I've been hearing about for the longest time. Funnily enough, I mostly heard about this film for its soundtrack, and I'll give them this, it is a really great soundtrack. The movie as a whole however was a little forgettable but good! It follows a group of seven college friends after their eighth friend died. After his funeral, they all gather in a South Virginia home together as they start to reflect on their lives. It's an interesting film with some great writing, but it's just conversations. The friends themselves (though brilliantly cast) just don't really have a lot to make them stand out. I feel like this film is more remembered for having a wonderful soundtrack than a good story, which is a shame because it does go to interesting places, but it's just held down by somewhat boring characters.

8/16/24 "El Norte" 1983
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "In Mexico, there is only poverty. We can't make a home there either. And here in the north, we aren't accepted. When will we find a home, Enrique? Maybe when we die, we'll find a home." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was such a beautiful film. It's about two teens from Mexico trying to escape after a Guatemalan army invades. They make their way through the country to try to make it to America. The problem comes when they finally get there and find it's not all that it's cracked up to be. Living as illegal immigrants, they find that they face discrimination and a lack of respect throughout. The film is shot really beautifully, showcasing the beauty of both countries, which is a juxtaposition to the pair's adventure. It's a really powerful film that's still relevant to this day.

3/20/25 "This is Spinal Tap" 1984
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I told them once, and I told them a hundred times! Spinal Tap first, and then puppet show last!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I'm a big fan of Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, so I'm really surprised it took me this long to see Spinal Tap. It's a really well-done comedy that follows Britain's loudest band, Spinal Tap as they try to make a come-back tour in America for the first time in 6 years. The three main characters are a lot of fun to hang around (Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer), but I feel like people don't sing the praises of Rob Reiner, who really adds a lot to the film with his straight man persona that really grounds the comedy. There are some all-time classic gags in this film, Stonehenge being one of the best. What sells it though, is how earnest all of the performances are. It's such a dry sense of humor that makes the comedy of the movie that much funnier because of how believable they are.

1/1/25 "Blood Simple." 1984
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If I see him, I'll sure give him the message." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Probably the most Hitchcockian Coen Brothers film, and it's their very first. A lot of their later work can be seen in this film, with the setting being a small town and a lot of talk of murder. The film follows a man as he hires a private detective to see if his wife is cheating on him. The private detective finds that she is, so the man sets the private detective up to kill her. There's a slew of twists, turns, and misunderstandings throughout that lead to all the characters never knowing the full story. I have to commend the shots in this film. They're really well thought out and tell the story perfectly. The script is also pretty tight, if not a little slow in some points. Without spoiling anything, the shovel scene is extremely well done. There are also amazing performances in this film that make it really worth watching.

8/1/23 "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" 1984
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Are you trying to develop a sense of humor or am I going deaf?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
Let me start this review with the obvious, Kate Capshaw is terrible in this film. You can remove her character from the screenplay and the movie works as well if not better. She was terrible in this film and honestly reminded me of Catherine O'Hara's character in Waiting For Guffman. All she does in the movie is scream and butcher the jokes. She's not the only problem with this film though, it would be unfair to make her the scapegoat for this film's failure. A lot of the problems boil down to a problematic screenplay. George Lucas wrote this film with his writers from "American Graffiti" instead of the writers from the last film. He also tried to make this film a lot darker, since he believed it needed to be (much like "Empire Strikes Back" to "A New Hope"), but the film has an odd tone with them trying to make it too dark. The difference between the first Star Wars and Indiana Jones is that Indiana Jones was more comedic than Star Wars. Star Wars had jokes here and there, but it can't really be considered a comedy whereas Indiana Jones has a lot more jokes. They try to cram this movie with jokes while still keeping the dark tone which doesn't work. They originally wrote 3 screenplays (which explains why there are two sidekicks) and Lucas just shoved the three together and called it a day. Harrison Ford and Ke Huy Quan are great in this film and the mine cart scene was really cool. I feel like if they spent a little longer on the screenplay this could've been as great as the first or the third one, but it just isn't

6/13/25 "Paris, Texas" 1984
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "And now I'm working here. I hear your voice all the time. Every man has your voice." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
When I first started watching this movie, I didn't quite get what all the hype was. I've always heard the odd reference to this film or heard it brought up in the letterboxd 250, so I knew I had to see this film. At first, I thought it was really slow and didn't do a lot, but it slowly just kept getting better and better. We follow a man who's been lost in the desert for four years, until one day his brother finds him. The lost man seems to have forgotten everything about his past, but slowly remembers that he had a wife and kid. The brother had been raising his kid like his own in his brother's absence. The movie follows the lost man as he tries to reconnect with his family and the world around him. There are some really great character moments, with everyone feeling very realistic. There's a real truth to all of the characters that makes this film engaging.

8/18/24 "Once Upon A Time In America" 1984
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Age can wither me, Noodles. We're both getting old." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I know a lot of people love this movie, but I just can't get behind it. I feel like one of the biggest proponents for me is the four-hour run time. I feel like these characters aren't that engaging to be in a two-hour film let alone double that. There are some great shots in the film, but as a whole, the plot is kind of lacking. This is Sergio Leone's last film, which is a shame because he's a great director, but it's a little bit of a departure from his normal filmography. The Spaghetti Western director moves to a gangster film. When it was originally released, it was panned because they cut half of the film's runtime, but when they released it in full people loved it. I'm definitely in the wrong here, but I just couldn't get into it.

9/10/22 "The Karate Kid" 1984
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Wax on, Wax off"
Pretty neat 80's movie. Obviously very iconic and has a lot of famous lines but I feel this was pretty predictable. Not just because of all the references I've seen, but also because of the classic sports movie arc that ends the same way. It's weird that the director of Rocky made this film as well because Rocky was pretty subversive while this movie was very by the books. Also, they always have the main character monologue to himself which gets rather repetitive and unrealistic. It's like he's breaking the fourth wall without breaking the fourth wall. It was pretty entertaining at some points, so I understand why people love it

4/20/23 "Purple Rain" 1984
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Nobody digs your music but yourself!", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: well... obviously yes
I've never really been a big fan of Prince's music. He has some good songs, but nothing that really transcends the '80s in my opinion. I feel like his music is more of a time capsule than timeless. I watched this film hoping it'll prove me wrong, but it proved me right. I'll give Prince credit, he can put on a show, but he sure can't put on a movie. The plot of this one is scarily simple, especially when dealing with an abusive relationship. Abuse is a serious subject, especially in relationships, but in this film, there are only three scenes with this subject. I swear we see his motorcycle more than we see his parents. Which, about that, Prince can't make enough money to leave the house, but he wears big purple suits, drives a personalized motorcycle, and has custom-made guitars? All the actors in this film are Prince's friends, so they don't perform well. Especially the head of the rival band, the times, where there's a really bad joke that just goes on for like 5 minutes. It's basically a mix of the "Who's on First" bit and the "Password is Swordfish" bit but being performed without any comedic timing. Also, I'm going to get murdered over this opinion, but Purple Rain isn't that great of a song. I mean it's fine, but when it's been hyped up all of my life, it doesn't live up to the hype. I mean, Rolling Stone putting this song as the 18th best song ever written? Being placed higher than Imagine, Heroes, A Day in The Life, Good Vibrations, and Bridge Over Troubled Waters? I thought the song would be really deep since I heard everyone sing the chorus all my life and I thought there would be more, but there really isn't. Sorry, back on the subject, "When Doves Cry" and "Let's Go Crazy" are great, they're basically the only reason to watch the film.

9/4/23 "Dreamscape" 1984
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Nice place you got here. Who's your decorator? Darth Vader?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes!
This is a pretty underrated 80's film. It feels like if Inception and North by Northwest had a baby. It's about a young man named Alex Gardner (Dennis Quaid) who was a gifted teen who had psychic abilities, but he gave that life up to gamble on horse races and live his own life. His old life comes back to him however when his old professor (Max Von Sydow) brings him back to the college to help him with a government project to try to go into people's dreams. This is where Alex meets Jane (Kate Capshaw), a woman working on the project with him who he falls in love with. Kate Capshaw was also in "Temple of Doom" and was absolutely horrible in that movie, but in this movie, she actually does a great job! Maybe she doesn't play a good damsel in distress. Someone who let me down in this film though was Dennis Quaid. I feel like some of his deliveries just didn't fit the lines. He wasn't horrible, he just wasn't great. The sets were really cool, especially the dream sets. They all have that German Expressionist feel where they are twisted and distorted (a lot like Nosferatu and Dr. Caligari). Overall, though it could be a little cheesy, this was a pretty cool film

10/17/24 "Stop Making Sense" 1984
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Same as it ever was." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I think it's a little odd that this is the highest-ranked documentary on Letterboxd, because I don't really see it. Is it a great concert? Yeah, the concert's great with some really cool lighting and choreography. David Bryne shines on stage in this film, but I wouldn't say it's the greatest of all time. The setlist is an all-timer with some amazing songs like "Psycho Killer", "Burning Down The House", and "Once In A Lifetime". While it certainly was entertaining, I just can't name it the best documentary.

1/1/25 "Places In The Heart" 1984
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Everything's a little bent, but it's still here." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
For being a multiple oscar winner, you would think this would be a better movie. This is such an oscar bait movie, I'm shocked it even got nominated. We follow a recent widow (Sally Field), who's left all alone to raise two kids and a farm. There are various things that happen throughout the story that seem to happen just to extend the run time. The screenplay wasn't that great to win best original screenplay, and I feel like Sally Field didn't even give that great of a performance. There's a reason no one talks about this movie.

10/24/25 "Times of Harvey Milk" 1984
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I know that you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. And you gotta give 'em hope. Thank you very much." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was an absolutely heartbreaking documentary to watch. This was the documentary that was used as a frame of reference for "Milk", and as good as that movie was, this movie is way better. To get the real reactions of the people who knew him to talk about his assassination and what he meant to them was truly a wonder to see. Seeing the real Harvey Milk at work really puts into perspective what a charismatic and charming guy he was, and how hate could turn into violence quickly. As a whole, this is a documentary for the ages.

4/15/25 "The Killing Floor" 1984
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "The war has killed love." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a pretty interesting war film because it took a direction that not many take. Instead of focusing on a soldier or general, it focuses on a reporter. We follow Sydney Schanberg (Tom Watterson), who's reporting the Cambodian civil war with the photographer, Al Rockoff (John Malkovich). While there, he becomes friends with his interpreter, Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor). When the Americans pull out of the war. Schanberg plans on bringing Pran to America, but Pran wants to stay to cover the war. This leads to a really interesting coverage of the war because it focuses on the friendship between Scahnberg and Pran. While their friendship was a nice thing to focus on, I found it getting stuck in the same category as other war films, leading it to be a so-so film.

3/8/23 "Beverly Hills Cop" 1984
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Before I go, I just want you two to know something, alright? The supercop story... was working. Okay? It was working, and you guys just messed it up. Okay?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no
I was going into this expecting to be filled with jokes and funny moments, this wasn't really that. This was more of a crime movie with a very VERY small mystery. The whole film I was expecting a bigger payoff, but nothing of the sort really happened. The ending was also very anticlimactic. I was really happy to see Jonathan Banks in the film and the soundtrack was great (I mean Axel F. is iconic)

4/9/25 "Dune" 1984
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I want to kill you!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a pretty rough watch because on paper it seems like it should work, but it just doesn't. I swear, this movie would be a short film if they cut out all of the exposition. While Denis Villeneuve's Dune has no explanation for anything, this movie has too much. It tries to cram the entire book into one singular movie. The lines can be really corny and over the top. This film has some great effects and production design (some I would say look more inspired than Villeneuve's), but that doesn't really save the film with how much green screen they had to fall back on. I can see why David Lynch disowned this movie,

2/5/25 "A Passage To India" 1984
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "No, he does not need THREE chairs! He is NOT THREE Englishmen!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I'm not really a fan of the historical epic genre, that's why I can't really get behind many of the films by David Lean. Films like Lawrence of Arabia, Bridge on The River Kwai, and Dr. Zhivago seem so concerned with looking expensive and massive that they often lose character and plot. This film feels a little behind the times, feeling like a 50s drama even though it came out in the 80s. This film was released closer to "Back To The Future" than "Lawrence Of Arabia". This feels like a relic from a different age. This film takes place in India during the 20s, where we see the conflict between British colonials and native locals. One of the natives gets accused of sexually assaulting a British woman, which leads to a huge court case. This court case represents more than the two however, it's seen as a case between India's independence vs. Britain keeping India. This part was interesting, but it didn't need to be three hours long.

9/16/24 "The Purple Rose of Cairo" 1985
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "In New Jersey, anything can happen." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This might be one of my favorite Woody Allen films. Though he's a horrible person, he's a really gifted writer. This film follows Cecilia (Mia Farrow), a woman going through an abusive relationship with her husband, Monk (Danny Aiello) during the 1930s. Her only escape from her life is the film "The Purple Rose of Cairo", especially the character Tom Baxter, played by the actor Gil Shepard (Jeff Daniels). After her fifth viewing of the film, the character Tom Baxter notices Cecilia and starts talking to her through the screen. He eventually leaves the screen and comes to the real world. As they fall in love, the rest of the characters in the movie struggle to keep the film up without her. Things get more complicated when the film studio needs to find Tom Baxter in order to destroy the film. They send Gil Shepard, the actor who plays Tom, to try to track him down. It's such a magical film with really funny and interesting moments throughout. For instance, since Tom only knows about movies, when he kisses Cecilia he asks where the film wipe is after they made love (because of the Hays Code they weren't allowed to show it, so he doesn't know how to do it). Or when he's confused about a pregnant lady because the Hays Code also prohibited any pregnant characters. It's a really great film that has a great ending.

11/11/24 "Witness" 1985
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You be careful out among them English!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This movie feels like a parody film that a sitcom would make. We follow a little Amish boy who witnessed a murder and needs to be protected, so a private detective (Harrison Ford) goes undercover as an Amish man to protect him. The dialogue falls a little flat and the story just wasn't that interesting. I watched this film because it won best original screenplay, which is crazy because of it's competition. This beat Brazil, The Purple Rose of Cairo, and Back to the Future. I feel like all three of those movies deserve the award more than this film. Although they had some nice thrilling moments, as a whole, this was a pretty boring film that was a little hard to get through.

4/16/24 "Brazil" 1985
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "There's been a little complication with my complication" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Wow. I don't even know where to begin. This is like a perfect love child of Orwellian dystopia mixed with python-humor. Would you believe it if I told you the whole plot started just because of the death of a fly? Well, the movie takes place in the not-so-distant future where we meet Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce), a low-level member of the bureaucracy who kills a fly that's been bugging him. That bug lands in a typewriter and accidentally changes a T to a B. This seems small at first, but this leads to a man named Mr. Buttle accidentally getting arrested and not the criminal Mr. Tuttle, this leads Lowry to meet Jill, the girl of his dreams (literally). He would dream about flying through open fields and loving Jill (despite not knowing who she was). The production design is fantastic, it really feels like a real future that we could face being inspired by midcentury design. This film has such an interesting tone I don't think any other movie could've balanced correctly, it's a perfect mix of comedy, drama, and even thriller. It leads to one of the most interesting viewing experiences you'll witness. I wouldn't want to give anything else away, since there are many fun cameos in the movie, but I highly suggest you check this out. Topic name

2/27/22 "Mask" 1985
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I don't want the freaking money"
This is a very uplifting film. I enjoyed the performances of the main three actors, I didn't even know Cher could act so well. This movie seems a little long at some points, like certain scenes that could get cut, but other than that it was pretty good. It has that indie movie vibe and really sticks with it. The movie has a melancholy tone to it though, so be warned, but it's still a good movie

3/18/22 "Pale Rider" 1985
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "PREACHAARRRR.... PREACHARRRRRRRR... PREACHAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRR!!"
This was a rough one for Clint Eastwood. It was the third film directed by Eastwood and had the highest box office for a western in the 80s, which is weird because that was the same time when movies like Tombstone came out which seems more famous. I feel like this plot is way too contrived of old Western tropes that we've been seeing since 1939's Stagecoach. It's so weird to think that "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly" came out 19 years before this movie. It's also weird to think that "Unforgiven" would come out 7 years after this because that feels like such a step up from this movie. There's also a weird plot where a 14-year-old girl falls in love with 55-year-old Clint Eastwood. It's not Clint Eastwood's character that wants this relationship, but it's the 14-year-old girl which isn't that bad, but it's still a little odd. Also, they add a love plot between Eastwood and the little girl's mom. She makes a subtle hint in Act 1, doesn't talk about it at all in Act 2, and then brings it back in Act 3 full force even though it was barely mentioned throughout the film. The villain of this movie is the big wealthy businessman who wants all of the town's GOLD. The villain in this movie seems more like a Disney Channel Original Movie villain than a Clint Eastwood Villain. There's also a classic Eastwood cliche where he plays an unnamed reformed cowboy who will "never use his guns again"... it's a Western movie... I wOnDeR iF hE'lL uSe ThE gUn In ThE eNd??? The ending is also very contrived, spoiler alert... there's a showdown. Spoiler alert... he wins. Spoiler alert... he rides away from the town. The ending speech by the girl was humorous and how cliche it was. I feel like this film could've been more subversion of the Western genre. If Brian David Gilbert could make a deeper story in 5 minutes about a cowboy who's also a pumpkin, Clint Eastwood could've made a better movie.

10/30/22 "The Black Cauldron 1985
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Oh, poor miserable Gurgi deserves fierce smackings and whackings on his poor, tender head. Always left with no munchings and crunching."
This is one of the worst Disney movies I have ever seen. This was made in the second Disney dark age and cemented that Disney needed a big change. This movie sold so poorly that Carebears the Movie made more money... yikes. It cost This whole movie cost 44m and made back 21m, making it one of Disney's biggest (animated) flops. This movie takes itself way too seriously and any attempts at jokes fall flat. Where do most of the jokes come from? Gurgi. The bane of my existence Gurgi. He has Jar Jar Bink's voice, Dobby's devotion to one person, and Gollum's nasal voice, and how he refers to himself in the third person. This is one of the worst mixes of character traits ever put on the silver screen. There's also this older minstrel character who adds literally nothing. The main character is also very annoying; his whole deal is that he wants to be a great hero and boy does he let you know that. That's all he talks about and it gets very annoying. Also, he does literally nothing to be a great hero. The only good character was a pig... A PIG. Does the pig talk? No, it's just a pig. This whole movie deserves to be forgotten

10/17/25 "Fright Night" 1985
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You shouldn't lose your temper, Charley. It isn't polite." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was such a campy film, but it was so much fun to watch. This film contains some strangely great effects and a really fun concept. A teenager notices strange things happening at his neighbor's house, only to find that his neighbor (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire. Having nowhere to turn, he goes to a film actor named Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowell) who plays a vampire killer in the movies. McDowell does a great job in this Vincent Price/Boris Karloff-like role, but Chris Sarandon really steals the show. He's so over the top, but funny in this film. What brings it down, however, is how over the top Stephen Geoffreys is (not in a good way). He's just trying way too hard, and it just leads to a strained performance. As a whole, this was such a fun horror movie that's the perfect balance of spoop and camp.

6/24/24 "Ran" 1985
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Man is born crying. When he has cried enough, he dies." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I was expecting more out of this critically claimed film. The action was incredibly shot (as it always is with Akira Kurosawa's films) but I just didn't care too much for the plot. This is in the same tradition as "Throne Of Blood" where he sets a classic Shakespeare play in feudal Japan. Instead of Macbeth however, this is King Lear. I haven't seen/read King Lear in any other form, but I didn't like this film's plot too much. I just couldn't get invested. The problem is, I'm not sure if that's a Shakespeare problem or a Kurosawa problem.

5/23/23 "After Hours" 1985
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'll probably be blamed for that." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes!
People often call this Martin Scorsese's most underrated work, but I didn't expect it to be so good! This is one of the only Scorsese comedies and I didn't expect it to be this funny. The film is about Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) meeting a girl in a coffee shop and heading to Soho later that night to see her. On the way over he loses his money in the Taxi because the driver was driving too fast. When the date doesn't go well he's stuck in Soho, so the rest of the film is him trying to get out of there. The film is so funny because of Griffin Dunne's realistic reactions to all the situations he gets put in. This film takes place in the span of one night, and the situations are all linked together so well. You can't really rewrite the film since action A leads to action B and so on. All the characters he meets along the way are also really funny, this includes Catherine O'Hara, a really nice Cheech and Chong cameo, and Teri Garr who's probably my favorite side character. She plays a woman who loves the sixties and isn't shy about saying it. While Paul is crying about the awful nights he's having, she just turns on "The Last Train to Clarksville" by the Monkees and just jams to herself. This is one of my favorite Scorsese films and has one of the best screenplays I've ever seen.

12/5/24 "Three Men and A Cradle" 1985
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Holy Smokes" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I wasn't expecting too much from the movie, but it was pretty funny. This was the basis for the American film "Three Men and A Baby", which came out two years later. I've never seen the American remake, but this film was pretty funny. The three main guys have great chemistry and each one has such a distinct personality trait. The story is somewhat predictable, there's one twist that shakes up the movie, but it sort of just goes away. As a whole, this was a pretty good film that has some great laughs and character moments.

9/29/25 "Re-Animator" 1985
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Who's going to believe a talking head? Get a job in a sideshow." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I was sort of expecting more out of this movie, especially with how well-regarded it was. The effects are admittedly well done, but I feel like there are other '80s body horror movies that do a similar thing, only better. This film follows the scientist Herbert West as he develops a cure for death, which reanimates corpses, but not without side effects. This film's premise runs a little thin after a while, and the characters aren't interesting enough to keep the film up. Hebert West has some funny moments, but as a whole, this film feels like an imitation of Cronenberg more than it does a fully formed movie.

1/6/25 "Tampopo" 1985
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "They say that at the moment of death, you see a sort of short film, your whole life kaleidoscoped before your eyes. I'm really looking forward to that." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I was sort of expecting more with how much praise this film gets. It's all about a ramen, whose owner, Tampopo, becomes a widow. Two truck drivers come to the restaurant and they join her in her quest to have the best noodles around. The film has its funny parts and cute moments, but it feels very disjointed and a little all over the place. There are various different segments that show the importance of food in various people's lives, but they seem to distract more than add. Overall, I can sort of see how impactful it is, but I don't get it completely.

7/23/22 "My Life As a Dog" 1985
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "In fact, I've been kinda lucky. I mean, compared to others"
This was a pretty good film. It's a Swedish film that's a coming-of-age story about dealing with death. I would say a good majority of the jokes work in this film but some of them kind of fall flat. I don't have a lot to say, it was a good film just not a lot there really

7/25/23 "Clue" 1985
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I hated her, so much... it-it- the f - it -flam - flames. Flames, on the side of my face, breathing-breathl- heaving breaths. Heaving breaths... Heathing..." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I can't believe that I haven't seen this movie, it is incredible. First of all, it has a tour de force of a comedic cast. Michael McKean, Eileen Brennan, Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren, and Martin Mull. I have to put two cast members in their own league though because of how insanely funny they were. Madeline Kahn and Tim Curry are single-handedly the best part of the film. What I love about this film is how much they allow the cast to act their zaniest. The scene with Tim Curry running around explaining how the murder could've been done is cinema. It's so interesting to see how they handled the three different endings. For those who don't know, when the film went to theaters, the filmmakers decided to film three different endings and send out different reels of films to different theaters to confuse people. It's funny seeing the three endings in the home release, because of how the endings get crazier and crazier. They also reuse lines in different endings, so there's something really funny about hearing the same lines over and over again but being said with more and more manic energy. Overall, I can see how this is a comedy classic. I'm just mad I didn't see this earlier

2/13/23 "Out Of Africa" 1985
1/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "It's an odd feeling, farewell." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no.
This was the biggest waste of time I've ever seen. Winning best picture in 1985, this is a boring, poorly made, pretentious film that has no barring on the world of film or pop culture. This film has the most tripe love story, but this is different because it takes place in Africa. They shot a lot of this movie in Africa, and they want to shove that in your face. Except, they didn't film enough apparently, because they use some truly horrid green screen effects. I normally would write off bad green screens, because special effects aren't a main concern to me. As long as it has a good story I don't really mind (like The Menu). When your movie is constructed to show off how much money you have and how you can film in Africa, there is no excuse. There's no way this film is better than "The Color Purple", "Mask", "The Goonies", "The Breakfast Club", or "Back To The Future"

7/18/24 "Hannah and Her Sisters" 1986
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I should stop ruining my life searching for answers I'm never gonna get, and just enjoy it while it lasts." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is a really good Woody Allen film, it just stinks that he's a horrible person. It follows, who else, but a woman named Hannah and her two sisters. The movie takes place over the span of three Thanksgivings as we see the sisters deal with their personal and romantic lives. Lee (Hannah Hersey) is starting to get feelings for Hannah's (Mia Farrow) husband (Michael Caine) as she deals with her loveless marriage with Frederick (Max Von Sydow), the last sister (Holly) is feeling unfulfilled with her life as Hannah's ex-husband is pursuing her, Mickey (Woody Allen) who's also a hypochondriac fearing that he might have something serious. It's an all-star cast that gets brought alive by Allen's amazing writing. There's a lot happening, but you never feel lost.

12/30/24 "A Room With A View" 1986
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I don't care what I see outside. My vision is within! Here is where the birds sing! Here is where the sky is blue!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is a pretty standard British drama, but for what it is, it's pretty good! We follow a young, British girl named Lucy (Helena Bonham Carter) as she gets taken through Florence with her Chaperone (Maggie Smith). When they get to their hotel, they find that their room doesn't have a view, the chaperone complains to fellow guests Mr. Emerson (Denholm Elliot) and his son, George. George is a free-spirited charming, young man who's interested in Lucy, but Lucy is set to marry Cecil (Daniel Day-Lewis) once she goes back to London. Everything changes when she finds George back in London. It's crazy that this was Helena Bonham Carter's debut because she's a natural. She really nails this role. The supporting cast is great as well, being filled with incredible actors. The script was alright, not Oscar-worthy in my opinion, especially against the competition, but it was an interesting drama that held my attention throughout.

3/29/22 "The Money Pit" 1986
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "BENNNAYYYY!"
Is there anything that Tom Hanks can't do? This movie seems like a callback to classic American cinema which I can really get behind. It's about a broke couple getting swindled into buying a really broken-down mansion and them trying to live in it. Tom Hanks' performance in this movie seems like a mix between Cary Grant's sly and confident comments and Buster Keaton's stunt work. Shelley Long does a great job along with Tom Hanks. This movie is just very pleasant.

9/7/24 "Critters" 1986
2/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Who are you?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes!
This horror movie was in the "so bad, it's good" camp. It's incredible how interesting this movie can get. It's sad because a lot of people accuse this film of being a Gremlin rip-off, which is unfortunate because this was in production before Gremlins started. It's rough because they're the exact same movie basically. Expect this to have a lot more alien creatures. One of my favorite parts is the power-ballad song they wrote for this movie which they play in almost every scene. The Critters themselves are designed very well, being created by the Chiodo brothers (who would go on to create Killer Klownz). Overall, I can completely understand why this is a cult-classic, very fun to watch, but very horrible.

7/5/22 "Down By Law" 1986
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I-a Scream-a! You-A Scream-a! We all-a scream-a for Ice Cream-A!"
This is where Indie movies go wrong. If you've followed these reviews, you know that I like a good Indie movies. The Indie movie genre is one of those where it can either be really good or really bad. This one was the really bad kind. I only gave it 4/10 stars because of the comedic genius of Roberto Benigni who's perfect for the role. The only problem with Roberto's character is how many of the jokes are "Italian man can't speak English as well as other people... LAUGH". I feel like I'm not really a Jarmusch kind of guy (another Jarmusch review coming soon, spoiler, I didn't like that one either). The two main characters are really unlikable, but they try to be likable. They're not. They also try to be funny. They're not. This is also one of those "EDGY EDGY EDGY" movies that try so hard to be edgy but it has literally no reason to be. This one is a yikes for me.

6/26/24 "Aliens" 1986
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Get away from her" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This is an absolute classic science fiction movie and what people label as one of the best sequels of all time. I haven't seen the original in a hot minute, but from what I remember this is better. James Cameron directed this, and as annoying as he can be, he sure can direct something. This has big "Terminator 2" energy and I'm here for it. Sigourney Weaver does a great job here and really makes this performance iconic for a reason.

9/25/24 "Manhunter" 1986
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You're insane." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is an interesting film because it's sort of a prequel to "Silence of the Lambs" (but this came first). This was the first book in the series of books with Hannibal Lecter (here spelled "Lecktor") who was played by Brian Cox and not Anthony Hopkins. Though Hopkins is definitely more iconic and better, I still thoroughly enjoyed Cox's performance as Hannibal. Hannibal is the ex-teacher of the FBI agent in this film, Will Graham (not Clarice). I enjoyed this personal aspect of the movie and how it adds a different chemistry between the two. The villain of this movie is also different, with the "tooth fairy". The film is extremely well-directed and written by Michael Mann. While not as good as Silence of the Lambs, this is still great in it's own right.

10/15/23 "The Fly" 1986
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Be afraid, be very afraid" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes!
This is yet another Cronenberg film, and I think this is his best. This is the tragic tale of a scientist (Jeff Goldblum) who tries to make the world's first transportation device. He succeeds, but when he accidentally teleports with a fly, they fuse and he slowly becomes more and more like the fly. It's sad to see his slow decline and how he tries to hold on to any amount of humanity he has. Cronenberg has an interesting fascination with the conflict between technology and humanity where we go too far.

6/13/22 "Blue Velvet" 1986
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm Paul!"
I'm starting to think that David Lynch was a one-hit-wonder. If you've been following my movie reviews, you know how much I loved Eraser Head. I loved how it felt like a nightmare because of its dark story with its trippy visuals and nonsensical characters and scenes. This has none of that. This film tries to comment on the suburban tropes of the 1950s... but there are cassette tapes? I feel like this had almost no story to it and just had gratuitous swearing and nudity so it can be edgy. It tries so hard to be edgy but then it ends with one of the cheesiest endings I think I have ever seen. This tries so hard to reignite the noir genre but fails at it. The ending of a Noir movie is supposed to instill the idea that crime will never go away and/or how flawed society is, but this film doesn't end like that. After watching this film I feel nothing at all. Dennis Hopper does a great job in this movie but that's because he's Dennis Hopper. He can be reading the phone book and still treat it like it's the performance of his life. Overall this film is a big disappointment, the three stars are for Jack Nance my beloved

9/26/24 "Henry: Portrait of A Serial Killer" 1986
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Otis, plug it in." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I would call this an indie classic. It's the screen debut of Michael Rooker who does a fantastic job in the role. Henry (Michael Rooker) is released from prison after killing his mother as a kid and stays at an old friend's house. His old friend, Otis, starts to learn how to be a killer through Henry as Henry grows fond of Otis's sister. Rooker gives a great performance and really sells the insanity of the role. He plays the boy next door type so well, as well as the cold-blooded killer. I love how this film takes Henry in an interesting direction, he doesn't really kill for a reason, he does so just because he can. Many of the people he kills are just slightly annoying to him. This is great because you truly never know who's next.

1/1/22 "Peggy Sue Got Married" 1986
3/10 Stars, Favorite quote "NO MORE JELLO FOR ME MA!!!."
My first movie review, and this movie was nothing but a Back to the Future rip-off. It's about Peggy Sue (Kathleen Turner) going back 25 years in the past to 1960 to change her fate with her husband(Nicholas Cage) Nicholas Cage does the weirdest voice in this movie, it's a mix between Sonic and Milhouse's dad. Also, they don't let you forget the fact that she's named Peggy Sue. GET IT, it's like the Buddy Holly song!!! This movie is so tone-deaf, the movie ends with a cult, like what??? It's so weird that the man who directed the godfather directed Nick Cage being a grade-A simp. I love the scene where Nick Cage attempts to murder Peggy... good fun! I suggest watching this movie with friends to make fun of how weird and cliche this movie is. Do yourself a favor and just watch Back to the Future.

2/16/23 "Platoon" 1986
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "We did not fight the enemy; we fought ourselves. And the enemy was in us" Did they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
An Oscar-winning film that deserves it?! WHAT?! Seriously though, this film is incredible. Oliver Stone does a fantastic job directing this film and the shots and overall cinematography are excellent. Though the plot is lacking, the performance makes up for it. This is a very character-driven story, and these characters are fantastic. Willem Dafoe does such an incredible job, it's a shame he didn't win the Oscar. Even Charlie Sheen does a great job in one of his first leading roles. It really portrays the horrors of war really well.

6/24/22 "Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn" 1987
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Groovy."
WOW. This was one of the best horror movies I have ever seen. It combines dark humor and horror elements so well which is something that I don't see a lot of horror movies do. Most of the time they only lean on one and when they try both it can lead to a bad tone in the movie. This movie's tone is so fun and yet so creepy that I love every second. The camera movement in this movie is also amazing, it has that Sam Raimi style of quick movements. This story is also excellently paced, I was shocked at how quickly things were set up and how quickly we got into the action of the film. I thought it would just stay at one level with the scares but they always raise the stakes and show how Ash is changing both mentally and physically. I also appreciate how there are quiet moments where it's just Ash reacting to what's happening. I also love the amount of foreshadowing in this movie and how it's leading up to the next movie. The special effects are also very effective, they're low budget but that doesn't matter when they're designed so grotesquely and creepy. It has Tim Burton energy sometimes with how cartoonish yet realistic some of the monsters look. This was a very enjoyable watch

7/27/23 "Withnail and I" 1987
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "We want the finest wines available to humanity. And we want them here, and we want them now!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yep
So many people hold this film in such high regard, but personally, I just couldn't get into it. I just feel like nothing really happens in the film. This wouldn't be a problem if we explore the characters or have something funny happen, but neither really happen. The funniest part of this movie is Richard Grant who's incredible in this film while everyone else is just okay. There are also a lot of jokes which just boil down to "Hey! This character is gay!" and it doesn't really age well. It's interesting that George Harrison produced this film because we can see his influence in the soundtrack. A lot of Jimi Hendrix, and they even get "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" in there. Just watch a Python film if you need to see a British comedy

2/18/22 "Dirty Dancing" 1987
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I carried a watermelon."
It's clear why this movie was a big deal. It has the eighties written all over it. I enjoyed the choreography and the camera shots. The story was well paced and I liked some of the characters. It just didn't live up to the hype for me. Everyone was treating this like the end all be all movie, it was a good movie, just not spectacular

5/3/24 "Ishtar" 1987
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If you admit that you play the accordion, No one will hire you in a rock 'n' roll band." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I came in expecting the worst, but watching it actually wasn't too bad. I was pretty entertained throughout with the sharp writing and funny performances. I was even considering this an underrated gem, but then the movie ended and I was like "That was it?". The jokes are really funny but the plot is very underwhelming. It's about two lounge singers Chuck and Lyle (Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty respectively) who aren't good at all. They don't have the best voices and the songs they write are very cliche and all-around mediocre at best. That's one thing I'll definitely give props to this movie, the songs they write for the main two characters are perfect because they walk the delicate line between being mediocre or just being bad. It's much easier to write a bad song than a mediocre one. The only job they could get was a job in Morocco. While there, they accidentally get mixed up in a government conspiracy. It sounds like a fun premise, but it ends in a very anti-climactic way. Elaine May wrote and directed this film and it killed her directing career. This film was a box-office bomb and almost ruined her career. She would later go on to write the script for "The Birdcage" which is a way better movie. This film is like the songs in the movie, not horrible but just boarding on the line between mediocre and bad.

9/2/25 "Babette's Feast" 1987
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "An artist is never poor." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I wasn't really a fan of this movie until that last scene hit you like a gut-punch. The movie is really quite slow, and the whole time I was sort of just wondering what the point was. We follow a French housekeeper who shows up at this house one day to start working, and it turns out that she's quite the gifted chef, so the household holds a feast where she shows off what she's got. I see why people love this film, but the journey up to the ending wasn't really as worth it.

1/4/26 "Wings Of Desire" 1987
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If I do give up, then mankind will lose its storyteller. And if mankind once loses its storyteller, then it will lose its childhood." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is a really beautiful movie. We follow angels in Berlin who are invisible, but still try to help people in need. They can hear their every thought and can protect them. Things get a little complicated once one of the angels falls in love with a trapeze artist. The film is really well shot, and does this technique where it switches from black to white to color to signify the difference between the real world and the afterlife. The film has some great moments, with great performances and editing.

5/27/24 "Full Metal Jacket" 1987
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "You're so ugly you could be a modern art masterpiece!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes!
It's so funny how iconic this film was and yet it always has the same complaint. Everyone complains that the first part is great and the second part isn't as good, and after watching it I can 100% agree. The first half is incredible. It follows a group of soldiers in a boot camp getting ready for the Vietnam War as their drill sergeant (R. Lee Ermey) gives them a hard time. Joker (Matthew Modine), one of the soldiers, has to look after the troubled soldier Gomer (Vincent D'Onofrio). The plot is great, but it takes an exciting twist that then leads to a mediocre rest of the film. The cinematography and directing are fantastic, this definitely feels like Kubrick put everything into the film. It's a really good film that was so close to being brilliant.

6/18/25 "Robocop" 1987
7/10 Stars. Favorite Quote: "I'd buy that for a dollar!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This was a pretty well-done cop movie, but it sort of felt too similar to other '80s films. It's definitely a classic and has a lot to say about police brutality and corporatization of America, but I feel like it's all sort of been done before. This doesn't make this a bad movie by any means. The performances and stunt work are really well done. Even though some of the stop-motion hasn't aged as well, they have quite a charm to them and come off as endearing. Overall, I completely get why this film is as talked about as it is.

10/4/25 "A Chinese Ghost Story" 1987
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Scholar, it seems we've to storm hell!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
It was insane seeing how ahead of its time the camerawork was. The camera swoops and turns so fluidly and really captures the action well. The movie, as a whole, is a really well-done ghost story with great effects. We follow a tax collector who spends the night in a haunted temple. In there, he meets a beautiful woman, and they really hit it off. The only problem is, she's dead and a ghost. The movie is shot well and has a really interesting story.

12/28/23 "Moonstruck" 1987
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I love you" (*slaps him*) "Snap out of it!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's such a tightly written movie. This is one of those movies with way too many good lines to fill up my review's "Favorite Quote" section. It's about an Italian widow (Cher) rushing into a marriage with her boyfriend (Danny Aiello), but he has to leave for Sicily to see his mother, so she has to invite his estranged brother (Nick Cage) to the wedding. While there they instantly fall in love and she feels horrible about it. The plot is complicated when she learns that her whole family has secret relationships, which adds to the humor of this film. My one note is how Cher couldn't really pull the Italian aspect of the film. She does an okay job, but a lot of the time her voice falls into the Mario Italian voice. This film completely deserved to win the best original screenplay, it's a masterclass in comedy writing.

5/8/23 "Empire Of The Sun" 1987
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "So would I kid, have you got one?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This film came out at an odd spot in Spielberg's career. This was after those crazy seventies and early when he was trying to leave behind his "Jaws", "Close Encounters", and "Indiana Jones" days and him trying to venture into more serious films like "Schindler's List", "Saving Private Ryan", and "Catch Me If You Can". This film feels like they took an older Spielberg film and a newer Spielberg film and smooshed them together. It never really decides if it's a coming-of-age story or a depressing holocaust story. That sounds horrible, but it really feels like that. The movie feels more like Oliver Twist than a film about the second world war. It doesn't really treat the situation with the same care and consideration that Spielberg would later use in "Schindler's List". Christian Bale does a great job despite being 13 years old. It's weird, because he looks exactly like modern age Christian Bale, his face has never changed really.

3/3/25 "Wall Street" 1988
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This movie, for lack of a better word, is good. Great even! Michael Douglas steals the show in this film, but it's funny seeing him play a role that's somewhat similar to a role his father played. He plays Gordon Gekko, who reminds me of Jonathon Shields (played by his dad, Kirk Douglas) in The Bad and the Beautiful. We follow a young and eager Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen), a stockbroker who wants to get to the top and fast. So Fox decides to ask his hero, Gekko, a wildly successful man on Wall Street, if he can work from him. Gekko takes Fox under his wing, and teaches him how to illegally trade on inside information. This leads Fox down a path of lying and crime to get to the top. It's also interesting, because his father in the movie is played by his actual father, Martin Sheen. The two really bounce off each other well and have a great dynamic. As a whole, this film was a thrilling watch as we see Fox lose more and more morals to get what he wants.

4/9/22 "She's Having a Baby" 1988
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "No, Davis. You're the only one you ever loved.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no
When watching this movie, I was thinking about how people must really enjoy this film. I mean it's a John Hughes film in the middle of his career (which has his best work), but going online I could not believe how many people dislike this movie. I mean this film isn't his best, but it isn't on the same level as "European Vacation". A lot of people don't really like the gag-focused nature of the film, but I think it works quite well. The whole story is being told from Kevin Bacon's perspective, so of course, we're going to see what he's thinking. Like when he was describing how the walls were closing in on him and the walls were literally closing in. They don't all work, but most of them are really funny. Also, a lot of people think the relationship is annoying since they don't really seem like they're in love with each other, but that's the point. They obviously love each other, marriage is just hard sometimes. It's not always going to be a Christmas card, there are ups and downs. I feel like this film had a tight screenplay with great shots, characters, and a great ending. Also, the credits are a lot of fun.

8/19/24 "School Daze" 1988
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Wake Up." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was kind of a mess. It's an odd film, especially for Spike Lee, because his next film would be "Do The Right Thing", which is arguably his best. This is a comedic, dramatic, musical, college film. It's very campy and over the top, but at the end, they hit us with a pretty heavy message. It follows the students at Mission College, a historically African-American college. On one side of the spectrum, Dap (Larry Fishburne) fights for political activism while Julian (Giancarlo Esposito), runs a tight fraternity that wants to keep the school in order. It's homecoming weekend, so both sides are trying to win the event. It's an interesting movie that has some Spike Lee signatures (the cinematography and lightening are carried over to Do The Right Thing), but the film is confused on what it wants to be.

9/5/23 "Hairspray" 1988
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "She can't hear you!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Note: This is the original one, not the 2007 musical version. This is a pretty tame John Waters film, which might be a good thing. He still gets some of his classic directing style in there but in more creative ways. For instance, he normally hires terrible actors to be in the film so they can give odd deliveries. I think the studio wanted some big names, so instead he hired musicians to be actors. Debbie Harry, Sonny Bono, and Ruth Brown are all in this film, and they're just so much fun to watch. They don't entirely do well, but they have fun in the role which makes this film fun. Someone who does do really well though is Divine. My sister put it best when she said that "She puts so much emotion in every line and yet none whatsoever". It's so sad that this was one of her last films. It was also weird seeing her out of drag to play one of the characters, I almost didn't recognize her. The whole movie is hilarious, it's so funny how everyone is so mean to Tracy for literally no reason. This is one of the most campy films I have seen, in the best way humanly possible.

10/1/24 "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" 1988
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I'd like to lie! The bad thing about my religion is that we can't." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was such a great modern screwball comedy. It follows a voiceover actress who finds that her lover is leaving her, so she mixes a sleeping-pill-laced gazpacho for her to drink to end it all. However, she gets caught up in a chaotic series of events involving her lover's ex-wife, her step-child, and a terrorist plot. There are a lot of great character moments with a wonderful performance by Carmen Maura. I just wish there were some more funny moments, but the story and characters are interesting enough to carry this film.

8/29/22 "Killer Klowns From Outer Space" 1988
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Oh... Pizza!!!"
This is one of those movies that are so bad that they are good. I mean, it's called Killer Klowns from Outer Space, of course, it's going to be awful. I loved the sets in this movie and the klowns were cool, but everything else is awful. The acting, the script, the effects, etc. The characters are all unlikeable and so dumb. The thing is... this movie is so much fun to watch. I highly suggest getting a group together and watching this movie. This movie is a great time waiting to happen.

1/1/24 "Bull Durham" 1988
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Cute? Baby ducks are cute, I HATE cute! I want to be exotic, and mysterious!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I was dreading seeing this film. I'm not really a sports guy, so I thought this would be pure sports content. Luckily, this takes another direction. It's about a baseball groupie (Susan Sarandon) who falls in love with the newest recruit on the bull's team (Tim Robbins). Meanwhile, veteran player (Kevin Costner), tries his hardest to have him focus on the game. It's a tug-of-war between Costner and Sarandon for Tim Robbins. The screenplay has a lot of witty jokes and funny lines, but the good jokes don't really save a bare-bones story. It feels like nothing's ever going on in this movie except for maybe 5 scenes. I don't understand why this is in the AFI 100 funniest movies but I can get how people would really love this film.

4/6/24 "Cocktail" 1988
5/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Days get shorter and shorter, nights longer and longer, and before you know it, your life is just one long night with a few comatose daylight hours." Do they say the title fo the movie within the movie: Yes
This is such a bland 80s movie that doesn't really do a lot to stand out. The bar scenes are absolutely iconic and Tom Cruise does a great job as the character, but the story was very very bare-bones and wasn't that interesting. It's about a college kid taking a position at a bar just to pay for school until he slowly finds out that he loves it. Now he has to choose between a high-paying job or being a bartender. The story just seems like a mess and some of the shots were very over the top. The "Hippy Hippy Shake" was the highlight and it happens in the first 20 minutes. As a whole, this hasn't aged quite well.

10/1/25 "The Vanishing" 1988
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "The best plans can be wiped out at any moment by what we call fate. I confess that saddens me." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I felt like, while this movie was a little overhyped, it was still pretty good. We follow a man who's wife has been aducted 3 years prior, he's trying to reconstruct his life, when suddenly he starts getting letters from the man who did the job. What follows is a film that has a looming feeling of dread and mystery as we try to figure out why he's doing this. I just felt like the film wasn't as interesting as it thought it was, which lead me to just not getting into it.

9/27/24 "Dead Ringers" 1988
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Pain creates character distortion, it's simply not necessary." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
I'm gonna be honest, this David Cronenberg outing was sort of disappointing. It started off really promising, with the set-up of two twins working as gynecologists (both being played by Jeremy Irons), one of which is a very mild-mannered man, while the other one is a huge swinger. They have a system where the girls meet the sweet one and then they have sex with the swinger. This gets flipped on its head when a woman uses them only to get drugs. There's normally a big Cronenberg twist that felt like it was missing from this film. It just sort of left me wanting more. It's a pretty good drama but pales in comparison to the rest of his work.

7/19/22 "Cinema Paradiso" 1988
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Don't come back. Don't think about us. Don't look back. Don't write. Don't give in to nostalgia. Forget us all. If you do and you come back, don't come to see me."
This was such a sweet movie about how Italy adapted to cinema. I love all the characters in this movie, I feel like they are all written so well. Something that I love about this movie is how you can tell that the director loved cinema much like the main character. There are so many little moments that capture the feeling of watching these classic films and the wonder of being a little kid. Great movie.

10/5/25 "They Live" 1988
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
This movie has such a great concept, but the execution is done a little sloppily. This movie, Josh Nada (played by Roddy Piper, but so obviously written for Kurt Russell), is a homeless man who stumbles upon special glasses that show that the world has been taken over by an alien race. These glasses are pretty heavy-handed with signs that say "Obey" and "Comply" and such, showing the true nature of TV and advertising. This movie is a commentary on capitalism and the ultra-rich who will do anything to stay in power. This would be a very interesting study if it didn't have needless action scenes and corny one-liners. They have the famous "chewing bubble gum" line, but they also have about 24 different lines that are trying to compete. The fighting on screen looks so fake at all times. The punches being delivered don't get anywhere close to the actors, and the punch sound effects are turned way up. Plus, there's the infamous 5 and a half minute fight between Roddy and Frank (Keith David). What's worse is that they really had no reason to be fighting in the scene. It seemed like John Carpenter wanted a fight scene, so he twisted the characters in order to make it happen even though it really defies all logic. As a whole, while offering great political satire, the film could've had a more serious tone and more focused screenplay.

8/8/22 "Child's Play" 1988
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "He's an ugly doll"
This was a pretty great movie. I can definitely see how this would become a franchise. I feel like the plot was straightforward and had some smart choices (like the battery plot). When I saw this I was kind of expecting a really bad Chucky doll puppet, but the puppet work in this movie was phenomenal. The acting in this one was also really great, every did such a great job with their character. Especially Brad Dourif, he was the perfect pick for Chucky. He's the perfect mix of creepy and funny to make this character as iconic as he is. This is one of the horror movies you need to see.

11/2/22 "Oliver And Company" 1988
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I like cats... I LIKE TO EAT EM!"
Yet another Disney film I binged with my sister, and yet another one that Disney wants you to forget... for good reason. This film feels like they were trying so hard to make a Woody Allen film mixed with Oliver Twist mixed with the Rescuers mixed with the Aristocats that it comes out a nonsensical mess. Billy Joel is in this, he did the soundtrack but he also played one of the lead roles. I was really surprised when I learned he decided to play a character for one move and then never act again, which is a shame because I thought he did all right. Do you know who wasn't all right... Bette Midler. Oh my gosh, Bette Midler. She was WAY too much in this film, I understand hamming it up for the kiddos in the audience but then there is Bette "The Divine Miss M" Midler. The decision to set in the then modern day ages this film like fine milk. The story drowns in parachute pants and synths. The pacing is all over the place and the important plot points are never explained. HOWEVER... "Why Should I Worry" was pretty good because of Billy Joel, also this was a fantastic movie to hate-watch. Hopefully, Disney will, oh I don't know, release one of the finest animated pictures after this film that'll bring some sort of "Renaissance" to the legacy of Disney and "wake up sleeping beauty"

12/26/25 "Dangerous Liaisons" 1988
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I distilled everything to one wonderfully simple principle: win or die." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
It's so funny seeing this film after seeing "Cruel Intentions" first. This film has a very stacked cast, but I feel like John Malkovich didn't really fit the heartthrob role. He did a good job with the acting, but he didn't really have much chemistry with any of the love interests. Glenn Close, however, was a real powerhouse in this role. That last scene was really well done. This film is just a bit forgettable and seems to have gotten a nomination just because it's based on an old play.

2/19/22 "Working Girl" 1988
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Sometimes I sing and dance around the house in my underwear. Doesn't make me Madonna. Never will."
I love that Mike Nichols. I was writing in a paper recently about how he constantly appeals to various demographics, "The Graduate" appealed to the boomers, and "The Birdcage" appealed to the LGBT community. This movie definitely appeals to feminists. This film has such great themes and a great story throughout it. It's about a secretary moving to a new office and meeting with her boss. She suggests a new idea to her and her boss tries to steal that idea. Her boss breaks her leg, so she tries to get her idea back by pitching it herself. This movie has such a sweet ending. I enjoyed this film.

1/20/23 "Beaches" 1988
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You are the wind beneath my wings", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No!
This was a pretty alright movie! Bette Milder toned it down a lot for this film and it's such a relief since she would stick out like a sore thumb. I really loved how realistic the characters are and how fleshed-out their relationships are. Although I feel this movie went on too long and was a little predictable, but it was pretty good!

6/4/23 "The Accidental Tourist" 1988
3/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "He ate my turkey - and didn't get sick. Two - big - helpings." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
How was this nominated for best picture? It had such horrible writing and the pacing was all wrong. This is truly a dull film with ideas and plots thrown up against the wall. It's about a man who writes travel books for those who hate traveling, his son dies and his wife divorces him because the son distracted her from how awful the marriage is. It's an interesting premise, but it only goes down from here. An odd family, Geena Davis, and dog training get thrown into the mix and it just because a big mess. All the actors felt like they were phoning it in except for Bill Pullman, he always does great. Even Geena Davis who won Best supporting actress in this film doesn't give the best performance of her career. Some points were interesting, like how I liked the odd family, but other than that this film is a complete drag. I would never watch this film again

6/13/25 "Heathers" 1988
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Whether to kill yourself or not is one of the most important decisions a teenager can make." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
It really is shocking how well this movie has aged. This feels like such a fresh movie despite being more than 30 years old. This has such a unique blend of comedy and thriller that it really makes an enjoyable film. It seems like half John Waters and half Silence of the Lambs. It also really has a lot to say about teen suicide and how it can be over-sensationalized and can cause teens to feel isolated. There isn't a bad performance in the film; Christian Slater and Winona Ryder really do a wonderful job in this film. There's a reason why it's hit such a cult status

3/14/23 "Say Anything" 1989
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "You just described every great success story.", Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Oh yeah!
My personal favorite Cameron Crowe movie (and looking back, probably the only one I enjoyed), this just feels perfectly simple. John Cusack does an amazing job in this film, he's very likable and natural in this role. Everyone's great in this film except for Ione Skye. She's distracting in several scenes because of how bad she is. I wondered how she got the role until I realized she was Donovan's daughter. I can see how this is an iconic '80s movie with the boombox scene being one of the most iconic images of the '80s

8/25/25 "Field Of Dreams" 1989
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "If you build it, they will come." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is such a special brand of 80s sentimentality that you can't help but respect it. We follow a farmer (Kevin Costner) who hears a mysterious voice that guides him to build a baseball field. When he does, he finds that ghosts of old baseball players start appearing. This film is notable as the last feature film appearance of Burt Lancaster. There were some parts of this film that seemed to drag a little bit, but it was very sentimental and had a lot of heart put in.

3/31/22 "Do The Right Thing" 1989
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "YO! HOLD UP! Time out! TIME OUT! Y'all take a chill! Ya need to cool that stuff out! And that's the double truth, Ruth!"
I normally hate ensemble cast movies. They seem so scattered and all over the place that I just couldn't follow them. This is not one of those movies. This movie is sort of a slow burn though since the whole movie sets up for one scene in particular which makes the whole film worth it. The problem is, they kind of have a Scarlet O'Hara disease where they had the perfect spot to end it, but they kept going. This movie explores the racial structure within a community and how they're all racist to each other. African Americans, Asian Americans, Italians, and Puerto Ricans are all at odds with each other. For is a movie that's supposed to have a very diverse group and accurate depictions, but then there's a character called "Smiley" whose mental illness is played for laughs which didn't really feel right for the movie. Samuel L. Jackson has a pretty small role in this movie, but he's perfect in every scene. This is a great movie with such a thought-provoking message. Also, GUS FRING IS IN THE MOVIE

10/5/24 "Tetsuo: The Iron Man" 1989
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Together, we can turn this world to rust!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This is an essential film in body horror, but I feel as though the imagery makes this film what it is and that's it. The plot isn't too great and it feels like it was made just to justify the frights. It follows a man who has a sexual obsession with metal, so he tries to replace his body parts with a machine. A business-man runs over him and ends up killing him, however, which gives the business-man a curse that turns his body slowly into a machine. There are some amazing moments with some really snappy shots and cuts, but the story is so barebones that it ends up feeling like a poor Cronenberg imitation.

6/18/25 "Tongues Untied" 1989
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "End the silence, baby. We could make a serious revolution together." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
It's crazy how modern this documentary feels. It focuses on the black gay community and how marginalized they feel. It was really interesting seeing the interviews and how these problems are still happening today. The use of Eddie Murphy's stand-up to illustrate their point was really poignant and shows how comedy can seriously affect groups of people.

7/10/23 "UHF" 1989
7/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "Hello, this is Sy Greenblum, president of Spatula City. I like the spatulas so much, I bought the company." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
I'm surprised Weird Al didn't make more movies after this, this was really funny! The best thing I could compare this to is a mix of "Wayne's World" and "Hot Rod" (but before the two of them), although Weird Al has said that this film is a mix of "The Son Of Flubber", "Sophie's Choice", and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". The film is about George Newman (Weird Al), a man with too much imagination, in search of a job after spending the whole month losing them. His uncle won a struggling TV channel after a game of poker and decided to give it to him. Little does Newman know, he's going to get into a world of trouble with a rival TV channel. The head of this channel is played by Kevin McCarthy from Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the original one) and he's amazing. I would've never thought that he would be such a great comedic actor. There's also a pre-Seinfeld, pre-Laugh Factory Michael Richards who does a good job as well. There are maybe too many parodies in this film, but that's what you'd expect from a Weird Al movie. A lot of the parodies just feel shoe horned, but this is a cult classic

11/14/24 "My 20th Century" 1989
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "Do you think they can hear us?" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This was an interesting Hungarian film, but some of it fell pretty short. We follow two twins getting born on the same day that Edison made the lightbulb. The two get raised as separate orphans who happen to unknowingly meet on the train during New Year's Eve, where one of them is in love with a rich man while the other is planning to blow up the train. The film has some interesting camera shots and ideas, but I just couldn't really get behind it.

11/30/23 "Roger and Me" 1989
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I'm sure General Motors didn't evict them. So, you'd have to go talk to their landlords." "They used to work for General Motors, and now they don't work there anymore." Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: Yes
Michael Moore's first film is also his most personal film. This film follows his hometown of Flint, Michigan, his hometown. Flint was once a flourishing town because of General Motors building all of their factories in the town. This all changed when the president of General Motors moved all the factories to Mexico for cheaper labor, leaving the town of Flint Michigan in economic ruin. The film shows the divide between the rich and the poor in Flint. One of the most ironic moments in the entire film is the Great Gatsby party. The rich people in town throw a Great Gatsby party and they pay people who lost their jobs to be human statues. While Michael Moore is interviewing them about the current situation, it's insane to see them say how nothing's wrong as they stand in front of human statues that are only doing this because of how badly they need the money. I feel like the weakest part of this film was setting it up like it was Roger Moore trying to track down Roger Smith because that's only 10% of the film. The other 90% is such a sad look at the decline of a town. General Motors made that town dependent on them, and then they pulled out all their factories and left them with nothing. A truly sad film that was really well done.

9/12/22 "Crimes and Misdemeanors" 1989
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "The thing, the thing to remember about comedy is, if it, if it *bends* it's funny, if it breaks, it's not funny. So, you got to get back from the pain. See what I mean?"
I feel like I watched two movies in this one. There are two plots going on in this which would've made better movies if they were separated. They sort of take away from each other and during one scene you sort of wish you were watching the other. One plot is about a man cheating on his wife and his mistress threatening him that he'll tell his wife, while the other one is Woody Allen being a cameraman on a documentary about a comedian, but the comedian is insufferable. The comedian is played by Alan Alda and he just gives it his all. He's the funniest character in this entire movie. These two plots don't pay off with each other until the very end. So far, this is my least favorite movie of his (up to this point I've only seen 4 others). I was expecting more since a lot of people hail this as the best one. It just gets a little complicated whereas Annie Hall was simple. Since Annie Hall was so simple it allows the exploration of deeper themes since you don't need to devote a lot of that time explaining what's going on since we all can get that they're in a relationship. While this film has to explain the weird Hitchcockian plot and the Cameraman plot.

8/19/22 "Steel Magnolias" 1989
8/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "I'm not crazy, I've just been in a very bad mood for 40 years!"
Basically, this is just a better version of Terms of Endearment. Based on a play, the story is basically the same, except this came out first. Both are movies about a relationship between a mother and daughter and star Shirley MacClaine (who's great in this movie). Everyone is great in this movie and all add so much to the story. Overall this is a great movie and I would highly suggest it

5/27/23 "The War Of The Roses" 1989
6/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "There is no winning! Only degrees of losing!" Do they say the name of the movie within the movie: No
Could've been quicker. This feels like it's trying to be like a Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn film but they make it even slower. The best part of the film is obviously the end but the beginning and middle just feel like a setup for later and less like a part of the film. The writing as a whole wasn't the best. The enjoyable parts were mainly the situations the characters got in and less the actual dialogue that was stated. They also had one scene where the son was resentful of his dad, but we got less than one minute of screen time to develop that scene happening. It was really well shot though! I really enjoyed the way the shots were composed and how the lighting was used to enhance the story! Overall a pretty decent romp!

2/17/22 "Driving Miss Daisy" 1989
4/10 Stars, Favorite Quote "a few minutes ago" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: no
This is such a meh movie I have very little to talk about. I just feel like all the characters have very few personality traits and the plot just sort of goes nowhere. I feel like Parenthood, Do The Right Thing, Steel Magnolias, Glory, or Dead Poets Society should've won instead of this

1/17/24 "Born On The Fourth of July" 1989
9/10 Stars, Favorite Quote: "I want to be treated like a human being! I fought for my country! I am a Vietnam veteran! I fought for my country! And I think that I deserve to be treated... decent!" Do they say the title of the movie within the movie: No
This might be one of my favorite war movies. This film is so great because it focuses more on the before and after of the Vietnam War. This is based on the true story of Ron Kovic (Tom Cruise), a man who fought in the Vietnam War for his country and became paralyzed. When he got home, he found that his country had turned its back on him. The Veterans Administration bureaucracy isn't helpful, he doesn't fit in with the pro-war people, but he also doesn't fit in with the anti-war people because he fought in the war. Oliver Stone wrote and directed this film and this is my favorite film of his. I loved the intro of this film where we see the post-WW2 celebrations that Kovic saw as a child that inspired him to become a soldier. This won Best Director and I definitely believe Oliver Stone deserved it, in fact, it should've also won Best Picture

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