Tag: 1982

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Movie Review

Swamp Thing (1982) Movie Review

Swamp Thing – Movie Review

Read our review of Swamp Thing, a sci-fi film directed by Wes Craven. Follow the story of a scientist turned into a swamp plant monster.

ABC Film Challenge – Sci-Fi – W (Wes Craven)

Director: Wes Craven (Scream)

Writer: Wes Craven (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: After a violent incident with a special chemical, a research scientist is turned into a swamp plant monster.

Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Swamp Thing starts when Alice Cable (Barbeau) joins a research team led by Dr Alec Holland (Wise) in the swamp land. His research is searching for something which could help crop generation in the future. However, the research station is attacked by Arcane (Jourdan) and his ruthless mercenaries.

When Arcane’s team kill everyone and destroy the base, Alice is rescued by a strange creature. However, Arcane continues to hunt her down, but the creature is connected to everything going on and is out for revenge.

Verdict on Swamp Thing

Swamp Thing is a horror sci-fi movie following a scientist who discovers a formula which could change the world. However, someone else wants it for evil and destroys his work. But he comes back from the dead and transforms into a stronger defender for the people he loves.

This movie brings the unlikely hero to life to take out the people who wronged him. It has excellent practical effects used for the transformations and puts us in a battle between good and evil. We might well get the typical concept of the military wanting something which helps people in a more sensible way idea that we have seen in other movies. However, the concept works for a nice low-budget movie, which creates an iconic horror figure in the world.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Swamp Thing is an entertaining low-budget horror.

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Movie Review

Island of Blood (1982) Movie Review

Island of Blood – Movie Review

Island of Blood is the typical late-night slasher we saw from the 1980s.

First Reaction – Island of Blood is the typical late-night slasher we saw from the 1980s.

Director: William T Naud

Writer: William T Naud (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A group of actors are assembled in a small island to film a low-budget movie. Soon, they begin to fall prey to a mysterious killer who uses the lyrics of a weird song to determine his method of murder.

Runtime: 1 Hour 22 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Island of Blood starts when Donna (Alise), Jim (Dean), Franklin (Gardner) and others head to a small island to shoot a film. They have a limited budget and are doing everything possible to ensure the movie is made. However, a mysterious serial killer has been waiting for more victims.

The team don’t know what is happening and believes it is more of an accident. However, when more of the team members are picked off, they begin planning for the worst and look to escape the killer before it is too late.

Verdict on Island of Blood

Recap

The movie follows a film crew heading to a remote island to shoot a low budget movie. However, they become the targets for a serial killer who begins picking them off one by one.

Best Parts

The isolated location effectively illustrates the lengths a film crew will go to make a movie. Some of the kills work well for a slasher movie, despite the movie itself being of a lower budget.

Worst Parts

Even though we are at a remote location, it never feels empty; the buildings are bigger and feel used on a regular basis. Elsewhere, it lacks most suspense any slasher has, being saved by the kills that other movies have used in the future.

Final Thoughts – Island of Blood is a simple late-night slasher movie.

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Movie Review

The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) Movie Review

The Slumber Party Massacre – Movie Review

The Slumber Party Massacre is an entertaining 80s slasher about high school friends confronting a psychotic killer at a slumber party.

First Reaction – The Slumber Party Massacre is a fun 80s slasher.

Watch The Slumber Party Massacre on Tubi.

ABC Film Challenge – High School/College Movies – S

Director: Amy Holden Jones

Writer: Rita Mae Brown, Amy Holden Jones (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A female high school student’s slumber party turns into a bloodbath, as a newly escaped psychotic serial killer wielding a power drill prowls her neighborhood.

Runtime: 1 Hour 17 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Slumber Party Massacre starts when a group of high school friends, Trish (Michaels), Kim (De Liso), Jackie (Honore), and Diane (Hunter), have a slumber party. They meet up to talk about boys and other teenage girls subjects. Meanwhile, an escaped serial killer is on the hunt using his power drill.

The killer targets the girls, and they must fight to survive their murderous rampage. However, the mystery of who the killer is and what they want is waiting for them to learn about.

Verdict on The Slumber Party Massacre

Recap

The movie follows a group of friends who decide to have a slumber party. They go through the typical events before a serial killer targets them leading to a fight to survive.

Best Parts

It fits the slasher concept perfectly for a movie made in the 1980s. We get the selection of disposable teenagers and complete the typical selection for a serial killer. There are moments of humour, which give it the same tone we know from the much more popular choice of movies in Scream.

Worst Parts

The movie is one of its time, and you can see a lot of things looked down on now. It is one for cult horror fans to enjoy the most.

Final Thoughts –The Slumber Party Massacre fits the cult favourites perfectly.

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Movie Review

Who Dares Wins (1982) Movie Review

Who Dares Wins – Movie Review

Discover the thrilling movie 'Who Dares Wins' with Lewis Collins and Judy Davis. Join Captain Peter Skellen as he goes undercover to uncover a dangerous terrorist plot.

Director: Ian Sharp

Writer: Reginald Rose (Screenplay)

Writer: George Markstein (Story)

Cast

Plot: It’s suspected that a peace/anti-nuke organization in UK has some extremists willing to use terrorism. The action will probably be against an embassy in London. The SAS/Special Air Service try to get the organization infiltrated.

Runtime: 2 Hours 5 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Who Dares Wins starts when a peace protest has a murder by a group of extremists. Captain Peter Skellen (Collins) is recruited to go undercover in the group to learn their bigger plan. He gets close to Frankie Leith (Davis) who pulls the strings but others in the group are not convinced he is clean.

As Peter starts revealing plans, they start testing his loyalty, leading to him taking part in a hostage situation. He must use his training to save the hostages and his kidnapped family.

Verdict on Who Dares Wins

Who Dares Wins is an action thriller following a special SAS agent who goes undercover in an extremist group. They have been rumoured to be attacking someone with a big presence and they need him to stop a terrorist attack before it happens.

This movie brings to life a threat which could have been seen across the globe during the early battles for control of nukes. It uses a group that want peace and will do anything to make it happen, even if it means taking on a bigger threat. This causes conflict in the story, as we can see both sides trying to do the right thing. However, it turns into a simpler operation to take down terrorists and how a special soldier leads the fight back. It is a strange one because it never feels like there is a big threat and the music choice makes it feel like a television routine rescue scene.

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Who Dares Wins feels more like a television show introduction to an elite team.

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Movie Review

The Thing (1982) Movie Review

The Thing – ABC Film Challenge – Favourites – T – The Thing – Movie Review

The Thing

Director: John Carpenter

Writer: Bill Lancaster (Screenplay)

Writer: John W Campbell Jr (Story)

Cast

Plot: A research team in Antarctica is hunted by a shape-shifting alien that assumes the appearance of its victims.

Runtime: 1 Hour 50 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Thing starts when a small remote Antarctica research team get an unexpected visit from their Norwegian neighbours. Chasing a dog through the snow, the American team stop the dangerous-looking visitor. MacReady (Russell) leads a team to their camp discovering nobody there.

The team looks to regroup to decide what to do next when the dog they left in the camp unleashes a secret. Dr Blair (Brimley) discovers the dogs are trying to morph into another one, consuming them. Unsure about whom to trust, the crew looks to find a solution before they can head home. However, the changes spread through their own camp at an alarming rate.

Verdict on The Thing

The Thing is a sci-fi horror classic that has become one of the most popular movies of all time. It uses the remote base and mystery of the morphing creature to build tension between the crew. There is constant doubt about whom they can trust and each scene becomes a battle to see who can be trusted.

The practical effects are still breathtakingly scary to watch. From the sudden open chest that rips off the arms to the small creatures that are caught in the middle of a transformation. There is no doubt that this is by far one of the greatest movies ever made, despite the lacklustre prequel, this remains the very best.

Final Thoughts – The Thing is the definition of a masterpiece within the genre.

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Movie Review

Annie (1982) Movie Review

Annie – ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nominations – C (Carol Sobieski Screenplay) – Annie – Movie Review

Annie

Director: John Huston

Writer: Carol Sobieski (Screenplay)

Writer: Thomas Meehan, Martin Charnin (Book/Play)

Cast

  • Aileen Quinn (The Frog Prince)
  • Albert Finney (Murder on the Orient Express)
  • Carol Brunett (The Four Seasons)
  • Ann Reinking (All That Jazz)
  • Tim Curry (Clue)

Plot: A spunky young orphan is taken in by a rich eccentric, much to the chagrin of the cantankerous woman who runs the orphanage.

Runtime: 2 Hour 6 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Annie starts as we meet little orphan Annie (Quinn) who stands up for the other orphans in the orphanage. Miss Hannigan (Burnett) runs the orphanage, making the children keeping it clean, using them to keep her home afloat.

One day eccentric rich woman Grace Farrell (Reinking) offers to take Annie for a week, with the plan to help her boss Daddy Warbucks (Finney) improve his image. However, Miss Hannigan doesn’t want to lose one of her orphans and the pay checks that come with them.

Verdict on Annie

Annie is a musical comedy adapted from a comic strip ‘Little Orphan Annie’. It follows the troubles that Annie goes through as she looks to get adopted and start a new life. One that doesn’t revolve around her cleaning an orphanage.

This is one of the classical musicals of all time, showing how a little orphan can affect some many lives. She brings out the best in a lot of the people she meets, but people also show their worst when money is involved. The movie creates songs that stick with you for years to come and creates a mix of joy and peril to move the story along.

Final Thoughts – Annie is a wonderful musical that stands the test of time.

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Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Horror – X – Xtro (1982) Movie Review

Director: Harry Bromley Davenport

Writer: Harry Bromley Davenport, Iain Cassie, Michel Parry, Robert Smith (Screenplay)

Starring: Philip Sayer, Bernice Stegers, Danny Brainin, Maryam d’Abo, Simon Nash, Peter Mandell

Plot: An alien creature impregnates a woman who gives birth to a man that was abducted by aliens three years ago. The man reconnects with his wife and son for a sinister purpose.


Tagline – A brutal excursion in terror

Runtime: 1 Hour 24 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Xtro starts when a young boy Tony (Nash) believes his father vanished in flash of a light, while his mother Rachel (Stegers) believe he just walked out on them.

When Tony starts suffering nightmares, his father Sam (Sayer) returns, but he is different this time around, having a much darker purpose for returning.

Thoughts on Xtro

Thoughts – Xtro is a horror sci-fi movie that will dive into the mystery about what might have happened around an alien abduction and return. It will tend to avoid the basic discussion, turning into the idea that the unexplained will start to be taken over, while giving us some truly wacky sequences when it comes to the kills. This is a movie that is considered a cult classic and you can see why, people are going to be able to have a lot of fun with just how crazy things get in this one. The effects are very good through the film, being everything you would expect in the 1980s.

Final Thoughts – Xtro is everything you want to see in a cult classic.

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Movie Review

E T the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Sci-Fi – E – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer: Melissa Mathison (Screenplay)

Starring: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, Dee Wallace, Robert Macnaughton, K.C. Martel, Sean Frye

Plot: A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape Earth and return to his home world.

Runtime: 1 Hour 55 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial starts when a young boy Elliott (Thomas) gets a visit from an alien who has landed near his home. Elliott convinces his siblings Gertie (Barrymore) and Michael (MacNaughton) ET is harmless, they look to help him.

When ET starts getting sick the government arrive with Keys (Coyote) leading the investigation. Leading to the family to come together to try and save ET and send him home.

Thoughts on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

E.T. the Extra Terrestrial is a family friendly sci-fi adventure movie. Following a young family that offer to help a lost alien find his way home. The government are looking to make their own story about the visitor. This is considered one of the all time classic sci-fi movies. An essential movie for anyone to see, it is clear why. With the pure story about being kind to someone or something different, no matter how different they are.

The relationship built between ET and the children is one similar to a pet. Where they will do anything to protect the newest member of their family. ET doesn’t make the government side of things the most evil. As we have seen with many of alien based movies, with the film wanting to put the firm spotlight on friendship. The performances are wonderful in the film, along with the effects achieved to give ET his look.

Final Thoughts – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a true family friendly classic that has barely aged a day.

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Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – 80’s Movies – X – Firefox (1982) Movie Review

Continuing my cheating ways with the letter X, we have Firefox ending in an X, which will making it the closest I can get to finding a movie.

Director: Clint Eastwood

Writer: Alex Lasker, Wendell Wellman (Screenplay) Craig Thomas (Novel)

Starring: Clint Eastwood, Freddie Jones, David Huffman, Warren Clarke, Ronald Lacey, Kenneth Colley

Plot: A pilot is sent into the Soviet Union on a mission to steal a prototype jet fighter that can be partially controlled by a neuralink.


Tagline – .the most devastating killing machine ever built… his job… steal it!

Runtime: 2 Hour 16 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Verdict: Espionage 101

Story: Firefox starts when a war veteran pilot Mitchell Gant (Eastwood) who lives off the grid, is located and bought back for a new mission, a dangerous mission, which will see him travel to the Soviet Union to go undercover to steal a prototype jet fighter.

As Mitchell is undercover, he does start to show the side effects of his time in the war, which could bring the mission in trouble, with his instructions changing, can he get the mission complete before it is too late.

Thoughts on Firefox

Characters – Mitchell Gant is a former pilot, retired after being captured during his time in the war, he is often considered the greatest pilot the military saw and now he is trying to live off the map away from everyone in Alaska. He is tracked down and forced into serving his country once again, this time going undercover to steal a prototype plane, one that he will be the best pilot for. He does suffer from the side effects of his previous time in the military, which could expose his identity along the way. We do meet the military men that are trying to push Mitchell into the mission, guiding him along the way, helping fix problems on the mission along the way.

Performances – Clint Eastwood is solid enough in the leading role here, he does make us believe that he could be the military man with problems, but one that will get back out there to fight for what is right. The supporting cast are strong too without needing to do that much with their roles.

Story – The story here follows a former pilot that is forced into a mission to steal a new plane from Soviet Union and return it to America, while dealing with his own demons from his time in the military. This is a story that is revolving around a single mission behind enemy lines, where the flying will be the easy part, it will be getting to the plane that will be the challenge. This is slow moving with how everything unfolds, with everything seemingly going to plan, which does seem to take off any edge the film could have.

Action – The action does have basic fight, but we do have the highlight of the film coming from the dog fights.

Settings – The film uses the locations which will see Mitchell preparing the mission, on the mission as, well as inside the cockpit during the daring escape.


Scene of the Movie – The dog fight.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Eastwood’s narration of the events in the dog fight.

Final Thoughts – This is a by the book spy movie, which is only here to show the tensions between America and Soviet Union and wanting to stay ahead of each other in war.

Overall: By the Book.