The list of pop culture references grows and grows, from the arcane to the sublime: the Tiger Beat heartthrob-ness of “Karate Kid’s” Ralph Macchio, today playing the same role in the critically praised YouTube Premium series “Cobra Kai” Dustin’s walkie-talkie call signs “Gold Leader” (referencing “Star Wars”), “Griswald Family” (the “Vacation” franchise) and “Goof Troop” (the animated TV series starring Disney’s Goofy as a single dad) and the emerging mythology behind the My Little Pony toys. ![]() (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Archive Photos/Getty Images) Silver Screen Collection/Archive Photos/Getty ImagesĪ network away, Tom Selleck and “Magnum, P.I.” were having a profound effect on ’80s masculinity, sparking a Hawaiian shirt craze and a serious appreciation for prominent facial hair, as reflected in Hopper’s sartorial choices. Tom Selleck as the in 'Magnum, P.I.', circa 1985. More movie references abound: along with “BTTF” the Starcourt multiplex marquee advertises a distinctly “Stranger Things”-adjacent roster of 1985 films: “The Stuff,” cult filmmaker Larry Cohen’s satirical horror film sending up consumerism “D.A.R.Y.L.,” featuring a sophisticated A.I., in the form of a child, on the run from its government makers and “Fletch,” the Chevy Chase comedy about a snarky undercover journalist that could serve as a funhouse mirror reflection of Murray Bauman.Įven Carpenter’s 1982 film “The Thing,” with its Mind Flayer-evoking protoplasmic biology and tendrils, gets referenced both in movie poster form and in Lucas’ eloquent analogy comparing the movie and its 1951 precursor “The Thing From Another World” to Classic and New Coke: they have distinctly different flavors, but you can enjoy them both. The film remains the gold standard of sci-fi/retro/teen comedy, and as such its influence on the laugh-leaning season 3 is deeply felt, overtly (the scene revealing the DeLorean’s 88 mph time-traveling capabilities plays on the multiplex screen), in tips of the hat (Dustin’s inventions, like his automated hammer, evoke Doc Brown’s Rube Goldberg-esque creations) and even more subtle nods (fans of composer Alan Silvestri will zero in on orchestral sequences that evoke his signature “BTTF” score later in the season). “Back to the Future” was the king of the summer box office of 1985, spending 11 straight weeks as Hollywood’s top moneymaker and emerging as the biggest hit of the year – and the subsequent three-plus decades as one of the most revered films of all time. Fox in 'Back to the Future' From Universal Pictures Jeffrey Bloom was onto several other genre items including the script for the horror anthology Nightmares (1983), writing-directing the alien visitor tv movie romance Starcrossed (1985) and having his greatest success in writing-directing the torrid Gothic melodrama Flowers in the Attic (1987).Christopher Lloyd and Michael J. Ultimately, it is not enough to get Blood Beach through its glaring lacks – like a failure to explain anything at all about the monster and its uneven, undisciplined pace – but at least Jeffrey Bloom and Steven Malevansky’s dialogue proves a good companion on an otherwise tedious journey. ![]() ![]() ![]() There is also B-movie veteran John Saxon, clearly having the best time he has had in years, delivering some highly amusing lines trying to explain the menace of the monster to the city council or listing the nutty reports of the monster’s sighting. There are some amusingly eccentric characterisations – Burt Young as a vulgar detective who is constantly saying how much better things were back in Chicago the wife who insists on describing every detail of her missing husband’s clothing. The poster for example wittily lampooned the famous publicity by-line for Jaws 2 (1978) – “Just when you thought it safe to go back in the water, you can’t get across the beach.” Nevertheless, Blood Beach comes with an undeniable sense of humour that comes across rather likeably. On the whole a Not Much Of Anything film.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |