1982 Movies
OSCARS Won/Nominated
IMDB Top 250
IMDB Top 250
Airplane II: The Sequel
Dir: Ken Finkleman Stars: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges Does not live up to its predecessor, but very few movies do. Still has some solid jokes, and I love every second of Shatner's performance...but feels a little less sophisticated than the first. Probably because the Zucker, Abrahamas, Zucker team did not return. Still a lot of laughs to be had, even though it is essentially the same plot (hilariously pointed out). B |
OSCARS
Best Art Direction
Best Adapted Score KEVIN'S PICK
Best Supporting Actress
|
Annie
Dir: John Huston Stars: Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, Alber Finney, Bernadette Peters, Tim Curry, Ann Reinking Such a joyous musical, anchored by such great performances by Albert Finney, Carol Burnett, and Tim Curry. Grandiose and infectious, it feels like a musical of old. It doesn't hurt that young Aileen Quinn is charming, but surrounded by such masterful professionalism elevates her, and the film, in almost every way. B+ DVD |
OSCARS
Best Art Direction
Best Visual Effects KEVIN'S PICK
Best Visual Effects
|
Blade Runner
Dir: Ridley Scott Stars: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, M. Emmet Walsh 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #151 I am so disappointed. I have been looking forward to seeing this movie for many, many years. But when I finally got around to it...I found it nothing but a slog. It is a visual masterpiece...with some of the greatest visual effects and art direction you could ever imagine...but I found myself desperate to become engaged. I know there are themes surrounding humanity and what comprises it...but I just couldn't help identify this movie as nothing but a scavenger hunt. I felt no sympathy or excitement for Deckard, I had no empathy for Rutger Howard. I was just dazzled by the look and bored by the substance. I felt the same way about Terry Gilliam's Brazil. I tried so hard, and I realize that maybe it went right over my head...but I am an intelligent person who has loved many complicated movies...and this bored the hell out of me. C |
Burden of Dreams
Dir: Les Blank Say what you will about Werner Herzog, but the man is a crazed genius filmmaker. I recently watched his Fitzcarraldo and marveled at what he practically accomplished on screen. Also...Herzog also being an accomplished documentarian...he gave us everything we would need to marvel at how he did what he did in that film. So this documentary about the challenges and pitfalls Herzog, the cast, and the crew faced while making the film feels pointless. It has a lot of people complaining about how restless the natives are, how difficult things with the ship were, and how hot and miserable they all were. Well...DUH!!!. Since I knew Fitzcarraldo was filmed on site without any effects or models...I already knew this stuff. I don't really think Burden of Dreams adds any insight. Knowing it real...go in to the actual movie and allow Herzog to wow you. C |
The Dark Crystal
Dir: Jim Henson & Frank Oz Dark, dreamlike, and all-around Henson Magic...but the lack of human characters and depressingly dark tone makes this a bit of a lesser film than its Labyrinth bretheren. Still, that don't make movies like this anymore and they have always been some of my favorites. It is movies like this that really spark the imagination and pang at nostalgia. B |
OSCARS
Best Original Screenplay
|
Diner
Dir: Barry Levinson Stars: Steve Guttenberg, Kevin Bacon, Mickey Rourke, Daniel Stern 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die This film prided itself on its dialogue...because the film is not much else then a bunch of guys, sitting around, talking. On one hand, most of that talking is very engaging. I particularly liked Daniel Stern and his problems with his wife and Steve Guttenberg's plan to give his fiancee a sports trivia quiz before they can get married. On the other hand, since that is all the movie has to offer, is discussion, it feels a bit void and sterile. Talking is great, and the subjects in DINER are excellent, but I need a bit more in my movies. C |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Director
Best Editing Best Sound Best Original Score |
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
Dir: Steven Spielberg Stars: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Essentially one of the most quintessential family films and arguably solidified Spielberg in being Spielberg. The innocence, the sci-fi, the music...it all creates a movie-going experience that hardly exists in this day and age. This film is truly a magical experience, and it takes a perfect craftsman to take a weird, rubber, alien and inject levels of humanity into it that few filmmakers can do with their human actors. A- DVD |
The Evil Dead
Dir: Sam Raimi Stars: Bruce Campbell Sam Raimi directed this film on a shoestring budget...and that really adds to its charm and some of the visceral scares. However...at points...it can't help but look cheap and corny and that can have the opposite effect of being pulled out of the film. It is a balancing act that mostly works. B- |
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Dir: Amy Heckerling Stars: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die More memorable as a complilation of funny situations and hijinx than memorable for the sum of its parts. Who will ever forget Phoebe Cates 's exit from the pool? It is one of the most sexualized, famous scenes in all of cinematic history. Spicoli's lexicon? It basically jumpstarted the career of one of our greatest thespians Otherwise its a bit uneven and strange. B- |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Art Direction
|
Fitzcarraldo
Dir: Werner Herzog Stars: Klaus Kinski, Claudia Cardinale 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die This really happened. Try to understand that. Not that it is a true story, but Herzog actually did exactly what Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald attempts in this film. It is famous so it is not a spoiler to say it is to bring a steamship over a jungle mountain with the help of the local indian tribe. As a technical achievement grounded in insanity, it is astonishing. Herzog used no models or special effects. He actually performs this feat in the film. But as a movie...it is slow, unfocused, and overly indulgent. The hubris behind what both Klaus Kinski's Fitzgerald as the character and Werner Herzog as the filmmaker do, with the exploitation of indigenous people and the audacity at which the whole thing is attempted done...distracts from any sort of storytelling cohesiveness until it becomes an exhibition of the grand accomplishment, and not much else. You can almost hear Herzog saying "This is really happening" through his lens's voice, and it makes for grandiose spectacle, but not drama. B |
Mazes & Monsters
Dir: Steven Hilliard Stern Stars: Tom Hanks So bad it is good. It is the only way to describe this masterpiece of awfulness. This is Tom Hanks's first starring role, and it was made as a TV movie in response to the uproar about Dungeons & Dragons in the late 70s and early 80s, when people were trying to pass it off as real witchcraft and dangerous. Its so ridiculous...but I have to admit, I was mesmerized to see what would happen as Tom Hanks was trying to get to "The Great Hall" in the climax. Great stuff...and by great...I mean absurdly silly. C- |
OSCARS
Best Sound Editing
Best Visual Effects Best Original Score |
Poltergeist
Dir: Tobe Hooper Stars: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Heather O'Rourke 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Get a 1980s Steven Spielberg behind your creepy movie...and good things are going to happen. It is pretty iconic with the little girl in front of the TV and "This House is Clear". One of the great, solid spookfests. These were the days where atmosphere was relied on to scare the audience, and not the jump cuts or loud noises to make you jump out of your seat. B DVD |
The Secret of NIMH
Dir: Don Bluth Voices: Dom Deluise, Derek Jacobi, Shannon Doherty I love how back in the day, animated movies could be dark, scary, and even mature. This film fits right in with the Labyrinths and the Dark Crystals as the wondorously dark children's films of the 80s. The protagonist has a sick son and has to seek the aid of her worst enemy. That's some heavy stuff. B |
OSCARS
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Picture
Best Actor Best Actress Best Supporting Actor Best Adapted Screenplay Best Costume Design |
Sophie's Choice
Dir: Alan J. Pakula Stars: Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, Peter MacNicol Everyone knows what "Sophie's Choice" is, even if they have never seen the movie. I knew it, but it didn't take even a single morsel or enjoyment away from what is a glorious, beautiful, devastating movie. Streep shines of course, it is heralded as one of the greatest performances of all time...and it doesn't even hinge on that penultimate scene. She is a fragile woman, who creates a fragile atomosphere, and all emotions and plot twists balance on a razor's edge to the point that it is almost unbearable. Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol are equally wonderful as the men in Sophie's life. Such cinematic perfection in every way. A |
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn
Dir: Nicholas Meyer Stars: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Ricardo Montalban I am by no means a Trekkie, but one certainly doesn't need to to enjoy this, what is considered the best of the Star Trek original movies. I still think the original, which some consider a snooze-fest, was better...but at least this one has a great charismatic villain and some serious danger. Great, nerdy entertainment. B |
Swamp Thing
Dir: Wes Craven Stars: Louis Jourdan, Adrienne Barbeau, Ray Wise I grew up with this movie, and I still love it. That is not to say it is a great movie. It certainly has a TV movie quality, the makeup isnt great, and the acting is pretty bad. But there is an infectious spirit to it, a well realized tone, and a lot of patience to tell it's story...and I can't get enough. B- DVD |
KEVIN'S PICK
Best Original Screenplay
Best Cinematography Best Makeup Best Sound Effects Editing |
The Thing
Dir: John Carpenter Stars: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Keith David 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die IMDB #163 Truly horrifying, truly grotesque, and completely impressive. I feel like I have seen movies like this forever...movies where an alien life form can take the form of humans, and humans become increasingly paranoid about each other. Never before has it been done so well as in this film. The make-up effects could be cheesy and silly in a lesser movie, but John Carpenter makes them nightmarish. I can't believe I had never seen this film before. A- |
Tron
Dir: Steven Lisberger Stars: Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, David Warner To talk about how dated the special effects are with this iconic Disney movie goes without saying. Why we have to recognize is how groundbreaking this use of computer graphics was at the time, and that the filmmakers came up with a pretty clever premise in order to make the use of said CG make sense. Technically...I had no problem with this movie...but screenwriting and acting are pretty lacking. It is never very clear what the Master Computer Program wants to achieve other than a vague "more power". It is hard to understand what that would translate to in the real world. Also...the hamminess of the acting is almost laughable, and that includes the great but young Jeff Bridges. I think we have one of those situations where everyone was so focused on the technical aspect of the film that they forgot to worry about the actors. Still...this is a pretty fun romp, and a great piece of cinematic history. B- |