’80s
Noah’s Barks pages covering things relating to the years 1980 to 1989, i.e. the ’80s.
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Golgo 13
This movie adaptation of Japan’s legendary stoic super-spy is elevated from pulp to something genuinely moving thanks to some incredible direction and scene composition. (read more)
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Mobile Police Patlabor: The Movie
‘Patlabor’ hits the big screen as it picks up from where the ‘Early Days’ OVA left off, delivering another relatively serious storyline that still has heart through its lovable cast. (read more)
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Mobile Police Patlabor
The first adaptation of the manga franchise created in part by industry icon Mamoru Oshii, this OVA is a mostly comedic slice-of-life series with an added mecha flavor. (read more)
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Legend of the Galactic Heroes
‘Legend of the Galactic Heroes’ is a 110-episode dramatic space epic with some of the greatest moments you’ll ever see in anime—and a lot of lesser material. (read more)
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RoboCop
I don’t believe in perfection in art. The only point in attempting it is to just raise the standards for perfection even higher. But if you forced me to pick some movies I think come close to perfection, RoboCop would be near top of the list. The fact that this movie tries so many things… (read more)
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Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Yeah, there’s a lot of dumb shit in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, but unlike The Force Awakens it still has the soul of Star Wars despite a weaker screenplay, which is more important. It’s not simply an adventure plot in space; it’s a film that still has the magic of the previous two,… (read more)
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Angst
“Angst” is right. This portrait of a serial killer is nowhere hear engaging as a certain Henry’s, and the brutality shown is surprisingly tame for the era. Which is to say nothing of how it’s presented, with an incredible performance by Erwin Leder as he narrates his deranged fantasies while accompanied by a pseudo-documentary real-time… (read more)
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Repo Man (1984)
1984 seemed a bit early for a retro ’70s movie, but only the post-punks with their newfound cynical self-awareness could influence one of the most hilarious comedies of the ’80s. A neon-green radioactive ooze pervades and perverts Repo Man into absurdity beyond definition, because every character is too stupid to bother to define it. This… (read more)
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A Short Film About Killing
A Short Film About Killing (ASFAK) has Kieslowski blossom into the ethereal directing style that would define his beautiful humanism. For the first time we see a distinct focus on color and music. ASFAK chooses bronze, as a dystopian, somber, golden sunset is cast over the final days of its characters. Though made with an… (read more)
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The Dead Zone
The Dead Zone lacks David Cronenberg‘s daring creative spark, but its by-the-books competence also ensures it isn’t one of his worst. This is not a thriller, but instead a drama focused around Christopher Walken trying to find a way to cope with his lost time from a coma. The abridged screenplay shows itself as the… (read more)