Top Gun

I can see the appeal.

Top Gun is easily one of the most iconic movies of the 80s, and forty years later a sequel is incoming so I had to pop this cherry sooner or later, so let's talk about it. I did enjoy it, I felt it ultimately is a piece of escapist fluff but done quite well and if nothing else the soundtrack is awesome. So our story follows a fighter pilot Maverick as he is accepted into the elite air force combat program Top Gun, and more or less focuses on his training and the relationship he has with his instructor. Now this might devolve into mini-tangent after tangent so bear with me if I ramble. Now first and foremost, holy hot damn the footage they got of these jets. When the real special effects amount to maybe 10% of all the high flying action you see, I can't help but be impressed. They strapped a camera on jets flying God knows how high in the sky at very quick speeds, and there is no shakiness, there is no rumble, it's truly amazing the techniques they utilized to get such incredible shots. I will say nothing but good things about that, because they actually had to do it. You get so impressed by practical effects and I hope the sequel continues with such excellent production values. Though...I feel World War 3 could have happened oh so easily at the end, I mean we were still in the Cold War albeit closer to the end, but an american F-14 shot down 5 russian MIG's you think that would have some serious aftershocks in such a climate. But anyway, now onto cast. Again not a die hard Tom Cruise fan, I've really only scratched his filmography but he conveys the emotion necessary and fits that risk taking, gun-ho, chip on his shoulder guy who wants to be the best, and they take the time to show you why that is. It could have been ridiculously one note but has a small dash of personality to it. Of course we love Val on this show, it's great to see him and he does decent work here being a semi-rival for Maverick. Anthony Edwards made me crack up a lot, he was just so likable and down to earth as Goose and when things go south the movie succeeds in pulling emotion from the audience. Kelly McGillis even though she did fine work acting wise, I just wasn't party to the romance at all, it starts out of the blue and deepens super quick but I was severly not feeling the sparks. Which coincidentally leads to my next point, this movie's pretty gay bro. Now I don't mean that in any derogatory sense in the slightest, I kinda honestly loved it. I mean when one of the earlier lines in the movie is one guy saying "This gives me a hard on." to which the guy sitting next to him replies, "Don't tease me." you kinda need to step back and acknowledge it. A volleyball montage of just these big studly dudes sweating it up while Playing With The Boys is the song of choice, hmmmm....and I'll admit when Maverick and Iceman have their first standoff in the bar I did shout quite loudly, KISS! It's second place for most homoerotically charged movie, right below Nightmare On Elm Street 2 for me. And yeah, the quotes were pretty ridiculous in the best way possible, but I attribute that more to how famous they are if anything. I did hear that at the real Top Gun training facility they fine the pilots five bucks if they quote it, which got a pretty strong laugh out of me. The only one that made me groan and shake my head at how bad it was is the big romance line, "And I just don't want anyone to know that I've fallen for you." oh my sweet lord that was written in a script. But like I said the soundtrack is kick ass, Kenny Loggins, Berlin, the main theme by Harold Faltermeyer, Mighty Wings by Cheap Trick, it's a damn solid soundtrack. Buy that shit on cassette and turn it up! It is pretty interesting to hear that Maverick wants to instruct at Top Gun and is granted the position, so it makes me wonder how the hell does the second movie address it? It seems like he's just coming on board to be an instructor by the second movie, but I guess I'll learn tomorrow and get that review up for everybody. 3 stars, 7/10, and until next time.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

I know, I can't believe I haven't reviewed this either.

It only took...about 6 years to review this movie but I've watched it for probably about a decade now. And I know why there is a fanbase for this movie and why so many gravitate toward it and say it's right up there with The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles. Now obviously John Hughes directed them all but it just goes to show how in tune he was with kids at that time in the world. Okay so the plot is so well known I shouldn't have to recap but what the hell. Ferris is trying to weasel his way out of attending a day at school, for seemingly no reason though there actually is an occasion that would warrant it later in the film, as the film chronicles his adventures in trying not to get caught and enjoy his day. I think I know now why my mom was never fooled by my attempts to stay home "sick", cause no doubt she pulled the same tricks Ferris did even before the movie came out. That's why everyone holds it so highly, it could be argued this is the most relatable character from a John Hughes film and that's really amazing considering his catalogue. Casting could not have been better, it's one of those films where you just couldn't imagine anyone else in the roles of say Cameron, or Rooney, or Jeanie. It's that tightly knit! I know a lot of people say this is Broderick's best performance still and I am in that camp, he just pulls it off without even seeming like acting. And of course there's tons of location shots in Chicago, giving the city a lot of love and I would totally get my ass up there just to experience it on my own. The comedy might also be the most prevalent in any John Hughes movie with the only competition in my mind being Weird Science which is still my absolute favorite of all his movies. It's one of the most simultaneously laid back stories yet incredibly engaging at the same time, and there's no doubt I'll be watching it from time to time until my dying day. It's a classic for a reason, 4 stars, 7.5/10 from me. But I'm saving the greatest for last this week.

An American Werewolf In London

Wow. What a movie.

I definitely must say this movie is quite possibly the best werewolf movie ever made, and highly unappreciated. Not many people know about this movie unless you're either a hardcore horror movie fan, or was alive and old enough to see it when it first came out in 1981. The plot follows two american tourists, David and Jack traversing the moors of England when they are both attacked by a werewolf. Jack is killed but David survives and tries to cope with his werewolf-ism. Already from the start of the movie I liked the main character, he acts like a real guy hanging out with his best friend on vacation. None of the usual horror movie tropes are present here, it's mostly original although they make explicit references to the 1941 classic The Wolf Man. It's pretty amazing how they balance shocking bloody horror with very, very good comedy. The dream sequences alone sum it up perfectly, it starts off unsettling and serious and then goes of the deep end into weirdness to the point where it's hilarious. Yeah it may have some funny bits but it does take itself seriously, and doesn't shy away from it's terrifying moments. The special effects were and still are so spectacular it won an Academy Award. Yeah, an Academy Award for a horror movie, you don't see that very often. But great movie man! Hunt this thing down, it's an odd movie certainly but still worth seeing at least once in your life.

Tomorrow, we revisit a Stephen King original.

The Dead Pool

Yeah, you read right. The next time you say you're going to watch that Dead Pool movie, keep your audience in suspense until you decide to tell them Clint Eastwood is in it.

The Dead Pool is the last in the Dirty Harry series, and surprisingly the shortest, clocking in at an hour and a half. The plot revolves around Harry being put on a hit list with several other celebrities forming the dead pool, with Harry trying to stop as many deaths as possible including his own. For the last installment in the series, it doesn't end on a bad note. The plot though simple works, and this movie really delves into the 80s tropes from the get go with in your face badass 80s music, the clothing, the hair, the workout fad at that time, a friggin' Guns N' Roses song showcased in the movie, it doesn't screw around. Now for the whole identity behind the creator of this dead pool list, it starts out good but really gets better. I give credit where credit is due, but most of the time I wonder why they add these mystery elements to the stories if they don't really play them all the way through, with the exception of this movie. I know they are more action films than detective films but still. But anyway, the cast is not half bad in this movie, Clint in my opinion really gets better with age and this is a good series to prove that, we get Liam Neeson in this movie (I am so not kidding!) and my God it's weird but really cool, and we even get Jim Carrey (Again, no joke!) in a bit part before he became super famous which is interesting to see. Really got to admit though the final ending to the entire series feels kind of abrupt, it just sort of ends immediately after the final kill. Still a good movie though, but I think it is the weakest of the series and that's the interesting thing. Not one of these movies are bad so you really just have to judge each of them on their merits and see which one you like the best. Now for next week, not really anything planned but who knows? So until next time my friends.

Sudden Impact

This is the second best movie in the entire series.

It comes very close to being as good as the first, so that must mean something. You know how I said I wanted this movie to be dark? Well it certainly delivered. It literally starts off dark with some great shots of San Fransisco at night with some real badass 80s music. And then it gets darker...dear sweet Jesus does it get darker. Probably the darkest the series has ever gotten, and I enjoy it but still, I mean damn. The plot involves Harry taking up a homicide case, and you know how I said in Magnum Force there was a mystery that lasted for about 25 minutes? Well this movie's mystery lasts about 5 minutes, you know who is doing this, you figure out why a little while into the movie, and yet it doesn't hurt the film. It's a revenge story and done very very well, to the point where you don't care there isn't a mystery cause you roll with it quick. Clint Eastwood not only starred, but produced and even directed the movie and he did a phenomenal job. Harry in this movie is older, meaner, and even less tolerant of punks than he was in the past movies. The action though sparse is still done well, Harry even gets a kicking new badass gun, the music is better than the last movie I got to say, and the ending is what I wanted. So not much to complain about, it's one of the best of the series so there you have it. Really the best part of this entire movie series is the continuity, you can watch any of them, in any order and still enjoy them. Kinda reminds me of the Man With No Name movies that Clint did in his early spaghetti western parts, loose continuity, can enjoy them all, but hey we got more movie to review. So let's see if this series ends on a high note.