NationStates Jolt Archive

What do you think of him? What do you think of his movies? What do you think he is trying to say through his movies? Frankly, I think he was a rather inspirational writer/director. I absolutely love his movies. The only problem I had with him was in The Breakfast Club where he did a classic teenage makeover on Allison. I liked her much better before she had the makeover.

His great downfall, in my eyes, was Home Alone. Ever since then, I can't recall a film I've liked.

Just checked IMDB--the last film of his that I liked was Uncle Buck. He's made shit since then.

...How many topics do you need! Really?

...How many topics do you need! Really?
I've long had a goal to have started every thread on the front page without having spammed--it's an impossible dream, I know, but still...

I've long had a goal to have started every thread on the front page without having spammed--it's an impossible dream, I know, but still...

Well...You just have to become a mod then move every other topic to spam...Then move 'em back before anyone notices, but you'll have a screen shot of it to prove it happened.

His great downfall, in my eyes, was Home Alone. Ever since then, I can't recall a film I've liked.

Just checked IMDB--the last film of his that I liked was Uncle Buck. He's made shit since then.
Obviously I don't mean his films past Home Alone. Home Alone was a comedy. Not even a friggin dark comedy. Nor a comedy-drama. He went off his track. He should've stuck with Dramas, dark comedies, and comedy-dramas.

Obviously I don't mean his films past Home Alone. Home Alone was a comedy. Not even a friggin dark comedy. Nor a comedy-drama. He went off his track. He should've stuck with Dramas, dark comedies, and comedy-dramas.
Like "Ferris Bueller's day off" or "Weird Science"?

Like "Ferris Bueller's day off" or "Weird Science"?
Ferris Bueller's Day Off = Dark Comedy mixed with Comedy Drama. Wierd Science = Dark Comedy mixed with Comedy Drama. The Breakfast Club = Comedy Drama.

Obviously I don't mean his films past Home Alone. Home Alone was a comedy. Not even a friggin dark comedy. Nor a comedy-drama. He went off his track. He should've stuck with Dramas, dark comedies, and comedy-dramas.
I want to be clear here--I'm not saying that Hughes is one of the all-time greats. I loved Ferris Bueller and Breakfast Club and all the other teen movies when they came out because I was a teenager then. Ferris aged well, but I don't think the others did so well, and some of them were utter crap. I mean, She's Having a Baby? Ugh.

I want to be clear here--I'm not saying that Hughes is one of the all-time greats. I loved Ferris Bueller and Breakfast Club and all the other teen movies when they came out because I was a teenager then. Ferris aged well, but I don't think the others did so well, and some of them were utter crap. I mean, She's Having a Baby? Ugh.
Yes. I suppose it's my teenage angst that is making his movies seem so good. I don't know. But I do know I absolutely hate the fact that Allison was turned into a prep at the end of The Breakfast Club.

Yes. I suppose it's my teenage angst that is making his movies seem so good. I don't know. But I do know I absolutely hate the fact that Allison was turned into a prep at the end of The Breakfast Club.
I always consoled myself with the idea that Alison went back to her regular self on the next day. She'd never have made it as a prep.

I always consoled myself with the idea that Alison went back to her regular self on the next day. She'd never have made it as a prep.
Maybe someone should make a Breakfast Club II. It would probably fail miserably, unless the person who writes it worships John Hughes, and knows every single detail of all of his (good) movies. And it will ultimately fail if Alison is still a prep. If she still goes out with the wrestler, ehh, I really won't care. I would much rather have her dating me, though. ;) (I told you loners are attracted to other loners)

I always consoled myself with the idea that Alison went back to her regular self on the next day. She'd never have made it as a prep.
That's really the big flaw of The Breakfast Club that could have been it's strongest point. Nothing was changed-the nerd still did everyone's work, the thug and the athlete will still be who they are-the preppie girl won't defend the freaky chick and the freaky chick will still be the freaky chick.

If there was some sort of nod, an understanding if not in the characters in the narrative that the 'change' was superficial, something that only existed in the Breakfast Club, then it would have been something.

That's really the thing with Hughes, is there is something interesting about the relationships that are created between the characters but he never seems to explore them.

In my teen years I didn't really hit the Hughes movie as much as I did the "Savage" Steve Holland films like Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer. Not really the Hughes 'dramadies,' but those where what I liked. (I did like it when Cameron Crowe peaked (for me-obviously his career doesn't care what I think of him...) with Say Anything, but anyway...)

I could go on and on...

In my teen years I didn't really hit the Hughes movie as much as I did the "Savage" Steve Holland films like Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer. Not really the Hughes 'dramadies,' but those where what I liked. (I did like it when Cameron Crowe peaked (for me-obviously his career doesn't care what I think of him...) with Say Anything, but anyway...)

I could go on and on...
Better Off Dead is one of the most fucked up movies I've ever seen. It's like what Mallrats aspired to be--the teen movie that goes the extra weird step. The French exchange student who just happens to be a grease monkey, the Asian drag racers who learned to speak English by listening to Howard Cosell, and that surreal sax solo by John Cusack--what the fuck was that? It makes all the requisite nods--the typically good looking guy/ski star, the shitty band singing the movie theme song at a high school dance--and yet somehow, it still works. That film is fucking brilliant.

Better Off Dead is one of the most fucked up movies I've ever seen. It's like what Mallrats aspired to be--the teen movie that goes the extra weird step. The French exchange student who just happens to be a grease monkey, the Asian drag racers who learned to speak English by listening to Howard Cosell, and that surreal sax solo by John Cusack--what the fuck was that? It makes all the requisite nods--the typically good looking guy/ski star, the shitty band singing the movie theme song at a high school dance--and yet somehow, it still works. That film is fucking brilliant.
The French exchange student grease monkey was cute as all get out. And really, a cute French chick who insists on restoring your classic Camaro...how fucking hot is that?

It's really the best case scenario of animator directing live action. And some great moments, too.

"Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn."

"Two dollars!"

"Do you know the street value of this mountain?"

Oh man, you made me remember-I almost forgot-the David Lee Roth dancing hamburger singing Everybody Wants Some...surreal. I need to watch that again. There has to be some sort of Holland boxset that has those two and How I Got into College.

The French exchange student grease monkey was cute as all get out. And really, a cute French chick who insists on restoring your classic Camaro...how fucking hot is that?

It's really the best case scenario of animator directing live action. And some great moments, too.

"Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn."

"Two dollars!"

"Do you know the street value of this mountain?"

Oh man, you made me remember-I almost forgot-the David Lee Roth dancing hamburger singing Everybody Wants Some...surreal. I need to watch that again. There has to be some sort of Holland boxset that has those two and How I Got into College.
Plus there's all that stuff with the psycho nerd boy whose mother explodes after drinking turpentine and lighting a smoke, and the little brother who learns how to pick up trashy women from a book ordered using cereal box proofs of purchase while simultaneously building his own spaceship and laser weapons.

All that, and Davd Ogden Stiers.

There was an article a few months back in the NY Times about how films these days are afraid to fail big--they're scared to take major chances, in other words. This is the kind of film they were talking about--the kind that says "this is the oddest ride you're ever going to take and dammit, you're going to not only pay for it, you're going to provide all the drugs we need to make it." And sometimes they suck and sometimes they succeed. But they always leave a mark, even if it's a skidmark.

Plus there's all that stuff with the psycho nerd boy whose mother explodes after drinking turpentine and lighting a smoke, and the little brother who learns how to pick up trashy women from a book ordered using cereal box proofs of purchase while simultaneously building his own spaceship and laser weapons.

All that, and Davd Ogden Stiers.

There was an article a few months back in the NY Times about how films these days are afraid to fail big--they're scared to take major chances, in other words. This is the kind of film they were talking about--the kind that says "this is the oddest ride you're ever going to take and dammit, you're going to not only pay for it, you're going to provide all the drugs we need to make it." And sometimes they suck and sometimes they succeed. But they always leave a mark, even if it's a skidmark.
If we can just rescue indy films from being auditions for mainstream films...

(That's not always true, but true enough to be frustrating. For fairness though, there's movies like Yes (which I didn't like, but it tried) and The Saddest Music in the World which I liked a great deal. That came out in a flurry of things like that-The Singing Detective came out around that time, too. Though I never saw that.)

We're not going to save this thread, you realize. We gave it a shot, tried to keep it afloat, but it's sinking like a lead turd, alas.

We're not going to save this thread, you realize. We gave it a shot, tried to keep it afloat, but it's sinking like a lead turd, alas.
Yeah, I know. I have to wait so long for a car thread to come up or a movie thread that isn't "Overrated this" or "Favorite that," and then they never go anywhere...wah.

I have yet to see a free jazz thread.