Steel Magnolias

Steel Magnolias

Tri-Star

November 22, 1989
Dramedy
DVD
C-

I've of course heard of this movie since the time but never actually watched any of it before.  Today I was more interested in the houses than the characters.  Herbert Ross directed, after Play It Again, Sam and Footloose.

Short Circuit

Short Circuit

Tri-Star

May 9, 1986

Sci-Fi, Comedy

DVD
C-

I didn't see this at the time but don't feel like I missed much, although the cast is somewhat interesting.  (Not that I saw everyone in a quarter hour.)  John Badham directed.

Rambo: First Blood II

Rambo: First Blood II

Tri-Star etc.

May 22, 1985

Action

DVD

D+

I don't know if I had tried to watch this before or if it was just that it had once been so much a part of the zeitgeist, but I was able to get a couple chuckles out of familiar dialogue.  Stallone co-wrote and of course stars.  George P. Cosmatos directed.

Places in the Heart

Places in the Heart

Tri-Star Pictures

October 5, 1984

Historical Drama

DVD
D+

Depressing, even before the deaths.  Robert Benton wrote and directed.

The Natural

The Natural

Tri-Star

May 11, 1984

Sports Drama, Historical Drama

DVD
D+

Chockful of clichés but the costumes are good.  This is based on the Bernard Malamud novel and directed by Barry Levinson.

The Muppets Take Manhattan

The Muppets Take Manhattan

Tri-Star

July 13, 1984

Comedy, Musical, Fantasy

DVD
C

While there are certainly worse movies with the Muppets, this one didn't quite click with me.  The songs are OK, the comedy a bit weak but not terrible, and Dabney Coleman remains the go-to '80s movie comedy asshole.  The quarter-hour I spent was not unpleasant, but I didn't want more.  Frank Oz directed and of course voiced various characters.

Labyrinth

Labyrinth

Tri-Star

June 27, 1986

Fantasy

DVD
C-

Bowie is the goblin king, but the film fails to a-maze.  Jim Henson directed and co-wrote.

Jacob's Ladder

Jacob's Ladder

Tri-Star Pictures

November 2, 1990

Horror, Historical Drama

DVD
D-

A man is trapped in a nightmare world, but I escaped after a quarter hour.  Adrian Lyne directed, seven years after Flashdance.