Welcome to the second in this look back at my life and the films I remember having a big impact on me and the way they have shaped my love of movies.

Last weeks post saw how I became very early on anti all horror movies with my Fathers cruel way of making me watch An American Werewolf in London, Also how both my parents seemed to want me to cry at what ever film they supplied (Watership Down, ET).

This week we are heading into the very spotty confusing time of being a teenager. The films that follow are just a taster of the ones I used to (and still do) love. I have mentioned others before in my “guilty pleasures” post, so I wont bring them up again here. It is a bit of a mixed bag, from teen angst to gangster to skateboarding movies. I hope you enjoy…

The Teens

The Lost Boys

The Lost Boys

Sam and his older brother Michael are All-American teens with all-American interests. But after they move with their mother to peaceful Santa Carla, California, things mysteriously begin to change. Michael’s not himself lately. And mom’s not going to like what he’s turning into.

The Lost Boys reshape vampire tradition, deftly mixing heart-pounding terror, rib-tickling laughs and a body-gyrating rock soundtrack. Under Joel Schumacher’s direction, a marvellous cast – Jason Patric, Jami Gertz, Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman , Corey Haim, Barnard Hughes and Edward Herrmann – stakes you to gleefully ghoulish entertainment.

I know I am not good at Horror flicks, but I always see The Lost Boys as much more than that. Much better than any Twilight tosh, at least these Vampire knew how to have fun!! The soundtrack is amazing too. On a recent (ish) trip to the US we stopped in Santa Cruz where this was filmed. Strolling along the boardwalk you can’t help but be swept away by the memories of the film, the merry-go-round, the bridge, the cable car. Problem is I found it very hard to sleep as I kept hearing motorcycles all night. Pesky blood suckers!!

The soundtrack in my opinion is one of the best in particular the song  by Tim Capello – I Still Believe

Breakfast Club

They only met once, but it changed their lives forever.

The Breakfast Club

Without doubt, John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club is one of the greatest teen movies of all-time, if not the best. Without it, we might not have witnessed the phenomenal rise of the ‘brat pack’; the group of actors synonymous with the teen films of the ’80s.

They were five teenage students with nothing in common, faced with spending a Saturday detention together in their High School library. At 7am, they had nothing to say, but by 4pm, they had bared their souls to each other and become good friends. To the outside world they were simply the Jock, the Brain, the Criminal, the Princess, and the Basket Case, but to each other, they would always be the Breakfast Club.

The film’s title comes from the nickname invented by students and staff for detention at the school attended by the son of one of John Hughes’ friends. Thus, those who were sent to detention were designated members of “The Breakfast Club”.

I must have watched this film 100s of times when growing up. I think I still now know all the lines from the script. I still quote it and use some of them as quips most days. John Hughes’ films shaped my teen years but this one stands out the most. I also had a major crush on Molly Ringwald for many years.

The end credits to this film just missed out on my Top 5 End credits post too…Don’t You Forget About me…

Which Character was you? I was definitely The Basket Case.

The Search For Animal Chin

The Bones Brigade travels around California, Nevada, and Hawaii to different skate spots in search of a wisened old man, Won Ton “Animal” Chin. The movie is of the old-school nomadic, skate-everything-in-your-path genre with interludes of stopping to rip-up a big ramp, pool or kicker. After much searching and skateboarding, they locate a large ramp in the desert. They also find a Chinese character on the inside of the ramp’s spine. They conclude that in searching for Mr. Chin, they may have found his spirit.

This was the first Skate movie to ever have a plot (pointless fact for you).

This is one that most of you will not of heard of. It’s not a big blockbuster with major silver screen stars. But it played a huge role in my life (as a skater). I probably watch this every day for a good year. Like The Breakfast Club I still know all of the lines.

Whilst researching this I found that you can watch the entire video online. My gosh it is bringing back some memories. Here it is, just incase you ever wanted to know what Tony Hawk looked like as a child

The Untouchables

Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables is a must-see masterpiece: set to a classic Ennio Morricone score, this is the

The Untouchables

glorious and fierce depiction of the larger than life mob warlord who ruled Prohibition-era Chicago – and the law enforcer who vowed to bring him down.

This classic confrontation between good and evil stars Kevin Costner as federal agent Eliot Ness, Robert De Niro as gangland kingpin Al Capone and Sean Connery winning an Oscar as Malone, the cop who teaches Ness how to beat the mob: shoot fast and shoot first.

This stands out for me as it was the first “15″ certificate film that I went to see at the cinema. I know that’s not a big thing but I remember being super scared that I was going to be turned away, I was shaking and super excited when my friends and I actually got in. It made the film so much better. I think this is where my love of the Prohibition era stemmed from. I remember being really shocked by the De Niro scene with the baseball bat. Very gritty and scary.

The funny thing is I was a very big 14 yr old and I probably could have got into an 18 easily, but I was so against being naughty in my teenage years. Such a good boy!! What  happened?

Back to the Future

17 year old Marty McFly got home early last night. 30 years early!

Michael J. Fox stars as Marty McFly, a typical American teenager accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean “time machine” invented by slightly mad scientist Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd). During his often hysterical, always amazing trip back in time, Marty must make certain his teenage parents-to-be, meet and fall in love otherwise he’ll never be born…

Who doesn’t love this film? Its got it all and then some. Michael J. Fox was great when he was on his game. This and Teenwolf are so up there in the “important to my teen” stakes. Unfortunately for the little werewolf Back to the Future tipped it out of the chart as it has a huge guitar amp and skateboards!!

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Bill and Ted are two cool dudes, but to their teacher they are high school no-hopers. They fantasize about forming a

Bill & Ted

band called ‘Wyld Stallyns’ – one day they’ll put themselves together and learn to play guitar. But unless Ted achieves the seemingly impossible and passes a history presentation, he will be shipped off to military school. End of friendship.

A figure from the future appears in the nick of time, providing a time-travelling phone booth. The two jump in and out of different eras, collecting historical figures (from Socrates to Billy the Kid) and confronting them with West Coast culture!

Should this be a guilty pleasure? Its over 20 years old and still make me laugh. It like a more innocent Dude where’s my Car. Very funny. I watched this too many times to be healthy.

The Terminator

In this blazing, cinematic comic book, Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as the fiercest and most relentless killing machine ever to threaten the survival of mankind! From the Oscar-winning director of Titanic this fast-paced, cleverly conceived, rip-roaring action adventure fires an arsenal of thrills, intriguing plot twists and heart-stopping suspense that never lets up for a minute!

In 2029, giant super-computers dominate the planet, hell-bent on exterminating the human race! And to destroy man’s future by changing the past, they send an indestructible cyborg – a Terminator – back in time to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the woman whose unborn son will become mankind’s only hope. Can Sarah protect herself from this unstoppable menace to save the life of her unborn child? Or will the human race be extinguished by one mean hunk of mutant metal?

Arnie in one of his best roles (these are generally made up of the ones where he doesn’t speak). Full of paradox and confusion this film set me up nicely for a love of all things action and truly sci-fi. Although Terminator 2 was my fave of the series, this one is very dark and a brilliant watch.

The above films are just the big ones I can think of. By the time we get to the 90′s I am starting to form a real love for Film. In particular the dark and wonderful. Sci Fi is shooting up in my taste too.

Tune in next week when we hit my Twenties. This is where I go a bit off the rails until I meet my beautiful wife.

Thanks for reading

C

What films do you remember from your teens?