80sfilms

One of my favorite Kevin Bacon films ever is 1988’s She’s Having a Baby. Although my husband and I never had children, I imagine that Bacon’s character, Jake, reacts pretty much how most guys do when facing down the reality of having their first kid–pure panic, followed by random acts of stupidity and mid-life crisis.

The film is about Jake and his wife Kristy (Elizabeth McGovern), who find themselves unexpectedly pregnant and not quite where they thought they’d be in life before undertaking having children.

From Jake’s acts of immaturity, to his wandering eye, to Kristy’s disapproving parents, there are plenty of laughs mixed with thoughtful moments in the film.

Look for Alec Baldwin in a small but crucial role as Jake’s best friend/instigator, who underhandedly tries to sabotage Jake and Kristy’s marriage and happiness.

She’s Having a Baby is written and directed by 80s genius John Hughes (Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), but definitely skews to an older audience, as the subject matter is well beyond the high school setting. The film also deserves best use of the Kate Bush song “This Woman’s Work” (actually, the whole soundtrack is great).

She’s Having a Baby is rated PG13, but is more suitable for adults than teens and ‘tweens, who most likely won’t understand (or appreciate) the adult situations presented realistically and honestly.

You may have noticed no new reviews in the past few days.

Since my pay structure was “reassessed”, I no longer can dedicate the time it takes to write interesting (?), sarcastic and/or funny reviews here, as my pay is about a millionth of a cent per word (not a good rate if you’re trying to make a living).

So, I’m off to find another place to share my love of 80s films, etc.

In the meantime, if you wish to keep reading, I blog at http://thatdogblog.com, http://dailyeatsonline.com, and http://blogcritics.org/writer/writnkitten.

I hope to see ya around some of my other blogs soon!

Who knew that such a goofy idea would take hold like 1984’s rom com Splash?

The film starred Tom Hanks, who before this film was a relatively unknown TV actor with “Bosom Buddies” as his biggest credit to date, and was directed by Ron Howard, who took years to put his “Happy Days” behind him.

The film costarred Daryl Hannah (as a mermaid), and John Candy as Hanks’ character’s brother.

Hannah and Hanks share a genuine chemistry that makes their love story all the sweeter, and Candy and Hanks provide plenty of laughs.

Splash is a family-friendly film that everyone can enjoy for its good, clean fun and cute love story.

Roxanne (1987) is one of those great feel-good films that anyone can enjoy and appreciate.

It’s a remake of the classic romantic story of Cyrano de Bergerac with Steve Martin as the man endowed with a giant nose (Martin also wrote the screenplay).

Martin plays small-town firefighter C.D. Bales who falls for a beautiful astronomer, Roxanne (Daryl Hannah), but he thinks his nose will get in the way of any romantic possibilities, so he helps handsome co-worker Chris (Rick Rossovich) woo Roxanne.

Roxannealso stars Shelley Duvall, Fred Willard and Damon Wayans.

This is a fairly clean-cut (PG-rated) little rom com that the whole family can enjoy.

In 1985, the handsome and hilarious Chevy Chase stole my heart in Fletch. Yes, I was young, but even then I could recognize comedic genius when I saw it.

The film, based on the same-named Gregory McDonald mystery novel, was about an undercover newspaper reporter cracking a police drug ring.

Chase played I.M. “Fletch” Fletcher, said reporter who dished out the cynicism as much as the stories.

Fletch costarred Tim Mattheson, George Wendt and Genna Davis, and was directed by Michael Ritchie, who also helmed Fletch Lives (1989), The Couch Trip (1988), The Golden Child (1986) and Wildcats (1986).

In Fletch, Chase is at his best as Fletch, where he spouts off so many funny lines that the film is literally packed with one-liners from beginning to end. According to those behind the scenes, Chase ad-libbed the majority of his lines in the film, which only goes to show his genius.

Chase enjoyed a successful run in other 80s comedies, including Christmas Vacation (1989), Fletch Lives (1989), Caddyshack II (1988), Funny Farm (1988), ¡Three Amigos! (1986), Spies Like Us (1985), European Vacation (1985), Deal of the Century (1983), Vacation (1983), Modern Problems (1981), Seems Like Old Times (1980) and Caddyshack (1980).

Fans of Chase (or, along those same lines, Steve Martin, or the younger set that includes Adam Sandler and Dane Cook) are sure to enjoy Fletch, one of the comedic gems from the 80s. 

Grease 2 (1982) is one of those films I think you either love or hate. Die-hard fans of Grease may not appreciate it, but for the rest of us, it’s a fun romp that’s comparable to Grease, with a fresher, more contemporary feel.

Again, it’s about the kids at Rydell High, and while the first film cast John Travolta as the uber-cool dude and Olivia Newton-John and the beautiful dork, this time the roles are reversed.

Then-unknown Michelle Pfeiffer plays the cool chick this go around, and newcomer Maxwell Caulfield plays the hot geek.

Pfeiffer is Stephanie Zinone, the leader of the Pink Lady gang, and when she meets recently-transferred British student Michael Carrington (Caulfield), the pair seem to share an attraction that belies their social standings in the school. But alas, a Pink Lady can only date a certain type of guy…a greasy guy.

As Michael tries to transform himself into a greaser to see if he can win the gorgeous Stephanie’s heart, she finds herself not caring about her status as much as she used to.

Pfeiffer took Grease 2 as a successful jumping off point for her career, and she went on to star in The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989), Dangerous Liaisons (1988), Tequila Sunrise (1988), Married to the Mob (1988), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), Ladyhawke (1985) and Scarface (1983).

Grease 2 is a fun 80s romp that’s full of song and dance, as well as a few laughs along the way.

Major League (1989) is about baseball, but it’s a comedy for everyone. The Cleveland Indians have a new owner, Rachel Phelps (Margaret Whitten), and she wants to move the team to Miami, but in order to do so, she needs to show marked decline in attendance, so she fires most of the regular players and invites a bunch of has-been and never-was players to training camp in the hopes of building a losing team. 

Jake Taylor (Tom Berenger) is a washed-up catcher with bad knees, Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen) is the pretty-boy third baseman, Rick Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) is a hot-headed “wild thing” pitcher, and Willie Mays Hayes (Wesley Snipes) is a scene and base stealing centerfielder who can’t hit to save his life.

The films follows this rag-tag team from Spring Training through the regular season. Rene Russo plays Jake’s ex-girlfriend, Lynn Wells.

Major League, which was written and directed by David S. Ward, is not a classic baseball film in the vein of, say, Bull Durham, but it is a great little comedy that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

On the comparison scale, if Bull Durham (1988) is akin to Beverly Hills Cop (1984), then Major League is akin to Police Academy (1984). All are funny films, it just depends what kind of humor you prefer.

Cujo (1983) is one of those films that was terrifying when I was a child, but now seems rather tame. Of course, watching it when I was in my early teens while at a slumber party with a bunch of screaming friends probably made it a whole lot scarier.

In re-watching it as an adult, the claustrophobia aspect is much more disturbing to me than the dog.

The story, based on the novel by chill-master Stephen King, is simple in premise. Dog gets bit by a rabid bat, turns rabid, and starts tearing people up. A woman and her son get caught in the dog’s wake, and end up trapped in their inoperable car in the hot summer sun while the dog stalks them.

Cujo starred Dee Wallace-Stone, who played the mother, Donna Trenton, and Danny Pintauro, who played her son, Tad Trenton. It was directed by Lewis Teague, who also helmed The Jewel of the Nile (1985) and Cat’s Eye (1985).

Wallace-Stone also starred in Secret Admirer (1985), E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and The Howling (1981).

Maybe it’s because I love dogs, or maybe it’s because I think, in Cujo,the owner of Cujo was to blame for the horrific turn of events (in other words, don’t let your dog run wild, keep your dog properly vaccinated, etc.), but to me, Cujo is more of a public service announcement about pet vaccinations than a horror flick. 

Chalk it up to being an adult, but to me Cujo is all bark and no bite. 

It isn’t often that a cool, musically-based film comes along that also delivers amazing acting and a great storyline. Which explains why I love The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) so much.

The film, which was written and directed by Steve Kloves, is about the Baker boys, Jack and Frank (played by real-life brothers Jeff and Beau Bridges, respectively), who play piano at various bars in Seattle for a living.

Older brother Frank is responsible–he’s married and has kids. Little brother Jack, the “real” talent of the pair, is all about the music and women and booze.

When the pair decide to try adding a gal to the show, they audition a slew of mediocre singers until in walks Suzie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer), a beautiful woman with a breath-taking voice.

The film chronicles their travels, including each character’s personal highs and lows, and it all adds up to a smart, quiet, cool film. The score by Dave Grusin only enhances this already stellar film. Believe me, you’re gonna want the soundtrack.

The Fabulous Baker Boysearned three Academy Award Nominations, including Best Actress for Michelle Pfeiffer, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing. It earned a Golden Globe for Best Actress (Pfeiffer).

Fans of Pfeiffer, the Bridges brothers, jazz music, and generally great films will surely find The Fabulous Baker Boys to be, well, fabulous.

The Bedroom Window(1987), an homage to Alfred Hitchcock, starred Steve Guttenberg as Terry Lambert, a guy who was having an affair with his boss’s wife, Sylvia Wentworth (Isabelle Huppert). During a rendezvous at Terry’s apartment, Sylvia witnesses an attempted rape and he agrees to be the one to report it.

Unfortunately, because he didn’t see the crime take place, his story shifts and he becomes the very suspect he’s trying to help the police catch.

He also becomes involved with the rape victim, Denise (Elizabeth McGovern), which serves to further convolute things.

Director Curtis Hanson, who went on to helm L.A. Confidential and 8 Mile, also penned the screenplay for this film, which is based on the novel by Anne Holden.

While The Bedroom Window certainly doesn’t have the snap of Hitchcock classic such as The Rear Window and North By Northwest, it is entertaining and serves up enough plot twists to keep viewers interested in the outcome.