I'll be back (with at least two sequels) (80s)

Member Name: TJ-Mackey

Product:	80s
Date:	21/07/01 (282 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent movies

Disadvantages: Bad reputation

For some reason, the Eighties have gained a reputation for not producing many good films. I think part of the reason for this is because they followed on from the Seventies, possibly one of the finest decades for cinema ever. The truth is that there were actually a number of great movies released in the Eighties, although admittedly there were also quite a few stinkers as well. If you look closely though, and don't let the decade's notoriety cloud your judgement, you can pick out a couple of masterpieces, and several other top films.

Below is a selection of my favourite movies (presented in chronological order) from the so-called 'decade of cheese'.


** Raging Bull (1980) - Director: Martin Scorsese

"Once I was blind and now I can see."

In my opinion, this is Martin Scorsese's finest movie, coinciding with Robert De Niro's best-ever performance as troubled boxing champion Jake La Motta. Charting his turbulent career, from promising prize-fighter to run-down nightclub owner, the film is often disturbing, but always absorbing. It also features some exhilarating and brutal fight sequences, and a memorable nod to Marlon Brando's famous speech from 'On the Waterfront'. De Niro is utterly convincing in his powerhouse performance, while Joe Pesci is equally enthralling as La Motta's younger brother. Although the whole movie is extremely well made, the best scene comes right at the beginning, and is simply breathtaking in its beauty.

'Raging Bull' was such a promising start to the decade - almost too promising, in fact. A film as near to perfection as this one was always going to be hard to beat, and the next movie to come close to equalling it wouldn't be seen for another ten years. It was directed by Scorsese too, and also starred Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci.


** Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - Director: Steven Spielberg

"Snakes. Why&
#39;d it have to be snakes?"

Adventure, good humour and a loveable hero - what more could you want? Well, even if you didn't feel it was necessary, this movie also throws in a cracking story, memorable performances and some quite brilliant set pieces. Harrison Ford was born to play the role of Indiana Jones, and this first movie in the trilogy is undoubtedly the best of the lot. It's been a while since I last watched 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' and I really should see it again sometime - another bonus is that the film loses none of its charm with repeated viewing.

The premise of the movie is that a group of Nazi soldiers are trying to locate the legendary Ark of the Covenant so they can put it to some nefarious purpose. Attempting to stop them is the (almost) fearless, often witty historian-cum-adventurer, Indiana Jones. The massive rolling boulder, the swordsman in the crowded street and the eventual release of the Ark's contents are the most memorable scenes, but there are also some wonderful small touches that make for delightful viewing. Spielberg was clearly best when making fun movies such as this one, and the fact that it spawned two sequels speaks for itself.

If you haven't seen 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' yet... why on earth not?


** The Terminator (1984) - Director: James Cameron

"It absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead."

'The Terminator' is one of the best sci-fi/horror movies ever made, let alone just in the Eighties. This is the kind of role Arnie is perfectly suited to - almost mechanical acting with very little dialogue makes the character of the Terminator seem extremely cold and ruthless, just as it should be. Matching the performance quite brilliantly is Brad Fiedel's tech-industrial score, whose simplicity blends seamlessly with the on-screen action.

Although the later sequel had a lot more money behind it, and fe
atured state-of-the-art special effects, it is this original that excels, and is quite rightly considered by many to be James Cameron's finest movie. I'm sure the fact he had a big hand in the production design and script for the film, as well as directing it, had a lot to do with this achievement. Not many movies define a genre, yet this one does it with audacity. Truly a must-have DVD for any movie fan.


** Aliens (1985) - Director: James Cameron

"I don't know which species is worse. You don't see them f**king each other over for a goddamn percentage."

While James Cameron isn't the most accomplished director working today, he has definitely shown a knack for directing entertaining movies. Just a year after 'The Terminator', he followed up with this sequel to the Ridley Scott sci-fi chiller, 'Alien'. Many comparisons have been drawn between the two films, but in truth they are completely different styles of movie. Whereas 'Alien' employed an unsettling atmosphere to build up the tension, the sequel is much more of an action-driven film, undoubtedly helped by the addition of a whole colony of alien creatures.

Following her battle with the alien of the first movie, Ripley goes into hyper-sleep for the journey back to Earth. Unfortunately, her escape pod goes off-course, and by the time she is found it is some 60 years later. Coincidentally, a human settlement that has been built on LV-426 (the planet where Ripley originally encountered the alien) has recently lost all contact. The decision is made to send a military team to the planet to investigate, and Ripley agrees to accompany them.

The characters in 'Aliens' (both military and civilian) are all very interesting, the pacing of the story is near perfect and Cameron directs the whole show with aplomb. After a slow steady build up, the eventual contact with the aliens on LV-426 comes at the most inconvenien
t moment, and it's a combination of events that makes the task facing Ripley so exciting. Just when you think it can't get any worse, there's always one more thing to add to the equation, often when it's least expected.

A monumental film, 'Aliens' established Cameron as one of the hottest directors in Hollywood, and once again brought H.R. Giger's frightening alien creations to the masses. Sigourney Weaver is excellent in her Oscar-nominated role, outshining all those around her, although do look out for interesting performances from Cameron regulars Bill Paxton and Michael Biehn, and also Lance Henrikson as an especially memorable character.


** Back to the Future (1985) - Director: Robert Zemeckis

"Heavy? Why are things so heavy in the future? Is there a problem with the earth's gravitational pull?"

After a number of failures, this was perhaps Robert Zemeckis' last chance to make it as a Hollywood director. Backed by executive producer Steven Spielberg, the story for 'Back to the Future' looked promising on paper, but a good story alone doesn't make a great film. Thankfully (for movie fans and Zemeckis' career), everything came together perfectly to make a highly enjoyable and witty time-travel romp. Michael J. Fox, despite not being the first choice to play Marty McFly, makes the character his own with a superbly energetic performance, and is ably supported by Christopher Lloyd as wild-eyed scientist 'Doc' Brown. Together they must repair the damage Marty causes on a trip back to the Fifties, or his parents will never fall in love and he will never be born.

The sheer number of in-jokes and sly movie references are almost overwhelming at times, and thus sets the film up as another that can be watched again and again. The soundtrack is also outstanding. Huey Lewis and the News have a couple of songs in the movie, but it's the brilliant musical
score from Alan Silvestri that stands out as the most memorable. Every so often, a director, cast, producer and writer come up with a winning formula that just oozes appeal, and this is one such example. This formula isn't something that can simply be manufactured; in fact it's often just the luck of the draw. It therefore makes it difficult to describe exactly why such a movie is so popular, but 'Back to the Future' is definitely one of those movies. The script, editing and camerawork are second to none, and I don't know a single person who disliked the film.

I'm sure one of you will prove me wrong now though...


** Platoon (1986) - Director: Oliver Stone

"Somebody once wrote: 'Hell is the impossibility of reason.' That's what this place feels like. Hell."

Probably the best war film ever made. Okay, maybe not, but it's certainly the best I've seen.

Oliver Stone drew on his own experiences in Vietnam to paint a vivid image of the senselessness of war. Clearly this is a good example to use, because the Americans lost the Vietnam War, but it can easily be transposed to any number of other conflicts. In 'JFK', it is suggested that war being a multi-million dollar business, in holding out on entering Vietnam, Kennedy might have signed his own death warrant. The story of 'Platoon' is taken from the opposite end of the scale - a rookie, who on flying into Vietnam is greeted with the sight of American soldiers being put into body-bags.

Charlie Sheen is entirely believable is his performance as the rookie soldier Chris, while the most interesting portrayals are perhaps those of Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger, who play characters that reflect the conflicting opinions present in the US army at the time. There are several areas of the film that stand out and deserve high praise - a more detailed opinion of which can be found in my separate review of &#
39;Platoon'. Probably the most famous aspect though is the musical score composed by Samuel Barber, which is truly beautiful yet also hauntingly tragic.

A new Special Edition DVD of 'Platoon' has recently been released, currently only in Region 1, but a Region 2 edition is sure to follow soon.


** The Untouchables (1987) - Director: Brian De Palma

"Here endeth the lesson."

The most famous scene in this movie; a baby's pram rolling down a staircase as a gunfight rages around it; is actually inspired by the film 'The Battleship Potemkin'. It works very well in its context, and suggests that the major reason for the success of 'The Untouchables' is director Brian De Palma. He's certainly one the most interesting directors of the last twenty years, and this is probably his best movie.

The "untouchables" of the title are four lawmen who are given the task of cleaning up crime in 1920's Chicago - no mean feat when a lot of it was orchestrated by the infamous Al Capone. The team gained their name because of the way they were untouched by the corruption and bribery that plagued the police force at that time. Treasury agent Elliot Ness, ex-cop Jimmy Malone, trainee policeman George Stone and accountant Oscar Wallace together foiled numerous criminal efforts to bypass the prohibition laws that were in place, and ultimately sent Capone to jail.

Kevin Costner gives an assured performance as the lead character Ness, but it's the supporting cast who really shine - in particular, Sean Connory as Malone and Robert De Niro as Capone. However, the real master here is De Palma, who guides us through the story with some exquisite direction and set pieces. The elevator scene, the assassin sequence and the aforementioned staircase finale are all expertly constructed and shot to perfection. Of course, De Palma also had a great script to work from (penned by David Mamet
) and with the addition of some memorable music, 'The Untouchables' became one of the finest movies to come out of the Eighties.

The recent DVD release is pretty disappointing in terms of extra features (will De Palma ever do a commentary?), but of course, it's worth owning purely for the film.


** Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1988) - Director: John Hughes

"Ferris Bueller, you're my hero."

Okay, because of the sheer number of "teen comedies" that appeared in the Eighties, I had to include one, didn't I? Perhaps it's not as highly regarded as John Hughes' earlier effort 'The Breakfast Club', but for me, the definitive teen film of the eighties is surely 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'.

Following a day in the life of high school student and slacker Ferris Bueller, we first see him fool his parents into letting him stay home from school (this infamous scene needs no further explanation), before dragging two friends off on a trip into the city. However, it isn't going to be that easy for Ferris, what with his headmaster (the excellent Jeffrey Jones), amongst others, hell-bent on catching him.

A memorable performance from Matthew Broderick and a story that's full of energy help make this one of the most enjoyable films of the decade. Even if you can't tolerate so-called teen movies, you might be persuaded otherwise after seeing 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'. It's pure fun - nothing more, nothing less.


** Die Hard (1988) - Director: John McTiernan

"Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho."

Surely THE definitive action movie of the last twenty years, 'Die Hard' propelled Bruce Willis into the big time, and set down a new standard for every forthcoming action film. John McTiernan presents an exhilarating two hours of entertainment, tightening the screws whenever necessary while also a
dding an irresistible touch of humour. The real genius though was in the casting - Bruce Willis may never give a better performance, while the virtually unknown Alan Rickman is a complete revelation as the leader of a group of German terrorists.

Just in case any of you aren't familiar with the story of 'Die Hard', the plot is about an off-duty policeman (Willis) who single-handedly takes on a gang of terrorists, armed only with his police training and a vest. However, it's the excellent action sequences and OTT performances which make 'Die Hard' so enjoyable.

Recently released in a 5-star DVD package, this is surely the best time for fans of the genre to buy this superb movie. Also available is a 6-disc boxset containing 'Die Hard' and its two sequels. While the sequels don't come anywhere near to eclipsing the original, they are still enjoyable in their own right and this boxset is certainly a very tempting purchase.


** Heathers (1989) - Director: Michael Lehmann

"Whether or not a teenager decides to kill themselves is the biggest decision of their life."

When Winona Ryder first read the script for 'Heathers', she knew immediately what a great film it was going to be. Against the advice of everyone she knew, she accepted the lead role of Veronica, and what a good decision that turned out to be.

'Heathers' is a quite brilliant satire of all the teen movies that were around during the mid- to late- eighties, taken from the perspective of high-school cliques - in this case, one formed by Heather (Lisanne Falk), Heather (Kim Walker) and Heather (Shannen Doherty). Veronica feels like she should be part of the group, but at the same time realises precisely why she shouldn't bother with them. It isn't until the arrival of new kid JD (Christian Slater) that she not only abandons the clique, but also gets caught up in a sinister plan to get rid of
them.

After the first 'suicide', however, killing yourself becomes the hip new trend around school, and before long everything gets out of hand. Littered with quotable dialogue and hilarious black comedy, 'Heathers' was the last great movie of the eighties - and what better way to send it off? If you like your humour dark and cynical, you'll almost certainly love 'Heathers'. To quote a rather fine review of the film here on dooyoo: "If you were never particularly popular at high school, be glad that you weren't".


So there we have it - ten great films from a much-maligned decade of cinema. While admittedly the number of quality films was probably less than the Seventies and the Nineties, there were clearly a number of movies that deserve recognition. Five of my selections above have produced two sequels each ('Terminator 3' will be released next year), while a planned follow-up to 'Heathers' is also in the pipeline. So, next time you get involved in a discussion on the movie merits of the Eighties, you'll at least have a few examples to use should you decide to defend the decade (which I hope you would do!).

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