Comedies from the 1980s

Top Secret!
      1984 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Smirk) | imdb: 7.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

I'm no fan of the absurd as a sub-genre of comedy movies (the only thing I hate more than a bad Monty Python skit is a Mel Brooks film) but somehow found this production surprisingly tolerable. It didn't make me laugh, but I was entertained enough to watch it all the way through.

Why is it that this patently absurdist movie didn't repel me, what was the difference? I think the difference was that they knew when to stop — which is right away. Instead of laying it on thick after a gag, the camera and the action swiftly moves on to the next thing. Even though this still isn't my favorite kind of comedy, at least I found the restraint admirable.

Oh, the plot. Does it matter? Something about an American rock singer in an oppressive East Germany. (Last viewed: May 2019)

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Revenge of the Nerds
      1984 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 6.7
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

A group of freshman college nerds try to overpower the fraternity jocks who have been persecuting them. It's a cute underdog story that might make you smile, but don't expect lots of laughs. For me it was worth a watch because I'd heard the title a thousand times and wondered what the movie was all about, but if you don't care about keeping up with popular culture you can easily give it a miss. (Last viewed: November 2012)

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The Coca-Cola Kid
      1985 | Australia | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A corporate star is sent from the Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia to troubleshoot operations in Australia. He soon discovers a sore spot: a valley where a soft-drink bottler has been keeping Coke out of the market for decades.

This is not a laugh-out-loud comedy, but it is funny all-right, what with the fish-out-of-water scenario and the yankee's terrific Southern accent. It has outstanding production value for an Australian movie. First, the plot manages to stay together for most of the film while incorporating a great number of offbeat moments. It has great sound—including a terrific Coke jingle and a compelling rendition of Waltzing Matilda. And it has visual appeal, by which I am referring to the landscapes and overall composition, though the blokes of the time must have enjoyed the eye candy thrown their way in the form of female nudity, which was common in contemporary films. The female in question later played the Italian mom in another Australian classic, Looking for Alibrandi.

Although this is not a roarer, it's an easy watch and a Down-Under classic which has aged remarkably well—so don't let the vintage label keep you away. (Last viewed: April 2014)

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Fast Times at Ridgemont High
      1982 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

This comedy explores the attitudes of a San Diego high school's pupils to relationships, drugs, study, work—and surfing. Although I found the movie funny, it didn't really make me laugh. But that's alright. First, for anyone who was approximately that age in the 1980s, the texture is a delight. Second, you'll recognize young actors who went on to have a long Hollywood career. The character of Sean Penn as a dopehead surfie dude might by itself make the movie worth a watch. (Last viewed: June 2017)

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Lost in America
      1985 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A well-off advertising executive and his wife liquidate their assets to go "find themselves" by touring the United States in a mobile home. This isn't one of these comedies that make you laugh out loud, but I found the film funny and attaching. The authentic 1980s texture also appealed to me. It's a shame Albert Brooks has only directed a handful of movies. (Last viewed: August 2015)

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C'est Pas Moi C'est Lui
      1980 | France | Laughs: 3.0 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 5.5
      who was involved?

A ghost-writer impersonates his boss on a working journey to Tunisia to discuss a new script with a film star. This movie has a few chuckles, but overall it's a bore and a waste of talent—as Pierre Richard is an outstanding actor in the comedy genre (see Knock on Wood for instance ) and Aldo Maccione holds his own. (Last viewed: July 2014)

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A Christmas Story
      1983 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Watch Once) | imdb: 7.9
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

This family classic is a charming, enjoyable watch, but if you're expecting hard laughs you'll be disappointed. Desperate to receive a "Red Rider BB gun" at Christmas, a boy makes clumsy attempts to convince the adult figures who are determined to keep him away from a dangerous toy. The literate voice-over narration by the boy's grown-up version contrasts delightfully with the boy's inept efforts to express himself. Well worth a watch. (Last viewed: June 2013)

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Scrooged
      1988 | USA | Laughs: 3.0 (Just Awful) | imdb: 7.0
      wikipedia | who was involved?

I love Bill Murray, and you see a lot of Bill Murray in Scrooged. But for most of the movie, Bill looks like he's wondering "What am I doing in this movie?" It was very loud. I laughed once. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. (Last viewed: December 2011)

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Three Fugitives
      1989 | USA | Laughs: 2.9 (Just Awful) | imdb: 6.2
      wikipedia | dmoz | who was involved?

A terrible remake of the decent 1986 French comedy The Fugitives for North-American audiences—by the original director, Francis Veber, who has committed the best (The Dinner Game) and worst of comedies. On the very day of his release from a five-year jail term, a hardened bank robber (Nick Nolte) gets taken hostage by an inept amateur. Nick Nolte is a poor replacement for Gérard Depardieu, but at least he has a presence… Whereas in comparison to Pierre Richard (a wonderful "clown"), the amateur robber is a big zero. (Last viewed: April 2012)

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After Hours
      1985 | USA | Laughs: 2.8 (Chuckle) | imdb: 7.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

When After Hours came out, it was marketed in a way that didn't appeal to me. But it's one of those movies that are worth waiting 35 years for. First, it doesn't show its age. Second, I'm sure I enjoyed it more than I would have in 1985, thanks in no small part to my pathological nostalgia for the 1980s, which were home to all of my teenage years.

This is a New York movie, and its plot is an exemplary sample of the "impossible chase" scenario. A young man goes downtown around midnight, and gets caught into a spiderweb of impossible situations from which his only desire is to escape and go home.

It's not very funny at first, and the movie certainly doesn't fit into the laugh-out-loud genre, but I found myself chuckling more and more as events get increasingly ridiculous and the main character keeps battling on, with bravado, to get to the end of that impossible night.

If you're younger I have no idea what you might think of it, but if you're at all open to watching a movie that predates the internet and the mobile phone, I'd suggest giving it a try. It was, after all, directed by Martin Scorcese, and I say that even though I've never been one of his unconditional fans.

(Last viewed: December 2019)

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Waiting for the Hearse (Esperando La Carroza)
      1985 | Argentina | Laughs: 2.7 (Watch Once) | imdb: 8.1
      wikipedia | who was involved?

For me, this movie was worth watching if only because I'd never seen a movie from Argentina before, let alone an Argentinean comedy. On a Sunday family gathering, three brothers and their wives argue about who should care for their senile mother. Loud at times and a bit fast-paced for me as I barely had time to read the subtitles, but cute, with funny moments. (Last viewed: December 2010)

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Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid
      1982 | USA | Laughs: 2.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

A beautiful woman hires a detective to investigate her father's death. Soon, you realize that many of the segments where someone plays opposite Steve Martin were taken from other films—black-and-white crime flicks from the 1940s and 1950s. The humor is laid with a light touch, so you won't burst out laughing, but the movie is beautifully put together and it's fun to watch. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'Empire Americain)
      1986 | Canada | Laughs: 2.5 (Don't Bother) | imdb: 7.2
      wikipedia | who was involved?

I didn't much like this movie when it came out nearly thirty years ago. It has aged very well, because I still don't like it today. Although I'm a big fan of Denys Arcand's later work The Barbarian Invasions, this earlier film, which features many of the same characters, does nothing for me apart from the French-Canadian accent, always a delight on the ears.

The whole movie features men and women engrossed in conversation about their sexual adventures. For some reason, I have never been drawn to this kind of conversation. To make matters worse, most of the characters (who gravitate around academia) are unbearably pedantic. The film's original success may have been caused by the novel openness with which the characters discussed their love live. Nowadays, that is hardly original, and there is no good reason to revisit this old bore. (Last viewed: May 1987 March 2014)

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All My Friends Part 2 (Amici miei - Atto II°)
      1982 | Italy | Laughs: 2.5 (Chuckle) | imdb: 7.7
      wikipedia | who was involved?

I don't recall the original Amici Miei, but in this first of two sequels five old friends spend their time playing pranks on one another and anyone around. Some of it is quite funny, but so much of it is below the belt that the movie gets boring a good half-hour before the end. Too bad. (Last viewed: March 2019)

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Tampopo (タンポポ)
      1985 | Japan | Laughs: 2.5 (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.9
      wikipedia | who was involved?

Struggling with her noodle shop, a single mother enlists the help of a truck driver and an ever-expanding crew of food connoisseurs from all walks of life. Several stories (all food-related) interweave with this main strand to make a fine tapestry. I waited twenty years (five of which were spent in Japan) to watch this famous movie for the simple reason that I hate ramen noodles! That was my loss. Although not a laugh-out-loud movie, it's often funny, and it's the masterpiece of director Juzo Itami. I also love the main male actor, Tsutomu Yamazaki—whom you may have seen in The Funeral or Departures. This is another of his great roles. I still don't like ramen noodles, but I've joined the crowd of those who love Tampopo. (Last viewed: Nov 2008 October 2012)

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