TVLN Movie Club – Mannequin
Now, the 80’s were known for their cheesy, campy summer movies, and this one is no exception. I like Andrew McCarthy, if for no other reason than he is predictable. He (it would seem) has a very limited range as an actor, either that or he was simply typecast into the same role repeatedly, but either way, you know your going to get a silly character, that Andrew managed to pull of time and again with precision that the two dimensional character he plays does not really give most people the time to appreciate, because he plays these roles so well.
The story follows Jonathan Switcher (McCarthy), a constantly out of work artist that is going nowhere fast. One of his failed endeavors was working in a mannequin factory, where he “creates a masterpiece of a mannequin” Of course this takes him entirely too long, and he is fired from this job, just like every other he has attempted.
The mannequin, ends up in the display window of ‘Prince & Co,’ a Macy’s like, ailing department store. When Jonathan saves the life of the
owner (Estelle Getty), he is repaid with a job as a stock clerk.
When he sneaks to go look at his former creation, the mannequin comes to life. “Emmy” (Cattral) who we are introduced to with a short scene at the beginning of the movie, is from ancient Egyptian, and was granted by the gods to be whisked away from that time period in search of one more suitable for her.
Jonathan is the only one that can see her alive, which of course leads to some hilarious situations as well as suspicion and rumors from other employees of the store. With Emmy as his inspiration, and with her assistance together they create the most stunning store display windows around. Fellow designer ‘Hollywood’ Montrose (Meshach Taylor), being a fellow “artiste” begs Jonathan to help mold him. (For the record, this movie is worth watching for the outstanding and uproariously funny job that Taylor does in this supporting role alone). Meanwhile they must avoid dealing with Felix (G.W. BAILEY), an overzealous security guard and his dog ‘Rambo’ who is tasked by a mole in Price and Co (played by James Spader) to find out the secret of Switchers success.
The success of the window displays puts a cramp into the plans of the company that was planning on buying out Prince & Co, and the owner of the other store B.J Wert with the help of his mole and the inept Felix attempt to bribe and/or blackmail Switcher away. In a last ditch effort to get him away they decide to steal him mannequin (but since Felix cannot actually identify the “one”, they must take them all).
Can Jonathan get her back before she is destroyed along with the other mannequins? Can Prince & Co. be saved? Well for that you will just have to watch.
TVLN Music Club – (I Just) Died in Your Arms
This is one of my absolute favorite songs from the 80’s. The album, Broadcast was the first U.S. Number 1 album for Virgin Records (according to Wikipedia), and the band received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. Unfortunately their next two albums went nowhere fast and the band broke up in 1993. Lead Singer Nick Van Eede has started the group back up, in 2006 they released their first album, but 20 years later and without lead guitarist Kevin MacMichael (who died of cancer in 2002), I am not going to hold my breathe. But I will always have Broadcast to bring me back to 1986.
TVLN Movie Club – Hocus Pocus
In the year 1693 the Sanderson sisters, Winifred, Mary and Sarah (Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker) were hanged for being witches. Just before their hanging, Winifred’s spell book allows her to cast one more spell, a curse that when a virgin lights the black flame candle on Halloween light, they will return.
Fast forward to 300 years later, Max (Omri Katz) on a late night excursion to the closed “museum” of the Sanderson sisters, decides to light the candle in order to scare his irritating sister Dani (Thora Birch) and his wannabe girlfriend Alison (Vinessa Shaw), enabling the sisters to return.
The fun ensues as the kids try to set things right, and the witches learn to deal with modern day Salem while attempting to create the potion that will enable them to suck the lives out of all the children in Salem. Now, the three Witches are back ready for a night of fun, magic and horror in the now modern area of Salem.
Not quite the classic children’s movie, like It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, but a lot more fun than some others, especially if you have little ones that aren’t ready for really scary Halloween films.
TVLN Music Club – Devil Went Down to Georgia
Although technically released in the seventies on the 1979 Album Million Mile Reflections, The Devil Went Down to Georgia is as much part of 80’s music lore as anything else. While technically not a One Hit Wonder, The Charlie Daniels Band is certainly seen that way more in the northern U.S., whereas in the south, songs such as The South Will do it Again, kept them on the air a lot more.
TVLN Movie Club – Almost an Angel
Anyway after the first two Dundee movies, and with an apparent budding romance going on (Hogan and Kozlowski were married in 1990) and looking to cash in on the popularity of the two, we find the movie Almost an Angel.
In this movie a small time crook named Terry Dean (Hogan) is convinced he was sent back by god to do good. He meets up with and befriends a bitter wheel chair cripple (Elias Koteas) that happens to be the sister of woman (Kozlowski) that runs a center for children. He uses his “skills” for good to help save the shelter from closing as we watch the tension of a potential relationship build between the two.
As a romantic comedy, this is not on the level of When Harry Met Sally. It isn’t even on the level of You Got Mail. But for a bit of an offbeat humorous story, there are far worse ways to spend some time, than to watch the chemistry between Hogan and Kozlowski on the screen.
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