Neighbors (1981)

 

A quiet man's peaceful suburban lifestyle is threatened by the new, obnoxious couple that moves in next door.

From memory: Not quite as anarchic and wild as Blues Brothers, this James Belushi/Dan Aykroyd comedy does have its own charm and some quite amusing moments.

Halliwell*: "Hit-or-miss but generally quite funny comedy in a style familiar to viewers of American late night television."

Maltin BOMB: "Appallingly unfunny and tiresome "comedy"...; sadly, Belushi's last film."

 

 

 

 

Raging Bull (1980)

The rise and fall of the prizefighter Jake LaMotta.

A remarkable masterpiece in black and white carving a character study out of the downward spiral of its protagonist's life.

Halliwell****: "Tough, compelling, powerfully made ringside melodrama. A poll of American critics voted it the best movie of the 1980s."

Maltin****: "Extraordinarily compelling...That such an unappealing  man could inspire so vivid a portrait is a tribute to the collaboration Scorsese, De Niro, and writers Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. There's not a false note in characterization or period detail."

 

Matinee (1993)

A small-time film promoter releases a kitschy horror film during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Loving homage to 50s nuclear-scare monster flics is a bit pedestrian and harmless, but full of enjoyable details, a genuine-looking film-in-film and a great performance by John Goodman.

Halliwell*: "An enjoyable celebration of the nuclear-inspired, gimmicky horror movies of the 50s, brilliantly parodied; but it is hampered by a teen romance, presented without apparent irony, which might have been lifted from any drive-in movie of the period."

Maltin***: "Goodman is delightful...Sweet-natured film, full of nostalgia and in-jokes for film buffs, but a little slow (and soft) until it gets rolling."

Raging Bull (1980)