Porky’s
48 Hrs.
The Year of Living Dangerously
The Verdict
Diner (How could they leave this out?)
Gandhi
First Blood
****
Porky’s
Really? Funny & raunchy, yes. Classic? Not a chance.
48 Hrs.
Funny & raunchy, yes. Great buddy film, yes. Good action, yes. Classic? Not a chance.
The Year of Living Dangerously
Interestingly, I cited this movie as preferable to Road Warrior in my earlier analysis of the original list of 15. Great performances by Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver & Linda Hunt. I still think it falls short of being a classic.
The Verdict
Good story. Perhaps Paul Newman's best performance ever - other than Slap Shot. OK, the Slap Shot comment was a joke (sort of). I think a film needs to change the film industry or society AND be so beloved by audiences to acheive classic status. The Verdict was very, very good, but it's not quite a classic.
Diner
dfwgator is correct - how could they leave this film out? I LOVE this movie as much today as I did 30 years ago. Absolute classic.
Gandhi
This biopic won the Academy Award and is a very good film with a stellar performace by Ben Kingsley. But it changed nothing in film or American society. I saw it 30 years ago and liked it, but I feel no urgency to ever watch this movie again. Not a classic.
First Blood
I watched this movie just a few weeks ago. It's a great, gritty and authentic-feeling action film. I'm also a big fan of Brian Dennehy. But as a "trapped in Viet Nam" veteran film this film was made 5 years too late to have any social relevance to anyone born after 1960. Good, not very good film. Not a classic.
re: Year of Living Dangerously
That was the last time I ever did my hair to look like a celebrity. I liked Weaver’s tousled curls, and so I got my hair permed. Didn’t take into account the fact that my hair was thicker than hers and my perm was tighter. I felt like a dandelion. For weeks.