1981 Movies
OSCARS Won/Nominated
IMDB Top 250
IMDB Top 250
OSCARS
Best Makeup
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Makeup
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An American Werewolf in London
Dir: John Landis Stars: David Naughton 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I enjoyed the hell out of this movie. The Rick Baker make-up effects are grotesque and astounding...and the farcical nature of the narrative is refreshing. Cinematic werewolf lore is ridiculous, and this movie knows and embraces this fact. It operated so tongue-in-cheek at its own ridiculousness all the while respecting the genre and providing some great visuals, gore, and scares. Well-handled and unique. B+ |
OSCARS
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Chariots of Fire
Dir: Hugh Hudson Voices: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die A heartwarming story about a Christian and a Jew both training and running in the 1924 Olympics. It is filmed with grandiosity and the music is as iconic as you can get. But when I saw this film, I always felt it a bit hollow and overblown. It is well made, but its seeming self-importance prevented it from ever totally clicking with me. B |
Clash of the Titans
Dir: Desmond Davis Stars: Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith It is undeniable that this movie is a lot of fun, but it is almost charming in ways it should be exhilirating. In 1981, this was the era of Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark, so special effects had come a long way and the paradigm had shifted into a new era. Clash of the Titans feels old school in this new atmosphere and it makes it feels cheesy. It does well using the old, tried-and-true filmmaking techniques, and ignites a bunch of childlike glee...but it is hard to it too seriously. B- |
Escape From New York
Dir: John Carpenter Stars: Kurt Russell, Ernest Borgnine I just don't know how a John Carpenter film, starring Kurt Russel, about a futuristic prison on Manhattan Island and sending in an ex-black ops soldier to retrieve the President who crash-landed...can be so boring. I was excited about the concept, the production design, and the soundtrack...but nothing kept happening. It was slow, plodding, and so inexplicably bland. Its that simple. C |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Adapted Screenplay
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The Fox and the Hound
Dir: Ted Berman, Richard Rich, & Art Stevens Voices: Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Jack Albertson This is a perfect example of the difference between the Disney fluff that is out to make toys and sell them to kids and the films with mature themes and emotional gravitas. This film, on the surface, is about two animal children who befriend each other, only to grow up, fit into their societal expectations, and become enemies. It is a wonderful allegory for racism and prejudice, and it injects the lesson and themes into the viewer without them even realizing it. I grew up on this film and it always resonated with me in tear-inducing, powerful ways. A- DVD |
OSCARS
Best Original Song
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Original Song
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The Great Muppet Caper
Dir: Jim Henson Stars: Charles Grodin, Diana Rigg This has everything you would want and need in a Muppet movie. It has all your favorite characters, the meta-nature of the narrative, and great musical numbers. What this film really lacks is that all important parade of celebrity cameos. Charles Grodin and Diana Rigg are fine as the leads...but we only get one memorable cameo in John Cleese. Anything else is pretty forgettable and almost unrecognizable. I never realized how important that was...but it is a flaw here. Otherwise...you will certainly have a good time. B DVD |
History of the World Part I
Dir: Mel Brooks Stars: Mel Brooks, Gregory Hines, Dom Deluise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman With such comedy masterpieces under his belt, it was inevitable that Brooks' streak would slow down. Also...he decided to make a sketch comedy movie instead of a narrative. Still...there are a lot of laughs to be had...but a lot of misfires as well. In Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles...nothing ever misses. During this movie, you get some forced puns from Kahn, pretty awful acting from Brooks, and an unbalanced treatment of each era in the movie. It has some classics in there...but its one of Brooks' weaker offerings. B- Bluray |
Mommie Dearest
Dir: Frank Perry Stars: Faye Dunaway This is such a strange film. Faye Dunaway's performance as the enigmatic Joan Crawford and the story of the relationship between her and her daughter, Christina, is outrageous. Too often this movie elevates to a level of hysteria and absurdity that it ceases to be dramatic or fightening and becomes ridiculous and laughable. Sure...we all remember the "NO WIRE HANGERS!!" scene...but when was the last time you saw it? The idea that that kind of a transgression can escalate to abuse can be scary...but it is exhibited so comically over-the-top that it is hard to take anything seriously. Dunaway is a great actress, and at a certain level, she is admirably grandiose...but too often it is just silly. C+ |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Picture
Best Director Best Actor Best Actress Best Supporting Actor Best Original Screenplay Best Editing Best Cinematography Best Art Direction Best Costume Design Best Visual Effects Best Sound Effects Editing Best Sound Best Original Score |
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Dir: Steven Spielberg Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys Davies 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #44 For my money, there isn't a better pure adventure movie. This inaugural outing of Indiana Jones introduced us to one of the greatest, most iconic cinematic characters in history. It's action, its adventure, its romance, and it just taps into that childlike enthusiasm we've all felt while pretending to go on our own adventures. The fedora, the whip, the fighting Nazis...it is just the greatest. Also for my money...it is the greatest thing Spielberg has ever done...and that is saying something. A+ Bluray |
Stripes
Dir: Ivan Reitman Stars: Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, John Candy I despised this thing...and a lot of comedy cinephiles praise this thing. First of all...I get the premise of a smart-ass private in the army...and that works for someone who was drafted and doesn't want to be there. These idiots volunteered, and then they have the audacity to act like assholes to everyone. It seemed so mean-spirited and disrespectful that I couldn't enjoy it. You may say that I should stop thinking and enjoy the movie...well...if I did that...I would get a disjointed, juvenile romp that feels like there was no script. Just Bill Murray being Bill Murray in Bill Murray situations. I was over this movie in the first 15 minutes. D |
Superman II
Dir: Richard Lester Stars: Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, Terence Stamp I was never a huge fan of these classic Christopher Reeve Superman movies. Just as in most superhero films, they usually live and die by thier villains...and the villains in this film is the sole reason for its success. General Zod, Ursa, and Non have gravitas and have charisma in a film where the headliners seem to be on autopilot. B |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Supporting Actress
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Time Bandits
Dir: Terry Gilliam Stars: Sean Connery, John Cleese, Shelley Duvall This is just another example of how Terry Gilliam continues to baffle me. Again, he gives us a grand vision of a film that fails in narrative structure and coherence in ways that are astonishing. Even the assistance of his Monty Python bretheren can't keep this film together. Weird for the sake of weird is the status quo of Gilliam, and it is so frustrating. He gets money, he throws it all on the screen...but he fails to tell a good story time and time again. C |