80s Movies: As Good As You Remember?

[Brasil]

The title of this thread is more or less the topic I'm discussing, but other films will be mentioned.

I was just hanging out in Hollywood Video an hour ago, watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I. Now, the biggest surprise, I think, was just how dark the movie was. I'm not talking about lighting or anything, though lighting does play a large part in establishing mood. I'm talking about general thematic elements and presentation. I mean, I had forgotten how violent the movie was. I pick up on a lot of it now, of course, and it's somewhat upsetting to see Raphael comatose in a bathtub, with April sprinkling water over him. I guess it had never struck me when I was younger because I didn't really have the capacity to realize what was happening.

Disney's animated Peter Pan is another film that has some rather deviant subliminal themes in it. Pixie Dust? I'm thinking Angel Dust or heroin. They do fly high over the clouds after "taking a hit." We can't forget the mermaids' infatuation with Peter, either. It's clear they have a previous history with him, and they're...[spoiler]wet[/spoiler], as opposed to Wendy, who is totally dry, and just met Peter.

James and the Giant Peach is a wonderful kid's movie about a boy going on an incredible journey with incredible characters. What if the entire journey was the kid's movie equivalent of an acid trip? James gets these crocodile tongues from a very haggard and disheveled stranger, who certainly looks similar to a drug dealer from a slum somewhere. I'd be inclined to write this off as just some bizarre interpretation, but the fact that James eats one of these crocodile tongues, then a hole appears in the peach, closing when James crawls into it...I think there is something wrong going on there. Just that scene alone is hallucinogenic, ignoring the rest of the movie, lol.

So, the question I'm asking here, is how do movies change over time? The three that I've mentioned stand the test of time indeed. What movies do you remember loving when you were younger, only to watch them now and think, "What in the hell?" Have any of you noticed any disturbing revelations in childhood favorites?

[Semjaza]

At first I was confused over this title because Peter Pan is most definitely not from the 80s... it's from 1952. But obviously you already stated that other things were mentioned, so I don't know what my point was lol.

Anyway, considering the origin of the Peter Pan stories, I think you're looking into that far too deeply. Angel Dust/PCP first came about in 1926... and back then it was just an ingredient in a medication. Peter Pan was already out and had been since 1904. If it was based on a drug, which I personally seriously doubt knowing JM Barrie, it wouldn't have been that. I don't know when Heroin came about though, but Opium (which it's made of) has obviously been around forever lol. In any case, I still think you're reading too far into it. Not everything has some degenerate reason behind it.

I'll go out on the limb and think he was just coming up with a nice fairy tale and a good excuse to make things fly. What's the excuse for the pirate ship flying at the end? Was it also under the influence of drugs? lol

As for the rest, if you read any other older literature, you'll find that mermaids didn't used to be the kind-hearted 'Disney's Little Mermaid'-esque creatures that people think of today anyway. They basically existed to drown people, which they attempt to do in Peter Pan. They just weren't nice lol. Same goes for most fairy tale creatures. I think it's obvious that the mermaids were just jealous and acting on their Mermaid-ish ways, especially since Peter shows no interest in them other than their annoying Wendy as it is.

In any case, I think pretty much any Disney film that's considered part of their "Masterpiece" line is timeless in some way. There's a few I don't care to watch all that much (such as Snow White), but they all definitely have held up. Even Snow White, Disney's first film, has amazing animation. Especially when considering the stuff that was pulled off in it without the techniques available today.

As for James and the Giant Peach... that's only from 1996, so I don't think it's hard for a decent movie from the late 90s to stand the test of time over a period of less than a decade. I have no excuse for the trippiness of it, though. It is definitely bizarre.

I always liked the first TMNT movie though... mostly because it tried to stick to the comics a bit more than the series did. The series really went off on its own tangent and while the movie wasn't much like the comics either, at least it stayed true to its dark nature. TMNT definitely wasn't originally the sort of thing most people think of today. Even the new cartoon series, despite being a bit more edgy, is still quite different from the comics. Oh well.

You also have TMNT2 and 3, which really haven't stood up as well. TMNT2 is dorky, campy fun... but the Casey and April "love" story is lame. I won't even get into Vanilla Ice's appearance. TMNT3 is pretty much just forgettable. I felt like I was watching a USA made for TV movie. The original really aged a lot better than these two did.

There's a lot of 80s movies I still love... most really didn't hold up so well, but that's kind of what adds to their appeal at this point. One I still love to death, though, is Pee-wee's Big Adventure. In my mind, this is the best film ever created. I could watch it every day lol. It definitely held up.

[Maully]

[color=green]I still like TMNT 1. I never really remember seeing the other two, heh. Seing it now, as an adult, it is much darker, I agree. As to James and the Giant Peach... It's based on a Roald Dahl book. I've never read that one, but I have read The Witches and Matilda (which is sooo mush better than the Danny DeVito movie). I think that it fits his general mentality that follows both of those books.

I have to say, I love the movie Clue. It has an amazing cast and is funnier now than when I saw it the first time. So much of the humor was lost on me when I was younger. For some reason, after watching it with my boyfriend a week ago, he feels the need to end every conversation we have with the line, "I'm gonna go home and sleep with my wife." I find that only slightly amusing. -_-

Also (this will show that I can have guilty pleasures too) I like the movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's got some really subtle humor that I didn't appreciate before. that may be just me though. *shrugs*

Tony, I also love PeeWee's Big Adventure.

One of my favorite films from the 80's though is Heathers...the blackest of comedies, it's one of my favorite movies ever, I think. It's smart, it's dark and it's Winona Rider before she decided to suck. [/color]

[Semjaza]

Now that I think about it... none of the movies PT mentioned are from the 80s. TMNT is from 1990 lol

I think my girlfriend made me watch Heathers on cable once. It really wasn't all that bad. I'm for morbid humor when I can get it. I saw Clue a few years back and it rocked. Tim Curry was and always will be awesome. It's one of those movies with jokes you pick up on more when you get older.

For some reason I like Prince's Purple Rain. It's so 80s in every horrible sense of the word. I like Prince though, so I do bother to watch it from time to time. Mostly to laugh at what people considered cool back then. Plus, I've always enjoyed the ending. It's nice that he finally gets the audience he's been craving for so long.

Another good one is Near Dark. It didn't do well in theaters, but it has a cult following (there was a really nice 2 DVD set released for it awhile ago that is worth getting). It came out around the same time as The Lost Boys (another favorite of mine) and so was overlooked. They're both dealing with vampires, although Near Dark makes no mention of the word "vampire" whatsoever.

It's a really cool movie though. Definitely worth seeing and defintely as good as it was when I first saw it. Good performances... Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton are names people might recognize. They play two of the main characters. In some ways, it kind of reminds me of Dusk Till Dawn.

Lost Boys hasn't really aged as well. I mean, I still love the movie and the concept, but it has its quirks. Nothing I roll my eyes at, but still things I wouldn't mind being different. Plus the kill-all-vampires scenes near the end really just destroy all the plot development up to that point.

There's always stuff that I don't even feel needs to be mentioned at all, too. Stuff that is obviously still great to this day... such as Aliens. If anything, that movie is better to me now than when I first saw it as a kid. There's a lot more to pick up on in that movie and a lot more attention to detail than I think I could have realized when I was younger.

[Shinmaru]

[quote name='Molleta][color=green']I have to say, I love the movie Clue. It has an amazing cast and is funnier now than when I saw it the first time. So much of the humor was lost on me when I was younger. For some reason, after watching it with my boyfriend a week ago, he feels the need to end every conversation we have with the line, "I'm gonna go home and sleep with my wife." I find that only slightly amusing. [/color][/quote]

Clue is definitely an awesome movie. I didn't see it when I was younger, though...I think I first watched it about three years ago. Very funny stuff, heh. One of the few movies that I can stand Tim Curry lol. And it's really quotable (which you pointed out, heh), which is always a plus, especially for a comedy. You have to have [i]something[/i] to remember a movie by :p

Also, like Tony mentioned, there will always be movies that stand the test of time, no matter what generation they're from. Most of my memories of movies come from movies made in the 80s/early 90s, actually. Stuff like Indiana Jones, Star Wars (Empire and Jedi, of course, since New Hope was made in '77), Back to the Future, E.T. ...just great stuff you never really end up forgetting. In those cases, though, the movies are still good enough for me to like them just as much, if not more, when I watch them today. Nothing is worse than having your good memories spoiled by watching something you loved as a kid and realizing that you now hate it lol.

[Mimmsicle]

[size=1][color=#800000]Depending on how young you were when you first saw a movie, I'd definately say that it changes over the years. It will either still be a great movie and you find "hidden depths" to it, or it will suck royally *lol*. [/color][/size]

[size=1][color=#800000]Example[b]:[/b] I used to l-o-v-e [i]Sandy Bell[/i] when I was really young, but as I borrowed a tape not too long ago, I was absolutely horrified at the dub. The girls voice was shrill, forced and patronizing. So that killed off some childhood memories, haha.[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=#800000]A quick note on the Disney movies: I bought [i]Cinderella[/i] a few months back and I sat there thinking "hey, this deals with adoption", which I would've never thought about when I was younger, hehe.[/color][/size]

[size=1][color=#800000]Good 80's movies that are still good today ? Well, [i]Star Wars[/i] has already been mentioned... [/color][/size]
[size=1][color=#800000][i]Breakfast Club[/i] still rocks socks, ([/color][/size][size=1][color=#800000]I cannot seem to let go of my crush on Sean Astin in) [i]Goonies[/i] [/color][/size][size=1][color=#800000]and let's face it ---> [i]Ferris Bueller's Day Off[/i] will probably never grow old ~_^[/color][/size]

[Brasil]

[quote name='Semjaza Azazel']Now that I think about it... none of the movies PT mentioned are from the 80s. TMNT is from 1990 lol[/quote]Cripes...lol. Guess that afterthought disclaimer was a good thing afterall, heh. I guess I just wanted a catchy title that had some relevance to the topic.

[QUOTE]What's the excuse for the pirate ship flying at the end? Was it also under the influence of drugs? lol[/QUOTE]I'll have to get back to you on that, lol.

I may be seeing stuff in Peter Pan that's not there, but I happened to find the original novel online. There's some pretty sick stuff in there...lots of sexual innuendo. While Angel Dust may have not been prevalent when Pan was written, there are some definite adult themes running through that book.

[u]James and the Giant Peach[/u]

I've read the book of James and the Giant Peach, and what struck me as odd is how the book is a very literal journey. James actually goes on this trip in the physical sense. There's no question about it. There is actually a real hole in the peach, and they actually land in NYC. Speaking of the hole thing...I wonder if Dahl took some cues from Alice In Wonderland. I wouldn't be surprised, really.

As I was watching the movie, though, that physical trip disappeared, replaced by something similar to Billy Pilgrim in Slaughterhouse Five. Billy went on fantastic adventures in the novel, but those adventures were always fantasies. He was escaping into his head, in a sense. This is what I see with the movie James and the Giant Peach. As Billy Pilgrim is laying in that icy ditch, it seems perfectly reasonable to me that James is laying comatose next to the peach.

[u]Clue[/u]

I think Clue works so well and ages so well because it's really great comedy. It's slapstick that rivals Airplane. It has a strong cast, and Tim Curry is usually really fun to watch. I change the channel when Rocky Horror Picture Show comes on. Just something about seeing Tim Curry in someone else's underwear, lol.

Airplane is a movie that seems to be right in the middle. It stays hilarious even now, but some of it is rather dated. Even though the disco scene tickles my funny bone, it really makes the movie show its age, I think. It's still a great movie, but it doesn't age as well as other 80s icons, like Ghostbusters.

Ghostbusters is an 80s movie that...is totally 80s...but doesn't suffer from the dating that hurts Airplane. Sure, it has Larry King with hair, Casey Kasem, and the 80s hair (I think Gatekeeper Dana Barrett had to be a parody of that), but it all works, even today. It's one movie that is timeless. Plus,

"Egon, this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole through your head."
"That would have worked if you hadn't stopped me."

[u]TMNT[/u]

As corny as II was, it did feature some really classic moments. Really, anything with Tokka and Rahzar. Those guys were great. They were lethal children and I always laugh when [spoiler]Tokka looks down at that donut, crushes it, sees the gel capsule, then looks back up at Mike and roars[/spoiler]. Just classic.

EDIT:

Oh, Mimmi, I love you for mentioning Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I'm surprised I forgot to mention it.

[Maully]

[color=green]Heh, I just purchase The Neverending Story on DVD today. I love that movie. The Special effects don't hold up, but I still love to watch it. I identify with Bastien on the level that he's a bookworm and that other kids picked on him. I hope to not identify with the mother's death aspect for a very long time. I also identify with the fact that he spend a lot of his time ushered away into his imagination and away from the reality he has trouble dealing with. It's a basic everyone (good) vs. Evil plot line. This time Evil has the upperhand to start. The sides are nowhere near evenly matched. All hope is place on two people, though throughout the movie we are misdirected to believe it is one. All the quirky characters are so endearing as well.

On to something a bit more serious... Terminator, the first one. I definitely enjoy this movie more now than when I first watched it. I have always been an action movie girl, but watching it now, especially after watching T3, I really appreciate it. It is an intelligent action movie with ver, very dark overtones, both in the lighting and the apocolypic imagery and prophesy. You see a young, naive woman go through the trauma and grow into a self suficient woman who will take on the world.

Now, something a bit less serious... I wlike the movie Working Girl. If you get past the horrible 80s fashion and the fact that Melanie Griffith is in it, it's a pretty good flick. Sigourney Weaver and Harrison Ford are excellent, and the story is somewhat fairie tale-esque, and if not fairie tale, then American Dream-esque.[/color]

[StarShine]

The Breakfast Club is an awesome movie. Pink Floyd: The Wall was a pretty crazy movie...wait I think that was the 70's. Labyrinth was a cool movie. I could watch that one over and over again. Gremlins and Goonies are another two of my faves. And then of course Ghostbusters...

[Sara]

[size=1] I knew what PT meant, as far as the title went. Anything I watched between the ages of two and ten (late 80's to mid-90's) qualifies as "eighties."

When I was little, I really and truly loved [i]Care Bears[/i]. And then recently, there's been a lot of merchandise available, which has been kinda... On the one hand, nostalgia. On the other...[b]remixed merchandise! Augh![/b]

Besides, no one has any Secret Bear stuff. I don't understand. Secret Bear was the coolest one.


......[i]aaaaaanyway[/i].

My mom got me the Care Bear Movie for either Christmas or my birthday last year. It's interesting, because when I watch it, I have really mixed thoughts. "Dear [i]lord[/i], this is silly...Oh great, they're singing again...was that supposed to be funny?....[i]Oh my gosh, this is my favorite part! Yes! Secret Bear ROCKS! I love this song![/i]"

Heh. And it's interesting, looking at it and thinking about how much I loved it when I was little, and realizing that I really [i]do[/i] enjoy it--if only because of how much I liked it as a kid.

Example: There's a song where Nicholas is running around the carnival, chasing the Care Bears and collecting ingredients for his spell. It scared me as a kid, and I [i]loved it[/i], and I still think of carnivals and amusement parks as the ultimate potential "scariness" setting. So when I watch the movie now and see the same scene, I like it, because the movie itself shaped an interest for me. Kinda intriguing to think about.

Incidently, Roald Dahl is an...interesting...person all 'round.[/size]

[wrist cutter]

You're all forgetting the most badass movie ever, which just so happened to be released in the '80s: Predator. My siblings would torture me by making me watch this movie when I was a kid, and needless to say it kept me up many nights in those days. But this movie hasn't become outdated in anyway. Movies like this just don't get old, because it has everything:
-Explosions
-Aliens
-Exploding aliens
Pure genius.

Who'd have ever thought that two of the cast members would go on to become governers?

[StarShine]

Explosions and aliens...sounds like a nice Sunday afternoon.

Ah carebears...sadly I'm a tad bit obsessed when it comes to stuff like that. I have the Carebears rainy day movie some where in my basement. Along with a Strawberry Shortcake and a Rainbow Brite one. The My Little Pony movie is my favorite out of the four. Giant spiders, evil witch like villians, the feel-good ending. What's happened to all the good kid movies nowadays? They're all about talking dinosaurs and Spanish girls with a talking monkey. (Notice the talking animal trend...)

[NorykoAngelcry]

[COLOR=darkred][SIZE=1]I agree with pretty much all the movies you guys have listed (I love movies, what can I say?). . but I didn't see anyone say anything about Crocodile Dundee!? The first two were awesome!

"You call that a knife?" *pulls out HIS knife* "Now this is a knife!" *preceeds to slice up thief's Michael Jackson jacket* . . LOL [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[Brasil]

[QUOTE=wrist cutter]You're all forgetting the most badass movie ever, which just so happened to be released in the '80s: Predator. My siblings would torture me by making me watch this movie when I was a kid, and needless to say it kept me up many nights in those days. But this movie hasn't become outdated in anyway. Movies like this just don't get old, because it has everything:
-Explosions
-Aliens
-Exploding aliens
Pure genius.

Who'd have ever thought that two of the cast members would go on to become governers?[/QUOTE]
Can't forget the nifty cloaking device, and the thermal vision of the Predator was a really nice touch to establish just how inhuman it was. Also, if you want to see two governors go at it, check out The Running Man. I do believe it was an 80s movie. It was a remarkable movie back then, but it's even more entertaining that when we watch it today, with the knowledge that Captain Freedom and Ben Richards are now politicians who could conceivably face-off in Presidential election, the final fight takes on all new meaning, lol. It's very interesting how Schwarzenegger's 80s action/sci-fi movies age so well. We have Terminator, Predator, The Running Man; three classic sci-fi films.

Likewise, I'm very pleased at Cameron's 80s efforts. I still am able to watch The Abyss and be mesmerized by it. Cameron is a brilliant filmmaker. He's a second-rate cliche-spewer now, but there was a time in the 80s/early 90s that he created cinema magic. I find that Spielberg and Tim Burton are the only two directors now that can weave a tapestry on screen. Burton is especially gifted. I watch Beetlejuice and still marvel at its ingenuity of execution. Pity that Michael Keaton is more remembered for Batman than Beetlejuice. In my eyes, Beetlejuice gives him a far greater range and more freedom to have fun with a role. Not to say I didn't enjoy Batman, far from it. It's a great film. But Beetlejuice has a certain...flair; a flair that doesn't die out over time. "I seen The Exorcist about a hundred-and-sixty-seven times and it keeps getting funnier each and every time I see it!"