Say Anything-1989

Say Anything stars John Cusack (The Sure Thing, Better Off Dead, One Crazy Summer, Sixteen Candles), as Lloyd Dobler. This movie is most remembered for Lloyd holding up his ginormous boom box. But that comes later. Lloyd is a slacker, making his way through high school and in love with an uptown girl. Ione Skye plays Diane Court, that beautiful uptown girl; a princess raised by her widower father and being groomed for some gnarly success. Slowly but surely Lloyd's love and passion develop as does his efforts to win Diane over.

Lloyd's major obstacle is Mr. Court. The overprotective loser father is played spectacularly by John Mahoney of Frasier fame. Mr. Court wants nothing but the best for his princess and parries each of Lloyds love thrusts in an effort to keep them apart. His major coup is getting Diane focused on attending some hoity toity school in London. Thinking it the best for everyone Diane takes a chill pill and slows the  developing relationship with Lloyd.

Just a warning, this movie has some totally bogus father daughter moments that leave the viewer feeling like hurling,  but if you can get past these rare but weird moments, you'll find a great movie.

Will Lloyd give up his dreams of being with the girl he loves? Find out in Say Anything.

Better Off Dead

Better Off Dead stars John Cusack (Class, Sixteen Candles, The Sure Thing, Say Anything)  in one of his first breakout and most defining of roles. He carries the movie for sure. Cusack plays Lane Meyer, a hopeless romantic whose girl trades him in for a better model, with a nicer car and who is a better skier. He does everything within his power to win his girl back. For his efforts, he gets a worse job, his crappy car gets crappier, and his ex-girls boyfriend appears even more winning; all which solidifies his ex's decision to leave him.

Better Off Dead is another movie I saw back in 1985 while living in Germany compliments of the US Army. You never know when you see a movie, whether or not it will become a cult classic or not. That's the case with Better Of Dead. However, I wasn't so sure back when I first saw it. At the time I thought the kid screaming "I want my two dollars", was detracting from the movie. However, 29 years later, it is one of the parts that definitely defines this movie. Another famous scene includes Lane's mother, Jenny Meyer (Kim Darby),and her introduction of the evening meal. Here she serves the foreign exchange student (Diane Franklin), "franch fries, franch dressing and franch bread".

You never really know what will happen with the cast of an 80's movie. I also thought we might see more of the totally hot Franklin who plays the french student, but that was not the case. Though she looked great and did an awesome job, it seems she didn't make too many more movies. A quick internet search still proves she's still got it and she has released a few shorts. Hopefully she'll be resurrected for future movies.

Surprisingly David Ogden Stiers (MASH), breaks free from his Major Charles Emerson Winchester III role. He plays a bitchin' California dad who tries to hold it together with his very strange wife, suicidal teen and rocket scientist pre-teen.

Will Lane get the girl back? Will he beat the champion skier?

Find out in Better Off Dead.

Night of the Creeps

Night of the creeps starts of strong. This totally gnarly movie begins in a 50's setting, then cuts to the 80s. It has to because that's when the aliens land.

Ray Cameron (Tom Atkins Lethal Weapon and other detective roles) is a cop with a mission. Poor Ray's girlfriend just broke up with him and he is not quite over her. Ray is a police officer on patrol when he finds his girlfriend parking with another guy at the local hangout. Jilted, he walks off to continue his duties.

While all the college kids are making out, a spaceship crashes nearby. All the kids see it and run to the crash site. The date finds the crash site and is infected by zombie slugs. 

Meanwhile, Ray's girlfriend stays in the car. She is then murdered by a known ax killer. Ray gets there, but too late. His girlfriend has already been dismembered and he empties his gun into the killer.

30 years later, at the same college, a cryogenic body thaws. The slug escapes and begins infecting the students. One by one the zombie virus spreads to every resident and pet. 

The foul mouthed, tough as nails Ray is called into action. He recognizes both the danger and his girlfriend's killer who has mysteriously come to life. 

Can he stop the spread of zombies? 
Will the college return to it's formal glory? 
Will he ever stop dreaming about his dead girlfriend? 

Find out in Night of the Creeps

Big Trouble in Little China

In Big Trouble in Little China Kurt Russell (Overboard and Escape From New York) plays Jack Burton owner and operator of the Pork Express trucking company. Guess what Jack is hauling in that 18 wheeler. The awesome thing about it is the company only has one truck and one employee. To pass the endless hours and continuous time on the road, this dude keeps himself busy broadcasting his thoughts on the CB radio. Kind of a gnarly early version of blogging. “You know what Jack Burton always says,” seems to be his lead in to all discussions.

Jack has a buddy in Chinatown, Wang Chi played by Dennis Dun. They gamble, drink and tell stories to one another. At the end of one night of binging, Wang tells him he needs a favor. So, off they go to the airport to pick up his buddy’s fiancé,  Miaou Yin  (played by Suzee Pai) fresh off the plane from China. What better way to impress her than to pick her up in the totally tubular Pork Express.

Woah dudes! Some bitchin triad bad asses suddenly burst into the airport with guns blazing and knives glimmering in a total pre-911 moment airport showdown. With no police in sight, they kidnap Miaou, with Jack and Wang in hot pursuit.

The chase takes the duo back to Chinatown where they gather more team members including the ever Gracie Law played by the ever effervescent Kim Cattrall (Porky's), Jack’s new love interest. They slowly gather team members and head down to the underground into an almost mythical world of Chinese black magic and straw hatted thugs. These Chinese dudes, Thunder, Lightning and Rain keep it real with old school fighting and magic.

Jack is the hero, but he is second in fighting to his buddy, Wang. This cat knows how to engage and ends up responsible for most of the 42 dead in the finally body count. But, is it enough to rescue both Miaou and Jack’s love interest, . Can they rescue their women and prevent a 2000 year old creep from becoming human again through a totally bogus wedding to Miau AND Gracie?

Catch it all in Big Trouble in Little China.

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Another 48 Hours

In Another 48 hours, Reggie Hammond (Eddie Murphy) and Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) are back. It's been 5 years since their time together and nothing has changed. Absolutely nothing. Hammond has been left in jail, a result of a frame up. Cates hasn't even come by to visit or check on him. The totally bogus part is that when he finally does, it's after Hammond's been shot at, bus crashed and other wise almost killed.

Now Albert Ganz from 48 Hours has a brother Cherry who wants revenge. He wants blood for blood and has Hammond in his sites. Hammond is a free man finally and Cates wants Hammond's help in solving a crime involving Cherry. What's an ex con to do? Definitely stay away from the action, cut his losses and start a new life. After all those years in prison, he has nowhere to go and none of his old friends want to see him, except Cates.

Will Hammond help? Will the reluctant duo be able to solve a new rash of crimes? Find out in Another 48 hours.

Rated R for gnarly violence and awesome babes.

48 Hours

48 Hours was released in 1982. It was one of the first R-Rated I was old enough to seen when I turned 17. I was a senior in high school and this faced paced, action packed violent thriller comedy was one of the best movies ever. I still feel the same. 

Though seeing it again 32 years later, I felt this movie possessed a totally awesome soundtrack, radical explosions, witty dialog and great acting by Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte. You'll see a bunch of recognizable folks still in the business today.

Eddie Murphy plays Reggie Hammond, a wise talking, street smart thug who just wants to serve his time. However, he is offered an opportunity to work with lovable slob and detective Jack Cates played by Nolte. It seems some fugitives have murdered their guards and escaped with some outside help. All these dudes were in the same gang with Hammond, Cates thinks he can help get them back behind bars. 

Can Hammond help track down the bad guys, solve a kidnapping and make a good name for himself within 48 hours? Check it dude in the 1982 classic 48 Hours.