#1982movies

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Thing (1982)

I’m back, reviewing The Thing once again. My rating has not changed. Still a perfect 5/5 for this 1982 science fiction horror thriller.

In a U.S. Antarctic research facility, the men of the station (led by Kurt Russell as MacReady) have unknowingly welcomed a great danger into their midst: a parasitic alien that absorbs other life forms and then imitates them perfectly. As the days follow and no one can be sure whom or where the Thing is, paranoia takes over.

Every detail has been specifically chosen to emphasize the themes and sensations the story wants to convey. This movie is about an alien that has infiltrated the ranks of mankind. It looks like us, acts like us, and if you have the misfortune of being alone with it, it'll take you over. Now, there are two aliens and the cycle begins again. It’s a scary thought. You’re always wondering who is human, and who isn’t. Each new viewing gives new clues but you'll never be sure who's who.

In some movies, looking at little details like what information is shown on a computer monitor or who appears in what room alone would be overanalyzing it. Here, it feels like a critical step in overcoming your fears of the uncertain. The film features no female actors. Why? because this movie is about spotting the one that doesn't belong. You can't - not easily.

That’s the paranoia, what about the horror? Don't worry. The film's got legendary scares. Ever hear someone complain about the way “Everything is CGI nowadays”? It's probably because they saw The Thing and they're still drooling over what its physical animatronics, puppets, and props achieved. If the researchers weren’t being driven mad by the possibility of one of them being a shapeshifting extraterrestrial, they would be by the grotesque forms the creature takes when it attacks. The creations of Rob Bottin, Stan Winston, and their crew are the eldritch horrors H.P. Lovecraft wrote about. The Thing often appears as a twisted mix of claws, mouths, tentacles, and insect-life limbs. The only logic in the way its shape is organized appears to be "is it disturbing?". The creature is a perversion of everything we know. If I had to pick one word to describe it, I’d use “revolting”. Not disgusting, or disturbing. Its mere existence makes your stomach churn.

The Thing is tense and terrifying. It’s a visual marvel you'll need a strong stomach to handle. I fall deeper in love with it with each subsequent viewing because it never gets old. Knowing how it’s going to end means I’m able to divert my attention to another aspect of it, the way it makes skin-crawling choices to immerse you in its atmosphere of dread, or how little decisions by the cast and crew keep you guessing. It’s a robust paranoid thriller-horror with lasting power. You owe it to yourself to check out The Thing. (On Blu-ray, July 29, 2016)

#TheThing #movies #films #MovieReviews #FilmReviews #sci-fiMovies #Sci-fiFilms #HorrorMovies #HorrorFilms #JohnCarpenter #BillLancaster #KurtRussell #1982movies #1982films #A.WilfordBrimley #T.K.Carter #DavidClennon #KeithDavid

[influencegetem]

Reposted from @hastyle_rhymes These are the original #battlerappers ✊🏾🔥🔥 #coldcrushbrothers #goldenerahiphop #1982movies #wildstyle #basketball #hoodballers @therealgrandmastercaz #classichiphop #5elementsofhiphop #zulunation @fab5freddy 🎥 #FBF #wildstylemovie #freestylecypher #realhiphop #hiphop #rockrockyawll https://www.instagram.com/p/B8B3-tGHs9a/?igshid=1e7k7r9zhjgo1

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[pedroemmanuelgoes]

Trilogia do Apocalipse - John Carpenter

#johncarpenter #thething #princeofdarkness #inthemouthofmadness #1982movies #1994movies #1987movies

[blingblinkyoftexas]

#WednesdaysMovie 🎬 #1982Movie 🎥 #CanneryRow #DeborahWinger #NickNolte

#deborahwinger #wednesdaysmovie #nicknolte #canneryrow #1982movie

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Last Unicorn (1982)

The Last Unicorn is unlike other animated pictures, so much that I wonder why it appealed to me so much as a child. Often bittersweet and scary, I was happy to find that it held up after all these years.

In an enchanted forest where winter never comes, a unicorn (Mia Farrow) learns she is the last of her kind. On a journey to discover where the others have gone, the unicorn meets a young magician named Schmendrick (voiced by Alan Arkin) and a bitter but hopeful woman named Molly (Tammy Grimes). They embark on the trail of the Red Bull, said to be the cause of the unicorns’ disappearance.

Based on the novel by Peter S. Beagle, this film is layered with themes children won’t grasp immediately, but adults will appreciate. This is a melancholic story that examines the relationship immortals have with the rest of the world, what it means to be everlasting, and the transformation of a young girl into a woman.

The unicorn is an atypical protagonist. She does not feel love, nor regret. For the most part, she isn't concerned with much. If she makes a mistake or squanders an opportunity, the same situation will present itself again, in time. Compared to her, everything else, everyone else is gone in less than a blink of an eye. Her inability to change drives most of the plot and helps shape her relationship with the various humans she encounters. For example, she meets more than one person who sets to imprison her. They know she will escape eventually, but capturing her means they will be remembered by someone who will last forever. Enduring past death is present throughout. There’s talk of Robin Hood and his merry men, people that will never fade away even though they are fictional (even in this story). There’s a talking skeleton who talks about his memories, how powerful they can be. Other characters perform great deeds to obtain their share of immortality. It's fascinating to see how each of these people relates to this idea of lasting forever.

The Last Unicorn is a story with a distinct look and feel. The musical numbers and animated medium make you think it'll be spry and lighthearted. Generally, it's sad. Throughout, intelligent ideas are discussed, the characters make mistakes and are called out on them. They feel joy, disappointment, sorrow, anger on this quest to ensure that the magic of the world does not fade away. In terms of visuals, you'll recognize the style immediately: it's by Topcraft, who also illustrated the late 70s version of The Hobbit and The Return of the King. The atmosphere created is enchanting and unmistakably of this era. Combined with its themes and the soundtrack by America, it keeps you guessing right until the end. If there had been happy-go-lucky songs about going off on an adventure with friends, you’d know how the film would end. Here, you don’t.

Two scenes make it short of perfection. The first concerns a pop-culture referencing butterfly who proves himself more annoying than funny. The second is a song about 2/3 into the story, Now That I’m a Woman. The lyrics are appropriate and elegantly bring forward the theme of growing up - credit to songwriter Jimmy Webb - It's the performance that botches the moment. I’ll forgive Mia Farrow, however. Her performance generally gives depth to what could've been a vapid character. All the actors are quite good in their roles. This is a stellar cast by the way. Angela Lansbury, Allan Arkin, Christopher Lee, Jeff Bridges, and of course, Frank Welker.

I don't think a cult-following is good enough for The Last Unicorn. Even just on the surface, there’s much more here than you find in your middle-of-the-road animated or fantasy film. (On DVD, June 19, 2016)

#TheLastUnicorn #movies #films #MovieReviews #FilmReviews #Unicorns #ArthurRankinJr. #JulesBass #PeterS.Beagle #AlanArkin #JeffBridges #MiaFarrow #TammyGrimes #RobertKlein #AngelaLansbury #ChristopherLee #KeenanWynn #PaulFrees #reneauberjonois #1982movies #1982films #animatedMovies #AnimatedFIlms

[adamwatchesmovies]

Mazes and Monsters (1982)

Woah, check out this DVD! Mazes and Monsters, with a big picture of handsome Tom Hanks, a giant labyrinth in front of a castle, and what’s this? Dragons in the background? Looks pretty exciting.

I’ve got some bad news for you. None of those images are in this movie. What we have here is a cautionary tale about the biggest threat to our children since Batman and Robin advanced the sinister homosexual agenda into becoming gay and rock-n-roll turned obedient students into delinquents. We’re talking about the evil that is Dungeons & Dragons!

The plot concerns a group of college students who play a fantasy role-playing game called Mazes and Monsters. What begins as a harmless way to make friends takes a dark twist when someone takes things too seriously and “these characters are then plunged into an imaginary world of invented terror”.

You’ve got to be extremely paranoid, naïve, or delusional to think this plot is even mildly probable. It's also - unfortunately - not nearly as cartoonish as you wish it were. I wanted Tom Hanks to turn into a mad lunatic, going around the streets of his hometown slashing at mailmen with a meat cleaver screaming about gaining experience points. There are plenty of moments of unintentional hilarity as everyone overreacts to what's happening but this movie would be nothing if it weren't for an embarrassing entry in Tom Hank's filmography.

This film's message is all bent out of shape. On the one hand, we have young, bright students with a promising future becoming “The victim of a seemingly innocent game”, a game where the objective is to “amass a fortune without being killed” but deals mostly with “Swords, poison, spells, battles, maiming, killing”. The students say that it’s harmless. The police ask if it's possible when “Mazes and Monsters is a far-out game”. If you apply critical thinking to this plot, you’ll see that for the most part, the players deal with their insecurities, stretch their imagination, and form lasting friendships through this RPG. One guy goes loopy, but he had mental issues BEFORE it all happened. You’d think that if the game was THAT damaging to our youths, they’d all go mad.

Tom Hanks is pretty good, but he overacts in some scenes that would be embarrassing for anyone. There are some neat gags throughout with Chris Makepeace as JayJay, a prodigy who likes to wear funny hats and has a trained bird to speak. I’ll give the script credit for the character development and (mostly) realistic characters and relationships. As a bad movie - which this ultimately is - there are many funny, quotable lines and moments. I can’t help but laugh at the sight of Robbie (Hanks) attacking some made-up monster called a Gorville and at how quickly the police are eager to give up or link the game with murder and suicide.

Any well-intentioned movie that misses its mark spectacularly equals fun at its expense. Unfortunately, we never reach Reefer Madness levels. To get the full experience out of Mazes and Monsters, you need to set up an elaborate trick. Go to a video store where they have it in stock, point it out to your friend and have them buy it for you - it won’t be any more than $5. Bring it home, watch it together. Bask in their horrified and puzzled looks while you enjoy the quotable script. (On DVD, October 9, 2015)

#Mazes and Monsters #movies #films #dungeons & dragons #stevenhilliardstern #ronajaffe #TomLazarus #TomHanks #WendyCrewson #DavidWallace #ChrisMakepeace #LloydBochner #PeterDonat #AnneFrancis #MurrayHamilton #VeraMiles #1982movies #1982films

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Aftermath (1982)

If you took Death Wish, Planet of the Apes, The Omega Man and Mad Max. put them all in a blender, you'd have The Aftermath. Slop that pink goo onto a plate and take a big bite. I’ve seen some bad post-apocalyptic films in my day, but few of them have been as cheaply made, as poorly acted, as tasteless and unappealing as this one.

When three astronauts return to Earth after a year-long mission, they discover that it isn’t their radio that hasn’t been working properly... it’s the entire world. A nuclear and biological war has whipped out most of human civilization. All that remains are hideous mutants, gangs of murdering rapists, and victims for them to kill. Astronaut Newman (Steve Barkett) and Astronaut Williams (Jim Danforth) must defend a woman and a young child (Lynne Margulies as Sarah and a Christopher Barkett as Chris) from a particularly vicious gang led by “Cutter” (Sid Haig).

The worst thing about The Aftermath (also known as Zombie Aftermath) is that it's a cheap independent film no one reading this has ever heard of and even fewer will have seen. In case you stumble upon it, I've decided that it is my civil duty as a human being to let you know why you should stay away from it.

I know it’s a low-budget production but that doesn’t matter. If you intend to release your movie to the paying public, you shouldn’t try and make a movie you can't afford. The Aftermath looks badly made, like a bunch of amateurs got together and said “you know what? Watching those movies was easy. I bet we could do that!” There are obvious mistakes made throughout someone should've caught, like a scene where a charred, mummified body is obviously a guy with a paper mache mask. You can tell because the guy’s unmutilated hands are right there. In at least one shot, our hero throws a grenade then actor/director/writer/producer Steve Barkett stopped shooting so an explosive could be placed in it then resumed so they could blow it up. You can tell by the way the camera's position and lighting changes. It's so badly edited two characters having a conversation wind up looking like they're on opposite ends of the world.

Not helping is the audio. Most of the movie's dialogue has been removed so Steve Barkett can narrate over what's happening and explain to us what's going on. Stylistic choice? My money is on them being unable to record dialogue while on location or the performances being so wooden, so lifeless even for this kind of shoddy production something had to be done. That’s what you get when you hire your entire family to make a science fiction movie. Seriously, the name “Barkett” must appear like 30 times during the credits.

I can handle creaky special effects and performances if the story is good, or inventive. Not when it's gross like this one. There’s no need for a movie like this to have this much rape (off-screen or not) or for the characters to be this stupid. Unfortunately, lapses in intelligence are the only thing that prevents this plot from ending before the 30-minute mark. Not even the mutants, which appear for two scenes and then disappear completely bring any kind of joy or excitement to The Aftermath.

I hoped for one of two things when I pressed "PLAY" on my VCR. Either a good movie or something so awful it would become awesome. This offers neither. Terrible acting, lousy special effects, not an ounce of imagination, tasteless content, a boring story, clichéd plot points, and about as many zombies as The Land Before Time. Unless your last name is featured in the end credits of The Aftermath, stay away from it. It’s not even “so bad it’s good”. (On VHS, April 14, 2015)

#TheAftermath #aftermath #movies #films #reviews #MovieReviews #filmReviews #SteveBarkett #LynneMargulies #SidHaig #1982Movies #post-apocaylptic #FilmCriticism

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Snowman (1982)

Based on the book by Raymond Briggs, The Snowman is enchanting. Seeing it awoke inside me that feeling you get flipping through the pages of a photo album. It makes you nostalgic for long gone, sweeter, innocent days. It's a little sad but there's also a warmth that comes from that longing. The emotions push you to take action by putting on a scarf and mitts, packing up some snowballs, or simply wandering outside in the white landscape of Christmas.

This story of a young boy who discovers that the snowman he's built has come to life is a visual splendor. Rather than using traditional shading techniques, the shapes, shadows, and highlights have been created via crosshatching. This gives The Snowman a distinct look and feel. The way it brings the book to life imitates the way some kind of magic has given the main character’s friend motion. This look, along with the dialogue-free story gives this 1982 special a timeless quality. You'll want to see it every year and pass it down to your children.

A large part of the success of The Snowman comes from the audio. It's just music coordinated to action, but the two fit so well together they become one. It builds to I’m Walking in the Air, a beautifully melancholic, joyous tune that contains the only dialogue in the film. You can never forget its words and melody.

Every December, I gather with friends to watch Christmas movies. We have a few staples but mostly, the lineup changes from year to year to accommodate the various titles we've brought with us. At 27 minutes, The Snowman is a perfect addition. You can slide it between full-length features as we wait for that one straggler or to get the event started on the right foot. It’s a favorite waiting to be discovered. (On DVD, December 17, 2017)

#TheSnowman #movies #films #ChristmasMovies #Christmasfilms #movieReviews #FilmReviews #RaymondBriggs #DianneJackson #1982movies #1982films #animatedmovies #animatedfilms

[adamwatchesmovies]

Blade Runner (1982)

The first time I saw Blade Runner, I liked it but had issues with the film. Subsequent viewings allow you to recognize it for what it is; an atmospheric, subtle and intelligent science fiction film that deserves every accolade it receives.

Set in the then-futuristic 2019, retired police officer Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) is a “blade runner”, an officer who specializes in finding and destroying "replicants". Illegal on Earth, these androids are physically indistinguishable from adult humans but are far stronger and only live for about 4 years. Their short lifespan limits their emotional maturity and they can turn violent when confronted with hypothetical questions, grief, anger or other extreme conditions. Deckard is on the trail of four Replicants who have come to Earth seeking to extend their lifetimes.

This movie has been dissected time and time again. If you want to know more about its complex themes, you can find someone far more qualified than I to discuss them. Instead, let me tell you why, after only two viewings, I've fallen in love with Blade Runner (the "Final Cut” in case you're wondering. First, the look. Director Ridley Scott sets the right mood right away by beginning high above the futuristic Los Angeles skyline. The word that best describes it is "endless". The pyramid-like buildings, the televised advertisements, the traffic overhead. It's grandiose from above but wet, dirty, and crowded from street level.

Despite the flying cars, androids/gynoids, and synthetic animals, nothing about this feature is presented as fantastic, which makes it feel authentic. Flying cars are like today's smartwatches. Not everyone has one. Most people lead menial lives, barely affected by the far-out technology. They bought the crummy knock-off or found a way to graft the new doodads onto their existing stuff instead.

The easy way to convey the information about replicants, the future, the themes of humanity, and of oppressive corporate control would have been via a rookie joining Deckard and having everything explained to them. Instead, the picture takes its time and assumes you're bright enough to come to your own conclusions about what's happening. If the movie feels slow, it is but there's plenty there to see either in the sets, the characters or the way they interact. It’s paced naturally, realistically. Deckard must do actual detective work and sift through mundane clues to find his targets. The way he goes about his search is no different from everyone else we see. He's world-weary and trudges on like he couldn’t care less if today is his last day. It's the opposite of the Replicants, who are so desperate to extend their lives that they risk certain death on Earth to change their fates. You can’t see these nuances unless you’re paying attention, really looking at everyone's reactions and asking questions. This is a movie that demands to be viewed multiple times, analyzed, and discussed with others for you to figure out exactly what's going on. It's not that the plot is confusing, it's that a lot is happening beneath the surface. You risk missing out if you come in with the wrong expectations.

The more I think about Blade Runner, the more it fascinates me. There are details I’ve heard others bring up that I missed completely, and yet my experience felt complete. Then again, I want to see those bread crumbs that other people picked up on, so I feel compelled to watch it again. Blade Runner didn't do well at the box office upon release but it has never faded away because, in time, we realized what we had on our hands. Don't miss out. (Final Cut version on the big screen, February 1, 2015)

#Blade Runner #BladeRunner #movies #films #reviews #movie reviews #filmreviews #filmcriticism #RidleyScott #HamptonFancher #DavidPeoples #PhilipK.Dick #HarrisonFord #RutgerHauer #SeanYoung #EdwardJamesOlmos #1982Movies #1982Films