We’re going to party at the movies like it’s 1989
May 18th, 2008
This post could easily become just a series of lists and you’ll forgive me if that happens to become the case. I wrote the other day how the current movie season is extraordinarily exciting because there are just that many cool movies coming out this season, so many in fact that I forget more than I remember!
Jeff from Caddickisms and I have been kind of chatting about the last time there was a season of films as good as it is right now and we both agree on 1989.
In 1989 there was a new Indiana Jones movie coming out (like this year), the latest Bond film was showing (like this year), the big film though of the year was Batman (ummm like this year?), on the Marvel front there was a Punisher film (like this year, this is getting creepy) oh and there was also a Star Trek film coming out (a little like this year except now it’s been pushed back to next year).
Also to stretch the point slightly there was also a Ghostbusters film coming out, this year we have a Ghostbusters game starring the voices of the original actors.
This year we have a couple of really exciting other films that I couldn’t find a parallel with 1989 but 1989 had its own gems. We had the sequel to Lethal Weapon, Back to the Future, Fletch, CHUD, The Karate Kid, The Fly and two sequels to The Toxic Avenger.
There were a couple of franchises (do two movies count as a franchise?) just beginning, we were introduced to Bill and Ted and Weekend at Bernies.
It was brilliant year for the royal three when it comes to horror with Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers and Jason Vorhees appearing in Elm St, Halloween and Friday the 13th installments. Tom Hanks had a good year too with The Burbs and Turner and Hooch both showing up (The Burbs being a personal favourite!).
Along with Hanks efforts there was also Uncle Buck (brilliant), Honey I Shrunk the Kids (why didn’t you stop here), When Harry Met Sally, Major League (awesome), Parenthood and Look Who’s Talking (again if only we stopped here).
The quality films just keep on coming too, we have Field of Dreams, Driving Miss Daisy, Kickboxer (giggle), The Little Mermaid, Sex lies & videotape, My left foot, Steel Magnolias and last but not least The Abyss.
Phew, what a year! Can anyone think of a better year?
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I was 5 back then..so what do I know right?
2008 will be a good one, like you said.
Arjans last blog post..Meeting a Ms. psycho bitch
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You were five… I don’t need to hear that!
I worry that 2009 and onwards will be as strong as 2008 - man that’s a lot of cool flicks.
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Holy cow, I forgot some of these were ‘89. Nice list! You forgot one of my favorites, though…. UHF! Here’s a little Weird Al/1989 trivia for ya: UHF was the studio’s highest rated comedy ever in pre-screenings, then they decided to open it during the summer of 1989. Take a look at the list you just gave to see its competition. It got wiped out by “the Batman summer” (as I call it). To quote from the IMDB trivia page:
After loads of positive feedback from test screenings, Orion Pictures concluded UHF (1989) was their sure-fire summer blockbuster. Unfortunately, the film was released during the summer of 1989…against huge films like Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Batman (1989) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). UHF (1989) was subsequently crushed at the box office.
I rented it, expecting it to suck, and now my ex-roommate and I still quote from it. All we have to say is “Nature’s suction cup” and we start laughing and talking about flying poodles…
Great movie… go rent it if you haven’t seen it and enjoy crazy-ness and slapstick.
Jeffs last blog post..TV updates: 24 and Smallville (w/spoilers)
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Jeff - Conan the Librarian.
I felt that UHF never got the attention it deserved - which is even more obvious now that even I neglected it right off the list!!
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1977’s pretty good too… aside for the obvious Star Wars, Saturday Night Fever and Annie Hall, you also have The Spy Who Loved Me, Eraserhead, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Slapshot, Smokey and the Bandit, Semitough, Rabid, Suspiria, The Kentucky Fried Movie and yes, a questionable remake of King Kong.
And I am pulling those titles from a MUCH shorter list than the one available for 1989, so I think that really says something.
And I think 1984 and/or 85 also deserve a second look.
MCs last blog post..Year 3, Week 1: Pageant of the Transmundane
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MC - ahhhh the year of my birth - a very good year! That is an impressive line up. 1984 is a pretty impressive year also.
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does it make you feel..old. haha sorry.
I’ll check UHF out.
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The grey hairs in my beard this morning didn’t help either - definitely check out UHF it is well worth it.
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ewwww. you’re my younger brother’s age…….
Bettinas last blog post..For Kelley
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Considering I was born in the last days of the Ford Administration, well, I don’t know how I should take those ageist insults myself.
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Ford?! You’re just a kid… I landed in Nixon’s pre-scandal years.
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