Mannequin (1987) | Michael Gottlieb

Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall star in this smash hit bubblegum romance about a struggling artist who falls in love with a mannequin possessed by a lovelorn ancient Egyptian spirit who turns his life around.  James Spader, Estell Getty, and Meshach Taylor have supporting roles in this quintessential 80s fantasy-romance.  Does it hold up?

Xanadu (1980) | Robert Greenwald

The much-maligned 1980 musical gets re-evaluated in this podcast review.  Olivia Newton-John plays a muse who is sent to earth to inspire a struggling artist (Michael Beck) fulfill his dream of starting a roller-disco club with a retired construction magnate (Gene Kelly).  Newton-John and pop group ELO deliver a powerhouse soundtrack in this visually impressive […]

Legend (1985) | Ridley Scott

Following up two sci-fi masterpieces in ALIEN and BLADE RUNNER, Ridley Scott turned his gaze toward the realm of fantasy with LEGEND, starring Tom Cruise and Mia Sara.  Critics greeted the film with a shrug upon its initial release, but it has gained a cult following over the years, and the Director’s Cut release has […]

The Last Unicorn (1982) | Jules Bass & Arthur Rankin Jr.

Rankin and Bass, the team that brought us Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as well as the ThunderCats, brought this charming animated feature featuring Japanese animation from the team who would go on to form Studio Ghibli, and voiced by stars like Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, Alan Arkin, and Christopher Lee.  Peter S. Beagle adapts his […]

The Dark Crystal (1982) | Jim Henson & Frank Oz

Jim Henson conceived of this elaborate realm of fantasy in which two competing races vie for the destiny of a faraway planet, as the evil Skeksis try to thwart the Gelflings of prophecy from uniting the planet yet again and bringing equilibrium to life there for those enslaved.  This imaginative film had been a disappointment […]