- Awards
- 27
Before this list enters the 1980s - and I hope it doesn’t look as if I’ve been dragging my feet - I need to rectify the jarring omission of a title in the 1960s part of the 100 greatest.
Every time I added a title to the list I put it in chronological and alphabetical order. For some unfathomably sloppy reason I put this one at the bottom of the list and it’s only now that this list in my WORD file is getting shorter that I noticed the mistake. Better late than too late, I suppose.
71. They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
It’s about a dance marathon during the Great Depression era and I find it surprising that I had never seen it in any of the other films or TV series or novels that covered this part of history.
I guess there's a first time for everything, even in 2023.
Considering its alarming level of “torture porn” it makes perfect sense that this dance-horror-phenomenon was chronologically placed between the Roman gladiator combats and the survivor type of TV reality shows.
The cinematography of the more chaotic parts of the contest is breathtaking and it goes without saying that all the actors are in top form (thankfully, their characters are not).
Contestant Gloria Beatty played by Jane Fonda (even though it looks as if the part was written for Faye Dunaway) sort of embodies the Great Depression. Broken beyond repair, and yet for a short period she could trick herself into thinking she was doing something worthwhile - an opportunity created by the spirit of Corporate America.
Marathon host and MC Rocky Gravo (played by Gig Young) is almost like a parody of the showbiz man or the seemingly friendly tycoon who puppeteers the misery and then be the first one to offer help, only to show his true colours as soon as money becomes the topic of conversation.
There’s something devilish about it but these things never really work if the victims aren’t willing to play and that kind of makes it a chicken-or-egg argument.
Nevertheless, the whole situation backs up Gloria’s cynical philosophy about “life being rigged” and perhaps she needed this contest as a final piece of evidence.
Also starring Michael Sarrazin, the romantic looking Canadian actor with the Anthony Hopkins eyes.
Apart from the physical strain his character struggles with the absence of daylight because they’re not allowed to leave the building. Knowing how it’s going to end these moments look poignantly foreboding.
72. The Elephant Man (1980)
It’s got its fair share of sentiment but since the situation is so unusual and unexpected for all the characters involved I feel that the emotional part writes itself rather than being cleverly manipulated.
73. The Long Good Friday (1980)
Technically speaking it’s a film from 1979 but I’m going to argue that this is one of the most eighties films I’ve ever seen because it’s all about those turning points: the decade itself, gangster Harold Shand as the up-and-coming British answer to Donald Trump, and London as the future capital city of Europe.
Harold surrounds himself with genuine posh (as opposed to the expensive kitsch one would associate with this type of character) and that includes his charming and educated girlfriend-slash-PR woman Victoria played by Helen Mirren.
It’s an almost FARGO-esque misinterpretation that sets the downfall of Shand’s empire in motion at the exact same time that very empire is about to be legitimized.
A corrupt infrastructure and a financial investment by American mafia doesn't look like "respectable business" to me, but it's what Shand himself believes that matters.
The various attacks by an invisible enemy inevitably drags Shand down to his former street gangster level and at the same time the Americans need to be convinced that everything is “under control” (a plot point with a slightly comedic undertone).
FRIDAY is a fantastic combination of drama, mystery and violence and it has sufficient explosive spectacle to satisfy the Popcorn & Cherry Coke Brigade.
The shocking final plot twist looks so final that it almost retroactively erases the whole story.
If I’d had to make a complaint then it would be that I wanted to see more of it, like a 4 or 6 part series - if only to get more mileage out of its fantastic score that sounds like a TV series theme anyway.
Here's Pierce Brosnan practicing his cool James Bond pose.
74. The Ninth Configuration (1980)
I have no idea why it’s taken me 40 years to discover this gem, and what makes it extra special is that it’s not a sequel to but a spin-off from The Exorcist (!).
Astronaut Billy Cutshaw - the one who, according to possessed Regan, was “going to die up there” - is now in an asylum for military personnel with serious mental problems.
I don’t know if the astronaut also featured in William P. Blatty’s 1966 novel Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane! which was the inspiration for the re-written screenplay of The Ninth Configuration.
The asylum, the beautiful German Eltz Castle “relocated and rebuilt in America” provides lots of gothic atmosphere.
The condition of the patients is exaggerated in such way that they’re all presented as colourful nutcases tangled up in their own bizarre scenarios including props that really shouldn’t be there.
In that way it’s impossible to ignore the Monty Python vibe, and yet it never looks like comedy to me simply because it doesn't resonate; it falls flat on the medical staff who aren’t supposed to be entertained by it, and that certainly applies to the new head of the staff, the very serious Colonel Hudson Kane played by Stacy Keach.
The scripted dialogue in intelligent and sharp and that’s where most of the drama (and humour) comes from and perhaps it is precisely the weirdness that allows the story to progress and climax in a paradoxically restraint yet powerful way.
There is a story arch resemblance between Hudson Kane and Father Karras in terms of sacrifice and redemption regarding their respective personal crises, but the “demons” that need to be exorcised are very different.
A most intriguing and very beautiful film that entertains from start to finish.
75. The Loveless (1981)
The leisurely devil-may-care attitude reminds me a little bit of the Russ Meyer style but the sleepy town’s seedy sordid underbelly appears to be more fitting for an early nineties indie film.
It’s a great film for atmosphere-over-story and also to enjoy watching the camera linger on various body parts. The film score, whilst not particularly memorable for itself, is used effectively throughout.
The Loveless is a precious little cult film that just hits the right notes and also a worthy debut for Willem Dafoe in or out of his biker’s costume.
For several of the other actors it would be a short-lived acting career even though I think they were all pretty watchable, depending on what they had to do.
(note to myself: try to find the “making of” documentary).
76. Come Back To The 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982)
Another story from Dustville USA. I haven’t included any of the James Dean films and I'm sort of counting on the idea that this entry is going to redeem me.
Karen Black and Sandy Dennis got the best parts but that didn’t stop Cher from making the very best of her role.
The talent of Kathy Bates is underused but maybe it was a good decision to not make it too powerhousy.
The drama and humour goes to and fro and that works very well in this kind of play.
77. Local Hero (1983)
Ah, but who is the local hero? Is it Mac or Felix, Gordon or someone else?
I find it difficult to explain what’s so great about this film but that’s not a bad thing at all. The transatlantic affair that combines different kinds of comedy may seem like novel at best and a recipe for disaster at worst but it ended up being a beautiful marriage, and then who cares if it was because or in spite of whatever.
Also, the argument (that nobody makes) that it would have been less charming without that fantastic soundtrack is not relevant because without the film that soundtrack wouldn’t exist. Well, presumably.
Extra pity points for Burt Lancaster who has to deal with yet another character assassination.
78. The Purple Rose Of Cairo (1985)
A clever and enchanting romcom that combines the real and the fantasy in an almost seamless way.
Mia Farrow is perfect as the unappreciated wife who expresses her protests passive-aggressively but that’s one of Woody Allen’s trademarks of course. It also has its moments of open bitchiness mostly between the actors and the audience who have paid to watch them.
It’s all a big gimmick that could have worn off before the film ended but I don’t think it did. In fact I would have loved to see more of it. We’re in the eighties now, greed is good.
79. Angel Heart (1987)
Initially I was going to say that this was the very first “it was himself all along!!” plot twist but now that I’ve watched The Ninth Configuration I’m not so sure anymore. Still, this twist is more important in Angel Heart so it’s safe to say that they’ve made more effort to string us along, as it were.
It’s a nasty evil tale about Southern hocus pocus mixed with “noir” and great attention for detail - and also a very stylish ending.
Absolutely one of the finest of this decade.
80. Maurice (1987)
Was the story arc of A PLACE TO CALL HOME’s Doctor Henry Fox loosely based on MAURICE?
I mean it sort of ends the same way, doesn’t it.
To be honest it took me almost half an hour to realise that Hugh Grant wasn’t playing the film’s title character because...I just assumed he would. Internet informed me that he wasn’t quite famous yet but I didn’t know that.
As with most productions cooked up by the Merchant Ivory stable Maurice is a very noble and sumptuous-looking film. I almost included The Bostonians (1984), a very fine film starring Vanessa Redgrave and Christopher Reeve, and I’ve bought that DVD so there’s no lack of support here but I figured that Maurice was gayer and I hadn’t seen much of that in these type of stories. Not that I watch them regularly so maybe I'm wrong about that.
There’s also an interesting titbit on wiki describing the mixed reception of Maurice because in 1987 we were still knee-deep in the AIDS pandemic and for that reason the story was deemed irresponsibly supportive by some.
Every time I added a title to the list I put it in chronological and alphabetical order. For some unfathomably sloppy reason I put this one at the bottom of the list and it’s only now that this list in my WORD file is getting shorter that I noticed the mistake. Better late than too late, I suppose.
71. They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
It’s about a dance marathon during the Great Depression era and I find it surprising that I had never seen it in any of the other films or TV series or novels that covered this part of history.
I guess there's a first time for everything, even in 2023.
Considering its alarming level of “torture porn” it makes perfect sense that this dance-horror-phenomenon was chronologically placed between the Roman gladiator combats and the survivor type of TV reality shows.
The cinematography of the more chaotic parts of the contest is breathtaking and it goes without saying that all the actors are in top form (thankfully, their characters are not).
Contestant Gloria Beatty played by Jane Fonda (even though it looks as if the part was written for Faye Dunaway) sort of embodies the Great Depression. Broken beyond repair, and yet for a short period she could trick herself into thinking she was doing something worthwhile - an opportunity created by the spirit of Corporate America.
Marathon host and MC Rocky Gravo (played by Gig Young) is almost like a parody of the showbiz man or the seemingly friendly tycoon who puppeteers the misery and then be the first one to offer help, only to show his true colours as soon as money becomes the topic of conversation.
There’s something devilish about it but these things never really work if the victims aren’t willing to play and that kind of makes it a chicken-or-egg argument.
Nevertheless, the whole situation backs up Gloria’s cynical philosophy about “life being rigged” and perhaps she needed this contest as a final piece of evidence.
Also starring Michael Sarrazin, the romantic looking Canadian actor with the Anthony Hopkins eyes.
Apart from the physical strain his character struggles with the absence of daylight because they’re not allowed to leave the building. Knowing how it’s going to end these moments look poignantly foreboding.
72. The Elephant Man (1980)
It’s got its fair share of sentiment but since the situation is so unusual and unexpected for all the characters involved I feel that the emotional part writes itself rather than being cleverly manipulated.
73. The Long Good Friday (1980)
Technically speaking it’s a film from 1979 but I’m going to argue that this is one of the most eighties films I’ve ever seen because it’s all about those turning points: the decade itself, gangster Harold Shand as the up-and-coming British answer to Donald Trump, and London as the future capital city of Europe.
Harold surrounds himself with genuine posh (as opposed to the expensive kitsch one would associate with this type of character) and that includes his charming and educated girlfriend-slash-PR woman Victoria played by Helen Mirren.
It’s an almost FARGO-esque misinterpretation that sets the downfall of Shand’s empire in motion at the exact same time that very empire is about to be legitimized.
A corrupt infrastructure and a financial investment by American mafia doesn't look like "respectable business" to me, but it's what Shand himself believes that matters.
The various attacks by an invisible enemy inevitably drags Shand down to his former street gangster level and at the same time the Americans need to be convinced that everything is “under control” (a plot point with a slightly comedic undertone).
FRIDAY is a fantastic combination of drama, mystery and violence and it has sufficient explosive spectacle to satisfy the Popcorn & Cherry Coke Brigade.
The shocking final plot twist looks so final that it almost retroactively erases the whole story.
If I’d had to make a complaint then it would be that I wanted to see more of it, like a 4 or 6 part series - if only to get more mileage out of its fantastic score that sounds like a TV series theme anyway.
Here's Pierce Brosnan practicing his cool James Bond pose.
74. The Ninth Configuration (1980)
I have no idea why it’s taken me 40 years to discover this gem, and what makes it extra special is that it’s not a sequel to but a spin-off from The Exorcist (!).
Astronaut Billy Cutshaw - the one who, according to possessed Regan, was “going to die up there” - is now in an asylum for military personnel with serious mental problems.
I don’t know if the astronaut also featured in William P. Blatty’s 1966 novel Twinkle, Twinkle, "Killer" Kane! which was the inspiration for the re-written screenplay of The Ninth Configuration.
The asylum, the beautiful German Eltz Castle “relocated and rebuilt in America” provides lots of gothic atmosphere.
The condition of the patients is exaggerated in such way that they’re all presented as colourful nutcases tangled up in their own bizarre scenarios including props that really shouldn’t be there.
In that way it’s impossible to ignore the Monty Python vibe, and yet it never looks like comedy to me simply because it doesn't resonate; it falls flat on the medical staff who aren’t supposed to be entertained by it, and that certainly applies to the new head of the staff, the very serious Colonel Hudson Kane played by Stacy Keach.
The scripted dialogue in intelligent and sharp and that’s where most of the drama (and humour) comes from and perhaps it is precisely the weirdness that allows the story to progress and climax in a paradoxically restraint yet powerful way.
There is a story arch resemblance between Hudson Kane and Father Karras in terms of sacrifice and redemption regarding their respective personal crises, but the “demons” that need to be exorcised are very different.
A most intriguing and very beautiful film that entertains from start to finish.
75. The Loveless (1981)
The leisurely devil-may-care attitude reminds me a little bit of the Russ Meyer style but the sleepy town’s seedy sordid underbelly appears to be more fitting for an early nineties indie film.
It’s a great film for atmosphere-over-story and also to enjoy watching the camera linger on various body parts. The film score, whilst not particularly memorable for itself, is used effectively throughout.
The Loveless is a precious little cult film that just hits the right notes and also a worthy debut for Willem Dafoe in or out of his biker’s costume.
For several of the other actors it would be a short-lived acting career even though I think they were all pretty watchable, depending on what they had to do.
(note to myself: try to find the “making of” documentary).
76. Come Back To The 5 & Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982)
Another story from Dustville USA. I haven’t included any of the James Dean films and I'm sort of counting on the idea that this entry is going to redeem me.
Karen Black and Sandy Dennis got the best parts but that didn’t stop Cher from making the very best of her role.
The talent of Kathy Bates is underused but maybe it was a good decision to not make it too powerhousy.
The drama and humour goes to and fro and that works very well in this kind of play.
77. Local Hero (1983)
Ah, but who is the local hero? Is it Mac or Felix, Gordon or someone else?
I find it difficult to explain what’s so great about this film but that’s not a bad thing at all. The transatlantic affair that combines different kinds of comedy may seem like novel at best and a recipe for disaster at worst but it ended up being a beautiful marriage, and then who cares if it was because or in spite of whatever.
Also, the argument (that nobody makes) that it would have been less charming without that fantastic soundtrack is not relevant because without the film that soundtrack wouldn’t exist. Well, presumably.
Extra pity points for Burt Lancaster who has to deal with yet another character assassination.
78. The Purple Rose Of Cairo (1985)
A clever and enchanting romcom that combines the real and the fantasy in an almost seamless way.
Mia Farrow is perfect as the unappreciated wife who expresses her protests passive-aggressively but that’s one of Woody Allen’s trademarks of course. It also has its moments of open bitchiness mostly between the actors and the audience who have paid to watch them.
It’s all a big gimmick that could have worn off before the film ended but I don’t think it did. In fact I would have loved to see more of it. We’re in the eighties now, greed is good.
79. Angel Heart (1987)
Initially I was going to say that this was the very first “it was himself all along!!” plot twist but now that I’ve watched The Ninth Configuration I’m not so sure anymore. Still, this twist is more important in Angel Heart so it’s safe to say that they’ve made more effort to string us along, as it were.
It’s a nasty evil tale about Southern hocus pocus mixed with “noir” and great attention for detail - and also a very stylish ending.
Absolutely one of the finest of this decade.
80. Maurice (1987)
Was the story arc of A PLACE TO CALL HOME’s Doctor Henry Fox loosely based on MAURICE?
I mean it sort of ends the same way, doesn’t it.
To be honest it took me almost half an hour to realise that Hugh Grant wasn’t playing the film’s title character because...I just assumed he would. Internet informed me that he wasn’t quite famous yet but I didn’t know that.
As with most productions cooked up by the Merchant Ivory stable Maurice is a very noble and sumptuous-looking film. I almost included The Bostonians (1984), a very fine film starring Vanessa Redgrave and Christopher Reeve, and I’ve bought that DVD so there’s no lack of support here but I figured that Maurice was gayer and I hadn’t seen much of that in these type of stories. Not that I watch them regularly so maybe I'm wrong about that.
There’s also an interesting titbit on wiki describing the mixed reception of Maurice because in 1987 we were still knee-deep in the AIDS pandemic and for that reason the story was deemed irresponsibly supportive by some.
