Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Junesploitation 2020 Day 30: '80s Comedy!

Funny enough to eat!

40 comments:

  1. COMING TO AMERICA (1988, HD-DVD, Swany: 6/5/2018)
    HOLY SHIT! :-O
    Long rambling story I wasn't planning to tell, but please bear with me. Every winter from 1985 to 1989 I came to visit my father in New York City for the three months school was out in El Salvador. Dad wanted to put me in school here, but I talked him into letting me go to work with him as he serviced telephone mainframes in the Tri-State Area. We lived in Jamaica, Queens (so far from Manhattan there are no subway trains), so we drove every morning through Queens Boulevard on our way to work. There was a McDonalds restaurant next to Queens Center (a mall area) that my dad regularly stopped at to either buy coffee (for him) or a Happy Meal (for me) at the drive thru. One Monday morning in 1987 we went to the drive thru but didn't get any service, and we could see the restaurant was now called 'McDowell's' and the logo was green. 'Looks like this McDonalds was bought by a competitor' dad told me, so we drove off and never stopped there again. [In "Wonder Years" narrator voice] And that's the last time I thought about that moment with dad for 33 years until "Coming to America" revealed to me today that, yes, the McDowell's in the movie was the same McDonalds me and my old man used to visit! So after I finished the movie I called my father in Arizona to tell him about this, and he doesn't remember/care for any of it. But I do, and my mind is blown that we were basically in the movie set of a Hollywood blockbuster and didn't even know about it until today. Thanks, Junesploitation! :-D

    Since I'd never seen "CTA" I somehow thought it was a family friendly PG movie, mostly because it's been on regular TV since forever. Boy, do the topless bathing beauties at the start shatter that notion immediately! :-O Eddie Murphy, still in his prime and flexing his star muscle, essentially creates a template for sexist depictions of black women (the 'wife auditions' at Queens bars, the 'bark in one leg' arranged wife, etc.) but then makes his Prince Akeem character a benevolent romantic fool looking for true love rather than the easy, quick sex that King Joffer (James Earl Jones) and best pal Semmi (Arsenio Hall) expect from the prince. Talk about having your cake and eating it. All that plus the start of "The Rick Baker Show starring Eddie's Alter Egos: Chapter 1" (an acting/make-up extravaganza that'd be worth the effort if the characters Eddie and Arsenio play were unique from one another and/or funny... they're neither), combined with John Landis' typical flat direction (point, shoot, repeat) makes "CTA" feel like a movie from the early 80's rather than '88. Even the sweet romance between Akeem and Lisa MCDowell (Shari Headley) is soured by Murphy and his screenwriters putting words in Lisa's mouth talking about Eddie as God's gift to women. Yes, I'm letting the off-screen Eddie Murphy superstar ego color my impressions. Can't help it, which might explain why I've stayed away from "CTA" until now.

    At least the great premise, location (New York in the winter) and supporting cast pick up the slack and deliver some pretty big laughs. John Amos steals every scene he's in (and gets better as the movie progresses), Arsenio Hall's smile is disarming, Samuel L. Jackson pulls an amateur Jules tryout, Eriq La Salle's perm is as hilarious, Paul Bates' Oha can belt a tune, Louie Anderson's dumb smile makes me laugh, and so on. Big bucks production (impressive-for-'88 opening credits' moving matte effects) with Eddie Murphy in his prime went away with the decade, so "Coming to America" is both dated and an ideal time capsule of a mainstream 80's comedy. 3.5 SOUL GLOW GREASE SPOTS (out of 5)

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  2. FLETCH (1985, HD-DVD)
    In most Chevy Chase comedies I've seen ("Modern Times," "Spies Like Us," the "Vacation" series, etc.) Chevy is being himself regardless of what character he's playing. Under the direction of Michael Ritchie ("The Golden Child," "Cool Runnings") and a tightrope-walking screenplay by Andrew Bergman ("The Freshman," "Honeymoon in Vegas") based on Gregory McDonald's novel, Chase does something in "Fletch" I've never seen him do before: embody/play/become a movie character. Yes, Chevy is still improvising a storm and being a too-cool-for-the-room sarcastic buffoon. But Irwin Fletcher is supposed to be a driven and jokey master-of-disguise journalist, and the filmmakers make sure to balance out the intriguing-until-the-end mystery (at least for a first-time viewer like me) with a cinematic vehicle for Chase to show off. While Clark Griswold remains Chevy's comedic gold standard, "Fletch" surprised me by showing that when he wanted to Chevy Chase could actually act.

    Besides Chase, Andrew Bergman's screenplay and the disguises (some, like 'Gordon Litty,' are better than others), the major standout in "Fletch" is Harold Faltermeyer's score. I've only heard it once, but the Fletch theme is as iconic and memorable as "Bevery Hills Cop's" 'Axel F' tune. Shame that, despite familiar faces in the supporting cast (Geena Davis, Joe Don Baker, George Wendt, etc.), most are human wallpaper for Chevy to perform in front of. Every once in a while an M. Emmet Walsh ("Moon River!" XD) or Tony Longo will bring Fletch down to size, but for the most part this is The Chevy Chase Show. That'd normally be a dreadful prospect, but in "Fletch" it's a great opportunity to experience Chevy Chase in his prime being funny, interesting and part of an actual story with life-and-death stakes. Too bad that, because of the times we live in, Chief Karlin and his goons threatening Fletch's life with a gun just isn't fun anymore. :-( 4 TAGLESS MATRESSES (out of 5)

    MORE TO COME LATER (my internet is super slow at the moment! :-( )

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  3. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988, dir. David Zucker)
    The jokes fly thick and fast; many of them still elicit a chuckle out of me.
    Leslie Nielsen is the best. (It’s Enrico Pallazzo!!)

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    1. Watched this last year, and I hadn't laughed so hard and often since the 90's...which was the last time I had seen it.

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    2. I hope you both saw the criminaly underseen serie Police Squad (which is where Naked Gun comes from). If not, get the bluray now.

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    3. Thanks for the rec, Kunider! Ordered a copy :-)

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    4. It's hard to believe, but Police Squad is way funnier than Naked Gun, but you will recognize some of the jokes

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    5. Thanks Kunider! Definitely will check it out. The title "The Naked Gun: From The Files Of Police Squad" makes more sense now.

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  4. It’s a John Cusack In Desperation double feature to end another fun Junesploitation.

    BETTER OFF DEAD (1985, dir. Savage Steve Holland)

    Over thirty years has passed since I last saw Better Off Dead. It did not leave much of an impression on me as a kid, and I cannot say I found it a completely satisfying watch this time. It is an amalgamation of comedy ideas that does not completely gel together. That does not mean it is without entertainment value.

    Five Takeaways from Better Off Dead:

    1. Girlfriends who can fix cars are beyond cool.
    2. There are not enough animated hamburgers in movies.
    3. Parents should not let trashy women into a young boy’s bedroom. (What was that about, anyway?)
    4. Watch out for psycho paperboys who want their two dollars.
    5. Move on, Lane, move on! (But I have been there, too.)

    THE SURE THING (1985, dir. Rob Reiner)

    Did I watch a romantic comedy… and like it? I think I did.

    I inexpensively acquired this DVD at a grocery store recently for this particular day. I already had Better Off Dead in mind, so a John Cusack double feature seemed like a good idea. I had no expectations and was very pleasantly surprised to be drawn into the film as much as I was. Cusack and Daphne Zuniga had chemistry, and the bonding that happens on their cross-country trip seemed very organic in the context of their personalities. True, there is more than a little Hollywood thrown in, but few of the scenes during the pivotal middle of the film feel forced. It is all weirdly endearing.

    I did not anticipate Junesploitation to end on this note, but it is a pleasant note to end it on. Thank you to everybody out there for sharing your adventures in cinema for the month. As always, there were more films added to my watch list. Thank you again, Patrick, for giving us an excuse to dive into the wonderful world of movies this month.


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    1. Thank you for all those great suggestions from Junesploitations! past. 😸

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    2. Better Off Dead is my kind of weird. It's fantastic. I know Cusack didn't like the movie when he first saw it. I hope that with time he finally saw it for what it is

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    3. Cusack used to be a favorite, then I read an interview in which he related how he hated Better Off Dead. He was halfway into shooting One Crazy Summer when Better Off Dead was released and he didn't like the kind of humor and became a jerk to the director for the rest of the shoot.

      Sad because I liked both movies a lot.

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  5. Top Secret! (1984, dir. ZAZ)

    Hadn't seen it in so long it was like watching it for the first time. So good! Not many people can pull off what Val Kilmer does here, he is really charming, super funny, and does all his own singing and dancing! I love the really high Joke Per Minute rate of this movie. Thanks to everyone for a really fun Junesploitation!

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    1. And Michael Gough is in this. It's a "Batman Forever" reunion 11 years before Schumacher made the movie!

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  6. After Hours (1985, dir. Martin Scorsese)

    Crossing another movie shame off the list. And I'm glad I did, I loved it!

    Ghostbusters (1984, dir. Ivan Reitman)

    Ending the month on a high.

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  7. Summer School (1987) Pluto TV

    Hearing the news about Carl Reiner made this the obvious choice for 80s comedy. I've seen this movie a ton so this was a comforting way to close out Junesploitation.

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  8. THE ALLNIGHTER (1987)
    Famously a starring vehicle for Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles, also starring Joan Cusack, Pam Grier, Meshach Taylor, and Michael Ontkean. Directed by Hoffs’ mother Tamar Simon Hoffs, this is about romantic ups and downs the night of college graduation. It’s a comedy with no jokes, leaving us only with cast’s general likability and the fantasy of the LA/beach lifestyle. Maybe it works as a nostalgia item but other than that, there’s not much movie here. Instead, I recommend everybody see the concert film THE BANGLES: RETURN TO BANGLEONIA and walk like a freakin’ Egyptian!

    30 days of HELLO MARY LOU, PROM NIGHT II, day 30
    And that’s that. Watching the movie this morning was like that blank feeling of seeing the jigsaw puzzle after you finish it. Horror fans love this movie because of how outrageous it is, but there’s more to it. The various plotlines and character arcs that run through the film are consistent, and you can follow them from A to B to C. Once the filmmakers have constructed this internal consistency, it’s only then that they have the freedom to go as over-the-top as they do. Also, this movie is horny.

    Thanks again to Patrick and the F This Community for another great #Junesploitation, a much-needed temporary calm in the storm of our lives. There’s only one thing left to say. To quote Mary Lou herself:

    “A-WOP-BOP-A-LOO-BOP, A-WOP-BAM-BOO!”


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    1. You, sir, are doing the Lord's work. So, 30 days of Adam Sandler's "GROWN UPS" for Junesploitation! 2021 then? ;-)

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    2. Do you have any plans to watch Hello Mary Lou again anytime soon, Mac?

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    3. Thanks, all! I probably won't rewatch it soon, but I'm sure it'll be back in future Octobers. And J.M., I'm not THAT crazy!

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    4. This month wouldn't be the same without your Hello Mary Lou reviews, Mac. I salute you.

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  9. ZAPPED! (1982, A.Prime, JP: 6/4/2018)
    Another movie whose cover I stared at many times at VHS rental stores, but since I've never seen "Happy Days" or "Charles in Charge" I always passed on renting. An apparent cash grab after "Porky's" turned into an unexpected hit the year prior, this feels like a vanilla 'PG' flick saddled with too-obvious nude inserts. Lab nerd Scott Baio gets telekinetic powers with which he occasionally rips off clothes from hot chicks (you'll have to wait 'till the "Carrie" homage at the end for the lion's share of boobs), but his sweet romance to Bernadette (Felice Schachter) and on/off friendship with pal Peyton (Willie Aames) feels at odds with the sex vibe all around them. To paraphrase Mantzoukas from "HTTGM," this movie is horny... when it wants to be.

    Wish Barney had some Kryptonite so his never-ending ability to make bullies fly had a smidgen of danger or risk. Scatman Crothers outrunning a salami bazooka while taking a bike ride with Albert Einstein (!) made me laugh. A pleasantly aimless waste of 90 minutes. 2.75 FLYING RUSSIAN ROULETTES (out of 5)

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  10. Screwballs (1983)

    A shameless Porky’s rip-off following a group of horny 30-year-old high school boys as they attempt to deflower school good-girl Purity Busch (or at least get her topless). The opening credits include a listing of “T&A Cheerleaders” so there’s really no excuse for not knowing what you’re in for here, and as with so many ‘80s sex comedies most of the “pranks” the guys pull are actually sex crimes. It’s all extremely sophomoric but it’s also co-written by patron saint of Junesploitation Jim Wynorski, it runs a brisk 80 minutes, and it’s chock full of nudity so it’s not the worst way to close out the month.

    That’s another Junesploitation in the books, and as always it was a ton of fun. Thanks to all who participated (even though I’m mad at all of you for making the list of movies I need to catch up with so much longer than it already was)! I don’t want to go back to the real world and Scary Movie Month is too far away, so what are we doing for July? Turns out I’m not going anywhere...

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  11. Private School (1983) I thought this was a first time watch, but a few minutes in I realized I had seen this as a young teen, furtively watching HBO late at night with the volume low. It was okay. Kinda stupid funny. Phoebe Cates is better than it deserves, and Betsy Russell is gorgeous.
    Junesploitation was fun! I was going to try to do an artsploitation for July, with themed days for Kurosawa or Criterion or sober war dramas, but didn't ever pull a calendar together.. But I have tons of suggestions from this month to watch and do Junesploitation all summer. Thanks everyone!

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  12. Stripes
    Roger Ebert wrote how he loved watching La Dolce Vita as he aged and how the film remained great, but his perspective changed. Could Stripes be my Le Dolce Vita? When Stripes came out, I was a young man, and I loved it as all young men did: discovering the cast, the irreverence, the fun women, the toys and our hero, Bill Murray. In my parenting stage, I still laughed at all the bits, but I was a little embarrassed in front of my kids and wife. Now, as an older man, I am just so impressed at the professionalism of it all.
    Stripes was the film that I remember that pulling off the goofy comedy with the big action finish. I know that this structure had been around since at least the Marx Brothers, but Stripes started the 80's trend for me. Certainly, Stripes laid the groundwork for Ghostbusters, but it is hard to imagine Beverly Hills Cop or Back to the Future without this. Along with Ivan Reitman, Harold Ramis and the young cast, a lot of credit has to go to the veterans Elmer Bernstein and Warren Oates. Bernstein's musical themes puts us in the right frame for the action sequences, and Oates supplies just enough seriousness and a little bit of danger.
    Thirty-eight years later, I am appreciating Stripes for laying the groundwork for the young whippersnappers that followed, and I am digging the work of the old masters included.

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  13. Airplane (1980)

    So, I FINALLY watched Airplane. It was really one of those movies I kind of felt like I’d seen already, just because I had heard so much about it and it’s been so prevalent in pop culture for so long. I had heard many of the jokes before, but that didn’t stop from me really enjoying this one. It’s got so many good things going for it. It’s got a great cast, it’s really silly, it’s absolutely packed with jokes from start to finish (and almost all of them are funny!) and it gets in and out in under 90 minutes. These are all things I love in a comedy.

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  14. Valley Girl (1983, dir Martha Coolidge)

    I expected more comedy from this so-called "Comedy-Drama" as the laughs were few and far between. This is another horny teen romance story about two kids from opposite sides of the tracks (Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley) who fall in love. Young Nic Cage was my reason for seeking this one out, and it's definitely a more sedate Cage performance.

    I was disappointed that Cage and Debra Foreman's romance is flushed out through montage with dialogue removed. There's a lot of 2nd Unit shots of neon signs in Hollywood accompanied by some bangin' 80s tunes that serve as the substitute for character development.

    I liked Federic Forest as Foreman's reformed hippy dad who runs a health food diner and is having to cope with having his only daughter going to the prom. And, this is the second movie (AFAIK) where Michael Bowen plays a complete dick who frequents the Del Amo mall (see also Agent Dargus from Jackie Brown).

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  15. Top Secret!

    1984, dir. Abrahams, Zucker, & Zucker

    I remember seeing snatches of this movie throughout my childhood as it was a cable staple at the time but have never sat down to watch it until today. Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of the filmmakers or spoof movies in general (Mel Brooks is the exception). But, I kinda needed some zany stupidness after a rough work weekend and lots of compounded anxiety. The visual gags are fucking great. The Cushing scene, the underwater fight, the shootout at the resistance hideout, the guard shattering like porcelain after being thrown from a wall, etc. were all pretty solid. The wordplay jokes and puns didn’t do much for me but I’m sure I would’ve loved them as a kid. Kilmer is super charming and funny, the addition of “serious” actors from the genre (Sharif, Cushing, Gough, etc.) further escalates the silliness, and the rest of the character actors are always welcome. I had braced myself for a non-stop slew of jokes that are in poor taste by today’s standards but thankfully it wasn’t nearly as bad as many 80s comedies tend to be. Glad I finally sat down to finish this one.

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    1. Final list for the month:

      1 - Cars! - The Ambulance
      2 - Revenge! - Big Bad Wolves
      3 - Italian Horror! - Stage Fright
      4 - Animals! - Crocodile
      5 - Sci-Fi! - Forbidden World, Galaxy of Terror
      6 - Jackie Chan! - Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow
      7 - Free Space! - Nightmare Alley
      8 - ‘80s Action! - Southern Comfort
      9 - Slashers! - The Prey
      10 - Cops! - …tick… tick… tick…
      11 - Blaxploitation! - Top of the Heap
      12 - Kung Fu! - Beach of the War Gods
      13 - Free Space! - Fear City
      14 - Sword and Sorcery! - Sorceress
      15 - Westerns! - Unforgiven
      16 - Kids! - The Children
      17 - Lucio Fulci! - Don’t Torture a Duckling
      18 - Cannon! - Cobra
      19 - ‘80s Horror! - Dead Heat
      20 - Prison! - Turkey Shoot
      Q21 - Free Space! - White Fire
      22 - Giallo! - All the Colors of the Dark
      23 - Teenagers! - Class of 1984
      24 - ‘90s Action! - Rapid Fire
      25 - Albert Pyun! - Dollman
      26 - Zombies! - Cemetery Man
      27 - Lethal Ladies! - The Villainess
      28 - Nic Cage! - Face/Off
      29 - Free Space! - Ghosts of Mars
      30 - ‘80s Comedy! - Top Secret!

      'Face/Off' and technically 'Snake in the Eagle's Shadow' are the only two I've seen previously, so I would def call this a successful Junesploitation.

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  16. Planes Trains and Automobiles (1987, John Hughs)

    This was a blind spot I was happy to fill. I'm not sure the world deserved John Candy as a performer but he did make the world a better place. I mean his I like Me speech, which would have been top of the third act but end of the first is gorgeous. And the way Martin gets back into bed. The affection feels geniune between Candy and Martin. And it's just great movie with some absoutley astounding pieces of physical comedy.

    Though watching PTAM last night. I realised how much Hughes shaped my perception of what America was when I was a child. I thought everyone lived ib those large brick houses, that Breakfast Club was what all schools were. That school library is insane. Now that I'm older and more travelled I know this a couple of neibourhoods in Chicago. An Awesome Town by the way. But I watching Hughes movies with all their at times problematic nature, I still find them a comforting piece of almost Rockell Americana.

    Anywyay. Thanks again to everyone for another magical Junesploitation. You are wonderful kind people who teach me so much. And can't wait for Scary Movie Month!!

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  17. Modern Girls (1986, dir. Jerry Kramer)

    An enormously EIGHTIES "one-crazy-night" comedy with a terrific cast and a great big heart. I really enjoyed this one! The cast is incredibly likable and fun to spend 86 minutes with.

    But if you're going out for a night on the town, watch and take care of your drunk friends. We can all take that away from this movie.

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  18. AIRPLANE II: THE SEQUEL (1982, DVD)
    "Hi, we're Paramount Pictures in 1980. "Airplane!" just made us boatloads of money and we want a sequel in time for Christmas '82, but the Zucker Bros. and Jim Abrahams have moved on to that "Police Squad!" TV cop show thing (and took Leslie Nielsen with them). So who's hanging around the Paramount lot we can pluck to work with returning cast members Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Peter Graves, Stephen Stucker and Lloyd Bridges? Why, "Grease 2" screenwriter Ken Finkleman and "Star Trek II's" William Shatner. And even though we've quintupled the budget from its predecessor (space shuttles and lunar bases don't come cheap), let's save some cash by making Ken direct his own screenplay. The script is already halfway done anyway because it recycles many of the same gags/jokes that worked in "Airplane!" Say, where can we rent those Brinks trucks we used to move all that "Raiders of the Lost Ark" money? We're going to need 'em again in December."

    Actually, I really like "Airplane II: The Sequel." Some gags/jokes (parodies of "2001" and "Mission: Impossible") and new leads (Rip Torn, Chuck Connors) fall flat, plus Lloyd Bridges and Stephen Stucker left their funniest jokes in the prequel. But since nobody knew this would bomb and it was a sequel to a hit movie, Paramount arranged a parade of one-and-done guest stars (Raymond Burr, John Vernon, Sonny Bono, Jack Jones, Sandahl Bergman, blink-and-you-miss-them George Wendt and Joyce DeWitt cameos, etc.) that still blows my mind... and I've seen this movie many times! Lots of jokes still crack me up ("You mean... blow ROK?" Ding!) and some are just plain weird (the Nixon masks). Hayes and Hagerty still have that awesome chemistry that makes you root for Ted and Elaine to safely land that shuttle. And as much as "Khaaaaan!" entered the pop culture vernacular, my principal memory of Shatner in '82 will always him losing his shit over "all the blinking and beeping and flashing!" :-D If "Airplane!" is the Mount Everest of ZAZ-style comedy, "Airplane II" is at the very least Dhaulagiri (!). 3.5 'LITTLE BREATHERS' (out of 5).

    ONE MORE REVIEW TO GO AND J! 2020 WILL BE HISTORY!

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  19. Day 30
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    Just One of the Guys (1985)

    I had this on my list before JB's article posted this morning. I debated about switching it up. All I could think of was Porky's to maybe watch. I got lazy and did't look up any other movies online. I said I have seen so many bad movies and survived all of them. I thought how bad can this movie be, I can find enjoyment with it. I was wrong. This movie was painfully unfunny, very outdated, and cring worthy. This movie had no clue of reality, it existed in this freakish fantasy world where Teens have no Parents or Teachers to step in and do what's right. The teachers just say something hollow and hokey, the parents just make a phone call. Somehow an entire student has no idea that the feminine male is actually a beautiful woman, that nothing she does is remotely guy like. This movie sucked hard, it's a bummer to end the month this way. I watched 48 movies this month that I hadn't seen before, if I had more time I shoot for 50 movies. I gotta have something to watch tomorrow and the next day. I have been working a movie a day since last October and I have been keeping up with it. I didn't think it was possibly, but my wife has been cheering me on. This month for Junesploitation she asked each day what I was going to watch and the next day she asked me how my movie or movies were. This month was a blast. Thank you F this Movie!!!

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  20. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988, dir. James Signorelli)

    A major blindspot I've always known I needed to cover, and the close-out film for Junesploitation seemed like the perfect way. It's fun! A silly little comedy elevated by an incredibly charismatic lead. I admit I found the fish-out-water comedy and Elvira helping out the old movie theater much more fun than the horror plot it evidently needs to get to, but it's good ol' fashioned fun all around.

    A blast of a Junesploitation this year! Thanks everyone for making it so fun. You're all the best. I'm going to miss reading your all's reviews everyday. Keep in touch on twitter!

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  21. Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986, dir. Mike Marvin)

    My goodness is this stupid. Offensive in every single way by 2020 standards. It's the "lesser" movie, but I still prefer it to Hot Dog the Movie.

    Thanks to everyone for participating in another Junesploitation and making it a success. You guys are the reason we keep going.

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  22. Airplane! (1980)

    Watched this with the kids (first watch for them). A lot of the stuff was flying way over their heads, but I explained some other jokes, and a good time was had by all. There's so much funny stuff that it's still a good comedy if you only catch 1/3 of the jokes.

    Great Junesploitation! Can't wait for next year.

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  23. Back to School (1986)

    This was a first watch for me AND WHY DID I WAIT UNTIL NOW!? Ugh. Just, so, so good.

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  24. Weekend at Bernie's (1989)

    Well, it's not very smart, or believable, but it sure is funny. Tery Kiser's dead guy acting alone makes it worthwhile, and there's also Catherine Mary Stewart who is quickly moving up the charts of 80s movie girlfriends for me. All in all, it was time well spent.

    As was the entire month of June! I did it, baby: 31 movies in 30 days and my first ever Junesploitation is in the books. I want to thank the Academy, Mr Bromley and the entire FTM gang, and of course my wife for putting up with this madness. What a ride. See you next year!

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  25. MY CHAUFFEUR (1986, VUDU, JP: 6/7/2018)
    For my 126th and final review of Junesploitation! 2020 I went with a now-extinct genre: the low-budget indie romantic comedy that could still score a nationwide theatrical release (even if it was from Crown International Pictures, aka box office kiss of death). Deborah Foreman is both delightful and a little grating as Casey, a twenty-something Debbie Gibson-type chick given a chance by an unknown-to-her (but not the audience) stranger to work at posh Brentwood Limousine's Ltd. The older male drivers at the agency hate Casey for being a girl except O'Brien (Sean McClory, a dead ringer for a posh Patton Oswald), who gives her advice on how to handle her first tough customer (a British rock star chasing after blue panties... don't ask). As Casey drives all sort of wealthy Los Angelinos around town (including Penn and Teller in their in-character feature debut turning the back of a limo into an impromptu harem) she keeps circling back to Battle ("Flash Gordon's" Sam Jones), who had a full-on drunken meltdown when his pregnant girlfriend broke with him in the back of Casey's limo. Naturally impossible coincidences, romantic hijinks and mistaken identity reveals ensue that keep bringing the couple together and spitting them apart.

    While the highlight of "My Chauffeur" is a very drunk and nude Sam Jones frolicking about a park (that poor baby!) the whole thing feels like an 80's romantic fairytale gone askew. A Rolls Royce vehicle is meant to symbolize the carriage from "Sleeping Beauty," but that gets lost amidst the different limousines Casey's assigned to drive. The ending feels like TV's "Maury" without the DNA test, but at least they got E.G. Marshall to look alive for a few minutes. It's a charming little flick that'll amuse if you don't think too hard about how unrealistic it (and every romcom ever made) is. 3 SOLD OUT CATFISH CONCERTS (out of 5)

    And that's a wrap for the month. Thanks to every F-Head whose movie suggestions from years past I borrowed to make my schedule easier to keep track of. And hey, just because June is ending doesn't mean you have to wait 'till next year to start watching exploitation again. Unfortunately COVID-19 isn't going anywhere, and we're only halfway through the year (three months 'till October). Keep rocking your viewing choices all year round, and posting about 'em on the site. Thank you all for reading. Peace out. :-)

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