Search for 1983

By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes: Macbeth Act IV, Scene 1 The cliché goes like this: They don’t make ‘em like they used to. And, at least in the case of Something Wicked This Way Comes, ne’er a truer wor...

There's an old saying that states something about leaving the best for last. George Lucas certainly didn't follow that adage when crafting the original Star Wars trilogy. Return of the Jedi, the final installment of the series, is easily the ...

For many years (16 in particular), Return of the Jedi was considered the weakest of the Star Wars films. Then, in 1999, along came The Phantom Menace to displace it in the minds of many. Left unrealized as the prequels began their theatrical tour is ...

The passage of time has labeled 1983’s Staying Alive as a turkey, but the contemporaneous view (at least to Paramount’s bean counters) was somewhat different. Although critics lambasted the movie upon its release, with Roger Ebert giving an es...

Before 1971, Clint Eastwood was known primarily for the long-running TV show Rawhide and his role as The Man With No Name in Sergio Leone's so-called "Spaghetti Westerns." That all changed during this pivotal year in Eastwood's career. In Novembe...

Talk about movies that haven’t aged well… Seen a couple of decades into the 21st century, this 1983 relic is an embarrassment. Come to think of it, however, it wasn’t that great when it came out. There are three major problem areas: the scri...

Warning: As with most retrospective reviews, this reveals key plot points. Spoilers abound.Undoubtedly, one of the reasons why James L. Brooks’ feature debut, the three-hankie weeper Terms of Endearment, won the Oscar for Best Picture is tha...

Valley Girl is a re-imagination of the 1983 film for a generation raised on Baz Luhrmann films and Glee. It’s a celebration of kitsch and of the ‘80s as they’re remembered (not as they actually were). Everything about director Rachel Le...

If nothing else, WarGames is a great "time capsule" movie. Although many of the themes and concepts forming the foundation of John Badham's 1983 thriller are hopelessly out-of-date, this is one of the best films from its era to illustrate not only ...