Comedies from the 1980s

The Princess Bride
      1987 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 8.0
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I waited 25 years to watch The Princess Bride, certain that with such a title, this had to be a "girly movie". Ironically, in the opening scene, that is the very fear of the present-era kid whose grandpa offers to read him the story. Cringe no more, this is no romantic fairy tale, but an adventure comedy loaded with humor if not hard laughs and with with interesting character—except for the pricess, of course. A sweet and entertaining film for a rainy Sunday afternoon. (Last viewed: March 2012)

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Raising Arizona
      1987 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.3
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Two stars. An ex-con and his cop wife abduct a baby. Cute but not relaxing—you worry about what will happen to these poor people. (Last viewed: August 2009)

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48 Hours
      1982 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.9
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Three stars. A cop (Nick Nolte) pulls a con (Eddie Murphy) out of jail for two days to crack a case. Endearing characters, beautiful performance by Murphy, a few good laughs. (Last viewed: August 2009)

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Private Benjamin
      1980 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 6.2
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I hope whoever classified this movie under "Comedy" has since been moved to another division of the film industry—perhaps sandwich-making. It's one of those films that are light-hearted, but certainly not one that makes you laugh out loud. Not very funny, but a few good moments, so not a complete waste of time. (Last viewed: August 2009)

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The King of Comedy
      1983 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.8
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I found this movie upleasant to watch, but still liked it enough to give it a five out of ten. No doubt Martin Scorcese, who directed the movie, wanted you to cringe, a bit like you might cringe at the behavior of characters in the early instalments of TV series such as Curb Your Enthusiasm or The Office. The film follows two deranged characters who've made it their life's mission to stalk a New York television show host (Jerry Lewis). DeNiro pulls off the role of the alternatively pathetic and brilliant stalker who fantasizes about becoming the next King of Comedy. Easy to skip because hard to watch, but if you do watch it, it will stay with you. (Last viewed: November 2011)

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Crocodile Dundee II
      1988 | Australia | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 5.7
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Two stars. The best thing about this movie is the poster. Unlike the original Crocodile Dundee, this is not so much a comedy as a light-hearted adventure movie. The cocaine-drug-lord story line is as weak as it gets, but the film has its good moments, especially once the plot tears itself away from New York and moves back to Australia. No matter how awful the screen writers you throw at him, Paul Hogan's character is good value. (Last viewed: September 2010)

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The Big Chill
      1983 | USA | Laughs: N/A (Light-Hearted) | imdb: 7.2
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After many years apart, a group of friends are thrown back together for a weekend after a member of their group kills himself. At first, this is more a soundtrack than a movie, as the pace is slow to pick up. You may or may not relate to the characters' musings on life, but there are good actors, such as William Hurt and the too-rarely seen Jeff Goldblum, and it's probably worth watching once. (Last viewed: September 2012)

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