Moving (1987)
I’m kicking things off with a forgotten comedy starring a comedic legend when Richard Pryor would get the promotion of a lifetime and take his family out to Idaho only to discover anything that can go wrong, will go wrong in 1988s Moving from director Alan Metter also starring Beverly Todd, Randy Quaid, and Stacy Dash with appearances from Dana Carvey, Robert LaSardo, and King Kong Bundy.
Now I wouldn’t call Moving a laugh-out-loud comedy despite having more than enough comical moments. But it is a very amusing comedy of errors with plenty going on during its swift runtime to make it an easily consumable comedic romp. Pryor’s funny as the prototypical father trying to keep it together for his family as one thing after another goes wrong in often laughable fashion. From shady movers who hijack their belongings on a trip to Mardi Gras, to the nut job they hire to drive their car, to Arlo’s job not going as planned, to the Pears’ insane neighbor there’s never a dull moment. Pryor is a bit restrained which makes his final act revolt that much more amusing and with strong performances from Dana Carvey, Randy Quaid, and Robert LaSardo there is endless personality and charm in this little forgotten flick.
Back to the Beach (1988)
We’re playing in the sand and soaking in the sun for my next forgotten gem starring a couple of Hollywood legends from the 50s and 60s. It follows beach genre legend Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon who would head out to California to visit their daughter and would learn the lifestyle still lives inside them in 1987s Back to the Beach from director Lyndall Hobbs.
For some reason this was a movie that I had on rotation as a kid, I watched it on TV and loved it. Back to the Beach is a parody of the beach party movies made popular in the 60s. Funicello and Avalon were also the stars of many of those films. Now admittedly the plot in this one is toilet paper thin, like the cheap single ply, but the charisma is feverish and the atmosphere in this movie will have you wanting to feel the sand between your toes. Funicello and Avalon are adorable together and there is no denying this is an ultra-silly film but that’s the intention. Back to the Beach is filled with cameos, easter eggs, sight-gags, and music and it’s a blast of nostalgia that will undoubtedly put a smile on your face as Frankie, “The Big Kahuna” rides one last wave to save the beach and pass the torch to the next generation.
Manhunter (1986)
Next up I have an unjustifiably underrated film that’s probably the best movie in this volume. It’s the first big screen adaptation of Thomas Harris’ novel “Red Dragon” centering on a former FBI profiler who is pulled back to the job to track down a serial killer in Michael Mann’s Manhunter from 1986, starring CSI’s William Petersen, Joan Allen, Kim Greist, Dennis Farina, and Brian Cox as Dr. Lecktor.
When Anthony Hopkins took over the role of Dr. Lecktor and Harris’ trilogy was remade, I think this movie was unnecessarily forgotten. If you love Michael Mann, you will love this movie, his style and visual trademarks are all over this film. This was deemed a hindrance with critics at the time, but I think the style and seductive atmosphere that Mann pumps into this movie makes it a truly great hidden gem. Peterson’s performance is subdued and smoldering, all great for this broken character and the methodical pace here will capture your imagination and have you taking the dark journey of this case. The music gives the film a great pulse, Manhunter is a moody, atmospheric film and it balances storytelling, characters performances, and stylish filmmaking with ease to craft an underrated cinematic achievement.
Bachelor Party (1984)
I’m lighting things up for my next undermentioned gem. It’s a sex fueled raunch-com starring an Oscar winner that follows Tom Hanks’ Rick Gassko over the course of a wildest night of debauchery ever when his friends would throw him a Bachelor Party from 1984, also starring Tawny Kitaen, Adrian Zmed, Michael Dudikoff, an army of strippers, and a pill popping donkey.
For some reason Bachelor Party never gets cut into the Tom Hanks montages at awards shows but before he would reinvent himself as a serious actor in the 90s, Hanks was a hilarious comedian in the 80s. And it sort of all kicked off with this hilarious raunch fest of sexual excess and drug fueled gratuity. You never really know where this film will go and just when you think it hit its limit, it blows through it like “Nick the Dick” blows through a hot dog bun. Now this movie came out during the prime of 80s sex comedies but if you can overlook the lewd material there is an effectively comical sense of humor at the core. There’s plenty of hilarious jokes, plenty of shock value sight gags, and a buffet of wild characters that make this Bachelor Party an endearingly timeless ride of juvenile sex fueled 80s excess.
Bright Lights, Big City (1988)
Things are getting a little grimmer for my next film. An emotionally driven drama about a disenchanted writer played by Michael J. Fox, living in NYC who turns to heavy drug use and drinking to block out the failures of his career, his estranged wife, and memories of his dead mother in 1988s Bright Lights, Big City directed by James Bridges. Also starring Phoebe Cates, Kiefer Sutherland, and Diane Wiest.
This is a movie that I felt never really got its due praise. Now I won’t say this is a massively impactful film. However, it is one that feels realistic, a little seedy, and a bit gritty which works for this plot. I also think Michael J. Fox is great in this heavier performance and I appreciate his taking a chance on darker roles like this when he was really known for light comedy and being Marty McFly at the time. And what I really like about this movie is how it feels like a peek inside a man’s spiraling life. It’s a cautionary tale in a sense without the heavy-handed cautionary tale pushed onto you. This movie has a seductive but dangerous atmosphere to it with the New York settings and the subject matter and it still holds up. It also delivers a career best monologue from Fox who really poured his heart into this film.
Hot Pursuit (1987)
This next little gem is a forgotten feel-good flick about a high school kid who follows his rich girlfriend and her family to the Caribbean after having to stay behind to take a test. He’s not exactly sure where they went but he’ll encounter smugglers, killers and everything in between in 1987s Hot Pursuit starring John Cusack, Robert Loggia, and Jerry Stiller, from director Steven Lisberger.
I love this movie because of the hilarious adventure of mishaps that Cusack takes in order to take a vacation with his hot, rich girlfriend. It’s one hilarious disaster after another for Cusack as he travels across the globe chasing his girlfriend and her family. Admittedly everything fits into the road-trip/travel comedy formula, but Hot Pursuit delivers plenty of laughs, endless adventure, a variety of humorous characters, primarily Robert Loggia as an old haggard skipper. And front and center is the charm and charisma of a young John Cusack going all-in on this performance and from the energy to the physical action he’s perfect in this movie and the romance at the core driving the plot is that typical high school love we can all relate to that makes the adventures in Hot Pursuit all worth something.
Romancing the Stone (1987)
This next adventure film delivers it all from action to humor to romance when a writer travels to Colombia with a treasure map to exchange for his kidnapped sister and ends up hunting for treasure with a charming soldier-of-fortune in 1984s Romancing the Stone starring Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, and Danny DeVito from director Robert Zemeckis.
I certainly think this movie, despite its popularity at the time, was too often relegated as an Indiana Jones knock-off which prevented it from having more relevance in 80s cinema culture. It’s a film filled with adventure, loaded with clever, charming humor, and it’s fueled by star power. Douglas and Turner are a dynamic duo, their chemistry is sizzling and perfect for this ambitious plot, and DeVito’s grimy performance gives the film the cartoonish villain it needed. Romancing the Stone is a film that delivers an infectious energy that can easily sweep you up and take you out into the jungles with these characters hunting for treasure. The action will have you on edge, the humor will have you laughing, and the romance will warm your heart in a film forgotten over time that certainly needs to be remembered.
Eye of the Tiger (1986)
We’re heading back to the action movie basics for my next forgotten gem that follows a Vietnam vet who returns home from a short stint in prison to find his small hometown under the ruthless control of a vicious motorcycle gang in Eye of the Tiger from 1986 starring Gary Busey, Yaphet Kott, William Smith, and Seymour Cassel, from director Richard Sarafian.
Eye of the Tiger came out during a very busy time in the action genre and it’s admittedly a patchwork of action movie tropes as a man seeks out justice to save a small town. This one really didn’t do anything we hadn’t already seen at the time, but you couldn’t tell that from the effort put into these performances. Particularly from Busey, Kotto, and Smith. It’s also awesome to see Gary Busey in his prime in full action hero mode and while this story may be generic the energy in his performance and his chemistry with Kotto give the movie just enough substance. Eye of the Tiger also has a delightfully sadistic villain with William Smith who with his gang gives Busey a perfect army to take on. The practical action is visually appealing, Busey’s killing with gusto and Eye of the Tiger is a charming relic of the vengeance exploitation romp.
Disorganized Crime (1989)
My next movie delivers plenty of action and plenty of laughs when a career criminal enlists his friends for a big job but is caught first leaving his bumbling cohorts to try and pull off without him in 1989s Disorganized Crime starring Corbin Bernsen, Lou Diamond Phillips, Ed O’Neill, Fred Gwynne, Rubén Blades, and Hoyt Axton. Written and directed by Jim Kouf.
I definitely think this is a forgotten little gem of a heist caper. It’s a comedy of mishaps as a group of bumbling criminals attempts to complete a heist sans leader with all the incompetence you’d expect. Where this movie thrives to me is in its lighthearted and charismatic atmosphere. There’s a charming blend of action and comedy and I think it works for the needs of a mindless comedy. I think the ensemble is a fun ragtag group of actors that all have their own comedic personality, and it gives the humor a variety from funny jokes and situations to physical and slapstick comedy which gives the film a smooth engaging pace. Blades and Phillips are the bright spots for me and overall, the humor seeded from this ensemble is enough to make this surface level plot a great time.
Tequila Sunrise (1988)
And for the last film in this volume, I have a spicy romantic crime drama from 1988. It’s loaded with star power and would follow a reformed drug dealer who gets caught up with the Mexican cartel, his friend in the Sheriff’s Department, the DEA, and a beautiful woman, in Robert Towne’s Tequila Sunrise starring Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kurt Russell.
Now I enjoy Tequila Sunrise as an interesting case study on how a film can have a collection of great ingredients and yet when it’s cooked with the wrong spices the dish may come out good but not delicious. That’s Tequila Sunrise, a film that does many things well. Well, enough to be considered a hidden gem. The performances are all very good. Pfeiffer, Gibson, and Russell are all riding full throttle sex appeal and this movie gives them plenty of moments to interact with one another which is entertaining. This is a sexy film, it has a seductive atmosphere, and a stylish edge to it that all appeal. The plot does get too convoluted for its own good and that would be the hindrance that prevented this film from being great but as it is there is plenty of kick to be found in Tequila Sunrise to give you a nice cinematic buzz.
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2024 SilverScreen Analysis & Movies Never Say Die!
