’80s
Noah’s Barks pages covering things relating to the years 1980 to 1989, i.e. the ’80s.
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Big Trouble in Little China
Anyone else sick of the nerd brigade wanting to believe a ridiculous action movie couldn’t be better crafted than any third-rate drama? Big Trouble in Little China is a riot; a stupid movie that’s brilliantly directed. Notice how the opening scene plays up American Kurt Russell as a hero while he’s shown to be more… (read more)
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They Live
The capitalist invaders in They Live aren’t exactly subtle, but they sure are funny. Camp even by John Carpenter standards, They Live is more for the converted: some great action, and even more comedic trope-poking than usual. Carpenter has made more fun movies however, mostly due to the sizable stretches of They Live where Roddy… (read more)
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Day of the Dead
This movie’s reputation is bullshit. No one could ever explain how Night of the Living Dead is supposedly better, and even Dawn of the Living Dead gets a run for its money. Day of the Dead contains everything in the previous films, does it in less time, and still finds room for more subjects like… (read more)
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
At first it seemed some more camp would do the film some favors. Indiana Jones is inspired by old adventure radio serials, yet Raiders lacked much of a sense of danger. The problem? The camp is bland, and it never stops. Gone is adventuring, instead we have a series of rollercoaster happenstances as if Indiana… (read more)
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The Wake – “Assembly” (2002)
Oi, The Wake tricked me with Assembly, so this review is dedicated to the other five fans of The Wake. The compilation Assembly ostensibly has five unreleased songs, but it’s actually two. “Rise and Shine” is a demo of “Sail Through.” “Make You Understand” is “World of Her Own.” “The Calendar” is “Torn Calendar.” They’re… (read more)
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The Damned – “The Black Album”
What a fucking cool album cover. It’s like an emblem you’d see emblazoned on the front gate of Dracula’s castle. The Black Album is a certain curiosity in The Damned’s discography, as the group are almost entirely known for their earlier simple “brat punk” albums, but they broke out of that stereotype more and more… (read more)
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Grave of the Fireflies
In stark contrast to their usual fantasy fare, Studio Ghibli attempt a down-to-earth drama about two Japanese children trying to survive during World War II. Can Studio Ghibli retain its level of quality even after stepping outside of their comfort zone? (read more)
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Frantic
Frantic is one of Polanski‘s first steps out of the darkness of his early work. From despair to mere cynicism. In what’s one of the director’s most Hitchcockian suspense tales, the nerdy side of Ford must unite with the naughty Seigner on an initially intriguing but quickly standard mystery. The plot lacks a sense of… (read more)
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Dancouga: God Bless Dancouga
Despite just barely being able to finish its original storyline, Dancouga receives a sequel movie. The creators even experiment with something new: production values. (read more)
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Aim for the Top! Gunbuster
Hideaki Anno of ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ fame directs studio Gainax’s gorgeous, intense mecha anime that would inspire hits like ‘Gurren Lagann.’ Heavily alludes to tennis anime ‘Aim for the Ace!’ (Includes ‘Science Lesson’) (read more)