Movies

Sweet 16 Films of 1984

The joy of heading to a movie theater to see a film is enchanting. Escape your everyday life for awhile and just immerse yourself into the creative vision of a talented director and cast of professionals who make that movie magic happen. It’s well worth the money. Most times.

Yesterday, after being enticed by the trailer, I went to see “Civil War.”

It left me wanting more. Perhaps, a prequel was required to set up the division playing out on the big screen. My favorite part of seeing a movie like that was the feedback I heard in the lobby after the credits rolled. The focus group in downtown Sioux City that night was big time disappointed. You may love it. I dreamt of 1984.

I had hair. Glorious hair like Kevin Bacon driving around in his yellow 1972 VW Bug. And movies were fun. Different. Memorable for all the right reasons.

Here’s my Bald and Witty Sweet 16 films of 1984:

16. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom – And this is 16? Man. What a time to see flicks.

15. Beverly Hills Cop – With that infectious Eddie Murphy laugh

14. Revenge of the Nerds – NERDS! Memorable scenes. Probably can’t be made today.

13. Bachelor Party – a young Tom Hanks and also probably not made today

12. Nightmare on Elm Street – the birth of Freddy Krueger

11. Purple Rain – Prince dominates the big screen Yup. Music was better back then too.

10. Muppets Take Manhattan – Loved by adults and kiddos alike (like Bluey today)

9. Splash – Mermaid in the Big City…and Tom Hanks throwing heaters in the mid 1980’s

8. Amadeus – Your Oscar fare that year

7. Sixteen Candles – Film of a generation. And that’s 7!

6. Police Academy – The start of a franchise. Unlike any other movie.

5. The Natural – Baseball movies play out great – all the time. Have one baseball film every year.

4. Karate Kid – Johnny from “Outsiders” finds inner strength and romance!

3. Gremlins – So adorable and fierce at the same time.

2. Ghostbusters – Strong case for number 1, but no dancing.

1. Footloose – Ren fights the authority and dances. Dances his ass off.

Top shelf film – “Cocktail”

1988 just hits different. Simple. Yet, more fun.

No cell phones. No doom-scrolling through social media accounts. The economy was booming. There didn’t seem to be the divide politically we have today. And the box office from Hollywood celebrated a variety of movie themes beyond just comic book Super-Heros and bankable re-boots.

Check out a sampling of these cinematic gems released in 1988:  Die Hard, Big, Beetlejuice, License to Drive, Heathers and Bull Durham. Action, coming of age teen angst/comedy, creative storytelling and so many memorable moments. You could camp out at the multi-plex. Joy and melted butter popcorn calories would be added to your life. Ironically, we could use that kind of escape today. We were spoiled 35 years ago.

My favorite flick of the year is a no-brainer.

In a very scientific poll, I recently conducted on X, 63 percent of respondents preferred this movie to “Coyote Ugly”. As the Fabulous Thunderbirds would tell ya, that’s “powerful stuff.”

I present to you, “Cocktail.”

This is a polarizing topic. I know the many shortcomings of the film shared by critics. It’s cheesy. It’s predictable. Some will argue it doesn’t hold up with the test of time.

It’s also amazing. Let me count the ways as if they were TEN ingredients in an Alabama Slammer.

• It’s a buddy flick – In a time where many of us rely on digital interactions, it’s nice to see a friend relationship on the big screen. The part I like the best is “Cocktail” shows the peaks and valleys of the buddy dynamic.
• A 103-minute fun escape – Much like the tv show “Cheers” back in the day, for almost 2 hours you can escape all your worries and take a journey to a film unlike any other.
• I’m a sucker for movies set in New York City. The stage just feels bigger. The excitement of the Big Apple jumps off the screen.
• Ok. I’m also a suck for a tropical locale. You get both! And that waterfall scene…especially viewing this as a teenager was very memorable to me at the time.
• Any good rom com has a “second chance” component to it, and here Mr. Flanagan gets one he most definitely does not deserve. Jordan wasn’t overly transparent with her socio-economic status, but she also didn’t throw it all away on a stupid bet with a buddy. Tom Cruise plays the jerk really well here but re-captures the audience with his charm and newfound epiphany that eschews greed for a simpler and family based life with Jordan.
• Stupid bets with friends can be fun.  Here it stings our main hero THREE times. Coral. Losing Jordan. Buying expensive alcohol. If Brian truly is a New York Giants fan, maybe betting is not the leisure activity for him.
• It offers my favorite line in a movie after Brian and Doug get into fisticuffs behind the bar. Brian Flanagan does not want to thank him some day. “The TFIW.”  And then a segue to a new chapter in the film. Brilliant! And it sets the viewer up to think that would be the last we saw of Doug. Alas, friendships have second chances too.
• Coughlin’s Law – loved this storytelling device from his first scene to the very end and beyond. Quotable and so different from other movies. You really tap into his personality.
• This is my favorite Tom Cruise performance. Sure, he gets accolades from the Top Gun movies and the Mission Impossible franchise, but this one feels like a genuine character. Who doesn’t have a pal (or a reflection in the mirror) who learns from mistakes and strides for a better version of themselves?  It’s even more interesting when that self-identification process changes throughout the arch of the plotline.
• “Cocktail” is about dreaming the dream you never thought you wanted. It’s also filled with witty dialogue, quick editing and a soundtrack based in a time where we weren’t so fractured and divided. This film quenches the thirst of this movie fan not enamored with Marvel movies. Besides, Superman could NEVER deliver a poem atop a bar like the character played by Tom Cruise.

Would love to hear from the Bald and Witty community. Here’s a six-pack of questions:

1. Are Jordan and Brian still together in 2023?
2. What became of the twins? Are they well-adjusted adults?
3. What’s your favorite scene?
4. Is there a better movie based (primarily) in a bar?
5. What actors would be best cast in this movie if it was re-done today?
6. Why aren’t there movies like this made anymore? Are they being made, and I am just not seeing it? If there is a “Cocktail”-ish movie you have seen recently, let me know.  Comment below or find me on X at @baldandwitty 

“Cocktail” is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Thank you, Amazon.