1980s List Discussion and Suggestions (Lists Project Vol. 3)

[flyonthewall2983]

The one thing I'll give Against All Odds is that car chase between Bridges and Woods that looked particularly dangerous.

[Yojimbo]

The one thing I'll give Against All Odds is that car chase between Bridges and Woods that looked particularly dangerous.

"don't try this at home, kids!"

[Shrew]

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles A delayed response to the John Hughes conversation. I guess this is usually considered his "best" film, because it's about adults and more serious? I have some affection for his other work, but this didn't do too much for me either way. The occasional flashcuts to Steve Martin's family were nice in that effectively added more substance to his character and an air of melancholy without taking up a huge gulp of screentime as in Home Alone. However, the big reconciliation with the wife isn't earned at all, since she never has much to do but look lonely. It's a point where the film gets points for trying to pare down everything and not "develop" every single character And maybe I'm just too much of snobbish misanthrope, but I never warmed up to Candy's Del. The big final reveal is also pretty obviously telegraphed ahead of time, and really damn mawkishly executed.

The Blues Brothers Another of those cultural touchstones I only previously experienced in spurts on TV. But this one I enjoyed much more. For as thinly-plotted and long as this thing is (and I just watched the theatrical cut), Landis keeps it remarkably well-paced with a variety of sight gags, over-the-top car chases, and musical numbers. The latter certainly benefit from the talent brought on screen, and most of them are pretty well-choreographed if not quite Arthur Freed level (there is some nice use of the background and foreground in the Aretha Franklin number though). Carrie Fisher's jilted ex is not the most progressive (or, according to her memoirs, drug-free) representation of femininity, but the excessive use of a bazooka can go a long way.

Old Well (Wu Tianming) The director being recently deceased, I moved this one up my queue, unfortunately on a crummy old Chinese DVD filled with those ads that run across the screen every ten minutes. This is clearly a transitory film in Chinese cinema, and in summary it could easily fit under previous (and ensuing) decades of communist propaganda depicting rural peasants coming together to overcome long-standing adversity. Even the romantic plot of the film, contrasting duty to one's parents/arranged marriage with romantic love, could have come from an earlier party-line programmer. But Wu films the parched landscape of central China with the same natural eye (though without Zhang Yimou's aesthetic mastery) found in other fifth-generation (Chen, Zhang, Tian) films. That, and the Party isn't of much help in the digging of the town's well (they even show up briefly to question a dead man about singing bawdy songs), and it's only when the villagers themselves raise the necessary funds that they can finish the work. And of course, the romantic love is actually consummated, in what I believe was a relatively graphic sex scene for Mainland China of the time (Kissing! Repeatedly! Superimposed over mountains!)

Still this is a pretty rote film that is quite too long. It's not bad at all, and Zhang Yimou is fairly compelling in one of his few on-screen roles, but compared to the more radical work being done by the younger directors Wu was helping as a producer, it feels like a much simpler and old-fashioned film. It mainly interested me for serving as a sort of "missing link" between the Fifth Generation and earlier mainland Chinese films, illustrating how those films were still a part of and responding to existing genres.

[domino harvey]

Altered States (Ken Russell 1980) How many films do you give a director before you just give up? I must be nearing my breaking point for Ken Russell, though I guess I'd rank this near the more bearable end of the spectrum. Poor William Hurt and Blair Brown (in early roles) get sympathy points for struggling through pages of dialog consisting of unspeakable sci-fi falderal and nonsensical declarations of love and not-love, all contractually mandated by screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky who still took his name off the final product (considering some of the 50s scripts he consented to put his name on, he needn't have bothered). The movie posits a bizarre thesis that within all of us is the ability to regress to the primordial state if only we have the right chemical and environmental help. Some of the hallucinations suffered by Hurt in the tank work, especially the first big one where Jesus on the cross is given a ram's head with a diamond-shaped cluster of eyes among other weirdo sights, but no amount of visual acumen could excuse the eventual plot point wherein Hurt literally becomes an ape man and runs wild into the night. And it's all downhill from there.

Labyrinth (Jim Henson 1986) This suffers from the same fate as those unfortunate muppets Jim Henson made for the early episodes of Saturday Night Live-- everything is just so ugly. It doesn't help that this is one of those free-associative fantasies where anything and everything can happen and so it doesn't matter. And there's David Bowie as the fairly laissez-faire villain who sings a couple songs, all awful, and kind of steals a baby via Lay-A-Way while Jennifer Connelly befriends dwarfs and foxes and navigates farting bogs and so on. I understand why this initially bombed far more than I understand its subsequent cult following.

My Stepmother Is An Alien (Richard Benjamin 1988) I was surprised at my own enjoyment of this extremely silly but warm-hearted sci-fi comedy (even those words in that order aren't usually my thing) that finds alien Kim Basinger sent to seduce dorky widower/SETI scientist Dan Ackroyd into restoring her planet's gravity (?) and in the process discovers she actually likes the guy and Earth. Many of the scene's best moments come from Basinger's game willingness to sell lines and motivations that would fall apart in a lesser talent's hands. Yeah, I said "talent"-- I have to walk back my lukewarm Basinger-bias from an earlier update, as between this and Nadine and Blind Date, it turns out she is a gifted comedienne when removed from her usual dramatic fare. Shame she never really capitalized on it, but I definitely get her appeal in these films. Though this is pretty much all Basinger's movie, I thought Ackroyd did a good job selling his disbelief and then all-too-eager readiness at Basinger's advances, and there's probably a good academic paper in here about how their entire courtship is a metaphor for the willful ignorance of faults/warning signs by those in unhealthy relationships (Can you imagine presenting on My Stepmother is an Alien at a conference? Christ, I want to do it just to be able to put that on my CV!)

Between this and all those mermaid pix this decade, I'm starting to think maybe I have an unrecognized affinity for fish out of water movies. Besides those and Trading Places and Coming to America, are there any other good examples this decade?

Nadine (Robert Benton 1987) Well, by sheer serendipity, here's that great 80s noir film we were looking for, and it too stars Jeff Bridges. Robert Benton's been to the noir well before with the Late Show, but this is a film that leaves behind all the commentary and trappings of pastiche and instead embodies the spirit and narrative structure of the best noir films. With a few minor alterations for language, this 1954-set flick could have easily been filmed in the heyday of noir and it has the same compact spirit of invention. The film is lean (it runs just over eighty minutes) and a lot of fun, with Kim Basinger finding herself in the classic wrong place wrong time whilst rescuing her "artistic poses" modeling shots and she and estranged husband find themselves fleeing cops and a great villain in Rip Torn, who at one point threatens our heroes with the unusual but somehow perfect genre weapon of a box of angry rattlesnakes! Will be making my list for sure.

Sweet Liberty (Alan Alda 1986) I made the mistake of thinking this sounded good even though it was written and directed by Alan Alda, who also stars as a history professor who is, get this, shocked to discover a Hollywood adaptation of his Revolutionary War novel isn't faithful to the source text. Wow, how fresh! Alda has no visual eye or wit whatsoever, and it translates to his script, which is all over the place, and posits Alda as a heroic figure when to my eyes he seemed like the same hopeless rube all the Hollywood types take him as. And as far as masturbatory actions go, shoehorning in a plot thread wherein actress (in the movie, but yeah, actress) Michelle Pfeiffer falls in love with and frequently beds Alda's nerdy prof despite zero charisma either written or performed between the two is deserving of a place in the Narcissism Hall of Fame. I hope someone is keeping track of all these Hall of Fames I keep proposing.

[Yojimbo]

Nadine (Robert Benton 1987) Well, by sheer serendipity, here's that great 80s noir film we were looking for, and it too stars Jeff Bridges. Robert Benton's been to the noir well before with the Late Show, but this is a film that leaves behind all the commentary and trappings of pastiche and instead embodies the spirit and narrative structure of the best noir films. With a few minor alterations for language, this 1954-set flick could have easily been filmed in the heyday of noir and it has the same compact spirit of invention. The film is lean (it runs just over eighty minutes) and a lot of fun, with Kim Basinger finding herself in the classic wrong place wrong time whilst rescuing her "artistic poses" modeling shots and she and estranged husband find themselves fleeing cops and a great villain in Rip Torn, who at one point threatens our heroes with the unusual but somehow perfect genre weapon of a box of angry rattlesnakes! Will be making my list for sure.

Funnily enough I was just re-organising noir section of my 'library' earlier today and when I spotted this one I decided it was long overdue a re-watch.
I love 'The Late Show' which in the performances of the two leads is as much great buddy movie, as noir/crime drama - and it's probably my favourite Benton - but I recall loving this one on my only viewing, some 20 years ago - not least for the performances of the 3 stars/ It's got a strong shout to make my 50 - if it still holds up.

[Emak-Bakia]

I've finally been able to start on this project. Both getting a PS3 and finally getting my darkroom setup in February mean that I have about 75% less movie watching time. Anyway, here are some recent viewings:

The Elephant Man (David Lynch 1980): It’s been about ten years since I saw this, and, for some reason, I totally misremembered it as a work-for-hire Lynch film. With beautiful, high-contrast black and white cinematography, lots of shots of decaying urban environments (I even found myself questioning if some were leftover from Eraserhead), and incredible, eerie sound design (once again by Lynch and Alan Splet), it seems like the natural follow-up to Eraserhead. In addition to the film’s visual and aural feats, one can’t ignore its emotional power. “Can you imagine the kind of life he must have had?” asks a character about John Merrick at one point in the film. This film gives the world just a taste of what it might have been like. I probably won’t end up making a list, but, if I do, this just might be on it.

Sleepaway Camp (Robert Hiltzik 1983): I’m really not sure what to make of this one. For starters, I honestly can’t quite tell how serious the filmmaker’s intentions are. There are some bits, such as the flashbacks with the aunt, that are so over-the-top that it’s hard to interpret them as anything but comedic. Then there are horror scenes, such as the chef’s accident with a vat of boiling water, that seem to play it pretty straight. And the ending! Again, I’m not sure what, if any, “message” the film’s makers are attempting to get across, but the shot that reveals the killer (you know the one) is likely indelibly embedded in my memory, which is to the film’s credit.

The Breakfast Club (John Huhes 1985): For some reason, I never saw any John Hughes-directed films growing up, so that’s something I’ve slowly corrected in my 20s. I like this movie, but it doesn’t pack the emotional wallop for me that I think it’s supposed to. As others discussed a few pages back, I feel like I simply haven’t encountered it at the right time in my life. That’s not a criticism, since I think finding meaning in so much art is reliant on experiencing the work at the right point in time when one’s individual experience happens to be on the same wavelength as the work of art. I sense that I’ve missed my opportunity with this film, but, who knows, maybe when I’m 80 and in a retirement home it will really resonate with me.

Mask (Peter Bogdanovich 1985): This movie has all the elements to be incredibly sappy and even offensive, yet somehow it works for me. I think the film’s real strength is in the way that it just radiates the warmth and innocence of Rocky Dennis (or, rather, of Eric Stoltz’s portrayal of Rocky.) The film’s constructions is largely as a series of events from a year in Rocky’s life and it essentially functions as a celebration of his outlook and, what can I say, his infectious charm got to me.

Knightriders (George Romero 1981): A story set in the modern-day about a medieval renaissance group that jousts on motorcycles – what’s not to love, right? It’s got the core Romero elements (minus the horror): a B movie plot and budget, a feel for a particular geographical region (Western Pennsylvania), political commentary…oh, and Tom Savini and Christine Forrest. Perhaps this film takes itself a little too seriously, considering the premise, but, thanks in large part to Ed Harris’ performance, it works and is consistently engaging for all of the 2 ½ runtime (and that includes several 20-30 minute jousting action sequences.) It also helps that Romero seems to really believe in Knightriders, just as King Billy and his people believe in their insular way of life. I recommend this film and will likely be watching it again. I'd be curious to hear thoughts from other people, since I know some people have called it Romero's best (I notice that Perkins Cobb even had it in his top ten overall for the last 80s list!)

Creepshow (George Romero 1982): This anthology was a staple of my childhood viewing, and it’s still so much fun it just seems hard not to like this movie. Once again, it’s a B movie, but here Romero fully embraces the hokeyness of the film’s EC comics roots. The whole film is so over-the-top with entire scenes being lit with nothing but red and blue light, animated mattes over certain shots, comic book advertisements in between each story, and music that, at times, sound like it could have come from Looney Tunes. Oh, and lines like “That’s why god made fathers, babe.” There are even a few genuinely creepy aspects, such as Leslie Nelson’s performance, Ed Harris’ demise, and subtle things like that possessed look the kid in the beginning gets on his face! I could easily mistake this as a Joe Dante film, which is high praise, of course.

Monkey Shines (George Romero 1988): A paralyzed man forms a telepathic link with a murderous monkey. Yes, the “shines” of the titles is that kind of shining. Like Knightriders, this one plays its off-the-wall premise entirely straight, but it’s just too out-there for me to do anything but laugh at it (not with it.) Besides a few barren shots of Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh campuses, it doesn’t even have the regional qualities that I enjoy so much in Romero’s films. I always try to focus on the positive, so what’s good about it? At least it’s got some shots of cute monkeys.

[Gregory]

...I'm starting to think maybe I have an unrecognized affinity for fish out of water movies. Besides those and Trading Places and Coming to America, are there any other good examples this decade?

I'll put in a recommendation for The Brother from Another Planet. It's such an odd, unlikely film that goes against the grain and against expectations in many ways. Probably no one would have financed a film like this (Sayles self-financed it after receiving a MacArthur "genius" fellowship), with a black protagonist who does not speak, and a premise about an extraterrestrial runaway slave who lands in Harlem (and shot on location there, with Harlem residents, not extras, who happened to be in the streets). And it's not a comedy, nor is it an exploitation or sci-fi film. To reinforce that point, the "special effects," such that there were any, were intentionally very cheap. Perhaps most surprising of all, this film turned out to be Sayles's first actual box office success.
The DP is Ernest Dickerson, who incidentally had worked with Spike Lee since his student film days and went on to direct some great television work such as The Wire and Treme.
My favorite Sayles of the decade, though, is Matewan, another very unlikely film to come out of Reagan-era America.

[Feego]

The Elephant Man (David Lynch 1980): It’s been about ten years since I saw this, and, for some reason, I totally misremembered it as a work-for-hire Lynch film. With beautiful, high-contrast black and white cinematography, lots of shots of decaying urban environments (I even found myself questioning if some were leftover from Eraserhead), and incredible, eerie sound design (once again by Lynch and Alan Splet), it seems like the natural follow-up to Eraserhead. In addition to the film’s visual and aural feats, one can’t ignore its emotional power. “Can you imagine the kind of life he must have had?” asks a character about John Merrick at one point in the film. This film gives the world just a taste of what it might have been like. I probably won’t end up making a list, but, if I do, this just might be on it.

I couldn't agree with you more on this one. It technically was a work-for-hire, as the story and script were in development well before Lynch became involved, but he truly made it his own once he took the helm. It does feel of a piece with Eraserhead, but I also think it takes a page from Tod Browning's Freaks in locating "monstrousness" at various levels, from the physical (Merrick) to the emotional (Merrick's first guardian, the night porter). I can only echo your praise for the cinematography and sound, but how about that score? It's funny to think that John "Blazing Saddles" Morris would create such a simultaneously eerie and moving score after years of Mel Brooks films -- although I guess the same could be said for Brooks producing this movie as well!

[Yojimbo]

I've finally been able to start on this project. Both getting a PS3 and finally getting my darkroom setup in February mean that I have about 75% less movie watching time. Anyway, here are some recent viewings:

Knightriders (George Romero 1981): A story set in the modern-day about a medieval renaissance group that jousts on motorcycles – what’s not to love, right? It’s got the core Romero elements (minus the horror): a B movie plot and budget, a feel for a particular geographical region (Western Pennsylvania), political commentary…oh, and Tom Savini and Christine Forrest. Perhaps this film takes itself a little too seriously, considering the premise, but, thanks in large part to Ed Harris’ performance, it works and is consistently engaging for all of the 2 ½ runtime (and that includes several 20-30 minute jousting action sequences.) It also helps that Romero seems to really believe in Knightriders, just as King Billy and his people believe in their insular way of life. I recommend this film and will likely be watching it again. I'd be curious to hear thoughts from other people, since I know some people have called it Romero's best (I notice that Perkins Cobb even had it in his top ten overall for the last 80s list!)

Creepshow (George Romero 1982): This anthology was a staple of my childhood viewing, and it’s still so much fun it just seems hard not to like this movie. Once again, it’s a B movie, but here Romero fully embraces the hokeyness of the film’s EC comics roots. The whole film is so over-the-top with entire scenes being lit with nothing but red and blue light, animated mattes over certain shots, comic book advertisements in between each story, and music that, at times, sound like it could have come from Looney Tunes. Oh, and lines like “That’s why god made fathers, babe.” There are even a few genuinely creepy aspects, such as Leslie Nelson’s performance, Ed Harris’ demise, and subtle things like that possessed look the kid in the beginning gets on his face! I could easily mistake this as a Joe Dante film, which is high praise, of course.

Monkey Shines (George Romero 1988): A paralyzed man forms a telepathic link with a murderous monkey. Yes, the “shines” of the titles is that kind of shining. Like Knightriders, this one plays its off-the-wall premise entirely straight, but it’s just too out-there for me to do anything but laugh at it (not with it.) Besides a few barren shots of Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh campuses, it doesn’t even have the regional qualities that I enjoy so much in Romero’s films. I always try to focus on the positive, so what’s good about it? At least it’s got some shots of cute monkeys.

I've always loved Knightriders, partly due to Ed Harris' performance, but partly also due to loving the Arthurian legends as a boy. Not quite my fave Romero - Night of the Living Dead probably will always have that accolade - but it has endured through about three re-watches.
Definitely a contender, and it would make for a great Arthurian double-bill with John Boorman's 'Excalibur'.
(also a contender)

I was a huge fan of the comics that inspired Creepshow, also, and it's clear that Romero was ,also, due to the obvious affection reflected in the film. It will at the very least be among the also-rans, but I'd probably surprise myself if it made my final 50.

I haven't seen Monkey Shines : judging by our shared affinities, I suspect that I'm the lucky one.
Monkeys are cute, but there's always David Attenborough.

[Feego]

The Watcher in the Woods (1980, John Hough)
The Disney studio’s first attempt at an out-and-out horror movie is kind of a mess, apparently due to its troubled production, which included many behind-the-scenes disagreements and rewrites. The story follows an American family that moves into a creepy old house in an English village where a teenage girl mysteriously vanished thirty years earlier. Now the American family’s eldest daughter, who bears a resemblance to the missing girl, begins having strange visions that draw her closer to solving the mystery. It’s a promising scenario, and the film does manage some eerie atmosphere, but it’s never particularly scary or suspenseful and plays out more like an extended and typically anemic episode of Tales from the Darkside. The awkward performances are about on par with that series as well, even from old pros Bette Davis and Carroll Baker. It’s ultimately pretty blah, but if you are so inclined, it’s worth looking at the two mondo bizarro alternate endings included on the DVD.

[domino harvey]

You screwed up and still made me interested in it. Guessing since it's Disney Carroll Baker doesn't drop trou like in that other weirdo horror movie she made around this time though!

Thanks for the tip, Gregory, I've been meaning to pick up that R2 Sayles box anyways and that rec makes the decision easier!

Creepshow is grand fun and one of my favorite films as a kid (though I always hated the Stephen King segment because ew), but it just barely made my horror list (and I was the only one to list it) and thus is not in any danger of making my 80s list. Still, I'll second a recommendation-- it's a blast!

[swo17]

That reminds me--as far as I know, there's only one release of Matewan presented in OAR, and I believe it's this one (at least that was the right one when I bought it three years ago). See Bonnie Prince Billy as an intense preacher kid!

[domino harvey]

Damn, wish I knew that when I placed an Amazon.ca order a few weeks ago (for embarrassing 90s movies only in print in Canada for some reason). The shipping is so crazy unless you're buying a couple things at the same time

[YnEoS]

I would say seeing The Watcher in the Woods at least once is definitely worth it for the alternate endings.

[Mr Sausage]

Guessing since it's Disney Carroll Baker doesn't drop trou like in that other weirdo horror movie she made around this time though!

That could describe at least half a dozen movies.

[bamwc2]

Guessing since it's Disney Carroll Baker doesn't drop trou like in that other weirdo horror movie she made around this time though!

That could describe at least half a dozen movies.

I saw it years ago, and no Miss Baker doesn't go nude. Bette Davis, however, spends most of her screen time in pasties and a g-string.

[Feego]

You screwed up and still made me interested in it. Guessing since it's Disney Carroll Baker doesn't drop trou like in that other weirdo horror movie she made around this time though!

Rest assured nobody drops trou in The Watcher in the Woods. But never underestimate the Disney label -- Charles Martin Smith went frontal in Never Cry Wolf (for reals). Sure, he's not as pretty as Baker, but if stocky, hairy guys are your thing, well then...

[domino harvey]

Found while searching Amazon for Never Cry Wolf (which is like some kind of White Fang movie, right?), far more interested in this to be honest:

Have you ever had the feeling that the guy who moved into the house where the registered sex offender was murdered was a werewolf? Then you might want to see this movie.

[Cold Bishop]

I love that the look on her face is less "don't eat me!" and more "Please, don't kiss me with that breath".

[Mr Sausage]

Isn't that basically Fright Night with werewolves?

[domino harvey]

No, it's like Die Hard on a bus

[domino harvey]

Aria (Various Directors 1987) I went into this pairing of mostly well-known directors and operatic musical pieces with trepidation, as even the best portmanteau film is pretty uneven, and overall my hesitation was warranted. I reckon of the ten segments presented here, two are worthwhile, and a 1/5 success rate is starkly low, even for these kind of films. In my defense, I went into each segment with an open mind, as even the best director can flounder under the constraints of an anthology film sketch, and even the worst director could show previously unseen acumen. Below are my brief thoughts on all of the pieces, ranked in order from best to worst (though I really only liked the Temple and Godard entries). Spoilers throughout, if that even matters here:

Rigoletto (Julien Temple) Easily the biggest surprise and best thing by a country mile in this film, Temple's take features Buck Henry (!) as a movie producer zonked out on Ecstasy and trying to bed Beverly D'Angelo while his wife also attempts to engage her lover, the joke being that both husband and wife are always within close proximity, at times only inches apart from each other at the same Poconos-style couples retreat. The real star here though is the visual wit exhibited in the assorted long takes and fluid moving camera as the action moves through elaborate sets in an energetic and vital fashion. Of everyone involved in this film, it looks like Temple is the only one who took this assignment seriously and bothered to come up with something novel and entertaining. It's also telling that amidst all the (possibly contractually obligated) nudity in this film (7/10 segments feature nudity, often gratuitously), Temple tells the story most apt to excuse it and most clever for foregoing it!

Armide (Jean-Luc Godard) Not Godard's best work, but a decent enough sketch concerning two young Parisian gym employees trying in vain to seduce the musclebound jocks occupying their place of employment. I especially enjoyed the visual joke of the final shots:

Spoiler

Godard, like Temple, also shows a readiness to forego the mandated soundtrack and as could be expected, often undermines its effectiveness whenever possible!

Nessun dorma (Ken Russell) Typically weird effort from Russell wherein a woman's car crash injuries are juxtaposed with bejeweled Middle Eastern Godspell-esque equivalents of the woman's wounds. Strange and not particularly successful, but it unlike most of these entries tries for something other than the expected.

Abaris ou les Boréades (Robert Altman) Almost a parody of what you'd expect an Altman segment to look like, with too many "characters" splitting focus amidst the raucous reception given to the piece's performance by an audience of the criminally insane. No credited cast but I'm pretty sure I spotted Julie Hagerty and I suspect more Altman regulars are hiding behind the pancake makeup.

La vergine degli angeli (Charles Sturridge) Teen girls joyride 'round London in what could pass as a perfume ad.

Liebestod (Franc Roddam) Bridget Fonda in her first starring role engages in Cinemax sex with her boyfriend in a Vegas hotel room before both off themselves in the bathtub. Not exactly the most auspicious start to her career.

Un ballo in maschera (Nicholas Roeg) Silly piece of historical reappropriation with Theresa Russell in drag as King Zog of Albania who has a surprise for his would-be assassins.

Depuis le jour (Derek Jarman) An old woman reminisces about the time she was Tilda Swinton and starred in a Chris Isaak video taped off VH1.

Vesti la giubba (Bill Bryden) This take on Pagliacci (which also serves as the loose framing device) features John Hurt as the sad clown but adds nothing to the goings on and would have made for an anti-climactic finish had the film ever really started.

Glück, das mir verblieb (Bruce Beresford) Without a doubt the most uninspired and unnecessary segment in the film. Beresford seemed to take the assignment straight and filmed a TV movie-ready operetta (but with nudity, so maybe pay cable TV movie) and as a result there is absolutely not a thing of interest about this one.

[swo17]

Liebestod (Franc Roddam) Bridget Fonda in her first starring role engages in Cinemax sex with her boyfriend in a Vegas hotel room before both off themselves in the bathtub. Not exactly the most auspicious start to her career.

Was there a snake involved at some point (or whatever that thing is in your avatar)?

[domino harvey]

It's a baby crocodile!

[knives]

I actually thought the Roeg film was a great deal of fun, but I'm a sucker for the exact sort of silliness as drama it is trading in. Likewise I wasn't entirely on for Temple long Vacation-esque film which has a sense of humour I just don't like at all. It is a pretty segment though.