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Superman II (1980) | Richard Lester & Richard Donner

July 21, 2018April 18, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

A patchwork film that somehow still works great as a piece of entertainment, despite the switch in directors from Richard Donner to Richard Lester a great deal of the way through. Three power-hungry Kryptonians travel to Earth to dominate it, and the only one who can match them is Superman. Alas, he’s nowhere to be […]

Superman (1978) | Richard Donner

July 14, 2018April 18, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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The granddaddy of the modern-day superhero flick, 1978’s SUPERMAN put together a truly epic experience befitting a popular hero on the magnitude of Superman. Richard Donner directed DC Comics’ legendary property from his infancy on the planet Krypton all the way to donning the cape and costume to right wrongs wherever he may find them […]

Batman (1989) | Tim Burton

July 7, 2018April 18, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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One of the biggest blockbusters of the 1980s, and of all time, Tim Burton would take the reins of Warner Bros. hugest hit with 1989’s BATMAN, a much more dark and eerie take on the character than any prior screen take to date. With a tremendous Danny Elfman score, hit singles by Prince, and a […]

The Return of Swamp Thing (1989) | Jim Wynorski

June 28, 2018April 18, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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Seven years after Wes Craven’s original adaptation of the DC Comics superhero, Jim Wynorski takes a stab by sending the whole thing up as a campy b-movie sci-fi/horror hybrid. Swamp Thing (Dick Durock again) is back as protector of a hot babe in the form of Abigail, portrayed by Razzie Award-winning actress Heather Locklear, to […]

Swamp Thing (1982) | Wes Craven

June 23, 2018April 18, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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Wes Craven wrote and directed this adaptation of the DC Comics superhero, once a scientist trying to help humanity, who turns superhuman when he is doused with his own experimental formula to use plants to help humans while in the nearby Louisiana swamp. Adrienne Barbeau stars as the government agent sent to oversee the lab, […]

Little Shop of Horrors (1986) | Frank Oz

June 16, 2018April 18, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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Howard Ashman and Alan Menken’s off-Broadway darkly comical stage musical came to life in 1986, directed by Muppet-alum Frank Oz, featuring Rick Moranis, and small roles for Steve Martin, Bill Murray and John Candy. Ellen Greene co-stars in this story about a 1960s loser who finds success with an exotic plant that makes all his […]

G.I. Joe: The Movie (1987) | Don Jurwich

June 8, 2018April 18, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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Rounding out this trio of Hasbro toy-based films put out by Marvel/Sunbow in the mid-1980s, “GI Joe: The Movie” has the dishonorable distinction of being funneled straight to video and subsequently syndicated on television due to the lack of success for the “Transformers” and “My Little Pony” movies at the box office the year before. […]

My Little Pony: The Movie (1986) | Mike Joens

June 2, 2018April 18, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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Marvel joined with Sunbow to deliver the first of four animated feature films based on Hasbro toys in the 1980s with 1986’s MY LITTLE PONY: THE MOVIE, which took the popular toy line of dolls resembling ponies and other animals (plus a few humans) and pitted them against three dastardly witches who can’t stand their […]

The Transformers: The Movie (1986) | Nelson Shin

May 25, 2018April 18, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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The first of four feature-length ventures between Marvel Productions and Sunbow Entertainment that centered on toys made by Hasbro, THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE would make for an ambitious way to not only sell toys and entertain fans, but also to set for a new course for the animated TV series, in this bridge between the […]

Masters of the Universe (1987) | Gary Goddard

May 18, 2018April 17, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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The Cannon Group took a bath with the failure of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE in 1987, a film that had gone over budget and well beyond schedule. The film starts off in the mythical land of Eternia, where the ruthless villain Skeletor (Frank Langella) has managed, with the help of a powerful musical cosmic key, to […]

Excalibur (1981) | John Boorman

May 13, 2018April 17, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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John Boorman’s polarizing but highly ambitious take on Arthurian legend is a visually and aurally striking look into the myth, the fantasy, and the haunting imagery that the medieval Thomas Malory tale has evoked over the last several centuries. A then-nobody, but now all-star cast that includes Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson, and Patrick Stewart appears […]

The Black Cauldron (1981) | Richard Rich & Ted Berman

May 5, 2018April 18, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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1985’s THE BLACK CAULDRON represents Disney at its nadir as an animation studio, resulting in a box office failure and years of obscurity. It’s first PG-rated animated feature struggled to find an audience clamoring for its dark and violent tones. However, it has garnered a significant cult following over the years, with its tales of […]

Dragonslayer (1981) | Matthew Robbins

April 27, 2018April 17, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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Disney collaborated with Paramount Pictures to make a fairly adventure for audiences that were a bit older in DRAGONSLAYER, a rousing but somewhat brutally dark tale of a sorcerer’s apprentice who must undertake the treacherous journey of slaying a dragon that regularly consumes the women of a nearby village as a peace offering. Adventure and […]

Clash of the Titans (1981) | Desmond Davis

April 20, 2018April 17, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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Ray Harryhausen’s final film marked the popular early 1980s adventure based on ancient Greek myths, CLASH OF THE TITANS. Harry Hamlin stars as Perseus, the illegitimate mortal son of Zeus who ends up falling for the beautiful princess Andromeda, having to overcome puzzles and a variety of vicious beasts in order to gain her hand […]

The Little Mermaid (1989) | Ron Clements & John Musker

April 14, 2018April 17, 2019 qwipster Comment is Closed

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The Disney Renaissance kicked off with this smash hit animated feature that brought the studio back in a major way, THE LITTLE MERMAID! Featuring great vocal talent, quality animation, and a killer score and soundtrack, it delighted a generation, and will delight many more, with its story of Ariel, a teenage mermaid who dreams of […]