This is a fun little movie with plenty of laughs to go around. We get to see Michael Keaton and Joe Piscopo in their prime. Other stars you might recognize in the movie are Marilu Henner (Taxi), Peter Boyle (Everybody Loves Raymond), Griffin Dunne (An American Werewolf in London), Dom DeLuise (Cannonball Run) and Danny DeVito (Taxi, Twins).
This is a gangster movie spoof that is set in the 1930's. Michael Keaton is excellent in it as a guy doing what he has to do to survive in a post-depression America. That may include the occasional thievery and murder.
Although Keaton is really great as the lead in the movie, for me it's Joe Piscopo that makes this movie. He's hilarious as the cruel sadistic Danny Vermin. He has an ongoing saying in the movie he uses to keep us in stitches. It changes according to the circumstances, but is funny throughout. Here's an example: When Johnny hangs Vermin up on a coat hook, Vermin turns to him, with his finger extended out and says "You shouldn't hang me on a hook, Johnny. My father hung me on a hook once.........ONCE!!!"
Really good weekend movie to watch and laugh a bit. Go rent it.
This is definitely one of Air Supply's best songs. It reached #5 in 1981.
This has to be one of the greatest songs ever written about lost love. Great song about someone who realizes he can't survive without the woman he loves in his life.
While this may not be an instrumental in the strictest sense of the term, it really doesn't have any singing in it either. There are some "Oh Yeahs" and some "Beautifuls" dispersed throughout the song, but that's about it.
What made this such an important 80's instrumental was it's appearance in movies such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Secret to my Success, K-9 and She's Out of Control.
#9
Close to the Edit
Art of Noise
I'll never forget when this video came out. The little girl really freaked me out. Still does. Good music, strange video.
#8
Songbird
Kenny G
Before Kenny G was so busy trying to break world's record by hitting the all-time longest notes, he was busy hitting the charts in the 80's with smooth sounding jazz songs such as this.
#7
The A-Team Theme
Mike Post and Pete Carpenter
As soon as you heard the music you knew you were in for some laughs and plenty of action. The song has a militaristic sound to it, yet still carries a nice enough tune to listen to and enjoy over and over.
#6
Hill Street Blues Theme
Mike Post feat. Larry Carlton on guitar
Great music and perfect for the series. This theme was written by one of the same guys that wrote The A-Team Theme above. I'd say he's pretty good at his job.
The coolest television series on the air had to have the coolest theme, so Jan Hammer was brought in to handle the music for Miami Vice. It would be pretty hard to think of Miami Vice with any other theme now, wouldn't it?
#4
Axel F
Harold Faltermeyer
The name of the song comes from Eddie Murphy's character, Axel Foley, in Beverly Hills Cop, which the song was written for.
This plain and simply is just beautiful music. It's one of those songs that immediately transports you back in time. It gives you a soothing sense of happiness for all things past.
#1
Chariots of Fire
Vangelis
What a great song! When I hear Chariots of Fire, I immediately think of triumphing over impossible odds. It's one of the very few instrumentals to have ever hit #1 on the charts.
Hope you enjoyed this list of instrumentals. Do you think other songs should have been included on this list or some on this list should not have? Leave your opinions in the comments section below.
In the 80's he played a stay at home Dad, a nocturnal superhero, a mental patient, an alcoholic, a ghost with the most, a mafia-type criminal leader, a voice for American auto workers and even a pimp working out of a morgue, among other things.
To say Michael Keaton has been diverse in his career would be an understatement. Keaton never really got enough credit for his dramatic roles, maybe because he was so brilliant in his comedic roles. However, he deserves credit for brilliant turns in movies such as Clean and Sober. Keaton is one of the few actors who, in my opinion, has been able to make the transition from successful comedic actor to, more than capable, dramatic actor.
Keaton has continued to stay busy throughout the 90's and 00's. And with with new movies already completed and ready to hit the theaters, there looks to be no let up for him in the coming decade.
First off, let me just say, I by no means am saying these are the best dance moves of the 80's. What this list is compiled of, is dance moves that are clearly identified with the person listed. It is their "signature" moves. Some are good and others are just down right laughable.
Now, with that said, let's travel back a bit to a time when dancing ability could make you or break you.
Honorable Mention
David Byrne
Convulsions/Arm Chop
David Byrne from The Talking Heads was about as strange as they came back in the 80's. However, he was never quite as strange as he was when doing the Convulsion Dance and the Same As It Ever Was Arm Chop. Well, at least that's what I call these crazy moves.
The Convulsions start at the beginning of this video and the Arm Chop begins around 3:57.
#10
Molly Ringwald
The Molly Ringwald
This was the dance that almost all the girls used on the dance floors in the 80's. You will see Molly doing it at 1:17 and 1:36 of this video that somebody brilliantly put together on YouTube.
#9
Chunk
The Truffle Shuffle
I was never a big Goonies fan, but you cannot deny Chunk owning The Truffle Shuffle. I bet he got all the chicks with that dance.
#8
Patrick Dempsey
The African Anteater Ritual
The set-up: Patrick Dempsey has to learn to dance in a hurry, so he gets up the morning of the dance to watch Bandstand and get some tips. What he doesn't know is he isn't watching Bandstand. After practicing what he sees on the tv, he walks out of the room and his little brother walks in while the dance is getting over on the tv. He stops to watch as a black man in full African garb steps in front of the camera. The little brother then says the classic line "Now that ain't Dick Clark." Ends up Dempsey, unknowingly, has just learned how to do the African Anteater Ritual on the African Cultural Hour.
#7
Axl Rose
The Snake Dance
Don't know what else to call it except for the Axl Rose Snake Dance. And it is definitely unique to Axl. You'll find him doing it throughout the Sweet Child 'O Mine video above. Enjoy!
#6
Milli Vanilli
Leg Swing
I don't really care if they sung this song or not, they danced their asses off. And besides it was still good music regardless. You'll see the signature move around 3:50.
#5
Michael Jackson
Leg Kick
This guy starts the Leg Kick around :25 and stops around :31. He's about as good as I've seen do it besides Michael Jackson.
I wish I could have found a better video to show you the Ickey Shuffle during Ickey Woods playing days. This is all I could find, but needless to say when you think of Ickey Woods the Ickey Shuffle immediately comes to mind.
#3
Rick Astley
The Card Shuffle
A full 5 minutes of being Rick Rolled. How do you feel? This guy's dance move was so memorable, today's generation uses it as a practical joke.
#2
Michael Jackson
Crotch Grab
What more can you say about Michael Jackson? Not much. He had a way of turning the strange into the next big thing.
#1
Michael Jackson
Moonwalk
Not only the greatest move of the 80's, but the greatest move of all time. It just seemed impossible that you were seeing what you were looking at.
Well I hope you enjoyed watching the bad as well as the good dance moves. Can you think of others that belong? Leave your opinions in the comments below.
"I'm lying alone with my head on the phone, thinking of you 'til it hurts."
What teenager in the 80's, who felt they were deeply in love, couldn't relate to this great song? I wonder how many people would play this song and wallow in their sadness?
This was Air Supply's first hit song in the U.S. They reached #3 in 1980 with this classic love song. This also happens to be my favorite Air Supply song.
The Greg Kihn Band said it best when they said "They don't write 'em like that anymore." Air Supply's music proves that theory. They don't make love songs like these guys sang anymore. That's a shame.
Air Supply was the masters of being able to induce that lump in your throat. If you was in love in the 80's, Air Supply was required listening. I know a lot of people might kind of talk about them in cheesy terms now, but back then Air Supply was extremely popular. You don't have 7 straight top 5 hits without being popular and selling a ton of records. So all the people who roll their eyes at Air Supply today may want to lug out their old box of records and cassettes and check and see just how many Air Supply recordings they owned, because somebody was buying them.
I hope you all don't get too melancholy during the course of this week while listening to what may be the greatest ballad band of all time. Enjoy!!!
Here's a forgotten video and song. Too bad, because it was one of their better songs. I had pretty much forgot about it myself until making this list up. Glad I found it, I probably hadn't heard it since the 80's.
Here's a hidden gem for you guys. Bad Boys was the movie I sat back and said to myself "Hey Dude, Spicoli can act."
This movie is about two young hoodlums from the inner city, who's lives change in an instant when a tragic accident occurs during the course of a robbery gone wrong. Mick O'Brien (Sean Penn) accidentally runs down a young boy while speeding away from a botched robbery. What he doesn't know is the young boy he accidentally kills is the brother of Paco Moreno (Esai Morales).
Paco is a hardcore gang member who swears out revenge on O'Brien. Unfortunately, because O'Brien has been locked up in a juvenile detention center for his crimes, the victim of this revenge will be O'Briens girlfriend J.C (Ally Sheedy). All comes to a head when both O'Brien and Moreno end up in the same detention center and they joust for who will be running things on the inside.
We get to see a young Sean Penn, Ally Sheedy and Esai Morales in this underrated movie. Morales, in particular, always struck me as an actor who never got the accolades he deserved. He's extremely good in this as a grieving brother who is bent on revenge. I'd love to see him in bigger and better roles than he gets these days.
Go out and rent this movie if you haven't seen it. It is well worth the watch. It can be seen on Netflix right now, straight from the site if you have a membership.
Loverboy took a page out of the ZZTop How To Make A Video manual and came up with what was definitely their best video and one of their best songs in 1983.
There wasn't a teenage boy alive who wasn't in love with that blonde in the video. I wonder what she looks like today?
What makes a good fight scene? Is it the technique of the two combatants? Yes, sometimes. Is it the brutality of the damage being dished out? Yes, sometimes. Is it the sheer excitement of the good guy prevailing over the bad guy? Yes, sometimes. Is it whether or not it seems like a realistic fight? Yes, sometimes. Is it the uniqueness or inventiveness of the fight choreography? Yes, sometimes.
The real answer is yes, it can be any one of these things, a combination of these things or all of these things. What it really comes down to though, is was it entertaining.
The following is the Top 10 Most Entertaining Fight Scenes of the 80's. Enjoy!!!
Honorable Mention
Ralphie vs. Scut Farkus
A Christmas Story (1983)
You can only bully a fella so many times before he snaps. And, boy, did Ralphie ever snap.
Who among us can't relate to getting picked on at some point in time in our lives? If your answer is "not me", then you must have been the bully. For those of us who have been bullied at some point, we can totally relate to Ralphie in this situation. He just snaps! I'm sure the next thing he remembers after taking that snowball to the face, was his mother pulling him off Scut Farkus.
All things said during said fight should be forgiven Ralphie. You can't hold a man accountable for things he does or says when he snaps.
I'm sure we all felt great watching Ralphie beat the ever living snot out of that older bully Scut Farkus. It's always great seeing the little guy prevail.
#10
Ash vs. Ash's Hand
Evil Dead II (1987)
You ever get the feeling you're just fighting against yourself in this cruel world? Well, this prospect was taken to the extreme in Evil Dead II, when demonic forces take over Ash's hand and is hell bent on killing him.
Gotta love the little voice his hand has during the scene. Kinda sounds like the old Tasmanian Devil cartoon. But, where does this voice come from? His hand has no mouth. Strange.
#9
Clifford and Linderman vs. Moody and Mike
My Bodyguard (1980)
Gotta love it, two fights basically back to back. This is another one in the same vein as Ralphie's fight. It's the bullies vs. the underdogs.
Who didn't love seeing Matt Dillon get his nose broke by that kid that played in Meatballs?
#8
Tommy Lee vs. Dae Han
Best of the Best (1989)
The scene immediately following the fight really helps the fight scene become even better. After being the villain throughout the movie, Dae Han shows a respect and remorse for killing Tommy's brother in a previous match. Look for that video on YouTube if you'd like, it's worth it.
This is a great show of martial art skills in this well choreographed scene. Another great little tidbit about this scene is that the two actors playing the combatants are actually brothers in real life.
#7
Frank Dux vs. Chong Li
Bloodsport (1988)
Van Damme at his best. This fight scene had all the drama. Chong Li had already sent Frank's friend to the hospital earlier in the tournament. Chong Li seemed pretty much invincible, but when he proved not to be, he cheated and blinded Van Damme. This brought even further drama to the fight. After that it seemed as though Van Damme turned into a Jedi and he used The Force to finish off Chong Li.
Although this movie is based on a true story about Frank Dux, I highly doubt the actual real life fights went anything like this or they'd all be dead.
#6
Daniel-san vs. Johnny
The Karate Kid (1984)
The Crane. I don't know any boy who was a teenager back when this movie came out, who didn't try mastering The Crane. Seemed like it was the answer to all your troubles if you found yourself in a fight. Can you imagine how hilarious it would have been to actually see someone use The Crane in a real street fight? They would have been severely laughed at.
Gotta love this scene, though. Daniel had taken some major abuse at the hands of the other Cobra Kai members during the course of the tournament. They were trying to break him down so he would be too beat up when he finally got to Johnny. It darn near worked for them too. That is until Mr. Miyagi broke out the ancient Rubbing Hands Together method of healing arts to Daniel's knee. Great movie, great scene.
#5
Philo Beddoe vs. Jack Wilson
Any Which Way You Can (1980)
The fight that wasn't supposed to happen was on!!! Everybody wanted to see these two guys fight, but nobody wanted to see it more than the two combatants themselves. They just had to prove to each other who the better man was. And we were all the benefactors by being totally entertained.
This was a long drawn out fight that went back and forth. Hell, this fight was so long they actually took a break in the middle to sit down and drink a beer together. Gotta love it!
#4
Riggs vs. Joshua
Lethal Weapon (1987)
This fight was all about dishing out some serious pain to Joshua. Riggs and Murtaugh wanted to make him suffer for his crimes.
I love how Murtaugh begs to be tagged in by Riggs in the middle of the fight. He must have thought he was in a professional wrestling match.
#3
Rocky vs. Drago
Rocky IV (1985)
I'll never forget seeing this at the movies back in 85. It's the only time I can remember people in the theater actually getting up and applauding, like in a rock concert. With every punch Rocky landed you would here people hooting and hollering with smatterings of clapping. I guess it probably meant more to those living in the times of the Cold War. It was almost a metaphor for the geo-political situation we were in as a country. This made the entire fight and movie that much better.
Both of the 80's Rocky movies probably could have been used on this list. His fight with Clubber Lang was pretty good in Rocky III. Even Apollo's fatal fight with Drago could have been used. Gotta love the Rocky movies. Glad to have seen them end on a pretty good note with last year's Rocky Balboa.
#2
Jake La Motta vs. Sugar Ray Robinson
Raging Bull (1980)
What a great scene. Scorsese was brilliant in his direction of this movie, but even more so of this particular scene. The sheer brutality was overwhelming. You could almost feel every single punch La Motta was taking. In the end, it was all about survival for La Motta. It was all about being able to say he withstood the best Robinson had to offer and was still standing at the end.
This is one of the best acting jobs of all time by DeNiro, one of the best directing jobs of all time by Scorsese and one of the best movies all time overall. See it if you haven't.
#1
Nada vs. Frank
They Live (1988)
I just had to add that top video. Rowdy Roddy announces his intentions in grand fashion.
This fight scene between Piper and Keith David was just great in so many ways. I love the comedic undertones of Piper wanting him to "put on these glasses". I love the fact it seems a bit more realistic than some of the karate type fight scenes in other movies. I love the fact they are actually friends, but are just having a disagreement.
Just when you think the fight is over, it keeps going. And it never gets boring. All Piper wants him to do is put on the glasses. That's not asking too much, is it?
I hope you liked the list. I'm sure there were some you might of thought were better that I missed. If so, tell me about it in the comments section below.
Let it be said, Sean Penn is one of American cinema's greatest actors. Who would've thunk it after watching Fast Times at Ridgemont High?
Penn was so convincing, in the 1982 high school romp, as a spaced out, searching for the next high, surfer dude, we automatically thought that's how he was in real life. Quite to the contrary in fact. What we didn't know at the time was Penn is a totally absorbed method actor who becomes his characters on and off the screen to create a more superb performance.
Penn has had no let up in his career since Fast Times. He stayed busy in the 80's and 90's with one excellent performance after another. In the 2000's he has simply put himself on another level when it comes to acting. Now an Oscar winner, Penn can pretty much pick and choose whatever role he desires. Luckily for us, he usually chooses well.
He has become known for his political views as of late. While I pretty much wholeheartedly disagree with everything he believes in, politically, I do commend him for his diligence to get involved on a personal level. What I don't like is his persistence to use his lofty status and public weight, as one of acting's best, as a bully pulpit to espouse his views.
Anyhow, enough with the politics. Penn has been an icon in Hollywood for almost 30yrs and seems to be in his stride. Here's looking forward to more great roles from a great actor.
This is probably the song everyone thinks of when thinking of Loverboy. It is a song that still gets radio play to this very day on present day hit radio stations. When 5:00pm rolls around on Fridays you are guaranteed to be able to turn your radio on and find this song playing on at least one station.
This video has the first appearance of the Mike Reno red leather pants. Not the last though.
The 80's were a great decade for the horror genre of movies. Some of the all-time classic characters were birthed in the 80's. Some of the cheesiest too, but maybe we'll save that for another list.
For this list we're gonna count down the characters that made us go home from the theatre, check under the bed, look in the closet, make sure all the doors and windows were locked and then after all that, still stay up all night hearing creaks and bumps.
So with no further adieu, turn down the lights and get a fresh pair of underwear out, because you're about ready to get the !*$@ scared out of you.
Honorable Mention
Gage Creed (Miko Hughes)
Pet Sematary (1989)
This kid was like the real-life Chucky. This is a case where they take something so innocent and benign as an adorable child and find a way to turn him into your worst nightmare.
To see a pre-schooler running around killing people is just surreal. Your senses just can't put the terrifying images together with the cute fuzzy feelings you should have when seeing such an adorable child.
What makes it even more creepy is the fact he is actually a child who has been run over and killed by a semi-truck, buried in a mysterious cemetery, and brought back to life by that same mysterious cemetery. Things that are dead shouldn't be walking and talking. Creepy!
#10
Rev. Henry Kane (Julian Beck)
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
What's scarier than taking a man who is supposed to be holy and making him evil? This guy still gives me the creeps to this day.
Julian Beck died while filming this movie after a two year battle with stomach cancer. Much of the gaunt haunting look of the character owes itself to the effects of the disease and the chemotherapy treatments.
#9
Christine (1958 Plymouth Fury)
Christine (1983)
Ok, imagine you're a movie producer and someone pitches you the idea for a movie about a demon possessed, jealous, murderous 1958 Plymouth Fury. Back in the early 80's (pre-Christine) the only kind of possessed car you could think of would have been Herbie the Love Bug, so you probably would have laughed them right out of your office.
Although it seemed like this idea was, at best, waaaay too campy and, at worst, downright failure waiting to happen, it worked like a charm. What Jaws did for sharks and beaches, Christine did for the '58 Plymouth Fury. I mean, they are beautiful classic cars, but I wouldn't be caught dead owning one. Well, actually that's the fear. I would be found dead after owning one. LOL
#8
Chucky (Brad Dourif)
Child's Play (1988)
Dolls, especially talking ones, always kinda spooked me in the first place. So what do they go and do? They basically take the "My Buddy" doll and turn him into a deranged serial-killer. Thanks guys. What's next, turning my Grandma into a horror movie villain?
A serial killer about to die uses a voodoo spell to make his soul jump into a doll. Then the doll is bought for a young boy and starts going on a murder spree. This was another idea, like Christine, which on it's face seemed pretty much laughable, but they made the character terrorizing.
The sequels were way over the top campy, but this first version of Chucky measured high on the creep-o-meter.
#7
Isaac Chroner (John Franklin)
Children of the Corn (1984)
Stephen King again creates a character that scares the bejesus out of us. This time he takes two things we would never usually think of as scary, a preacher and a kid and combines them to create a sociopathic cult leader.
John Franklin's voice is creepy enough as it is (he kind of sounds like South Park's Cartman), but in the video above they make him sound possessed while he's in a murderous rage.
#6
Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson)
The Shining (1980)
"All work and no play make Jack a dull boy." Well, he was working alright. Working on scaring the living ass-candy out of us.
I think, besides the fact Jack Nicholson plays this character to maniacal perfection, what makes this character so spooky is that he is the father and husband. He's the one that is supposed to be protecting his family from danger and here he is causing that danger. Another great Stephen King character and movie.
#5
Pinhead (Doug Bradley)
Hellraiser (1987)
There aren't too many things more scary than a crazy looking dude with pins stuck all over his head, wanting to drag you to hell and rip your soul apart, is there?
This character actually didn't have a name in the original Hellraiser movie. He was simply credited as "Lead Cenobite". However, fans of the movie began referring to him as Pinhead and the name stuck (no pun intended). Bradley was credited thereafter in the movie as Pinhead.
#4
The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm)
Phantasm (1979)
Although this movie came out in 1979, it also had a sequel in 1988. Therefore, The Tall Man makes this list.
Seeing this movie as a 10 year old probably warped me in ways I'll never know. All I remember is it scared the hell out of me. It so got into my head, I've never gathered up enough courage to watch it again. I don't think I will either.
#3
Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Freddy and the next two on this list are what I consider the unholy trinity of 80's horror.
So now we can't even go to sleep and get away from the monsters. The only way to stay away from Freddy was to stay awake. Freddy was the ultimate nightmare. A nightmare that whatever happened to you in your dreams, killed you in real life.
Freddy was said to be the "son of 100 maniacs", because his mother had been raped in a mental institution by 100 of the inmates. He was a child murderer who had gotten off on technicalities, so the people of Elm Street tracked him down and burned him to death. Therefore, Freddy found a way to invade the dreams of people and carried out his revenge with nightmares that became reality.
#2
Jason Voorhees (various actors)
Friday the 13th (1980)
Here's the 2nd in the unholy trinity. I guess he's probably the one with the most movies too. I lost count way back at the 10 sequel. You just can't keep a hockey mask wearing maniac down, can you?
The hockey mask is scary enough, but when he takes it off, he's hideous. I understand why he wears the mask. I would too if I looked like that. This guy just kills for the hell of it. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. That makes him terrifying to me.
#1
Michael Myers (various actors)
Halloween (1978)
Boy, was that kid ever right. You can't kill the boogeyman. Michael Myers proved that over and over again in the Halloween movies. He is the final member of the unholy trinity of 80's horror flicks.
This movie, like Phantasm, came out in the late 70's, but it had sequels throughout the decade of the 80's. So, like The Tall Man, Michael Myers makes this list. Not only does he make the list but he's at the top of it.
Who would have ever thought William Shatner could be so scary. No that's not William Shatner playing Michael Myers, but that is a William Shatner mask he's wearing. It seems the budget was so minuscule for this movie they sent a guy out to buy the cheapest mask he could find. It just so happened to be a William Shatner mask. So they painted it white, teased out the hair and reshaped the eye holes. The rest is cinematic horror film history.
Well I hope you guys are happy. I won't sleep tonight. The things I do for my readers .
This song actually never made it into the top 40 of either the pop or rock charts, but I still consider it one of their hits. Watching that video made me laugh. Some of the styles of those audience members was hilarious.
This was the song that kicked it all off for Loverboy. It was a top 40 pop hit and top 10 rock hit in 1981. We get our first look at the Mike Reno headband in this video. Won't be the last though.
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oducer and someone pitches you the idea for a movie about a demon possessed, jealous, murderous 1958 Plymouth Fury. Back in the early 80's (pre-Christine) the only kind of possessed car you could think of would have been Herbie the Love Bug, so you probably would have laughed them right out of your office.
