80s Movie Night - Spotlight on Red Dawn

For our 80s movie night tonight we're heading back to Colorado in 1984, yes I'm talking about Red Dawn. I loved this movie when it came out and always thought of it as a classic, a couple of years ago I had the house to myself and thought I'm going to rent Red Dawn and as I took it up to the counter the person serving me starting going on about it being a cult hit (he didn't even look like he was alive in 1984!). I enjoyed re-watching it, but a remake?

Red Dawn, like so many classic 80s movies, is being remade and is expected to be released in 2012 with Chris Hemsworth and Josh Peck taking on Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen's characters. I'm not sure if I'm going to even watch this version as some of the remakes of 80s movies have really not turned out very well in my opinion (Fame, anyone?)

Will modern day audiences actually 'get' the movie? I think part of the allure of Red Dawn was that the cold war was still in existence and many people believed that the scenario could actually happen. I must admit my brother and I decided to try and get to our home from the movie theater via all the back alleys we knew to avoid being seen by anyone - I managed it, my brother was spotted by a noisy old lady a couple of streets over from us! We worked on improving our stealth like abilities throughout the school holidays and it kept us out of trouble so I'm sure from that perspective our family must've liked the movie too!!

The movie starts with everyone rolling up to school, but the day gets shattered when enemy paratroopers start landing on the school playing fields. The movie provides a lot of action and it's audience was obviously primarily the youth market as it boosted our belief that we could do anything including saving the country.

I love the little bits of irony throughout the movie, I missed it the first time around, but the second time of watching it I decided that one of my favorite moments was one that caused me to have a little chuckle - a pro-gun supporter had a bumper sticker with the words "they'll get my gun when they pry it from my cold, dead hands" well I don't know if his hands were cold, but they were definitely dead when a Russian took it from him!

What did you think of the movie that started Charlie Sheen's career (I bet he never envisaged what he would do to his career back then!) - I loved it, but feel free to disagree if you like :)

Just remember if you're looking to buy an 80s movie check out my 80s Movie Store I get a small commission on any movie that you purchase while you get a great deal - that's what I call a win/win.

80s Movie Night - Spotlight on A NIghtmare on Elm Street

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
With October drawing in and Halloween fast approaching I thought it was time to look at 80s horror movies and what better 80s horror movie was there than A Nightmare on Elm Street?

I'm sure some would disagree, but this movie kept me awake far more than any other movie I have ever seen so I'm going to call it the 80s horror movie!

The Nightmare on Elm Street Collection consists of 7 Nightmare on Elm Street films and a bonus disc and is a great gift idea for any Freddy Krueger fan.   It was the first movie in 1984 that kept me awake however, I wasn't as impressed with some of the subsequent movies and I certainly haven't seen all seven of them.

Wes Craven's idea of teenagers being killed in their dreams was, in my mind, a really cool concept.   I thought it was a very original idea, but since the 80s I've learned that he actually read about a little boy who had been having nightmares and one night just died in his sleep ......... maybe Freddy is real??

Robert Englund did a fantastic job in making Freddy Krueger a character that could still scare the #@@# out of any child of the 80s if we should bump into him over Halloween.

Of course if you were planning to go to an 80s party dressing up as the 80s boogeyman himself would certainly bring any 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' style dancing to a halt!

Freddy Krueger and the whole collection of Nightmare on Elm Street movies have gained quite a cult following over the years which is quite amazing considering how much trouble Wes Craven went to to try and get someone to make the movie.   You see back when Wes Craven was shopping the script around he was met with a lot of resistance - slasher movies are on their way out - was comment and the other was - who would believe people could be murdered in their sleep.   Luckily for us (and the coffee industry) Wes Craven persevered and this cult movie franchise took on a life of it's own.

I was reading some Nightmare on Elm Street trivia the other day and they claimed that over 500 gallons of fake blood was used during the making of the original film.   That's a lot of blood, although when you think of some of the scenes it makes sense.

The first time I saw Nightmare on Elm Street I went with a friend of mine - I forget what we were supposed to be seeing because we weren't technically old enough to go to the movie, but being young and foolish..........

I was terrified!

I'm sure I did sleep, but it felt like weeks before I was sleeping, I'd catch myself nodding off and quickly turn on my bedside light (Turn your light off Lou!) to keep me awake.

The first thing that scared me was my lovely best friend of the time, Allison. She saw that I was engrossed in the movie and so she carefully put her arm around the back of the seat and just as Freddy emerged (I forget which scene) she stuck her nails into my shoulder - I screamed so loud the whole cinema turned around to frown! And yet we remained friends.....

The next thing that scared the bejesus out of me was getting outside the cinema to discover it was raining and I'd left my umbrella behind - doesn't sound too scary does it? Well there was an old guy that was the usher at the cinema and hand on heart I have to tell you he could have been Freddy Krueger's twin!

Anyway my friend refused to go back into the cinema with me (she was too scared as well.......I'm starting to wonder why we remained friends!!!) and I had to walk into a darkened room with Freddy Krueger!!!!! I swear I've never run back down the stairs of the cinema building so quickly in my life.

Anyway let's talk about the movie, but first here's another interesting nugget of info -

An interesting piece of trivia that I only discovered in recent years is that the iconic Freddy sweater wasn't supposed to be red and green, but Wes Craven read an article that said the two most contrasting colors to the human retina were red and green and so decided that those were the colors that the sweater should be.   

A Nightmare on Elm Street - The Movie

A Nightmare on Elm Street is about Freddy Krueger who was a child murderer, unfortunately he escapes going to prison on a technicality and walks out of court a free man. A group of people in his town decide that they will put an end to his crimes and murdered him by setting him on fire.

Nightmare On Elm Street - Movie Poster
The movie starts years later when somehow Freddy Krueger has found a way to come back for revenge - in dreams. He haunts the dreams of the children of the people who murdered him and manages to kill them while they are sleeping.

Wes Craven had a lot of problems convincing a studio to make this movie as they purported that no one would believe in a villain killing people in their sleep.....well they were wrong. This movie kept millions of people awake after they watched it.

Where Did the Idea for 'A Nightmare On Elm Street' Come From?

Exploring Wes Craven's mind

Where on earth did Wes Craven come up with the idea of people being killed in their sleep? From the news! The scary thing is that there have actually been cases where people have died in their sleep for no known reason. In one case a little boy had been having nightmares and didn't want to go to sleep.....when he finally did sleep his family heard him scream, but by the time they had reached his side he was dead. I am so glad that I didn't know about this at the time that I watched the movie - maybe Freddy is real!

A Nightmare on Elm Street

The Stars

The main characters in the movie are Nancy, her boyfriend Rod, Nancy's best friend Tina and her boyfriend Glen. As Nancy's friends start dying in their sleep Nancy tries desperately to get her parents to believe what's really happening..........................of course they don't which really helps to sell this movie to a younger audience. Teenagers taking on demons by themselves is a classic movie grab.

Original Cast of A Nightmare on Elm Street

• Nancy - Heather Langenkamp
• Tina - Amanda Wyss
• Rod - Jsu Garcia
• Glen - Johnny Depp
• Freddy Krueger - Robert Englund
• Nancy's father - John Saxon
• Nancy's mother - Ronee Blakley

Freddy Krueger - A Nightmare on Elm Street's Infamous Villain

A Nightmare on Elm Street could not have been successful without Freddy Krueger, he has become a cult movie anti-hero with his own huge following. Every Halloween fancy dress stores sell Freddy Krueger costumes, but where did he come from?

Copyrighted by Louanne Cox, Aug 2014

Apparently Freddy Krueger was inspired by a grown man Wes Craven saw as a child. Wes Craven describes this person (who he didn't know) as being the source of one of the scariest moments of his life. As an 11 year old Wes was looking out of his apartment window and saw a man (who in later interviews he has described as homeless), the man spots him looking and stares back at him which for some reason scared him. In later interviews he expands more on the story, but I think at that age we do see people who we view as scary for no real reason don't we?

Freddy Krueger is still considered a scary character which is why you sometimes see him immortalized at 'horror houses' and the like as you can see opposite.

Do you think A Nightmare on Elm Street was the best horror movie of the 80s?

Welcome to 80s Movie Night

I must apologize for the fact that I'm not posting very regularly with this blog - I've decided that instead of just writing about anything 80s when I feel like it I should have a blog plan so that I can bring you posts more regularly.   Introducing 80s Movie Night - this is where I plan to spotlight types of movies ie John Hughes movies or 80s dance movies or even individual movies.

There's just something about 80s movies which are cool so what will be the first movie that I spotlight?   Well you don't have long to wait, only minutes in fact!   While I'm introducing the 80s movie night concept though please feel free to leave the names of any 80s movie that you'd like me to spotlight in the comments section.

If you can't remember them all then feel free to check out Lou's 80s Movies Store and browse through the titles, the memories should come flooding back.   Stayed tuned the first 80s movie night spotlight will be coming right up.

Scarface - A Classic 80s Mafia Movie

Among the hoards of Mafia movies released during the 80s was Scarface. This movie was a little different from the likes of Goodfellas and The Godfather in that is was based on the Cuban Mafia instead of the Italian one. With quotes like - 'Say hello to my little friend' it has become an absolute classic.

Scarface was first released in 1983 and with the excessive bloodshed and violence I wasn't able to watch it until a few years later! Excess and the eighties do go together though and so does Scarface. The biggest thing the movie had going for it from my hubby's point of view was Al Pacino. Let's face it Al Pacino is an amazing actor and he really brought his skills to the table as Tony Montana.

I was reminded the other day that it's only five months until Christmas so if you know a Scarface fan what about getting them a cool Scarface inspired gift? I have a few ideas for you -

Scarface Belt Buckles - these are really cool and a unique gift idea for a Tony Montana fan.
Scarface T-Shirts - who doesn't like a tee?
Scarface Posters - these are a great idea for the dorm room if you know a younger fan of Scarface or a Man Cave for someone who saw the movie when it was first released!

Then again you could always get them their own version of the movie if they don't already own it -

This two disc anniversary Scarface DVD doesn't just contain the movie but also has these extras -

• The Rebirth of Scarface (10 mins)
• Acting Scarface (15 mins)
• Creating Scarface (30 mins)
• Scarface:  The TV Version - a look at the two versions (3 mins)
• Deleted Scenes (22 mins)
• Def Jam presents The Origins of a Gangsta (30 mins)

Youngblood, Yuppies & You

We're nearly at the end of our A-Z blogging challenge so I decided to write about three things that start with Y!

First up is the 1986 movie Youngblood which starred the late Patrick Swayze and a very young looking Rob Lowe.   I missed this movie during the 80s and first saw it in this millennium so it was quite a shock to see Rob Lowe who I had followed religiously on West Wing to look soooo young!

It was a fun, feel good 80s movie and well worth a watch on a wet weekend.

Now let's talk about the eighties use of acronyms including the most well known 80s acronym - Yuppies!   Now that I'm older (and with the use of the internet) I know that what yuppies stood for depends on where in the world you lived!   In the UK yuppies stood for Young Upwardly-mobile Professional, studying sociology upwardly mobile was a term that was often batted around in my world.   In the US though it appears it wasn't as widely used.

Apparently if you were called a yuppie in the US it stood for Young Urban Professional - which begs the question what do you call a young upwardly mobile person who lives in the country in the US???

Why have I mentioned You in my title, well it's to pay homage to those emails that I'm sure we've all received at some point in our lives - You knew you grew up in the 80s if..........you know the words to shot through the heart, you used to finish your sentences with not...........and sometimes still do, you had a mullet and you looked great!   If you want more click on the link as I could go on all day :D

V is for Vietnam

Now I know what you're thinking - Vietnam wasn't in the 80s and you're right the Vietnam war officially finished in 1975, but the 80s saw the rise of the Vietnam war movies. From the Oscar winning Platoon to the (put on your best Robin Williams voice for this one) Good Morning Vietnam movie. Missing in Action and Full Metal Jacket were also released during the 80s, it seemed that film makers had found that the Vietnam War provided great fodder for an action film.

There were also the feelings of shame that people felt in the USA over how they had treated their Vietnam Vets, there were no ticker tape parades like there was for the WWI and WWII vets and this was reflected in movies and songs. In particular there was the Stallone classic - Rambo (and it's sequels). The biggest song that I can think of which criticized the way the vets were treated was Born in the USA.

There were other songs of course, in fact it's because of eighties music that I know the average age of the combat soldier in Vietnam was 19.   I'm talking about Paul Hardcastles - 19.

What was your favorite Vietnam action movie of the 80s?   "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" - if you can't pick a favorite or you were more a John Hughes movie fan than an action film fan then tell me which movie that famous quote came from.

O is for Oscars

There are so many cult 80s movies like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Red Dawn, Sixteen Candles and Ghostbusters, but although these are movies that come to mind when you think of the 80s not one of them won an Oscar during the 80s.

The Oscars of the 80s went to movies such as Chariots of Fire and Out of Africa.   Classics such as E.T and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark were both nominated for Best Film Oscars, but were pipped to the post by Ghandi and Chariots of Fire respectively.

What is your favorite 80s movie and did it win a Best Film Oscar?    You can check out a full list of movies that won the best film Oscar during the 80s on the Oscars of the 80s webpage.

I find it very hard to choose a best movie for the whole decade as there were quite a few I loved, my hubby barely hesitates as for him it's always been Ferris Bueller's Day Off.   My brother surprised me last year by saying his favorite 80s movie was Top Gun and he's even managed to get my middle niece hooked on that movie!

The clerk at my local video store claims that Red Dawn is his favorite 80s movie......I was renting it out at the time so who knows if he meant it, but for someone who was probably only born during the 80s he knew the storyline really well :D

One of my closest friends always picks one of John Hughes' movies usually Sixteen Candles or Pretty in Pink, personally Uncle Buck is my favorite of John Hughes' films and Mr Mom should really rate a bigger mention than it often gets.

You can vote for your favorite 80s movie at Top 80s Movies, but be warned once you see the list it's really hard to choose just one.   I think for today I'm going to have to pick War Games, but if you ask me tomorrow I'm bound to have changed my mind yet again :D

L is for Leg Warmers

Who lived through the 80s without a pair of leg warmers?   Tell the truth you had leg warmers didn't you?   I don't know whether to blame the movie Fame or the television series or whether it was really Flashdance that galvanized us all into wearing leg warmers in various different colors.

Then when it appeared as though leg warmers were gone from the fashion scene what took it's place?   Slouch socks!   Now I must admit I thought slouch socks, leggings and ankle boots were a pretty good look for me along with a long 'sloppy joe' style jumper :D   It was certainly better than my goth/punk look that I loved at the time and shudder at the memory of now.......luckily there's no photographic evidence of that particular fashion stage of my teen years.

So tell the truth - did you wear leg warmers?   Just take a breath and repeat after me -

Hello my name is insert your name and I wore leg warmers during the 80s and I was cool!

J is for John

John Lennon killed in December 1980 - I can remember hearing the news and (for once) being completely speechless.   Give Peace a Chance and Imagine both hit the UK charts again after his death and I can remember the video for Imagine (one of my all time favorite songs) and thinking to myself one day I will have a house with a large room that has french windows and a white piano in it and nothing else.........it didn't happen by the way.

John Hinkley attempted to assassinate Ronald Reagan in March 1981 in an attempt to impress actress Jodie Foster - I really don't think assassinating a president is the way to impress a list celebs, but....

John Hughes - the king of teen movies during the 80s from Ferris Bueller to Sixteen Candles and beyond - John Hughes was the man who teens could relate to and he proved it over and over again.   What do you think was the best John Hughes movie?

Elton John kept bringing the hits throughout the 80s with classics such as Nikita and I'm Still Standing along with I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues and so many more.

John Candy - talented actor and comedian John Candy made us laugh during the 80s with his roles in Planes, Trains and Automobiles and (my favorite of his movies) Uncle Buck.

John Forsythe - During the 80s John Forsythe was Blake Carrington in the 80s glam soap - Dynasty, an absolutely must watch program from 1981 - 1989.

John Cussack - In my opinion John Cussack is a much under-rated actor and his breakout role (I think) was the 1989 film - Say Anything.

John Paul II - Pope for the entire 80s, he even survived an assassination attempt during the 80s.   We certainly had a number of these (some successful, some not) - Lennon, Reagan, Olaf Palme, John Paul II, JR Ewing.....have I missed anyone?

Jon Bon Jovi - Okay it's Jon not John, but how can you not mention the man who puts his hand up as the cause of the hole in our ozone layer because of the amount of hair spray he used during the 80s?   I loved Bon Jovi and I can't think of them without getting at least one of their songs stuck in my head, at the moment it's You Give Love a Bad Name.

There were so many more Johns that were members of groups such as Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, Hall and Oates.   I'm sure I've missed quite a number of them so which John who was famous during the 80s do you remember best?

G is for Gordon

I was trying to come up with an idea for the letter G and I didn't feel like writing about Go West or Ghostbusters and then it hit me - the two Gordons!   My favorite Gordon of the 80s was Gordon Shumway - do you know who he was?   Well if I called him Alf you'd remember him instantly as the loveable alien from the planet Melmac who ends up living with the Tanners after crash landing in their garage.   I've spoken about my love of Alf in a previous post so it's hardly surprising I should grab the chance to mention him again :D

Of course another Gordon was famous in the 80s and we all know who he was - Gordon Gekko!  I actually watched Wall Street on the plane to my new life in New Zealand and when I saw a rerun last year I couldn't believe the size of his mobile phone - LOL.

Gordon became a poster boy for 80s corporate villains - with his line - 'Greed, for lack of a better word, is good,' encompassed what a lot of people who did well in the heady days of the 80s.   Wealth was nothing to be ashamed of and nor was the concept of having it all.  

Of course we can't leave without mentioning another Gordon and it goes a little like this -

Flash A-ah

Saviour of the universe...

Yes I'm talking about Flash Gordon - to be honest I don't really remember much about the movie, but the song is one of those that is hard to get out of your head and another reason to celebrate Queen.

Happy reminiscing and hopefully I'll see you back here for the letter H.

F is for Freddy Krueger

Freddy Krueger really was the bogeyman of the 80s.   Imagine a person who could kill you in your dreams?   It was terrifying and I blame A Nightmare on Elm Street for an addiction to coffee as I attempted to stay away for weeks after watching the 1984 horror movie.   I should've known better than to watch it, but I went to the cinema with a friend and then I had my own little 'nightmare' which further consolidated my fears - read my A Nightmare on Elm Street review to find out more about that.

I'm not sure how many of the ensuing Nightmare movies I saw, certainly they didn't have the same impact as the original.   I'm not alone in being terrified of Freddy Krueger as even my hubby refused to go and see the remake with me (he claims he wasn't scared, but really?), there was no way I was going into a dark cinema by myself.

Freddy Krueger has become quite a cult figure and you can get all kinds of Freddy memorabilia these days including Freddy Krueger t-shirts like the one featured, Freddy Krueger dolls and more.

I like the Freddy Krueger costume for Halloween or 80s themed fancy dress parties, but if you wore a Freddy Krueger costume and came trick or treating at my house you would not get me answering the door!!!

Did Freddy Krueger keep you awake at night after watching the movie?   I'm actually thinking that I may have sneaked in to see it as I would only have been 15, so it could've been my own fault I was terrified - the price of youth :D

Madonna, Madonna, Madonna

Madonna's 80s Collection

Photo of Madonna's Album Covers by Author

Madonna found fame in the 1980s producing 4 chart topping albums. Madonna seemed able to tune into the winds of change just before they occured and reinvented herself several times.

Songs such as Holiday and Lucky Star from her first album the self-titled Madonna catapulted her to stardom. With her resulting chart topping success throughout the rest of the eighties Madonna became a superstar and the rest as they say is history.

Not only was Madonna singing and dancing her way to stardom, she was also acting in movies such as Desperately Seeking Susan and Shanghai Surprise, as the 80s drew to a close she was working on the movie Dick Tracy with Warren Beatty.

Madonna's album Madonna

Madonna's first album was the self titled Madonna. It featured the singles Holiday, Borderline and Lucky Star.

Madonna
This album was pure pop and was exactly what was needed in the early 80s. Madonna jumped into the limelight with all of her energy. She had bleach blonde hair and wore dozens of bangles.

These songs will still get people onto the dance floor 25 years later. The unpolished performance of Madonna in 1983 compared to now is quite interesting.

Madonna Album Cover & Inner Sleeve by author

This album is a must for any Madonna fan or even an 80s music lover as it documents the birth of -

The Queen of Pop

Madonna's album Like A Virgin - Madonna's second album

Madonna's second album gave us the singles Like A Virgin, Material Girl, Angel, Dress You Up & Into The Groove.

Like a Virgin
The title track Like A Virgin caused widespread controversy which 'little catholic girl' Madonna lapped up. The album continued on with the pop sound of her first album with Dress You Up and Into The Groove becoming 80s dance club staples.

Material Girl was a tongue in cheek look at the 'buy it now' generation. She tried to morph into Marilyn Monroe's character from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, this was really our first taste of how Madonna could reinvent herself.

Madonna really embraced the MTV culture and worked on giving a good show as well as singing her best. She was always working on her dancing as she realised how important the complete package was.

She also realised the importance of video, in fact in Material Girl the video runs longer than the song telling a story.

Her single Into The Groove as well as being a big hit in dance clubs was also the 3rd best selling single of 1985 in the UK.

Madonna's Like a Virgin LP Cover & Inner Sleeve by author

Madonna Branches Out

1985 was a year for consolidating on her pop music success. Not only did Madonna start her first US tour - The Virgin Tour - she also did some mainstream acting.

The Virgin Tour was really big and was the reason she was unable to be a part of the Feed The World single. She did perform at the Live Aid concert however.

The beginning of the year saw Madonna make a brief appearance in the movie Vision Quest. Later in the year she would co-star in Desperately Seeking Susan with Rosanna Arquette.

Vision Quest
Matthew Modine stars in this coming of age movie as a high school wrestler. He doesn't have much support from his father and sets about trying to achieve his goal on his own -enter Linda Fiorentino.

His father rents out the spare room to a drifter, played by Linda Fiorentino, promptly our hero falls for this older woman. She helps him to focus on his goal - does he make it? Well that would be telling.

Madonna's performance is as a lead singer in a local band - not a big stretch for her. She performs her hit song Crazy for You. The movie is credited with helping her song Crazy for You become her second US number one hit.

Desperately Seeking Susan
This likeable comedy is about a case of mistaken identity. I believe this has been Madonna's best movie role and Rosanna Arquette is also great in what is a cult 80s film.

Rosanna's character is that of a bored suburban housewife while Madonna plays a free spirited NY drifter.

Madonna's Album True Blue - Madonna's third album

Madonna's third album featured the singles Live to Tell, Papa Don't Preach, True Blue, Open Your Heart and La Isla Bonita.

True Blue
True Blue shows Madonna's growing confidence and maturity. It also has my favorite Madonna track - Papa Don't Preach, although controversal at the time I think it is a great song. I'm not the only person who appreciated this song as it was the ninth best selling single of 1986 in the UK.

With the ballad Live to Tell, Madonna was able to silence her critics as it really showed off her singing ability.

La Isla Bonita hints to us that Madonna hasn't finished her ability to become a musical chameleon which in hind sight we have come to realise that she never will!

Madonna released her album True Blue in 1986, the same year as she starred with her then husband Sean Penn in the movie Shanghai Surprise.

True Blue LP Cover & Inner Sleeve by author

Madonna also made her first appearance as a stage actress alongside Sean Penn in Goose and Tom-Tom.

The following year in 1987 Madonna starred in another movie called Who's That Girl. She contributed four songs to the movie's soundtrack and embarked on another tour. This tour was called Who's That Girl?

Madonna also released an album of her past hits in 1987 called You Can Dance.

1987 also saw the town of Pacentro start to construct a statue of Madonna in a bustier. Madonna's Ciccone grandparents emigrated to America from Pacentro.

Pope John Paul II urged Catholics to stay away from Madonna's Who's That Girl tour as she began her Italian leg of the tour.

Shanghai Surprise (Special Edition)
This movie stars husband and wife duo Sean Penn and Madonna. It is set in 1930s China and has been described as anything from mediocre to a disaster.

The film was such a total flop that plans to release the soundtrack (by the talented George Harrison) were scrapped.

Considering that Sean Penn and Madonna were married and supposedly in love there is no chemistry between them at all.

Who's That Girl? (1987)
This screwball comedy was panned by critics, although Madonna received some really good comments for critics for her performance. Including "Madonna is sexy and funny - a very engaging comedian.

It may not be an award winning movie but if you like films such as Superbad then you should 'go retro' and watch Who's That Girl. It has some hilarious moments along with a great soundtrack.

Madonna's Like a Prayer Album - Madonna's fourth album

Madonna's fourth album features the singles: Like a Prayer, Express Yourself, Cherish, Oh Father, Dear Jessie & Keep it Together.

Like a Prayer
This album was the first one that Madonna seemed to recieve BOTH critical and commercial success with. It shows a lot of maturity in her singing as well as her versatility. Rolling Stone magazine actually said the album was as close to art as pop music gets.

According to Time magazine in 2006 the Like A Prayer album made the list as one of the greatest 100 albums of all time

n 1988, the year before releasing Like a Prayer, Madonna appeared as Karen in the stage performance of Speed the Plow.

In 1989 the film Bloodhounds of Broadway was released. Starring Madonna & Josef Sommer this film is set during the roaring 20s with gangsters and go-go girls. It is worth watching if only to see a young Steve Buscemi and Randy Quaid.

Leaving the 80s Madonna was co-starring next to Hollywood heavyweight Warren Beatty in Dick Tracy. Dick Tracy would be released in 1990.

Madonna also tried out for a role on the hit television series Fame. Although Madonna was unsuccessful in getting a role she did write a couple of songs for the series.

Red Dawn

I was in a group interview a couple of months ago (I didn’t get the job, but I did make it pass this part of the 3 day process) and we had to name as many Patrick Swayze movies as we could. When I mentioned Red Dawn one of the interviewers was very impressed, it seems we both share a love of this classic 80s cold war movie.

I saw this movie with my little brother and thoroughly enjoyed it. Obviously it’s a movie so you some of it was very contrived, but the premise behind it seemed very real to many people who were living during that political climate. I think it spoke to us as young people on a number of levels and one of these had to be the way we knew our local area.

During the 80s I feel as though kids had a lot more freedom with where they could go without their parents panicking. My brother and I decided that we would try and get home from the movies without anyone seeing us, obviously after we left the main street that housed the cinema. We also had a time restraint because we were supposed to go straight home. It really was amazing how far we managed to get before anyone saw us (we lived on a main road so we could only get to that road before we were caught), we knew so many back alleys and pieces of private property that you could easily cut through. I think we were convinced that we could ward off an army because they wouldn’t know the area as well as us......bear in mind there were no Google maps in those days and the town maps available never showed these alleyways that we knew.

Anyway I’m digressing here, but I really enjoyed the movie Red Dawn and if you did too then check out the link to watch the trailer and add your thoughts to my review.

80s Oscars

I loved going to the movies during the 80s although I must admit I didn’t pay much attention to the Oscars at that stage – I was too busy going out and having fun :) Years later I decided to see what movies won the Oscars and I ended up writing Oscars of the 80s, I was surprised by some of the now classics that weren’t included in the nominations and then I thought about recent years and the surprise disappeared!

These are the movies that historians will think reflect what were all enjoyed during the 80s and don’t get me wrong there are some great movies there, but when you’re reminiscing with friends are they the movies you talk about? My hubby’s favorite is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, I often tell the story of when I saw A Nightmare on Elm Street at the movies with my best friend.

When you talk 80s movies you think of Top Gun, Back to the Future, Rambo and The Breakfast Club, but these will probably be ignored by historians unless we make sure to blog/write about what are our favorite movies of the 80s.

What’s yours? Do you want to save Ferris or fight with the Wolverines or pretend your dead host is still alive while you party all weekend?

John Hughes RIP

Wow, John Hughes has died. Aged only 59 he died of a heart attack, at least it was quick by all accounts.

It's hard to think of 80s movies without thinking of John Hughes with films such as The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Sixteen Candles John Hughes owned 80s teen movies. He didn't stop there though, he was still showing what he was made of during the 90s with the hit movie Home Alone to name just one.

What was the best John Hughes movie? It's so hard to say, I love Uncle Buck I think that John Candy played the role so well. Having said that Mr Mom was also fantastic and my hubby loves Ferris Bueller. Why don't you vote for what John Hughes movie was your favorite at The Best John Hughes Movie.

It's a Red Dawn - An Awesome 80s Movie

Red Dawn - The Beginning of WWIII

Framed Red Dawn Movie Poster

September in a small Colorado town and teens are rocking up to school talking about football - including their school's bad loss at the weekend. It's just another day in 1984, but everything was about to change because today was about to become the beginning of a Red Dawn.

On the school playing fields pupils in class notice paratroopers landing, but they're not Americans........panic rises as the movie begins.

Red Dawn is an absolute classic 80s movie starring Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey, Lea Thompson and C Thomas Howell. Red Dawn embraces a very real fear in people's mind during this era and the chilling consequences they believed could occur.

Red Dawn - The Movie Trailer

Why Every 80s Teen Wanted to Watch This Movie

Red Dawn - A Movie For It's Time

I can remember watching Red Dawn at the cinema (I can't believe how long ago that was!) and I absolutely loved it. The 80s were the era of the cold war, although it was thawing later on in the 80s. The events that occurred in Red Dawn were actually believable at the time and was the stuff of some people's nightmares.

I had been thinking about Red Dawn for some time and so decided to rent the movie out again recently. The clerk at the video store commented what a classic it was and said that he watched it every few months - he looked like he hadn't even been born when it was released! That tells me that Red Dawn is a classic, despite the fact that the cold war is dead.

I still enjoyed it this time around although I wasn't on the edge of my seat this time- that's the trouble with knowing the ending! It also seemed to drag in places, but that was also because I knew what was coming. It's pretty good to see the stars before they became household names as well.

Red Dawn (Collector's Edition)

Red Dawn starred Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen, Jennifer Grey, Lea Thompson and C Thomas Howell. It was actually Charlie Sheen's first film credit and (in my opinion) a great start to an actor's career.

Here's what other critics had to say -

Red Dawn is a classic 80s movie from writer director John Milius. Red Dawn, in my opinion, is a pop culture classic. Red Dawn joins the ranks of good cult movies. A Heroic Action-Adventure Film for those who remember the dark days of the Cold War

Red Dawn Movie Poster

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Wolverines

Before Hugh Jackman Wolverine meant a small group that included Jed (Patrick Swayze), Erica (Lea Thompson), Matt (Charlie Sheen), Robert (C Thomas Howell) and Toni (Jennifer Gray). The 'rebels' from the 1984 movie Red Dawn.

After the deaths of their families (except Darryl's) the kids decide to fight back. Using the name Wolverines after the school's football team they engage in Guerilla warfare with the Russians, Cubans and Nicaraguan troops.

The Wolverines was the name of the high school football team that Jed used to play for and Matt currently played for. A Wolverine is also a member of the weasel family that has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to it's size. It seemed a fitting name for this band of teens when they were tackling the might of a combined Soviet, Cuban and Nicaraguan troops

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, than to take rank with those poor, timid spirits who know neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt.

Everyone wants to be a hero, but do you think you have what it takes to be a wolverine? If the answer is yes then why not wear the name with pride?

Red Dawn Silhouette T-ShirtRed Dawn Property Of The Wolverines T-ShirtRed Dawn Shirt AK47 T-Shirt

Red Dawn - Chilling Dilemmas

The movie Red Dawn also tackles some moral questions - would you compromise your values for your life? We see the Mayor of the town effectively sign his own son's death warrant and we see Matt and Jed create a diversion to allow others to survive while knowing it was a suicide mission.

When the two brothers go into town towards the end of the movie you do wonder how much havoc a couple of teens can cause.....the answer is alot as we are treated to a pyrotechnic display of gunshots and explosions. There are also a couple of really touching moments.

 "...dad'll be here soon Matt"

More on Red Dawn

This movie was Charlie Sheen's first credited film role and what a film to make a debut in. A 1980s classic.

In Red Dawn Charlie Sheen gets to act out every boys dream, being able to fight for his countries freedom. He also has to answer the question - what's the difference between them and us and to dig deep for courage alongside his big brother.

The movie Red Dawn has several ironic moments in it the classic one appearing in the opening scenes. You can see a bumper sticker saying "they'll get me gun when they pry it from my cold, dead hands" then the camera pans over and shows the driver dead and a Russian prying the gun from his hands! These little gems of irony all add another layer to what was, at the time a very believable scenario.

Red Dawn Monument

Partisan Rock

The movie ends with one of the surviving characters returning to Partisan Rock when WWIII had ended. At the rock a monument has now been errected celebrating the Wolverines it reads as follows......

"In the early days of World War Three, guerillas, mostly children placed the names of their lost upon this rock. They fought here alone and gave up their lives, so that this nation should not perish from the earth."

Have You Seen Red Dawn?

Share your thoughts about the movie.