All-Time Favorite Films

[CellarDweller115]

The Best Campy Horror Movies From the '80s

By - Jordan Payeur


Modern cinema has revolutionized how audiences view horror sub-genres like monster movies, slashers, and dark comedies. However, the '80s are considered by many to be the golden age of quirky, intriguing horror. Aside from new additions to the genre that are ridiculous because they're just poorly done, many campy '80s films had a purposefully odd quality.

Some of these had eccentric characters, such as Elvira: Mistress of Dark, which highlighted the quirky, creepy quality of horror lovers. Others, such as Sleepaway Camp and Heathers​​​​​​, exaggerated popular tropes of the time period, giving them an eerie yet humorous tone. These are some of the best campy horror films of the '80s.

https://www.cbr.com/campy-horror-movies-80s/

[Jeff Wrangler]

I was thinking over the weekend that I'd like to see "Bus Stop" again. I remember feeling Monroe was so sweet in her role, positively heartbreaking.

And how did they ever get Don Murray into those jeans? They practically define painted on. 

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049038/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_6_nm_2_q_Bus

[Lyle (Mooska)]

Bus Stop is my favorite Marilyn Monroe film. She is so sweet, tender and heartbreaking in it.  She should have gotten an Oscar nomination for that role. She never did get one. A still photograph of her taken on one of the sets is my favorite photo of her.

The film itself suffers from it being made in the 1950s. It should be ever so slightly more adult in its sensibilities than that time period would allow. I've never seen a stage production of the play and I wonder what might be different about it.

I was going to post the Marilyn photo I like. Apparently there's quite a few photos taken when the one I like was. There's a lot of her in different locations and positions and such. I couldn't find the one I like the most, but I have it on a postcard size version somewhere.

In looking her up I just happened to see this provocative idea, titled: "What would you do with a time machine?"

[Jeff Wrangler]

In looking her up I just happened to see this provocative idea, titled: "What would you do with a time machine?"

 

[B.W.]

The Best Campy Horror Movies From the '80s

By - Jordan Payeur


Modern cinema has revolutionized how audiences view horror sub-genres like monster movies, slashers, and dark comedies. However, the '80s are considered by many to be the golden age of quirky, intriguing horror. Aside from new additions to the genre that are ridiculous because they're just poorly done, many campy '80s films had a purposefully odd quality.

Some of these had eccentric characters, such as Elvira: Mistress of Dark, which highlighted the quirky, creepy quality of horror lovers. Others, such as Sleepaway Camp and Heathers​​​​​​, exaggerated popular tropes of the time period, giving them an eerie yet humorous tone. These are some of the best campy horror films of the '80s.

https://www.cbr.com/campy-horror-movies-80s/

"ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK" (1988) is a pretty funny movie. Cassandra Peterson is rather underrated in my opinion. She's like the more comedic version of Morticia Addams. The film follows Elvira, whose acting career is plummeting, but things begin to look on the upside when she inherits a run-down mansion from her great-aunt, who Elvira later discovers, was allegedly a practicing witch. The downside: the mansion is located in a town that is populated with social and religious conservatives who don't much care for Elvira's more liberal outlook on life. To further complicate matters, her uncle, a secretly evil warlock, longs to possess a magical spell book that had belonged to Elvira's great-aunt in order to conquer the entire world. It's not scary at all, but it does sort of make one think of classic occult-themed horror films and is still a lot of fun to watch.

"HEATHERS" (1988) is good, but it's not really scary. Notable cast members include greats like Winona Ryder, Christian Slater and Shannen Doherty. It's sort of like a dark version of "CLUELESS" (1995) or "MEAN GIRLS" (2004). "HEATHERS" deals with murderous teenagers, misplaced love, teenage suicide, high school cliques and crafting an independent identity from the herd. It's a disturbing dark comedy that has an element of realism to it. Would I consider "ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE DARK" and "HEATHERS" still might be appropriate if you want to watch something that is lighter with hints of darkness around the Halloween season, but they're fun to watch anytime.

[CellarDweller115]

Kevin Bacon returns to ‘Footloose’ high school to mark film’s 40th anniversary

Alli Rosenbloom - April 21, 2024



Kevin Bacon has delivered on his promise to return to the Utah high school where his iconic 1984 film “Footloose” was filmed.

Bacon appeared at Payson High School on Saturday, months after the school’s students launched the #BacontoPayson social media campaign. As part of the effort, students recreated movie scenes and choreographed videos in hopes of catching the actor’s attention so that he’d appear at the school’s final prom.

Payson High School is set to relocate at the end of the school year.

“When I first heard about this Bacon to Payson thing, I was like, ‘Wow, this is crazy.’ But you were all just tireless,” Bacon said in his speech on the school’s football field on Saturday, according to ABC7. “You talked me into it.”


https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/21/entertainment/kevin-bacon-footloose-payson-high-school/index.html

[CellarDweller115]

13 Cult Classics From the '90s That Aged Poorly

By Christine Persaud -  08/02/2024


A cult classic movie is quite literally one that has developed a cult following. Often, the movie didn’t perform well at the box office when it was released; sometimes, it was even panned by critics. But years, even decades later, the film is looked back on fondly, especially by a passionate group of fans who have created a unique subculture and will discuss everything positive about the movie with anyone who will listen.

However, some ‘90s cult classics didn’t quite evolve with the times, even if they remain highly regarded by their fanbases. These movies pushed the envelope when they were released, but now, 30+ years later, they seem slightly problematic, some more so than others. That doesn’t mean fans like them any less, but it raises eyebrows when measured by today’s socially accepted norms.

https://collider.com/cult-classics-90s-aged-poorly/

[Jeff Wrangler]

A cult classic movie is quite literally one that has developed a cult following. Often, the movie didn’t perform well at the box office when it was released; sometimes, it was even panned by critics. But years, even decades later, the film is looked back on fondly, especially by a passionate group of fans who have created a unique subculture and will discuss everything positive about the movie with anyone who will listen.

That describes Eddie and the Cruisers to a "T," even though EATC is from the early Eighties.

(EATC is said to have at least started on its way to Cult Classic because it got heavy rotation in the early days of HBO, where it was seen by a lot of people who never saw it in the theater.)

I don't remember The Crush, but that description reminds me at least partly of CMBYN except with a girl.

[CellarDweller115]

I wonder how we will look at CMBYN after some time passes.

[Jeff Wrangler]

I wonder how we will look at CMBYN after some time passes.

Indeed.

If I think about it too much, because Armie is clearly so much older than Timothy (too old for a 20-something grad student) that it starts to look creepy to me.

[gattaca]

13 Cult Classics From the '90s That Aged Poorly
https://collider.com/cult-classics-90s-aged-poorly/

Out of the entire listing, I've only seen 1 of those "Natural Born Killers."  I was pretty selective even back then how I spent my theater time.  I didn't like the movie then so now even less.    V.

[CellarDweller115]

I didn't like the movie then so now even less.    V.

 

I do find it interesting how time will change society's perceptions on behaviors, when they are immortalized in film or TV.

The Public Enemy is considered a classic film, and it helped make James Cagney a star.  I can remember as a kid people discussing the grapefruit scene, and how off-putting it was.  I'm sure at the time, no one thought a thing about it.