After watching "The Lost Boys" with a minimal but upspirited group..."Death by stereo"...it's time to move on to the 1990s. I picked some of my personal favorites...and my brother would approve too. We both watched all of these movies numerous times with all different types of emotion. We laughed, we cried, we smiled, and we yelled...well, not really, but they are great movies. Here we go...
Pump Up the Volume (1990) R
When a book on Lenny Bruce falls into the right young, disaffected, youthful hands, the FCC has its work cut out for it. Christian Slater plays a quiet high school student whose alter ego "Hard Harry" cries injustice and spins punk and rap records from his basement at night for a growing fan base who finds his radio frequency. When the ultra-conservative school administration starts swinging, Hard Harry's fans rally, and Slater gets the girl.
Army of Darkness (1993) R
One of the most memorable early works from director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man), Army of Darkness is the third in a trilogy of hilarious sci-fi sword-and-sorcery epics. Bound in human flesh and inked in blood, the ancient Necronomicon, or "Book of the Dead," transports department store clerk Ash (Bruce Campbell) and his 1973 Oldsmobile into England's Dark Ages. There, he faces legions of undead beasts in a battle for his life.
The Crow (1994) R
Young rock guitarist Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and his fiancée are brutally killed by a ruthless gang of criminals. Exactly one year after his death, Eric returns -- watched over by a hypnotic crow -- to seek revenge. The Crow features Lee's last performance before his untimely death.
Shallow Grave (1994) R
Ewan McGregor stars in this grimly comic tale of three roommates who find their enigmatic new flatmate dead in his room with a stash of drugs and a suitcase full of cash. What will they do with all that money -- and the corpse? Things get even more twisted as drug dealers and the cops start snooping around. Directed by Danny Boyle, this pitch-perfect dark comedy also stars Christopher Eccleston, Kerry Fox and Ken Stott.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Late '80's movie - vote fast - time's wasting away
Our early 1980's movie was Raging Bull. The members got a kick out of it. I enjoyed the firey argument about physical abuse between a man and a woman. Thanks for the memories on that! Sorry you couldn't make it Sam. Here's the next four victims...I guess the theme is action...that's what the 1980's were all about anyway.
Aliens (1986) R
Sigourney Weaver returns as Lt. Ripley in this action-packed sequel to Alien. The only survivor from the first film, Ripley finds her horrific account of the alien and her crew's fate is met with skepticism -- until the mysterious disappearance of colonists on LV-426 prompts a team of high-tech Marines to investigate. Also features a commentary by cast and crew members and both the theatrical and special edition versions of the film.
Raising Arizona (1987) PG-13
Edwina "Ed" McDonnough (Holly Hunter) is an ex-cop; her husband, H.I.(Nicolas Cage), is an ex-con. Blissfully content as newlyweds, the pair is devastated when they learn they can't have children. Not to worry: They reckon they'll just "borrow" one of furniture magnate Nathan Arizona's (Trey Wilson) new quintuplets. Featuring oodles of idiosyncratic humor, this kidnapping farce from Joel and Ethan Coen is a deft nod to classic screwball comedy.
The Lost Boys (1987) R
Shortly after moving to a California coastal town, Mike (Jason Patric) gets mixed up with a rough biker crowd. There have been some strange deaths and rumors of vampires in the town, and Mike's younger brother Sam (Corey Haim) fears his sibling might be in more trouble than anyone realizes. In an effort to save Mike, Sam teams up with two vampire-hunter friends and tries to rid the town of evil in this 1987 thriller.
Die Hard (1988) R
Smart-mouthed New York City cop John McClane (a perfectly cast Bruce Willis) comes to Los Angeles in an attempt to reconcile with his wife. When terrorists seize her office building, McClane escapes -- shirtless and shoeless -- and desperately tries to stop them. Director John McTiernan moves the film (and his camera) at lightning pace; action movies don't get any better.
Aliens (1986) R
Sigourney Weaver returns as Lt. Ripley in this action-packed sequel to Alien. The only survivor from the first film, Ripley finds her horrific account of the alien and her crew's fate is met with skepticism -- until the mysterious disappearance of colonists on LV-426 prompts a team of high-tech Marines to investigate. Also features a commentary by cast and crew members and both the theatrical and special edition versions of the film.
Raising Arizona (1987) PG-13
Edwina "Ed" McDonnough (Holly Hunter) is an ex-cop; her husband, H.I.(Nicolas Cage), is an ex-con. Blissfully content as newlyweds, the pair is devastated when they learn they can't have children. Not to worry: They reckon they'll just "borrow" one of furniture magnate Nathan Arizona's (Trey Wilson) new quintuplets. Featuring oodles of idiosyncratic humor, this kidnapping farce from Joel and Ethan Coen is a deft nod to classic screwball comedy.
The Lost Boys (1987) R
Shortly after moving to a California coastal town, Mike (Jason Patric) gets mixed up with a rough biker crowd. There have been some strange deaths and rumors of vampires in the town, and Mike's younger brother Sam (Corey Haim) fears his sibling might be in more trouble than anyone realizes. In an effort to save Mike, Sam teams up with two vampire-hunter friends and tries to rid the town of evil in this 1987 thriller.
Die Hard (1988) R
Smart-mouthed New York City cop John McClane (a perfectly cast Bruce Willis) comes to Los Angeles in an attempt to reconcile with his wife. When terrorists seize her office building, McClane escapes -- shirtless and shoeless -- and desperately tries to stop them. Director John McTiernan moves the film (and his camera) at lightning pace; action movies don't get any better.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
On with the '80's...gnarly dude!
I am glad to see everybody enjoy The Sting, as I said...it's one of my favorite movies. Since we have very little voting going on, I decided Taxi Driver would be a good late '70's movie. I enjoyed it, but I think the students will either love it or hate it. BUT, I do have a poll for the early '80's movies....hehehehe...this is the time I was a wee lad.
Raging Bull (1980) R
Robert De Niro won the Oscar for his portrayal of self-destructive boxer Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's widely acclaimed biopic. De Niro's powerful performance, combined with Scorsese's black-and-white realism, paints a raw portrait of a tormented soul unable to control his violent outbursts. Cathy Moriarty and Joe Pesci also star. This edition includes commentary from Scorsese, producer Irwin Winkler and LaMotta himself, among others.
The Shining (1980) R
All work and no play make Jack a bloodthirsty boy. On the wagon after his alcoholism created family troubles, aspiring novelist Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) accepts a position as off-season custodian at an elegant but eerie hotel so he can write undisturbed. No sooner have Jack, his wife (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny settled in than the ominous hotel starts to wield its sinister power over father and son.
The Elephant Man (1980) PG
In this Oscar-nominated drama based on a true story, physically abnormal John Merrick (John Hurt) endures ostracizing, taunting behavior as a sideshow attraction in mid-19th century England. Despite his horribly disfigured face and body and barely perceptible speech, concerned doctor Frederick Treves (Sir Anthony Hopkins) recognizes Merrick to be highly intelligent and works to save the Elephant Man's dignity. Directed by David Lynch.
Blade Runner (1982) R
In the dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is called out of retirement to snuff a quartet of escaped "replicants" -- androids consigned to slave labor on remote planets -- seeking a way to extend their short life spans. This version includes both the theatrical cut and director Ridley Scott's cut that comes with a different ending and the omission of Ford's narration, giving the film a different tone.
Raging Bull (1980) R
Robert De Niro won the Oscar for his portrayal of self-destructive boxer Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's widely acclaimed biopic. De Niro's powerful performance, combined with Scorsese's black-and-white realism, paints a raw portrait of a tormented soul unable to control his violent outbursts. Cathy Moriarty and Joe Pesci also star. This edition includes commentary from Scorsese, producer Irwin Winkler and LaMotta himself, among others.
The Shining (1980) R
All work and no play make Jack a bloodthirsty boy. On the wagon after his alcoholism created family troubles, aspiring novelist Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) accepts a position as off-season custodian at an elegant but eerie hotel so he can write undisturbed. No sooner have Jack, his wife (Shelley Duvall) and son Danny settled in than the ominous hotel starts to wield its sinister power over father and son.
The Elephant Man (1980) PG
In this Oscar-nominated drama based on a true story, physically abnormal John Merrick (John Hurt) endures ostracizing, taunting behavior as a sideshow attraction in mid-19th century England. Despite his horribly disfigured face and body and barely perceptible speech, concerned doctor Frederick Treves (Sir Anthony Hopkins) recognizes Merrick to be highly intelligent and works to save the Elephant Man's dignity. Directed by David Lynch.
Blade Runner (1982) R
In the dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is called out of retirement to snuff a quartet of escaped "replicants" -- androids consigned to slave labor on remote planets -- seeking a way to extend their short life spans. This version includes both the theatrical cut and director Ridley Scott's cut that comes with a different ending and the omission of Ford's narration, giving the film a different tone.
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