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jefflewis · Joined: 21 Nov 2005 Posts: 1486

In the past couple days I've re-watched a couple of movies from 1984 that I totally worshipped as a teenager, and had watched many multiple times back around the early 90s, but I hadn't seen them at all since then... A Nightmare on Elm Street! And The Terminator! I was worried they wouldn't hold up to being viewed from my current perspective as an old man... but happily I really thought both of them stood up pretty darn well. Of course there were a few stupid moments, but overall the storytelling is pretty great I think. However, when I re-watched Akira a few years ago i was really surprised at how dinky it seemed... that movie blew my mind to bits when I first saw it when I was about 14... but nowadays it just looked no better than the average GI Joe cartoon to me, or something.

Dav · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2012 9:45 am Post subject:

movies from the 80's have a real nice touch. The worst things about it are usually the soundtracks, but again, it fits the movie (and the memories)
i like watching walter hill's "warriors" from time to time, i also enjoy watching Ferris bueller's day.
And the second Mad max movie (the road warrior) is a total masterpiece to me.
The real thrill would be to watch it of an old vcr!

I'm almost certain than a teen who would discover these movies now would say it's total crap, and i totally understand.

nightmare on elm street and terminator are great by the way!
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jefflewis · Joined: 21 Nov 2005 Posts: 1486

There's a new little "movie theater" in Brooklyn (really just somebody's apartment I think) where they only show old 80s movies on VHS tapes!! I'll have to check it out when I get back home to New York.
I recently watched "Night of the Comet", another 80s sci-fi/horror movie, but it was TERRIBLE and I don't recommend it at all!

jefflewis · Joined: 21 Nov 2005 Posts: 1486

Another 80s teen flick.... "Heathers".... watched it last night... it was TERRIBLE! I can't believe it was so popular!

misshelenc · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 943 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK

I used to like Heathers when I was about 12...reckon it must be hideous, as most of the stuff I liked then really was!
xxx
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jefflewis · Joined: 21 Nov 2005 Posts: 1486

yeah, that's the thing... i really should have watched Heathers when i was 12... in fact if i had retained fond memories of it from my youth then maybe i would have enjoyed watching it more this week... but just watched objectively, from my current perspective, it seemed vile. Nothing about the "good guys" was any more appealing than the "bad guys", but the good guys were supposed to be so cool, it didn't make much sense to me. The supposedly "cool" good guys were just as rich, just as attractive, just as cruel, just as violent, just as petty, just as whiney, just as bigoted, just as spoiled - nothing about them was actually cool, you certainly wouldn't want to hang out with them, if I was in high school with them I'd be just as unlikely to hang out with them as with any of the other characters in the movie. And the plot was also pretty flimsy and not very sharp. None of this is a big deal, except that I spent the last 20 years of my life thinking this was going to be a good movie!! And maybe it would have been if I'd watched it when I was young!
The lesson is, don't wait to do stuff!

misshelenc · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 943 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK

I will try and remember that!
I think it 'speaks' to a 12 year old more than an adult...there is no popular group of people in my life any more, there are no social groups like that at all. Being miserable is no longer cool and interesting but irritating and people are like 'aren't you over your teenage angst at nearly 30, helen?'...and I think most people are well past the emotions of being young and cross and fitting in matters so much less when you get older...so all in all, I'm rambling, but I think it's just irrelevent, and badly acted for me these days.
I haven't watched a film for ages...I just can't sit through them without getting antsy and doing something like writing or reading or drawing, or just getting up and doing something else. I think I'm just more of a book person. The book is always better of any film anyway. I can't be missing that much. I never ever go to the cinema either. Oh well.
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jefflewis · Joined: 21 Nov 2005 Posts: 1486

last night went to see "Duel" and "Two Lane Blacktop" playing as a double-feature at the Film Forum movie theater here in NYC, pretty fun to see two trashy 1971 highway-themed films (for the price of one) back to back, never seen a double-feature before...
I had actually seen "Duel" before on TV somewhere when I was on tour, it's such a weird movie! Spielberg's first film.

misshelenc · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 943 Location: Cardiff, Wales, UK

I've seen Duel, and considering how little really actually happens in it, it is quite good, in that, it made me keep watching. The film version of a page turner...I don't know the word, brain won't think tonight.

I was thinking about The Crow earlier, and about how I used to really like it when I was about 11...I was thinking of tracking it down, until I realised that it is probably terrible. Popular things often are...

Never seen Two Lane Blacktop. Or a double feature...I'm not sure we even really have such a thing in the UK, probably somewhere, but you have to be all arty and into films to know.
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