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Here are my top 10 80’s movies. I may have some bogus choices on here for you, but for me they helped shape who I am! (that might be a stretch, but just go with it)
10. Young Guns ( you gotta be handy with the steel if you know what I mean, earn your keep)
9. Fast Times @ Ridgemont High – Spikoly
8. Good Morning Vietnam – one of the funniest movies I have seen. Robin Williams did most of his dialogue in improv
7. Batman – classic
6. The Breakfast Club – cult classic and for good reason
5. Back to the Future – “McFly”
4. Karate Kid – Daniel Son – best martial arts movie ever made!!!
3. Big – Every kid wanted to be like Josh and have their own Manhattan apartment.
2. The Wizard – “the power glove, I love the power glove” – one of the best all-time movie quotes
1…. Top Gun – i know, too cliche, but I love this movie, no 80’s movie list would be complete without Top Gun, it just happens to be my favorite
What am I missing that is on your list? What movie do you see on mine that is ridiculous?
My wife and I watched The Freedom Writers tonight. Here are some thoughts: I thought it was a good movie, very similar to Dangerous Minds. But… it was still a good flick.
The story takes place in the mid 90’s in Los Angeles. Mrs. G (Hilary Swank) is a new teacher to “the hood” and seems to be a bit naive and maybe too much an idealist in the raw and rough world of inner city LA. She comes in with an idea of trying to teach these racially diverse students Freshman English. The school is fragile because of the tense environment of the gang life and the very obvious racial divisions. The 3 main ethnic groups are the African Americans, the Asians, and the Hispanics, none of the groups get along with each other.
Mrs. G. is different among the other teachers in this inner city public school because she has the crazy idea that these kids can learn at a high level and learn to develop relationships with each other. Her deep passion for these students end up costing her her marriage.
The movie was a gut wrenching snapshot of the deep divisions among ethnic groups. The other sad truth that was brought up for me is the oppression that different groups (i.e. African-Americans, Asians, and Hispanics) face in our country. Whether we are willing to acknowledge it or not, the unfortunate truth in our society is that being a white-middle class-male gets me ahead of the game and gives me opportunities that some of these students will never see. There is nothing I can do about being a white-middle class-male, but I can be a part of the redeeming work of God by erasing the oppression of minorities in our society.
This film brought to light the need for education…education is one of the answers to injustice…education is one way to bring about equality… education is an avenue to peace…
I recommend you check out the movie if you haven’t seen it. It is a bit cheezy at times (like when she has Starbucks coffee, but in the mid 90’s), and the plot is somewhat predictable, but… the message of the movie is inspiring and insightful.
I watched a very good movie yesterday while I was stranded to the couch due to a nasty head cold caught. I watched Good Night, and Good Luck, which is a movie about a newscaster in the early 1950’s who stood up to a bully politician, Joseph McCarthy. This is a true story of how Ed Murrow refused to be silenced due to the fear techniques of a very powerful McCarthy. McCarthy was basically accusing people of being communist, there did not seem to be much rhyme or reason as to who was being accused, but if you were on McCarthy’s radar then you would surely be dealt with. The problem was that McCarthy was going about this business in a unconstitutional way. No news broadcasters would stand up to Sen. McCarthy for fear that they may be accused of themselves being a part of the communist party.
The movie was co-written by George Clooney, who also had a role in the film. The film was nominated for an Oscar in 2005.
In the film, Murrow asked an audience of very well-off folk what the television was for. He had his regular Tuesday night program taken away from him after he stood up to McCarthy, I suppose he was a bit too controversial at the time. While talking to the audience he was questioning if they really wanted news, and the truth about politicians and current affairs, or if they just wanted to waste away with meaningless programming. Huh… interesting thought. I started to think about the television today. You see when Murrow was talking to this crowd the television was still fairly new to the American family. Not everyone had a television in their home, let alone 3 or 4.
Back to the television. What has it become today? What are all the top spots filled with? I know some people who claim to not watch television. I always get angry when people say that. Mostly because I want to not need television in a way that I just never think to turn it on. I don’t watch much t.v., but when I do it is pretty much useless stuff, mindless entertainment. I watch The Office, Friends, American Idol, The Bachelor (yeah so what?!), sports, and a whole bunch of other stuff to take up time.
Tonight I was riding my bike through my neighborhood and I noticed that nobody was outside. The streets were empty, as they almost always are. But… then I started to look inside of the windows of the houses I was riding by ( not in a creepy way, just a curious way), and I could see the glow of television sets at almost every house. We have become slave to the tube. By the way, the weather was absolutely perfect out.
So I guess my question/concern is what have we made the television? What do we get out of it? We watch these programs that really do not better us as humans beings, but we do it with such regularity that we schedule things around our favorite shows. Mr. Murrow wants to know what we plan on doing with the programs we watch? If we do not want honest reporting, then what do we want?
What are your thoughts? Have you seen Good Night, and Good Luck? If not, I suggest you watch it. It is a piece of our history that we may not know much about. Do you ever feel like your slave to the T.V.?
Here is the premise: these guys are playing a game show in a library, so they can’t make any noise. They must do what is on the card. The guy with the skull and bones is the “winner”!
Enjoy. I hope you laugh as hard as I did.
Tonight I watched Transformers for the first time. I know, I must be the last person this side of the Mississippi to watch it, but at least I watched it. Here is the thing, I am not always a big fan of watching those action packed movies with no plots. But I will say that this one was surprisingly Awesome! I was literally on the edge of my seat.
You see, when I was a little kid I watched Transformers, I even had them as toys. But I was never one of the kids that would remember things about the shows or characters. So Optimus Prime is a stranger to me, wait, was a stranger to me.
Anyways, the movie was rad, and it makes me excited to see the next one coming out this summer. However, I will not be one of those people out at the theaters at midnight to see the movie, and I will not dress up as a transformer. ( no movie is that good for me to wait in line for hours )
Did you enjoy the first Transformers? Are you looking forward to the 2nd one? Will you be waiting at midnight to see the premier? 
My wife and I went back in time this last week and watched all 3 Back to the Future movies. That’s right, ALL 3. I am sure that you are familiar with them, but if your not you need to be. They are timeless classics that I will certainly show to my kids. It was Liz’s first time seeing them. (I know, I couldn’t believe it either)
It’s really funny to watch part II and see what they thought the year 2015 would be like. The clothes are hilarious, the way they eat food, the tv screens, the restaurants. 
