King Lear (1987)

 

As the world recovers from the destruction of the Chernobyl disaster, William Shakespeare Jr. the Fifth  attempts to restore the human race's great works of art.

Radically obscurantist contemplation on Skakespeare's classic play presents itself as a wild associative stream of images and sound, in a for Godard typically brilliant montage, but presupposes an audience of polymaths; for everybody else it is of limited interest.

Halliwell (no star): "Sheer nonsense doodled by the director with someone else's money."

Maltin*1/2: "Bizarre, garish, contemporary punk-apocalyptic updating of Shakespeare classic. Little to be said about this pretentious mess except...avoid it." 

 

The Breakfast Club (1985)

 

 

Five high school students meet in Saturday detention and discover how they have a lot more in common than they thought. 

 

Unusual teenage drama staged as a one-room ensemble play; some moments are silly and unnerving (they're teens, after all), but otherwise a quite impressive movie.

 

Halliwell (no star): "Abysmal apologia for loutish teenage behaviour."

 

Maltin**1/2: "A bold experiment in the era of teen raunch movies (written and directed by a man who's made more than his share)...Alternately poignant, predictable, and self-important, but filled with moments of truth and perception."