Best Comedy Tapeheads WTF did I just see? Apartment Zero Best juvenile performance Sarah Polley – Baron Munchausen  Notes from awards committee: Out of the HouseClark top five films of 1988, only one was recognized by Oscar. Dangerous Liaisons lost out to Rain Man for the Best Film Academy award. But DL, by veteran Director Steve Frears, is a vastly superior film to RM, and wins the Simpson Award for Best Motion Picture. The first thing that strikes you about DL is the high quality production design and sweeping camera shots. The period locations and elegant costumes are visually sumptuous and present the peak era of French aristocrat wealth and power in the 18th century. Better yet, the acting by the four leads is perfect. Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Uma Thurman never stumble into modern anachronism. Glenn Close was a powerhouse leading lady in the 1980s and here she is at her peak. Often nominated but never the winner, we correct that mistake and award Glenn Close the Best Actress Simpson prize. It really is her film. The action begins and ends with Close and she is wicked to the core throughout. DA is a morality play about sin and its consequences. Along the way, there is enough sexual tension, seduction and deception for three or four erotic dramas. The pèace de résistance is the ending where the evil schemers meet their bitter downfall. The World at Large
 Fun Surprises - Big - Be careful what you wish for because it might come true. That is the theme of this Penny Marshall fantasy comedy classic film. Not a silly slapstick – it is a movie for both kids and adults – a rare bird for sure, and was a smash hit at the box office. Tom Hanks delivers an outstanding performance as the young and innocent Josh who is suddenly and magically emerged into the adult world. A strong support cast includes the wonderful Elizabeth Perkins in a key role. What a lady! She is clever, fun, and sexy all at the same time. Talk Radio – Oliver Stone presents a late night radio station as an arena of war. HC Best Actor Eric Bogosian is unforgettable as the self-destructive, abusive, eloquent radio host, Barry Champlain. He has a knack for making people angry including his boss, his girlfriend, and some of his fans. This is the story of a gripping character study that marches relentlessly toward a climatic and tragic death spiral. Unfortunately this movie was snubbed by the Academy. Tapeheads - a product of the MTV generation, it is a wild and crazy story about two young men trying to hit it big in the world of music videos. The movie captures the fun spirit of the 80s music industry, largely thanks to the very funny onscreen duo of Tim Robbins and John Cusack. The scenes with them meeting with music producer Mo Fuzz (the late, great Don Cornelius) and discussing videos “on spec” is classic comedy. Tapeheads is a low-budget affair all around, but the music video parodies and the performances by the Swanky Modes combine to make this flick one of the very best music biz/ comedy movies of all time. A forgotten gem. Bull Durham – is a delightful romantic comedy that combines sex and baseball. Susan Sarandon was in her heydays in the 80s, and she has great chemistry with Kevin Costner. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – is a fun, light-weight crime-comedy gem with outstanding acting. Michael Caine takes on the role of the senior con artist while Steve Martin plays the new kid on the block. The duel between the two crooks is filled with a combination of funny gags, clever jokes, disguises and long set-ups—plus plot twists I never saw coming! Beast of War – is one of the greatest anti-war movies of all time. The film centers around a five-man Soviet tank crew hopelessly lost in rugged Afghanistan mountain passes after taking part in a vicious raid on a remote village. The survivors of the village relentlessly chase the tank to take bloody revenge. The hunter becomes the hunted in a simple, well-crafted chase plot. Apartment Zero –is an obscure, puzzling, low budget film that left me dazed. So Bad; it is Good. They Live - Former wrestling superstar and B-movie actor Rowdy Roddy Piper was the lead in this John Carpenter film which featured the quasi-immortal line: “I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass — and I’m all out of bubblegum.” They Live also features an excellent turn by Meg Foster as Rowdy’s romantic interest. Her gorgeous blue eyes sparkle like gems and her character glows with sex appeal. The story here is ridiculously simple. A drifter (Rowdy) stumbles upon a very special pair of sunglasses that enable him to see past the façade of society and at the disturbing truth that it hides. The result is a well-executed film that walks the fine line between a most improbable situation and horror. Moon Over Parador - The story premise is a movie favorite – identity substitution. What makes this picture special is the outstanding cast of comedians – Any scene with Jonathon Winters is funny, and the scenes with Raul Julia and Richard Dreyfuss are comedy gold. Disappointments - A Fish Called Wanda - I'm a Monty Python fan, and wanted to like this movie. But it left me flat. There are a few good gags, and Kevin Kline is intensely absurd, but I have a hard time naming one comic scene where I laughed out loud. There were none. In fact, some scenes were cringey. Rain Man – it is an iron law of Hollywood that actors playing mental or physically handicapped characters immediately jump into the lead for Best Actor.
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