Showing posts with label James Spader. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Spader. Show all posts

Monday, January 9, 2017

MANNEQUIN (1987)

A loser dork (Andrew McCarthy), who somehow has an amazing loft despite the fact he can't keep a job for over a week, gets a job at a large downtown department store and soon falls in love with a 5,000 year-old woman (Kim Cattrall) who has possessed a mannequin.  And she with him.  Catch is...only he can see her as a real person.  Everybody else just thinks that he's a weirdo molesting a mannequin, but they tolerate him because he (and his mannequin muse) create new and exciting window displays that bring in some much needed customers.  They also attract the attention of a rival department store boss that wants to know the secret to Andrew's newfound success.

That story is dumb as hell, but...hey!  This is the 1980's we're talking about.  Despite the silliness of it all, MANNEQUIN still works as a goofy, light-hearted comedy mainly thanks to good casting and performances that were wacky, but not too wacky.  For me, the most memorable character was the hilariously flamboyant window dresser Hollywood Montrose (played brilliantly by Meshach Taylor).

Eye-watering 80's fashions, a few funny moments, G.W. Bailey looking like he walked directly off the set of a POLICE ACADEMY movie and onto the set of this movie, music montage with lots of costume changes and 80's dancing, R.L. Ryan from STREET TRASH, Kim Cattrall looking good but not as good as she did in BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, a cute bulldog, James Spader making funny faces.

Overall, MANNEQUIN is an enjoyable 80's timewaster, but it never answers the question as to what would happen if somebody walked in on Andrew and Kim having sex?  Would she instantly seal up and rip his dick off??!

Part 2 - Mannequin: On the Move (1991)

Saturday, April 13, 2013

PRETTY IN PINK (1986)

Some people might get PRETTY IN PINK mixed up with SIXTEEN CANDLES.  If this happens to you, just remember that SIXTEEN CANDLES is the funny romantic comedy, whereas PRETTY IN PINK is the kinda downer romantic drama.  Also SIXTEEN CANDLES has Long Duk Dong "Ohh, sexy girlfriend!"

Poor (literally) Molly Ringwald lives on the wrong side of the tracks, but for whatever reason still gets to go to high school with the wealthy preppies.  The lead alpha male preppy (James Spader) wants to bang Molly, but she always tells him to fuck off.  Enter the sensitive preppy (Andrew McCarthy) who has a heart of gold and looks like he's 25.  Molly goes goo-goo for him, much to the chagrin of her best friend Duckie who is secretly in love with Molly despite the fact that he's obviously gay.  Anyways, stuff happens...preppies vs. whatever the hell Molly and Duckie were, Molly's dad is too lazy to get a job, Duckie dances around like an idiot, James Spader acts like a cad, 80's music is played, Molly's older female friend has a million costume changes and so on.  It's a lot of fun and I've seen it many times, but when you think about it: Molly never had many dating choices.  It all came down to Duckie and the wimpy McCarthy who seemed to like her, but at the same time didn't really seem too sincere.

Oh well, it's no SIXTEEN CANDLES, but it's still an enjoyable mid-80's high school drama.  The fashions alone are worth checking it out.
JFA

Hey, it's ol' girl from PRIVATE RESORT!