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"Blane? His name is Blane?"
Before he became a down-on-his-luck single father on prime-time television, actor Jon Cryer was probably best known for playing the lovable, bolo-tie-wearing Duckie from the '80s brat pack classic Pretty in Pink. Since today is Cryer's birthday and since Duckie was one of the most likable characters to ever have had a crush on Molly Ringwald, we thought we'd take a look back at one of our favorite Phil "Duckie" Dale moments.
Watch the clip >> Posted 04.16.13 by reelz -
Today's Challenge: Disney's Prom opens next weekend, but this weekend, try to link two classic '80s movies with memorable prom scenes: Footloose and Pretty in Pink.
Our first Facebook movie game, ClusterFlick, plays off that old "six degrees of separation" theory — you know, the one that has a certain Kevin at the center of the Hollywood universe. It's easy to play, but not so easy to win. The goal is to use the major cast of movies to get from Point A to Point B in the smallest number of moves.
Play ClusterFlick >>
Posted 04.23.11 by reelz -
Hot Tub Time Machine opens this Friday. The high concept for this dude comedy? As you might suspect from the movie's title, a time traveling hot tub that sends John Cusack, Clark Duke, Craig Robinson, and Rob Corddry back to the year 1986.
The now 43-year-old Cusack has aged quite well, looking not much different than he did in 1986's Stand By Me. Which got us thinking: How have the other stars of 1986's most popular and enduring flicks (TopGun, Ferris Beuller's Day Off, About Last Night...) held up? Who just needs to dip a toe in the water? And who would benefit from a long, deep soak?
Posted 03.23.10 by reelz -
'Tis the season, not only for Valentine's Day, but also that side effect of it, a barrage of chick flicks at the box office.
The chick flick is by nature, shall we say, problematic. First, there's the fact that society has ghettoized a vast lot of movies with a female protagonist under this lovely namesake that instantly implies shallow frivolity, artlessness, and utter commercialism. Secondly, there's the fact that many movies labeled as such do, indeed, deserve to be ghettoized, condemned to the celluloid wasteland, mocked by film students and scholars. Case in point, last weekend's box-office winner, Dear John.
But not all chick flicks need suck. This weekend, there's even hope for a non-sucky one in Valentine's Day (hope being the operative word). With that hope in our hearts, we offer up 10 Chick Flicks That Don't Totally Suck. Heck, many don't even suck at all.
Posted 02.10.10 by reelz -
Seven months ago, the movie formerly known as The Boat That Rocked had its UK theatrical release, followed up two months later with the DVD. Reviews at the time were so-so. Now the pic gets shipped state-side, renamed Pirate Radio and apparently with all the good parts taken out.
That said, the soundtrack contains 32 '60s classics from The Kinks to The Who to David Bowie — sending it straight to the "Listen, Don't Watch" category, and leaving us wondering if it belongs on our list of 10 Soundtracks Better Than Their Movies.
Posted 11.12.09 by reelz -
Eighties writer/director mastermind John Hughes died early today of a heart attack while taking a morning walk. A National Lampoon writer from the rag's glory days, his work on the screnplay for National Lampoon's Vacation brought him his first screen success and soon after he was directing his own script, the coming-of-age classic Sixteen Candles. The movie was a success and set down what it meant to be a Hughes film, filled with contemporary alt rock, teenage angst, and a stunning clarity for what it felt like to grow up in America.
Following his first success, Hughes continued in the same pattern with Pretty In Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, and his masterpiece Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Though he skipped between writing, directing, and producing, his films still felt like Hughes regardless of what role he was playing in their production.
In the late 80s Hughes broke out of his comfort zone, with Planes, Trains & Automobiles, The Great Outdoors, and She's Having a Baby. Though the movies weren't the unqualified successes of his earlier works, there was still clearly an artist at work in the background. Hughes slowed his prodigious work rate down, but still had box office success with the Beethoven and Home Alone series during the 90s before oddly dropping out of Hollywood.
Even with only a few years of work, Hughes became one of the most popular directors of his generation. Though his works are steeped in the age they were made in, they're still timeless and have remained touchstones for teenagers ever since their release. He will be missed.
Posted 08.06.09 by reelz -
It's common knowledge that the X-Men movie franchise is waiting to see if X-Men Origins: Wolverine will be successful or not, however plans for X-Men: First Class are nevertheless gaining momentum. Wolverine and X-Men producer Lauren Shuler Donner revealed to SciFiWire that the potential First Class franchise is all about the "kids":
I like kids. I did produce Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo's Fire. I do like those kind of teenage movies; I really do. Part of it takes me to my roots. It's action. There seems, to me, to be more humor, or more potential for humor. I really like that idea. The relationship ... I don't want to get into what the script is about, but it provides a bit of a lighter touch to the franchise.
With the success of 'tween movies such as Twilight, it's easy to see why a superhero movie might try to take advantage of that market. X-Men Origins: Magneto continues to be in a waiting pattern:
We will do that. We will do that. We all want to. Magneto is a fantastic script, and hopefully we'll make it. I don't know.
With all of Schuler Donner's recent talk about First Class, but a "I don't know" about Magneto, it seems more likely that First Class will be the next X-Men movie made.
Posted 04.26.09 by Ryan -
The amazing success of Superbad has everyone looking to capitalize on the high school movie craze, including the websites that cover them.
ReelzChannel has done its own Countdown of our favorite high school teachers and now MSN is joining in on the high school fun with their "10 Best High School Movies and Five Worst Ones" List. A few highlights include Dazed and Confused, Rebel Without a Cause and Rushmore as the three best and the worst include She's All That, She's the Man and, wait a second... Pretty In Pink??? Okay, not sure about the last one there, but check it out for yourself.
Posted 09.04.07 by reelz