Hot Pursuit-1987

John Cusack (Sixteen Candles, The Sure Thing, Better off Dead, Say Anything) stars as Dan Bartleet, a college student deeply in love with his girlfriend, Lori Cronenberg, played by Wendy Gazelle. All he has to do is pass his chemistry exam and he's off to sail the Caribbean with her and her family.

True the the 80's sexual tension and frustration plots, this young man isn't going anywhere. He doesn't get the grade he needs and kisses his girlfriend goodbye as she sets off without him. It is truly heartbreaking. Until...

The 80's twist of dangling a gnarly carrot right in front of your eyes, the professor has a heart and helps Dan pass the exam. Dan is stoked and with a passing grade he sets off a bit late to join the Caribbean fun, but Wendy totally doesn't know.

Through a series of adventures Dan catches up to, but narrowly misses finding his dream girl at beautiful spots along the way. Ganja, Rastafarian, crusty sailors, pirates, hijackers, and Mexican jailers, set the stage for this sunburned comedy.

Keep your eyes open for appearances by a young Ben Stiller, totally unrecognizable, but totally worth experiencing. Also stars Robert Loggia, Jerry Stiller, and Keith David, who do well carrying this movie and giving it a gnarly character depth.

Music is covered by Level 42 with Lessons in Love.
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Planes, Trains and Automobiles-1987

Neal Page (Steve Martin-The Jerk, Three Amigos, The Man with Two Brains, Dead Men Wear Plaid) is pitching a sales job and when finished must travel home for the holidays. He plans his flight for right after the meeting and hopes to make it in time. Unfortunately, NY traffic totally bites.

Del Griffith (John Candy-Summer Rental, Volunteers, Uncle Buck) is also in NY and must travel back to Chicago. 

There are no two people polar opposites than these. The well gathered, conservative, traditional Page is no match for the slovenly, happy go lucky Griffith. It seems no matter what happens, their luck keeps getting worse. 

Follow the fun as they live adventure by adventure while trying to beat the clock. Thanksgiving is getting closer, but can these two strangers become friends in spite of sabotaging their chances of getting home?

Watch the fights, the fires, the theft, the creative travel, and especially deer in a very hilarious story.

Great quotes include:

Neal: Del... Why did you kiss my ear?
Del: Why are you holding my hand?
Neal:Where's your other hand?
Del: Between two pillows...
Neal: Those aren't pillows!
Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a great adventure and totally gnarly John Hughes movie. It's almost fit for the entire family except for the 5 minute F-Bomb exchange at the car rental counter.

From the Hip

From the Hip is a fast paced 1987 legal comedy which stars Judd Nelson (Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire) as hotshot lawyer Robin "Stormy" Weathers. He is supported by the lovely Elizabeth Perkins (About Last Night, Big) as the caring, loving, and friend of children Jo Ann.

Stormy is a manipulator. He manipulated his first job out of law school, his first big case and the win of said big case. But he didn't work it alone. He had the cooperation and awesome scamming from his bro's: Don Monahan (Porky's I, II and III) and David Allen Grier.

Suddenly this trickster is over his head as he is assigned a murder case, based on the results of his last scam. Can his quick wit and off the hip moves help Stormy win this case? Will his scruples give him second thoughts?

From the hip is a totally 80's movie with tons of gnarly decade references including the much beloved yuppie movement.

From the hip is rated PG.

Over the Top

Over the Top stars Sylvester Stallone (Rambo and Rocky franchises) as Lincoln Hawk, Robert Loggia (Big, Jagged Edge) as Jason Cutler, Susan Blakely (Airport franchises, Dream a Little Dream) as Christina Hawk and  David Mendenhall as Michael Cutler.

Lincoln Hawk is an estranged husband and father. Christina is his dying ex-wife who wishes for Lincoln to reestablish ties with his 12 year old son Michael. Jason is Christina’s father who forced them all apart in the first place.  Unknown to Lincoln and Michael, Jason has not allowed Michael any contact and has hidden all letters from father to son.

On her death bed, Christina has arranged for Lincoln to pick up his son from school at a military academy and drive him back home. Along the way, tense relationships begin to melt as father teaches son the fine art of arm wrestling and truck driving.

Will they ever be a family again?

Will Lincoln win the big match?

Will Jason mind his own business?

Find out in Over the Top

Quotes include:

"The world meets nobody halfway. When you want something, you gotta take it. ."

Soundtrack includes:

"Meet Me Halfway" by Kenny Loggins

“Winner Takes it All” by Sammy Hagar

To Live and Die in LA

To Live and Die in LA stars William Petersen as Richard Chance, a Secret Service agent on the track of a big counterfeiting bust. John Pankow plays John Vukovich his partner. Willem Defoe (Streets of Fire) plays bad guy Eric Masters.

Chance is a Secret Service agent ready for a big bust. His partner and best friend who has served for 25 years is on his last big case. Unfortunately he is killed just before retirement. Now Chance is totally miffed. He and Vukovich devise a scheme to take Masters down. The deed is so gnarly that they might not make it out alive.

Dirty bad guys and dirtier cops make this a bogus situation.

  Great lines include:

“Why are you chasing me?”
“I don't know, why you running?”
“Cause you're chasing me”

An exclusive Wang Chung soundtrack gives To Live and Die in LA a tailored sound. You might recognize both the theme song “To Live and Die in LA” as well as the more popular “Dance Hall Days”.

I give To Live and Die in LA 3 alligators for script, 80’s wealth, excess and swag.  

Look for appearances by Dean Stockwell and a very young Jane Leeves (Daphne on Frasier).

To Live and Die in LA is rated R

Name this movie

"I swear on my mother's grave."
"Your mother is playing the back 9 at Bellaire."
"I was speaking in the future tense."

Think you got it?

Blind Date

Blind Date stars Bruce Willis (Moonlighting Die Hard), Kim Bassinger (Never Say Never, 91/2 Weeks, No Mercy) and John Larroquette (Stripes, Cat People, Summer Rental), and a real cherry White Nissan 300ZX.

Willis is Walter Davis, an overstressed business man who works hard and plays little. His brother Ted (Phil Hartman) fixes him up with a beautiful but dangerous date Nadia Gates (Bassinger). It seems like love at first sight until alcohol is added to the ingredient.

Walter’s translation of the message of “if you get her drunk, she loses control” is wrong. Thinking it will improve the date, he gives her a glass of bubbly and bam, instant Dr. Jckle and Ms. Hyde. Nadia transforms into a divorce starting, party crashing, job ending bogusly CRAZY date.

As if that isn’t bad enough, Walter has to deal with love sick Nadia stalker David Bedford (Larroquette). Not able to take “good-bye” for an answer, David dogs Nadia all across the Los Angeles setting. Pushed to the limit, the mild mannered Walter explodes into righteous rage and loses his job, car, dignity and faces a lengthy sentence behind bars.

Blind Date is a very funny comedy. Great lines include, “Dance scumbag, now moonwalk. I hate that…(dance)...” and “ I only wish this was the army. So that I could have you shot... Twice!”

Blind Date has some great 80’s nostalgia including “Heeeere’s Johnny” as the TV plays in the background and a delivery truck featuring Emery Worldwide.