#1980 movies

[hedleylamarr]

Jan-Michael Vincent in Defiance (1980).

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

The Men of September

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back / Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian

Back when the first Star Wars movie (aka A New Hope) came out, everybody figured there was just no way for a guy to be cooler than Han Solo. And then Lando Calrissian came along and said "Hold my beer." And how did he do it, you ask? It's all. in. the. cape. Honestly, the rest of the outfit is pretty basic--just a blue shirt, pants, and a rather nifty wide belt. But that cape just increases swagger by 100% all on its own. And it's lined with gold, too!

Lando's look in The Return of the Jedi is pretty great too, with the general's uniform and a longer cape. But this is his original look and it's what made him instantly iconic, so I had to go with this one.

[adamwatchesmovies]

9 to 5 (1980)

Before I hit play and began watching 9 to 5, I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into. I’d heard the Dolly Parton song of the same name, knew roughly what the story was about and was aware of the film's cult following. I certainly didn't expect to feel cold towards it. This comedy has its moments for sure. I just kept thinking that the film could’ve - should’ve - gone in and been tougher or darker or made its point more aggressively. Instead, it's being content with merely dipping its toe into the ideas it brings up.

While bonding over their mutual hatred of their sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot of a boss, former housewife Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda), mother of four Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin) and secretary Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton) fantasize about what it would be like to teach Frank Hart (Dabney Coleman) a lesson. When a misunderstanding leads Violet to believe she’s poisoned him, they scramble to find a way to cover up their “crime”.

As a film debut, Dolly Parton couldn’t have asked for much more. She proves herself a natural comedienne, easily keeping up with her co-stars. She’s charming through and through. She also gets to show off her skills as a singer - there's a reason that titular song is still playing on the radio. The film's best scenes have Frank manufacturing scenarios so that he can peer down Doralee's blouse. It makes you hate him even more than you already do and endears you to Doralee even more than before.

It’d be one thing if Frank was good at what he did but everyone can see right through the big idiot (well, maybe except his secretary). The point when Judy, Violet and Doralee fantasize about what they’d like to do to him should fill you with all sorts of dark laughs - should. Whether or not the trio manages to get Hart to change his ways (or get him killed, either one will be satisfying), it won’t change the fact that all of the other Frank Harts are still out there. They're still harassing their female co-workers, rounding up toadies to ensure they are never punished for doing so, handing out promotions to unqualified men rather than the hard-working women who have been around them for years, etc. Frank is not a character; he's an idea. You want an impossibly ridiculous vengeance to rain down upon him; you want your fantasy to come true but the picture just doesn't go that way. To be fair 9 to 5 does abandon all pretense of realism but it eventually turns into a light-as-air comedy, which just doesn’t feel right.

9 to 5 gets very silly, which makes it inoffensive and easily digestible to just about anyone - except maybe dedicated misogynists and Ronald Reagan, who strongly disapproved of a scene in which the girls smoke marijuana. I can't say whether the decision to be light and breezy was right for 1980. Today? It disappoints. 9 to 5 left me wanting a lot more. I expected a laugh-out-loud comedy that also hit as hard as a sledgehammer between the legs; I wanted to see a provocative, memorable comedy. That's not what you get. Still, I would give it another go to see if lowered expectations might change how I feel. (On DVD, October 9, 2021)

[everythingilearned]

Ordinary People (1980)

[gameraboy2]

Dolly Parton in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

[qwerty-between-the-lines]

Friday the 13th (1980)

Mrs. Vorhees reveal

[saint-petah-the-good]

this movie had Jim Carrey and Nicolas cage singing togheter geez

[weirdlookindog]

Geena Davis in Transylvania 6-5000 (1985)

[georgeromeros]

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) dir. James Signorelli

[hedleylamarr]

Ed Harris in Borderline (1980).

[vsthepomegranate]

Born in Flames (1983)

by Lizzie Borden

[cressida-jayoungr]

One Dress a Day Challenge

August: Fantasy & Sci-Fi

Flash Gordon / Brian Blessed as Prince Vultan

You've got to hand it to Brian Blessed and the other Hawkmen actors: this is the sort of costume that can't be worn timidly. It must be worn with gusto or else it will utterly defeat its wearer. And they pull it off, wings and all. Interestingly, they're actually wearing slightly more than their comic counterparts (see below).

Prince Vultan's costume has some extra features that denote his rank. He has a fancy helmet with the badge of the hawkmen, showing crossed wings inside a star, and two tall horns? lightning bolts? stylized feathers? He also has a more substantial breastplate with another variation on the badge (crossed wings in front of a beaming sun). The breastplate appears to be made of leather, with overlapping scales in gold and deep brown.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Shining (1980)

We've seen many adaptations of Stephen King's works. When it comes to horror, none have ever matched the 1980 version of The Shining. It’s got a perfect cast. The mood by director Stanley Kubrick carefully juggles the plot's inherent weirdness and terror. It’s packed with so many iconic visuals and moments that one viewing is enough for this film to become permanently imprinted into your brain.

Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), takes a caretaking job at the isolated Overlook Hotel. While the resort is closed for the winter season, he will maintain the building with his wife, Wendy (Shelley Duvall), and son Danny (Danny Lloyd) at his side. The quiet environment is a great opportunity for him to do some much-needed writing between his duties but something… off about the hotel begins to influence the family.

There are some weird, seemingly conflicting elements present here. Any normal horror film would be content placing the family in a haunted hotel while the weather prevents them from escaping. The Shining goes the extra mile and throws psychic powers into the mix. The titular “Shining” is an ability possessed by young Danny. It allows him to telepathically communicate with the hotel’s cook, Dick Halloran (Scatman Crothers), and see into the hotel’s bloody past. This ability means all three of the Torrance family members experience the Overlook in different ways, separating them from each other emotionally. United, they’d surely be capable of figuring out that something’s off about the place and find a way to leave. Because their experience with the Overlook is so different, the danger goes unnoticed until it's too late.

Admittedly, Jack Nicholson does play the role of crazy a bit too well. It’s not really a surprise when his mind starts to unravel but he’s too charismatic for you to give up on his character. When Jack Torrance finally goes bug nuts, Nicholson delivers one memorable moment after another. Danny Lloyd does well in a mostly reactionary role but it’s more than the way he looks wide-eyed and afraid whenever the Overlook unleashes its various terrors; he has a sweet and innocent demeanour that never becomes treacly. He feels like a real kid. Performance-wise, the one I always gravitate towards is Shelley Duvall. She’s got such an unusual face. She seems so frail and nervous from the beginning. You see in the three of them a story that stretches beyond the edges of the screen and when she is gripped with the full terror of the Overlook, you’re sweating. Her panic is so infectious you’ll be screaming at the screen, cheering her on to just forget about everything and GET OUT OF THERE! - even if escape seems impossible. It makes for great suspense.

That’s another key word in this film, the suspense. Early on, Dick Halloran warns Danny about room 237. You know what’s going to happen. Something’s in there. We’re going to see it. You can’t wait… but you’re scared. The long shots as the family make their way to the hotel show you just how isolated they are, how hopeless it would be to expect help to arrive in time. The hotel's memories of gore and blood come and go so quickly you wonder if you actually saw that… or if you’re losing your mind. The soundtrack is incredible. Overal, sound is used so effectively. A favorite moment comes from Danny, wheeling his tricycle through the seemingly endless corridors over carpet, then hardwood floor, around one corner, then carpet, hardwood floor... Past all these closed doors in which anything could be hiding. Rattle-Rattle-Rattle CLUNK! Rattle-Rattle-Rattle CLUNK!

The Shining is a superb horror film. Its imagery is startling and disturbing. It’s also a great deal of fun to simply look at. The use of color in the hotel, the tracking shots through those corridors, the music and then there's the final shot - it raises all sorts of hair-raising questions. You can watch it again and again and always find something new to see in The Shining. (On Blu-ray, November 9, 2019)

[atomic-chronoscaph]

UHF (1989)