Sabotage Times, We can't Concentrate so Why Should You?Sabotage Times, We can't Concentrate so Why Should You?

Five Great Films of the 1980s You Should See

by Simon Martin
2 December 2013 30 Comments

The 80’s was not a classic decade for film. Well let me re-phrase that, it was not a classic decade for films unless you like all American action films, sugar coated white Ivy League Brat Pack angst-fests and very lightweight situational comedy.

Das Boot – 1981.  If there is a film or book that gives you a feeling of desperation and creeping certainty of death this is the fella.  It starts with seasoned U-Boat officers and seamen alike getting wildly drunk before another long stint in the icy northern seas.  The sunken eyes and the pallid skin give their trade away and it is clear that they are afforded more room for drunken antics than perhaps their equivalent ranks are in other areas of the German military forces.  The feeling being that the Deutsche Marine ask so much of them they can get away with much more after all the chances of survival were 1 in 4.  A correspondent is taken on board to write about the experience and as the sub gets into trouble it is his reaction as one who is unfamiliar with the pressure that helps create the drama.  There is strong character development and you get to know the key players well.  It’s difficult to say too much more about it without spoiling it for you but just to say that the sub get’s into difficulty and you feel like you are sitting in a pressure cooker with them.  It’s by no means a cheery film and one everyone should see.  It was made in the same year as a film called Carbon Copy in which George Segal’s white corporate executive is surprised to discover that he has a black teen-age son who can’t wait to be adopted into the, almost-exclusively-white community of, San Marino, California.Hollywood eh?

Nicky & Gino (AKA Dominick and Eugene)– 1988.  Forget Rain Man, if ever there was a heart-warming film about adults with learning disabilities this is it.  I always felt that Tom Cruise was better in Rain Man than Dustin Hoffman and when Hoffman tries too hard I think he often misses the mark.  Nicky (Tom Hulce) and Gino (Ray Liotta) are twins, they live together and whilst Nicky has learning problems due to an accident when he was younger he is working as a binman to put Gino through medical college.   It’s a really heart-warming film, not a grand drama, the themes are loyalty, family and responsibility.  It’s a bit schmaltzy I suppose but if we can’t enjoy a bit of schmaltz in a movie where can we?  Tom Hulce is superb by the way and why he was not recognised by the academy is a scandal quite frankly, although he was nominated for a Golden Globe.  Go on, guess who won the Oscar?  Yes well done, it was fucking Hoffman, the Golden Globe too.  Sheesh.

Southern Comfort – 1981.  My Keith Carradine bromance continues. Along with Powers Boothe, KC stars as two fairly indifferent weekend warrior National Guardsmen. As part of a company headed by Peter Coyote they are on training manoeuvres in the mangrove swamps of the Louisiana. Coyote is killed by a one armed Cajun (Brion James) after they steal a couple of boats. Boats are essential to survival in the swamps and here is the first metaphor for “survival of the fittest”.

More…

TV’s Best Alpha Males

5 Actors Who Only Play Themselves

Following the loss of their Captain the soldiers turn to panic and in-fighting as they are pursued through the swamps and picked off one by one by the Cajuns. Director Walter Hill does “taut” very well and as much as this film is very different to his other big hit “The Warriors” it shares a theme, the main characters are being hunted in both films. There’s some great music in it and in the village near the end there is an old fella singing in French (I think) to the same tune as Hollywood Beyond’s 1986 hit “What’s the Colour of Money”.  Methinks those lads ripped the tune.

Grave of the Fireflies – 1988Cartoons are funny right?  Wrong. This is a tale of a young Japanese boy (Seita - he’s probably about 12) and his toddler sister (Setsuko) orphaned during WWII and their struggle to survive. It’s grim stuff that doesn’t let up and I challenge any hardened 21st century urban cynic not to sit through it without a massive sobbing fit at some stage. No one really stands up to help them, it’s a selfish time and they are on their own. It’s also a beautiful film, whilst most filmmakers like to make you laugh or shit your pants Isao Takahata wants you to look at real tragedy and feel the helplessness of it. Can you imagine walking into Disney to pitch a screenplay about two children who die of hunger and disease and you know right from the start this is going to happen but you have to watch it. Don’t let the big Mickey shaped door hit your arse on the way out pal.

Crossing Delancey – 1988.  I’ve always liked this quirky New York romance.  Amy Irving plays Isabelle, the girl with dreams of romance and success amongst NYC’s literati but the film champions the little man, the resourceful and steady pickle man Sam Posner (Peter Reigert) against the glamorous but shallow poet Anton Maes (Jeroen Krabbe).  As the film progresses you see that Sam is more than she thought whilst she initially rejects him in favour of her lofty ambitions he wins her over with little gestures.  Not least she has a male friend who often falls out with his wife and put’s upon Issy for a place to stay and an ear to bend.  Sam offers him a place to stay at his, it seems a small gesture but it’s the protection she craves and he is there to provide it.  There’s good support from the legendary Sylvia Miles as the Jewish matchmaker and Reizl Bozyk as Issy’s fantastic Jewish Bubbie.  I find Woody Allen’s New York hard work, this is not.

I have to put a footnote in about Coming to America (1988) which I re-watched recently or more specifically all the scenes in the My-T Sharp barbershop.  The characters Clarence, Saul, Sweets and Morris crack me up every time.  Yes the film is a Landis special but its piss funny in parts.  The dialogue between the barbers and their old Jewish friend is just genius.  If you’ve seen it then the mere mention of “Rocky Marciano”, “His mamma call him Clay”, “Juice and Berries” will raise a smile.  As the end credit role Murphy (as Saul) does the old “Taste the Soup” gag, it’s excellent and you realise what a good comic he was.

If you like it, Pass it on

image descriptionCOMMENTS

Jimmy C 12:18 pm, 2-May-2011

See Simon, it wasn't that hard. Can I chip in with Boer War courtroom drama Breaker Morant, and New Zealand manhunt tale Bad Blood, both starring the wonderful Jack Thompson?

Richard Luck 12:31 pm, 2-May-2011

Top choices, Simon. And I have to agree with Jimmy - Breaker Morant is a great advertisement for Boer-dom (sorry). As for other underrated '80s gems, Walker, Rollover, The Club (there's another one for you, Jimmy) and Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters are all worth your while.

Jimmy C 1:04 pm, 2-May-2011

I picked The Club up last year Richard, but it wasn't quite as good as I remembered it, though it does have its moments. The BBC used to do Aussie film seasons (Sunday nights, BBC2?) and I remember Don's Party and Newsfront as both being pretty good. There was another one about a failed bank heist that may or may not have starred the underrated Bryan Brown, but I can't remember what it was bloody well called. Any ideas?

James Brown 3:42 pm, 2-May-2011

Maybe we should start a film club with regular screenings.

Simon Martin 4:51 pm, 2-May-2011

Not seen those two films but I will look out for them on Amazon. I considered Do the Right Thing and other quotables like Withnail but the former is not very subtle and the latter has been done to death. I still really like the long version of Betty Blue as well and not just because it gave me a boner at 18.

The Fat Bloke 7:14 pm, 2-May-2011

The guy singing in French in Southern Comfort is Dewey Balfa. One of the heroes of Cajun. One of the famed Balfa brothers.

Simon Martin 8:05 pm, 2-May-2011

Cheers fat bloke. Mr Balfa is superb and it really adds to the film.

Nigel 8:22 pm, 2-May-2011

Impressive list. Very hard to narrow these things down to twenty, let alone five. Agree about Breaker Morant, and would like to throw Paris, Texas and Brazil into the mix.

Simon Martin 9:11 pm, 2-May-2011

Cheers Nigel. I try to pick ones that people may have heard of but would not necessarily be that familiar with. I don't go for the obvious or well known even if they are great films because it would be boring and you would have heard it all before. I guess what I am saying in a long winded way is that it's not a "best of" list.

Simon Martin 6:55 am, 3-May-2011

Just like to add Continental Divide (1981) to the mix. John Belushi does subtle romantic, who'd have thought.

Simon Martin 9:01 am, 3-May-2011

Christ you can buy Breaker Morant for £2.17 used or new with 19m other "Action" films for £5.00 orf off Amazon. No wonder HMV is stuggling. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B000OCYDXE/ref=sr_1_2_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1304409581&sr=8-2&condition=new

Our Jonf 3:10 pm, 5-May-2011

You missed out Transformers: The Movie.... Genius film

Rob Kemp 11:49 am, 6-May-2011

Good selection Simon. I'd add Come And See as one of the greats of the 80s or ever for that matter.

terry 10:40 pm, 18-May-2011

The colour of money - newman, scorsese, even crusie is on form!

Mr Patrick 7:17 pm, 19-May-2011

To Live And Die In LA - This has it all, badass cops, a great car chase, good looking birds and the Wang Chung soundtrack.

Angelo Barovier 7:32 pm, 1-Jun-2011

Real Genius --- Eminently quotable. Still resonant with any smart kid entering college/uni. Timeless despite its 80's cultural trappings.

Jimmy C 7:41 pm, 1-Jun-2011

Th King of Comedy, fer chrissake. How did we leave out?

Fugate Starkweather 3:45 pm, 26-Aug-2012

Blood Simple - The Coen Bros debut. Gripping and haunting at the same time.

Steve Roberts 2:09 pm, 13-Oct-2012

@JimmyC, the bank heist movie was The Money Movers and there were 6 or 12 excellent Aussie films in that run in the early 1980s, starting with Breaker Morant, also Patrick and Best of Friends, Summerfield, Manganinnie ... seeing these films on the BBC was instrumental in my decision to emigrate from UK to Australia.

ArsenalKL 2:33 pm, 30-Dec-2012

Diva (1981), Local Hero (1983)

David 9:21 pm, 30-Dec-2012

Blue Velvet?

Santa 1:41 am, 31-Dec-2012

Tom Cruise never failed, not even in disgusting Top Gun, and he was so much better then Dustin H. in Rain Man. Tom, crazy or not, is one of the best American actors of all times !!!

kevin 11:34 am, 31-Dec-2012

to live and die in new york- excellent choice mr patrick also year of the dragon with mickey rourke

mikej 12:24 pm, 7-Jan-2013

diner,raging bull,the blues brothers

mike 2:31 pm, 7-Jan-2013

diner, raging bull

michael wild 1:04 am, 8-Jan-2013

Southern Comfort the lost Viet Nam allegory ....Not lost on me and now available in BluRay.... The scenes in the Cajun village...The tension is so palpable I could cut it with a my bowie knife...

RichardM 5:12 pm, 13-Jan-2013

All good. Five more for the pile: The Big Red One, Gloria, The Year My Voice Broke, The Man With Two Brains, Tampopo.

andrew mathison 12:10 pm, 2-Dec-2013

Withnail & I

Doesn't matter 12:42 am, 3-Dec-2013

I'm a little bit embarresed about this but Gregory's Girl is quite simpley a devine piece of early to mid 80's teen angst. It still rings too far many bells that I'm comfortable with.

Carl H 12:36 pm, 3-Dec-2013

Lovely stuff. Another five? Cat People, Wings of Desire, Platoon, The Hunger, Videodrome...

Leave a comment

Film image description SABOTAGE

1