Day 131: Heavy Metal (1981)

For today’s film, i wanted to try a new service that I just started using in Crackle and so I looked on their list of films they have and Heavy Metal was one of those films. Heavy Metal was always one of those films that I knew the soundtrack very well, but had never seen the movie. Heavy Metal is an anthology film that divides into several stories all being connected by a common story which in this film’s case is the Loc-Nar, a dangerous and powerful sphere weapon. A little girl is trapped in her house after her astronaut father brings home the orb. The orb kills him and forces the girl to listen to several tales of evil and greed while she sits in agony as she has no choice. The film stars Don Francks (I’m Not There.) as Grimaldi, Co-Pilot, and Barbarian, Caroline Semple as the girl, Richard Romanus (Point Of No Return) as Harry, John Candy (Uncle Buck) as Dan, Den, and Robot, Marilyn Lightstone (Dennis The Menace) as Queen, Jackie Burroughs (The Dead Zone) as Katherine, August Schellenberg (Free Willy) as Norl and Tararak, Eugene Levy (American Pie) as Captain Stern, Vlasta Vrana (Secret Window) as Barbarian Leader, and the film was directed by Gerald Potterton (The Railrodder).

One thing is definitely for certain when it comes to the film that I watched today and that is that the soundtrack is absolutely amazing. The soundtrack features everyone from Stevie Nicks, Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Devo, Cheap Trick and so many more. That is definitely one of the most appealing parts of the film besides the actual film itself. The film is divided into ten segments with the intro and epilogue as part of those. My favorite parts of the film are definitely Harry Canyon, Den, Captain Stern, and Taarna. Harry Canyon follows a taxi driver who thinks he is helping a girl in trouble while Den is about an 18 year old dweeb who gets sucked into another world and he is transformed into a strong warrior. Captain Stern follows a captain who is apparently a scumbag while Taarna is about a warrior woman who is the last of her kind that is called for vengeance. I am trying my hardest not to spoil anything in the film for you guys because you should see it for yourselves. The film is very sexual as it features a lot of naked cartoon woman so don’t think that this film is suitable for your kids cause it isn’t. Every segment seems to feature different types of animation with some being very simplistic and 80’s looking to some that are just remarkable and refreshing. No matter what, all of the stories in the film are well written and John Candy does an amazing job alongside guys like Eugene Levy and the late Harold Ramis. I really enjoyed the film and if you enjoy 80’s music along with 80’s cult classic animated films then check this one out. I am going to give the film an A- for a final grade.

Day 108: She’s Having A Baby (1988)

I was looking for something to watch today and I saw that Epix Drive In was having an 80’s takeover weekend. So out of all the movies they were showing today and tonight, She’s Having A Baby is the only one I hadn’t seen. The film stars Kevin Bacon (Footloose) and Elizabeth McGovern (Kick-Ass) as newlyweds Jake and Kristy Briggs. You see everyone in the world thinks that Jake and Kristy have no idea what they are getting into when the two got married and to be honest I don’t believe that they fully knew. Even though they might be unprepared for what lies ahead of them, they will do their best to tackle whatever it is including the decision to have a baby. The film also stars Alec Baldwin (The Hunt For Red October) as Davis, James Ray (The Edge Of Night) as Mr. Briggs, Holland Taylor (Two And The Half Men) as Mrs. Briggs, William Windom (To Kill A Mockingbird) as Mr. Bainbridge, Paul Gleason (The Breakfast Club) as Howard, Dennis Dugan (Problem Child) as Bill, Edie McClurg (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) as Lynn, John Ashton (Beverly Hills Cop) as Ken, Larry Hankin (Home Alone) as Hank, and the film was written, directed, and produced by John Hughes (The Breakfast Club). 

At first I had a hard time trying to figure out the plot of the film in accordance to what I should write as a synopsis above. The plot is as plain as day if you truly think about it because it’s all about whether we make the right choices or not. There are temptations in the world that makes us question the choices we made especially when it has to do with marriage. That is what both Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern’s characters face in the film as they get adjusted to each other and the life that follows. You can definitely tell when you are watching the film that it’s a John Hughes film because it has his name written all over it from the writing and the shots. Plus there is always this lesson that our main character learns in every film and Kevin has that lesson as well. Alec Baldwin lookss so young in this film, it’s crazy to see what he looks like now compared to then, but he was masterful in the film. If I were you guys I would stick around for the end credits as you gets some special appearances from actors like John Candy, Kirstie Alley, Ted Danson, Woody Harrelson, Dyan Cannon, Matthew Broderick, Dan Aykroyd, and so many more. If you are a fan of Kevin Bacon or even Kevin Bacon 80’s films, then give this one a look cause you never know you may enjoy this film. That is why I am going to give the film an B for a final grade.