80s Movie Review - At Close Range

Director: James Foley
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 1986
Starring: Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Kiefer Sutherland, Millie Perkins, Eileen Ryan, Tracey Walter, David Strathairn, Crispin Glover

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2022 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 37: A MOVIE RECOMMENDED BY YOUR BROTHER
 
Description: Reunited with his career criminal father (Christopher Walken), tough teen Brad (Sean Penn) thinks he’s found his ticker to an exciting life of crime, only to find out he’s wrong.

Review: Brad Whitewood is a boy from a simple background whose life is going nowhere. Occasionally he has a job but he never really keeps it up for long. Then suddenly his father returns. Brad Sr. turns out to be the leader of a local gang. Soon Brad Jr. starts working for his father. He experiences success with some simple jobs and Brad’s friends join. They too have an appetite for making quick money. However, Brad’s friends are not the most efficient thieves and soon things go wrong. The police are after them and Brad Sr. has no problem getting some witnesses out of the way. Brad wonders how far his father will go to stay out of jail and even begins to fear for his own life.

Sean Penn and Christopher Walken in one movie, that’s going to be great. This is what any movie lover would think when they see who is starring in this film. I can say it is true. Penn and Walken both have rock solid performances and carry the film. Walken in particular is stellar as the criminal and psychotic Brad Whitewood Sr. One moment you think you are dealing with a caring father while a moment later he turns into a cold-blooded killer who does everything in his power not to get caught.

Director James Foley manages to keep the tension well throughout the film, the story is loosely based on a true story. Highly recommended for people who like dramas with a touch of thriller.

Rating: 4/ 5

80s Movie Review - Back to the Future

Director: Robert Zemeckis
Genre: Action. Comedy/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 111 minutes
Year: 1985
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson, Claudia Wells, Billy Zane

Description: Marty McFLy (Michael J. Fox) is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd), and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

Review: “Back to the Future” is an original film that used several elements from various movie genres, like science fiction, comedy and adventure, to create a great whole. The story is well executed and deals with something almost every person secretly wants: travel back in time to relive some moments or do things differently. “Back to the Future” also shows us the danger of time travel. Like how Marty changes the course of history, where his parents don’t fall in love the way they are always telling him. The makers of the film succeeded to avoid plot holes, which is wonderfully done because “Back to the Future” is pretty complex.
Michael J. Fox is great as Marty McFLy. As a kid I had a huge crush on Marty, he is the everyday hero. A hero that we can easily relate to, without being extremely brave or with superpowers. Marty is a somewhat insecure teenager, with dreams. Christopher Lloyd is probably one of cinema’s most beloved professors. Emmet Brown is eccentric and a bit unworldly. With his big eyes and his frizzy hair Lloyd is perfect for the role. Crispin Glover, as Marty’s dad George, and Thomas F. Wilson, as bully Biff, deliver a good performance as well.
The soundtrack is great, with songs from Chuck Berry and Huey Lewis and the News for instance. It adds to the authenticity of the film.
The special effects still look amazing, it’s not dated at all. With that, the movie isn’t filled with them either, only when it’s really needed and to support the story.
“Back to the Future” is an original film that reaches a broad audience. It still holds up and it one of my all-time favorite films.

Rating: 5/ 5