Crocodile Dundee (1986)

Crocodile Dundee (1986)

[7] Formulaic romantic comedies don't usually fly with me, but when you place a genuine, sincere element into the formula, an element like Paul Hogan, it sometimes doesn't matter how old the story is. And I have to credit Hogan…
The Formula (1980)

The Formula (1980)

[4] George C. Scott stars as a police officer who follows a murder case that gets him embroiled in a mystery involving the Nazis and big oil. The film's ahead of its time in vilifying the oil companies, represented here…
An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

[7] Richard Gere plays a navy cadet who falls in love with a factory worker played by Debra Winger. The romance part of the story doesn't work as well as Gere's combative relationship with his drill instructor, played by Louis…
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)

[8] Director Hugh Hudson (Chariots of Fire) delivers an emotionally compelling adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' vine-swinging legend. The first half of the movie, depicting Tarzan's childhood up through his discovery by an Austrian explorer (Ian Holm), outshines the last,…
Tightrope (1984)

Tightrope (1984)

[5] Clint Eastwood plays a detective (who isn't Dirty Harry) assigned to a case involving a serial rapist and murderer whose victims begin to include Eastwood's acquaintances. This is a paint-by-numbers serial killer movie, full of all the old cliches…
Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

[7] Young Holmes meets young Watson in prep school and the two solve a mystery involving an ancient Egyptian cult that is killing members of a secret society and sacrificing virgins in ceremony! Unfortunately, the mystery isn't very engaging and…
Ghost Story (1981)

Ghost Story (1981)

[7] Four old men and their families are haunted by the ghost of a woman the men accidentally killed decades ago in this John Irvin film of the Peter Straub story. It could have benefited from a more visionary director,…
Red Dawn (1984)

Red Dawn (1984)

[5] The Russians invade America and spark World War III in this Cold-War emblem from writer/director John Milius (Conan the Barbarian, Big Wednesday). Political correctness aside, the opening of this movie -- the Russian invasion -- is very effective. But…
City of the Living Dead (1980)

City of the Living Dead (1980)

[4] A priest's suicide triggers a zombie apocalypse in this loose sequel to Zombie (aka, Zombie 2), both directed by Lucio Fulci. The story here is silly and the movie takes a lot of detours. The dead priest opening the…
The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai (1984)

The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai (1984)

[2] This movie is just too silly and disjointed for me. I hate it and I always have. It's a boring, cheap, un-inventive waste of time and talent. I truly don't get its appeal. The plot is beyond me, and…