A Timely Blogathon: Airplane! (1980) & Stand By Me (1986)

Originally posted on Movierob here.

I have such a short attention span, and so when I saw the announcement of ‘A Timely Blogathon’ hosted by Movierob and Film Grimoire I practically squealed with excitement. Never has there been a blogathon more perfect for me! Of course, there’s something ironic about being late for a blogathon about being short on time, so thank you both for still having me!

The theme of the blogathon is movies that have a runtime of 90 minutes or less, and after a quick Google search I came across a movie I’d been meaning to watch for years, and luckily for me, it’s runtime was 88 minutes. Phew, just about! That movie was Airplane! (1980)

My sense of humour has made a lot of people groan, I’m a huge fan of jokes that get labelled as ‘Dad jokes’, and so numerous people have recommended Airplane! to me over the years. The only reason I haven’t seen it yet is it’s age. I struggle with older movies and I wondered whether any of the humour would actually hold up 36 years later.

The plot to Airplane! is simple enough. On a plane flying from Los Angeles to Chicago, the pilots and many of the passengers become alarmingly ill, leaving one passenger, Ted Striker (Robert Hays) with the responsibility of landing the plane safely.

I can safely say that not only do the jokes hold up over time, they come so frequently that a second viewing is almost mandatory; I spent so long laughing till it hurt that I probably missed a load of jokes! There are references to certain names that went straight over my head, but honestly, this is hilarious from start to finish. Just a few of my favourites:

Nervous?

Yes.

First time?

No, I’ve been nervous lots of times.

You’d better tell the Captain we’ve got to land as soon as we can. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital.

A hospital?! What is it?

It’s a big building with patients, but that’s not important right now.

Can you fly this plane, and land it?

Surely you can’t be serious.

I am serious...and don’t call me Shirley.

I’m laughing my socks off just typing these out. I’ve got to say though, there is no way some of these jokes would make it into a movie made these days. There’s the ‘Jive Dudes’ that have subtitles whenever they’re speaking, the little girl who likes her coffee black, just like her men, and the pilot who asks the young boy in the cockpit all kinds of odd questions!

Realistically, this movie isn’t for everyone. It has a very unique sense of humour, and reminds me of Monty Python in that sense, you either love it or hate it. The plot is silly, the events completely unreal. If you’re looking for a serious, dramatic movie about a plane on the brink of crashing, this isn’t for you, but if you’re in the mood for something funny with a guarantee to make you laugh, you honestly need to give this a watch.

Since raving about this movie all week I’m now being told to watch The Naked Gun, does anyone else recommend it?  I can't stand the Naked Gun films but if you loved this you will love them!

I thought I would throw my 10 cents worth in after googling films that are 90 minutes long or less and not one but 2 of my favourite movies popped up.  Maybe subconsciously I prefer a shorter movie like Allie!

I can't believe that Stand by Me is only 89 minutes long, it feels so much longer when you're watching it.  The first time I watched this film when I was younger, I was on the edge of my seat, I was convinced one of the boys was going to be snatched or that something was going to jump out at them.  When I finally realised it wasn't a horror, I had to watch it again to actually enjoy the story for what it was.

The concept of the film and the story are so simple and yet told in a way that makes you laugh, cry and gasp.  For me, it's one of those movies where not much happens but you find yourself smiling to yourself as you watch it.  It stays with you long after you have finished watching and as an adult you find yourself with the urge to ring your childhood best friend and just say hello.

Allie reviewed this last year for a Blogathon and I didn't end up contributing so I'm glad I am getting the chance to show some love for this.  I can't say I have been a huge fan of Stephen King adaptations, Tim Curry's IT put me off for life - I have never been more terrified of an actor in a role.  However, Stand by me is one of my all time favourites and one I can watch over and over again much like Beauty and the Beast which was also in the list at 84 minutes of awesomeness and a great sing-along!

Mini Reviews: Pretty in Pink (1986), Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) and Mannequin (1987)

A few weeks back, I went a bit 80's movie mad on Netflix and watched all my old favourites, except Say Anything and Can't buy me love because they weren't available but these three were.  Nothing beats a Sunday afternoon of back to back 80's movies.

I watched this a few times with my Mom when I was a kid and I remembered really enjoying it but couldn't remember much of the story.  Andie (Molly Ringwald) is the poor girl being pursued by her best friend Ducky (Jon Cryer) and the local rich kid, Blane (Andrew McCarthy) who doesn't like the ways of his fellow rich kids.

I really love this film, it really shows how insecure teenagers can be (even the rich and popular ones). I completely forgot how awesome Ducky was, he wasn't the best looking but he was the most loyal friend Andie could have asked for.  I spent the whole film switching between which one I thought she should go for him or Blane.  This is one I could watch over and over again.

This was my Mom's favourite film when I was a kid but I wasn't allowed to watch it until I was older. Keith (Eric Stoltz) is obsessed with going on a date with Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson) who agrees to go out with him after breaking up with her boyfriend.  His best friend Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) is on hand to help him get the girl.

I spent most of the film screaming at Keith to forget about Amanda, I didn't like her at all, she was completely self centred and mean!  I also got mad at Keith for spending all his money on one date, what a moron, how was he planning to keep it up?! Amidst all the shouting however, I loved it, the music was great and the appearance of Elias Koteas literally made my day, love that guy!!

One of my favourite films as a kid, having watched it as a grown up though I realised a lot of the film was over my head.  I thought Hollywood (Meshach Taylor) had a room mate called Albert ;-)  Jonathan (Andrew Mccarthy) creates the most perfect mannequin and ends up landing a job in the store where she is in the window.  The mannequin, Emmy (Kim Cattrell), is a cursed Princess from Egyptian times and comes to life in front of Jonathan.

This film has my most favourite montage scene EVER, I still have the song in my car and dance along to it on the way to work.  It has the most hilariously awkward scenes when someone else comes into the room and Emmy turns back into a mannequin.  Movie critics hate this and even rotten tomatoes only gave it 55% so I guess this one of my guilty pleasures.

The Stephen King Blogathon

Original Post here: 

I’d like to thank Movierob and Darren of Movie Reviews 101 for letting me take part in their huge blogathon this month, aptly named ‘The October King-a-thon’. When they posted the 62 movies available to choose from, I was ashamed that I could count the number of Stephen King movies I’d seen on just one hand. I’ll just hand in my blogger badge now, right?

Anyway, I knew this was a great chance to get involved and tick another ‘must watch’ off my list, so I chose my movie based on two factors:

It’s in IMDB’s Top 250 list, and conquering that list is a not so little mission of mine

One of the main cast is played by my favourite geek when he was barely a teenager, Wil Wheaton!

So, the other night, I snuggled up on the sofa and watched Stand By Me (1986). Based on Stephen King’s novel, The Body, the story is told through the writings of a grown up Gordie Lachance (Wil Wheaton). After a close friend of his died, he decided it was time to recount the journey he and his friends Chris (River Phoenix), Teddy (Corey Feldman) and Vern (Jerry O’Connell) went on to find the body of a missing boy, reportedly found just off the railway tracks.

My first thought was how much I wished I had seen this when I was younger, although I think I can be forgiven as Stand By Me was released 3 years before I was actually born. It’s the perfect film to watch in that transitional period between schools, when even though times were much simpler, the fact of moving on and potentially leaving friends behind is the worst feeling in the world. You know, maybe I should scrap that, I’ve just realised this was rated R! What does that equate to in UK ratings?

Moving swiftly on, I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I was surprised at how well acted it was from such a young cast. I read that in the scene on the bridge, the director, Rob Reiner thought a couple of the boys didn’t look scared enough so he shouted at them till they cried and then re-took the take! So hats off to him for that one.

There’s one scene that will stick out in my mind for years to come, and I hold it in the same regards to the Bruce Bogtrotter scene in Matilda. I’m talking about Gordie’s story when they gang had set up camp for the night, about Lardass Hogan and the pie eating contest. It was gross enough and then I found out that the vomit was made from ‘cottage cheese and blueberries’, and my stomach hasn’t felt the same ever since.

All in all, I would rate Stand By Me as a film that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime, it’s such a beautiful story.

Childhood Films Blogathon

The lovely Caz at Let’s Go To The Movies is hosting her second Blogathon this summer, all to do with our favourite Childhood Films. There are rules of course, and here they are in Caz’s own words:

The Rules

Ok so instead of saying a film can only be wrote about once, I have decided to leave that open. You can indeed write about just one film if you want. But let’s make it more interesting and pick a few films. At least 3 and at the most 25, you can do it in list format and rank them. Or just simply write your blog post around them, try to explain why they were your favourites and if you still enjoy them to this day – as I am sure some of this would have changed!

Dates

Look to have your entry submitted over the weekend of Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th July 2015 – this gives you a month to get involved!

I’m quite a nostalgic person so I’ve rambled on a fair amount about some of my earliest childhood films, but I thought that for this blogathon I could tell you about some of my most watched films as a child.

My Mum claims that I made her watch Beauty and the Beast (1991) with me once a day every day for about a whole year, but considering the fact that it’s her favourite Disney movie, I question the truth in that. I remember finding some parts quite scary, but I loved the music and the songs, and I still do to this day. In fact, I wonder if my fiance will let us play Tale as Old as Time at the wedding…

One film I remember watching a lot is Homeward Bound (1993) although I remember barely anything about it now. Was there a sad part at the end? I’m feeling a little emotional and I’m not sure why. Talking animals must have captivated my imagination, but I am sorely tempted to rewatch this now to see if I enjoy it just as much now.

At the top of the ‘watched too many times’ list is A Bug’s Life (1998). I had the sticker book for this film, and I’m pretty sure I completed it too. That must have cost my parents a fortune. at a time when I had started collecting Pokemon cards too. Anyway, I loved the moment where all the ants slowly stand up against Hopper, and OH MY GOODNESS I just realised that Kevin Spacey voiced him. Holy moly, I need to rewatch this!

This is weird, Labyrinth (1986) was released before I was born and yet I remember watching it a lot. This must be my Mum’s influence once again! It starts with a young girl being made to look after her baby brother, doesn’t it? I think I remember having dreams about summoning a goblin to take away my baby brother, ha! #sorrynotsorry

Thursday Movie Picks: Teen Comedies

This week’s theme is right up my street! If you’re not familiar with the Thursday Movie Picks, it’s an amazing thing hosted by Wandering Through the Shelves. Each week brings a new theme, and all you need to do is pick 3 movies that fit the bill to discuss. This week is Teen Comedies, which is a really difficult week for me. Difficult because teen comedies are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me! It’s okay to still enjoy them when you’re well into your twenties, right?

I could have happily put together a list of 20 movies this week, but I’ll behave, and pick my favourite 3.

I’m not ranking these three or anything, but if I could, Van Wilder would be my number 1, for so many reasons! This is Ryan Reynolds at his best, playing the most popular kid in college who doesn’t ever want to graduate. It’s your typical cheesy story, but man, I just love it so much. I haven’t seen the other Van Wilder films though, strangely enough.

It shames me to admit that I only saw Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for the first time recently, but if you read my review, you’ll know that already. Oh, how I wish I could go back in time to watch this again and again. Ferris pulls a sicky to get a day off school, and much fun ensues when his Principal and Sister try to catch him out. I wonder sometimes if this film influenced the cartoon Phineas & Ferb in any way?

Hoping that it’s acceptable to still love teen comedies in your twenties...have I ever mentioned how much I love Easy A? I can’t even pretend I saw this in my teens, as I was...21 when it came out. Oops. Emma Stone is in top form here, using the school’s rumour mill to her advantage when she spreads a lie about her virginity. 

Review: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

As you all know, I have a very long list of older films that friends and family have told me I absolutely have to see. For some reason, Ferris Bueller's Day Off was never one of them, and yet it's been stuck in my head for weeks now. I'm wondering if a TV show I watch has referenced it somewhere? Never mind though, because I sat down last night and watched it.

Matthew Broderick plays a guy in High School named Ferris who decides to pretend to be sick so that he can have the day off school. His parents suspect nothing but as the day goes on, the principal of the school grows more and more suspicious, and tries to catch Ferris.

I wish now that I had seen this when I was younger, I think it would have been one of those nostalgic films that I make sure I still watch every now and again, like Home Alone or National Lampoon's Vacation. In fact I'm left wondering whether Home Alone drew a little inspiration from the comic violence in this, or was that just a thing back then?

Ferris has that natural charm that makes him instantly likeable and funny. I also loved Alan Ruck's character, Ferris' best friend Cameron. The two together were a perfect pair and served up a lot of laughs for me. The film reminded me also of the cartoon show, Phineas & Ferb, have you ever heard of it? Their sister spends every episode trying to get them caught for the trouble they cause, but fails every time.

One of my favourite parts was how Ferris breaks the fourth wall by talking to us as the audience. That sort of thing just really tickles me. I love the Deadpool comics and he does it all the time. Honestly this was just a really enjoyable film and I can see myself watching it again soon. Here's a quick clip of my favourite scene, Ferris, Sloane and Cameron trying to talk their way into a fancy restaurant.

I'm shocked that Ferris Bueller's Day Off isn't part of the IMDB Top 250, but I would put it in a list of films everyone needs to see at least once.