An American Tail

Although Don Bluth’s directorial debut, The Secret of NIMH, didn’t do well financially, with a box office of $14.7 million against a budget of $7 million, it attracted the attention of Stephen Spielberg, who collaborated with Don Bluth and Universal to produce An American Tail. Despite production troubles, which included creative differences and Spielberg learning just how complicated animation actually is, the film, notably co-produced in Ireland, released in late 1986 and made $104.5 million on a budget of about $9 million, which made it the most successful non-Disney animated film at the time. Critics were mixed on the film at the time, but its popularity would increase over the years, namely from those who watched it as children and retained fond memories of it. We never watched it ourselves until over thirty years later, which gave us more a fresh perspective and the opinion that while the traditional animation is still impressive to this day, the story is a bit choppy.

Stubs - Top Gun

Top Gun (1986) Starring: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt. Directed by Tony Scott. Screenplay by Jim Cash, Jack Epps, Jr. Produced by Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer. Run time: 110 minutes. USA. Color. Drama, Romance, Action.

Some films define a decade and some films are defined by the decade in which they were made. While you might want to think the former is true of Top Gun, I would say that the film has the 1980s written all over it. Some may consider it a modern classic, but that would mean that it has aged well and frankly the film has not.

The Great Mouse Detective

With a film library as large as Disney’s, it’s inevitable that regardless of quality, some films slip through the cracks. One such film, The Great Mouse Detective, has also gained somewhat of a cult following over the years. After finally watching the film for myself, it’s hard not to see why, especially considering it was successful enough on its initial release that it saved Disney Animation from bankruptcy. However, while it’s certainly underrated, it’s also not one of Disney’s best.

Stubs - Running Scared

Running Scared (1986) Starring: Gregory Hines, Billy Crystal, Jimmy Smits, Dan Hedaya, Joe Pantoliano. Directed by Peter Hyams. Screenplay by Gary DeVore, Jimmy Huston. Produced by David Foster, Lawrence Turman Run Time: 107 USA Color. Action, Comedy, Christmas, Buddy Cop

In 1986, MGM, once the gold standard of the major Hollywood studios, was in the midst of another sale, this time the former owner Kirk Kerkorian was buying it back from the current owner, Turner Broadcasting. The studio was starting over this time unburdened by the actual studio lot, now Sony Pictures, and that pesky library of classic films including Gone With The Wind (1939) and The Wizard of Oz (1939). One of the first films produced by the “new” MGM was Running Scared, a buddy cop film starring Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal.

Hines, a dancer turned actor, and Crystal, a stand-up comedian turned actor, were paired together for the first and only time. Hines, whose first screen appearance was in Mel Brooks’ History of the World, Part I (1981), had appeared in about a half-dozen films before Running Scared. Crystal, who had a BFA from NYU in film and television directing, had made a name for himself as a stand-up comic before his first film, Joan River’s Rabbit Test (1978) and as Jodie Dallas on Soap, a TV Series that ran from 1977 to 1981. His only other film prior to Running Scared had been a small part in This Is Spinal Tap (1984) as Morty the mime.

Danny Costanzo (Billy Crystal) and Ray Hughes (Gregory Hines) are undercover
at the beginning of Running Scared.

It is winter in Chicago and Ray Hughes (Hines) and Danny Costanzo (Crystal) are two police officers known for their wisecracking demeanors and unorthodox police methods. When the film opens, they are working undercover on the city's North Side, staking out Julio Gonzales (Jimmy Smits), a drug dealer who has only recently gotten out of prison but is still an up and comer in the Chicago underworld. Even though they are on a stakeout, Danny gets them involved in a pickup game of basketball as a couple of uninvited and unwelcomed additions. Danny is even punched by one of the other players. But before anything else can happen, they see Gonzales drive up.

When Gonzales sees them, he flees, leaving one of his associates, Snake (Joe Pantoliano), high and dry. Ray and Danny manage to catch up to him, gaining entrance to his apartment and looking through the briefcase he’s been clutching. Inside, they find $50,000 cash. While they don’t have anything on Snake, they make it difficult on him by announcing to a group of men playing basketball next door to his apartment that he has the money. In the end, he begs them to take him in. They stop on the way to attend Danny’s Aunt’s funeral.

With their prisoner, Snake (Joe Pantoliano), in tow, Ray and Danny are almost mugged.

Immediately following the funeral, as if to emphasize the dangerous streets of Chicago, Ray and Danny, with Snake still handcuffed to them, are held up by a pair of inept thugs. Ray hands him his wallet, telling them they can take the money, but they need to keep their badges. The two assailants then run away.

At the station, Danny is confronted by a lawyer (Don Calfa) and by his ex-wife Anna (Darlanne Fluegel), whom he still loves. Ray pretends to be Danny to draw the lawyer away and give him some time alone with Anna. But the news is not what Danny expects, as she informs him that she’s getting married again, this time to a dentist. Danny’s mood is somewhat lightened when Ray tells him that the lawyer was there to let him know he was inheriting $40,000 from his recently deceased Aunt.

Snake works with Julio Gonzales (Jimmy Smits) to set Ray and Danny up.

They convince Snake to wear a wire to his rendezvous later that night with Gonzales. While they expect Snake to be buying drugs for Gonzales, when they approach the meeting place (a cargo ship), they discover that he’s buying a large store of Israeli Uzi submachine guns. When they hear what sounds like Snake in trouble, they walk into a trap that Snake and Gonzales have set for them.

Gonzales reveals his ambition to be the first Latino "godfather" of Chicago. Gonzales has Snake killed for bringing the detectives in the first place. It looks as though Ray and Danny will be killed before two undercover detectives in Julio’s gang, Anthony Montoya (Jon Gries) and Frank Sigliano (Steven Bauer), step in to make the arrest. In the ensuing gun battle, several of Gonzales’ gang members are killed or escape. While Montoya and Sigliano only manage to arrest a subordinate, Danny and Ray capture Gonzales.

Captain Logan (Dan Hedaya) encourages Ray and Danny to take a vacation.

Back at the station, Ray and Danny expect to be praised, but instead, their supervisor Captain Logan (Dan Hedaya) chastises them for their sloppy work (as revealed by Snake’s wire). He orders them to take a vacation and the boys are reluctant to go.

Ray and Danny find that they love Key West and plan to move there.

But down in Key West, Florida, the pair see a different side of life. A slower pace, taking time to watch sunsets, not to mention the beautiful women in bikinis with their flat stomachs and perky breasts. They begin to question their career choices and decide to retire and buy a bar using Danny’s inheritance along with their pension fund from the Chicago Police Department.

Gonzales gets away and leaves Ray and Danny pantsless.

Upon their return to Chicago, they inform Captain Logan of their intentions and also find out that Gonzales has been released and is free on bail. Incensed, they vow to capture Gonzales before retiring, but by being a little more careful in the process. They stake out Gonzales Mercedes and use yellow spray paint used to deface their unmarked police car to create a loading zone. As a result, they can get the car towed. They watch to see who will go to inform Gonzales and follow a small boy to the apartment, where Gonzales had been in bed with the boy’s mother. After subduing his crew, they chase after Gonzales, who is pantsless. He takes a hostage and demands Ray and Harry give him one of their pants. Ray is very reluctant but ends up giving up his, when Harry’s pants fall out of Gonzales’ reach. With the pants, Gonzales gets away, stealing their car in the process.

Captain Logan wants Ray and Danny to train Anthony Montoya (Jon Gries)
and Frank Sigliano (Steven Bauer) before they retire to Florida.

When they get back to the station, not only are they the butt of jokes, but Captain Logan adds insult to injury by assigning them to train their replacements, detectives Montoya and Sigliano, none other than the two undercover officers that saved them from being killed in the Gonzales bust. Logan wants the replacements to be "the best of the worst" and orders them never to let him catch them doing anything Ray and Danny teach them. Ray and Danny do their best to avoid actually working with the two detectives.

Gonzales uses a priest and a nun as drug mules.

Gonzales manages to outsmart much of the Chicago PD by staging a fake smuggling operation but bringing the coke in using other mules. While everyone else is fooled by the tactic, Ray and Danny intercept the mules, a priest and a nun, and confiscate a large amount of Gonzales’ cocaine.

In order to get it back, Gonzales kidnaps Anna and will trade her for the cocaine. He sets the location as the James R. Thompson Center, a tall glass state government building with a large open atrium. He warns that Danny comes alone. First, they have to get the cocaine out of the evidence locker, which takes Danny imitating Captain Lewis to the sergeant in charge.

The climactic scene of Running Scared takes place in the lobby of the James
R. Thompson Center. Note the large Christmas tree in the atrium.

Ray, of course, backs up his partner, taking an alternative way into the building. He discovers that all of the state troopers on duty have been taken hostage and replaced by Gonzales’ men. The only way which Ray can get in unobserved involves hoisting himself the way a window cleaner would. During the ensuing gunfight, Montoya and Sigliano, not wanting to be left out of the bust, follow Ray and Danny, but get pinned down in the crossfire. Danny and Ray ironically rescue their would-be protégés in a way similar to their own rescuing at the beginning of the film. All of Gonzales’ men are killed and after more gunfighting, so is Gonzales. Anna and Danny reconcile and he and Ray decide not to retire after all. The city needs them.

Released June 27, 1986, the film would do well at the box-office, bringing in a less than spectacular $38.5 million domestically.

The comedic approach differentiates Running Scared from these other films. Not only are Ray and Danny friends off-duty, but the actors who play them seem to have a very good screen rapport.

Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal are both quite watchable together and I would have watched them in other films had that ever materialized. Not only does Crystal have good comedic-timing, but so does Hines, which is a pleasant surprise for someone who did not come up through the stand-up ranks. These two carry the film, they have to, but they make it look like they’re having a good time while they do.

There are several elements that seem to link Running Scared to other similar-themed films during the 1980s, including Lethal Weapon (1987) and Die Hard (1988). For one, all three are set around Christmastime (note the Christmas Tree and fake presents in the James R. Thompson Center atrium). The holiday takes a backseat here and is never called out like it is the other two films, but it’s still part of the environment.

Something else that links the three films is the appearance by Al Leong as a henchman. Not that I mean to call out this actor in particular, but I find it interesting he is always seen in the background holding an automatic weapon in all three.

The supporting actors are rather one-dimensional and stereotypical. Dan Hedaya and Jimmy Smits are both very capable actors and could have done more with better-drawn characters. Instead, Hedaya’s Captain Logan is exactly what you’d expect of a policeman in his position. He’s tough but fair and little else. Smits’ Gonzales is a typical ruthless gangster who is no subtler than the machine gun he’s holding.

The love interests are fine. Tracy Reed plays Maryann, a woman that Ray is involved with, but superfluous to the plot. Again, not much else for her to do. Darlanne Fluegel as Anna Costanzo, Danny’s ex, is more important to the story, but she is still a bit of a cardboard character.

There are other weaknesses to the film, beginning with its really bad opening theme song. It is everything that a theme song should not be, one that is immediately forgettable. For the most part, the soundtrack music is also quite vanilla.

The film seems to have a slightly long third act and ends in what is now a cliché, though considered necessary, big gun battle finish. While the damage is not as severe as say Die Hard, which pretty much obliterated the fictitious Nakatomi Plaza, the big shootout in Running Scared is quite deadly as the corpses seem to pile up. (It is interesting that another buddy cop film, Rush Hour (1998), also ends in a similar fashion, replacing James R. Thompson Center with the LA Convention Center.) Our heroes don’t seem to be affected by the body count, which is also par for the course of this genre of films.

For the most part, I liked the film. Hines and Crystal had the makings of a really good film team. It’s too bad that this one never repeated. If you’re looking for a fun two hours and can get past the obvious 80’s trappings, then Running Scared is not a bad way to spend your time.

To read reviews of other Christmas films, please see our Christmas Review Hub.

Second Look - The Transformers: The Movie (1986)

Note: The following review contains spoilers for The Transformers: The Movie (1986).

In 1986, the popularity of the Transformers brand was at a peak (or so I gather), and so a movie had been in the works in order to not only capitalize on this popularity, but also to introduce new characters into the mix. Despite its initial reception, the movie has since gone on to be not only an icon to this property and its fanbase, but also to the '80s as a whole. In honor of its 30^th Anniversary, we present another look at what came to be known as The Transformers: The Movie.

In the year 2005, a planet-sized being known as Unicron (Orson Welles) threatens the universe, swallowing any and every planet in its path. Meanwhile, on Cybertron, a group of Autobots prepare a shuttle to head back to Earth to restock on Energon, where Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) awaits. Unfortunately, the Decepticon Laserbeak (Frank Welker) has been spying on them and reports back to Soundwave (Frank Welker). Megatron (Frank Welker), upon seeing Laserbeak’s recording, prepares a sneak attack on the Autobot shuttle, with the intent of a surprise attack on Autobot City on Earth.

The looming threat of Unicron (Orson Welles).

Over the years, the story has become a classic amongst the Transformers fandom, and on its own is enjoyable and has some funny moments, however there does notably exist a major continuity error when taking the first 2 Seasons of the 1984 Transformers cartoon into account. Namely, Unicron as a major threat was never hinted at in the show, and the Matrix of Leadership did not previously exist as a concept (it has been noted that the Season 2 episode “A Prime Problem” features an x-ray view of Optimus Prime, but the chest cavity that houses the Matrix in the movie is empty). Apparently, the Season 2 episode “Cosmic Rust” was originally going to hint at the existence of the Matrix, but conflicts within the episode’s own continuity resulted in the reference being removed. The concepts of Unicron and the Matrix would be expanded upon in the following Season 3, but if you just roll with these concepts the first time they appear, you will have an easier viewing experience.

Aside from the infamous death of Optimus Prime, there’s also a lot of deaths of characters from the first two Seasons, some of which literally become new characters, which was done at the time to introduce new toys to the shelves, which can be at the least disheartening for those that grew attached to those characters. Fortunately, Optimus Prime would be literally resurrected in the Season 3 episode “Dark Awakening,” however he was essentially a zombie; the later two-part arc “The Return of Optimus Prime” from that same Season brings him back for real, though. The Decepticon Starscream is also killed off in spectacular fashion, though he would later return as a literal ghost in the Season 3 episodes “Starscream’s Ghost” and “Ghost in the Machine.” The promotional line “Conceived in the epic tradition of Star Wars…” isn’t exactly a lie, since one familiar with the original Star Wars can spot some similarities between it and The Transformers: The Movie, though fortunately the latter is not a carbon copy of Star Wars by any means.

As a movie by itself, it can be watched on its own, but without context from the 1986 cartoon, Optimus Prime’s death, not to mention the deaths of other characters, doesn’t have as much of an impact, which I had felt when seeing it for the first time on home video as a kid, my only true exposure to Transformers at that point being the 2001 Robots in Disguise cartoon. There are still some funny moments in it, as mentioned above, such as Starscream’s coronation ceremony and a number of scenes featuring the Dinobots. A particular character named Wheelie shows up to aid the Dinobots in one scene, but he otherwise doesn’t have much use in the plot other than to sell his toy and can otherwise come off as annoying to some because of his voice (though I’m personally more apathetic to the character). The soundtrack and animation can arguably still be enjoyed by fans of '80s music and animation, though it may not be enough for those who find fault in the story, since it features a plethora of characters at the beginning that a non-fan is expected to suddenly care about.

One thing’s for sure, the animation is very good, especially for a product of the '80s. Some animation errors are still present, however, and upon multiple viewings one can discover even more, though these errors are not enough to bog down the rest of the visuals. This being a movie, it has the best-looking animation among anything to come out of the original cartoon, however the quality is only seconded by the Season 3 episodes “Call of the Primitives” and, arguably, "The Dweller in the Depths." Particular highlights in the animation include the transformation sequences of Unicron and Autobot City, with the animations of Unicron’s insides and planet-munching a bonus.

Unicron's (Orson Welles) attack on Cybertron
is also well-animated.

Characters from the first 2 Seasons of the original cartoon that appear in this movie keep their voice actors, though it is Peter Cullen and Frank Welker that get the most screen time, followed closely by Chris Latta as Starscream. Peter Cullen playing Optimus Prime is always nice to hear, and even with only two years of experience with the character at the time, you can tell he’s giving it his all with whatever screen time the character has; he also voices Ironhide in the movie, though that character doesn’t get much time to shine. Frank Welker voices a good portion of the cast from the cartoon, most of whom manage to survive, but his performance as Megatron alone is amazing, with praise similar to Peter Cullen’s Optimus Prime.

Of the new cast, it has probably been said before that it’s simply amazing who they managed to get to voice some of the characters, most of whom would be recast later for Season 3 of the original cartoon. Such names include Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron, Eric Idle as Wreck-Gar, Judd Nelson as Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime, Robert Stack as Ultra Magnus and, of course, Orson Welles as Unicron. These actors put their skills to good use in this movie, though it’s interesting how Eric Idle was cast for a character whose dialogue consists largely of TV commercial quotes. John Moschitta, known for commercials for Micro Machines toys among other things, puts his talents as the world’s fastest-talking man to great use as the character Blurr, whom he would continue to voice in the original cartoon; he, along with Judd Nelson, would eventually return to the Transformers franchise to reprise their respective characters in the 2008 Transformers Animated cartoon.

Rodimus Prime (Judd Nelson) isn't in Transformers Animated for very long,
but it's interesting to hear nonetheless.

This movie being Orson Welles’ last has been very well-documented, however, Leonard Nimoy has since passed away recently. He would return to Transformers once again as the voice of Sentinel Prime in the 2011 movie, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, though his better-known legacy as Mr. Spock on Star Trek was given a proper tribute in the recently-released Star Trek Beyond.

The soundtrack is very definitely '80s, especially “The Transformers (Theme)” by Lion, which is not a knock against it since the music fits with the action on-screen. Stan Bush’s “The Touch” is most likely what he’s best known for, especially amongst Transformers fans, but its usage in the movie works for it (apparently it was originally meant for the Sylvester Stallone movie Cobra, also from 1986, which would have been very different indeed). This song has also seen use in other Transformers products in the form of remixes, and even made an appearance in the game Saints Row IV, which should serve as a testament to its popularity. The score by Vince DiCola is great to listen to, even on its own, which is likely one reason he was brought back to do the music for the Angry Birds Transformers app game; his track for Optimus Prime’s death scene alone is enough to get to me, after having seen the original cartoon, which should say something about his music’s listenability out of context. In relation to the other songs by N.R.G. and Spectre General (aka Kick Axe), “Weird Al” Yankovic’s Devo parody “Dare To Be Stupid” can seem a little out-of-place, however its usage works for the scenes in which it was used.

One thing that cannot be denied is that this movie has had an enduring legacy within the Transformers fandom and the franchise as a whole. Within a number of subsequent media, the movie has been quoted to hell and back, and a handful of adaptations exist, not to forget the number of scenes that have also been directly lifted from it to varying degrees. Interestingly, in one issue of the Transformers Collectors’ Club Magazine from Fun Publications, as part of a lead-in to a comic story, a deleted scene was adapted for a flashback sequence (by essentially finishing storyboard frames for that scene); in addition, a special one-shot comic from IDW Publishing was released recently that explores a possible alternate timeline in which the iconic death of Optimus Prime in the movie never happened.

A notable homage to the movie is an episode of the Transformers Animated cartoon from 2008 (Season 2’s “Garbage In, Garbage Out”), which introduced the character Wreck-Gar to that continuity; though he wasn’t voiced by Eric Idle, he was instead voiced by “Weird Al” Yankovic, in homage to his song “Dare To Be Stupid” being used during scenes on the Planet of Junk, and at one point in the episode, Wreck-Gar says “I dare to be stupid”.

On an official level, as of this writing, efforts have been made to celebrate the movie’s legacy this year. In the Transformers: Generations toyline, which leans more towards the use of '80s characters, the line has recently begun the Titans Return branding, which properly re-introduces the Headmaster gimmick as the Titan Master gimmick (though a new name, the gimmick is functionally the same as its '80s counterpart). Since the timing of Titans Return coincides with the 30^th anniversary of this movie, the toyline is set to feature a number of characters introduced in the film. Shout! Factory also has plans to release the movie later this year on Blu-ray for the first time, with new cover art by Transformers artist Livio Ramondelli, an experience I look forward to witnessing.

The cover art to the upcoming Blu-ray.

The Transformers: The Movie, while not exactly a masterpiece of cinema, is definitely a must-see for Transformers fans. Despite flaws in the storytelling and some animation errors (some of which are more noticeable than others), there’s something about the movie that has allowed it to stand the test of time within the fandom, which might have to do with the number of concepts introduced in it that continue to be pivotal to the franchise to this day. A non-fan is less likely to find full enjoyment in the movie, though it does serve as a good time capsule of the '80s in its animation and music and is good for fans of the '80s and '80s memorabilia. Someone getting into Transformers for the first time should look into seeing this movie, as it is the origin of many aspects of the franchise and subject to countless references in Transformers fiction, though other points to consider would be the Transformers Animated cartoon and the combined Transformers: Prime and Robots in Disguise (2015) cartoons. In any case, though it underperformed at the box office when it first released 30 years ago, there’s a reason this movie continues to be celebrated, and I hope it continues in the years to come.

'Til all are one.

Stubs - Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) Starring Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, Alan Ruck. Directed by John Hughes. Screenplay by John Hughes. Produced by John Hughes and Tom Jacobson. Color. U.S.A. Run time: 103 minutes. Comedy.

John Hughes will never go down as one of the greats of filmmaking, but he was very successful for several years making films about teenagers in and around Chicago, his hometown. His films were very much of their time, reflecting not only fashion and music of their day, but also helping to launch many careers. Films like Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), Weird Science (1985) and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) are among the films he both wrote and directed that grew out of his upbringing in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of the Windy City.

The screenplay for the film came together very quickly. Hughes pitched his idea to Paramount’s then head of the motion picture division, Ned Tanen, on February 25, 1985. While Tanen greenlit the picture on the spot, there was a looming Writer’s Guild strike, so Hughes wrote a first draft in less than a week. The film went into production with what was essentially his first draft. Rewrites, as it were, was editing down the film's first cut’s two hour and forty-five (165) minute run time by over an hour to 103 minutes.

Matthew Broderick was Hughes’ first choice for the lead, though he did consider such up and coming actors like Jim Carrey, John Cusack, Tom Cruise and Michael J. Fox. The then 23 year old actor had already been a successful stage actor appearing in Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy and as Eugene Morris Jerome in two of Neil Simon’s Eugene Trilogy of plays: Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues.

He had already made the move to films in Simon’s Max Dugan Returns (1983), followed by WarGames (1983), in which he plays a teenager who accidentally nearly launches an all-out Thermal Nuclear war between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. after hacking into a computer designed to make the decision to launch.

For Ferris’s girlfriend, Sloane Peterson, Hughes cast Mia Sara who had only made one film, Legend (1985), opposite Cruise. Sara was chosen for the role, even though Molly Ringwald, a veteran of Hughes’ films, wanted it.

For Ferris’ best friend and patsy, Cameron Frye, Hughes selected an actor he had previously turned down for a part in The Breakfast Club, Alan Ruck. Even then, the role had been offered to Emilio Estevez, who turned it down. Ruck had previously worked with Broderick on Broadway in Simon’s Biloxi Blues, so the two already had a good working relationship and were already real friends before having to play them on film.

With a budget of a little under $6 million, filming began on September 9, 1985 in Chicago and lasted until November 22nd after returning to Los Angeles to complete production. The film opened on June 11, 1986, earning over $70 million at the box office during its initial release.

It’s a beautiful day and High School senior Ferris Bueller decides too beautiful to spend in school, so he fakes being sick in order to take a day off. As throughout the movie, Ferris talks to the audience. In this case, he’s advising on how to fake an illness.

Ferris (Mathew Broderick) convinces his mom (Cindy Pickett) that he's too sick to go to school.

While Ferris’ parents Tom (Lyman Ward) and Katie (Cindy Pickett) are easy marks, his sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey) is less convinced. She knows that Ferris gets away with things she never could. He’s jealous of the fact that she has a car. (Ed Note: Frankly, the ages don’t seem quite right here. They are both in High School and she has a car, which suggests she’s older, and he’s a senior so are they in the same grade? This is perhaps something left on the cutting room floor, but there is no mention of how this happened or of her age in the film.)

Ferris offers advice on how to fake out your parents.

Equally unconvinced is the school principal Edward Rooney (Jeffrey Jones). He notes that this is Ferris’ ninth absence of the semester and calls Katie at work to inform her. She doesn’t believe him and tries to convince him that Ferris is very sick indeed. While they’re talking, Ferris hacks into the school computer and reduces his absences from nine to two while Rooney has his mother on the phone. Ferris explains his hacking by telling us he got a computer instead of a car. Ferris also proves to be handy with a synthesizer, which he loads with a floppy disk to simulate sick sounds while he chats on the phone with freshmen students at the high school. (Not sure who initiates the call, nor why, but it does build sympathy for the “sick” hero and adds to the myth around school as to how sick he really is.)

Ferris talks to students at school and uses a programmed synthesizer to emphasis his "illness".

Rooney is so outraged by Ferris flaunting his disregard for authority that he informs his assistant, Grace (Edie McClurg), that he’s going to catch him himself.

Meanwhile, Ferris calls his best friend, Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck), who is also sick in bed, but unlike Ferris who is faking, Cameron is convinced he’s dying. Ferris manages to convince Cameron that is death diagnosis is really a lack of something to do. Eventually Cameron gives in; we assume he always gives in. Ferris needs Cameron because, unlike him, Cameron has a car and even though it’s a piece of s***, Ferris is jealous.

Ferris' best friend is Cameron Frye (Alan Ruck), who is also faking
illness, though he's convinced himself he's dying.

Now that’s over, they work to free Ferris’ girlfriend, Sloane Peterson (Sara Mia). Pretending to be Sloane’s father, Cameron calls the school to explain that Sloane’s grandmother has died and they need her at home for the day. Rooney is convinced that it’s really Ferris who is calling and he informs the father that he’ll let her leave if he can produce a body.

Meanwhile, Grace takes a call from Ferris wanting to speak to Rooney. After Rooney speaks to Ferris, who asks politely if Jeanie could bring home any assignments he’ll miss, he changes his tune when speaking to Sloane’s “father.” (It’s revealed that both Ferris and Cameron are calling from landlines in Ferris’ house, this is in the days before cells. No explanation is given as to how they can both use the same landline at the same time. Again, maybe this is somehow explained in what we didn’t see.) Mr. Peterson demands that Rooney have his daughter out in front of the school in ten minutes.

Rooney is back on his heels and hurries to collect Sloane. There is a very funny scene in which he hurries down the halls, but stops running as he passes each classroom, as if aware of the example he’s supposed to be setting.

Now the issue is what to drive to pick up Sloane from school. Since Ferris doesn’t have a car and can’t pretend that Cameron’s is really a car a well-to-do father would drive, he convinces him to let him take Cameron’s father’s prized 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder, a car which Cameron notes his father loves more than life itself. In one of the funnier retorts, Ferris tells him “A man with priorities so far out of whack doesn't deserve such a fine automobile.”

Cameron's father's 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder.

Pretending to be her father, Ferris picks up Sloane at school. In the back, hiding under the car cover, is Cameron. The three drive into the city, where they leave the car in the hands of attendants at a parking garage. No sooner have they left the car, then two of them (Richard Edson and Larry "Flash" Jenkins) take the car for an extended joyride. We’re treated to updates on their ride from time to time throughout the next part of the film.

Ferris catches a ball hit into the stands at Wrigley Field.
Cameron and Sloane (Mia Sara) look on.

During their day in the city, the three teens visit the Art Institute of Chicago, the Sears Tower and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange as well as Wrigley Field, where Ferris catches a ball hit into the stands, before having lunch at a French Restaurant. In order to get a table, Ferris poses as Abe Froman, the "Sausage King of Chicago". Still they narrowly miss being seen by Ferris’ father who is having a business lunch there as well. (This has to be the longest morning on record for them to do all of these things. I’m no aficionado, but I don’t think the Cubs play morning games either, which is the only way the sequence of events would even remotely work. Again, this might have been better dealt with if the screenplay had gone through a rewrite.)

Abe Froman, the "Sausage King of Chicago" and friends stop for lunch.

Mother Bueller comes home from her job as a real estate agent to check on Ferris. When she enters his room, she activates a pulley system which turns a mannequin torso in his bed and activates pre-recorded snoring. Fooled into thinking Ferris is resting up, she leaves him be.

The Bueller's house.

Principal Rooney, meanwhile, drives out to the Bueller household. Ferris has rigged the intercom to play an endless loop of pre-recorded messages about being too sick to come to the door, etc., which at first frustrates Rooney until he figures out what’s what. He searches for an open window, but gets one of his shoes stuck in thick mud by the house. When he tries to get in through a doggy door, he comes face to face with the Bueller’s dog, a Rottweiler. After suffering that attack, he is helpless to stop his car, which he conveniently parked illegally, from being towed away.

Principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones) goes too far and actually breaks into the Bueller home to catch Ferris.

Meanwhile, Jeanie skips classes herself in an attempt to catch Ferris at home. When she gets there, Jeanie discovers Ferris’ ruse, but when she calls her mother she gets the brush off. Mom is too busy to talk to Jeanie and doesn't seem to take her daughter seriously. When Jeanie hears strange noises in the house, she goes downstairs thinking she’s caught Ferris. Instead, it’s Rooney, whom she kicks several times in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Mom has little patience for Jeanie when she calls her at work.

She goes back upstairs to call the police about a break-in, but Rooney manages to slink away before they get there. The police then arrest Jeanie for calling in a false report. While sitting waiting for her mother to come get her out, Jeanie makes the acquaintance of a juvenile delinquent (Charlie Sheen). For a delinquent, he gives Jeanie some sage advice: Don’t pay attention to what her brother gets away with.

Back in Chicago, Ferris, Sloane and Cameron are enjoying a cab ride when they get stuck in traffic. Sitting in the cab next to them is Ferris’ father, but when he glances over, the only person he sees is Sloane, whom he must not recognize, since she flirts with him.

Ferris lip-syncs a couple of songs at the Von Steuben Day parade. 

After the cab ride, Ferris momentarily disappears into the crowd, but emerges atop a float in the Von Steuben Day parade, lip-syncing Wayne Newton’s signature version of “Danke Schoen.” He then follows that up with lip-syncing The Beatles’ famous version of The Isley Brothers’ classic “Twist and Shout”, which, naturally, ignites the whole parade into frenzy.

Ferris has the whole parade and city in a frenzy.

Afterwards, they go back to the garage to retrieve the car, so they can get home ahead of their parents at six. They discover that the car has over 100 additional miles on the odometer. So shocked is Cameron that he becomes catatonic with fear of his father’s wrath. It takes a little doing, like a plunge into a pool, to break the spell.

They take the car back to the garage and try to reverse the miles off the odometer, but that’s not how things work. Ferris suggests that they open the odometer and manually reset the mileage, but Cameron refuses. Instead, he takes out his pent up frustration with his lousy relationship with his father on the symbol of his father, the Ferrari. He kicks the car, denting the front. Disturbed by what he’s done, Cameron decides to confront his father. As he talks, he leans against the car, knocking it off its jack and with the car in gear; it drives itself backwards through the back of the garage and into a ravine behind the house. Ferris offers to take full blame for what has happened, but Cameron is determined to take the heat for the car.

Things seem hopeless after the car goes out the back of the garage.

Meanwhile, back at the police station, Mrs. Bueller comes to take Jeanie home, only to find her making out with the delinquent.

Ferris' sister Jeanie (Jennifer Grey) finds chemistry with a juvenile delinquent (Charlie Sheen).

Ferris returns Sloane home and realizes he only has a few minutes to make it back home ahead of his parents. (It's established  that his father comes home every night at six sharp.) Ferris runs all the way back, taking the backway and short cuts, but stops to introduce himself when he passes a couple of girls sunbathing.

Ferris takes Sloane home.

While his father doesn’t notice him, Jeanie, who is driving her mom’s station wagon, does. She nearly runs over Ferris when he rushes out in front of the car. She then tries to run him down, but gets pulled over by the police, allowing Ferris to make it home just ahead of his parents. With them arriving in front, Ferris tries to go around back. (Once again there’s some time-bending going on. If you’ve ever gotten a ticket, it is not a quick process, but Jeanie and her mom arrive only seconds behind Ferris.) But Rooney is waiting for him and, thinking he finally has the goods on him, asks “How would you feel about another year of High School under my close personal supervision?"

But just when things look their darkest, Ferris gets a break. In a little bit of Deus ex Machina, Jeanie has discovered Rooney's wallet on the kitchen floor, proof he was the one who broke in and she uses it to blackmail Rooney into backing down, saving the brother she’s been trying all day to reveal as a fraud. And as she closes the door on him, the family Rottweiler attacks Rooney again.

Dashing upstairs, Ferris manages to get into bed just before his parents come into his room. Using the baseball from Wrigley Field, he manages to silence the snooze machine. His parents are clueless that he had ever been out of bed and even suggest that maybe he should stay home again the next day.

After they leave, Ferris reminds the audience, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Ferris then smiles at the camera before the screen goes dark.

Mom and Dad (Lyman Ward) have no idea the ruse Ferris has pulled.

Dejected and thoroughly defeated, Rooney is walking back home when the school bus happens by and offers him a lift.Nothing adds more to his humiliation than the look of the students as he boards the bus and makes his way inside. The only seat available is one next to the girl apparently no one else wants to sit next to. As if to add insult to injury, she offers him a gummy bear that she’s been carrying around in her pocket all day, so it’s warm and soft. (Best not to think too hard about it, but if it's supposed to be six o'clock,  these poor students have been on that bus for hours.)

After the credits run, Ferris emerges from his room, in his bathrobe, and tells everyone to go home; “You're still here? It's over!”

When the film opened on June 11, 1986 in 1330 theaters, it made more than $6.25 million finishing second to the Rodney Dangerfield starrer Back to School, which also opened that weekend and also, coincidentally, includes a rendition of Twist and Shout, this time sung by Rodney Dangerfield on the soundtrack. If you go by these two movies, you’d think everyone was singing this song in the 1980s.

The film received good reviews, being called “fun” and “sophisticated” for a teen film. And the film is fun to watch; even on repeated viewings, the Ferris is still funny.

While I’m not a huge fan of his, this is easily my favorite Matthew Broderick film role. He seems like such a natural to play the devil may care Ferris. He’s since gone on to make a career on the Broadway stage, especially when starring opposite of Nathan Lane.

But like any ringleader, Ferris needs a supporting cast and Ruck and Mia provide him with good backup, especially Ruck. This is only the third film in a career which has included stints on television in Spin City (1996-2002) and supporting roles in a couple of big but vapid films: Speed (1994) and Twister (1996). There is an almost Joe E. Brown quality to Ruck’s persona in this film and some thought he deserved more recognition for the role.

Jennifer Grey, who played Ferris’ sister, would have her breakout performance a year later in Dirty Dancing (1987). She’s good in this role and one senses a lot of teenage angst from being the forgotten child in the house with obvious favorite, Ferris.

Prior to this movie, Jeffrey Jones was probably best remembered for his role as Emperor Joseph II in Amadeus (1984). He makes for a good foil for Ferris, someone who really wants to catch him and will do almost anything to bring the boy to justice for his truancy. But in the end, our hero wins the day. Jones, who would also play a prominent role in Beetlejuice (1988), would have his career derailed when he was arrested for possession of child pornography and solicitation of a 14 year-old boy in 2003.

I would be remiss not to mention all the other character actors who populate the film, including Edie McClurg as Grace and Ben Stein as Ferris’ Economics teacher. Both make the most of their small roles and leave a good impression. McClurg, who has appeared in 90 films and 55 TV episodes, has become a fixture on the voice actor circuit voicing roles in Cars 2 (2011), Wreck-It-Ralph (2012), Frozen (2013) and Zootopia (2016).

Ben Stein makes a cameo as Ferris' Economics teacher.

It would take too long to outline Ben Stein’s career, but he started out as a writer before becoming a speech writer for both Presidents Nixon and Ford. A conservative, Stein moved into films. While Ferris Bueller wasn’t his first, it was certainly the one that put him on the map as an actor. He’s appeared in Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), Ghostbusters II (1989), the TV show The Wonder Years and even played himself in Dave (1993). An intellectual, Stein even hosted his own game show, Win Ben Stein’s Money (1997-2002), in which he supposedly put up his own money should a contestant best him, in reality the money was put up by the show’s producers.

Like many of John Hughes' film, Ferris Bueller is a glamourized snap shot of the era it was made in. Everything about the film screams mid-1980s, which is part of its charm. Ferris is more than just a teenager’s fantasy; who wouldn’t want to play hooky whenever they want and just enjoy life? Despite my criticism of the film’s time-bending, it is really a very enjoyable and funny experience. I’ve seen the film maybe four times now and it never gets old.

Stubs – Jim Henson’s Labyrinth

Jim Henson’s Labyrinth (1986) Starring: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly. Directed by Jim Henson. Screenplay by Terry Jones. Story by Dennis Lee and Jim Henson. Executive Producer: George Lucas.  Produced by Eric Rattray and David Lazer. Run Time: 101 minutes. U.S. and UK Color. Fantasy

It’s hard to imagine that the combined talents of The Muppet’s Jim Henson, Star Wars’ George Lucas, Monty Python’s Terry Jones and rock star David Bowie would come up with such a misguided effort as Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. There are too many Muppets, too much music and not enough story to make this film a worthwhile watch.

The story revolves around Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), a teenager with a vivid imagination, who is supposed to babysit her half-brother, Toby. The movie is going for a Cinderella v. evil step-mother type of situation, but doesn’t do a good job of setting up that angle. Stepmother (Shelley Thompson) is not portrayed as being bad or overbearing, just a little concerned that her attractive and well-built step-daughter can’t get a date on Saturday night.

Sarah has agreed to babysit Toby (Toby Froud) and is running late. But stepmother isn’t really mad or all that hard on Sarah. Still Sarah goes to her room to sulk. While there, she discovers that one of her teddy bears, Lancelot, is missing and goes into her parent’s room, where Toby is sleeping in a crib to retrieve it. Toby is a baby and cries, which leads Sarah to ask Jareth, the Goblin King (David Bowie) to take Toby away. The idea of a Goblin King is presumed to be mentioned in a book Sarah is reading, called Labyrinth, because it is never really spelled out.

But no sooner has she given Toby away then she has second-thoughts and tries to recant. It’s already too late, but Jareth agrees to bargain. If Sarah can get to his castle, through the Labyrinth in 13 hours he’ll give her back Toby. There is something arbitrary sounding about 13 hours, as opposed to 6, 12 or 24. Perhaps the moviemakers were trying to give the audience a head’s up on how long the movie would seem. Jareth then transports Sarah and himself to the Labyrinth and lets her fend for herself. He will try repeatedly to get Sarah to give up her quest to find Toby.

At the entrance to the Labyrinth, Sarah meets Hoggle (voiced by Brian Henson), a dwarf who refuses to help, though he eventually does. Hoggle is one of many muppet-style creatures that Sarah will meet along her way. She quickly learns that nothing is as it seems and that even solid walls have passages. While Sarah makes good progress, she eventually traps herself in a dungeon, which the movie refers to as an oubliette, but Jareth sends Hoggle in to lead her out and to misdirect her back to the beginning of the labyrinth.

During their journey, Sarah and Hoggle run across a group of goblins beating a beast named Ludo (voiced by Ron Mueck). While Hoggle runs away when he hears Ludo’s roar, Sarah saves him, but the two get separated. Members of the Fire Gang, creatures with detachable limbs, harass Sarah until Hoggle comes back to rescue her.  Afterwards, they journey through the Bog of Eternal Stench, with its fart sounds and supposedly accompanying gaseous smells. There they are reunited with Ludo and add Sir Didymus (voiced by David Shaughnessy) a fox-like knight who guards the bridge that leads them away from the bog.

Jareth has given Hoggle a peach that he wants Sarah to eat. When everyone is hungry, Hoggle gives it to her. Sarah falls into a trance. At first she thinks she’s home and that all of this misadventure was just a bad dream, but that’s not true. Next, she imagines herself in a ballroom where Jareth tries to seduce her. However, the striking of a clock reminds her that she’s supposed to be saving her brother.  She breaks free of the trance and rejoins Ludo and Sir Didymus as they near Goblin City, which surrounds Jareth’s castle. Hoggle, once again, reappears and disables the giant robot that guards the city’s gate.

Hoggle requests and receives Sarah’s forgiveness for his earlier betrayal and the four make their way through Goblin City, defeating the Goblin Army sent by Jareth to stop them. When they reach Jareth’s throne, Sarah goes in alone, but she finds Jareth and Toby in an Escher-style room, where the laws of physics and perspective don’t matter. Sarah tries, but is unable to find a way to get to Toby. Jareth confronts her and asks her to give up her quest and to stay with him forever. But Sarah refuses, reciting the lines from Labyrinth, which ends with the line that Jareth has no power over her.

Jareth acknowledges defeat and returns Toby to Sarah. Back home, Sarah realizes she can see Hoggle in her mirror. She tells her friends that she needs them and summons them to her room, where they celebrate her victory. In the end, Jareth, in the form of the white owl, watches the party from outside and flies away.

Not that I watched this film with high expectations, but I was very disappointed in what such a talented creative team had wrought. While Terry Jones is credited with the screenplay, what was actually shot was quite different, a collaboration between Henson, Lucas, Laura Phillips and Elaine May. May’s involvement should have resulted in a better screenplay. Her previous work with Mike Nichols in the 1950s and her previous work on Heaven Can Wait (1976) give her a comedic cred that is sadly missing from the film. It may be a case of too many writers spoiling the script.

The presence of David Bowie changed the direction of the film. Jones’ original script didn’t have the audience seeing the center of the Labyrinth until Sarah got there. But with someone has big as Bowie in the cast, that wouldn’t do. Therefore, we’re given a couple of Bowie songs that just seem to stop the action in their tracks and have Bowie cavorting with goblins. His talents are misused in this film.

The only other star in the film is Jennifer Connelly, who was only 16 at the time. For an actress of her age, appearing in only her fourth film, I got the sense she was capable of doing much more than the screenplay allowed. Connelly, who is still acting in films, would grow up into a bit of a sex symbol in such films as The Rocketeer (1991) and prove her acting chops in Requiem for a Dream (2000) and A Beautful Mind (2001).

The film was not a commercial success, making back only about half of its production costs at the US box office. Jim Henson apparently took the flop very hard and never again directed a movie. He would die four years later in 1990. His was an extraordinary career that lasted from the 1950’s, through stints on the Jimmy Dean Show, to Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, Saturday Night Live and not to mention the long-running Muppets TV Shows and multiple successful movies. His legacy is set in stone despite the failures of this film.

Overall, Labyrinth is a creative disappointment; a film which doesn’t seem to know where it wants to go or how to get there. It’s sort of a lesson on that while film is a collaborative effort there needs to be a singular vision for it to work. Labyrinth is an undercooked cake of too many flavors. Perhaps one of the members of the creative team could have made a better film on their own. Sometimes when you try too hard to make everyone happy no one is in the end.