(Mild
Spoiler Warning)
About a week and a bit ago, I realized that after the
Dracula Untold review, the post after that would be the 25th post
for this blog. I have to admit, I didn’t really think I’d commit to this long
enough to make it this far, but I’ve been enjoying watching stuff and flexing
my brain doing the analysis of the films. So I thought, what would be the best
way to do that and celebrate 25 blog posts?
The answer: I decided to watch 25 films from 25 years
ago, and from there figure out which are the best. So join me will you as I
countdown...
The Top Ten Films of 1989
Ah 1989, George H.W. Bush became present, Iran broke
of diplomatic relations with the U.K. over The Satanic Verses, and I wouldn’t
be born for another two years. Yeah I actually don’t know too much about 89
history wise, or movie wise either. Okay that’s not entirely true going over
the list of movies for the year I came across quite a few I had seen already
actually, some of them quite a long time ago though, so it was actually kind of
fun to watch them and watch new (to me) stuff for the first time. Some of them
were meh, and some were just flat out awful (I’m sorry, I do not see why people
like Vampire’s Kiss at all, and all it did was make me want to punch Nicholas
Cage in the face.) From that list though, I did manage to make a top ten and
without further delay, let’s get started.
10. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Plot Summary: Bill and Ted must pass their final
history assignment, or else Ted will be sent to Alaskan military school and their
band Wyld Stallyns will be disbanded. With the help of Rufus and a time
travelling telephone both, they decide to find some of the greatest historical
figures and get them to help them out.
Pros – The sense of humour in this film is amazing as
it doesn’t worry about getting itself bogged down with time travel logic,
allowing them the freedom to do things most time travel films would kick
themselves for, like one scene were Bill and Ted basically summon things on a
whim by saying they’ll go back in time later and place those things there for
themselves.
Cons – I’ll admit the story is a bit thinly written
especially in the third act which, still hilarious, kind of feels like story
padding just a little bit.
Final Score 8/10
9. Lethal Weapon 2
Plot Summary: When Riggs and Murtaugh are assigned to
take care of a federal witness, he leads them back to the people he worked for,
only to discover that it is in fact the South African consulate is behind a
weapon and gold smuggling ring they were previously investigating. An all out
war then follows between the two forces, as Riggs and Murtaugh must find a way
to stop them once and for all.
Pros – The Chemistry between the leads is fantastic,
as well as the action scenes and the sharp sense of humour.
Cons – The plot is absurdly thin. I don’t think they
even meet the witness until something like twenty, twenty five minutes in,
maybe longer. But all the stuff that happens in between the story bits make up
for it almost tenfold.
Final Score – 9/10
8. Uncle Buck
Plot Summary – Bob Russell and his wife Cindy are
forced to call crude and crass Uncle Buck to babysit their three kids when
Cindy’s father has a heart attack. Tia, the rebellious teenager constantly
attempts to thwart Uncle Buck’s rules, while her younger twin siblings Miles
and Maizy embrace him. Meanwhile at the same time, Buck attempts to sort out
his own personal life while reconnecting with his estranged family.
Pros – This is arguably one of John Candy’s best
performances and it’s backed up by the ever present John Hughes story telling
ability.
Cons – Theme wise, if you’ve ever seen one John Hughes
movie, you’ve seen them all (granted they are all mostly told very well. To me
though, they can feel like the same idea just told differently.)
Final Score – 9/10
7. Do the Right Thing
Plot Summary – Showcasing the different people of a
Brooklyn neighbourhood during the hottest day of the summer, Main Character
Mookie spends his day delivering pizzas while talking to friends, and butting
heads with his co workers.
Pros – The star studded cast makes for some very
interesting characters and the writing is spot on.
Cons – The scattered stories of the neighbourhood
residents do all come together in the end, but the main conflict the film is
known for only really takes place during the last twenty minutes or so. The
film is extremely entertaining up to that point though.
6. The Killer
Plot Summary – The only foreign film on this list,
this John Woo action film follows assassin Ah Jong, who accidentally damages
the eyes of singer Jennie during a shoot out. He later discovers that if she
does not have an expensive operation soon, she will be blind forever. So he
decides to take on one last hit to get her the money she needs.
Pros – It’s a beautifully shot film, and the action
scenes here remind us why Hong Kong action films are some of the best out
there.
Cons – There’s the occasional cheesy line of dialogue
and some heavy handedness when it comes to some of the dramatic scenes.
Final Score – 9/10
5. UHF
Plot Summary – This one might be the oddest entry on
the list. The story follows George Newman, a man with a hyperactive imagination
that keeps getting him into trouble. When his Uncle wins an old UHF station in
a poker game, he lets George become the station manager. When the small channel
starts slowly picking up steam, they attract the attention of the biggest
channel in town, Channel 8.
Pros – Weird’s Al’s wacky and oddball humour are on
full attack here, as the film (feeling a bit more like a sketch comedy film)
features some of the most bizarre yet hilarious scenes possibly ever done in a
comedy film.
Cons – The films story is clichéd as it can be, and
the ending kind of drags on a bit, but it’s told in such a heartfelt manner
that I found myself still cheering them on in the end.
Final Score – 9/10
4. Glory
Plot Summary – The film follows the first formal unit
of the Union Army during the American civil war to be made up entirely of
African American soldiers, as told from the point of view of their white
commander Colonel Robert Shaw.
Pros – A great cast makes for some absolutely
wonderful performances, as well as a story to match even if it is a slightly
heartbreaking one near the end.
Cons – I wish we could’ve seen a bit more of their
battle experience, and there’s also a reporter character who shows up a few
times that I would’ve liked to have seen be a bit more active in the story.
Final Score – 9/10
3. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover
Plot Summary – Presented as a stage play (albeit one
that would require a massive stage) the story follows gangster Albert Spica as
he takes over a restaurant run by chef Richard Borst. Meanwhile his wife
Georgina begins an affair with one of the restaurants frequent patrons, a
bookstore owner named Michael.
Pros – Beautifully made with a great cast of
characters, and a very simple yet darkly comic story told very well.
Cons – Some rather ear grating moments near the
beginning of the film involving a young singer that levels out better as the
film goes on.
Final Score – 9/10
2. Born on the Fourth of July
Plot Summary – The film follows the true story of Ron
Kovic, a man who losses his ability to walk during the Vietnam war and returns home,
only to face an uphill struggle against a country that has seemed to have moved
on without him.
Pros - Dramatic Intensity, Oliver Stone’s direction
and a great central performance from Tom Cruise makes this film one of the best
films ever made.
Final Score – 10/10
Now, I bet you’re wondering what film could do better
than one I gave a perfect score too. I’ll get to that in a moment, but first,
some honourable mentions that I wanted to touch upon.
Honourable Mentions:
1. Puppet Master – The unofficial number 11 of the list, it’s a really unique idea, but
it gets bogged down by the low budget look and the interesting, if slightly
underwhelming ending. 8/10
2. Dead Poets Society – This is one of Robin William’s best roles and it’s a well made
film, but as I’ve said before I’m not really big on what I call slow dramas.
Any film I put on a top ten list though has to have re watch ability as a
factor and I can’t imagine I’ll want to watch this again anytime soon. That
being said, it still gets an 8/10 from me, as I try not to let my personal
preferences ignore a good film regardless
3. Say Anything – It’s got a better than average story for a romantic drama and the
chemistry between the leads is great, but it took me way longer than it should’ve
to get into it. 7/10
4. Back to the Future Part II – It adds some interesting ideas to the mythos, but the last
third of the film makes it feel like a rehash of the first one, and I’m sorry,
but Biff as a main villain, instead of just part of the conflict like the first
film, is just not that interesting of an idea. 6/10
5. Driving Miss Daisy – I’d be a pretty lousy film geek if I didn’t watch the best picture
winner for that year. It’s a sweet film and the cast is lovely, but it’s slow
as molasses and predictable to a fault. Just like Dead Poets Society, it’s also
the kind of film I can’t imagine watching more than once. 6/10
So now that we got that out of the way, it’s time to
reveal the number one film of 1989.
Plot Summary – Indiana is hired to lead an expedition
to find the Holy Grail, and decides to accept after learning that the previous
expedition leader, his father, has gone missing. Indy now must race against
time to not only find his father, but to prevent the Holy Grail from falling
into the wrong hands.
Pros - Arguably the best in the franchise, this action
adventure is packed with both great action sequences, humorous moments and a
great cast led by Harrison Ford and Sean Connery; it takes the top spot purely
on how much more fun it is for everyone than the number 2 film on this list. It
definitely not only earns a 10/10 but the number one spot on this list as the
best film of 1989.
Now, along with this list, comes news of the future of
this blog. Recently, I’ve been debating moving this blog over to Tumblr and
doing a little bit of reformatting with it as well. After much thought, I’ve
decided to keep posting on blogger for now, but if I can get the Tumblr site up
and running I’ll make the switch. Now don’t worry, I’ll give you folks plenty
of notice before the switch and I’ll make sure you can find it as well. This is
a decision I do not want to make hastily, but it’s one I definitely want to
explore.
In the meantime though, expect a review of Fury next
week, and maybe The Book of Life as well (and they might not even come out on
Friday, but we’ll have to see.)
So until next time, I’ll see you folks at the movies.
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