A few weeks ago I visited some college friends in NYC, got really wasted Friday night (shutting down like C-3PO around 2am, reviving for a while with some water, flying into a rage when a friend spilled beer on me, and passing out standing up), and spent the next day at my buddy's apartment watching TV.
Back to the Future came on, and for a few minutes I resigned myself to watching just because I was too damn hung over to watch anything else.
But then me and my buddy realized, Back to the Future is one hell of a good movie. It doesn't shoot for the stars, but the story is so solid and well constructed, all of the actors are above average, and the Spielberg/Zemeckis brand of sentimentality doesn't really matter so much partly because it's earned and partly because the tone of the movie is so light. Just a solid, solid movie.
Perhaps this is the consensus view and I'm late to the game, but I can't help but feel like the quality of the original was distilled somewhat by its two unnecessary sequels. In any case, it was good to rediscover it.
Barring movies that are good because of they are dated and/or unintentionally hilarious, or actual, real, serious "films"--is there a better 80's movie than Back to the Future? Weigh in, Barrelhousers!
P.S. Later that weekend I watched Klute, a 70s thriller starring Donald Sutherland and Jane Fonda as a call girl (for which she won an Oscar). Boy, that movie stunk.
4.26.2007
Is There a Better 80's Movie?
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6 comments:
I'm with you on Back to the Future, though I also kinda liked BTTF II. Maybe just because when it came out, I was of an age where I was easily impressed by fascilimes of the future and jokey self-references (look! it's what happened in BTTF I, happening again! But now there are 2 Michael J Foxes!)
As far as other 80's movies go... I think Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Say Anything both still hold up as really good movies.
good points. someone pointed out to me that of course Ferris Bueller's Day Off has to be in the mix.
BTTF brings back so many fond childhood memories. Man did I love that movie. Had the poster above my bed!
I also found the sequel to be pretty clever. If they could have ended it there I would have been happy. Revisiting parts of the original was genius! (although annoying in the third movie)
Matt
Sixteen Candles! A classic.
I'm with Housley. Sixteen Candles.
There are certain things I like about any of the other movies mentioned, mainly that they do not have Andrew McCarthy or James Spader in them.
If 'Duel' were made in the 80s, I'd vote for that. Still, you make a great argument.
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