Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Director: Amy Heckerling [her debut- also did "Clueless"]
Writer: Cameron Crowe [also wrote/directed another 80's classic, "Say Anything..."]
Type: R-rated teen high school movie

Cast:

Brad Hamilton- Judge Reinhold
Spicoli- Sean Penn
Linda Barrett- Phoebes Cates
Stacy Hamilton- Jennifer Jason Leigh
Rat- Brian Backer
Mike Damone- Robert Romanus
Mr. Hand- Ray Walston (RIP- 2001)

Honorable mentions:
Nicolas Cage as a random dude in the bleachers at the football game
Forest Whittaker as Ridgemont High football star, Charles Jefferson

[With Nicolas Cage, it was his first silver screen appearance. He was then known as Nicolas Coppola, lied about his age when he auditioned for Brad, but didn't get it. Supposedly, his audition was too dark and he was only 17, so he couldn't work as many hours.]
**All credits go to IMDB

Write-up:

Opening Monologue- Skepticism

The first time I heard about this movie was from my 11th grade Social Studies teacher, Mr. Jablon. I think he said it was either one of his favorite movies or it was "the best movie." Mind you, this was ten years ago and I spent a great part of that year stressing out about grades and SAT scores.
I saw the movie a year or so later, but came away with little memory of it. I guess I expected the John Hughes 80's experience and wound up disappointed. I also saw the censored version, so die-hard fans like my dad would say I didn't really experience the movie.

Ten years later, we watched the movie on DVD [therefore completely uncensored] at the shore house.
I'm still of the opinion that it's not the best 80's high school I'd ever seen. On the John Hughes scale, grading it against his movies, I'd say it's better than "Weird Science" but not better than "Sixteen Candles." ["Pretty in Pink" is the next notch higher, followed by "Ferris Bueller" and "The Breakfast Club"]

In my view, the 80's was defined by a lot of high school movies. A genre that was more or less perfected in this decade and would later become predictable in later years [unless they're the rarities like "Clueless" and "Easy A" that either defined a generation or told an original/not-so-clichéd story].
In 1982, the genre was just coming into focus, but not completely hashed out.

One key example: this movie really doesn't have a plot. It had a couple of story arcs happening simultaneously, but there was never a central focus.
That may be why it was so hard for me to get hooked on this movie.

Another criticism that I can't help but echo: all the actors look too old to play high school kids. It's sometimes hard to find it believable as a high school movie.
At least Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall were teenagers when they did "Sixteen Candles."

SPOILER ALERT
Plot Lines and Highlights

1) Sean Penn giving an iconic unforgettable performance as Jeff Spicoli- the residential Ridgemont High burn-out- literally living the high life and we're simply alone for the ride.

This was, really, the only part of the movie I really remembered. This character who was totally rad [yeah, I'm typing this with a surfer dude accent]. How he was at constant odds with the teacher, Mr. Hand- perhaps THE BSer you don't BS [to paraphrase Jane Lynch in "Role Models"].

Two scenes that stand out with the two of them:
a) Spicoli orders pizza in class and Mr. Hand proceeds to give it away to the rest of the students (without having to say "I hope you brought enough for everybody")
b) Mr. Hand "wasting" 8 hours of Spicoli's time, tutoring him so he can pass the class

Spicoli also got away with the biggest transgression in epic fashion. He was driving the football star's sports car and, while distracted, got it in a wreck. But then he got it painted and blamed it on the rival football team.

2) Rat and Stacy are looking for love in all the wrong places... before they find each other, lose each other, and find each other again

maybe it's pure coincidence that Amy Heckerling had a mall scene in "Clueless" after introducing the iconic 80's shopping mall to film with "Ridgemont High"... the mere idea of the shopping mall is older, but this was the one of the first instances in pop culture where it was synonymous with "teen hangout spot"

This setting happens to be where we're introduced to these two characters. Rat's an usher at the movie theater and Stacy works with her friend Linda in the food court. He sees her across the way and spends the movie pursuing her, with the help of his scalper friend, Mike.

Stacy, meanwhile, is eager to lose her virginity. Linda gives her a crash course in oral sex using a carrot in the school cafeteria. This never comes to fruition on screen, which is probably the right way to go on this.
Her first is with a stereotypical hunky guy, but based on her expression, it wasn't what she thought it would be. It just seemed awkward.

One thing I will say for this movie: it has a hard R-rating. Not a soft R-rating that could be downgraded to PG13 when it was introduced in 1984.

When she and Rat finally go out, he foolishly forgets his wallet and calls Mike to bring it. Later that night, they're alone in her bedroom. (One of multiple scenes where she takes off her shirt and is magically not wearing a bra... between that and her sexual urges... I'm all for women taking charge, but I found that part of her character very off-putting).
For whatever reason, he's not entirely into it and bails before they get any further.

Stacy's next target: Mike. Perhaps to make Rat jealous enough to crawl back to her. Instead, this results in a pregnancy, an abortion and a revelation for multiple characters (in the view of themselves, their co-stars and the audience).

*Linda turns all the girls in the school against Mike after finding out he knocked her up and wasn't exactly helpful afterwards.
*Stacy finally slows down and resolves to look for a real relationship rather than a cheap one-night stand.
*However goofy he may be at times, Brad is the best big brother EVER

3) Brad Hamilton's various misadventures

Due to multiple unfortunate circumstances, Brad cannot hold onto a job. He was probably one of the main honor students when he was in school. A real teacher's pet/goody-two-shoes type. But he cannot catch a break.
The most hilarious: he gets fired after cursing out an irate unsatisfied customer. Honestly, the [customer] dude had it coming, very rude. In Brad's defense, he was following procedure. Having him fill out paperwork about his dissatisfaction. If not for the whole, "Mister, if you don't shut up I'm gonna kick one hundred percent of your ass!" comment, he might have gotten away scot-free.
[still love that quote, I burst out laughing and cheered during that part of the movie]

The most famous scene that all the guys remember about this movie is the Phoebe Cates fantasy sequence. The edited version I saw on TV stopped it just as it began, so I didn't see much of it.
Speaking to the nudity, Phoebe Cates was perfection.
Can anyone really blame Brad for getting hot and heavy about it? [Her reaction to walking in on him was priceless as well as authentic surprise... IMDB mentions it on their trivia page].Despite all those iffy moments [although for me, I didn't mind him nearly as much as the other characters did], Brad shined in the post-abortion scene. We see Stacy after the fact in the recovery room, telling the nurse that her boyfriend is waiting for her outside [she can't go home by herself], and goes downstairs to find Brad waiting for her. She didn't come out and say where she was going, but he looked out for her like a good big brother should.

And that karma rewards him in the final scene. His 3rd job in the span of this movie [burger world and the pirate restaurant were the others], which happens to be at your clichéd 7-11 type place that frequently gets robbed. Lucky for him, Spicoli was shopping at the time and had the genius idea to throw hot coffee in the would-be robber's face.
After which, Brad grabs his gun and holds him there until the police arrive.

"Way to go, Rosewood. You're some kinda cop, you know that."

[My love of "Beverly Hill Cop" also led me to this movie and kinda had me disappointed with the overall product... but this actor did not].

Probably the best part about this movie:

We find out what happens to all the characters afterwards. It's not a luxury we're often allowed, but in this case, it was nice to get some closure. It certainly provided more laughs, something I found this movie short on.

• Rat & Stacy get together and are taking it slow.
• Mike gets more bad karma when his scalping ways catch up with him... involving Ozzy Osbourne tickets.
• Linda moves in with her UC Riverside Abnormal Psychology professor [why she's taking that course, I have no idea... unless she got the idea from that field trip to the morgue... led by the actor who played the Subway ghost in "Ghost"].
• Spicoli blows the money he got for saving Brooke Shields from drowning on a Van Halen concert- for his birthday party.
• And yes, Mr. Hand still believes everyone's on drugs. Probably did until the day he died in 2001... well, the actor did. But Mr. Hand is definitely one of the most memorable movie teachers.

Final Word: Music

Gotta hand it to the 80's for their music and how it's often used in movies in clever ways.

One of the songs led me to write this entry in the first place. "Somebody's Baby" by Jackson Browne was on the radio this morning and played at least three times through the course of the movie... almost like it was Stacy's theme song.

I forget which song it was, maybe "We've got the beat" by The Go-Go's. But we heard it on the radio when we went out for dinner after watching this movie and the DJ namedropped the movie after it finished playing.

And I'd since heard "American Girl" at least three times. :P it was just a couple months ago where Kurt & Blaine performed it on "Glee" and I loved it, thinking how I hadn't heard the song in years and they did a great job with it.

Broadway vs. Hollywood: Rock of Ages

Introduction
Like with my "Into the Woods" entry, "Broadway" is used loosely...
On our recent Norwegian Cruise, we had an on-ship production of "Rock of Ages."
Both version have their pluses and minuses,  but I'll start by reviewing the movie because it was my initial point of reference.

Rock of Ages (2012)

Cast:
Sherri- Julianne Hough
Drew/Wolfgang Von Colt/Joshy Z- Diego Boneta
Stacee Jaxx- Tom Cruise
Patricia Whitmore- Catherine Zeta-Jones
Mayor Whitmore- Bryan Cranston
Dennis Dupree- Alec Baldwin
Lonny- Russell Brand
Paul Gill- Paul Giamatti
Justice- Mary J. Blige
Constance- Malin Akerman
Honorable Mention
T.J. as the Rolling Stone receptionist

Anyone who had even skimmed my blog or knows me personally knows I'm a huge fan of the 80's. Particularly of their music and John Hughes movies.
"Rock of Ages" does a fair job of bringing that particular era to life... I still feel that it suffers from an image problem :P if it were up to me, 80's music would focus on the trifecta of Prince, Madonna and Michael Jackson, British bands [Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode and Thompson Twins to name a few] and countless one-hit wonders focusing heavily on synthesizers and electronics.
I certainly wouldn't have focused on the "hair metal" motif. My biggest nit-pick on this front is that a lot of the songs are ones I'd heard millions of times and was sick off after the first 10 times. Again, that's just a matter of personal preference.

Story

Julianne Hough plays Sherri, an Okie going to the Sunset Strip in search of fame and fortune. Of course she’s got that farm girl naivety down pat (except for the fact she has NO trace of an accent)… and if not for the people she meets, she wouldn’t have lasted a day out there…
That’s no joke. After a mash-up at least 4 different songs, some random punk steals her records… you might not think that was the best thing to steal, but he definitely could get more money for selling them than just taking her purse.
After this theft, her future love interest, Drew arrives to ask if she’s okay…
this entire time, I’m thinking “you idiot! go catch that guy!”… that had me cringing, the writing on that was sooo bad… they make up for it later,  but still… c’mon!

Drew works at The Bourbon Room, which is a bar that has a stage where all the big acts come from and come back to play… so I guess it kinda is like First Avenue, but with head-banger rock instead of R&B
It’s run by Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand, both are excellent in their roles (and I’m not the biggest fan of Baldwin either)… who humor Drew and give Sherri a job waitressing.
The bar is up in arms because the rock band Arsenal is coming to play their last show before its frontman, Stacee Jaxx goes solo… The Bourbon Room launched his career, so the two of them go way back… and they need this because their finances are on the brink.

The first part of the movie is devoted to the blossoming relationship between Drew and Sherri, with plenty of musical numbers to boot…
I had trouble taking things seriously because it was just happening way too fast… talk about unrealistic
On the other side of things, you also have Catherine Zeta-Zones. Her character is the wife of the mayor, and as a “God-fearing” citizen, she and her cronies picket the streets across the Bourbon Room, proclaiming that rock n’ roll is filch…
those kinds of people just annoy the HELL out of me. She’s no big threat, though, and her key motivation makes it all worth it in the end.

The movie really got started for me when Tom Cruise hit the scene as Stacee Jaxx… when he was first casted, none of us took the idea of him in this role seriously… he proved us wrong like you wouldn’t believe…
probably will go down as one of my favorite roles of his EVER
because Stacee Jaxx is just soooo out there, but what he says makes a strange amount of sense.
It’s also hard to beat the fact he has a pet baboon (his introduction is hilarious in itself) that knows how to cop an attitude… but you know what they say about dogs taking after their masters
You also get to know his manager, played by Paul Giamatti in his typical role…. slimier than a snake oil salesman… if there’s any sort of villain in this movie, other than the misunderstandings, it’s him…
While waiting to go on stage, Stacee Jaxx has an interview with a girl from Rolling Stone magazine… who’s very uptight, but not entirely immune to the charm to Stacey Jaxx…
the two of them have a song together… a Foreigner classic… will never able to think of that song the same way again… let’s just say they used it somewhat disrespectfully
but they had a moment they won’t soon forget ;)
and Tom Cruise is a pretty decent singer too… in the “I’m surprised he could sing” sort of way, not so much “he’s so flipping amazing, he should totally quit his day job"

Before Drew goes on to debut with his band, he sees Sherri and Stacey Jaxx leave a room together and believes he saw more than what was there…
After doing a great number with his band (I’d never heard “I wanna rock” b4), he and Sherri have a fight and break up. Her perspective isn’t quite as well-written. After some random girl (with no other lines in the movie) tells her “that spotlight doesn’t just make them shine, it makes us disappear," she believes the fame has already gone to Drew’s head
It kinda reminded me of that random girl in “Moulin Rouge” that asked the villian “why does the girl end up with the penniless writer, oh, I mean sitar player”… but it wasn’t her ONLY purpose in that movie.
So Drew and Sherri quit the Bourbon Room and go their separate ways.
Sherri is saved from the streets by Mary J. Blige, who owns a strip club, and gives her a waiting position, but later tells her that the real money is on the pole.
Meanwhile, Drew becomes the slimey manager’s latest conquest. Apparently rock is no longer on the cutting edge, so he ends up becoming part of a boy band called the “Z guy-eez”
Because of the great playlist, this quickly became one of my dad's guilty pleasures. And this was the point in the movie where he kinda stopped having fun… ugh, nobody "got" boybands in the 80’s… it bugs me how everyone (including the cast members) passed it off as a joke. Boy Bands would go on to rule the world in the following decade... and at present, one still currently does (although after Zayn left, we'll see how One Direction will fare).

All of the characters arcs are finished pretty well. Of course Drew and Sherri eventually make up. The truth about Catherine Zeta-Jones is revealed and it’s Russell Brand who figures it out cuz he spends most of the movie asking where he’d seen her before.
The slimey manager gets his ass handed to him by Stacee Jaxx and his baboon when he finds out, through the Rolling Stone article, what he did to the Bourbon Room- raking in all the proceeds

Stacee also places a call trying to track down the girl that interviewed him. This exchange between him and TJ Miller (Stainer from “she’s out of my league”) is probably my favorite scene in the whole movie… freaking hilarious

And considering this is an 80’s era movie, what better song to play it out with than some Journey…
Drew first tells Sherri that he wrote it after they met… the whole time, I’m laughing at the TV something like “you liar! you didn’t write that song! Steve Perry did”

Rock of Ages (on stage)

Story [with differences]

The general ideas remain the same between both versions.

We have our love story (although it's not as clearly defined in Drew's eyes) that falls apart and comes together after much tribulation.
The Bourbon Room is still on the brink of foreclosure, but this time, it comes dangerously close to demolition. (Whereas in the movie, it never closes down and the opposition to its existence poses next to no threat).

The biggest difference between the two lies in Stacee Jaxx's involvement. He and Sherry do sleep together [in the movie, Drew saw them come out a room together looking suspicious and jumped to conclusions]. Afterwards, he claims that she's a negative influence on the Bourbon Room and she gets fired [in the movie she quits after Drew breaks up with her]. And he complicates things forever by showing up at her strip club, her boss forcing her to give him a dance and Drew catching them together.
To put it bluntly, though, Stacee Jaxx is just plain unlikeable in this version.

We also have a few additional characters. In place of the mayor and his wife, we have a  German real estate developer and his son, Franz, threatening to tear the place down [and almost succeed... all the mayor's wife did was picket and claim with her followers that rock music is filth]. The Bourbon Room is also gifted with an additional defender in this version: a Berkeley student named Regina.

Likes and Differences

I guess in deciding between both versions, you can have to decide what you'd rather vie for. Do you prefer Stacee Jaxx being a dirt bag or being insanely deep?
Or would you prefer Sherry and Drew to have more character development and believability?

Because I feel like that was the big difference between the two.
Stacee Jaxx is explored so much in the movie and takes up so much screen time that we don't get as much time to focus on the love story. As a result, the love story falls victim to countless clichés.

To name a few:
1) he's the first guy she meets when she comes to LA
2) he gets her a job at the Bourbon Room where he also works
3) they fall in love almost immediately and get a montage dedicated to their puppy love
4) [the biggest one] the most random details lead to them breaking up

Julianne Hough was really good in "Footloose," but I really didn't like her in this movie. Her dialogue delivery was weak on so many points and the script doesn't exactly allow her to make a strong impression. [Sherry had much better writing in the stage show].

"Hit me with your best shot" [when it comes to Pat Benatar, give me "Heartbreaker" and "Love is a Battlefield" any day] also benefitted from the on-stage treatment. Granted, both versions of this number are very goofy and it's all about personal preference.
In the movie, the mayor's wife and her followers do the stupidest choreography through a series of church pews.
In the play, Franz is singing this song to his father when he decides to go against him... for me, it was hilarious in the best possible way because the villain needs to be taken down a peg. It also helped foster what seemed to be the most obvious allusion-- but apparently, according to Franz, he's not gay, he's German. [Also loved the dorky moment where he forced a "Rock me Amadeus" reference].

His father's comeuppance is also pretty sweet. He gets drunk after his son abandons him and he starts singing an REO Speedwagon song "Keep on lovin' you" and the band refused to back him on it. [Whenever they were acknowledged by the cast members, the crowd cheered]

Another huge difference is the character, Lenny. He's played by Russell Brand in the movie, but in the stage show, he had more to do than just trying to figure out why the major's wife looked so far familiar... he also wears the narrator hat and breaks the fourth wall. Especially hilarious when he reads the script to Drew, explaining the whole "friend zone" thing.

"Oh Sherri" also gets a bigger part on stage. We just hear the opening bars played in one scene. You would think with one of the main characters having that name that they'd do more than that. But Drew has an epic moment where he's running in place to get to Sherri, singing this song, and he's joined by a bunch of random cast members (and our cruise director, Julie). Then he gets to Sherri, out of breath, he exhales "Hold on..." before she can get a word in.

Final Comments

Too bad the writing of Drew and Sherri wasn't as good in the movie... otherwise, the movie would have won hands down.
I still feel like the movie is the best version (mainly because I love Tom Cruise as Stacee Jaxx and hate that the character was kind of an antagonist in the original stage show), but the show has its positives as well.

4. Purple Rain (1984)

Code-name: MPLS

Director: Albert Magnoli
Writers: William Blinn & Albert Magnoli
Composers: Prince and The Revolution, John L. Nelson and Michel Colombier

Notable Awards and Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Original Song Score- Prince
[worth noting, this award was "retired" after this year]
nomination- Golden Globe- Best Original Song- "When Doves Cry" by Prince
[granted, he lost out to "I just called to say I love you" by Stevie Wonder, but STILL...]

Grammy- Best Instrumental Score Album for TV/Film- Prince, John L. Nelson, Wendy & Lisa
[note: I'm only including the following because Prince has amassed some Razzies over the years]
nomination- Razzie- Worst New Star- Patricia "Apollonia" Kotero
nomination- Razzie- Worst Original Song- "Sex Shooter" by Apollonia 6 (written by Prince ala his pseudonym Jamie Starr)

Cast:

[The Star]
Prince as The Kid

[The Actors]

Patricia Kotero as Apollonia*

Olga Karlatos as The Kid's mother

Clarence Williams III as The Kid's father, Francis L

[The Musicians- all playing themselves]

The Revolution

Wendy Melvoin

Lisa Coleman

Bobby Z

Brown Mark

Dr. [Matt] Fink
Jill Jones

The Time

Morris Day

Jerome Benton

Jesse Johnson

Jellybean Johnson

Paul Peterson

Gerald E. Hubbard Jr.

Mark Cardenas

Apollonia 6

Susan Moonsie

Brenda Bennett

*(also, obviously part of Apollonia 6)

Write-up:
Fair Warning: Spoilers and I predict this entry will run very long
An Introduction Unlike Any Other
My earliest exposure to Prince was the "1999" video, one of several my dad recorded off MTV in 1987...the visuals stuck with me as did the message (we watched it around Y2K time) but it didn't plant the seed I'd go on to follow years later (as was the case with "Hazy Shade of Winter" and "Less than Zero"...another LONG life-changing story).

My first Prince songs were the combination of "I would Die 4 U" and "Baby I'm a star," at the back of a mix CD my dad put together of Go-Go bars songs. The first song: blew my mind! The second: I felt ran a little too long. We had the "Purple Rain" album, but again, I didn't follow through.

If all that wasn't enough, had it not been for my dad's insistence, my 7-year journey with Prince might not have happened and I'd probably be a different person than I am now. (More on that later).
I have this thing where I dislike watching new movies when they're already in progress. I mean, that's understandable, right? Why get into the middle of something with no idea of what's going on? Even today that's STILL true :P Just this once, I made an exception.

I remembered a handful of events. I remembered being struck by Prince's neo-Mozart vibe. The strongest memory I had: those two songs being performed in the final 10 minutes of the film. It was a literal jaw-dropping over-the-moon-in-love moment. Never forgot it.
Two performances later (American Idol and GMA in 2006), it took the SuperBowl HalfTime show for me to FINALLY do my research on Prince. I returned home for spring break with a list of albums I wanted to get... and I knew I had to rent "Purple Rain" at Blockbuster so I can finally see the whole movie.

If I weren't dedicating a whole blog entry to this, I'd stop here with the cliché "..and the rest is history."

First Impression

Yeah, I think it's safe to say that this movie blew my goddam mind. I watched it in the privacy of my bedroom on my PS2. The music, of course, was amazing. Loved all the musical numbers. Got invested in the characters, felt my heart pound in the dramatic moments.
Then I heard the actual song for the first time. I still remember my mom coming into my room prior to dinnertime and saw that I was a hot mess, tears streaming down my face. It was a powerful moment.
I think within that time frame, I watched the movie 6 times because I didn't know the next time I'd be able to watch it... I think within that first year, I saw it 30+ times.... so yeah.

In a Nutshell

Prince plays The Kid, a struggling musician in Minneapolis who plays regularly at First Avenue with his band, The Revolution. Ultimately, he hopes to "make it" in the business so he'll be able to leave the abusive household he grew up in.
Morris Day, the charismatic leader of rival band The Time, hopes to muscle The Kid [i.e. his biggest competition] out of the club. Part of his master plan involves putting together a female singing group.
Also with aspirations to succeed in music, Apollonia is the new girl in town who quickly finds herself caught up in a love triangle between the two men.

All the while, The Kid deals with other conflicts. This Includes fighting against his inner demons [not wanting to turn into his father] and buffering insistences from the girls in his band [Lisa & Wendy] to add their music to the performances.

The Soundtrack and Performances

Save for the fact we miss out on music from The Time, Apollonia 6 and Dez Dickerson, and the fact I'm a little biased, this is the best movie soundtrack EVER. All 9 songs are well-executed and amazing (well, it's Prince, what do you expect?). The configuration is as tight as it gets. At its core, we have rock and pop, everything from ballads to laments to kick-ass party anthems.

One fun fact: we have "Darling Nikki" (track 5) to thank for Parental Advisory labels. Tipper Gore heard her daughter singing along to the risqué opening verse of this song and she went on a political rampage to keep other kids away from similar "filth."

It's hard to pick one favorite because they're all so good. The title track, of course, is one of the best power ballads ever. "The Beautiful Ones" is Passion and at times, a bit of a tearjerker. "When Doves Cry"... need I go on?

With 4 exceptions (I saw videos for "When Doves Cry" and "Let's go crazy" previously), I heard all of these songs for the first time in the context of the film. So naturally that's the first place my mind goes when I listen back.

Probably what makes the quality so great is the majority were recorded live. Specifically, on August 3rd 1983 at First Avenue, Wendy's live debut with The Revolution. Except for "Darling Nikki" (which Prince recorded by himself in the studio, as he often does to reach the peak of his ability), all of the performance numbers used these "live" tracks.
All of these performances are great, but my personal favorite is the often overlooked "Computer Blue."

It originally existed in a much longer capacity (try 12+ minutes!) but had to be cut down for a more cohesive album. Plus, the Prince/Apollonia duet "Take Me with U" needed the space more. "Darling Nikki" and "Purple Rain" overshadow it quite a bit due to shock value or overall excellence. I actually watched "Computer Blue" online by itself because I really love the choreography. Don't ask me why, I just do :shrug:

As for the other performance numbers, "Sex Shooter" by Apollonia 6 is strictly ear-candy (not so much singing ability) but love the look of it (costumes and choreography).
"The Bird" is one of the few memories I retained from that first encounter. My dad shook his head to it, saying how stupid a dance it was. :P I still LOL about that.
"Jungle Love," I really enjoy and still loathe the fact the version found on The Time's "Ice Cream Castles" album was recorded in the studio and not quite as sharp.

"Modernaire" by Dez Dickerson (when he left The Revolution after being with the band for years, Wendy took his place) is short and had pre-planned choreography ala the director Al Magnoli that only serves as a segue to the next scene, but a great 80's track nonetheless. It was officially released for the first time a year after becoming a fan.

This is also one of those rare cases where I actually sit through the ending credits--- because we revisit all the music again in the form of a mash-up.

The Acting

However momentous an occasion this was in my life and the life-changing results that followed, this gets my #4 spot because of some poor acting  :shrug: seeing as we're dealing with non-actors, that's to be expected.
For everyone (cast, crew and fans), the biggest standout was Clarence Williams III. Word is that the musicians came to the set whenever The Kid's father had a scene.

With almost everyone else, it feels like they are reading off a script. But again, this movie isn't about that so much as the heart and emotion that comes with the story being told.

Of the non-actors, Prince handled himself the best. Reading the script is one thing, but in the moments that count, he has his share of powerful moments. Most of which are actually non-verbal. How he holds himself on screen. The basement scenes, where a lot of drama happens, he draws us in with his emotions and brings them out in us as well. The first time I saw the movie, the aftermath of his father's suicide attempt freaked me out... how the music is so intense until it explodes, followed by The Kid himself.


Morris Day does give him a run for his money, though. Sure, he's about as egoistical as The Kid is, but he has incredible magnetism as a lady's man. Plus the duo of him and Jerome Benton is freaking hilarious. "The Password" sketch has you wondering if you'd stumbled into an Abbott & Costello routine. Definitely some great on-stage chemistry.

When Prince's previous girlfriend Denise Matthews (then known as Vanity) walked off the movie, Patricia Kotero was the only girl to audition for the female lead not wearing the "Vanity 6" look (namely, leather, stilettos and lingerie) and her glowing personality won her the role. Granted, she's not the best actress on set, but she's beautiful and so sweet that you want to root for her as much as the male leads. [What I hadn't found out as of yet is if Prince dubbed her Apollonia after Michael Corleone's ill-fated first wife in "The Godfather"]


Commentary and "Autobiography"

By this point I realize this post is running long.

Thanks to anyone who stuck with it so far...

Believe it or not, I am still holding back on this entry :P

This was Al Magnoli's first directing gig after graduating from film school at USC and I gotta give my props to him. He did an amazing job on this.
The commentary includes him, Producer Bob Cavallo and Director of Photography Donald E. Thorin. All kinds of "trade secrets" from Behind-The-Scenes-- you know, if you're into that sort of thing. This was the first movie where I listened to any commentary and got super invested in the making of.

Part of this movie's lure (other than Prince's screen presence) for me was the fact it was semi-autobiographical. Much was based on true events he went through at First Avenue, with his band... even with his father. Granted, the domestic violence was a Hollywood add-in, but two instances that did ring true: the quote "I would die for you" and the "never get married" scene.
All fans have their theories about what is true and what isn't and there's simply not enough room for to go into it.
But two things worthy of mention: the conflict between Prince, Wendy & Lisa (which were on and off until 1986 when he disbanded The Revolution) and the rivalry between Prince and Morris Day (granted, they're friendlier with one another in reality, good friends even).

The Purple Effect


I grew up on a lot of bubblegum pop. Some of the first CDs I bought were Britney Spears and boybands. So I really didn't know what to expect from actual musicians, which my folks had greater respect for.
I simply found Prince mesmerizing, like he had me in a spell. When he performs, there's nothing like it and his opposite off-stage persona never fails to intrigue me.

Of course I didn't, for a moment, had any idea what I was getting into once I dove into the purple abyss. Didn't realize how risqué his performances were, how raunchy his music was. I didn't grow up in a strict Puritan household :P but my attitude towards anything remotely sexual and explicit was simply "run in the other direction."
The fact was that I had to grow a thicker skin and I came out the other side a stronger person. Cussing doesn't bother me as much as it used to and the occasional movie sex scene doesn't either... just as long as it has bearing on the plot.
Ultimately, knowing that most of his music was handled with artistic integrity helped a lot.

Not surprisingly, my musical catalogue greatly increased. Most of it was Prince's music. Over time, I became interested in members of The Revolution. I fell in love with Wendy & Lisa's music (their self-titled album and Girl Bros especially). I checked into Morris Day and The Time after seeing their "Ice Cream Castles" video.
...I wound up going to see Morris Day and The Time in concert a couple years ago. They played all the songs from their 4 studio albums from back in the day and it was easily the best concert I'd been to. And I'll admit that I developed a secondary crush on Morris Day at one point as well.

I'm still waiting to see Prince in concert and to visit his hometown Minneapolis. If only to walk the streets he walked, breathe the same air... and I know for a fact a good friend I developed online correspondence through Prince is dying to have that experience with me.

For the record, I have close to 30 Prince albums and greatly enjoy almost all of them :P

And yeah, my bedroom also has purple paint... we had a brand new Toll Bros house with blank walls, I needed color and made that decision.

[Also, it should be noted: I LOVE this period of his career, but I HATE that it's the only thing people remember him for... you guys really need to widen your gaze... Or at the very least check into his new albums, "Art Official Age" and "Plectrum Electrum" (the latter featuring his new girl band 3rd Eye Girl), they're pretty fantastic]
 I had so much music of his that I had to get an iPod, something I fought against for years. Currently, the only music of his that I have on there are Purple Rain tracks and his two new albums.


I have Prince, ultimately, to thank for my blogging. When I began all this, I joined a messageboard site so I could learn about him from his knowledgeable, more experienced fanbase. I gained some notoriety for my passionate posts, but over time, I felt like that wasn't enough space. So I started a blog where I could document album reviews and miletones I made with Prince.


Google "DreamyPopRoyalty" and you'll find my old postings.
[broken down, that's how I feel about Prince... "Dreamy" is his spell-binding aura, "Pop" is one of many genres he covers and "Royalty" speaks for itself]
I don't discuss Prince nearly as much as I used to between 2007-2010 [aka "the Honeymoon period"], but when something newsworthy happens, I will bring it up ;)
http://dreamypoproyalty.wordpress.com/tag/prince/


Coming Soon


The movie that put Robert Downey Jr. on my radar

13. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

Code-name: NRVS
(as seen on Cameron's license plate)

[my favorite quote of the whole movie, lol]

Writer/Director: John Hughes
Type: Brat Pack high school dramedy

Cast:
Ferris Bueller- Matthew Broderick
Cameron Frye- Alan Ruck
Sloane Peterson- Mia Sara
Jeanie Bueller- Jennifer Grey
Principal Ed Rooney- Jeffrey Jones
Grace- Edie McClurg
Mr. Bueller- Lyman Ward
Mrs. Bueller- Cindy Pickett
[Honorable Mentions]
Economics Teacher- Ben Stein
Junkie at Police Station- Charlie Sheen

Notable Nomination:
Golden Globe- Best Actor (comedy/musical)- Matthew BroderickWrite-up:

Opening Thoughts

Really closing in on the end here...
Of the 12 remaining, all but 4 are personal favorites of mine.
The other 4: I'd seen within the past 3 years that impressed me so much I couldn't not include them. And yeah, a couple of them were influenced by other people who claimed they deserved Oscars or described them as "sleepers" that gained notoriety as the years have gone by.

In this case of "Ferris Bueller"... I don't remember the logistics of how it came to my attention, when and why. I don't even remember if it was my first or 2nd John Hughes film... It's just always been a personal favorite, always worth a revisit when nothing else is on TV.
Seriously, it is on TV so often I never bothered getting it on DVD even though it's only $7.50.

Directing and Casting

John Hughes will get his due for sure in my blog because I'm a huge fan of his movies.
Not so much to the point I'd literally seen every one, but I'm working on it.

He's known for working with a certain group of actors and interestingly, "Ferris Bueller" doesn't fit into this dynamic at all. The closest connection we have to the Brat Pack is Charlie Sheen (his brother Emilio turned down the role of Cameron as did Anthony Michael Hall, for the same reason as "Pretty in Pink"-- didn't want to be typecast).

He's also known for always setting his movies in Chicago and having "Shermer" in some context. In this case, I believe it's the name of the town.
Supposedly, this movie was his love letter to the city, containing famous landmarks like the Sears Tower, attractions like the Art Institute of Chicago... even a local parade (Von Steuben Day Parade) featured in one of the film's most iconic scenes.

As Emma Stone called it in "Easy A," that "musical number for no apparent reason."
http://moviegoerconfessions.blogspot.com/2014/04/32-easy-2010.html
...I'm sure the Channel Awesome people would consider it a "big-lipped alligator moment"

So many big names auditioned for the title role (Rob Lowe, John Cusack, Jim Carrey, Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, Eric Stoltz, RDJ)... I'd be curious to see Downey's version of Bueller (for my personal reasons obviously but also to see him have a GOOD role in an 80's movie)... even then, I wouldn't change any of the casting choices for this movie.

The key with Ferris was getting a guy who was charming and easy on the eyes. Exactly why John Hughes wanted Matthew Broderick: he made this character likeable.
Previous to this film, Matthew and Alan Ruck were in a stage of production of "Bilouxi Blues" together and when it came to finding Cameron, Matthew recommended Alan Ruck without hesitation because they got along so well. John Hughes had previously seen him at a "Breakfast Club" audition for the role of John Bender.

As for Sloane Peterson, Ferris's girlfriend, Molly Ringwald auditioned but missed out on the part because Mia Sara (who'd had few other roles since) had the special something John Hughes wanted for the part.
Matthew Broderick had charm, Mia Sara had elegance... funny enough, she was the only member of the trio who was a teenager.

I would have figured that Jennifer Grey did this before "Dirty Dancing" because it made more sense for her to play an antagonist after being such a goody-toe-shoes... but nope, the opposite is true and for me, it's still hard to believe it's the same person playing both these roles. I can't help but feel bad for her throughout this, particularly when she calls the cops, asking for help and they're more concerned about her "dying" brother than her safety. Imagine a slasher film with that scenario, the inane possibilities!

Ultimately, though, she does come around and decides to be the bigger person. Then again, someone had to put an end to Ed Rooney's manhunt.
Writing and Improvising

John Hughes wrote the "first draft" of the script in 6 days, but according to some behind-the-scenes gossip, this film's production was a particularly stressful one: both for him and the cast. Before the edits, the film ran for 2 hours and 45 minutes (roughly an hour longer than the final product). Even while they were shooting, he'd be doing all kinds of rewrites... what can you say? Either you view him negatively or consider the possibility he might be a genius... and as is often the case, geniuses can be difficult to work with.

On the plus side, this made room for some kick-ass improvisations.

Probably this movie's most underappreciated is Edie McClug, unforgettable as Principal Ed Rooney's secretary. Someone as rabid about catching Ferris as Ed Rooney (almost like Captain Ahab crazy), they need someone to humor them and at least try to keep them in line. She got her "training" at the Groundlings, a notable LA-based improv group who generated stars like dozens of SNL alums, Jon Lovitz... even Mr. Miyagi himself, Pat Morita.
Her best line in this movie: adding "they think he's a righteous dude" to the end of her laundry list of cliques that adore Ferris.
Just a great dynamic: her and Ed Rooney.

Another scene-stealer is, naturally, Ben Stein as the economics professor.
The roll-call scene was in the script, but his lecture on voo-doo economics and the Hawley-Smoot Tariff... that was all improvised on the spot. John Hughes simply told him to give a lecture, putting his economics degree to good use.
Very briefly in my 11th grade Social Studies class, my professor brought up the Hawley-Smoot Tariff, namedropping the movie in the process.

The best that Matthew Broderick came with [to the best of my knowledge]... "Never had one lesson," playing the clarinet badly. Emma Stone did better on that guitar in "Easy A" :P not that it was meant to be any good.

I suppose you could also say that Cameron's "Mr. Peterson" impression was an improvisation since he decided to base the voice on someone he and Matthew got to know quite well at their previous gig: Gene Saks (their "Bilouxi Blues" director).

Analyze This

Movies came up a couple times in my Psychology class in 12th grade.
We were talking about Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis model, which consisted of the ID, ego and superego.
In layman's terms, I guess, ego is the individual with the superego and ID being the angel and devil on the individual's shoulders instructing him what to do and what not to do.

Case in point: Ferris Bueller is the ID in the situation, wanting to go all out on this day off, not worrying about the consequences and such.
Cameron is the superego, which constantly bears the norms of society in mind and prefers to stay within those guidelines.

Fascinating stuff... and definitely an interesting way to look at this movie differently.
Sadly, for the record, I'm more of a Cameron than a Ferris, but that's probably a good thing... right?
Highlights

This are so many details to love about this movie it's hard to know where to begin. A lot of them are the little things. Certain quotes, certain pieces of music...

The most notable pieces of music:

• "Danke Schoen"- featured 4 times throughout the movie almost like it was a running joke or an undercurrent theme
• [what I call] Ferris's theme, "Oh Yeah" by Yello. (really no intelligible lyrics to speak off, but the "chicacha" when the music disappears... it's just oddly memorable)
• The Dream Academy's instrumental cover of The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" that plays during the museum scene... it just stirs me up inside, so beautiful and a perfect companion for this scene

During the trio's trek through Chicago, we see all kinds of good stuff. I love the Sears tower scene where Ferris says "anything looks peaceful from 1,353 feet" and Cameron's like "I think I see my dad..."
I just learned a couple years ago (as did a lot of other pop culture buffs) that they filmed at an actual Chicago Cubs game and it took place June 5 1985.
The Museum has no dialogue, just the music, but nonetheless one of the most powerful moments in the movie. Cameron having that existential moment with "Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat.

Then there's the Frye household, which had been put on the market multiple times. The previous time I took note of a couple years ago, it was for $1.65M.
If I could afford, I think I'd be interested in taking it, even though the 1961 Ferrari GT250 doesn't come with it.
I remember hearing how much people freaked out about its ultimate fate in the movie, the Porsche from "Risky Business" still fresh in their minds... the reassurance came that it wasn't a real Ferrari, but a modified MG sports car.

Early on, what set this movie apart for me: Ferris Bueller breaking the 4th wall, talking to the audience (so much comedic gold there!), simply because it was something I'd never seen before.
It's part of the reason why Zack Morris from "Saved by the Bell" was based on this character because he did the same thing throughout the series.

Then there were a few random moments I can't help but enjoy every time.

• Cameron muttering "Ferris Bueller, you're my hero" after he almost drowns in a pool in a catatonic state after finding the Ferrari had over 3,000 miles on it (curse those valets! j/k, they were freaking hilarious)
• Jeanie ninja-kicking Rooney after discovering him in the house-- priceless
• the entire police station scene!

Jeanie finally gets a chance to air all her grievances and who better to listen than a total stranger.

It's well known that Charlie Sheen stayed awake for 48 hours straight to get the druggie look he has in his cameo. After his 2012 meltdown, I haven't been the biggest fan of his, but I still enjoy his 80's contributions. Especially in this small role. He's exactly what Jeanie needs: a sympathetic ear, but also someone to tell her like it is.

For whatever reason, one quote always stuck with me. He asks her name and she says "It's Jeanie, but my friends call me Shauna" and in the background we hear an echo "Shauna!" from what sounds like a 1950's quartet.

Whenever we hear the name Shauna spoken, my sister and I echo that one line.

And it's strange... such a random quote that has no bearing on the plot whatsoever :P

And despite all the comedic elements, we have a lot seriousness thrown in between so we get an education as well as a good time.
I'm not just talking about Ferris's "How to Fake Out Your Parents" monologue, but what's immediately after. Talking about his dislike of isms and he quotes John Lennon:

"'I don't believe in Beatles. I just believe in me.' Good Point there. After all he was the walrus... I could be the walrus." [hmm... John Hughes was a noted Beatles fan. I wonder if that's the reason Anthony Michael Hall did the 'walrus' line in "The Breakfast Club"]and of course the most poignant line at the beginning and end of the movie:

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

29. The Karate Kid (1984)

Code-name: Bonsai
("To baby trees!")

Director: John G. Avildsen
Composer: Bill Conti
(funny enough, these two previously collaborated on the "Rocky" movies. Coincidence? I think not ;) )

Type: coming-of-age, karate, sports, high school drama

Cast:
Daniel Larusso- Ralph Macchio
Mr. Miyagi- Noriyuki "Pat" Morita (RIP 2005)
Ali Mills- Elisabeth Shue
Johnny Lawrence- William Zabka
Cobra Kai Instructor John Kreese- Martin Kove
Lucille Larusso- Randee Heller

Notable Nominations:
OSCAR- Best Supporting Actor- Pat Morita
Golden Globe- Best Supporting Actor- Pat Morita
(no love for Mr. Miyagi from The Academy or the Hollywood Foreign Press? Shame on them!)

Write-up:

Bad News First

For a change of pace, I'll get the majority of my negativity towards the rest of the film's series out of the way so I put most of my focus on the good stuff...

:sigh:
in fall of 2012, I let curiosity get the best of me and I haven't quite forgiven myself for it...
that was when I finally got around to watching the 3rd Karate Kid movie. all because it was included in a boxset with all four movies (the three parts and the Hilary Swank reboot), I had to see how it all ended...

Let's put it this way... it inspired an entire blog entry where I was debating whether sequels or remakes were a greater sin in Hollywood...
I don't know what was more inexcusable: the villains having no redeemable qualities or the fact they recreated the climatic film on this movie while spitting on its face.

I should probably stop there before I stoop to too much negativity...

Perhaps the day will come where I'll give the Hilary Swank reboot another shot. Years ago when I saw it (long before she won those Oscars and I loved her in "Freedom Writers"), I didn't like it because it just wasn't the same without Ralph Macchio. And do not get me started on the 2010 remake. Out of complete loyalty to this picture [and the late Pat Morita, the one & only Mr. Miyagi], I will refuse to watch it because you shouldn't remake something that wasn't broke to begin with. Certainly not an 80's movie. Just my opinion :shrug:
So I'm pretty much going into discussing this movie after watching it for the first time since the atrocity I addressed above... hopefully 2 years is enough space :-P

How I got into this movie

I was a Power Rangers kid growing up. Loved the series so much I thought about taking karate and gymnastics so I could do the same moves. :-P

The gymnastics thing never happened (for a reason I'll get to later), but I did take karate for five years. Of course, beforehand, my dad made sure I understood it had to be about more than just emulating my favorite TV series.

I worked my way through the ranks of Tang Soo Do, earned my black belt (something that will forever remain one of my proudest achievements) and had it for a year before I "retired." I was never much of an athlete with my lack of speed and hand-eye coordination, but however much an athlete being a black belt made me, all that went away after I needed surgery on my back.

Ironically, the year after the surgery was when my school actually ran tests on students for scoliosis. But yeah, since 11/15/99, I've had titanium rods and screws in my back and I often don't remember that they're there.

Before I make another unnecessary side-bar here on back surgeries, I'll cut to my point. A couple years after I started taking classes, my folks rented the movie, figuring it would be appropriate for me to see. Especially because one of our warm-up exercises was the crane technique.
My earliest memory of it was that we watched it at night and I see the beach scene very clearly.

The Story

Daniel and his mother move from Newark to California, where she has a new job.
The plot begins when he is introduced to some of the local kids. Freddy, who lives at the same apartment complex, invites Daniel to a beach party with his friends. He hits it off with a cute girl, but winds up getting his butt kicked by her ex-boyfriend, Johnny.
This becomes a reoccurring theme, making Daniel even more troubled about this move because other than Ali, he hasn't been able to fit in or make any friends.

It gets to a point where he almost gets killed in a fight and Mr. Miyagi, the complex's handyman, arrives to save his life. They set up a deal with the instructor of Cobra Kai, where Johnny and the other bullies train, where they agree to stop beating on Daniel until December 19th, the day of a tournament.

And of course we all know the rest: Mr. Miyagi assigns Daniel chores around his house, which oddly enough become part of his training. Mainly how to put up an effective defense with blocking. Other lessons like balance and punching come as well.

Then in every sports movie you can name, you have the climatic fight scene and the hero wins...

The Cast

I guess you could say that I find this to be a very iconic cast. All of the main actors, whether I'd seen them in other movies or not, I will always associate them with "The Karate Kid."

I cannot say enough good things about Pat Morita in this. I know it wasn't his first role and he was well-known for his comedic acting, but he's just so amazing in this. Mr. Miyagi comes off a little odd when you first meet him, but as the movie progresses, you grow to appreciate and love him for what he brings to Daniel's life. He's a bit of a surrogate father figure, but gives him the tools to mature into a better, more confident, person.
He is still sorely missed by many fans of this movie and his other work. Can't believe it's been almost 10 years.

Other than "Soapdish" and years ago "Adventures in Babysitting" (been meaning to see that again because it's been ages), I hadn't really seen Elisabeth Shue in any other movie besides this one.
She plays Ali Mills, who comes from a rich family, but she comes off as a very sweet, kind person. Of course, her being charmed by Daniel does lead to many problems and it continuously puts a strain on their relationship. Between him not wanting to be around her because he's afraid of getting beat up or feeling like he isn't good enough for her.

I read a few comments on message boards from people asking why a girl like her would be interested in a guy like Daniel.
To that, I shrug and say "why not?"... but maybe because I would consider him my type.

On the other hand, though, Billy Zabka's a good looking guy too and I'm sure Johnny has his good points. But they sure don't come out a lot in this movie, where he walks around with this alpha dog attitude like he owns the place.
Come to think of it, this actor plays a lot of jerks and bullies, so I guess he wound up getting typecast that way. (whoa, just looked at his profile, he earned a black belt in Tang Soo Do also... although it was years after doing this movie, which he had no karate experience going into).

Martin Kove who plays Cobra Kai instructor Kreese... that dude's freaking scary and years later, he's still paying the price for this dead-on portrayal of a radical karate teacher. Rumor is people still come up to him and gives him crap for what his character did in this movie.
...and if more people saw the third movie, he'd probably get worse.
I think years ago, I saw him on an episode of "Win Lose or Draw" where I was thinking how unnatural it was to see him not being so intense, but quite the opposite.

Now for Ralph Macchio...
By far, this is his best role. Not that I'd seen him in many.
I wanted to see "My Cousin Vinny" on the mere fact he was in it. Luckily my disappointment that he was playing a supporting role didn't last long 8-)
http://moviegoerconfessions.blogspot.com/2013/08/66-my-cousin-vinny-1992.html #66 on my list

I saw his stint on "Dancing with the Stars" and was pleasantly surprised with him. Then it was also surprising to see that at age 50 something, he's not in the same shape as he used to be :-P but it was great seeing that he aged well and is the same nice guy he was in his work.

Probably his first major role was in the adaptation of S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders," a movie that was the first outing for a lot of young actors. I saw the movie as part of my class where we were studying the book (another entry worth doing later on).
Watching it, I often wondered if he had a major growth spurt between this movie and "Karate Kid" because he's easily the smallest guy there. Then again, maybe they were just tall.
Sometimes when I watch this movie, I imagine Daniel as a second-coming of his "Outsiders" role, Johnny. He had a pretty rough life, but maintained a positive attitude no matter what. And when he comes back as Daniel, he comes back with a vengeance, to prove he won't be pushed around anymore.

The Music & Soundtrack

I gotta give major props to Bill Conti on this particular production. People talk about how the best movie scores carry the emotional weight of the picture. Depending on what you hear, how dark or light, tense and lovely the score sounds, you're compelled to feel the same way.

Of the top of my head, this is one of the best movie scores I'd ever heard. You can say whatever you want about this movie being dated, maybe being cheesy 80's or whatever, but the score has as much credibility and power in bringing this picture together as the directing and the writing.

Every character and situation has its own soundtrack. Mr. Miyagi has a lot of panflute and soft music playing in the background. Daniel's confrontations with Cobra Kai has a lot of 80's influences as well as your signature "villain" music. The tender moments with him and Ali, those have their own sound too, as does the tournament.

There's a lot of great 80's songs on this soundtrack, most of which are by one-hit wonders or lesser known acts (none of them ring a bell for me, and I'm a major 80's fans). Survivor (best known for "Eye of the Tiger") wrote "The Moment of Truth," which plays in the end credits.
But my favorite is "Cruel Summer" by Banarama. It was funny to me how the song came on the radio one time at work and one guy said how it made them think of this movie. It was the first time I heard it and I often associate it with the scene where Daniel meets up with Ali at school and he gets kicked out soccer try-outs for fighting.

Apparently, it's the only song not on the official soundtrack, which SUCKS. One of my many favorite 80's songs and among my favorite summertime jams 8-)

Miscellaneous

I think I'd covered most of the main themes in this movie.

But to Ralph Macchio for a second, though, his acting is pretty incredible. I don't think he gets a lot of credit because he's not one of the biggest names that comes to mind with "great actors." Although some of that is because he hasn't been in many other productions with this much staying power and he only acts on occasion these days :shrug: which I completely understand.

Actors can talk about how their characters take a beating or how that can sometimes become a reoccurring theme in their career.
Between this movie and "The Outsiders," when his character is in pain or under duress, my gut convulses. I absolutely believe him and want nothing more than defy the constraints of reality and tell him everything's gonna be okay. I hate in movies when my favorite actors get into that kind of trouble or worse, they wind up getting killed, but Ralph Macchio is the only one that comes to mind... for me, that stirs me up with the slightest groan or a difficult inhale of breath.

That resonated a lot with me as I saw this movie a lot of a teenager and that gut feeling helped me become a better writer. Unfortunately, that may have turned me into a masochist because that's the area where my best writing came out. I promise I'm trying to work on that :-P

The Best Sequel

"Karate Kid Part 2" (whoa, it came out 9 days before I was born :-P) is one of those rare sequels that delivers just as well as the original film. Sure, some of the same themes are repeated. Daniel goes to a new place, gets in entanglements with one of the locals (thankfully not as relentless as Johnny was), and finds love.

The only thing that didn't resonate with me was how Daniel's relationship with Ali falls apart in the first couple minutes of the movie... after the aftermath of the tournament of course.
Supposedly they were going to prom and she crashed his beloved car :shrug: Elisabeth Shue resumed her studies at Harvard (yeah, I know!) so her presence in this movie was just this conversation Daniel has with Mr. Miyagi.
I suppose it was there just to give Daniel an excuse to go to Okinawa with Mr. Miyagi, there was nothing keeping him in California for the summer.

Taking into account, it just is so silly that Daniel had to have a different love interest in every movie in the series.

I'd become more of a Japanophile as I've gotten older, though I use that term loosely :-P I love Japanese culture as presented in films and animé and that's about it.
But I love how it's portrayed here. It gives the film a different enough feel to separate it from the original, but maintains the same dignity.

And it helps that Peter Cetera sings the main theme "The Glory of Love"... another of my favorite figures from the 80's.

Final Thoughts

It's not the first movie that comes to mind when I think of my favorite 80's movies. But regardless, it's one of them and it doesn't matter if it winds up being #10 on that top 10 list. As I get older, I look back on it fondly and find even more reasons to love it. If you really look at it, you'll see how well constructed it is. How strong the character development is. How compelling the score is. I always enjoy it and it's one of those occasions where I really can't find any fault in it.
But maybe that's just me being biased 8-)