Tuesday 19 January 2010

Broadcast News (1987)

Tagline: It's the story of their lives
Cusack Plays: 'Angry Messenger'
Family Connections: Joan plays a worker in the news room

A love triangle in the news room as the pretty boy and his rival reporter vie for the hearts of producer Holly Hunter, wearing some 'could only be 80's' frocks. Its an alright film, which I have a vague memory of possibly being made to watch at school and us mostly hating it (or was it a similar flick with a journalistic angle?) It was also nominated for 7 Oscars. None of these were for spelling - they manage to mispell Joan and John's surname in the credits.

Now this is a blink and you'll miss it part for John. In fact you don't even see his face, just his back as he chucks a bag across the room and says, "sons of bitches!" right after sister Joan delivers the line "My brother will feel great, now he's not the only screw up". But for completionist sakes I watched the whole film for these few seconds. Joan also does an ace dash through the studio with a tape minutes before broadcast, sliding under filing cabinets and jumping over children.



Monday 18 January 2010

Hot Pursuit (1987)


Tagline: She promised him ten days together in paradise. He never dreamed how far he'd have to go.
Cusack Plays: Dan Bartlett, college student whose intended holiday paradise in the Carribean with his girlfriend and her family is interrrupted by all manner of catastrophe. Including a creepy Ben Stiller.

Another year, another 1980s teen film. But this one's ok - it follows the 'plans go awry - then things keep getting worse and worse' template, but this gives Cusack a chance to do the 'flipping out' thing over and over. The rough plot is that Dan/John misses going on holiday with his girlfriend after having to retake a test. In trying to catch up with her he ends up with hippies, pirates and on boats and plane all over the place. Meanwhile Ben Stiller (appearing in a film with his dad Jerry for the first time) is sleazing on his girlfriend.

JC has some floppy hair going on here which is not glimpsed all that often in other films, so there's one selling point. I'd probably watch this one again.