by Joel G. Robertson
NOTE: I’ll be mentioning the winners of this week’s trivia challenge as well as the answers at the end of this post!
This week on Forgotten Flix we’re going way back to 1979.
For this and future installments of the “6 Movies You Must see” I’m going to try and keep my commentary a little shorter and more to the point (yeah, good luck with that one Sparky!). I’ll list a movie from each genre, a brief summary, and why I chose it. Then, I want you to share with the class what movies you think deserve to be on the list.
Hell, if you hate my choices, tell me why. Of course, if you think I’m freakin’ brilliant and have cinematic taste to spare, I’m always open to a little butt kissin’. 🙂
With that out of the way, here are my choices for the 6 movies that came out in 1979 you must see before your eye holes boil over with maggots and your coccyx floats in the melted, buttery mess formerly known as your glutes.
Horror
Phantasm. The story of a boy, a tall man, and Jawa rejects on a killin’ spree. Of course, we can never forget those totally phantastic (oh yeah, I went there) flying knife-balls and amazing score music. In my opinion, I think the score by Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave ranks up there with other classics like Carpenter’s Halloween theme, “Tubular Bells” from The Exorcist, and John William’s subconscious exploiting Jaws theme.
Comedy
Meatballs. A “horny teens at camp” movie from the early 80s. This one’s special for one reason: It stars Bill Murray pre-Stripes, Pre-Ghostbusters, and pre-The Razor’s Edge (Oh yeah, I went there!). It also marks the first time he worked with director Ivan Reitman (Stripes, Ghostbusters).
Sci-Fi
Time After Time. H.G. Welles pursues Jack the Ripper through time. This is a surprisingly good, low-key sci-fi affair with acting heavy hitters David Warner (as Jack) and Malcolm McDowell (as H.G. Welles). It’s one I haven’t seen in quite a while, but I’ve added it to the ‘ole queue for a rewatch.
Drama
Return of the Secaucus Seven. It’s a (very) low-budget The Big Chill as a group of baby-boomer college friends reunite for a weekend. Most notable as John Sayles directorial debut. While Sayles tends to direct smaller, artier, offbeat fare, he’s also one helluva screenwriter who got his start with Roger Corman. And he’ll always be loved by genre fans for writing the mutant killer creature flicks Alligator (1980) and Piranha (1978).
Action
The Warriors. Trapped in New York City and hunted by several different rival gangs, the Warriors fight their way back to home turf. This movie is a great cultural snapshot of New York in the late-70s and while some of the “bad ass” gang getups will have you snickering, director Walter Hill proved with this early effort he could crank up the tension and the testosterone.
Family
The Muppet Movie. The first theatrical film starring The Muppets is a road trip movie, and unlike the first cinematic outing of the Star Trek Enterprise, which came out that same year, there are no bald chicks and you won’t fall asleep. It’s The Muppets for For Fozzie’s Sake!
‘Nuff said.
There you have it, the six movies from 1979 you must see STAT! Next week, we enter the decade I hold nearest and dearest to my beat-boxing, ghetto-blastin’, “pass the dutchie on the left-hand side” heart–the 1980s. And honestly, it’s getting harder and harder (that’s what she said!) for me to choose ONE movie from each genre. But due to some stupid, arbitrary rule set up by the D-bag who runs this site, I’ll do it, no matter how much it pains me.
But that’s why I want to hear from you. What movies do you think should be included from each genre?
Trivia Challenge Results
Here are the answers to this week’s quiz:
M = Manhattan
A = Avanti!
R = The Warriors
I = Suspiria
O = Roller Boogie
N= Rolling Thunder
And here are the winners of the Insanely Difficult, Damn-Near-Impossible Movie Trivia Challenge for the week of 11/16: (Since I’m using their Twitter handles to identify them, be sure to follow both of them!)
Trivia (Beast)Master: @Peter_Nielsen (for the second week in a row!)
Trivia Warrior: @kylodarf
Congratulations you two! And for everyone else, be sure to play again on Tuesday 11/23. If you submit all the correct answers to me before the deadline, you too will have your name entered into the drawing for a sweet movie prize pack!
So, until next time, remember, a flick is only forgotten if you’re not talking about it!