The title of an essay by David Polansky, a favorite of mine, in praise of 80s movies, a decade in which Mr and Mrs THC went to the movies a lot, back when that was a thing. According to the author, 80s cinema has a branding problem compared to the 70s and 90s;
But if there is one thing that does define ‘80s cinema even as it defies attempts to neatly characterize it, it is sheer variety. Indeed, the decade can be broken down into several categories, which in the aggregate resulted in an impressive volume of cinema of lasting if underappreciated value.
He goes on to break down The Old Masters; Around The World; Independent Americana; Peak Genre; and The Late, Great Middlebrow Movie.
That last category, which no longer exists, encompasses twenty films, of which we saw 15 or 16 in the theater during that decade. In light of last night's news I note that three were directed by Rob Reiner; Stand By Me, When Harry Met Sally, and The Princess Bride, all of which we saw and greatly enjoyed, the last being a classic that I've watched many times. And let's not forget another Reiner classic, 1984's This Is Spinal Tap.
We were very upset to hear about Reiner's death along with that of his wife and of the family tragedy behind it; one child a murderer and another child left to find the bodies of her parents. We thank Rob for the enjoyment he gave us and hope that he and Michelle may rest in peace.
The title of Polansky's essay is from another classic 80s film.
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