Dre Rivas,
Jun 08, 2007
When I was given the opportunity to climb into the DeLorean and wax nostalgic about the films of 1979, I jumped at the chance. Why, I remember 1979 like it was yesterday. I couldn't read or form simple sentences yet, much like today I guess. I didn't see any of these movies in theaters (my crib back then was quite literally ... a crib). But I grew up watching them on cable or that great adventure known as VHS.
Ah, VHS. If you grew up in the '80s, chances are you remember the first thing your family recorded on your VHS player. For me, it was the A-Team. I was a naughty little miscreant one particular night and was sent to bed early. My dad recorded the A-Team for me, though, knowing I'd miss it. I've never forgotten it. It'll be the best old-age home money can buy, pops, I promise.
Enough of this jabberwocky. Let's take a look at some of the 1979's very best.
1.) Alien
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerrit, John Hurt, Harry Dean Stanton, Yaphet Kotto
Why a Fave?: The year is 1987 and my parents bring home a copy of James Cameron's Aliens. It's the most incredible action film I've ever seen (at the time). I must have watched it a good four times before it was returned. I learn it's actually a sequel so I get my parents to rent the original. I recall thinking that the original is scarier but nowhere near "as cool." Today, I feel different.
2.) Apocalypse Now
Director: Frances Ford Coppola
Starring: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne
Why a Fave?: K-U-R-T-Z. Kurtz! Kurtz! Kurtz! It's one of the most dysfunctional war films ever made, both in front of and behind the camera. It's beautiful, poetic and features some real wackado characters. A friend had just gotten me into The Doors when I saw this for the first time and once "The End" started playing, I was officially entranced.
3.) Manhattan
Director: Woody Allen
Starring: Woody Allen, Mariel Hemmingway, Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Meryl Streep
Why a Fave?: Allen's opening and closing montage of New York City shot to the tune of Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" always brings a smile to my face. This is one of my two very favorite Woody Allen movies. If only for dialogue like this:
Party Guest: I finally had an orgasm, and my doctor said it was the wrong kind.
Isaac: You had the wrong kind? I've never had the wrong kind, ever. My worst one was right on the money.
4.) The Jerk
Director: Carl Reiner
Starring: Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, M. Emmet Walsh
Why a Fave?: One of the funniest comedies I've ever seen, The Jerk taught me many valuable life lessons; the most important being to never karate-kick Iron Balls McGinty in the groin. I'll also be sure to keep my name out of the phone book. Steve Martin is in peak form here. Enough said.
5.) Kramer vs. Kramer
Director: Robert Benton
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander
Why a Fave?: I know it's popular to dump on this movie because movie geeks think Apocalypse Now should have won and blah, blah, blah. The fact is this movie spoke more for it's time than the other Best Picture nominees that year. And if this movie never won Best Picture, would Family Guy ever have given us this ... (en espanol for mucho effecto!)
6.) The Muppet Movie
Director: James Frawley
Starring: Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Scooter, Swedish Chef, Sam the Eagle, Beaker
Why a Fave?: I think everyone still has fond memories of the Muppets and much of it is owed to this great movie. Before they took Manhattan, before they had that silly caper ... Kermit and his band of misfits shared with us their origin story. A pig never looked so good in a dress. Did I just give myself away there? Oh, Miss Piggy, you'll be the end of me.
7.) Rocky II
Director: Sylvestor Stallone
Starring: Sylvestor Stallone, Carl Weathers, Talia Shire, Burt Young
Why a Fave?: Are you kidding me? Eye of the Tiger, baby. Two of the best all-time training montages are in the Rocky saga. One of them is in Rocky IV. The other is right here.
8.) Monty Python's Life of Brian
Director: Terry Jones
Starring: John Cleese, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam
Why a Fave?: There's something incredibly infectious about a bunch of hapless souls singing Always look on the bright side of life as they're being crucified. This is one of the great religious comedies, people.
9.) Being There
Director: Hal Ashby
Starring: Peter Sellers, Shirley McClaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Ward
Why a Fave?: Peter Sellers is a god. This movie frustrates a lot of people. I know this because whenever I recommend it I hear something along the lines of, "Dre, what the hell did you make me watch?" Sellers is known for being very active on screen and here -- one of his last roles -- it's more about how little he does on screen. What's more, Sellers finally proved he really could walk on water.
10.) The Warriors
Director: Walter Hill
Starring: Michael Beck, James Remar, David Patrick Kelly
Why a Fave?: Caaaaaaaan youuuuuuu diiiiiiiig iiiiiiiiiit? Yes, we did. I watched this movie about a hundred times on WHT. Those baseball thugs scared the bejesus out of me. Gangs with baseball bats don't make me shiver anymore. Today, it's people like this guy.
Did I miss a movie? Leave a comment below.
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Dre writes three times a week for Film.com, covering Movies and DVD with his Floridian flare.
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