The Last Starfighter | Movie from 1984

I loved The Last Starfigher in 1984

When I was a kid, I'd refer to movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark and TRON as "boy movies."  I typically skipped these films. I believed they were of no use to me. To this day, I have no interest in films like The Avengers or Men In Black. 

One "boy  movie" I did enjoy however, was The Last Starfighter. This classic scifi film hit theaters in 1984 and focused around a teen ... Hang on, check it. I love how movie "teens" in the '80s looked so much older than today's movie"teens" -- what's up with that? Like Kevin Bacon was 26 when he played a senior in Footloose that same year!

Anyway, The Last Starfighter focused on a Alex Rogan (Lance Guest), a teen  living in a trailer park. He's like the Starfighter video gaming champion -- spending hours defending The Frontier. He's recruited by an alien to bring his video gaming skills into another dimension sorta thing. You know when real life crosses over into video game world. I forget the rest, but it was a pretty cool movie, for a "boy movie."

I wonder if any of you remember it? Of course I probably enjoyed it because back in 1984 I was all about Atari and Lance Guest was rather easy on the eyes--even for a 12-year-old girl.

Here's The Last Starfighter theatrical trailer to spark your memory.

1985 Teen Wolf Vs. MTV Teen Wolf

What Teen Wolf will always mean to me

You know how I feel about remakes. Last year I nearly cried over the remake of the classic Karate Kid. Remember? Now MTV had to go and redo the summer of 1985 Michael J. Fox classic, Teen Wolf. I'm experiencing this strange sense of mourning knowing that today's teens will equate the title of this '80s favorite with a different Scott Howard and a different Stiles.

Today's teens will think of Teen Wolf as a dramatic series and not the comedy we '80s kids knew it to be. Although MTV's Teen Wolf director, Russell Mulcahy is a truly credible 1980s director--he brought us the classic videos for The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star," The Vapors' "Turning Japanese" and ironically Duran Duran's "Hungry Like The Wolf" video, it's just not fair. I mean, come on! Look at these dramatic, dark faces. This is not the Teen Wolf we remember and love. Why does everything need a remake? I just don't get it. Someone enlighten me, please. So bummed. 

Watch the Teen Wolf trailers here...

1985 original Teen Wolf with Michael J. Fox:

MTV's Teen Wolf:

Dead Poets Society Carpe Diem

It was exactly 22 years ago today, Carpe Diem or "Seize The Day" was on the tip of our tongues. As a senior in high school I remember my excitement for Dead Poets Society. The film stars Robin Williams as John Keating, an off-beat English professor and founder of the Dead Poets Society. 

With a bevy of beautiful prep school boy to chose from -- Ethan Hawke, Josh Charles and Robert Sean Leonard, what female teenage movie-goer wouldn't been excited to see this film? There was something about the 1950s charm combined with rich boys in sweaters and a New England backdrop that made for a heavenly choice. Again, we see the secret lives of boys I mentioned in last week's post about Explorers. 

Do you remember this movie?

Watch the Dead Poets Society trailer. 

Ethan Hawke & River Phoenix in Explorers

The young, late River Phoenix, Ethan Hawke
and Jason Presson star in Explorers.

In the 1980s, I was mesmerized by "boy movies" like Explorers, NeverEnding Story, Weird Science, ET and Stand By Me. Sure, it helped that the teen male actors were adorable, but the allure was deeper than that. It gave us girls a peek at the secret lives of boys. How they talked when we weren't around. How they thought. How they joked. What their bedrooms looked like ... everything!

Sure I had a brother, but he was four years younger and still played with cap guns and GI Joes when I was 12, so he didn't really count. It was the life of preteen and young teen boys that peeked my curiosity. I'm sure most guys would admit films like Explorers and Weird Science depicted the life of boys as way more sci-fi/action/adventure than reality, but still ... 

The 1985 movie, Explorers, captured the
imaginative world of cute boys.

Basically Explorers focuses around three cute young teen boys portrayed by Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix (their first feature film) and somewhat unknown actor, Jason Presson. I thought Jason was extraordinarily special. His voice was noticeably deeper than the other stars. Slightly schlubby, he was cute without trying. His wavy hair didn't fall the way Ethan's and River's did and he seemed deep, dark and secretive.

Sorry for getting slightly off-topic... Basically Ethan Hawke's character Ben has a vivid dream about traveling through space in a special space ship. He consults his friends and they get to work putting Ben's dream into action. Explorers is obviously a fantasy film most youngsters would get excited about. You know, one of those movies you wish could really happen, but can't. 

Here are some bullet points about Explorers and a video clip of the Explorers trailer featuring Ethan, River and Jason.

• Explorers was written by Eric Luke and directed by Joe Dante.
• Explorers hit theaters on July 12, 1985 and suffered from
• The DVD version of Explorers cut two scenes from the original theatrical version, but threw in an additional scene missing from the box office release.
• Writer Eric Luke appears in the film as one of the boy's teachers. 
• Amanda Peterson also stars in the film as a pretty 12-year-old prior to her role as Cindy in Can't Buy Me Love.

View or watch the trailer for Explorers staring Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix and Jason Presson here:

Just One of The Guys and Ralph Macchio

1985 produced an abundance of awesome teen flicks from Back to the Future to The Goonies. Still on my Karate Kid kick from the previous year, I was madly obsessed with Ralph Macchio. Side note, Ralph and I were both Italian Americans from Long Island born on November 4 - top that ladies! Sure he was much older than me, but we had mad sh*t in common. 

In the Spring of 1985, my BFF and I (her folks banned her from hanging out with me once we graduated 8th grade, more on that another day) ventured over to Sunrise Cinemas on Sunrise Highway to catch the latest teen flick, Just One of The Guys. This movie was typical '80s cheese. I loved it. Filled with great styles, fun music, silly dirty jokes, innuendos and attractive young actors with names I've since forgotten, other than Billy Jane aka Billy Jacoby. 

Two things I loved about this film -- in addition to the romantic twist ...  The lead character was a writer, I've always loved writing and wanted to have my own magazine and at the time was a kid reporter for Long Island / New York Newsday. I also thought it was very odd that the lead actress (Joyce Hyser) who played Terri Griffith was made to look very similar to my Ralph Macchio. Anyone else catch this? 

Joyce Hyser as Terri Griffith 

Ralph Macchio in shades.

Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid.

View the trailer for Just  One Of The Guys

One-Year Anniversary of Corey Haim's Death

This was the Corey I loved. 

A year ago today on March 10, 2010, we learned that a part of our 1980s childhood was now gone. Corey Ian Haim found dead at 38. Reports from TMZ saying, "Actor Corey Haim died this morning of an apparent overdose -- possibly accidental -- according to LAPD," caught the attention of '80s kids everywhere.

Last year at this time, Corey fans from all over the world vented about the tragic loss via emails, YouTube videos (vlogs), blog posts and more. My first thoughts went to Corey Feldman. My heart broke for Feldman who blogged about the loss of his dear friend.

As a big time Corey Feldman fan, Corey Haim had always been one of  "The Two Coreys." I loved Haim in his early movies such as the TV movie A Time To Live and films including: Secret Admirer, Murphy's Romance, First Born, Silver Bullet and Lucas. He seemed nice, innocent, kid-next-door who'd ride bikes with you and overlook your faults.

As he transitioned from child actor to teen idol, my crush faded. I think I felt he had become "Cool Corey." I was chubby and awkward -- I wouldn't have had a chance to date him if we were classmates. I never got into The Lost Boys and the teen comedies he did with Corey Feldman like License to Drive and Dream A Little Dream. Though the crush had faded, Corey Haim has always had a dear place in my heart.

Cool Corey was slightly intimidating.

Click here to read the blog I posted last year about Corey Haim's untimely death.

Click here to read the blog I posted about Corey Feldman's reaction to losing his good friend, Corey Haim.

Charlie Sheen - Ferris Bueller's Day Off Bad Boy

Oh the irony behind this unforgettable scene between Charlie Sheen and Jennifer Grey in John Hughes film 1986 classic, Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Searching for "Charlie Sheen in Ferris Bueller" images, I realize I'm obviously not the only blogger to point that out.

Jennifer Grey and Charlie Sheen first worked together in the I-hope-this-never-really-happens movie, Red Dawn. Red Dawn -- which by the way was the first PG-13 movie I had ever seen in 1984 -- is said to be the very first PG-13 movie ever released.

I was never never much of a Charlie Sheen fan. I never had an interest in manly-style movies like Platoon. Though I did insist on seeing Red Dawn because of my Tommy Howell obsession. What a cast Red Dawn had! Anyway, here's a little 1980s Charlie Sheen for ya, enjoy!


Watch Charlie Sheen in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.




Watch Charlie Sheen in the trailer for Red Dawn.