80's MONTH: "THE BOYS NEXT DOOR"

Spheeris follows up her low budget punk rock drama "Suburbia" with a gritty drama that goes into the mind of a disturbed teenager. What makes human beings do the things they do? Why do some men do the horrible things they do while others have the conscience not to? This seems to be the theme of "The Boys Next Door" where 2 young men skip out of town after graduation and wreak havoc in Hollywood. Things go from bad to worse quickly when violence and robbery turns into murder.

"Suburbia" had an effect on me, but it was hard to get over the horrible acting and shoe string budget. Spheeris does something different here and with a bigger budget, plus real actors, and the emotion she wants to portray comes through cleaner, more clearly. To me, besides "Platoon" this is one of Sheen's best early roles. I wouldn't call this film a masterpiece, but everything comes together nicely. Great soundtrack, good actors, good scenes, good emotions, and a haunting beginning intro that really sets the mood for the entire picture.

*3 Lance Approvals*

80's MONTH: "RENEGADES"

I hadn't heard much about this film, shocking because I am the 80's expert. I was excited to view it. Two solid actors of the 80s, a cop action/drama, native american references, etc. All of the above sounded good. I popped this bad boy in once it came in the mail. Sadly, it was overall mediocre. I was entertained for the most part, but I wasn't thrilled with this film. It had moments of potential greatness, but it flounders near the bottom end of some buddy cop pictures.

The plot is very basic. Keifer Sutherland is an undercover cop. The criminals he is working with steal something important to a Native American tribe. The young Lou Diamond Phillips is sent out by the Native Americans to retrieve this item. Together he meets up with Keifer and they do battle against the criminal underworld, but not without many instances of Keifer abandoning "chief" and being a completely generic asshole white guy. Really you don't need to know much else. There are some cool chase scenes, and Keifer seems to be more brutal than usual, but unfortunately I'm going to chalk this up as a basic cop movie.

*2 Lance Approvals*

80's MONTH: "VALLEY GIRL"

Another formulaic plot with stupid characters, but damn it, why do I love this? Maybe it is just because I am biased towards the 80s, but it really wouldn't be done like this if it was made in 2011. Nick Cage is a punk rocker, Deborah Foreman is a rich valley girl. Somehow they fall in love, but friends and peer pressure break them apart. Can it work? I guess you'll have to watch to find out.

Yes it falls under the horny teen comedy romantic drama. It's been done 1000 times. And Nick Cage resembles a gay pirate more than a legit punk. But this is a gem only recognized by those who love the 80s. For one, the music is excellent. The pacing is a little strange, but I found myself interested in the odd timing. I wasn't really sure what was going to happen next or how long this scene would last, which is something very easy to figure out in a movie like this usually. Sure it rips off Romeo & Juliet for the 1000th time, but it has heart. Cage puts more effort into this than any of his recent movies. Check it out, especially if you don't completely remember it. It will make your life better. I promise.

*3 Lance Approvals*

80's MONTH: "JUST ONE OF THE GUYS"

This movie is completely retarded. The supporting characters are beyond moronic, the lead actress is so obviously a girl pretending to be a guy. You must just assume that it is OK to be an idiot in this film's world. The plot is cliche, it has the generic perverted little brother, and the smart/intelligent/beautiful lead, but she still has some idiot boyfriend. The problems with this film usually irk me beyond belief, but dammit, I'm really down with "Just One of the Guys".

As stupid as it is, it is still better than the garbage of the teen comedy/drama genre being spewed out today. It is entertainment, at almost it's lowest form. But little glimmers of emotion shine through, and the film is packed full of memorable 1980s moments such as the lead actress revealing she is a woman by flashing the audience. Also there is an early appearance by 80's/early 90's babe Sherilyn Finn who you might recognize from "The Wraith", "Boxing Helena", and Twin Peaks. Check it out for some 80's fun.

*2 and 1/2 Lance Approvals*

80's MONTH: "SUBURBIA"

Fresh off the success of her documentary "The Decline of Western Civilization", Penelope Spheeris makes her feature film debut with punk rock drama "Suburbia". The film follows a group of punk rock kids squatting in an abandoned house living on their own, away from the families that don't care for them. It also focuses on some "regular" people who want the punks to stop ruining their suburban society with trash, graffiti, and theft. It all culminates in a climactic battle between the punk underground and the norms of society.

Let me start off by saying this is super low budget and you won't find any recognizable actors. In fact, the majority of the actors were real punk rock kids at the time. This creates some authenticity to the product, but also makes it suffer in the quality acting department. If you can get past some of the bad acting, you will enjoy this film. It has excellent music, a decent story, and has moments of sadness I didn't quite expect from the film. It evokes as much emotion as it can out of it's low budget. This is probably some of the better C-grade film making I've seen out there. Worth checking out, especially if you grew up on punk rock like I did.

*3 Lance Approvals*

80's MONTH: "1969"

This movie had all the makings for a really good film. A young talented cast, a compelling story, and a decent message to go along with the plot. Sadly, it falls a little short. It is still a solid movie, but the potential isn't met. With the cast and subject matter you would think it would be remembered more, but for now it seems to be a pretty obscure movie, where all the other actors are more famous for their other works.

"1969" follows two friends in the middle of the Vietnam crisis. The older generation supports the war, while the teenagers rebel against it. This creates tension between Scott (Kiefer Sutherland) and his family. His brother enlists to the approval of his father while Scott goes off and leads a hippy lifestyle of activism, sex, drugs, and rock & roll. Eventually he comes back home, where he and his family are forced to recognize the truth face of war.

Like I mentioned earlier, "1969" has all the potential in the world. I really wanted to love this film. I was entertained for the most part, but I don't think I'd ever watch it again. To me, it was just a decent coming of age story. There are some great moments, but the overall effect of the movie isn't as powerful and engaging as it could be. It may be worth checking out if you enjoy Vietnam War films that don't focus on the action and more on character conflict.

*2 and 1/2 Lance Approvals*

80's MONTH: "PERMANENT RECORD"

This is the kind of movie 80's month is based around and also the kind of the movie that embodies what this blog is about. Obscure, unknown, hidden gems that really are great movies, not just in the cheese department. I don't want to give the plot away, but it involves suicide and how it affects the people directly involved with the person who decides to commit the act. I haven't been moved by a teenage film like this in a long time. Without getting too corny, this is really something special.

Yes, the 80s cliches do show. It looks very 80s, which is not a bad thing, but if it is for you, get past it. This film portrays great emotion and originality. This is easily one of Keanu Reeve's best performances as an actor. He's been in a lot of good movies, but he is always dull or comical. This time around he pulls out all the punches. There is also a lot of great music in this film. Soundtrack wise and performance wise.

*3 and 1/2 Lance Approvals*

80's MONTH: "HIDING OUT"

Completely unrealistic 80's cheese at its finest. None of these characters exist in reality and the scenarios would never happen in real life. The acting is bad, the story is ridiculous, but damn, it is still enjoyable. John Cryer of "Pretty in Pink" plays a stock broker brought to court to testify against the mob. Through a series of crazy events he ends up hiding out as a high school student.

It may not be up there with the classic teen flicks, but this lost gem brings the 80s flavor. John Cryer does the best he can, even if he is involved in a creepy love interest with an underage girl. For all it's faults, the movie flows and kept me entertained. I can't give it a great rating, but there is no way I could give it a bad one, even if it is a bad movie. This is a must for obscure 80's cheesiness lovers.

*2 1/2 Lance Approvals*

80's MONTH: "THE NIGHT BEFORE"

I'm all about the lost collection. 80's films that have been out of print for many years but feature some of our favorite stars. "The Night Before" has all the makings for an 80's classic. A young Keanu Reeves, a young "Full House" mom, and a series of wacky adventure's in bad cinema's ultimate play ground; Hollywood.

"The Night Before" has its moments, but I found myself not overly interested in anything going on. This is the kind of film you watch drunk or high and laugh at how C level it is. Still, there is something that draws me to it. Maybe it is the performances or the mystery of what actually happened to our young hero? I appreciate some of the comedy, but I felt like they could have gotten a little darker and dirtier with the disgusting streets these young teenagers are stuck on. They didn't go there, probably for the young audience, but it leaves me, an old man in my mid 20s wanting something more.

*2 Lance Approvals*

80's MONTH: "CLASS"

It's been a year and February has been dubbed 80's month here at Death of the B-Movie, so lets start off with a movie so 80's it hurts. 80's heart throbs Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy star in this "coming of age" comedy/drama about a college student having an affair with his friend's mother. Only in the 80s this movie would work... well, in the way it is portrayed.

I wasn't blown away by this film, but it provides you with the typical 80s entertainment you expect, nothing more nothing less. Bisset is the attractive older woman, with a somewhat deeper layer. McCarthy is the tortured baby face as always, and Lowe; I guess is the nerdier character although I wouldn't classify him as that per say. Pretty stereotypical overall, but has hints of a more serious nature, possibly separating it from the rest of the pack. Don't just expect raunchy laughs (although there are many). You will probably judge the movie on which layer you choose to pay more attention too and how you view it. On one end, you may be entertained by the teenage sex farce angle, but you may also be bored with it. Nothing new is explored there. On the other hand you may be interested in the love angle or it's take on the subject of friendships/relationships, but also weighed down by the dramatic heaviness the film puts on us after many moments of pure raunch and comedy. Maybe it actually falls somewhere in between, which is where I land with this film.

*2 and 1/2 Lance Approvals*