Cult Classic

Overboard (1987)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Overboard (1987)

Director:

Garry Marshall

Writer:

Leslie Dixon

Starring:

Kurt Russell

Goldie Hawn

Edward Herrmann

Katherine Helmond

Mike Hagerty

Blurb:

A cruel but beautiful heiress mocks and cheats a hired carpenter. When she gets amnesia after an accident, he decides to introduce her to regular life by convincing her they’re husband and wife.

Thoughts:

I know that Overboard has problems. It definitely takes the premise too far once Kurt Russell’s character sleeps with Goldie Hawn. He should have come clean before then. The thing is, I really like this movie. The chemistry between the two is obvious, and how could I not like a story where a rich person lives life from the other side. It’s great!

Most reviewers seem to disagree with me, and that’s valid. They did go too far. Overboard wasn’t a hit when it came out and barely made its money back. Like so many other movies I own, though, it went on to be a cult classic. I wonder how much of that has to do with the fact that it was played frequently on TV?

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Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

Gary Goldman

David Z. Weinstein

W.D. Richter

Starring:

Kurt Russell

Kim Cattrall

Dennis Dun

James Hong

Victor Wong

Kate Burton

Donald Li

Blurb:

A rough-and-tumble trucker helps rescue his friend’s fiancée from an ancient sorcerer in a supernatural battle beneath Chinatown.

Thoughts:

I’ve only watched Big Trouble in Little China once before. I’d forgotten how crazy awesome it is. I’ve kind of only been paying half attention to a lot of the movies I’ve re-watched so far. I couldn’t do that with Big Trouble. There’s always something either funny or crazy going on, and it’s hard to look away. Especially since it’s not a movie, I’m very familiar with.

What makes the movie is that Jack, Kurt Russell, isn’t the hero. He’s an everyman thrust into a fantastic story and becomes a sidekick. He isn’t a joke and has his moments to shine, but he’s also not a savior, even if he did kill the bad guy in the end. He’s the movie’s main focus, but while he’s surviving, you see the other characters doing most of the heavy lifting. It’s, frankly, awesome. I’d love to see more movies like this, and if anyone has any recommendations, please post them in the comments.

Gracie, Kim Cattrall, comes off a bit manic. She’s constantly moving and has a positive energy even when talking about the potential end of the world. She’s smart and has a Lois Lane vibe. She gets herself in trouble but also gets herself out of it. She’s more capable than Jack.

Big Trouble in Little China was a financial flop. The studio had no idea how to market it because they didn’t understand it. For them, Russell was supposed to be the hero, but he clearly wasn’t, so they made Carpenter write something to “explain” the character. This is why we get the opening scene, which makes the least amount of sense in the entire movie. Thankfully, the film ended up finding its audience and now has a cult following.

I already want to re-watch Big Trouble. I’m kind of ashamed that I own it and have only seen it twice. It should be one of those movies I watch periodically throughout the year. It has many of the things I liked about Last Dragon. It has a large minority cast, weird fight scenes, and a heavy 80s influence. Only Big Trouble does it all, just a bit better. There is a huge 80s influence, but it’s done in all of the best ways. It’s easily in the top ten movies I’ve watched so far, quite possibly top five.

Clue (1985)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Clue (1985)

Director:

Jonathan Lynn

Writers:

John Landis

Jonathan Lynn

Starring:

Eileen Brennan

Tim Curry

Madeline Kahn

Christopher Lloyd

Michael McKean

Martin Mull

Lesley Ann Warren

Colleen Camp

Blurb:

Six guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up.

Thoughts:

I’ve watched Clue recently. That didn’t stop me from wanting to watch it again, though. Tim Curry is so amazing. The way he does the final “reveal” three different times is so much fun to watch. He’s running around and talking so fast that it’s hard to keep up, and he’s freaking out the guests. I love it.

I assume at this point that everyone already knows the biggest trivia fact from Clue. In case someone doesn’t know, here it is:

There were four endings originally filmed. One was immediately tossed as not being good. The other three were attached randomly to the end of the film, and theaters got completely different ones. It’s an interesting gimmick, but audiences didn’t seem to appreciate it. However, when it was released on home media, all three were included at the end.

The multiple endings set the movie apart and are one of my favorite parts of the film. I’m glad that decision was made.

Recently, there have been talks of a remake, with Ryan Reynolds attached to the film. I love Reynolds, but I have no idea how this would even be done. There’s no way they’ll be able to match the original. With all the recent board games to movie projects being made, I have no hopes for anything good coming out of this. Seriously, Hollywood do something original, leave older movie alone. Especially ones that have reached cult status.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

Director:

Jim Sharman

Writer:

Richard O’Brien

Starring:

Tim Curry

Susan Sarandon

Barry Bostwick

Richard O’Brien

Patricia Quinn

Nell Campbell

Jonathan Adam

Peter Hinwood

Blurb:

A newly-engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must seek shelter at the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-n-Furter.

Thoughts:

I remember where I was the first time I saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I’m not sure if a friend was trying to shock me or legitimately thought I’d like the movie, but I ended up loving it. I have not had the pleasure of watching in theaters, but one day, hopefully with that same friend.

The whiplash of going from Bedknobs and Broomsticks to Rocky Horror was amusing (My blog posts ended up being posted out of order). The opening helped ease me in, though. When the songs started, I didn’t care at all. I love the songs so much.

There is, of course, a lot of history tied with this film. It wasn’t a success at first, and only because of the studio’s policy to allow theaters to order from their backlog did it become a cult classic. Now it is the longest-running theatrical release in film history.

Papers have been written on this movie, including an essay entitled “Bisexuality, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Me” by Elizabeth Reba Weise. It’s included in the book Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out.  Rocky Horror represents the queer community in a way that I’m not sure was there in the seventies. Maybe, I’m not sure. I love that Frank N. Furter, Tim Curry, seduces everyone. He is a treasure in all things.

The costumes, the dance numbers, the humor, there is nothing that I don’t enjoy while watching this. If anyone ever asks me, I say that I don’t enjoy trippy movies or tv shows, but looking at my catalog and considering TV Shows I’ve been watching, I’m starting to think that’s not true. Maybe I’m just really picky about my trippiness?

A couple of attempts at sequels to Rocky Horror were made, but there doesn’t appear to be a true one released. The closest that came is a movie called Shock Treatment. I haven’t watched it and from what I can tell most people didn’t like it. I might try to dig up a copy one day to judge for myself.

I will not be getting rid of my 35th-anniversary blu-ray edition. It doesn’t appear as though the 45th edition has anything new. I’m hoping that at some point there’s a remaster, but who knows if that will happen.