Film Flashback November 8, 1986

Hello out there in world wide web land. It's time to venture back in time to see what great and not so great movies were playing in my hometown of Murfreesboro's fine movie establishments on a date corresponding to today's. Let's set the wayback machine's controls back 33 years and revisit November 8, 1986. The choices are still between the Martin Four and the Cinema Twin.

The Martin Four at Jackson Heights Plaza has a Bert Convy directed comedy, a slasher film, future Tarantino film discussion topic, and an Australian who will show you his big knife.

Weekend Warriors is the Bert Convy directed military comedy set in the year 1961. I couldn't find a trailer for the film, but I did turn up this scene which will probably give you a good clue as to whether you would enjoy the movie or not. I have not see this one. 

The other military flick playing at the Martin Four was mega hit Top Gun starring Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer. It was the number one movie of 1986. I've heard "Danger Zone" and that Berlin song a few zillion times, but I have never seen the film. I do, however, know what Quentin Tarantino thinks about it thanks to the movie Sleep With Me. It's NSFW or really anybody. So go looking for that clip on your own. 

I believe I've seen Sorority House Massacre on television. It's a typical 80's slasher, but there is some psychic link stuff that reminds me of The Eyes of Laura Mars and those Halloween sequels with that little girl. 

 

The 2nd biggest movie of 1986 was one I did see at the Martin Four; Crocodile Dundee. It's basically a Tarzan film updated to the 1980's played for gags and it works. Paul Hogan created an iconic character that's still fun to watch on screen today.

Cinema Twin countered with a Billy Graham Film Ministry offering and a Blake Edwards comedy. 

That's Life! is the kind of film that seems marketed towards people who would subscribe to the New Yorker or some other "intellectual" magazine. It has huge stars in Jack Lemmon and Julie Andrews, but a plot about an aging architect about to hit 60 isn't exactly the kind of movie that is a blockbuster. Don't feel too bad though as the film still made 4 million dollar at the box office. The trailer filled with critic blathering at the start does make the movie seem worth watching, especially now that I'm much closer to 60 than I was in 1986. 

Cry From The Mountain is film produced by the Billy Graham Film Ministry which centers on a father and son kayaking trip to Alaska. I have not seen it and could not find a trailer, but the whole movie appears to be on YouTube. An IMDB commentator says the Alaskan vistas are beautiful. Cinema Twin would often show religious films which always struck me as weird since it was the theatre that also tended to show the edgier fare in Murfreesboro. It's like there was a little devil and little angel we couldn't see on their Cinema Twin sign. It's one of the places that I miss the most from the old Murfreesboro.

I'll be back next week with another look back at what was playing, but there's always something to snack on here at the stew so stop by anytime.