#oscars 59

[theoscarsproject]

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). To save Earth from an alien probe, Admiral James T. Kirk and his fugitive crew go back in time to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it: humpback whales.

I only have the vaguest recollections of watching this as a kid, so to it really felt like a bit of a gift to have the excuse to see it again, and man, what a gift! Just so full of warmth and good humour in a way that blockbusters these days forget. It's an invitation to hang out with characters you love in a familiar-unfamiliar context, in a way that really hones in on environmental issues of the time (rapidly declining whale populations!). It feels like it shouldn't work, but it just does. 8/10.

[theoscarsproject]

The Color of Money (1986). Fast Eddie Felson teaches a cocky but immensely talented protégé the ropes of pool hustling, which in turn inspires him to make an unlikely comeback.

Paul Newman truly is That Actor - boundless charisma and an undeniable screen presence - he always delivers, and does so again here. He actually pairs really well both with Tom Cruise, who's playing the ingenue here in a kinda fun role reversal, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, who plays a woman hungry for a life bigger than the one she's ended up with. It's got some great and tense action sequences too, and is just overall a pretty fun sports film. 8/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Betty Blue (1986). A lackadaisical handyman and aspiring novelist tries to support his younger girlfriend as she slowly succumbs to madness.

While this film is just soaked in masculine fantasy, I still enjoyed the first half as a depiction of a manic romance, particularly Béatrice Dalle's magnetic performance as the titular Betty, but good lord, if it doesn't let itself down in the final act where it pivots from sexist to outright misogynistic. The end of Betty's arc left me pretty furious, and I feel would likely colour any repeat viewing of it. Just - - yeah. Not Good. 4/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Little Shop of Horrors (1986). A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.

I can't believe I'd never seen this before? God, it's so much fun, with amazing puppetry, musical numbers and energy. It's high camp in every sense of the phrase, and also just the best time? Love it. 9/10.

[theoscarsproject]

A Room with a View (1986). Lucy Honeychurch shares a brief romance with George Emerson in Florence. Yet as she tries to move on with her life and look for marriage elsewhere, can she truly forget the events of that summer?

A who's who of British period drama stars brought to brilliant, sensual, lush life by the wonderful, James Ivory. This just pulses with romance, not just between the couple in love, but in the script (tenderly written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala) and the scenery and the platonic relationships too. Just total magic, from start to finish. 8/10.

[theoscarsproject]

The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986). A young Cro-Magnon woman is raised by Neanderthals.

Not even sure what to say about this one other than it's a mess from start to finish. It feels pretty transparently like an attempt to capitalise on the success and cultural legacy of Quest for Fire five years earlier, but Michael Chapman is no Jean-Jacques Annaud. It's clunky, misogynistic, and the worst thing cinema can be - boring. 2/10.

[theoscarsproject]

An American Tail (1986). While emigrating to the United States, a young Russian mouse gets separated from his family and must relocate them while trying to survive in a new country.

Forever kind of gutted Amblimation folded as quickly as it did. None of its three films (An American Tail, We're Back, and Balto) are perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it was a studio with a different voice in the era and the medium, and it would've been interesting to see it grow. This is a charming, albeit flawed little film though, with lovely, fluid animation and a rich migration story. I like it a lot, and it was fun to revisit as it's been a minute since I've seen it! 7/10.

[theoscarsproject]

Hoosiers (1986). A coach with a checkered past and a local drunk train a small-town high school basketball team to become a top contender for the state championship in 1950s Indiana.