Best/Worst Films of the 80's
Wayne Citrin
films of the 80's." Well, since the 80's are about half over, I think it
might be interesting to discuss what this decade has brought us. I invite
everyone to submit their nominees for best and worst films of the 80's
(so far). Post to the net or to me and I will summarize. To start the
ball rolling, here are my nominations:
Best film of the 80's: The Stunt Man (1980)
Worst film of the 80's: Star Trek III - The Search for Spock (1984)
Wayne Citrin
(ucbvax!citrin)
Carlo Sgro
nothing else that we wanted to see
and the ad looked interesting
(although we weren't sure what it
was about). We came out impressed
by (in order) the acting, the
script, and the directing. A very
classy job.
Worst film: Once Upon A Time In America - this film had bad acting,
a bad script, and atrocious
dialogue. And that's
BEFORE any comparison with
The Godfather! Leone
simply bit off far more
than he could chew with
this one.
hor...@nmtvax.uucp
Of the movies I have seen since January 1, 1980, I would say that
the best is "The Natural." I don't know about the rest of you, but I
saw the movie three times and saw no flaws in it. At all. Running a
micron close is "The Big Chill" and then "Ordinary People." In fourth
place I would have to put "The World According to Garp." Fifth, I
am almost forced to say "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."
The worst films of the 1980's? Without a doubt, the Friday-the-13th
clones. Teenage slash-'em-up movies are no fun. They all tie for first
as the worst movies. In another ultra-close second place is "Survivor,"
a really bad one that I wouldn't tell anyone to see. Third, and I say this
with a churning stomach, had to be the break-dancing movies like "Beat
Street," although I didn't see "Breakin'," and can't really say. Fourth
in this category is "Flashdance," which literally put me to sleep. Fifth
place goes to none other than "Private School," which left me with the
strong desire to barf on the television (I saw it on THE Movie Channel).
Those are my opinions. Any arguments should be mailed to me below.
And keep the flames low, guys. It get's really hot in the desert.
T.A. McInvale
--
Tracy A. McInvale
Humanities Department
New Mexico Tech
..!ucbvax!unmvax!nmtvax!horton (uucp)
..!cmc12!lanl-a!nmtvax!horton (uucp)
horton%nmt@csnet-relay (arpa)
horton@nmt (CSnet)
SME
BEST MOVIE OF THE EIGHTIES: MISSING
with Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek.
A very emotional movie which I won't watch again for a long
time because my emotions are ready to go through that again!
Jeff Meyer
Ferrigno: the scene where, "maddened with grief", Hercules tosses the
carcass of the bear who killed his father (which looked familiar... I think
it was the same suit used for "Dancing Bear" on Captain Kangaroo)... into
outer space.
Boy, top that, John Dykstra!
"Cheese it, cheddar-breath, you can't fight America's Action Hero, see?"
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc.
UUCP:
{cornell,decvax,ihnp4,sdcsvax,tektronix,utcsrgv}!uw-beaver \
{allegra,gatech!sb1,hplabs!lbl-csam,decwrl!sun,ssc-vax} -- !fluke!moriarty
ARPA:
fluke!mori...@uw-beaver.ARPA
Bob Fishell
for all time:
*Terms of Endearment*
Despite some memorable performances, especially McClain's and Nicholson's,
This film was a manipulative soap opera whose message seemed to be that
"men are no damn good." The Academy really blew it that time.
--
Bob Fishell
ihnp4!ihu1g!fish
Seaman
> Ferrigno: the scene where, "maddened with grief", Hercules tosses the
> carcass of the bear who killed his father (which looked familiar... I think
> it was the same suit used for "Dancing Bear" on Captain Kangaroo)... into
> outer space.
>
> Boy, top that, John Dykstra!
>
> "Cheese it, cheddar-breath, you can't fight America's Action Hero, see?"
What is your complaint? That you don't like mythology? Where did you think
"Ursa Major" came from (according to the ancients)? The Hercules legend
works much better when it is told in the original way, without pictures,
so that the listeners can apply their own imagination.
I might add that the straits of Gibralter REALLY WERE known to the ancients
as "the pillars of Hercules." If you watched the movie, then you found out
why. Why criticize a movie because it retells a legend accurately? It would
be more appropriate to criticize the movie because it makes the legend look
silly, which it did.
--
[This is my bugkiller line. It may appear to be misplaced, but it works.]
Dave Seaman My hovercraft is no longer full of
..!pur-ee!pucc-i:ags eels (thanks to my confused cat).
MACC Consultants
Best movie of the 80's - Bladerunner
I thought Bladerunner had a lot of depth. It really made you think
(well, it made me think, anyway) about what it means to be human.
Who was really more human, the 'human' who makes his living by killing,
or the 'non-human' replicants who are willing to fight for their freedom?
I admit the movie had a lot of weak points, and the original book
was a lot better, but it was still better than anything I've seen in
a while.
Worst movie of the 80's - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(oops, I forgot to wear my flame shield!!)
I HATED this one. It was violent and pointless.
(yes, I know Bladerunner was probably grosser, but at least ther
was a point to the violence. It made you realize that he really was killing.
Sue Brunkow
Mark Wachsler
>Best movie of the 80's - Bladerunner
I'm sorry, but I absolutely have to disagree with this. I thought it was one
of the worst movies I've ever seen. It made Liquid Sky look good, in my
opinion, and I hated Liquid Sky (they did remind me of each other, which
is why I mention it.) Oh well, the best way to summarize what I thought about
Blade Runner is to quote a later line from the same article (although she
applied it to IJATOD, which I didn't think was all that awful):
>I HATED this one. It was violent and pointless.
Oh, well. No one really cares anyway, I'm sure. I just felt like putting
in my opinion.
----------------
There's a kid in a band, Mark Wachsler
Got an axe in his hand. browngr!msw
D Peak
thing still stinks even to this day. I thought that when I walked out
of the theatre (this was the only time ) that I was rid of it BUT NO !
It has been picked up by cable ! thankfully only one screening this week
but who knows ?
THE MOVIE ?
# # ###### # # ##### # # #### # # # #
# # # ## # # # # # # # # # #
#### ##### # # # # # # # #### #
# # # # # # # # # # # # #
# # # # ## # # # # # # # #
# # ###### # # # #### #### # # #
###### ##### # ###### #####
# # # # # # #
##### # # # ##### # #
# ##### # # # #
# # # # # # #
# # # # ###### #####
# # #### # # # ######
## ## # # # # # #
# ## # # # # # # #####
# # # # # # # #
# # # # # # # #
# # #### ## # ######
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAArgh !
--
Dave Peak (pyuxhh!dxp)
"Thank God I'm an atheist !!!"
- Dave Allen
Gregory Strockbine
"The Big Chill" definitely overated. Plus the soundtrack was a
mismatch - the actors were so lame and old and tired that they
sucked the energy out of the songs.
Gregory Strockbine
>
> >Best movie of the 80's - Bladerunner
>
> I'm sorry, but I absolutely have to disagree with this. I thought it was one
> of the worst movies I've ever seen. It made Liquid Sky look good, in my
> opinion, and I hated Liquid Sky (they did remind me of each other, which
> is why I mention it.) Oh well, the best way to summarize what I thought about
> Blade Runner is to quote a later line from the same article (although she
> applied it to IJATOD, which I didn't think was all that awful):
>
> >I HATED this one. It was violent and pointless.
>
> Oh, well. No one really cares anyway, I'm sure. I just felt like putting
> in my opinion.
I liked Bladerunner and I do not think it was violent and pointless.
I would not call it the best movie of the 80's however. I did not care
for Liquid Sky because I did not like any of the characters in the
movie. Same goes for Diva, except I liked one character, the bad guy who
wore sunglasses.
Mark Wachsler
>"The Big Chill" definitely overated. Plus the soundtrack was a
>mismatch - the actors were so lame and old and tired that they
>sucked the energy out of the songs.
Bite your tongue! You fascist communist un-American ethnic useless
scum waste-product!!!! :-)
(Don't interpret that literally. It was just an emotional response.
I apologize. Flame off.)
Seriously, though, I thought it was a great movie. Okay, so there are
some stupid parts that don't belong in it (like Sam and what's-her-face
(the married one) and her husband), but it had some great scenes, lines,
and moods, I thought. Every now and then, I try to think about what movie
I am most likely to connect with my bright college days (off in the nebulous
future, after I graduate, if that ever happens), and I often think it would
be "The Big Chill". Okay, that sounds stupid, I know. Oh, well, I don't
think it's overrated. Certainly not like "E.T. the extraterarium" was.
Well, enough of these verbless sentences...
---------------
But if you try some time you just might find, Mark Wachsler
You get what you need. (oo oo oo ooh) browngr!msw
Mark Wachsler
>Re: Terms of Endearment - If it wasn't for Jack N. doing his usual
>prankish lechery, there would have been no film. He was the highlight
>of the movie. The movie as a whole was grossly over-rated.
Agreed. It seemed to me the only reason they killed what's-her-face
(Debra Winger's character) off was that theyu couldn't think of anything
better to do with her. A very meaningless movie.
----------------
All of those wild American bilinguals Mark Wachsler
who talk to you in Paris of their lonely lives... browngr!msw
Zonker T. Chuqui
> mismatch - the actors were so lame and old and tired that they
> sucked the energy out of the songs.
I think you simply missed the entire point of the movie. I found the movie
full of energy, not lame and old and tired. It's not exactly Indiana Jones,
that's for sure, but it is a movie that makes you sit up and think about
things. One of its strongest points was the soundtrack-- the music was very
carefully picked to make unspoken comments about life and society based on
what is was playing through. The BEST thing about 'the Big Chill' was that
it was about real people, no more, no less. These aren't superheroes, or
Neil Simon weirdoes, they are people who could be your neighbors. This
movie is right up with 'My Dinner With Andre', 'Return of the Secacus
Seven', and 'When you coming back to the 5 and dime, Jimmy dean' for making
you excercise your mind instead of your glands at the theater. Wonderful
stuff, much too rare....
chq
--
From the Department of Bistromatics: Chuq Von Rospach
{amd,decwrl,fortune,hplabs,ihnp4}!nsc!chuqui nsc!chu...@decwrl.ARPA
What do I know, after all I'm just a begonia...
Bert Lo
> >mismatch - the actors were so lame and old and tired that they
> >sucked the energy out of the songs.
>
> Bite your tongue! You fascist communist un-American ethnic useless
> scum waste-product!!!! :-)
"The Big Chill" was definitely overrated. Now I like movies about people
and their hopes and aspirations and all that shit, but I felt the entire
thing was one big excuse about why they failed to change the world for
"the better". Either they should have admitted that they did what did in
college because it was the fashion or they should have tried to do what
they failed to do in those glory days, instead of sitting around blaming
it on the fates.
P.S. Has anyone seen "Cal"?
P.P.S. I heard "Buckeroo Banzai" is just one of those movies that says
"I'm such so chic ! If you don't like me, then you're just a nobody"
Sort of like "Purple Rain". Any comments ?
Bert Lo (l...@harvard.ARPA)
(I'm new, so I don't have any quotes yet)
Steve Dyer
intolerably bad as, say, "Terms of Endearment."
This was a completely schematic movie, with no tension and nothing new
to say. Instead, the characters were ciphers with certain "characteristics"
provided by the screenwriters. Perhaps this explains its popularity:
people brought themselves to the color-by-numbers characters, filling in
the empty spaces.
The complacency of this movie is enormous, doubly offensive because of its
pretense of self-examination.
--
/Steve Dyer
{decvax,linus,ima,ihnp4}!bbncca!sdyer
sd...@bbncca.ARPA
wom...@ccvaxa.uucp
Like turning Seacaucus Seven into a TV movie.
On another front, has anyone seen Sayles' new film (The Brother from
Outer Space) yet?
Wombat
ihnp4!uiucdcs!ccvaxa!wombat
SME
I enjoyed the entire movie, up to the end. It portrayed the relationship
that I had/have with my college friends realistically. It's the type of friendship
that transcends words. The more you attempt to explain it with words, the
cornier it sounds and the friendship becomes just a regular relationship.
I did not like the "make the baby" scene. Probably because in my
circle of friends, it would not have happened so blatantly and might
not have happened at all.
SME
Tommy beats sergeant pepper. Ann-Margret and Baked Beans?????? that's
an all-time classic!!!!!
SME
Gregory Strockbine
>Like turning Seacaucus Seven into a TV movie.
>
>On another front, has anyone seen Sayles' new film (The Brother from
>Outer Space) yet?
No, but I did see Sayles' "Lianna" and it was good. Its about a
married woman whose marriage is shakey, she falls in love with a
woman, divorces her husband, gets dumped by her female lover, and
does not go back to her husband.
s...@ucla-cs.uucp
Bullshit!
This movie is fantastic. A bit rough in spots, but with some of the
funniest comedy to be put on the screen in the last 20 years. In particular,
the take-off of "Enter the Dragon" is hilarious - more so if you've seen
the original.
Too bad you didn't enjoy it.
Scott R. Turner
UCLA Computer Science Department
3531 Boelter Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90024
ARPA: s...@UCLA-LOCUS.ARPA
UUCP: ...!{cepu,ihnp4,trwspp,ucbvax}!ucla-cs!srt
ter...@tekchips.uucp
NO!!!!NO!!!NO!!!!
If you're going to pick a movie from the 70's as the worst film, I'd
have to say that "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" takes the cake
as the worst film of the 70's. The Bee Gees and Peter Frampton(remember him??
flash-in-the-pan rock singer?) just didn't do justice to any of the songs, and
of course who could forget that really snazzy plot????? Real trash.