The 80s Club

Monday, Monday (bah da, bah da da da), can’t trust that day…It’s Monday again, and that means 80’s Movies Monday, Best of the Worst of the 80’s movies. Today’s pick is another from Bald Man…ahem, sorry…Cory.

UHF was released in 1989 and stars “Weird Al” Yankovic, Michael Richards, and Victoria Jackson. Cory discovered UHF in college, and he and his roommate would recite it almost nonstop. I’ve heard “red snapper” about 20 too many times.

Cory’s favorite bit is the mop scene played by Michael Richards before he was Kramer and before that other incident. Here, for your viewing pleasure, is the mop scene. (Cory was reciting along with it while we watched it.) Enjoy!

For our sixth week of the Best of the Worst of the 80’s movies, we arrive at the Dustin Hoffman classic, Tootsie.

Says Steve of Inside Fatherhood:

Tootsie I couldn’t stand it for some reason. Everybody else around me liked it and watched it a million times. I couldn’t stand to be in the same room. Bad memories… bad bad memories….

I didn’t dare ask what those bad memories were, but you’re welcome to question him if you’re curious. ;) I happen to love Tootsie and watched it every chance I got. There have only been one or two Dustin Hoffman flicks that I didn’t like, and this wasn’t one of them.

So, what do you think? Dustin in drag, yes or no? Can you believe he turns 70 next August? I wouldn’t have guessed it.

Thanks, Steve, for participating! You can check Steve out at his personal site, Silly Dad. From what I’ve read and experienced so far, the title fits the man. :D

Already, we’re to week #5 of the Best of the Worst of the 80’s movies. We’re back to a few of Wendy’s since she had several to share. Three Men and a Baby is another pick of hers. Starring Ted Danson, Tom Selleck and Steve Guttenberg, it seemed like a fun and different idea for a movie in the midst of the Brat Pack and horror show flicks. Says Wendy of the film:

• Does anyone else but me always stop and try and find the ghost in the Ted Danson and his mom scene?

I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen the ghost. Yet, even though I’ve heard that it’s just the shadow of a coat rack or something, I still look for it! I loved this movie.

Wendy’s other pick was Look Who’s Talking starring John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, and Bruce Willis.

• John Travolta and Kirstie Alley and talking babies. A match made in heaven.

Again, another movie I loved. It cracked me up! Olympia Dukakis is hilarious. I did happen to miss the sequel with Roseanne Barr, and the one with the talking pets. Really, could they have been good at all?

Weird. I was looking up one of those sequels for reasons that I can’t now (just 2 minutes later) remember, when I saw that Simon (David Gallagher) from 7th Heaven was in that third one. Crazy. And wasn’t that show supposed to end last year?

Okay, nobody has yet picked this as one of the Best of the Worst of the 80’s Movies, so I guess it’s up to me. Poltergeist (starring Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams), the freakiest movie I had ever seen, whenever it was that I was allowed to see it, that would probably seem really dumb to me now. My main memories are the maggots in the steak (or was it chicken?), something with the boy’s braces, and the little lady’s voice as they’re looking into the light. Oh yeah, and the “curse,” of course. I know I’ve seen the sequels, but really don’t remember them at all.

It’s so funny to see a movie so many times as a kid, and then to have so few actual memories of the film. Bald Man and I watched The Incredible Shrinking Woman tonight, another 80’s movie that I’d seen over and over, and I couldn’t believe the main conspiracy storyline that I’d had no memory of! It really was a bad 80’s movie, but too fun to watch again.

Anyway, what are your Poltergeist memories?

Today’s picks for Best of the Worst of the 80’s movies go to Tammy who writes personally here, and for b5media here. Congratulate her on successfully defending her dissertation, and also for getting back on track with weightloss. Man, I can relate (to the weightloss, not the dissertation). Here are Tammy’s two picks for today and her thoughts on each:

First up, Working Girl starring Melanie Griffith, Sigourney Weaver, and Harrison Ford. Definitely some crazy 80’s fashions going on there. Tammy’s thoughts?

(1988 - girl works her way up from the secretary pool, goes to night school to earn her degree, and becomes part of DINK (double income no kids) couple)

Tammy’s other pick is Baby Boom starring Diane Keaton and Sam Shepard. Here’s what Tammy thought of this one:

(1987 - the whole you can have it all and should want it all big fat lie women were lead to believe)

Yeah, I can’t say that I’ve met anyone yet who’s figured out how to have it all and still be happy. Let me know if that’s you, I’d like to know your secret!

Thanks, Tammy, for participating. And congratulations!

The third pick in our Best of the Worst of the 80’s movies series is The Toxic Avenger. This pick is from Cory, who writes for b5media at Baldiness, Supernanny Rules, and House is Right, and personally out at Bald Man Blogging. (In case you’re wondering, he really is bald.)

Here’s Cory’s memory from the movie:

It is bad in so many ways…

Can’t say that I’ve ever seen this one, and not really excited to run out and rent it. Anyone else have thoughts on this one?

The second in our weekly pick of the best of the worst of the 80’s movies goes to Weekend at Bernie’s. You remember it, right? The one where Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman lug a dead guy (that they’re pretending is a live guy) around paradise so they can stay out of trouble or something. Gee, how did that plot not inspire Oscar-winning performances?

This pick was submitted by Laura who writes on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome over at CFS Squared. Here’s her thought on the film:

i have seen it lots and lots. but everytime i watch it, it feels like i have never seen it before.

Probably because you try to forget every time. ;) Maybe not, maybe that’s just me. Though I really wish someone would find a good staying role for Andrew McCarthy. I liked him in his single episode role on Monk, but still waiting to see him star in a a series that succeeds.

So, there you have it. Week two of the best of the worst. What are your memories of Weekend at Bernies?

Welcome to The 80’s Club’s “Best of the Worst” picks of 80’s flicks from my fellow b5media writers. We kick-off with Wendy, who writes at Snarky Gossip, The Gryffindor Gazzette, and Stewie’s Playground. Thanks for playing, Wendy!

Wendy starts with a Roseanne Barr, Meryl Streep (really? huh) and Ed Bagely, Jr. classic, She-Devil. (Funny how Meryl Streep just starred in another devilishly titled film, The Devil Wears Prada. hmmmm…)

Here’s Wendy’s memory from the movie:

Can’t stop watching the ginormous mole (until she got it removed).

Gotta love a lady who uses the word, “ginormous.” Stay tuned for more of Wendy’s picks in the weeks to come!

Any of you out there have some favorite memories from this flick?

And here begins the first in a series of the best of the worst in 80’s movies. I’ve begged, pleaded, and charmed my way into receiving submissions for this series from my fellow b5media writers. Starting Monday, I’ll share a weekly post featuring those great bad flicks, and introducing you to the blogs of those who love to hate them.

You know which movies I’m talking about, right? Those bad, bad movies that you just can’t walk away from when they’re marathoning for the zillionth weekend on cable. Those movies that you might not dish out well-earned dollars (or quid) for, but that you’d zone out in front of for about a week’s worth of your life.

We’ll start just a day early so that I can share mine with you. Better Off Dead starring John Cusack has to be one of the best of the bad movies. It’s been years since I’ve seen it, but I don’t think much more than a week goes by that either Bald Man or I don’t say, “Fronch fries, Fronch bread, and to drink—Peru!” Also popular in our home are, “I want my two dollars!!!!!” (That’s usually me yelling when somebody has taken my last dollar our of my wallet.) And, of course, “Riiiiiiicccckkyyyy” and “Chriiiiiiisssstmasssss” while squeezing each other’s cheeks together. Good times.

Dang, I’m gonna have to go out and get this one again. In the meantime, you can check out some other great quotes from the movie here. Enjoy!