Robin Williams Stand Up Tribute

The very funny Robin Williams is now gone from this world and I am at a loss for words for how sad I am so I will let the above videos speak for themselves about his comic genius. I couldn't pick just one of his many roles in film or television with their mix of comedy and drama because right now I just want to laugh until I cry...not cry because the laughter he brought is now gone.

Rest In Peace Robin Williams...I wish I could have met you to let you know that your laughter may have helped save me and how I wish we could have helped save you *hug*

Uncle Buck

Original Movie Poster

Well here we are again with yet another look back at films from my childhood and of course we are right in the middle of looking at the films that were a little above the normal Disney animated canon and franchise based kid films that other kids my age were watching. I think because my parents had no restrictions or reservations when it came to movies as long as an adult was with me (mostly my dad or both parents) I could watch any movie they did (unless of course they just wanted to go out and see a movie together which I remember they did quite a couple of times). I don't really remember when I first saw Uncle Buck but I do believe that it was probably with my dad mostly because I believe this movie was more in his taste than my mother's because my father was a very funny man not unlike the late John Candy except my father looked more like Tom Selleck (but more on that some other time...)

Imagine Tom Selleck + this suit and face = my late father!

So...What's The Plot?
The Russell Family seem like average suburbanites moved from Indianapolis to Chicago, just one average neighborhood to another with two little kids, son Miles and daughter Maizy, and of course one sullen teenage daughter Tia. Moved away from her friends, Tia takes a lot of teenage angst out on her mother Cindy and it comes to a head when Cindy's father has a heart attack. With no one to look after the kids, Father Bob suggests that perhaps his brother Buck could help out during this time of family emergency but Cindy is none to thrilled with the idea. Buck is an unemployed gambler but he is a fun-loving goof who only seems to really suffer one flaw in having commitment issues with his girlfriend Chanice.

Buck arrives and of course hits it off with the younger children but now he gets to suffer the brunt of Tia's teenaged animosity. Unlike her mother, Buck dishes out just as much sarcasm and snark that leaves Tia to continually push his buttons in a battle of wills. Buck only seems to face one real problem with Tia: trying to keep her away from her punk boyfriend Bug who only wants to use her for sex. All hilarity comes to a stop when Tia leaves for a party and her Uncle Buck must finally face real responsibility for the first time to make sure she doesn't get hurt and her heartbroken. Will this be the thing to finally make Uncle Buck grow up and change all his ways?

Let's hope Buck keeps up the bowling...it's fun!

I know it doesn't seem like much and even what I described of the plot doesn't sound much like a comedy but if you have never seen Uncle Buck...to tell you anymore would surely spoil it for you. For those who have had the privilege to view this movie, you know just how hilarious Uncle Buck can get and what a great film this truly is. Now I don't really think there is an official soundtrack for Uncle Buck but the predominant amount of music that you here in the film is by that great nostalgic artist of the late 80s-early 90s Young MC who's biggest hit ever is "Bust A Move" which so dates how 80s this film is. Another musical tidbit that pops up a few times is Tone Loc's version of "Wild Thing" or more correctly an instrumental version that kind of serves as Uncle Buck's own personal theme which must be seen or heard to believe. A couple of other musical selections are some Perry Como in a bowling alley scene, the song "Laugh, Laugh" by The Beau Brummels which is one of my favorite little oldies that my mom would listen to on the radio in the car and a very cute scene which uses The Chordettes classic "Mr. Sandman" which today would probably creep kids out seeing as it's mostly used in horror films (for some reason I know not why...)

Coming to the acting portion we'll start with one big name and then end with another as we discuss what I think of the cast. First, Macaulay Culkin as Miles is just a big bag of hilarious cuteness! Watching this film which was his first major movie role at age nine, you could tell Macaulay was going to be star because not only was he cute and funny but he didn't really have to act like a kid considering he was a real child. The things I noticed with child actors is that they really either act too grown up or they seem really wooden in their delivery and Macaulay Culkin never seemed to do that. Since I was six when Uncle Buck came out, I must admit that I was kind of crushing on Macaulay Culkin which for me it is very rare since given my history I usually go for the older, foreign-accented type but he was adorable. I think the crush waned after I saw The Good Son and slightly returned when Richie Rich came out and has now all but vanished but my admiration of Macaulay Culkin's acting is still intact (ah the day I talk about the movie I truly love him in seems so far away...)

My next favorite character in the film is Tia so let's talk about her and the actress that plays her Jean Louisa Kelly. I think I love Tia because of course she gets as much focus as Uncle Buck and like the character of Miles ends up stealing a bit of the movie's focus because since Kelly was seventeen when the movie was made she can actually relate to being a teenager which doesn't make the acting a stretch. Today most people know Jean as Kim from the show Yes, Dear but did you know that she got her start as a theater actress and even starred on Broadway in a production of Stephen Sondheim's Into The Woods? Jean Louisa Kelly has a beautiful singing voice and there is evidence of that if you ever get to see Mr. Holland's Opus on TV sometime which caused me to do a double take because I mostly remembered her from Uncle Buck!

Jay Underwood as Bug with Jean Louisa Kelly as Tia

 I thought I would talk about Maizy and Chanice next because the actors who played them in Uncle Buck, Gaby Hoffmann and Amy Madigan respectively, both starred in the film Field Of Dreams a few months before this film was made. In that movie they were daughter and mother but here they get very little screen time together (spoiler) and the characters aren't related but they are both my next favorite characters in the film. Gaby was seven when she starred in this movie so like Macaulay as Miles she had a cute factor and six year old me thought we could be best friends so as she grew up into more mature roles being the same age as me I begin to appreciate her acting. I absolutely love Amy Madigan as Chanice because she can stand up to Buck for all the bull and bunk he gives her but even Chanice can fall to Buck's fun and witty charm and of course Madigan herself is a great actress who can do drama and comedy on an even playing field.

Amy Madigan as Chanice with young Macaulay and Gaby

The actors who play the Russell parents, Bob and Cindy, don't really get a lot of screen time so I don't really think they are important enough to talk about so the only other actors in the film to discuss are two semi-important characters. There of course is Tia's boyfriend Bug played by Jay Underwood who was memorable in the 80s in films such as Not Quite Human and the nostalgic classic The Boy Who Could Fly. He's an okay actor and quite cute in that jerk kind of way and he's probably as close to an antagonist character as we get. Another notable actor playing a kind of important character is Laurie Metcalf who almost everyone knows as Aunt Jackie from Roseanne. In Uncle Buck she plays a neighbor of the Russell family named Marcy Dahlgren-Frost who kind of develops a crush on Buck and since she is a divorced, upper class housewife she's more into country clubs than bake sales. Metcalf has been nominated for Tony Awards and has won three Emmys for her work on Roseanne so its clear she is a good actress and I have to admit I wish she had more scenes because when she plays off John Candy's Uncle Buck it's hilarious!

To make up for not enough video spoilers here's John Candy harassing a clown...

So of course we leave the best and biggest role for last as we talk about John Candy as Uncle Buck. I just love Uncle Buck and thought it was one of the late Mr. Candy's greatest comedic roles if not the greatest but there are so many films he is in that I love we could be here all day talking about him. Speaking of Candy himself as an actor he was one of the greatest that had to be taken too soon even though its been noted that obesity plagued him most of his life and might have been one of the reasons for his heart attack that claimed his life. Besides his movie roles John Candy was apart of my childhood thanks in part to his animated series Camp Candy which I use to watch a lot as a child that in part made me appreciate his film acting and opened my world to this talented and funny man. We really miss you, John Candy, and all the laughter you brought to us and I think most of us would have been honored to have a father or an uncle like you or Uncle Buck in our lives.

John Candy... Rest In Peace, Sir

I hope I didn't get too sentimental on you and I don't want to leave this post on such a somber note when the movie is anything but. There is drama but ultimately Uncle Buck is a comedy classic of the 1980s and if you have yet to view this wonderful John Hughes directed film that is not a teen flick then I recommend it for your next Family Fun Night. For those of you who have seen Uncle Buck but have not watched it in a while... what are you waiting for? Go get your DVD or old VHS copy and prepare to relive the side-splitting laughs again and again!

NEXT TIME: You know how I was talking about horror movie sequels before? Well even my childhood wasn't immune to them! Did you know that one existed to one of the most memorable movies of all time? Yep...it's Grease 2 next blog...

Adventures In Babysitting

I know it has been about a month or two since I last blogged but October is too much of a temptation to talk about horror films and since I have decided to stray from that particular genre for a while, I thought it best just to not blog at all. So after a break of watching all my glorious gory and scary films I am back, followers, to lighten up the tone with the movie I said I would talk about many moons ago.

Movie Poster

Since I have been talking about films that graced my childhood, I don't see why I can't talk about movies that were slightly above my normal age group. You know I watched Disney films and animated classics but every once and awhile I saw movies that were a tad more mature. You know now that I think about it my parents weren't very strict about what I could and could not watch so I would find many movies on HBO and Cinemax on Friday and Saturday nights when I could stay up late. I don't really remember when I first saw Adventures In Babysitting but I remember what drew me to it and for those who haven't seen it it's not really a spoiler because it was the opening.

Since my parents listened to what we called "oldies" music of the 1950s and 1960s when I heard that opening to The Crystals "Then He Kissed Me" and saw Elisabeth Shue dancing around her bedroom getting ready for a big date it kind of hit a chord in me. Little girls do the same thing in their rooms singing into hairbrushes and lip-synching to the radio (I did that plenty listening to my Heart and Madonna records) so seeing a (at the time) 24 year old Elisabeth Shue pretending to be 17 doing the same was very relateable to a little girl like myself. Nostalgia glasses set aside for a moment let's continue just a little differently...

Plot After Spoiler Opening Video Goes Like This...

So after all her dancing like an idiot our lead character, Chris Parker, gets the news from her boyfriend Mike that he has to cancel their date because his little sister is sick. Dejected, Chris gets roped into babysitting for the Anderson family's two kids, Brad and Sara. Well only 8 year old Sara really needs a babysitter because Brad is 15 years old and happens to have a huge crush on Chris. It seems the night might be a pretty boring one despite the awkwardness of Brad having to be babysat by his older crush until Chris gets a call from her friend Brenda. She's at the bus station downtown after running away from home and having blown money on the ride there, she now needs Chris to come and pick her up. With no choice but to bring Brad and Sara along, Chris heads out in her mother's car to go pick Brenda up.

She has no idea what she's in for...

Another little quirk in this is that Brad's friend Darryl Coopersmith ends up joining them since Brad was supposed to actually be staying the night at his house but opted out so he could spend the evening in the company of his crush. On the way downtown, the car gets a flat tire and discovering that there is no spare (why would you have no spare tire?) the kids hitch a ride with a tow truck driver, a nice enough fellow named "Handsome" John Pruitt who just so happens to have only one hand and the other is a hook (hand-some get it?) However after getting a ride you think the movie would be over but it's really just the beginning of the true adventure and leading Chris to discover that babysitting isn't what she thought it would be.

Let's go back to an image of the intro just because it was that good...

I am still set in my ways that I not tell you everything about the film just in case a few of you have not had the chance to see this movie. For those of you who have you know that there are way too many plots going on so that if I tell one I may spoil the others. In any case, Adventures In Babysitting was Chris Columbus' first directorial debut and if you don't know who he is then I assume you have been under a rock most of your existence since you obviously have never seen Home Alone or the first two Harry Potter films. I guess I could say that Chris Columbus is another one of my favorite directors because I have at least eight of his films in my own personal movie collection and have seen the other films he has directed but do not personally own. I think he does a fantastic job his first time out on Adventures In Babysitting and has only gotten better in his craft despite mostly being a more family film oriented director and that's just fine. Usually I go straight to the film cast but we're going to shake it up a little this time and go to the soundtrack instead.

Darryl: Yeah let's talk about that soundtrack ...ya think?

Not really commercially available (I haven't really seen it unless it's online to purchase or in a bargain bin somewhere for $1) Adventures In Babysitting is set in Chicago so being said it is known for being the home of soul and the blues. Taking advantage of such a musical heritage, the music heard in the movie is mostly good old rhythm and blues from (as expressed by the opening) the 50s & 60s. There is some Sam Cooke, some Junior Walker, some Edwin Starr, Percy Sledge performs a song after the opening that is very memorable and fantastic, there's some more traditional blues artists like Muddy Waters and Albert Collins (who also appears in the film in one great scene...oops spoiler!). There are some non-blues examples like Iggy Pop and The Rolling Stones but the real standout is a band called Southside Johnny And The (Asbury) Jukes.

See they are a real band from New Jersey that have been around since 1979 and have actually played with Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band. They are still around today and even though they appear in the movie as a cover/bar band (another spoiler...so sorry!) they have released albums in their three basic examples: studio, live and compilations. They perform an original song "Future In Your Eyes" which is very nice of what you get to hear and they perform a cover version of "Expressway To Your Heart" originally by The Soul Survivors which besides being really good is the first song ever written by Gamble & Huff who for those not versed in music trivia were a big songwriting-producing team that skyrocketed soul music in the 60s, 70s and 80s and were very influential in Philadelphia soul. With all of that information if you find anything at all to love about Adventures In Babysitting, for music lovers this soundtrack is tops if nothing else.

Okay the music lover in me got all of that out of the way so now we can focus on the acting and characters in the film and I have a feeling I might spoil a little bit more of Adventures In Babysitting for those who have not seen it...damn it.

Publicity still of Elisabeth Shue for this movie

 Of course, Elisabeth Shue is Chris as you know and I think she does an okay job in the role. I have to admit that this is the only movie I have seen of hers that I actually enjoy. Don't get me wrong I don't think she is a bad actress but I guess the nostalgia just holds me back from liking anything else. For those who love Elisabeth Shue don't bash me because I may have a surprise for you in the future regarding Elisabeth Shue's film roles. My by far favorite character and actor in the film is Anthony Rapp as Darryl Coopersmith! He gets the best lines, has the best laugh ever, is a complete horn dog despite probably not having even gotten to first base with a girl yet and adds so much snark to the film that he is probably the reason it's so funny and comedic in the first place! Anthony has turned into a big Broadway actor having appeared in Rent and many other forms of stage theater as well as still acting in films and television.

Elisabeth Shue, I just love this expression on your face!

 My next favorite character is Brad played by Keith Coogan. Though he is still an example of snarky, comedic timing in his lines and interactions with Darryl/Anthony he is also a very sweet and caring person with a shy side and a very level head on his shoulders. At times he is quite unsure of himself but when he needs to be a big brother to Sara, Brad is and when the time comes for him to act a little more mature than Darryl he does in a big way. Keith Coogan was actually 17 at the time so he can play a teenager convincingly and not have to shine it on about how insecure teenagers really can be at that age. I should note that younger me thought Brad was really cute and like a little puppy dog now that I think about it with his big brown eyes and also was literally a fox because he voiced young Tod in Disney's The Fox And The Hound when he was just 11 years old...how's that for a lamp-shading segue?

Keith Coogan as Brad Anderson: Former little girl crush

Okay so I might be a little harsh now because I am older but I really can't stand the character of Sara in this movie. I know she's only a kid and I'm not saying that little Maia Brewton was a bad actress and it's not geared towards her personally but just the character in general. She is kind of annoying most of the time, sometimes showing genuine  hints of concern and childish vulnerability but the character of Sara causes most of the trouble for the others one scene slightly but another in a very big way and I don't think it can even be boiled down to just being a kid and not knowing any better. There are a few other actors that appear in Adventures In Babysitting in smaller roles from the main cast but are worth mentioning.

How did Sara end up here? Answer: It's Brenda's fault!

Penelope Ann Miller I guess can be given the most credit since she is actually the reason our main characters get into the predicaments they do thanks to her character Brenda. We get some really good scenes that show off Miller's acting because when it comes to the comedic element, Penelope is a genius and oh my god I'm rolling on the floor laughing at how well I can imitate her shaky delivery! Despite portraying a comedic character, Penelope Ann Miller is also a very good dramatic actress so if you ever get a chance to see Carlito's Way or have already seen it you can take my word on that.

Penelope Ann Miller as Brenda , the character who ruins her best friend's night more than the boyfriend!

Other actors of note are George Newbern who appears in a small role (later kind of important...spoiler!) and if you remember I already talked a lit about him in my blog post on the film Doppelganger so I guess the last person I can mention is Vincent D'Onofrio. Oh yes Law And Order fans you should know who he is and if you really want to see a different side to him you should definitely check this film out! I could talk about his acting but I kind of want to save that for another film he stars in that I own sometime down the line and besides talking about his appearance here is a big kind of spoiler. Don't worry, D'Onofrio, you're time to shine will come I promise!

Could this night get any worse? Answer: Of course!

Sorry I've been out of the blogging scene for a bit and I'm going to need time to oil my rusty gears to get back to par but I hope you enjoyed my look back at one of the films of my childhood. Adventures In Babysitting is one of those PG-13 gems that I'm glad I got to see in my unhindered movie-viewing youth and it still gives me many laughs and smiles today. If you have yet to see it, I highly recommend you do and if you have, I hope it brought back good memories for you too!

NEXT TIME: I'll be back with a movie I view as being another little more mature family kind of film I had the pleasure of viewing in my youth and it is still one of the best films I have ever seen! So wish me luck because next blog we'll look back at Uncle Buck

Howard The Duck

Original Movie Poster

Welcome back trusty movie followers! I thought I would take a break from my girly childhood movies and talk about something a little different. See I may be a girl who played with Barbies, My Little Ponies and Care Bears but I also had many male cousins, an older brother and of course my dad so I was subjected to non-female oriented movies and animated shows as well. So besides watching Jem I was also watching Voltron and besides pretending to be a princess I had to be April O'Neill when my cousins or the neighborhood boys played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In fact I believe I was with my cousin Dustin at my aunt and uncle's house being baby-sat when I first saw...Howard The Duck.

Okay for those of you who have never heard of this movie before I discuss the plot you should know that Howard The Duck is considered to be one of the worst movies ever made so bad that George Lucas (yes Star Wars messiah himself) who produced it disowns this movie! Also when I saw this film I believe I was five because I remember watching it on Cinemax so it had been out of theaters for a while and well kids and talking ducks just go hand in hand (remember DuckTales anyone?)

Howard would be Scrooge's disinherited nephew

So...What Is The Plot?
Of course, Howard is a duck but not just any kind of duck...a duck from space! Well actually a planet in another dimension where instead of humans there are walking, talking ducks and they smoke, drink and watch TV... you get the point right? One night an earthquake seems to strike the planet and Howard is ripped out of his apartment by a beam of energy that ends up bringing him to Earth and dumping him in the middle of Cleveland, Ohio (and not the most pleasant part of it either). The first person Howard meets is Beverly Switzler, a young woman who is a member of a female rock band called Cherry Bomb, whom he saves from being attacked by some thugs. She doesn't seem at all freaked out by a talking duck and she helps Howard out by letting him stay at her place telling him she'll find a way to help him get home. Her "help" ends up being lab assistant Phil Blumburtt who isn't much help at all which makes Howard angry since it seems he's stuck on our planet for good.

Tim Robbins as Phil - would you really go to this guy for help?

He tells Beverly off and sets out on his own but Howard soon realizes that if he is going to be here on Earth he may just need at least one friend to turn to and finds Beverly and her band mates playing at some awful bar under the management of the sleazy and disgusting Ritchie. Howard decides to help the girls out which means beating the crap out of Ritchie and becoming the girls' new manager to the amazement of Beverly's friends, one of whom is dating Phil. So our nerdy professor comes back into the picture along with Dr. Walter Jenning who is actually more help because he knows exactly what brought Howard to Earth. Jenning and his colleagues have been working on a dimensional-jumping laser that malfunctioned hence Howard's arrival (Hello Cleveland indeed!) but he believes he send Howard back with one more use. Unfortunately, something else takes Howard's one-way ticket home and descends to Earth taking control of Dr. Jenning and leading, Howard, Beverly and Phil into a whole new world of trouble and wacky hijinks. Will Howard ever get back home or will the new world he calls home be at its end?

The people images were captured from a rumored screening

Believe it or not the plot of the movie doesn't sound that bad if you ask me so I'm not really sure why a lot of people hate this movie or think it's incredibly stupid. Howard The Duck originally was a comic book character that appeared in Marvel (yes those Marvel superheroes shared the limelight with a duck!) Comics and it was a little more mature and political than the movie. I can't really blame the script writers for the adaptation because they did write American Graffiti which is a classic film but trying to make a movie about a talking duck probably isn't easy so I can see where a snag most have come up somewhere...just not sure where exactly...

Jeffrey Jones as Dr. Walter Jenning

Could it be the acting? Well, Jeffrey Jones (famous as Ed Rooney, horrible principal from Ferris Bueller's Day Off) as Dr. Jenning isn't too bad when he is serious but once he (oh hell spoiler!) becomes possessed by our intergalactic villain he does go a little over the top but that's what is great about being the villain- you always get the most ham and cheese on your role (see like a dinner roll?...never mind) to work with and have fun. A young, pre-dating Susan Sarandon Tim Robbins who plays Phil is adorable and hilarious which I enjoy and his career hasn't seemed to suffer for acting jobs since making this movie. The actors who portrayed Howard (yes actors...six of them) had to work in a huge costume that probably got very hot and difficult so you can't blame them and actor Chip Zien who does Howard's voice was cast after shooting to provide voice-over work so he was just reading what had already been written. The only other actor of note in the film is Lea Thompson who plays Beverly and well we all know that she can't be the reason Howard The Duck bombed! Most people today know her as Kathryn Kennish on ABC Family's Switched At Birth which is a good dramatic show or they know her as Marty McFly's mother Lorraine in the Back To The Future films and of course she was awesome in those!

Our main actor and his rockin' leading lady!

If you couldn't guess Lea Thompson is another actress I kinda have idol worship of and why wouldn't I? She's not just a pretty face she truly is talented and when I first saw Howard The Duck I was five in a generation when MTV ruled so playing a rocker almost reminiscent of my number one, true idols Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart was bound to win me over. Thompson has said having her hair styled and crimped like that everyday which took two hours was bad enough to make her wish she had worn a wig but to an impressionable child such as myself I thought she looked so cool! Besides that, Lea Thompson use to dance ballet (something I could and can never do), was acting at age 21 in movies before Howard The Duck and did I mention she can sing? Yes, the soundtrack to Howard The Duck that has songs credited to the fictional band Cherry Bomb...that's Lea on lead vocals? One word: Talented!

Now that I look back I have to take Lea's side on the hair...

Another thing that makes me enjoy Howard The Duck is of course, the music (again I am a late 80s MTV baby so I do enjoy music of this era). While scoring is done by legendary composer John Barry (check out the name on Google and see how many films pop up!) original songs credited to the fictional band "Cherry Bomb" were written and produced by Thomas Dolby. For those of you younger than me did you ever hear the song "She Blinded Me With Science" on like an 80s music channel or oriented radio station? If so, then that's Thomas Dolby and if you haven't, you really should it's quite a good song! As I stated, Lea Thompson's real vocals are on the songs as well as those of the actresses portraying her band mates in the film and the song "Don't Turn Away" is by far my favorite! Thomas Dolby performs his own rendition of the song on the soundtrack too and the harmonica you hear on it? That's Stevie Wonder. Another reason most of us should love (or maybe even hate) Thomas Dolby is he did music for another film that I may discuss in the future...which one? Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (so much childhood nostalgia is just overwhelming my brain with that one!)

Drew Struzan poster art...awesome!!

So is Howard The Duck really the goose egg of a film that people make it out to be? To me the answer is no but it is just my opinion after all. I enjoy the music, Lea Thompson does good with what she is given, Tim Robbins is hilarious, Jeffrey Jones makes a great villain in the fact that he creeped me out as a kid and makes me chuckle as an adult and at times, I find Howard adorable. Now if you have ever seen it, your opinion might be a little more harsh and if you have never had a chance to view Howard The Duck, I'd give it a shot. A little fair warning it is rated PG so it's not really a movie for little kids but how my cousin and I got away with watching it I'll never know...

Howard The Duck Teaser Trailer

NEXT TIME: Not really from my childhood but a good family film regardless. We take our first look into the beautiful world of Japanese animation with...Kiki's Delivery Service

Teen Witch

Hello followers back again with another blog post pertaining to my childhood favorites! Now some of the movies released when I was a child I didn't discover until I was a teenager but that doesn't mean I don't love them any less now that I'm an adult. Today's film I discovered when I was a freshman in high school when it use to show on The Disney Channel (remember when the Disney Channel was less teeny-bopper than it is now?) but I discovered it on an obscure time slot on my local cable channels. Of course it was edited but now I can say that I own the un-edited version of Teen Witch. Most people I can hear you groaning about how can I possibly love this piece of 80s cheese but this film has a little bit of sentimental value to me. You see a dear friend of mine that I lost nine years ago in a car accident...we both loved this film dearly and it always reminds me of my friend Sara when I watch it. Sentimental reasons aside, I love the dated soundtrack because it does remind me of my actual childhood and I find it somewhat relateable because...well let's just look at the plot for those of you not familiar with this film.

So What's What?

Louise Miller is almost completely invisible in high school despite being cute, smart and kind. Her mother still treats her like a little girl, her brother Richie terrorizes her, the popular girls in her school ignore her and Mr. Weaver, the teacher in her Advanced English class which she takes alongside senior classmates, takes every opportunity to embarrass her. Louise's only saving graces are her equally un-cool friend Polly, drama teacher Mrs. Malloy and her understanding dad but the only thing Louise wants is the love of her crush, senior Brad Power. One night after a disastrous and embarrassing encounter with Brad and his girlfriend Randa, Louise happens upon the palm reading house of Madame Serena, who takes pity on the girl with a free reading and discovers that on Louise's sixteenth birthday the girl is going to become a powerful witch just like herself.

Robyn Lively as Louise Miller pre-Witchy Woman

Of course, Louise ignores this at first but soon after her sweet sixteen does arrive, it seems that Brad is starting to notice her a little more, she finds an antique amulet that seems to be drawn to her and also she makes a grabby nerd disappear and turns her brother into a dog (but only for a few minutes). Louise goes back to Madame Serena and the older woman starts to teach Louise how to use her magic to help her get what she wants and of course in high school all a teen girl wants is revenge on her tormentors and the love of that secret crush. In teen film fashion, Louise achieves everything she's ever dreamed of when she becomes the most popular girl in school but it doesn't seem to make her happy. Will Louise be able to have everything she truly wants without using her magic to get it or will she learn to be happy with her own kind of magic?

Yes I know not a lot of plot and still a little schmaltzy at that but you know I always want you to discover the films I talk about for yourselves. Besides, you may have already seen Teen Witch and even if you haven't, this is the 21st Century and you can probably find spoilers on the Internet somewhere for this film since it has been around for quite a long time.

Things We Can Discuss

Now I said that I can relate to Teen Witch and yes mostly it is because I am a girl but also because in high school I was Louise Miller in a sense. I mean I wasn't popular but I was nice and smart yet tormented by others and embarrassed on occasion. I had crushes on older boys that were unrequited, I was stood up a couple of times as jokes and dances were horrible torture for wallflowers like me. So you can see how a film like Teen Witch makes an impression on me and since I discovered it when I was in high school, I have always clung to this movie as something I wish I had seen when it first came out to prepare me for just how horrible life would be after the rose tint of childhood washed away.

Moving on from the maudlin aspect of why I love Teen Witch, let's talk about the characters/cast. I truly love Robyn Lively (older half-sister of Blake Lively for those who didn't know) who plays Louise. She has such a cute and bubbly charm to her, can be sarcastic and snarky but is generally kind and honest and also the fact that she is a teen in this film (she was 17 when it was made) which makes it easier for us to relate to actual teenage problems. Besides this film, Robyn has been in plenty of movies before and after Teen Witch not to mention many television roles that are a blend of comedy and drama (she was nominated for many Young Artist Awards and even a Daytime Emmy when she was 19 for a performance in an ABC Afterschool Special).

Magic is actually 80s Aqua Net

Another reason I love Teen Witch is all due to Zelda Rubinstein as Madame Serena...I loved her so much!! If you have ever seen Poltergeist, then you know Zelda famously as psychic Tangina Barrons with the squeaky unmistakeable voice and her short but undaunted stature. My friend Sara that I mentioned who loved this film right along with me? She always reminded me of Zelda and vice-versa because they both had the same body type and voice and even the same quirky sense of humor. Another reason I have always loved her is because she just looked like such a nice lady that would bake you cookies and give you hugs when you had a bad day like a grandma but would probably beat up the kids who tormented you with her purse if given the chance. Anyway, Zelda as Madame Serena provides comedy relief but also a role as a mentor for Louise in not just magic but in human life that helps her discover just how special she is. Sadly, Zelda Rubinstein died in 2010 at the age of 76 but she has a legacy of film and television roles left behind as well as a career of activism for little people and HIV/AIDS research.

The late Zelda Rubinstein as Madame Serena

Of course another character who plays prominently in the story is Louise's crush, Brad Power, played by actor Dan Gauthier. Oh my, Dan Gauthier was so hot in this movie! I can say that I had a crush on Dan as Brad and not just because of his looks (it's true!) Okay let's start with Brad the character, yes he is what many call a shallow love interest but there are things about him that really aren't shallow. He is genuinely nice to Louise even before her witchy powers set in, he asks her for help in English because he really needs it, he is apologetic and a gentleman and he is one of the popular people who is actually a little jaded by being the big man on campus. During the middle of film you can tell that it's not just not because of Louise's magic that Brad starts to fall for her because remember all those good things I said about Louise being cute, kind and smart? yeah they are actually true. Going back to Dan Gauthier himself, being in a 80s teen film he doesn't do that bad of a job acting and just to let you know I had no idea he was 26 when he made this movie! Yes before Dawson's Creek, films and TV casting twenty-somethings as high schoolers was not uncommon I assume.

I think Brad Power is appropriately named...Stud Power!!

 So knowing what I know now, I still like the chemistry between Robyn Lively and Dan Gauthier despite the age difference. The awkwardness between them at first comes almost kind of naturally and then the charm of Lively and her character Louise seems to win out and bring forth a genuine performance from Gauthier and makes the Brad character less shallow than he was probably meant to be. One of the reasons I love Teen Witch is that chemistry which I can also relate to: the crushing on a boy older than me and as always I like the romance (Romantic fun fact: Dan Gauthier met his wife Lisa Fuller who plays Louise's cheerleader antagonist Randa and Brad's girlfriend in Teen Witch making this film and they are still together...aww!!)

Dan Gauthier and Robyn Lively make magic together

There are also other actors in this film that I enjoy their characters. Marcia Wallace plays drama teacher Miss Malloy and I love how eccentric and fun loving she is (reminds me of my own drama teacher from high school in a way) and I can see why Louise admires her in the film. Actor Dick Sargent who played the other Darrin on Bewitched plays Louise's adoring father Frank and he is so good at being comedic and loving in the role which I guess comes naturally doesn't it? The only other standout character/actor in the film to me is Ritchie, Louise's brother played by Joshua John Miller. Oh goodness if I had a little brother like Ritchie who was that annoying and disgusting in real life, I would pray to be an only child. So why do I like Ritchie then? He is actually kind of funny in his sarcastic way and as long as he wasn't my brother I'd would find him hilarious. As an actor, Joshua John Miller is talented for being 15 when Teen Witch was made, he had already been in some films that required dramatic acting (like Near Dark which I have already blogged about) and if you never saw the long form music video/short film that went with Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 album you have no idea just how good an actor he is. These days, Miller is a director as well so you can see why I wanted to mention him if I am talking Teen Witch.

Being me, I also like the soundtrack of the film. Again I'm not sure if an official soundtrack album was ever released for Teen Witch but I do know that a musical version of the film was made in 2007. Anyways, most of the soundtrack I will admit is cheesy but a couple of songs are actually very good. The film opening song "Never Gonna Be" is my absolute favorite because not only do I like that sexy 80s pop beat but it is in this part of the film where you can see the chemistry between Robyn Lively and Dan Gauthier as Louise and Brad. Another favorite of mine is "Finest Hour" which plays at the end of the film and is sung by Cindy Valentine and Larry Weir, who produced the music for this film. Most of the soundtrack has songs performed by members of the Weir family including the infamous "I Like Boys" but oddly not on the other most famous (infamous?) song from Teen Witch..."Top That". If the 80s weren't something you like to remember musically, then I would just stick with the movie because besides pop the rest of the film score is composed of sexy 80s jazz by saxophonist Richard Elliot.

Teen Witch Trailer 1989 (slightly spoileriffic)

So despite a few hints of normal stereotypical 80s gag factor, I think Teen Witch is a pretty good film and not as bad as most people say it is. Our main character is likeable, some of the comedy is hilarious, there is chemistry with the love interest and despite a few bits of mature content (not that mature since it is rated PG-13) it is a good movie sit down and watch with kids as a family. For people my age who are parents of young girls, this is a movie they could let their daughters watch. If you are looking for a good dose of 80's magic then Teen Witch is right for you.

NEXT TIME:  I think I may just bring some of my male followers back with this one...Howard The Duck
 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

It's been awhile since I talked about a musical film in one of my blogs so I thought I would talk about a musical that is close to my heart as I saw it when I was 12 in my very open household. Yes, I saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show at a very young age and I loved it and still love it to this day! I hope to some day go to a late-night performance showing of the film and participate but more of why later. First things first...

What's The Plot?
Narrated by a man simply called The Criminologist, we begin with Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon), attending a wedding of high school friends and themselves becoming engaged through song. Heading to go and see their high school science teacher Dr. Everett Scott (in his class is where Brad fell for Janet) the couple get a flat tire and go looking for a phone and run across the castle of Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry), a "mad" scientist.

A group of strange people are there for a convention held by Frank who makes his entrance in a glittering cape, heavy eye make-up, blood red lipstick, a corset, fishnets and very high, chunky platforms. This sweet transvestite has discovered the secret to life and unveils his creation: a very muscled, mute, half-brained blond man named Rocky Horror.

When the convention ends, Brad and Janet are shown to separate rooms and soon become seduced by Frank's charm which puts these normally clean-cut "virgins" into a tailspin of debauchery and decadence. Meanwhile, Frank's handyman Riff-Raff (Richard O'Brien) and his sister/lover Magenta (Patricia Quinn), the castle domestic, take it upon themselves to torture Rocky in defiance of Frank's extreme taste for pleasure and soon Rocky happens upon Janet.

Distraught when she finds out that Brad has tasted forbidden fruit with Frank, Janet seduces a very innocent Rocky and they are discovered inadvertently when another guest arrives to the party: Dr. Scott! He is looking for his nephew Eddie (Meat Loaf) who was a lover of Frank's groupie Columbia (Little Nell Campbell) and the other half of his brain was used to make Rocky but he had been killed by Frank earlier that night. A strange night is about to get even more strange with dinner and a show no one is ever going to forget. Can Brad and Janet go back to what they once knew or have the discovered an experience that will change them for better or worse?

If you have never seen Rocky Horror and want to I didn't want to ruin the pleasure of this movie for you with a lot of plot info. To experience Rocky Horror by second hand account really isn't much fun and as I said I want to have the actual audience participation experience one day. That said, let's look at a few details of Rocky Horror that I can tell you about that have nothing to do with plot.

The music of Rocky Horror is an enjoyable romp because before it hit the screen it hit the West end stage of London as an actual musical. Richard O'Brien wrote the music and lyrics for all the songs and each one will get you singing and dancing especially "The Time Wrap" because it has instructions to do the dance in the song! They played this song at my Senior Prom and only a few of us could do the dance and I'm proud to say we were mostly the outcasts and black sheep of high school popularity. If you saw the Rocky Horror episode of Glee even though I don't watch it you know the songs and how good they truly are and maybe that's why you are checking out this blog post of mine.

Moving on to acting most of the cast was from the original stage production including Tim Curry who made his motion picture debut to an American audience. I have to admit that I have always been a Tim Curry fangirl even before I saw Rocky Horror and seeing him in fishnets is something great to see. Tim Curry has always been a debonair and charming actor with singing talent, voice over work and stage roles galore and though he use to be reluctant to talk about this role he now views it as a rite of passage for the viewer's who see it. So in other words, Tim Curry has popped a lot of cherries for Rocky Horror fans. Meat Loaf has a great one-scene wonder performance as Eddie and it is almost a celluloid version of a show stopper that comes after a lot of drama and science fiction before we are whip lashed back into black comedy and drama again.

Barry Bostwick is great as nerdy, innocent Brad and he's not that bad to look at either in fishnets I might add and I can't see anyone else as Brad but Bostwick in 1975 and even today. Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn and Little Nell Campbell have also become icons for me in their own performance of their characters and I don't think I can ever view anyone else in those roles but the day I go to a midnight, audience participation showing and see someone else play these characters I might change my mind. I always put these three characters in a collective grouping because if you watch the movie, they interact with each other a lot.

 Of course I can't go without mentioning Susan Sarandon as Janet because I believe at the time she was perfect for naive and pure Janet and she is the character I can relate to the most. Susan Sarandon has always been a great actress and her portrayal of Janet is why I want to go to a midnight showing so I can go as Janet in costume as most people do!

You are not meant to take Rocky Horror seriously it is all in good old-fashioned campy fun with music, dancing, a movie that the black sheep outsider can like with no regrets and it can bring out the wild and untamed thing in anyone. Rose-tint glasses are required to watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show as well as a sense of humor so if you don't think you can handle that then maybe this is not the movie for you but if you have a wild side to you then this movie will be an enjoyment that is oh so sweet...I promise.

Next Blog: A look at some 80s horror from Wes Craven but not what you think - Deadly Friend

The Lost Boys

In a previous post I talked about the vampire film Near Dark that came out in 1987 it had some competition that pretty much became the vampire film champ of that year. This champion film was The Lost Boys directed by Joel Schumacher who has sort of a love/hate relationship with his films and the populace but it was a film that remains one of the great vampire films (in my opinion) that has stood the test of time...even if the fashion may be a little carbon dated.

What's The Plot?

The Emerson brothers, Michael and Sam, and their recently divorced mother, Lucy, move from Arizona to the town of Santa Carla, California. It has a sunny beach, a boardwalk of video stores and tattoo parlors and apparently a high mortality rating as people go missing all the time. They move in with Lucy's eccentric dad and the two brothers try to find something resembling normal teenage life on the boardwalk. Young Sam finds a comic book store owned by a family named Frog and is hassled by the two brothers who work there, Edgar and Alan. They tell Sam that if he wants to survive in Santa Carla he needs to learn one thing and its not understated fashion but how to recognize and kill vampires because they are crawling all over town!

Michael finds his own person of interest: a beautiful girl and tries to go and talk with her but she ends up riding away with a group of young leather clad teenage bikers. The Boardwalk soon ensnares the whole Emerson clan as Lucy ends up getting a job at the local video store, hired by its proprietor Max who witnesses her reuniting a lost child with his mother. A second night allows Michael to finally meet his mystery girl, Star, and brings him face to face with the motorcycle gang ring leader, David. After a quick race and an almost sparring match on the town bluffs, David invites Michael to the gang's lair for a night of partying, Chinese food and wine which lead to an almost initiation of hanging from the elevated train tracks...and letting go to fall into a foggy abyss below.

After his wild night, Michael starts going through some changes: sleeping all day, constantly wearing sunglasses, being extra snarky and developing a blood lust to attack his own brother! Same recognizes the signs because of the horror comics the Frog Brothers have been foisting upon him when his dog Nanook saves him from Michael by also adding Michael's now disappearing reflection and apparent levitation to the equation: his brother is now a vampire! Michael questions Star and learns she and a recent abducted boy named Laddie are like Michael: only half vampires that can keep from changing if they do not kill or they can return to being human if the head vampire is killed.

In order to save Michael, Sam turns to The Frog Brothers in locating the head vampire as it seems David is only a pawn for a more dangerous vampire. This group of teens are about to go head to toe with a new kind of the undead: younger, deadlier and dangerous...can Michael and Star and the town of Santa Carla be saved?

What Else Is There?

I can not remember when I first saw The Lost Boys but it was probably one of my earliest vampire flicks that I watched next to the Buffy The Vampire Slayer movie. Being a child of the 80s and MTV, I like the style and cinematography of the film and the acting of then rarely unknown actors is funny, dramatic and sexy. The two Coreys of Feldman and Haim became blockbuster stars of the late 80s and early 90s where I crushed on Haim first and then on Feldman in my later years and after Corey Haim's death I see his icon role as Sam Emerson in a different light. He wasn't just cute but a talent that never got a chance to blossom smoothly.

On a more upbeat acting note, Kiefer Sutherland is amazing! I have always found Kiefer to be sexy with that voice and those good looks but his acting takes the cake. I have a small attraction to bad boys and his role as vampire David brought Kiefer to a tier of acting that just keeps getting higher. He can be dramatic, soulful, funny, compassionate and kick-ass all in one role if possible and holds a place in my heart always. The sexiness that Kiefer Sutherland has also rivals Jason Patric as Michael and Jami Gertz as Star. Acting wise I find Patric as the main character a little forgettable as Kiefer steals the show along with Haim and Feldman but I really like Jami Gertz. I always picture her from Still Standing or as Dr. Melissa Reeves in Twister when I watch this film and it proves she is great at drama and I have to admit I love "Star" and wish I could be her! Being between Patric and Sutherland, wearing 80s Madonna meets Stevie Nicks fashion and being a brunette vampire are some aspirations I would love to meet.

Besides the acting and being one of the best films Joel Schumacher ever directed, The Lost Boys has an equally appreciative soundtrack. Echo & The Bunnymen cover The Doors' "People Are Strange", Roger Daltrey of The Who cover Elton John's "Don't Let The Sun Come Down On Me" and of course "Cry Little Sister" by Gerard McMann which is the theme to the movie. Another couple of stand out tracks are INXS with Jimmy Barnes "Good Times" (love INXS!) and "Lost In The Shadows (The Lost Boys)" by the phenomenal Lou Gramm of Foreigner. Lou's song is played early in the movie when David and Michael first meet and you might miss it but I have the soundtrack and I listen to this song constantly (I love Foreigner and Lou's voice is beautiful sexy)!

The Lost Boys 1987 Trailer

If you are one of those who has never seen The Lost Boys, you need to go out and buy this film! There are two sequel films Lost Boys: The Tribe and Lost Boys: The Thirst but neither one equals the greatness of the original.

 I won't spoil those for you...right now.

"Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire."

Next Blog: An American Werewolf In London