The 1980s produced a number of memorable, lovable comedies that stick in the craw of some and the left ventricle of others. What you may not realize is that the 1980s also gave audiences across America something to do besides holding hands to raise money for the foodless. That something was watching comedies that reached dizzying heights of success upon first release and the subsequent second wave of VHS issuance. Strangely, however, these box office comedic hits seemed to have disappeared from the collective consciousness of movie fans by the time DVDs took over, much less streaming from Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and others.
Ruthless People
"Ruthless People" was one of the top box office hits of the year. Its legacy is probably built more around the fact that it was the first movie released under aegis of Disney's banner that was rated R. Today, of course, you don't mind seeing the off color joke even in a Disney cartoon, but the raunch quotient in "Ruthless People" was nothing less than shocking. Danny DeVito has a mistress and wants to live the hot life with her minus the coldness of his wife, Bette Midler. So he hires Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater to kidnap Midler and the result is good old-fashioned R-rated humor that is actually driven by story and character rather than just a series of jokes, gross-out sight gags and sex. There is sexual innuendo, but strangely enough "Ruthless People" also contains a slight level of innocence missing from today's R-rated comedies.
Down and Out in Beverly Hills
Hey, it's Bette Midler again. And this time she's even funnier! "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" is another example of something that people think cannot happen: a Hollywood remake of a foreign film that is an improvement. Nick Nolte is a bum (in today's more PC vernacular: homeless) who tries to kill himself in the swimming pool of an upper class couple in Beverly Hills who haven't figured out how remarkably lucky they are. This comedy stimulated the comeback of Richard Dreyfuss after half a decade or so out in the cinematic wilderness. Midler steals the show, however.
Valley Girl
"Valley Girl" is worth watching for a number of reasons. One, it can remind you that Nicolas Cage used to care about acting. Two, it features the greatest collection of New Wave songs on its soundtrack of any movie ever made. Three, it provides proof that you can make a hysterically funny teen comedy without resorting to four letter words, idiotic characters and gratuitous nudity. In other words, "Valley Girl" is everything in actuality that "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" is in the highly suspect memories of those who originally saw it. Okay, "Valley Girl" doesn't have Spicoli, but take Sean Penn out of Ridgemont High and there's not much left whereas "Valley Girl" perfectly integrates all its components.
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