thebiggeek
11 CLASSIC FILMS TURNING 30 IN 2020
Do They Hold Up? 1990 was 30 years ago, 30 years! When someone says about 30 years ago, I instantly think the 70s; I doubt I’m the only one who does that either! Ah, simpler times. 1990 gave us some really good, original films, but as they reach their 30th birthday, do they still hold their own against the films of today?
HOME ALONE
GOODFELLAS
KINDERGARTEN COP
Local boy terrorises honest burglars, if only! The fact that this film was outlandish with its violence when it came out; but in a funny kind of way, the story and the ensuing carnage would never have actually happened. That aside, the script, humour, acting and overall feel of the film means it stills holds it’s own against “comedies” of today.
A classic, and rightly so. This film just feels ageless. It looks, sounds, and reads like a modern film. It gives the likes of The Departed a run for its money and it certainly doesn’t seem like a 30 year old. The script and delivery of lines are still bang on, with the production and direction still give off the feel of a modern film. Absolutely holds up well. Classy film.
FBI Agent pretends to be a teacher, scars kids for life. Arnie does himself no justice with this film and his cheesy, trying to be a nice kind man act fails to hit the mark. It failed then and it doesn’t hold up now. The acting is wooden, the script bland and sloppy and the chemistry is still no better. Modern movies like Daddy Day Care etc all have a much more warmer feel to them. This may have been a hoot 30 years ago, but that’s where it should stay now.
Fun Fact: Macaulay Culkin ad-libbed the immortal line “you guys give up, or you thirsty for more?”
DIE HARD 2 John McClane defends airport against terrorists, blows most of it up. Bruce Willis is back and still looking haggard as hell. The script is good, and parts of the acting are just cheesy and lame. BUT… it still holds up against the likes of Fast & Furious due to its constant story arc and its relentless pursuit of being as “normal” as possible
TOTAL RECALL Again, the remake was shoddy and ill-conceived. The reason the original was so good was because it felt futuristic and reasonable in assumption of what the future would be like. Other than that, the acting was cheesy and over the top, the practical FX have definitely not aged well, which is a shame as that bug in the brain scene was amazing, and gross. The script was OK and the scenery were as good as they could be in the 90’s. Not really aged well
Fun Fact: The “futuristic” vehicles were actually Mexican Public Transport vehicles with a lick of silver paint and TV’s added to them
BACK TO THE FUTURE 3 Back to the past, again. The weakest of the 3 Back to the Future films, the film has actually aged quiet well. The use of practical FX in this film served it well and the minor CGI used is undetectable. Script is weak, but overall story arc blends nicely into the franchise and ends it very well, unlike others, *cough* fast and furious. Better than most similar films nowadays.
12
DAYS OF THUNDER Apart from a much younger looking Tom Cruise, this film holds up very well. The acting is crisp and a lot more believable than most modern films, like Fast and Furious. The script is still class and it has a “real” feel to it that is still believable. The production and editing of the film is smooth and realistic, making excellent use of tech that modern movies cannot seem to master. And lets not forget the on screen chemistry of Cruise and Kidman. They definitely didn’t fake that!
TREMORS Underground giant worm east folks in the desert “town”. It’s smart too. As much as I would love to say this has held its own, it really hasn’t. I love the film, but the practical FX looks very dated, the on screen chemistry feels strained and the script is a lot weaker than I remember. Kevin Bacon’s mullet cannot bring this film close to holding up unfortunately. Still good for a Sunday Evening watch though.
Fun Fact: Kevin Bacon says the film gave him terrible nightmares for years. They got so bad he would pick his wife up, trying to “rescue” her whilst sleep walking
MEMPHIS BELLE I don’t need to say much about this epic piece of cinema. The script is solid, the action and camera work is breathtaking and the acting is superb. The only downside is use of technology. This film absolutely holds up and would easily sit alongside Saving Private Ryan, Dunkirk and the like without looking out of place.
Fun Fact: Arnie was 4th choice for the lead role, behind Patrick Swayze, Bill Murray and Danny DeVito
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES Oversized, pizza loving turtles follow rat’s instructions to kill masked vigilante. As much as I loved this as a 10 yr old, seeing this now is like killing my childhood memories. The practical FX are so sloppy and dated; it just doesn’t give a real feel to the film. Not that the remakes were ever better. The script is basic and the story weak. Doesn’t hold up against the likes of recent superhero/hero films.
PRETTY WOMAN Rich man woos prostitute, he gives her the world. Still a sopping pile bland trash, this films does not hold its own in my opinion, however there are many out there who would disagree. That’s fine. The script is bland and uninspiring; Roberts and Gere still lack any real chemistry on screen and the cinematography looks very basic in comparison to modern stories like this. That said, I can still appreciate that this is a watchable film on a Sunday Afternoon for those who like this kind of thing.
Fun Fact: Sandra Bullock turned down the lead role, as did 7 other leading ladies, before Julia Roberts was approached. So there you have it. what do you think?
Richard writes on his blog Big Geek Life on Wordpress, as well as his Podcast, The Film & TV Show.
Yaxley Gazette | October 2020 | T: 01733 757342 | E: info@yaxleygazette.co.uk | www.yaxleygazette.co.uk
