80s Dreamboat Andrew McCarthy
Within the 1980s wonder that was The Brat Pack, there was a little something for everybody. For those who liked the super-hot fox, there was Rob Lowe. If you preferred the bad boy, you had Judd Nelson. Maybe you liked the chiseled, athletic type, then Emilio Estevez was your guy. And then there was the dreamboat. Hello, handsome. Hello, Andrew McCarthy. He was the thinking girl’s crush. He was the...
Then and Now: Judd Nelson
When you think of classic movie endings, what comes to mind? Citizen Kane? The Wizard of Oz? The Empire Strikes Back? Or, maybe this? Yup. There he is at the end of The Breakfast Club: fist in the air, screen frozen on my favorite “criminal,” John Bender. He’s just finished serving the most epic day of detention ever, followed by a sweet make out session/diamond stud earring exchange with Molly Ringwald. The Simple Minds anthem “Don’t...
The Battle of the Boys (in Pretty in Pink)
John Hughes – how do I love thee? Let me count the ways . . . The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – each amazing and so much a part of my 80s teen-hood. But there’s one John Hughes movie that was a standout for me. One that influenced my fashion choices. One that I memorized. One that I went to a theme-party for. One that I saw in the theatre four times. One whose cassette tape soundtrack I still own/play...
1980s Movie Mt. Rushmore Part II: The Brat Pack
By Michael Nazarewycz This is the second of a 4-part series that will look at those people most influential on movies in the 1980s. Click here to read Part I: John Hughes. I wanted a tidy list. I wanted four individual people. I wanted a nice Mt. Rushmore graphic. But how could I? Mention 1980s movies to most people – 80s devotees or not – and a high percentage of them surely will think of the Brat Pack. And that’s why I couldn’t pick...
1980s Movie Mt. Rushmore Part I: John Hughes
By Michael Nazarewycz This is the first of a 4-part series that will look at those people most influential on movies in the 1980s. In the eight-year span between 1982 and 1989, John Hughes wrote, directed, and/or produced 16 movies. Of those, the titles of 14 are still easily recognizable today, even by casual fans of ‘80s films. And of those 14, at least three (The Breakfast Club; Ferris Bueller’s Day Off; Christmas Vacation) are...
Pretty in Pink, 1986
This movie had it all. It may, in fact, be the best example of the genre. A John Hughes film, starring Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, James Spader and Jon Cryer, 1986’s film Pretty in Pink is a must see for anyone interested in 80s movies or just interested in a good story, well done. Somewhat reminiscent of the classic Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet, the movie is a teen love story about two people who want to be together but...
The Breakfast Club, 1985
Do you remember The Breakfast Club? No, not a group of old men meeting at Hardees for breakfast. I’m talking about the 1985 movie, The Breakfast Club. For those of us who recognize the Brat Pack names Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez and Anthony Michael Hall, The Breakfast Club is a movie we’ll never forget. It begins with glass shattering to reveal the setting, Shermer High School, Saturday March 24th, 1984....
Sixteen Candles, 1984
“Auto – mo – beeeel” – Gotta love the Donger. Teen flicks were as popular in the 80s as they are today, perhaps even more so. One such decade-defining film, Sixteen Candles set into motion the careers of Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and John and Joan Cusack. These stars would later come to dominate the teen movie scene throughout the decade. Written and directed by John Hughes, this coming of age...
