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Ruthless People is in my runner-ups list.
Tyler Durden's Best Of The Year
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1985: Commando
1985 has been the hardest year to choose the best film so far. It was really hard to choose between my established #1 pick and Ran, After Hours & Brazil. But as good as those films, Commando is too much of a personal choice for me. Other films I enjoyed from 1985 are Rambo: First Blood Part II, Back To The Future, The Goonies, Jewel Of The Nile & Rocky IV. I haven't seen Come & See yet, but I may in the future, as I have seen many positive ratings for it.
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays John Matrix, a retired leader of a commando strike team, who now devotes his life to his daughter. But when his daughter is kidnapped by warlord Arius and his henchman Bennett, who was thought to be dead, Matrix is thrown back into action and has 10 hours to save his daughter from death.
I am a BIG Arnold fan. I like all of his films, even his mediocre efforts like Conan The Destroyer & Raw Deal. Commando is a very personal favourite, mainly becuase of the fact that it is one of the movies that made me LOVE movies.
Commando is not a masterpiece of modern filmmaking, but it acheives as one of the more finer action films of the 1980's. There is plenty of chemistry between Schwarzenegger and his co-star Rae Dawn Chong and plenty of tongue in cheek humour as well. There's plenty of Schwarzenegger one liners, but what sets them apart from the other Arnie quotes, is that these ones actually work, mostly because of the clever and humourous script. Again, it's not a cinematic masterpiece, but it is an undeniable cult classic.
But Commando isn't mostly remembered for it's script. It's marvellously over-the-top, with brutal violence and particularly fun action sequences. The final 30 minutes are the best moments of the film, as Arnie unleashes an arsenal on a private army of guards. This is when the film works at it's absolute best.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was never a great actor, but his performance in this film is surprisingly decent. But the standout is Rae Dawn Chong as his reluctant sidekick Cindy. She generates most of the laughs in the film, especially when she exclaims "Sh*t" after accidentally blowing up a small building with a rocket launcher.
I realise that this decision will one of the more surprising choices in this list, but there is no other way to put it; I love this film. It's one of the films that made me love cinema. A cult classic.
1985 has been the hardest year to choose the best film so far. It was really hard to choose between my established #1 pick and Ran, After Hours & Brazil. But as good as those films, Commando is too much of a personal choice for me. Other films I enjoyed from 1985 are Rambo: First Blood Part II, Back To The Future, The Goonies, Jewel Of The Nile & Rocky IV. I haven't seen Come & See yet, but I may in the future, as I have seen many positive ratings for it.
Arnold Schwarzenegger plays John Matrix, a retired leader of a commando strike team, who now devotes his life to his daughter. But when his daughter is kidnapped by warlord Arius and his henchman Bennett, who was thought to be dead, Matrix is thrown back into action and has 10 hours to save his daughter from death.
I am a BIG Arnold fan. I like all of his films, even his mediocre efforts like Conan The Destroyer & Raw Deal. Commando is a very personal favourite, mainly becuase of the fact that it is one of the movies that made me LOVE movies.
Commando is not a masterpiece of modern filmmaking, but it acheives as one of the more finer action films of the 1980's. There is plenty of chemistry between Schwarzenegger and his co-star Rae Dawn Chong and plenty of tongue in cheek humour as well. There's plenty of Schwarzenegger one liners, but what sets them apart from the other Arnie quotes, is that these ones actually work, mostly because of the clever and humourous script. Again, it's not a cinematic masterpiece, but it is an undeniable cult classic.
But Commando isn't mostly remembered for it's script. It's marvellously over-the-top, with brutal violence and particularly fun action sequences. The final 30 minutes are the best moments of the film, as Arnie unleashes an arsenal on a private army of guards. This is when the film works at it's absolute best.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was never a great actor, but his performance in this film is surprisingly decent. But the standout is Rae Dawn Chong as his reluctant sidekick Cindy. She generates most of the laughs in the film, especially when she exclaims "Sh*t" after accidentally blowing up a small building with a rocket launcher.
I realise that this decision will one of the more surprising choices in this list, but there is no other way to put it; I love this film. It's one of the films that made me love cinema. A cult classic.
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"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."
"George, this is a little too much for me. Escaped convicts, fugitive sex... I've got a cockfight to focus on."
Last edited by Yoda; 07-10-14 at 02:23 PM.
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Wtf?
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"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
"Don't be so gloomy. After all it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."
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Brutal, unabashed honesty is a rare trait among men.
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"Loves them? They need them, like they need the air."
"Loves them? They need them, like they need the air."
Love this film. Love this choice. Brilliant. 
I also like Ran. Seen/comment on any of the following?
Better Off Dead, The Breakfast Club, Brewster's Millions, Cocoon, The Emerald Forest, Flesh + Blood, Mask, Pale Rider, Return Of The Living Dead, A Room With A View, The Shooting Party, Subway, To Live And Die In LA, Vagabond.
I also like Ran. Seen/comment on any of the following?
Better Off Dead, The Breakfast Club, Brewster's Millions, Cocoon, The Emerald Forest, Flesh + Blood, Mask, Pale Rider, Return Of The Living Dead, A Room With A View, The Shooting Party, Subway, To Live And Die In LA, Vagabond.
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You dislike Raiders and The Last Crusade, but you love Commando? I don't think it's a bad film, but it's just explosions and gunfights. Bad Boys was much better than Commando.
Kinda illogical, HK.
Kinda illogical, HK.
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While it certainly wouldn't be my choice Commando is an enjoyable film and if it's your favourite then well done for choosing it, knowing you would be likely to get a little bit of grief about it
For me I couldn't see beyond Back to the Future, with special mentions for the wonderful guilty pleasure of Rocky IV and the excellent Breakfast Club
For me I couldn't see beyond Back to the Future, with special mentions for the wonderful guilty pleasure of Rocky IV and the excellent Breakfast Club
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It's probably one of the best Arnie B-Flicks, I certainly have a soft spot for it. Not sure if it would top any list other than my favourite dumb action flicks, let alone best of year but it is what it is and you seem to realise that so kudos for picking it all the same.
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You dislike Raiders and The Last Crusade, but you love Commando? I don't think it's a bad film, but it's just explosions and gunfights. Bad Boys was much better than Commando.
Kinda illogical, HK.
Kinda illogical, HK.
But the Indy films are Boys Own, Saturday morning serial type films and I don't like the 'inspiration' for those films or the films themselves. Commando, on the other hand, is just an OTT, balls-to-the-wall thrill ride. It's fun, it's funny, I love it as much for the bad dialogue and delivery as I do anything else and Vernon Wells' performance is so camp that he'd not look out of place in The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.
Bad Boys is a 90's film and I did limit it to 80's. I also said "about as good" not, "the best". Top Gun's the best.
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So perfectly HK logical.
But the Indy films are Boys Own, Saturday morning serial type films and I don't like the 'inspiration' for those films or the films themselves. Commando, on the other hand, is just an OTT, balls-to-the-wall thrill ride. It's fun, it's funny, I love it as much for the bad dialogue and delivery as I do anything else and Vernon Wells' performance is so camp that he'd not look out of place in The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.
Bad Boys is a 90's film and I did limit it to 80's. I also said "about as good" not, "the best". Top Gun's the best.
But the Indy films are Boys Own, Saturday morning serial type films and I don't like the 'inspiration' for those films or the films themselves. Commando, on the other hand, is just an OTT, balls-to-the-wall thrill ride. It's fun, it's funny, I love it as much for the bad dialogue and delivery as I do anything else and Vernon Wells' performance is so camp that he'd not look out of place in The Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.
Bad Boys is a 90's film and I did limit it to 80's. I also said "about as good" not, "the best". Top Gun's the best.
If Vernon Wells is that guy Bennett, than I definitely agree with you. That guy was so insanely over the top I just laughed whenever he came on screen. Jesus christ, guy literally acted like he was on a 1000 drugs.
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You have excellent choices. I either agree with all of them (with the exception of Gilbert Grape. I would've went with Schindler's List, but Grape is still a great film) or I haven't seen them but really want to for some time now (Glengarry and Cape Fear). All of your reviews are excellent and have me interested in seeing them. Especially love the Seven Fight Club and Batman shout outs.
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Commando isn't that bad a choice. I too have a soft spot for it. It's just adrenaline and a likeable 80's action flick. There is quite a bit to like about it.
1984: The Terminator
This year has been the easiest year to pick by far, as The Terminator is the greatest science-fiction horror film I have ever seen. Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom is the only one that came within a mile of my choice, as it is my favourite Indy film. It's very humourous and the opening scene is great. Amadeus, Ghostbusters & Beverly Hills Cop are other favourites of mine, but it's pretty clear that The Terminator is in my opinion, the best film of 1984.
The plot is simple enough; a killer cyborg is sent from the future to kill the mother of the unborn resistance leader of the future war between man and machine. At the same time, a human soldier is sent to protect the woman.
While it is usually labelled inferior to it's spectacular sequel, the first film is a cult favourite. It's a fast paced, relentless horror picture, with elements that are now considered iconic. The first of these definitely being James Cameron's direction. I will not lie, I'm a big fan of Jimbo and his films. This is his most suspenseful film to date. Moreso than fan favourite Aliens, this is a very tense film and very exciting, with excellent action moments, a Cameron trademark.
Sarah Connor is one of my favourite characters of all time. It's interesting to watch her character develop throughout this film and it's sequel, much to the credit of Cameron's script and Linda Hamilton, who is very good as Sarah Connor, remaining naive and innocent throughout the film. It's almost a shock to see her in T2; she's like an entirely different character.
The police station raid by The Terminator is awesome. No other way of putting it. It's less exciting, but more effective than any action sequence in T2. For one thing, it's where Arnie's famous catchphrase is first uttered, but it's also where the character of The Terminator is seen for what he truly is; a remorseless machine who will stop at nothing to kill. Many mention the eye surgery scene, but this scene is way more memorable for me; it's the best scene Cameron has ever directed.
I also very much love the slasher approach that Terminator is handled with. Sarah Connor can very well be classified as "the final girl". Again, kudos to Cameron.
But of course, Arnold has to mentioned. He's very effective in this film, which is his best role to date. The mechanical features and bland expression are the best thing about the film; Arnie is better when he plays villians, which isn't very often.
I think I covered everything I love about this film; I prefer the sequel, but not by much. At the moment, it's in my top 3 of the 1980's and in my top 25 favourite films of all time.
This year has been the easiest year to pick by far, as The Terminator is the greatest science-fiction horror film I have ever seen. Indiana Jones & The Temple Of Doom is the only one that came within a mile of my choice, as it is my favourite Indy film. It's very humourous and the opening scene is great. Amadeus, Ghostbusters & Beverly Hills Cop are other favourites of mine, but it's pretty clear that The Terminator is in my opinion, the best film of 1984.
The plot is simple enough; a killer cyborg is sent from the future to kill the mother of the unborn resistance leader of the future war between man and machine. At the same time, a human soldier is sent to protect the woman.
While it is usually labelled inferior to it's spectacular sequel, the first film is a cult favourite. It's a fast paced, relentless horror picture, with elements that are now considered iconic. The first of these definitely being James Cameron's direction. I will not lie, I'm a big fan of Jimbo and his films. This is his most suspenseful film to date. Moreso than fan favourite Aliens, this is a very tense film and very exciting, with excellent action moments, a Cameron trademark.
Sarah Connor is one of my favourite characters of all time. It's interesting to watch her character develop throughout this film and it's sequel, much to the credit of Cameron's script and Linda Hamilton, who is very good as Sarah Connor, remaining naive and innocent throughout the film. It's almost a shock to see her in T2; she's like an entirely different character.
The police station raid by The Terminator is awesome. No other way of putting it. It's less exciting, but more effective than any action sequence in T2. For one thing, it's where Arnie's famous catchphrase is first uttered, but it's also where the character of The Terminator is seen for what he truly is; a remorseless machine who will stop at nothing to kill. Many mention the eye surgery scene, but this scene is way more memorable for me; it's the best scene Cameron has ever directed.
I also very much love the slasher approach that Terminator is handled with. Sarah Connor can very well be classified as "the final girl". Again, kudos to Cameron.
But of course, Arnold has to mentioned. He's very effective in this film, which is his best role to date. The mechanical features and bland expression are the best thing about the film; Arnie is better when he plays villians, which isn't very often.
I think I covered everything I love about this film; I prefer the sequel, but not by much. At the moment, it's in my top 3 of the 1980's and in my top 25 favourite films of all time.
Last edited by Yoda; 07-10-14 at 02:24 PM.
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good choice i love the first terminator, for me the stand out character in the movie was Kyle Reese played by Michael Biehn. Watching this movie now the ending looks crazy lol.
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1983: Scarface
1983 was a pretty weak year for film, although two of my favourite films were released. Star Wars Episode VI: The Return Of The Jedi is the main runner up. It's the weakest of the originals, but still has some great moments and I do like the Ewoks. Superman III isn't a film that would usually appear in a runner-ups list for best of the year, but I like a lot, especially for Christopher Reeve's performance. Other enjoyable films from 1983 are Trading Places, Mr. Mom, National Lampoon's Vacation & Christine. I haven't seen The King Of Comedy yet, as I had some trouble getting ahold of it.
Al Pacino is Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant in Miami, who rises to the top and builds an empire of money and drugs.
An immortal classic, Scarface is excessive. There's excessive violence and swearing, excessive length, excessive dialogue, etc. Brian De Palma made possibly the most iconic film of the 1980's. Many still condemn it for being over-the-top and outrageously violent, but this is a masterpiece.
Al Pacino is towering in his performance as Tony Montana. He is given the best lines of dialogue and Pacino delivers it in a perfect accent and a terrific style of acting. He is wild and over-the-top, but the film is way more enjoyable for it. I think that Montana is Pacino's finest performance to date, better than The Godfather and all the rest.
De Palma has made a better film in his career, but Scarface really does stand out for all it's flash and style. It's length is epic, but never feels too long. There are so many great scenes in this film, but my favourite is the ending. Very well orchestrated and very action packed.
Last, but not least, I love the soundtrack. Giorgio Moroder's theme is just great. It's very underrated and the rest of the soundtrack keeps the excessive '80's theme alive.
Like The Untouchables, I really don't have much else to say about this film, except that it's the most iconic film of the '80's decade.
1983 was a pretty weak year for film, although two of my favourite films were released. Star Wars Episode VI: The Return Of The Jedi is the main runner up. It's the weakest of the originals, but still has some great moments and I do like the Ewoks. Superman III isn't a film that would usually appear in a runner-ups list for best of the year, but I like a lot, especially for Christopher Reeve's performance. Other enjoyable films from 1983 are Trading Places, Mr. Mom, National Lampoon's Vacation & Christine. I haven't seen The King Of Comedy yet, as I had some trouble getting ahold of it.
Al Pacino is Tony Montana, a Cuban immigrant in Miami, who rises to the top and builds an empire of money and drugs.
An immortal classic, Scarface is excessive. There's excessive violence and swearing, excessive length, excessive dialogue, etc. Brian De Palma made possibly the most iconic film of the 1980's. Many still condemn it for being over-the-top and outrageously violent, but this is a masterpiece.
Al Pacino is towering in his performance as Tony Montana. He is given the best lines of dialogue and Pacino delivers it in a perfect accent and a terrific style of acting. He is wild and over-the-top, but the film is way more enjoyable for it. I think that Montana is Pacino's finest performance to date, better than The Godfather and all the rest.
De Palma has made a better film in his career, but Scarface really does stand out for all it's flash and style. It's length is epic, but never feels too long. There are so many great scenes in this film, but my favourite is the ending. Very well orchestrated and very action packed.
Last, but not least, I love the soundtrack. Giorgio Moroder's theme is just great. It's very underrated and the rest of the soundtrack keeps the excessive '80's theme alive.
Like The Untouchables, I really don't have much else to say about this film, except that it's the most iconic film of the '80's decade.
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