Cinematic Throwbacks: November 1985/1995/2005/2015

1985:

I think Rocky 4 was actually the first Rocky movie I ever saw. And you know what? It still might be my favorite one.

This one really breaks it all down to the basics. You got the early fight scene that sets off the main plot, you got the montages, and then you have the big fight at the end. There is actually very little in this movie, barely over 90 minutes, other than that. You got a little silliness early on in the film involving Paulie and a robot. 

The foe in this entry is Ivan Drago, played by Dolph Lundgren, a Soviet specimen said to be the most powerful puncher ever seen. He wants to fight Rocky the champ, but former champ Apollo Creed enthusiastically steps in to fight an exhibition match with him.

Then the match happens, and Drago obliterates Apollo and kills him. I think I first saw this movie when I was kind of little, and this freaked me out. I mean, it's still kind of a bracing scene.

We're like maybe 5 minutes of screen time before Rocky has now agreed to fight Drago, in Russia. Then we get the montages.

And then we get the big fight at the end. This one is just ridiculously great. Rocky starts out getting pummeled just like Apollo. But then, damn it, no matter how many times I see it, this is exciting, Rocky lands a punch that cuts Drago. "You see? He's not a machine, he's a man!" Then the fight goes the distance, and again, very exciting. Rocky KO's Drago right at the end. And then gives a speech that ends the Cold War. Way to go, Rock!

1995:

I wasn't the least bit interested in Toy Story when it was coming out. This was 1995, and I was just not the age of someone who either was into animated movies cause I was very young, or into them cause I was a little older and could appreciate them more as films. I passed on all the animated movies of those years. 

But then the buzz about this one was SO good, and I even had a couple of friends tell me how good it was, so I checked it out. 

Toy Story is indeed great. It launched the most successful animation studio of the last 30 years, if not ever. It changed how animated movies were done, as this was the first major feature to be done fully with computer animation. These things happened right from the start, because Pixar knew right away what they were doing. 

Toy Story worked for me because it really was an animated movie that wasn't geared ONLY for children. Obviously, the premise of toys being alive and having their own adventures is a great idea for a kids movie. But the way it's done is so funny and clever and well-written (including some early Joss Whedon work). And the voice cast is great, not just with stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Love hearing Jim Varney, and Wallace Shawn is perfect as Rex the dinosaur.

This being the first not only of a series but a style, some of it looks a little rough (the humans are kind of freaky looking), but even then, it is fun to look at. 

The film was a massive smash, and Toy Story remains a signature franchise to this day, with Toy Story 5 due out next year. 

2005: 

I'm no musical expert, but I do know that Rent was a 90s show set in the 80s, about a collection of young New Yorkers struggling to make it as artists, amidst the AIDS epidemic. 

It's very specifically of its time and place, yet it took until the movie musical had been back in fashion for a while to get a movie out there. It was kind of written off when it came out, but for me, this was a film that seemed to be just the right film at just the right time. 

Late in 2005, with what had been happening in my life, this film really spoke to me. I cherish this film. It might be my favorite movie musical of all time. I think at times this is pure magic.

Much of the cast was carried over from the stage, including Idina "Adele Dazeem" Menzel, but one key change for the film was the casting of Rosario Dawson. Dawson has always been a favorite of mine, and for nearly 30 years has kept doing cool stuff and being great in everything. But for me, Rent is her finest hour. She is absolutely magnetic in every moment she is on screen. And she can SANG.

Like any musical, not every song is great, but Rent has at least a half dozen numbers that I will play anytime anywhere. Light My Candle was a very big deal to me when this came out. Seasons Of Love is kind of the main song and outstanding.

Surprisingly, this was directed by Chris Columbus, of Home Alone fame. It wasn't much of a hit, but damn it, I love it. 

2015:

Following his acclaimed breakthrough feature, Fruitvale Station, writer-director Ryan Coogler made one of the most surprising moves for any filmmaker in that career spot in years. He chose to revive the seemingly long over Rocky franchise, with a legacy sequel/spinoff focused on the son of Apollo Creed. And he brought along his star, Michael B. Jordan.

And Coogler managed to convince franchise originator Sylvester Stallone to not only agree to this, but to return to his role of Rocky. Stallone had gone back to the well himself in 2006's Rocky Balboa, but that very much felt like the end of the end.

But Creed wouldn't require Stallone to convincingly play an active fighter anymore. No, this story would let him become the new Mickey, the new gruff trainer to the up and coming fighter.

Jordan is Apollo's son Adonis, from another woman, and he isn't even a professional fighter when the movie begins. He just does off the books stuff. But he soon pursues the sport full time and convinces Rocky to train him.

Like the original Rocky, there's the boxing plot and also a romantic storyline, this time involving the fantastic Tessa Thompson as a musician neighbor of Creed's.

This is the movie that officially made Jordan a star, and he is great. But Stallone rightfully got the highest accolades, garnering an Oscar nomination. He was favored to win, actually, and with all due respect to Mark Rylance, he should have won.

The one area this Creed doesn't quite match the earlier movies is in the big final fight. It's very much like the original Rocky, where Creed gets an out of nowhere shot against the champion, then nearly wins the fight only to lose by decision. It's still pretty rousing.

This film was a big success, and led to Coogler getting Black Panther, and two more excellent Creed films (not directed by Coogler). Has to stand as one of the great legacy sequels ever. 

Other non-deep dive flicks....

1975:

-One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest: One of those older classics I've never seen. 

1985:

-Once Bitten: Years before Jim Carrey hit it big, he starred in this little seen vampire comedy that started showing up on cable a lot after he became a big name. 

1995:

-Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls: One of the funniest movies I had ever seen at the time. I still think it is funnier than the original. Bumblebee tuna! 

-Casino: Martin Scorsese kind of.did another Goodfellas here, only set in Vegas and not as good. 

-The American President: A pretty terrific romcom in which the president (Michael Douglas) dates a woman (Annette Bening), and it becomes a big controversy. How quaint. 

-Nick Of Time: Thriller set in mostly real time where bad guy Christopher Walken tries to blackmail good guy Johnny Depp into committing a murder. 

-Goldeneye: Pierce Brosnan's Bond debut, and the film that got that franchise back on track after some lean years. 

-Money Train: The much less successful second team-up of Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson. Was the first big role for Jennifer Lopez. 

-Fair Game: The one attempt to turn Cindy Crawford into a movie star. It didn't work at all, but my teenage self barely cared. 

2005:

-Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: One of the decade's most underseen gems, a detective satire from Shane Black that announced the return of Robert Downey Jr. as a major actor. Val Kilmer is great in this, and Michelle Monaghan gave one of the great breakthrough performances of the decade. 

-Just Friends: I found a lot to relate to with this one, cause at the time it came out, I was being friendzoned HARD. This is some early Ryan Reynolds, and he's still a little too smarmy here, but Amy Smart is dreamy in this, and Anna Faris absolutely rips into her supporting role as a ditzy pop star. The scene where she's eating toothpaste is peak Faris. 

-Jarhead: One of the earliest of the mid-2000s wave of war films that didn't really connect, although this one was solid. 

-Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: These films are all kind of a blur years later, but I recall this being my least favorite. 

-Walk The Line: Joaquin Phoenix and Oscar-winning Reese Witherspoon as Johnny and June Cash. Inspired Walk Hard. 

-Good Night and Good Luck: George Clooney's directing debut that got a lot of awards attention. 

-Get Rich Or Die Tryin: 50 Cent tried to do the Eminem thing of enlisting a prestigious director (Jim Sheridan) to helm a semi-autobiographical film. This was way less successful. 

2015:

-Mockingly Part 2: Like part 1, this was a lesser film because it wasn't a complete film. But this one at least had more impactful things happen. 

-Spectre: Skyfall was so universally lauded that this follow-up was guaranteed to get looked down on. It's good, though. Christoph Waltz does great villain. Lea Seydoux joins the franchise. 

-Spotlight: That year's best picture winner, an engrossing drama about the investigation into abuse within the church. 

-Carol: Excellent performances by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. Film is a little too proper. 

-The Night Before: A fine addition to the Christmas movie canon, a fun one with Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Anthony Mackie on a Christmas adventure in the city. 

-My All American: A cheesy but effective true story football movie. 

-The Good Dinosaur: Probably the most forgettable movie Pixar has ever done. 

Coming in December...

The big ones this time are the 10 year olds, The Hateful Eight, and The Force Awakens. But we also have Brokeback Mountain turning 20, and Heat turns 30.