Most Annoying Performance Richard Gere – American Gigolo Best Comedy Performance Kurt Russel – Used Cars Best Ensemble Cast Caddyshack - Billy Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight and Chevy Chase WTF did I just see? Melvin and Howard Most Overrated Movie Ordinary People Best juvenile performance Danny Lloyd – The Shining  Notes from awards committee: The 80s decade kicked off with a strong year for the movies; from bio-pics, to horror to comedy to action and sci-fi, there was plenty to please and delight movie fans. Unfortunately many of the very best motion pictures were overlooked by the academy at award time. The Shining was snubbed by the Academy, and House Clark is here to correct that mistake with Best Picture award and Best Actor award for Jack Nicholson. Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece is one of his best crafted films. The haunting beauty of the stunning visuals throughout the movie is a feast for the eyes: from the grandeur of the mountains on the drive to the haunted Overlook Hotel, to the final murderous chase in the wintry hedge maze. World at Large
Fun Surprises -  Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back - is one of the rare sequels that tops the original famous films. ESB continued the brilliant space opera of Star Wars, and married it to a story arc that feels truly epic. Luke Skywalker's voyage of discovery is a journey not to be missed. The heroes struggle with tragedy and adversity, and it makes for more interesting and more human characters. Caddyshack – this rewatchable gem is perhaps the most quoted sports movie of all time. You won't find a funnier foursome on the golf course than Rodney Dangerfield, Chevy Chase, Billy Murray and Ted Knight! This subversive movie clicks from start to finish, and mercilessly lampoons Country Club Republicans at the height of their power during the Reagan presidency. Used Cars – is known for funny, low-brow humor, and is one of the gems of my DVD collection. It has held up over the years, and I still pop it in the DVD player every couple of years. The cast is packed with classic comedians, and stars Kurt Russell as Rudy Russo, a hot-shot car salesman. He shows a true genius for comedy in this movie. The Dogs of War - Christopher Walken stars as the ringleader of a band of mercenaries, and delivers an intelligent, gripping performance. This little known, underrated film ranks as Walken’s best action film. Walken and his men overthrow an African despot in one day. He could give lessons to Johnny Rambo. Kagemusha - In this opulent Japanese historical costume drama, warlords scheme, plot, maneuver, and finally gather their armies for battle at the Castle Nagashino, circa 1575. The film suffers from the difficulty an American audience has in trying to keep straight all the many characters, foreign names, and complex plot. In any case, you can't take your eyes off the screen. The visual impact is that good. Melvin and Howard – is a quirky film about a minor footnote in pop history involving the contested Last Will & Testament of billionaire Howard Hughes and Melvin Dummar, a milkman who once found Howard in the desert and gave him a ride to Las Vegas. Years later, Melvin gets a mysterious letter naming him as an heir to the Howard Hughes estate. The movie takes the sympathetic approach to Melvin – giving him the benefit of doubt that he was indeed a legitimate heir. What helps the film is the pairing of actors Paul LeMat, as Melvin, and Mary Steenburgen as Melvin's kooky wife, Linda -- they are an endearing couple. Jason Robards plays a brief yet memorable part as the reclusive, eccentric Howard Hughes. Urban Cowboy – is set in Houston, Texas during the oil boom in the early 1980s. This is John Travolta’s movie; we see him dance, fight, ride a mechanical bull, and romance pretty girls. Travolta and his gang hang out at Gilley's, a popular C&W nightclub (dump) in the Houston burb of Pasadena. Gilley's burned downed long ago, but the memories live on. And the best thing about Urban Cowboy is the wonderful score of country/western songs. Best viewed as a cultural curiosity that is honest to the time and place. Disappointments - Ordinary People – is middle-class group therapy. Not a bad movie, but definitely not my cup of tea nor best motion picture of the year. Overrated by a mile. Coal Miner’s Daughter – is an all-American rag to riches story with Sissy Spacek playing C&W star Loretta Lynn. This is Sissy’s film, and she scores a Best Actress Simpson award. Beverly D’Angelo as Patsy Cline was equally impressive in her support role. Defying Hollywood prejudices, working class Whites and C&W music are displayed in a favorable light. The bad - the film is over-long and painfully lags in the third act as the price of success takes its usual toll on mind and body and marriages. Raging Bull – was hyped up to the moon, but it is unwatchable. All the angry screaming and yelling and the obnoxious main character frazzled the nerves. My thumb drifted to the stop button on the DVD controller without even thinking. Has an exhausting 2+ hour runtime. Popeye – Robert Altman tries his hand at a big budget cartoon musical-comedy. It took a movie producer (Robert Evans) high on hard drugs to green light this foolish idea. Painfully not funny.
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