It hasn’t been a month since I added to my list of movies that deserve more attention nowadays. Ever since I made the first of these lists, I knew there were going to be a few of these movies I would have to cut. After all, I could only choose five of them to keep my list a bit more concise. But that just meant I always had content as I could always make another of those lists. Well, I think it’s about time I shone a spotlight on five more movies from the past that deserve a little more love.
Like with the previous lists, I’m not going to embed the trailers of these films. I’m going to, instead, put up videos of people reacting to these movies. This is just proof that, despite their age and them not being all that popular, they are still movies that are very enjoyable.
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as former Special Forces commander John Matrix (what a name!). He is living his best life with his daughter out in California. The leader of a mercenary group he led an attack on now wants revenge. The evil doers kidnap his daughter and John Matrix (I still can’t get over the name!) must rescue his daughter and stop a literal army all by himself.
While we’ve all seen a lot of films featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, I always have felt Commando has always been left out of the picture. In all fairness, Commando is definitely a product of the ’80s. I mean, the hero’s name is John Matrix! That’s the type of name only a screenwriter from the ’80s would create! The entire ending sequence where John Matrix storms an island and, like I said in the summary, literally takes out an entire army by himself is peak ’80s action!
As this is a film featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger, you also get a lot of classic one-liners in Commando. They don’t exactly have a timeless quality to them as they only work in context. He also gets to do a lot of superhuman stuff, such as flipping over a car, jump out of a plane without a parachute and survive and, oh right, talk out an entire army by himself! This is abashedly one of those action movies where you can just turn off your brain and have yourself a good time watching the hero mow down baddies.
Gary and Wyatt are two nerdy teenagers who, after watching Frankenstein, wonder if they can create the perfect woman. In the process, they create Lisa. However, she is more than just the perfect woman. She is a being that can bend reality itself. Thankfully, Lisa is loyal to both Gary and Wyatt and she attempts to help the duo not only with their social status but to get the girls of their dreams.
Weird Science was actually a big hit when it was released in 1985. It even spawned a five season long TV series. So, it’s kind of baffling to me as to why Weird Science doesn’t get talked about that much nowadays. Then again, I didn’t have seen this movie until the mid ’90s when my uncle returned from overseas with a bunch of bootleg movies. One of those movies just so happened to be Weird Science. So, if it weren’t for this stroke of luck, I wouldn’t have even seen this film.
Like with Commando, Weird Science is a product of the ’80s. So creating the perfect woman was just harmless fun back then! Still, this is a film with a lot of heart and Lisa might be one of the earliest incarnations of the manic pixie dream girl trope, minus the manic and pixie part.
Besides, who wouldn’t want to see Kelly LeBrock in her prime wearing a cropped shirt and panties? See? It’s a product of the ’80s!
Summer School stars Mark Harmon, way back before he rose to popularity as NCIS Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He plays PE teacher Freddy Shoop who gets roped into teaching remedial English to a bunch of misfit students. He then forms a bond with these students and starts to really care for their well-being, something other teachers never did.
Despite being a lesser known film, Summer School actually has some well-known names. I’ve already mentioned Mark Harmon. Kirstie Alley, Shawnee Smith and Courtney Thorne-Smith also appear in the movie. To be fair, this was released before they really hit their stride. So, you can say Summer School was a star making movie?
To be fair, I wouldn’t have even seen this movie if it didn’t get broadcast during a local channel’s movie night offering. Still, when I did see Summer School, I fell in love with the film. There was just a lighthearted energy to it and the chemistry between all of the actors felt right. I guess a lot of people feel the same as Summer School did become a cult classic in its own right.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Some years have passed since that fateful Christmas that threw Billy and Kate’s life into turmoil. Both have moved on and are now engaged. They once again cross paths with Gizmo when they find out he’s being held in a genetics lab in the building they work. Like during that hellish holiday season, Gizmo accidentally gets wet and spawn new Gremlins. This leads the mischievous monsters to wreck havoc inside the high-tech building.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a totally different beast from the original Gremlins. It’s definitely not trying to scare you anymore. Rather, the sequel is more of a comedy and a parody of itself. Heck, there’s an entire sequence where people discuss how to define “eating after midnight.” I guess that’s one of the reasons why Gremlins 2: The New Batch never really became as popular as the first movie. It pretty much distanced itself from its horror roots.
Still, I do think people should give this movie a chance and look at it with an open mind. Sure, there aren’t any scares anymore but, in a way, that’s a good thing. It makes it much more accessible to kids. Also, anyone who loves a good ’80s or ’90s reference will have a blast with this.
Office Space focuses on three hapless computer programmers who have to work under the gripping conditions of while collar employment. This includes the monotony of the work, callous bosses, annoying co-workers and defective equipment.
I do have to apologize for the rather vague summary but, with Office Space, it’s kind of impossible to give something more concise. That’s because there is more than just one storyline happening throughout the film. What’s important to note is, despite being set during just before the Y2K problem, Office Space still manages to be a great parody of office work, even in today’s time.
Office Space was one of those movies I just happened to see in the theaters after school because, well, I didn’t have anything else to do! The only thing I knew about it was it was created by Mike Judge, the same guy behind Beavis and Butt-Head. That was enough to convince me to give this a chance. And I’m glad that I did! Sure, it’s very different from Beavis and Butt-Head but Office Space was hilarious nonetheless!
What other forgotten movies from the past do you believe deserve more attention? Let me know in the comments section below!
3rd World Geeks 