After watching year after year as it looked like Hollywood was more than willing to let older catalog films die off during the DVD run of the 1990's and 2000's, I was ready to seek out the best emotional support groups and face the horrifying, depressing fact that most of my favorite films might never see a high quality disc made. And for some others, the DVD's that were made were either the wrong aspect ratio, bare bones (not even a trailer, guys????) or, even worse, shoddy third party and public domain releases that left the movies absolutely unwatchable. I'd go to my grave with my horrible Good Times DVD's of Universal films, wouldn't I? I held onto a small pile of VHS tapes that looked as if they'd be my only chance to ever watch a few genre and underappreciated titles again, and made sure my VCR ONLY got used for special occasions (no matter what family members tried to record NCIS episodes on it).
But Lordy O' Hallelujah! Blu-ray had me covered. The extra disc space allowed studios to make huge expanded editions with tons of extras. Collectors came out of the woodwork to buy catalog titles. And great third party companies (Scream Factory, Kino Lorber, Severin, Blue Underground, Twilight Time, Code Red, among other wonderful parties) scoured the vaults of every Hollywood studio of the 60's, 70's and 80's to seek out and print all of the great titles I thought I had lost forever.
Here are some of the titles I've either gotten or preordered that I thought I might never see again.
But is it enough for me? Have I found enough 1980's genre goodness to last me awhile? If you've actually gotten to this point of the post, you're just as obsessed with collecting as I am, so you know that the answer is "NO DAMN WAY!" I'm a greedy bastard, and I want more and more and more.
Just limiting myself to the 1980's decade for now, my list still is so vast and mountainous that I know it will never be full (although you-- yes YOU-- may be the one joining me in 2023 on my expedition to Nepal to see out the one printed copy of 1987's "My Demon Lover" on blu-ray... pack appropriately), but a man can dream.
So here is Part 1 of my probably endless list of "Stuff I Want (and I want them now, damnit!). This is the 1980-only section. (The films are placed in a proper scientific order of whatever picture I post first from the folder).
1. Private Benjamin
Come on, Warner Brothers... how the hell is the 6th highest grossing film of 1980 NOT released on Blu-ray yet? You have box office success, you have Oscar nominations. I've never understood this one. (And yes, I know that Warners and Paramount are historically fidgety about catalog releases... but still...) The film is potently funny when it wants to be, but is really a much, much deeper character study than anyone saw coming. 1980 was right in the middle of when Goldie Hawn very well may have been the biggest female performer around (and she has another film located later down this list that I love even more), and this just seems like a natural to be released.
2. Honeysuckle Rose
When this came out, I owned Willie Nelson's Greatest Hits and played that damn album almost daily. I anticipated this film for a long time before seeing it, and although younger me didn't appreciate the character stuff as much as I do now, I still sang along with a big part of it. I've seen it again over the past few years and enjoy it more as a whole now.... and I'll still sing it all if I'm in the mood.
3. Bronco Billy
"Bronco Billy" is not Clint Eastwood's most successful film. It is not his most critically acclaimed film. It is, however, the one that I unabashedly love the most. You can argue any other Eastwood film is better than it, and you will have your merits. Eastwood, though, had never, and possibly has never since, been as likable or winning on screen. Dropped in to release between his two box office hits with Clyde the orangutan, Bronco Billy did fair box office, but nothing spectacular ("Any Which Way You Can" tripled its box office a few months later in the same year). But the supporting cast is wonderful from top to bottom (even Sondra Locke comes off as appealing by the end), and I dare anyone to leave this film without the hugest smile on their face. It wears kindness and decency on its sleeve, and I wanted to join the circus/carnival for about two full decades after watching it. Hell, I still want to be in Bronco Billy's Wild West Show.
4. Fade to Black
This one seems to have Scream Factory written all over it. 80's horror item, movie fandom with the storyline, Mickey Rourke, Tim Thomerson... "Fade to Black" seems to have plenty of "pieces" in place to make this a releasable title. Dennis Christopher overplays his part in juuuuuuuuuuuuust the right way, and the film recreations are all so very much fun to watch. This may actually be a film where the sum of the parts equal more than the whole, but I also feel that a remastered "cleaner" print of this is well overdue, and might improve the film more than the first few, bigger studio, films that I have listed.
5. The Hunter
Not the best reviewed film out there, and not even one of true favorites from this year, but one with a good personal story. We rented this film as one of our first choices when we got our first VCR (Beta!) in 1981. We got it as a weekend rental, and it was due back Monday afternoon before 5, but we had a storm during that time, and the roads were in no condition for driving for an emergency, much less doing it to avoid a $1.00 late fee. So we kept Steve McQueen and his portrayal of bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson for an extra day. Me, being a new movie obsessive, and my father, who loved his VCR, must have watched "The Hunter" seven times over three days. We both couldn't get enough, me of the action and him of the technology. I'm pretty sure my mother would have killed McQueen (or Thorson) after that weekend if she ever got the opportunity. Every time that film hit the television screen the next few years, my dad and I started laughing at the sight of it. I'd like to have it released now simply to give it to him as a joke. Who am I kidding? We'd probably watch it twice that day all the same.
6. Up the Academy
Blu-ray distributors-- you've deemed "The Gong Show Movie" worthy of a release. Isn't it high time to let "Up the Academy" come out to play? Having been tied up in controversy and shame by Warner Brothers and Mad Magazine, it saw the light of day about ten years back as a DVD release. I vary wildly with this one. I've hated it in one viewing, found quite a bit to laugh at another. I actually have no idea what the hell my true feelings are about it. But if Ron Liebman could demand to have his name removed from it despite being one of the stars, I demand the right to be able to judge this in the cleanest, most high definition way possible.
7. Seems Like Old Times
I slept in, so did I miss the time when Goldie Hawn came out and made a speech comparing blu-ray discs to Hitler? Why are we not able to put together a quality collection of Hawn titles on Blu? I started with "Private Benjamin" and feel even more strongly about this one. Plus it has Chevy Chase! When I first saw it on tape in 1981 (over the holidays, with a full extended family of grandparents, cousins, etc in the room), it was screwball comedy done to perfection. Watching it on television a few years ago, it was screwball comedy done to perfection. This is tailor made for Twilight Time to knock out immediately. I'll have my $34.99 ready on release date.
8. Alligator
I'd kick up a fit, but this might very well be a rights issue. Producer Brandon Chase had his hands in two films in the 1980's, this one and 1982's "Sword and the Sorcerer" (which will ABSOULTELY be on my list that year-- shame on you if you're shaking your head at me now). Neither one is available, and they might be tied in to some kind of contractual situation. Either way, this film, written by John Sayles and directed by Lewis Teague (if you haven't before, check out Teague's work from 1979 to 1985 on IMDb-- that's a nice little run of action and horror you've got there, Lewis!), is beloved by many more people than I, and still towers tall over all of the Lake Placids and Sharknados of the past decade or two. Robert Forster at the top of his game, and a great list of supporting actors that goes for a mile on the credit list.
Honorable Mention
Finally saw it two years ago, figured it was standard 80's Bronson slop (which I still love). Much better than anticipated, and a great supporting cast including a very young Ed Harris as the bad guy.
Gary Busey before he became GARY BUSEY, and Annette O'Toole is one of the "it" girls for me in the 1980's. Don't care how middling this can be at times, I'll buy it for her alone.
We're probably close to a Warner Archive release of this (already out on DVD). Never have seen it, but would love to have a copy to show anyone who didn't have the opportunity to experience Radner at the peak of her game...
...which she definitely wasn't in this one. It's been 35 years since I laid my eyes on this one. It's been 35 years of me telling myself it wasn't as bad as I remember. I keep looking at that case, and I convince myself that it must've been me, not them. I will buy this, I will hate it, and I may smash it in the street afterwards. But I will buy this.
Feel free to add your 1980 "wants" in the Comments section-- thanks for reading!
