Eighties, Maties

Jesse Walker is now looking at movies from 1989.  It was a different film world then. Or was it?

Here's his top ten:

1.  The Decalogue
2.  Drugstore Cowboy
3.  Motel
4.  Santa Sangre
5.  Do The Right Thing
6.  Monsieur Hire
7.  Life And Nothing But
8.  Kiki's Delivery Service
9.  Near Death
10. Crimes And Misdemeanors

Haven't seen all of The Decalogue, so really can't comment.  And I haven't seen any of Motel, Santa Sanger, Monsieur Hire and Near Death.  Pretty embarrassing. (Actually, I might have seen a bit of Monsieur Hire, but I don't remember enough for it to count.)

As for the those I have seen, Drugstore Cowboy is definitely a top ten film.  For that matter, so is Kiki's Delivery Service and perhaps Life And Nothing But.

Do The Right Thing may be one of Spike Lee's more memorable films, but it shouldn't be top ten or even twenty (And that's even ignoring the science fiction scene at the end where Mookie demands Sal pay him for destroying his business.)

Crimes And Misdemeanors is a pretty good Woody Allen film for the era, but not good enough for the top ten.

Honorable Mention:

11.  Say Anything...
12.  Creature Comforts
13.  Mystery Train
14.  Isle Of Flowers
15.  The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, And Her Lover
16.  Jesus Of Montreal
17.  Ile Aiye
18.  Kitchen Sink
19.  Leningrad Cowboys Go America
20.  The Greatest Show In The Galaxy

I don't think much of Say Anything... (I'm not trailing off, the ellipses are in the title).

Creature Comforts is a fine film, but a short, and Jesse knows I don't think they should be compared to features.  Same thing goes for Isle Of Flowers and Kitchen Sink.

Mystery Train should be top ten.  The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, And Her Lover may be top ten (and a rare case of Peter Greenaway's style working).  Leningrad Cowboys also may be top ten.

Haven't seen Jesus Of Montreal or Ile Aiye.

The Greatest Show In The Galaxy appears to be television, so also shouldn't be on the list.

Other films that would make my top ten (or twenty):

Parenthood

The Little Mermaid

Heathers

When Harry Met Sally...

Other films I like:

Back To The Future Part II, Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Cousins, Dead Calm, The Fabulous Baker Boys, Field Of Dreams, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, Penn & Teller Get Killed, Road House (quite a year for Kelly Lynch, with this and Drugstore Cowboy), Uncle Buck, Driving Miss Daisy, The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen, Earth Girls Are Easy, Weekend At Bernie's (sort of), The Big Picture (sort of)


Other films of the year:

Batman, Look Who's Talking, Dead Poets Society, Lethal Weapon 2, Ghostbusters 2, Born On The Fourth Of July, Camille Claudel, Casualties Of War, Cinema Paradiso, Enemies A Love Story, Glory, Henry V, My Left Foot, Roger & Me, Sex Lies And Videotape, The War Of The Roses, Gleaming The Cub, The January Man, Three Fugitives, Her Alibi, Who's Harry Crumb?, The Fly II, Tap, The 'Burbs, The Mighty Quinn, True Believer, Bert Rigby You're A Fool, Dream A Little Dream, Farewell To The King, Lean On Me, Skin Deep (which did have one of the most memorable scenes of the year), Chances Are,

Jacknife, New York Stories, Police Academy 6, Fletch Lives, Leviathan, Dead Bang, Troop Beverly Hills, Cyborg, The Dream Team, Major League, She's Out Of Control, Winter People, Kick Boxer, Pet Sematary, Red Scorpion, See You In The Morning, Criminal Law, K-9, Turner & Hooch, Loverboy, Miss Firecracker, Scandal, Signs Of Life, Fright Night Part 2, How I Got Into College (with some shout outs to University of Michigan), Pink Cadillac, Renegades,

Scenes From The Class Struggle In Beverly Hills, Vampires Kiss, Star Trek V, Great Balls Of Fire!, The Karate Kid Part III, License To Kill, UHF, Friday The 13th Part VIII, Miracle Mile (set in an area not far outside my door), Lock Up, The Abyss, A Nightmare On Elm Street 5, Cookie, Eddie And The Cruisers II, The Adventures Of Milo And Otis, The Package (with a scene from my old haunts in Hyde Park), Relentless, Sea Of Love, Black Rain, In Country, Johnny Handsome, An Innocent Man, Old Gringo, Breaking In, Halloween 5, Fat Man And Little Boy, Gross Anatomy, Next Of Kin, The Bear, Dad, Worth Winning, Bloodhounds Of Broadway, The Phantom Of The Opera, Best Of The Best, Communion, All Dogs Go To Heaven, Harlem Nights, Prancer, Steel Magnolias, She-Devil, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Triumph Of The Spirit, New Year's Day, Blaze, We're No Angels, Always, Tango & Cash