An asshole boxer gets pardoned of his violence and temper as long as he stays on the top in this well constructed, controversial biography that lags from time to time.
Category: 1980
#364 The Big Red One (1980)
The Big Red One’s episodic approach trying to cover the whole war feels unattached and a bit rushed from time to time, but the episodes themselves are 100% solid.
#362 Hangar 18 (1980)
More entertaining than it should be, Hangar 18 is aged way beyond its years with its mid seventies looks, outdated screenplay and ridiculously lazy, cut short 70s style ending.
#350 Where the Buffalo Roam (1980)
Bill Murray captures the essence of Hunter S. Thompson perfectly, but with the script not going deep enough with its subject, the movie never delivers the mood of the books.
#324 Xmas 2015: Christmas Evil aka You Better Watch Out (1980)
Mistreated workplace outcast punishes bad adults in an outdated horror film that tries some black humor aspect but ends up unsatisfactory in almost every possible way.
#304 Nine to Five (1980)
Nine to Five might be a girl power movie about a band of ladies kidnapping their womanising boss, but the superb Dabney Coleman steals the show without competition in every scene he is in.
#296 Oh, God! Book II (1980)
A lousy sequel to the 70s original, OG!B2 is clumsy, inane and childish, and leaves one wishing they’d worked on the manuscript instead of relying on some cheap camera tricks.
#289 The Dogs of War (1980)
The Dogs of War tells a story of a rogue paid mercenaries team send to a fictional African state to eliminate its president.
There’s some limited charm to the scenes of Walken roaming in Africa, but the rest of the movie – gun purchasing, smuggling and training – is simply jaw-breaking boresome.
#285 Stir Crazy (1980)
As a child of the 80s, Stir Crazy feels very 70s to me in its cinematography, direction and writing, and the comedic genius often associated with this film completely escapes me.
#281 The Elephant Man (1980)
David Lynch shows his versatility with The Elephant Man, an amazingly atmospheric and beautiful movie that explores not only one disfigured man, but the whole mankind as well.
#277 Halloween 2015: The Shining (1980)
Iconic, idolised and imitated of almost every scene it features, Kubrick’s horror classic featuring Jack Nicholson in one of his most memorable roles, The Shining is a piece of thriller and horror art and leaves very little or nothing to be improved.
#255 Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
A technical and storytelling triumph, The Empire Strikes Back takes a hugely popular Star Wars series successfully to the 80s, improving on almost every single aspect.
#226 Brubaker (1980)
As a movie Brubaker is very much like it’s protagonist: Unapologetic, hardboiled and gutsy. And it belongs up there with the best prison films of all time.
#225 Fatso (1980)
Oh my.. Fatso is definitely one a child of the 70s movie making heritage: Oddly paced, stuffy and uninventive. The eccentric roster of chararacters, led by Dom DeLuise is the only plus here, while everything else in the movie falls short.
#221 Cheech & Chong’s Next Movie (1980)
The sequel to the 1978 Cheech & Chong film, Next Movie is one of those movies so stupid you’ll feel ashamed to laugh, but can’t really help yourself. Cheech Marin is just sidesplittingly funny and possibly the only guy in the world who can make such a character work.
#195 Any Which Way You Can (1980)
A sequel to the original 1978 action comedy, Any Way Which You Can looks and feels like a child of the 70s, and is only worth your while if you’re a fan of Eastwood.
#170 Dorothy Stratten trilogy: Galaxina (1980)
Stratten plays a picture perfect mute female android in a sci-fi comedy that spoofs the likes of Star Wars, Aliens and Star Trek. Too bad it never succeeds to be funny at all.
#167 When Time Ran Out… (1980)
An early 80s release of a typical 70s disaster movie with effects straight from 60s, plus it has that soup opera look and feel to it. Not even its all-star cast can save this one.
#137 The Blue Lagoon (1980)
Look beyond the very apparent exploitative nature of the movie and you’ll find The Blue Lagoon to be a sweet story of a unique friendship and innocent love, and an experience hindered only by the very clumsy ending of the movie.
80s-o-meter: 11%
Total: 65%
#114 American Gigolo (1980)
Richard Gere plays an upper class male gigolo in American Gigolo, a movie that pairs a character study with a murder mystery – and neither of the aspects end up exactly too interesting.
80s-o-meter: 74%
Total: 58%