Disney delivers a staple of 80s childhood with a revisit to Flight of the Navigator. Watching it now, I find myself more interested in the mysteries going on at the edges of the story than the main thrust of the narrative following young David Freeman (Joey Cramer), his abduction and subsequent return eight years later,…
Tag: 80s
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – John Hughes
My journey through some classic John Hughes continues with this 1986 classic that, like so many of his films, came along at just the right time for me. Matthew Broderick is the titular Ferris Bueller, and despite already hitting his quota of sick days for the year, he’s taking a day off to show his…
Weird Science (1985) – John Hughes
John Hughes’ Weird Science is very much a male teen fantasy fulfillment. It riffs on Frankenstein while drawing in themes of self-confidence, and being who you are instead of worrying about what others think of you, because in the end, if they really like you, they’ll like you for you. Gary (Anthony Michael Hall) and…
Sixteen Candles (1984) – John Hughes
There are lots of things that still work with John Hughes teen comedy, Sixteen Candles, but there are so many problematic things that have really begun to overshadow the story’s heart. There’s some racism, there’s some things that walk the line up to and over harassment and assault, and that really takes the shine off…
The House of the Devil (2009) – Ti West
Ti West films can be very divisive, you either love them or hate them, and I have to be honest, I fall firmly into the like them category. Having said that, the first time I sat through The House of the Devil, I was a little disappointed by it, people are right when they say…
TIFF 2021: The Eyes of Tammy Faye dir. Michael Showalter
Jessica Chastain harnesses an effervescent, electrical whirlwind in her transformative, new career best role of Tammy Faye Bakker. Bringing to life the eccentricities, the faith, and the person behind those permanently made up features. Using the documentary film of the same name as its launching point, Showalter’s film, laced with humour, and drama guides us…
Super 8 (2011) – 4K Review
Paramount Pictures delivers a MINT! 4K version of J.J. Abrams’ nostalgia drenched, Spielberg homage, Super 8, and while I know some people take issue with his visual style, especially those lens flares, and aren’t always keen on his storytelling, this film delighted me, and spoke to me, as I could see myself up there on…
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009), and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)- 4K Review
Paramount Canada is gearing us up for the release of Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins (opens 22 July, 2021) with the release of the previous two Joe installments on newly remastered 4K. And what they give us is a sparkling picture and sound for films, that is almost as fun as playing with the toys…
The Hard Boys: The Tower Treasure (1927/1959) – Franklin W. Dixon
When I was a young boy in the late 70s, early 80s, I was devouring books at a variety of reading levels, and was delighted with the blue border hard cover editions of The Hardy Boys, I didn’t have them all, but I had a collection that would grow whenever I lacked anything else to…
Saturn 3 (1980) – Stanley Donen, and John Barry
Gorgeous set and production design can’t save a film with a number of top drawer stars (Kirk Douglas, Farrah Fawcett, and Harvey Keitel) thanks to a heavily edited final cut, and flawed story. Not to mention some miniature and model work that may have worked in the 50s but looks incredibly bad in the 80s,…
The Mind Reels 