Comedies from the 1980s

Sixteen Candles
      1984 | USA | Laughs: 4.0 (Chuckle) | imdb: 7.1
      wikipedia | who was involved?

With all those movies that depict clueless teenagers, wouldn't it be refreshing to see one that shows clueless parents for a change? This is exactly the premise of this movie. An entire family (parents, siblings, grandparents) forget that one of their daughters / sisters / granddaughters turns sixteen today.

The movie is refreshingly racist and misogynistic. (Before you flame me, remember that as a gay Asian female I can say whatever the heck I want.) (Before you accuse me of not being a gay Asian female, may I remind you how unenlightened a viewpoint that is and that what matters is what I feel inside?)

I should mention that the film is cruel with people who have unusual physical characteristics, and that it comes close to condoning the taking advantage of young women who are passed out from alcohol.

I'm not sure there was anything funny in the plot itself… But who needs more for an evening's entertainment than this comical time voyage to the peak of the era when straight white males ruled the Earth?

(Last viewed: September 2019)

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Working Girl
      1988 | USA | Laughs: 4.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.8
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A young woman from a working class background resorts to large-scale deception in order to get past her hypocritical female boss and rise through the ranks of her New York law firm.

While this movie is by no means a laugh-out-loud comedy, it made me smile a lot and offers more than its mere comedic aspects: it oozes 1980s charm; its social commentary gives a historical perspective on various struggles; and its cast of stars who look impossibly young — among whom Harrison Ford, Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Spacey.

A perfect watch if you're in the mood for a laidback comedy with feminist undertones.

(Last viewed: December 2020)

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Nothing Left to Do but Cry (Non ci resta che piangere)
      1984 | Italy | Laughs: 4.0 | imdb: 7.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

On a rainy night, two friends somehow find themselves transported to the year 1492, where they struggle to adapt to the customs of the time. This extremely goofy movie made me smile, and might even had made me laugh if I'd known the dialects spoken by the protagonists.

(Last viewed: March 2021)

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The Wing and the Thigh (L'Aile ou la Cuisse)
      1980 | France | Laughs: 3.8 (Chuckle) | imdb: 7.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Another subtitled comical treasure from the land of camembert. The aging owner of the prestigious Duchemin culinary guide uses all his cunning to foil the plans of a packaged food moghul. With two comic actors at their peak (Louis de Funès and Coluche), this movie makes you laugh without a hint of profanity. It was a real treat to discover this little gem 30 years after it came out.

Edit: Watched it again seven years again. Chuckled but didn't laugh: I'm confused about how my earlier rating of 9.5. On a positive note, was pleased to notice the presence of the actor who played the general in The Battle of Algiers. Still an entertaining watch. (Last viewed: Oct 2011 September 2018)

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The 'Burbs
      1989 | USA | Laughs: 3.8 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Suspicious of the new owners of a house on their street, a group of neighbors in a white American suburb leave no stone unturned to investigate what takes place in their basement. This could almost be classified as a comedy-horror movie—except there isn't a single horror scene… Do spooky sound effects count? It's entertaining if you have nothing better to do. You'll probably smile, but don't expect big laughs. (Last viewed: July 2014)

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Ma Femme S'Appelle Reviens
      1982 | France | Laughs: 3.6 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 5.4
      who was involved?

A doctor whose wife recently left moves in next door to a woman who is having romantic troubles. If you think you already know what's going to happen (as I would if you told me this is the plot), you will be pleased to discover that the movie doesn't follow the expected formulas. I found this little film funny (but not hilarious) and delightfully surprising, unlike those comedies where the action runs by the numbers. (Last viewed: September 2013)

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Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
      1989 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

Two teenagers in danger of failing their history report are rescued by a man from the future who sends them in a phone booth time machine to collect historical characters from various destinations in the past. Not a laugh-out-loud movie, but there are a couple of chuckles. It's cute and worth a watch if you're in a forgiving mood. It was fun to see a young Keanu Reeves, and even more fun to see George Carlin as the man from the future. (Last viewed: January 2013)

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An American Werewolf in London
      1981 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Chuckle) | imdb: 7.5
      wikipedia | who was involved?

First off, this movie is fantastic. This is one of those rare movies that I resist watching for the longest time under the smug pretext that I already know what it's about and won't like it — then end up watching and absolutely love.

Two American backpackers are assaulted by a werewolf in northern England. One dies, the other wakes up in a hospital bed in London, and starts to fear that on the next full moon he'll turn into a werewolf and perpetuate the carnage.

I don't like horror movies. This isn't one. It's funny from start to finish, with beautiful shots of the early eighties, likeable actors and a narration that never goes over the top, which it would have in the hands of most comedy directors.

What the movie doesn't have is the Warren Zevon song or Michael Jackson, who asked Landis to direct the Thriller video (1983). It's not a laugh-out-loud movie, but I sure grinned and chuckled a lot. If you haven't yet seen this, do yourself a favor and drop everything on your "to watch" list. It's a real gem.

(Last viewed: December 2019)

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Spies Like Us
      1985 | USA | Laughs: 3.5 (Chuckle) | imdb: 6.5
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Sent by the CIA to Pakistan and Russia as decoys, two men walk the thin line between genius and incompetence. No hard laughs but I enjoyed this movie very much as it features Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd at the top of their form.

(Last viewed: April 2020)

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I'm Starting from Three (Ricomincio da tre)
      1981 | Italy | Laughs: 3.5 (Chuckle) | imdb: 7.5
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A simple man from Naples moves up to Florence, where he becomes involved with a far more sophisticated woman who falls for his shyness and candor.

The movie made me smile, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it: some of its charm stems from the fact that the protagonist speaks Napolitan rather than Italian, a detail that may be lost on non-Italian speakers.

(Last viewed: March 2021)

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Attila flagello di Dio
      1982 | Italy | Laughs: 3.5 (Chuckle) | imdb: 6.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

After a Roman platoon burns its village to the ground, a group of barbarians embarks on a mission to destroy Rome.

This was a fun watch for several reasons that may not apply to all. First off, it is very dated, in particular in the way it portrays females. Second, when he speaks Italian the protagonist has a fake southern accent which I just love. Other than that, it's not great but silly and short enough to let itself be watched without much pain.

(Last viewed: September 2022)

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ComDads (Les Compères)
      1983 | France | Laughs: 3.4 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

French movie that reunites Pierre Richard and Gérard Depardieu from La Chèvre, but without reigniting the laughs. The script is to blame, not the actors. Two men travel to the south of France to retrieve a teenage boy, whom they both take to be their son. Cute, a few laughs. Worth a watch if you're not in a demanding mood and don't mind French subtitles. (Last viewed: July 2010)

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See no Evil, Hear no Evil
      1989 | USA | Laughs: 3.3 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A blind man (Richard Pryor) and a deaf man (Gene Wilder) witness a murder. Now they must escape the killers and convince the police of their innocence. I wanted these guys to make me laugh, but they didn't. One thing that intrigued me: the gratuitous swearing, pioneering for 1989, swearing which would have made it hard for the film to reach the audience best suited to it—children between the ages of eight and thirteen. (Last viewed: May 2011)

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Walk Like A Man
      1987 | USA | Laughs: 3.1 (Broken Comedies) | imdb: 4.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Raised by wolves, Bobo is found and returned back to society, to the worry of his brother who had started spending his inheritance. A well-intentioned movie that will make you smile and might make you laugh once or twice but just doesn't have enough to keep you going—unless you are between the ages of five and eight. (Last viewed: April 2012)

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Moonstruck
      1987 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.1
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

Sure, this romantic flick is instantly forgettable. Yet it's a touch more watchable that the average, thanks to a decent plot and decent acting which nearly overcome the boring backdrop—yet another intimate window into an Italian-American family. Enough of that already! I was pleasantly surprised to find Nicholas Cage in one of his better roles, which made me realize that he should have stayed in the 1980s. (So should I, for that matter.) But don't get your hopes up too high, this is no Birdy or Wild at Heart. (Last viewed: June 2012)

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