1984: Movies Sorted By Tier
Submitted by jim on Mon, 08/02/2004 - 10:49
Tags:
Loved
Amadeus
... It is a rare movie that can combine comedy and tragedy so well without one aspect overwhelming the other. And that's how I remember this movie; I'll have to see this again to see if my recollection is correct.Beverly Hills Cop
... Eddie Murphy's film career has always been hit-or-miss as far as I'm concerned, but not only did I enjoy this when it came out, I enjoyed it again almost 20 years later. Murphy is so supremely likeable in this movie, as are Judge Reinhold and John Ashton. During the rewatch I finally noticed that John Ashton, who plays Taggart, also played Marvin Dorfler in Midnight Run. He's fantastic in both. And what do I discover upon further investigation? Martin Brest directed both movies. No wonder they have such a similar feel.Blood Simple
... Having just watched the disappointing The Man Who Wasn't There, it seemed like a good time to see the critically-acclaimed Blood Simple, the only other Coen Bros. movie I hadn't seen. The brothers are retroactively redeemed - what a fantastic crime-of-passion movie. While the big picture is clear to the audience, each character is dangerously unaware of the truth, creating a very tense atmosphere. The plot twists and turns are tight and controlled, and the performances are fantastic. Easily the Coen's most successful thriller. I just wish the DVD wasn't a "director's cut" - damn their revisionist history.Starman
... I should have known I'd love a John Carpenter/Jeff Bridges/Karen Allen movie. What took me so long? Very funny and touching. Only thing is this: as much as I'm against movie revisionism—I hate Yokelvision, colorization, and what Lucas is doing to the old Star Wars movies—if Ted Turner decided to buy up all the eighties movies and replace the synthesizer soundtracks my objections would only be half-hearted. :-)The Terminator
Really Liked
All of Me
Ghost Busters
... Having rewatched this in 2002, I can say it's still quite a bit of fun, but it hasn't aged nearly as well for me as 1984's other big comedy, Beverly Hills Cop. What struck me this time around is how terrific Harold Ramis and Sigourney Weaver are. Nobody tops Bill Murray at being simultaneously endearing and smarmy, but he's gotten better at it over the years. I have to guiltily admit that Ray Parker Jr.'s title track was one of the highlights of this rewatch for me.Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The Karate Kid
The Killing Fields
The Natural
Nausicaä
... Early Miyazaki that falls a bit short of his greats, but it's early and he was still finding his stride. Nonetheless, a remarkable early effort, and one many other directors would kill to be able to make at the height of their powers. It also features one of the greatest movie heroines ever, animated or otherwise.Once Upon a Time in America
... As good as the performances were, and as striking as some of the scenes were, I couldn't help wishing for a little less movie rather than more. Loved the scene where the kid silently agonized over whether he should eat the cupcake he brought for the young prostitute, or save it as payment, as he originally intended.Splash
... I'm going to have to see this again before commenting.This is Spinal Tap
Glad I Saw
Birdy
The Brother from Another Planet
... Somebody tell me why the hell Joe Morton isn't a big star? He turns in a terrific performance as a mute alien, and much of the success the movie enjoys is due to him making us care for his character. Otherwise, it's a low-budget allegory for earthly aliens and immigrants, and quite effective. The trademark Sayles dialog, favorite subjects, and cast of characters is evident even in this early work.Gremlins
The Muppets Take Manhattan
Romancing the Stone
... A beloved movie from my youth that holds up pretty well. Not outstandingly, but pretty well. Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner have great chemistry. His Jack Colton borrows more from Han Solo than Indiana Jones (although coming three years after Raiders it's clear which movie's coattails are being ridden here). Her Joan Wilder is timid -- almost mousy -- and yet gets believably more proactive as the movie progresses. Very good roles for both of them.Guilty Pleasures
Dreamscape
Footloose
Johnny Dangerously
The Last Starfighter
Red Dawn
South Shaolin Master
... You ever go back to your old elementary school and discover that it's much smaller than you remember? That's kinda how I've been feeling revisiting these old kung fu movies. There's still some feeling of wonder, but it looks different through adult eyes. I never actually saw this particular movie as a kid, but I think it's a pretty good sample of the genre. The fight scenes are well done, and the scenery is lovely. China and New Zealand are definitely in the semifinals of the Great Geography Showdown in my mind. Anyway, the fights hang off a fairly typical oppression/revolution/revenge cycle here, and it largely works. I think I'd feel less guilt if ANY of the three language tracks were original. I tried Mandarin, Cantonese, and English, and they all looked and sounded equally dubbed. Okay, the English dub was much more apparent, but somehow felt more complete than the sparse English subtitles, so I went with it. It's a law that you have to feel some guilt when watching a laughable English dub. Thank goodness Miyazaki's making Disney do it right for his movies.Could Have Missed
The Neverending Story
... This was the second entry in our "Friday Night Movie" series where we pick a movie to watch with Amelia (the first was The Land Before Time which was adequate for kids, but offered nothing for we adults). This wasn't a bad fantasy, although it was a bit scary for Amelia in a couple parts (particularly the wolf-thing, and I'm glad she had her eyes closed when we see the corpse that those sphinxish things fry with their eye beams). I do get a kick out of pre-CGI special effects, and these hold up pretty well. I bet they were great back in the day. Our two lead male youngsters were pretty weak, but Tami Stronach as the child-empress was much better. Too bad she had like 5 lines and hasn't made a movie since. I wonder why?Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Should Have Missed
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
Repo Man
El Sucko Grande
Best Defense
Firestarter
The Ice Pirates
Moscow on the Hudson
The Woman in Red
Cloned From:
What about 'Once Upon a Time in America'? It's one of my personal favourites.
Haven't seen it yet, but it's definitely on my "to see" list.
Woo, you finally caught Once Upon a Time in America and liked it.