So John Hughes died last week after removing himself from the movie world for over a decade. I can't say that I blame him. I'm of an age where I should be rhapsodizing about Hughes's movies as formative experiences. I came of age in the 1980s, after all. Frankly, though, I don't like his movies. Never have, really. I kinda liked Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but if pressed to name a favorite, it would be Nate and Hayes, which Hughes wrote, but didn't direct. It's got Tommy Lee Jones as a pirate. 'Nuff said. The rest? They tended to be about snotty rich kids. I didn't have any sympathy.
But I do recognize the cultural impact of Hughes's movies. At the risk of being taken to task for recycling old material ("leftovers agaiinnnn?"), I offer this in tribute: My very favorite movie poster of the 1980s, which uses one of Hughes's productions as a point of reference.
Which bears an uncanny resmblance to this poster:
RIP, Mr. Hughes.
Dr. Morbius: My favorite Hughes piece of pop nostalgia? So glad you asked. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. No full-of-themselves little shits here. It actually made me laugh instead of wanting to smack the crap out of a pack of brats. Mollie Ringwald in particular -- Mykal
ReplyDeleteI like his movies just because Molly Ringwald is adorable. But other than her, they usually don't have any great value as films.
ReplyDeleteThat TCM 2 poster is actually what got me interested into seeing The Breakfast Club. I saw the poster at a rental store and thought it was hilarious.
I really enjoyed most of Hughes' films when I was a teen. I especially enjoyed 16 Candles when I was probably about that age. But I get impatient with them these days. I get fairly restless in The Breakfast Club.
ReplyDeleteBut I had no idea he had anything to do with Nate and Hayes. Love that movie! Now I'm going to by itching to see it again. Good thing that I have a video store nearby that will have at least one or two copies, probably in multiple formats.
Jacob: I used to have the TCM 2 poster on my dorm room wall when I was in college. I almost always had to point out the source of the pose to people. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteDeanna: yeah. Nate and Hayes is seriously underrated. It's pretty cheap on DVD, but it's probably cheaper still at your video store.
Mykal: Wanting to smack the crap out of someone was my usual response to John Hughes films. Usually that someone was Hughes himself.