Cops, Spies, Princes, Dancers and Potheads… we love the 80’s
The first round of the I love the 80’s was impressive. It included some impressive titles, such as Some Kind of Wonderful and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off where there was plenty of drama and some humor to boot. This time around it seems to concentrate more on humor than drama. Here’s what we’ve got in this wave:
Top Secret
The Naked Gun
Cheech and Chong: Still Smoking
Coming To America
flashdance
Top Secret
Starting with the first, Top Secret, most people these days (the younger group) don’t know much about this film. Val Kilmer stars in it and ‘it’ is a comedy. Can you imagine? Not a lot of folks would imagine such a talented actor, who has since brought you such films as Heat and The Doors that he actually knew how to make people laugh. He plays Nick Rivers, a vocalist who gets caught up with the French Resistance during World War II. Slapstick and one-liners cover this entire classic that keeps the comedy of such films like Airplane and Kentucky Fried Movie alive and kicking (yep, this was made by Abrahams, Zucker and Zucker). From beginning to end you’ll bust a gut laughing, especially watch out for the scene shot backwards. Good stuff with Top Secret. VIVA LA FRANCE!
Are there any problems with the movie? Some may claim that it’s more of the same from the famous directors, but you can clearly see they’re at the top of their game with this one. This was made shortly after Airplane II, which deserves more credit than it gets. I think that many people will find purely creative humor here, nothing stale, that deserves your attention. These guys pretty much invented the slapstick comedy in films, the way we know it this day and age. You can argue that the Marx Brothers really invented slapstick and one-liners in films (on a mainstream level), but to deliver it in a smooth method into a serious drama (or what should be serious) makes the style unique and amazing.
The Naked Gun: From the files of the Police Squad
Now, in the same vain as Top Secret you get a fantastic comedy where our famous comedic directors practically started their careers… with a show called Police Squad. The first movie of the television show is called The Naked Gun. Frank Drebin, the always-in-the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time cop, is back and this time he has to figure out the plot to kill the Queen of England before it is carried out. Again, just like Top Secret, there is slapstick, one-liners and everything funny from beginning to end. Just advice, if you ever find yourself on a ledge please remember to grab something more appropriate when you’re trying to hang on to a statue for dear life.
The first of this series of films really was the peak of the Abrahams-Zucker-Zucker career. Everything after this film was kind of a downhill slide. I know Steve Schardein doesn’t want to read this, but even Hot Shots seemed shallow after this film (both Hot Shots movies). The comedy really wasn’t the same, but it was nice to see this one hit the nail on the head and propelled Leslie Nielsen back on top of the comedy world. The two other films (there might have been a fourth, not sure) that followed after this one didn’t compete. The one taint on the film that can’t be overlooked is O.J. Simpson’s role. It’s hard to appreciate him after so many things happened in his life. Anyway, it’s still classic comedy and you’ll embrace it like all of their other films.
Cheech and Chong: Still Smoking
I’m positive that this duo broke up before it was too late. They belonged in the 70’s and 80’s and fit very well. Much like the movies in their past, they bring the comedy, the subtle humor and the outrageous take on drugs. I don’t have a lot to say about this movie, other than it’s more of the same and seems to conclude their onscreen and off-screen relationship. They pushed the humor of pot during a ‘say no to drugs’ era and it worked on many levels. How they survived with all of these movies is beyond me. They are still popular amongst the college crowd. It’s good to see both actors branched off a bit and made a return to television in some way or another (for Cheech, he hit the movies hard with such films as From Dusk Till Dawn and Tin Cup, but can more recently be pinned down to the television show Nash Bridges).
Overall, I think that if you like this sort of thing it’s up your alley. If you don’t want to see two potheads going around creating off-the-wall comedy, it might be something to avoid.
Coming To America
Ah! Coming To America blew audiences away and was the pinnacle of Eddie Murphy’s career (many different roles for Murphy and Arsenio Hall sprung from this film, such as the classic Harlem Nights). He starred as Prince Akeem, a prince from a small African province, who rejects his parent’s notion to marry a woman he’s never met. Akeem flees to America to find the bride of his choice in what he thinks is a wonderful place because of its name… Queens, New York. Trying to hide his identity is tough, but trying to capture the girl of his dreams is even tougher.
Murphy owns the role as Prince Akeem. He brings the comedy and a solid story to the screen. Helped by director John Landis (who knows comedy and a story), Murphy’s original story is everything you would expect from an intelligent actor as Murphy is. This is one of the few movies I saw multiple times when it first hit the silver screen. The comedy comes in moments and is supported by a truly lovely story of one man’s desire to be happy. Isn’t that what we’re all looking for?
Excellent film and a great catch for such a low price.
flashdance
Strangely enough, more people remember this as a music video and less of a movie. Of course, people don’t remember the music video anymore because MTV is no longer associated as a Music Television place (why name it MTV? CTV is more like it, I’ll let you figure that one out). I digress, this movie, if you didn’t know, surrounds a woman named Alex Owens who is struggling to meet her dream of becoming a professional dancer (in the good sense) and has to work as an exotic dancer (in the bad sense) to fulfill that dream. Emotional, beautiful and just as memorable as the video that aired in the 80’s, this movie belongs in this collection, if not leading it.
I think most folks forget how the 80’s were and this movie is a fantastic reminder of the struggles that the country itself went through. Recessions, fear of the unknown and constant roadblocks prevented a good majority of 80’s folks from achieving their dreams. This just helped to support the idea that anything is possible if you just keep doing what you need to so that ends can meet. Eventually, if you stay the course, your dreams can come true.
The Features?
Much like the previous edition of I love the 80’s, the movies don’t come with much in terms of features. You get some commentary from the directors on The Naked Gun DVD, but that’s about it. For the price you can’t really argue. The amount of remastering that was put into these DVDs is enough for this set. So, don’t be too disappointed.