Sunday School: Defining the '80s Through Film Part III

We're pretty much at the halfway point of this current course in '80s culture by way of movies, and I have to say, I'm loving the hell out of writing this thing. Putting together these lists has forced me to think long and hard about the many, many films I've loved from this completely ridiculous decade, and how many of the follow the same themes, concepts, cliches and tropes. It's seriously awesome to actually have to think about the deeper meanings behind Commando.
 
All that brain usage has gotten me thinking about tons of movies I feel I'd be remiss not to include in some fashion, even if I can't quite figure out how. I'm trying to stick to my rules, but dammit if I don't want to expand. So, to you, I promose this: though I'd originally said this would be a five week feature, how about we go to six, with an extra course of three categories? Like I said, I'm loving writing it, but I want to make sure people are digging reading it before I start stretching this whole deal out beyond reason. Just hit up the comments and tell me what you think.
 
Now then, onto this week's class. Today, we cover a lot of ground, by way of several films that practically run the entire gamut of '80s fascinations and obsessions in just a few short hours. We'll travel back to the 1950s, investigate bizarre science for the betterment of man (sort of), go on a wild adventure we need to be extra careful our parents won't find out about, and investigate a murder with a partner so wildly mismatched to our own personality, that you just know we'll end up the best of friends in the end. Pop on your Adidas sneakers and get that DeLorean up to 88mph, 'cause it's time to hunt some greasy sax men...I mean vampires! Vampires!

The Crackpot Science That Brought an '80s Teen to the '50s

Back to the Future (1985)

Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future goes straight for the jugular on two huge tropes of '80s film: '50s nostalgia and absurd science. Myriad comedies from the decade featured crazy scientists--and, sometimes, high school students--creating wacky robots, genetically engineered female sex coaches, and, occasionally, time-traveling DeLoreans. Already a symbol of absurd, coke-fueled '80s excess--read up on the history of John DeLorean, it's kind of amazing--the DeLorean was the perfect car to retrofit for time traveling shenanigans, and Michael J. Fox, fresh off his success as young Republican Alex. P. Keaton in the hit sitcom Family Ties (and a solid month away from testing the world's Michael J. Fox tolerance in Teen Wolf) seemed the perfect '80s high schooler to drive it. 
 
Marty McFly is kind of the quintessential '80s teen hero. Family dysfunction has made him a little awkward and prone to peer pressure, yet his attitude is preternaturally cool, and he's proved himself capable of landing a totally hot girlfriend (she arguably got hotter in the sequels, when Elisabeth Shue took over the role for Claudia Wells). Never mind that his best friend is a wild-haired time-travel enthusiast who sends him back to that most innocent of decades. There, he accidentally mucks up his parents' initial coupling, possibly ruining his chance to, you know, be born. Zemeckis has a great deal of fun playing around with the styles and cliches of the '50s, while still managing to make a totally '80s movie. A multitude of '80s films plundered that decade with equal levels of fondness for pegged jeans, leather jackets and poodle skirts. Still, none did it while also including time traveling cars in the mix.

Additional Viewing:

Ghostbusters (1984) - When it comes to comedies based on parapsychological science, no other movie even comes close to touching the magic of Ghostbusters--not even Ghost Dad. Bill Murray gives one of his greatest (read: most sarcastic) performances as Pete Venkman-- Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson are no slouches either, of course. The comedy is timeless, but the wonderfully strange creature effects and goofy science at the heart of the film very much of the era (as are the soundtrack and costuming--holy shit at Gozer's hairdo). This is, with no qualification, my favorite movie of all time. Therefore, even if it transcends the decade which spawned it (it totally does), I've gotta include it anyway. 
Weird Science (1985) - I always forget this is a John Hughes movie, mostly because it's a good deal wackier than most Hughes flicks. But yeah, two nerdy teenage boys using inexplicable science to create a super hot lady that helps them with their romantic troubles. Said hot lady being Kelly LeBrock? A cast that includes Anthony Michael Hall, Robert Downey Jr. and one of the all-time classic moron bully roles in Bill Paxton's Chet? The Oingo Boingo theme song? Clearly this is necessary viewing.
Short Circuit (1986) - A goofy robot comes to life, discovers the wonders of the world, evades a military that refuses to understand his newly self-aware existence, and teaches definitive '80s doof Steve Guttenberg (if you want to impress friends at parties, refer to him as "The Gute") about love. That covers an awful lot of important ground.
 

The Lone-Wolf Fish Out of Water Who Became an Unlikely Buddy

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Beverly Hills Cop is a million different things. It's a showcase for the comedic talents of one of the decade's soon-to-be biggest stars in Eddie Murphy; it's a fish out of water tale of a Detroit cop in the well-to-do world of Beverly Hills, California; and it's simultaneously an example of both a lone wolf cop movie, and a buddy cop movie. How is that even possible? Well, consider this: Murphy's Axel Foley comes from Detroit against the orders of his superiors, effectively going rogue to investigate the murder of a friend with ties to criminals in California. At the same time, Cop is one of the classic mismatched buddy movies, with Axel being forced to work with straight-laced detectives played by Judge Reinhold and John Ashton. The essence of the buddy movie is differences in style and demeanor, which are ultimately overcome by common goals and the bonds of friendship and all that crap. I'd say this movie qualifies under that banner.

Axel Foley is just one of those characters that define this decade, and the rest of the movie surrounding him definitely speaks to the time as well. Murphy's star-making talent was on the verge of bursting in '84, and it was Cop that proved he could do both comedy and action. One need look no further than the amazing art gallery scene with Bronson Pinchot and the "couple of bananas" bit (with a very young Damon Wayans) for some perfectly '80s comedy moments. And that theme song...that glorious Harold Faltermeyer-composed theme song...pure magic, people.
 

Additional Viewing:

Lethal Weapon (1987) - Though 48 Hrs. (another Eddie Murphy film--his first, actually) is often credited with creating the modern buddy cop genre, Lethal Weapon pretty much perfected it. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are the psychotic and haggard detectives that everyone references when they talk about this genre. These two are the gold standard by which all other mismatched policemen are judged. Their deeply antagonistic, property obliterating, saxophone-slathered adventures are stuff of legends, and while I think Lethal Weapon 2 is a slightly better (and just as '80s) movie, the original sets so much groundwork that it has to be your starting point. Plus, how do you argue with Gary Busey as a bad guy?
Spies Like Us (1985) - Here we move from buddy cops to buddy spies. Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd are great together as a pair of bumbling intelligence recruits sent on a suicide mission to act as decoys while nuclear war is plotted. It's equal parts goofy road movie and Cold War spoof, and it's one of the more underrated comedies of the decade. The "doctor" scene is one of my favorite scenes from any movie ever.
Red Heat (1988) - I'm not going to lie to you guys. Red Heat? Pretty bad movie. But in terms of target-shooting '80s cliches, it hits every bullseye. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a Russian special agent sent to Chicago to take down a drug dealer. His schlubby American partner? The "great" Jim Belushi. Arnold is basically Ivan Drago with a badge, Belushi is...well, Belushi, and Gina Gershon shows up in aerobics gear a few times--I wish I could find clips of that, I really do. Commies, evil foreign drug dealers, mismatched law enforcers forced to overcome differences, and spandex? 'Nuff said.
 

The Neglectful Parenting That Led to (Deadly) Adventure!

The Lost Boys (1987)

One of the great tropes for a film-loving, imagination-prone kid like myself in the '80s was the "kids go on adventures while adults assume they're at home watching MTV" genre. There are tons of these movies throughout the decade, some of which are arguably more iconic and definitively adventurey than the pick I've made here. However, 1987's The Lost Boys is another one of those winners that comes simply by virtue by the Costco-like volume of pop culture hallmarks it packs into a single 97 minute run time. 

Featuring both the Coreys ( Haim and Feldman, for the uninitiated--they were kind of a big deal for a while there), a young Jason Patric, a villainous, ostensibly teenage Kiefer Sutherland, vampires, leather jackets, goofy horror movie practical effects, Alex Winter (eventually Bill of Bill & Ted fame), a female protagonist named "Star," an "Only in the '80s" soundtrack (headlined by Gerard McMann's haunting and bizarre track, " Cry Little Sister") and the original greasy sax man, The Lost Boys is like a machine gun blast of '80s straight to the dome. As the Coreys and friends fend off a vampiric sect hiding inside a nondescript Southern California town, adults are hardly anywhere to be seen, and when they do appear, they're usually not friendly--except for the vampire killing grandpa, of course. Every kid wants to live out elaborate, dangerous adventures, and no decade actively provided that kind of wish-fulfillment quite like the 1980s. The Lost Boys stands out as a shining beacon of this sort of thing (albeit one you couldn't see unless you snuck into the theater--stupid R-rating).
 

Additional Viewing:

Adventures in Babysitting (1987) - I swear, I'm not going to just include every Elisabeth Shue movie of the decade (not from lack of trying, mind you), but it's tough to ignore this archetypal '80s tale of a teenage babysitter who finds herself in the middle of big city misadventures while trying to keep a trio of poorly-parented brats in line. Its distinctly '80s flavor is potent, and palpable throughout Every. Single. Scene. 
The Goonies (1985) - Yeah, well, duh. Here's the ultimate example of kids doing ridiculous things while stupid adults just get in their way. You've got a Corey, young Sean Astin, young Josh Brolin, and a young Martha Plimpton, all hunting pirate treasure while a doofy gangsters try to kill them. This movie also covers the "young people have to do something drastic to save a ____ from evil real estate developers" quota, and involves Richard Donner, Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus. *drops mic* *feedback*
The Wizard (1989) - The Wizard is, well, awful. I mean, like, almost unwatchable. However, when I was eight years old, it was totally awesome. Why? Because NINTENDO. Fred Savage, his autistic brother, and a hysterically preteen Jenny Lewis ( HE TOUCHED MY BREAST!!!) embark on a ridiculous road trip to a video game championship because the brother is some kind of Rain Man-esque 8-bit savant, and divorce is about to separate the two brothers. The whole movie was really just a big commercial for Super Mario Bros. 3, but it hits a lot of weird cultural touchstones along the way, despite, again, being atrocious. By the way, did the Power Glove even do shit like this?
 
And that's the week, folks. Regardless as to whether or not you support my desire to tack on another week to this whole shebang, next week's lessons will take us deep into the realm of high fantasy, high school, and high fades. So that'll be awesome.