Or that time Robert Altman (yes, "Nashville"/"M*A*S*H"/"The Player's" Robert Altman) directed a wacky teenage comedy based on a series of 1982 National Lampoon articles that was finished in 1984, but not released theatrically until 1987 in limited release. Altman couldn't make a bad film if he tried, but despite a few borderline-brilliant vignettes (O.C. and Cynthia Nixon's Michelle tap-dancing/flirting like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Dennis Hopper as an "Apocalypse Now"-like crazy Vietnam vet, etc.), "O.C. and Stiggs" seems more interested in making thinly-veiled digs at Reagan's conservative silent majority than entertaining viewers. This is the "Hudson Hawk"-meets-"Tank Girl"-meets-"Freaked" of 80's teen comedies. Oliver Cromwell Oglivie, aka O.C. (Daniel H. Jenkins) and Mark Stiggs (Neill Barry) are Phoenix, AZ high school besties who seem obsessed with harassing, provoking and making life miserable for the upper-class Schwab family. Not just patriarch Randall (Paul Dooley) who forced O.C.'s retired grandpa cop (Ray Walston) into a group home prematurely via his job as regional insurance salesman, or perpetually drunk wife Elinore (Jane Curtin) sneaking booze from binoculars or ice cream straws, but also uber-nerdy son Randall Jr. (Jon Cryer) and borderline-invisible Lenore (Laura Urstein).
Heck, most of the movie is a flashback in which the duo make an expensive international phone call on Schwab's landline to Gabon President Omar Bongo, sharing with the African leader how they spent their summer getting even with the Schwab clan. Though I wasn't bored during its 109 min. running time, "O.C. and Stiggs" began grating my nerves by not giving me a moment's rest with either the leads constantly talking (usually in vapid, disposable dialogue), a wacky sound effect, radio station blabber about the hot Phoenix weather or any number of character conversations heard while other convos/music played loud (a Robert Altman trademark). Only the musical appearance by The King Sunny Adé and His African Beats band (whom Altman booked because he liked them) gives momentary relief by looking for a few minutes like a conventional concert movie. The finale involving a doomsday bunker and fireworks exploding during a party with a helicopter reaches appropriate levels of wacky, while also trying to make statements about homelessness (sudden death by hypothermia), parental hypocrisy (spouses are constantly unfaithful, but the women tolerate it because of materialism taking precedence), racism (no minority character gets by without a politically incorrect wisecrack), the importance of appearances (via a crappy Studebaker Champion used car they modify into a hydraulic monster) and suburban consumerism culture run amok.
I'm glad I've seen this forgotten Altman rarity, but I hope it stays forgotten and rare for another 41 years. 🫤 2.25 MEXICAN SOUVENIER BUS SALESMEN WITH 'NO STINKIN' BADGES' (out of five).
'THE BOYS HAVEN'T BEEN BACK IN TOWN IN 36 YEARS!' DOUBLE BILL! 165.- 48 HRS. (1982, 4K UHD). Streaming on NETFLIX.
It's always bothered me that "48 Hrs." is often referred to as an 80's comedy. 'Buddy Cop' comedy I'd buy, but just comedy? It's about 75-80% a gritty police action/drama and 20-25% comedy... and we have to wait almost 30 minutes before Eddie Murphy shows up to enliven what up to that point has been a very dour, depressing procedural. Escaped convict Albert Ganz (James Remar) and Billy Bear (Sonny Landham) want the money that former associate Luther (David Patrick Kelly) has kept hidden, and San Francisco detective Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) uses incarcerated former associate of Ganz's Reggie Hammond (Murphy) to track down the fugitives. There are great comedy beats involving Cates and Reggie insulting/punching the crap out of one another until they gain each other's trust, culminating in the redneck bar scene where you see Eddie Murphy turn into a movie superstar before your very eyes. 🤩🥹 James Horner's score sounds like a warm-up/tune-up for "Commando's" steel drum-heavy music, the stereotypes thick in the supporting cast (Frank McRae's scenes as fed-up chief of police are epic! 😁), the pace suitably slow and patient from an '80 movie still stuck in 70's production cycles, and the ending a major letdown compared with the action leading up to it. This once-classic is showing its age, IMHO. 3.30 MESSAGES FROM ANNETTE O'TOOLE'S ELAINE UNDERNEATH KEHOE'S DESK LAMP (out of five).
More or less the same movie as its predecessor (even the opening meeting of the bad guys and bar brawl for Eddie to shoot off his mouth feels lifted from '82), with Walter Hill's excessive stylistic choices (people falling in slow-motion, glass constantly shattered, etc.) showing about a decade's worth of improved experience. Eddie Murphy's name comes first in the credits now, followed by Nick Nolte's before the title. Star power, it's a bitch! 😅 An uber-villain that only Jack Cates knows about and is trying to track down, the mysterious 'Iceman,' wants Reggie Hammond killed as soon as he gets out of prison. Upset that Cates still has his $500K loot from the previous movie and under pressure by fellow prisoner Kirkland Smith (Bernie Casey) to deliver on his promise, Reggie is in no mood to deal with or even talk to Cates about helping the latter avoid an internal investigation that could get him kicked off the force. The goons that 'Iceman' hires to kill Reggie (including the brother of the James Remar character from the prequel) and all his old crime pals not wanting anything to do with him pushes the fast-talking ex-con to reluctantly work one more time with his old "partner."
It's still 75-80% cop action flick, 20-25% comedy, an imbalance that doesn't bother most people but irks me when it's brought up first as a comedy. Great supporting cast (Ed O'Ross, Kevin Tighe, Tisha Campbell for a hot second, Brion James returning as Kehoe, etc.), even more noticeable steel drums in James Horner's score and a slightly faster pace than its prequel make me like "Another 48 Hrs." over OG "48 Hrs." by the slimmest of margins. 3.40 PRISON BUS FLIPPING/TRUCK CRASHING STUNTS TO DIE FOR (out of five).
Finishing Junesploitation 2026 in a very weak way this year. The amount of tasks that have come up over the past week has made getting one movie a day in challenging. Hopefully there is time later to get to my last catch-up day. I got to over forty films this year. It is not a bad number, but I was planning on a watching more.
THE LEGEND OF THE STARDUST BROTHERS (1985, dir. Makoto Tezuka)
I stumbled onto this looking on Tubi just a couple of days ago, and it immediately became my first choice today. It looked weird, and the viewing experience was even weirder than expected. Two Japanese singers, one in a punk band and another a new wave group, are put together into a pop duo by a strange music mogul. The Stardust Brothers are born. They hit the top of the music charts, yet it is only a matter of time that another singer to comes along to take the spotlight. Then the crazy things start happening. All the while, everything is being presented like a zany music video, and one song is followed by another song. Visual gag is followed by visual gag. In all honesty, STARDUST BROTHERS became an exhausting watch at 100 minutes. So much is thrown at the viewer that it gets overwhelming. If you are looking for a weird experience, though, this might be the film for you. Did I say that it is very '80s? It is.
Any time/effort you put into Junesploitation! is welcomed, Casual. Not everybody can do a movie a day, let alone 165+ movies/cartoons like some freak I know. 😉🙃
June is a time of the year that I have looked forward to since 2017. That was my first participation - though it was only partial that year - in Junesploitation. It was what got me involved in the FTHISMOVIE community. I have officially (according to my spreadsheet) reached 400 total Junesploitation watches since then. At least 3/4 of those have been new watches, too.
BONUS: 30 DAYS OF PINK PANTHER & FRIENDS, DAY 30! 167.- PINK PANTHER AND PALS: PINK UP THE VOLUME, ZEUS JUSTICE, A PINK AND STORMY NIGHT (3/7/2010, YOUTUBE)
The last attempt (by Cartoon Network 16 years ago) at a 'Pink Panther' cartoon revival that, like the 1993/94 version, goes back to the theatrical shorts of the 1960's for inspiration (two Panther shorts with one Ant/Aardvark short in-between) and brings them up to date (internet, widescreen TV's, etc.). All characters except The Little Man (here renamed 'Big Nose') have been given a youth/shrinkage re-imagining, including the Panther, which makes them look much younger (teenagers maybe?). In 'Pink Up The Volume' Big Nose wants a day of peace and quiet with his dog, but the next-door PP wants to play/practice his musical instruments. The giant crystal dome Big Nose uses to try to keep quiet reminded me of Stephen King's "Under the Dome." 😁 'Zeus 'Juice' takes on the 'juicing' fad of that era (remember the informercials for juicers?) with the Aardvark bulking-up to chase after Ant, until the latter makes some bulking-up of his own. And in 'A Pink and Stormy Night' a mad scientist (Big Nose) and his Igor-like dog call on the PP pizza delivery to get a subject for a series of terrifying experiments. Wackiness ensues, including a fair share of goofy homages to "Bride of Frankenstein" that the diehard monster movie fans will appreciate. I might check out more 'PPAP' cartoons after I finish the 93/94 series, but based on this pilot episode's compilation of shorts this Cartoon Network series comes slightly below the 90's one. 3.15 DOME-CRACKING TINY MUSIC TRIANGLES (out of five).
And the 30 Days of Pink Panther and Friends! are officially over! 🥳🥰😋 It's my last day off before I have to work the entire 4th of July weekend (no 250th birthday celebration for me), so time permitting I might sneak an extra review or two today before finishing up Junesploitation! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING, and please remember to visit F This Movie everyday for new content and on the WEEKENDS for lively discussion about movies we watched the previous week and a lot of other stuff. We want to see you visit here more often than just every June. 😉 See you around. 👋😎
(editors note: for the last movie of the month i chose a comedy that i recall liking when i was a kid but know that its terrible....)
Naked Space aka Spaceship aka The Creature Wasnt Nice (1981)
Yes this movie has three different titles. It is a loooow budget kinda-parody of 2001 and Alien starring Leslie Nielson, Gerret Graham, and Cindy "shirley" Williams. Its also potentially one of least funny comedies EVER made. Production value of an extended skit from a cable access show. Random musical numbers within. Doing some research this morning it sounds like the studio took the flick from the director and recut it a bunch...but im not sure how much could have been there to begin with. Woof.
HUGE Thanks to all who participated in Junesploitation!!!! Its so great to read all your reviews and come away with suggestions and giggles. Personally i had a blast and only missed a day or two. Outstanding job F This Folks!!!!!!!
Curse of the Pink Panther (1983, dir. Blake Edwards)
Clouseau is (still) missing and Chief Inspector Dreyfus has the task of finding him. He programs a computer to find the world's best detective, but secretly tampers it so it finds the worst. Enter bumbling American police officer Clifton Sleigh, who bumbles his way out of every dangerous situation he gets into. You know, like Clouseau did, remember?
Like J.M. wrote a few days ago, there are some well directed set pieces and a few jokes that kinda land, but they're few and far between and Ted Wass is no Peter Sellers. Edwards had an amazing cast of actors in tiny roles, but didn't know what to do with them. This was overall pretty dismal.
There's a reason the series stopped here, returned 10 years later to even worst results, then went away for another 13. No Peter Sellers? No sale... or should l say 'no SAIL!' 😳🫣
Sometimes, the chemistry between two legends is enough to carry a movie. See No Evil, Hear No Evil is the definition of that sentence: a high-concept, low-brow collision that remains a mandatory watch for anyone obsessed with the glory days of the Pryor and Wilder pairing.
Directed by Arthur Hiller, this was the third of four collaborations between comedy titans Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. It’s a classic odd-couple setup: Dave (Wilder) is deaf, and Wally (Pryor) is blind. They become an unlikely team when they witness a murder in Dave’s newsstand. Wally hears the shot, Dave sees the killer’s shapely legs, and what follows is a frantic, slapstick-heavy chase through NYC and New Jersey involving a stolen gold coin, a secret superconductor and a whole lot of hijinks, as they say.
The cast is a weird, wonderful mix of genre staples. You’ve got Joan Severance, who had the perfect cold, calculated look for the villainous Eve (and thiose gorgeous gams that Dave notices) and a young Kevin Spacey is in full “goon” mode as Kirgo, long before he hit A-list status. Look for the legendary Anthony Zerbe—a guy who has been in everything from The Omega Man to License to Kill—playing the blind villain, Sutherland.
The production was a legal mess before a camera even rolled. Joseph Bologna and Renée Taylor (who wrote Lovers and Other Strangers) sold the script in 1984 but later sued Columbia Pictures for a massive payout after being cut out of the rewrite process. Before Wilder was cast, the studio considered Jim Belushi for the role of the deaf store owner. That would have been an entirely different—and significantly less charming—kind of movie.
While the critics at the time—including Roger Ebert—hated it, calling it a “dud,” the audience didn’t care. It sat at number one at the box office for two weeks. My wife absolutely adores this movie, and we watch it at least twice a year.
There is one really good thing that came out of this: Wilder attended the NY League for the Hard of Hearing to prepare for his role. He worked with speech pathologist Karen Webb, who would become his fourth wife. That’s good luck, as he’d already turned down the movie twice, as he was worried the film would mock people with disabilities. He changed his mind when, during his research and meetings with real deaf people, he was told, “People with handicaps do have a sense of humor.”
Writers Earl Barret and Arne Sultan created Too Close for Comfort, so from all the Cosmic Cow fans, thank you.
Thanks for all your contributions this year, B&S. Remember, you promised you'd visit FTM on the weekends and not wait until next June to visit again. 👋😃
SORRORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBOWL BOWL-O-RAMA (1988) dir. David DeCoteau
It’s a shame that they didn’t have even halfway decent actors to support Linnea Quigley because this super simple yet ingenious concept could have been a true cult classic instead of just a laff-trax so-bad-it’s-good flick.
The imp in this is only slightly less lame than the monster from EVIL TOONS.
The beloved John Hughes classic is arguably the biggest blind spot I'm tackling this year. And it's fine-ish. I don't know what it is, but I've never been into the John Candy brand of comedy. I have nothing against him, he always seemed like a lovely guy, it's just that I rarely find him funny in anything (maybe Spaceballs, but that's more about the character than the performance). Steve Martin is good, naturally, as he guides us through all the wacky physical gags, property destruction, and a healthy dose of requisite 80s gay-panic. I did get a little emotional at the end, because Hughes knows how to tug on those sentimental strings like few others, so at least there's that. A rather subdued end to an otherwise thrilling month of movies.
Thanks everyone for another fantastic Junesploitation! It was my seventh, and judging by my overall enjoyment of the movies I watched, probably the best one yet. I like to cap things off with my top 5 of the month, so here it is:
Blood Simple (1984) Cast a Deadly Spell (1991) Three the Hard Way (1974) Hard Ticket to Hawaii (1987) Stage Fright (1987)
Why not July? August? Wha's wrong with September? We're open year-round and commenting on movies (new and old) almost every day of the year, you know? 🤨🤗
Actually l had the theater movie reviews in my back pocket, waiting for the final free day of the month to unleash them all at once. 😁 l did spend all-day yesterday watching the non-theater movies, plus the three 80's movies l started today with. Thanks, Tom, please visit us on weekends to keep the movie conversations going all year long, not just June. 🤘🤠
Oh, okay. I thought people just post what they watch on that day, not things from the past. I noticed this on Bluesky and started reading what you guys were reviewing, interesting stuff I haven't heard of
I like to have a movie to share for each themed day in June so I pre-watch some stuff. But it’s all movies watched in June. There’s no calendar police. I love seeing everyone’s reviews for each day regardless of when they watched them. I’ve discovered so many great movies from the other F This Movie heads. Cheers!
A trio of fur-covered humanoid aliens crash their spaceship in the backyard (not a euphemism) of recently dumped beautician Valerie. She and her friend decide to shave the aliens in the hopes that they'd blend in better, and turns out without the fur they look exactly like Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans! With three handsome aliens in tow, the girls decide to go out on the town. While the aliens prove to be a big hit with the ladies, Valerie might be developing deeper feelings for one of them.
The premise is fun, Geena Davis is delightful as the lead, Goldblum, Wayans and especially Carrey are perfect casting for goofy aliens learning to be human, Charles Rocket is as good at playing a jerk as Michael McKean is at playing a surfer dude, and the movie goes all out with big setpieces, lavish musical numbers (oh yeah, I had no idea this was a musical!) and one bizarre nightmare sequence. And there's even a Depeche Mode song on the soundtrack! This was a total blast.
In one scene, the aliens are watching TV and there's a commercial for Finland written by someone who seems to be under the impression Finland is located somewhere in the Alps.
And that concludes Junesploitation for me. My movie total was an even 50. This was the first time I watched exclusively new-to-me movies, and I found a fun mix of great, bad, and great bad movies.
Thank you to the FTM gang and everyone who contributed, it was excellent like it is every year!
This was way more entertaining than a movie based on a board game has any right to be. Really great momentum in the narrative. I recorded this off IFC and it included all 3 different endings. Is it always shown that way nowadays?
Yes, the three consecutive endings is common now. Used to be you had to select one of the endings beforehand. You can still do that, but the back-to-back-to-back endings gives a "Clue" viewing more comedy bang for the buck. 🙃🙂
168.- THE NIGHT BEFORE (1988, AMAZON PRIME). Also streaming on TUBI, ROKU CHANNEL).
From writer/director Tom Eberhardt ("Night of the Comet") comes this teenage/prom night take on Martin Scorsese's "After Hours," but PG-13 and Los Angeles-bound. Winston Connelly (Keanu Reeves) wakes up in an alley in the middle of nowhere with no memory how he got there. Gradually Winston (and the audience via well-timed editing back-and-forth between past and present) puts together that her lost-a-bet-to-go-out-with-a-nerd prom date, popular cheerleader Tara Mitchell (Lori Loughlin) and him drove to the wrong side of the tracks and into an 'ethnic' neighborhood where they misplace Winston's father's car and wallet, Tara's credit card, and eventually each other. Winston is scared of Tara's policeman father (Michael Greene) coming after him, or the "Three O'Clock High"-type ticking clock toward a foretold fight between him and someone named 'Tito' (Trinidad Silva) that freaks everyone Winston meets. If you can get past the too-obvious racism of its 'white panic'-driven premise and the prost!tut!on angle (lost count how many times Tara gets sold to which p!mp, or for how much) this is a freaking riot, especially when Keanu is "high" and dancing with Loughlin (whose resting bitch face gets major laughs) to the live tunes of George Clinton and his P-Funk All-Stars. 'Tiny' Lister and Theresa Saldana stand out among the supporting cast. 3.5 VANS FULL OF STOLEN 'TOY STORE' LOOT (out of five).
169.- MILLY/WILLY, aka SOMETHING SPECIAL (1986, AMAZON PRIME). Also streaming on TUBI.
Wish there were more female filmmakers involved in this one than just co-screenwriter Carla Reuben, because with a more deft touch this could have been... well, actually 'something special.' Astronomy-loving tomboy Milly (Pamela Adlon, TV's "Better Things" and "Louie") is disappointed her mother Doris (Patty Duke) keeps pushing 'girlie' things on her, while father Fred (John Glover) just ignores her and wishes he had a son. A timely magical 'eclipse' grants Milly's deepest desire... except it just gives her an additional male organ and that's it. 😳🥶 Fred is thrilled at the prospect of having the son he always wanted to practice boxing and play catch with, while Doris regrets all the wasted dance/ballet lessons. But Fred wants Millie to be either boy or girl, her choice. So Milly becomes Willy, transfers to a new school and gives the male gender a try. For a mid-80's 'PG-13' comedy (complete with nerd acceptance, bragging about sexual conquests and the inevitable run-in with bullies tropes), the not-subtle read of Milly/Willy transitioning to another gender as allegory for LGBQT youth being accepted/rejected by family/peers feels decades ahead of its time. Despite clear budget limitations and a waste of Duke/Glover in parental roles that never have meaningful conversations with their offspring (missed opportunity), this is a sweet little coming-of-age comedy. Look for Seth Green as a tiny child hustler scoring deals on yard sales pushing his lil' red wagon cart. 3.75 DIRTY-SOUNDING FRENCH PICK-UP LINES (out of five).
MY STEPMOTHER IS AN ALIEN (1988) Kim Basinger plays an alien come to Earth with a secret mission. She marries a milquetoast scientist played by Dan Ackroyd. Is it all part of her plan, or is it… love? It takes an hour for the “stepmother” part of the plot to kick in, when the stepdaughter (young Alyson Hannigan!) suspects something is up. You can tell how hard everyone’s working overtime to make this comedy as madcap as possible, yet the whole thing is just kind of flat and lifeless. The mind boggles as to what Joe Dante could’ve done with this material. But, alas.
30 days of fan films, day 30: RAIDERS OF THE SAVAGE CIMMERIAN SWORD (2022) Indiana Jones ventures into a tomb to find an ancient sword once wielded by a legendary barbarian. A familiar villain gets hold of the sword first, with hopes to combine it with a second, even more familiar ancient artifact. Also, there’s a ninja. Writer/director/star Matthew Lee Blackburn does a scarily good Harrison Ford impersonation. But this is weirdly artsy, with long stretches of just trippy visuals with no dialogue. I guess that comes from mixing the tones of two (three?) different franchises. Blackburn has made a bunch of these Indy mashup movies. Even though this wasn’t the best, maybe I’ll watch more.
This month has been, let's say, weird. But #Junesploitation has definitely helped get me through it all. Thanks as always to Patrick and the whole F This Community for all you do with the movie love!
My expectations were low (at best) and boy did this movie deliver. This was clearly inspired by the success of Police Academy, but lacks the imagination or humor to be as good as even Police Academy 5.
An oversexed college student transfers to the only school that will take him, Busterburger University, a spoof of the actual McDonald’s Hamburger University that trained managers and franchise owners at the time. There are sporadic chuckles amid the hijinx, but it’s all pretty forgettable.
That being said, this has been a pretty great Junesploitation overall and I’ve made some discoveries I’ve really loved. Thanks to all who participated and read along!
Thanks for posting reviews all month long, JP. 😎 Please try and visit FTM the rest of the year (especially on weekends) so we can read your posts/thoughts all year long, not just every June. 🙃🙂
First time watch for me. This feels like a good one to close out Junesploitation! Bit of a mash up of s3x comedy, buddy movie, crime caper. Some great stuff here from the great Nico Mastorakis.
Thanks to everyone for you contributions this month, has defintely expanded my "to-watch" list.
Thank you soooo much for your contributions, TPA. 😇🥲 Please, don't be a stranger for the next 11 months until Junesploitation! 2027 arrives. Visit us the rest of the year, and on weekends post your thoughts in our weekly open forum thread. ✌️😃
Bradley Brinkman sells his soul for a program when met with a job crunch. The program "The Yuppie Program" turns out to be a big success so as a reward Bradley is given a huge royalty check and the summer off to write his next program. Bradley heads for a Martha Vinyards-esque Californian resort town. Once there Bradley learns really quick he does not fit in with the wealthy and the beautiful. Thats when Deborah Shelton shows up and offers Bradley the chance to be the "man every man wants to be and every woman wants to be with". Being that the deal is offered with a 90 day trial Bradley jumps on it and wakes up in the morning transformed into Hunk Golden. James Coco is the devil watching over Shelton and tempting Hunk to join him as he time-travels and causes tragedy and terror throughout history. While this isn't great, it did have a couple of laughs, a couple of really strong lines and a decent message about being happy with who you are. Also the movie comes out strongly anti-yuppie so I dig that as well. Its like Mannequin. No its not good but yes it is extremely watchable.
I'm going to be honest, the movie got a really big Deborah Shelton bump from me.
Thanks again for another Junesploitation. I've really enjoyed reading your reviews and following along with what everyone has been watching on Bluesky! Time to wait for October.
The hell with October, Munkee! 🤯 We can talk movies every weekend (and weekdays too, plenty of content) between now and Scary Movie Month. Come back soon-ish. 🥹😢🙂
Thought I had seen this before, but I must have been confusing it with Nukem High. Delightfully gnarly and not as offensive (dated) as I expected. Started part 2, but work got hectic (and it seemed kind of terrible).
Thanks for the inspiration this month! Been listening since (near?) the beginning, believe this is the first year (at least in a while, thanks a lot children) since I've managed to hit every subject. Also thanks Tubi for being gods gift to cinema. I feel more obligated to donate to them than Wikipedia at this point.
Loved having you around this month, Frank D. 😃😎 Come back and visit us all year long (weekdays and specially weekends), not just a couple of months per year. 👋😉
Horror comedy with gallons of gore and nude aerobics! Inspired by exploitation king H.G. Lewis’s landmark BLOOD FEAST, this one is completely over the top in every way possible, by turns extremely annoying and absurdly hilarious. I particularly enjoyed Carl Crew’s side(and head)-splitting performance as the wrasslin’ loving cannibal cook—his squared circle tussle with grappler Little Jimmy H!tler was a highlight of the film that didn’t include intestines. Also loved the scenes in the “punk” club, including the blood-soaked finale in which our cannibal crew attempts to revive an ancient Egyptian goddess to the tinnitus-inspiring tunes! Troma vibes but not Troma, BLOOD DINER falls somewhere below FRANKENHOOKER and above HOBGOBLINS on my ratings scale. And I LIKE HOBGOBLINS! An appropriate final curtain for Junesploitation 2026.
I want to thank all the contestants for their contributions: everyone gets a participation trophy and a Chipotle gift card. I will be back for on Saturday for the Open Thread with my official summation of my Junesploitation experience! Hope to see y’all there this weekend!
Thank you Patrick and the FThisMovie community for another fun June of movie-watching. I covered some new ground while finally taking many films off of the watchlist. More titles, of course, were added to it.
Wrapping up Junesploitaiton 2026 with the movie today's image comes from.
With SECRET ADMIRER (1985) already being on my watchlist, today seemed like the right time for a watch. In many ways it does not stand out from the pack of 1980s comedies, but everything about it is done with such competency and an appealing spirit that it stands out in today's cinematic environment. The script moves the plot along at just the right pace, and the characters all feel very distinct. There is not a weak spot in the cast. Sure, that ending is beyond being cliche even then, but I can forgive that. I had fun.
In order to complete the themes, my last watch for the month will be THERE'S ALWAYS VANILLA for George Romero day.
Well, this is it, it had to happen, the month is over. Thank you Patrick and the whole Fthismovie team, and the community around it, you all make this month great!
For my 80s comedy I went with Sumer School (1987). I am a sucker for coming-of-age comedies, and sometimes dramas, but mostly comedies, so it's no suprise that I loved this too. Unfortunately, the dog doesn't wear sunglasses in the movie, only on the poster. But Chainsaw and Dave we're great, I didn't know what their deal was, I went in blind, so finding out that they love horror and goopy fx just made it so much better, that gory classroom scene just tied this whole thing together. Two thumbs up!
And as a bonus, since I missed yesterday, I also watched Bela Lugosi meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952). Because what else screams "exploitation" like a mutant clone ripoff of a Martin and Lewis movie? Sammy Petrillo and Duke Mitchell... I don't know what to say about these two, except, they kinda look like Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. This is not a great, or even good, or even mediocre movie, but it's certainly entertaining, and it keeps its promise, Bela Lugosi does meet a Brooklyn gorilla. And Sammy gets shot in the chest, so theres that too. So what're you waiting for, go watch it now!
Wasn't able to watch any movies the last couple of days, but I had a really fun Junesploitation over the other 28.
Thanks to the FThisMovie community for all the reviews and banter this month. I laughed at your synopses of some truly bizarre movie premises, had some great discoveries based on your recommendations, and added way too many movies to my watchlist.
Went into this with a little apprehension. But hear me out, this was the most progressive movie I've seen this month. Starts with some hijinks, but the girls are taking part in it to prank some of the stupider and more lustful guys. Then they're putting on a Shakespeare play (where some of the manly guys are convinced to dress up as women), and this complete caricature of a religious minister (stereotype, but not inaccurate for American evangelicals) comes in to bust up their play because they think Shakespeare is lewd. We finally get politicians involved, but finally they're only caring about being re-elected, and in attempting to sleep with the young woman (again, not inaccurate). And then the KKK teams up with the religious people because there's a native guy taking part (again, not inaccurate that the KKK were overlapping with the super religious). But the teens take them down in the end. And with a lot of humour and pranks mixed in. It's not without its dated jokes, but it actually comes down on the right side. A lot of the hipocrisy it's mocking in society is still prevalent today. This was one of my favourite watches of the month, which was a complete surprise.
With some problems with families health (everything is fine now), and busyness at work, I wasn't able to watch a whole lot this month. Maybe 10-12 movies. But really enjoyed reading everyone's reviews every day, and I have added a lot to my watchlist for the next year. Love Junesploitation. Thanks Patrick and Fthismovie for continuing to make this a thing.
One Crazy Summer (1986, dir. Savage Steve Holland)
Final movie for me. I had a pretty good watch generally but I don't really like this much Bobcat outside of very specific movies. There were some great gags like the "generic" schools and the heads mounted on the cat's litter box (or was it carrier), that caught me off guard. A decent fun time to close out the month.
I'm pooped but wanted to post this tonight. Thanks everyone for sharing all your great movie posts! And thanks to Patrick and the FTM crew for the years of movie love they continue to foster!!
I know what you're thinking: 'J.M., you goof! It's 80's COMEDY! day, which automatically means movies that aren't funny cannot be included!' 🙄🫤 Guess back in his post-"Return of the Jedi," Lucasfilm expansion days, someone forgot to tell uber-producer George Lucas to ask his filmmaking buddies Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz to include something that's actually funny in their $35+ million movie adaptation of the ol' Marvel comic. I think they succeed a little early on when we're on Howard's duck planet and the pop-culture puns ('Splashdance,' 'Duckweiser,' etc.) come thick and fast. Then again, the over-sexualization of alien ducks also starts here with the Playboy-like duck centerfold and the lady duck in the bathtub.. 'amusing' herself. 😱🥶Whether it's Howard working at a brothel-like establishment in 'Cle-veland,' Howard in bed with cute rocker Beverly (Lea Thompson) coming dangerously close to crossing several lines or Tim Robbins making a complete ass of himself (without the release of laughter to make his annoying shtick tolerable), there's an abundance of cringe and stupid in this flick at the expense of non-existing laughter.
Only during the 2nd half after Jeffrey Jones (and an actual villain to raise the non-existent stakes) appears does "Howard The Duck" become a somewhat good and interesting flick (stuff blows up real good, special effects big and small start happening besides the Howard suit, stuntmen get hurt during Howard's flying acrobatics, etc.)... which sadly now comes with the heavy weight of Jones' known proclivities dragging down the fun. I laughed a few times, but mostly at "HTD" and never with it. It's a reminder that even after being given the mother of all IP cash cows and every opportunity to prove himself as a producer, George Lucas was a mere mortal pawn in the Hollywood game of blockbuster 'Life.' 2.10 'SATAN'S SL*TS' MOTORCYCLE JACKETS' (out of five).
And my last movie of Junesploitation! '26, courtesy of JB suggesting it...
171.- USED CARS (1980, DVD). Streaming on HOWDY.
It squeaks into 1980, but in my mind "Used Cars" is the most 70's comedy ever made. Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale's baby earns its 'R' rating by making its tale of dog-eat-dog used car salesmen fighting for every clueless customer's dollar mean, angry and so over-the-top funny we get used to its pace rather than accept its reality. This, not "Escape from New York's" Snake Plissken, is the role that made me forget Kurt Russell ever was a young Disney actor. Between him, fellow salesman Jeff (Gerrit Graham, "Phantom of the Paradise") and Jack Warden in dual roles as car dealer-owning brothers at each other's throats, the energy of the movie is already at overdrive. Throw in Lenny and 'Squiggy' (Michael McKean and David L. Lander, respectively) as airwave pirates interrupting a presidential address to air a commercial for the good guy's dealership, and I'm literally on the floor laughing so hard I can't breathe. 🤣😂 Only the third act starts to drag when Kurt Russell has to choose between love (Deborah Harmon) or his political ambition, and that's with an impressive 'mile of cars' series of driving scenes that must have been a bitch to film (the $8 million budget is all on the screen). It's always good to let time pass to keep comedies as angry and full of energy as "UC" fresh whenever I revisit it. 4.5 'THAT'S TOO F***ING HIGH!' EXPLODING MERCHANDISE (out of five).
Thank you so much for reading my reviews. It's been an honor... [DROPS DEAD]
Closed out June with REAL GENIUS (1985) dir. Martha Coolidge
I showed this to my two oldest daughters and it did not disappoint. The laughed a lot. Were charmed by Kilmer. Loved to hate Hathaway. Dug the music. It’s a perfect 80s comedy.
Thank you to Patrick and everyone at F This Movie for another month of great movie love. And a big thank you to everyone who participated. I read the all even if I don’t comment that much. Can’t wait for Scary Movie month!!!
I always have a Junesploitation hangover in the first week of July. Sometimes it is not easy finding the time and energy for a movie a day, but it does become a routine after 30 days that I have to unwind from.
164.- O.C. AND STIGGS (1985, RADIANCE BLU-RAY)
ReplyDeleteOr that time Robert Altman (yes, "Nashville"/"M*A*S*H"/"The Player's" Robert Altman) directed a wacky teenage comedy based on a series of 1982 National Lampoon articles that was finished in 1984, but not released theatrically until 1987 in limited release. Altman couldn't make a bad film if he tried, but despite a few borderline-brilliant vignettes (O.C. and Cynthia Nixon's Michelle tap-dancing/flirting like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Dennis Hopper as an "Apocalypse Now"-like crazy Vietnam vet, etc.), "O.C. and Stiggs" seems more interested in making thinly-veiled digs at Reagan's conservative silent majority than entertaining viewers. This is the "Hudson Hawk"-meets-"Tank Girl"-meets-"Freaked" of 80's teen comedies. Oliver Cromwell Oglivie, aka O.C. (Daniel H. Jenkins) and Mark Stiggs (Neill Barry) are Phoenix, AZ high school besties who seem obsessed with harassing, provoking and making life miserable for the upper-class Schwab family. Not just patriarch Randall (Paul Dooley) who forced O.C.'s retired grandpa cop (Ray Walston) into a group home prematurely via his job as regional insurance salesman, or perpetually drunk wife Elinore (Jane Curtin) sneaking booze from binoculars or ice cream straws, but also uber-nerdy son Randall Jr. (Jon Cryer) and borderline-invisible Lenore (Laura Urstein).
Heck, most of the movie is a flashback in which the duo make an expensive international phone call on Schwab's landline to Gabon President Omar Bongo, sharing with the African leader how they spent their summer getting even with the Schwab clan. Though I wasn't bored during its 109 min. running time, "O.C. and Stiggs" began grating my nerves by not giving me a moment's rest with either the leads constantly talking (usually in vapid, disposable dialogue), a wacky sound effect, radio station blabber about the hot Phoenix weather or any number of character conversations heard while other convos/music played loud (a Robert Altman trademark). Only the musical appearance by The King Sunny Adé and His African Beats band (whom Altman booked because he liked them) gives momentary relief by looking for a few minutes like a conventional concert movie. The finale involving a doomsday bunker and fireworks exploding during a party with a helicopter reaches appropriate levels of wacky, while also trying to make statements about homelessness (sudden death by hypothermia), parental hypocrisy (spouses are constantly unfaithful, but the women tolerate it because of materialism taking precedence), racism (no minority character gets by without a politically incorrect wisecrack), the importance of appearances (via a crappy Studebaker Champion used car they modify into a hydraulic monster) and suburban consumerism culture run amok.
I'm glad I've seen this forgotten Altman rarity, but I hope it stays forgotten and rare for another 41 years. 🫤 2.25 MEXICAN SOUVENIER BUS SALESMEN WITH 'NO STINKIN' BADGES' (out of five).
'THE BOYS HAVEN'T BEEN BACK IN TOWN IN 36 YEARS!' DOUBLE BILL!
ReplyDelete165.- 48 HRS. (1982, 4K UHD). Streaming on NETFLIX.
It's always bothered me that "48 Hrs." is often referred to as an 80's comedy. 'Buddy Cop' comedy I'd buy, but just comedy? It's about 75-80% a gritty police action/drama and 20-25% comedy... and we have to wait almost 30 minutes before Eddie Murphy shows up to enliven what up to that point has been a very dour, depressing procedural. Escaped convict Albert Ganz (James Remar) and Billy Bear (Sonny Landham) want the money that former associate Luther (David Patrick Kelly) has kept hidden, and San Francisco detective Jack Cates (Nick Nolte) uses incarcerated former associate of Ganz's Reggie Hammond (Murphy) to track down the fugitives. There are great comedy beats involving Cates and Reggie insulting/punching the crap out of one another until they gain each other's trust, culminating in the redneck bar scene where you see Eddie Murphy turn into a movie superstar before your very eyes. 🤩🥹 James Horner's score sounds like a warm-up/tune-up for "Commando's" steel drum-heavy music, the stereotypes thick in the supporting cast (Frank McRae's scenes as fed-up chief of police are epic! 😁), the pace suitably slow and patient from an '80 movie still stuck in 70's production cycles, and the ending a major letdown compared with the action leading up to it. This once-classic is showing its age, IMHO. 3.30 MESSAGES FROM ANNETTE O'TOOLE'S ELAINE UNDERNEATH KEHOE'S DESK LAMP (out of five).
166.- ANOTHER 48 HRS. (1990, 4K UHD)
ReplyDeleteMore or less the same movie as its predecessor (even the opening meeting of the bad guys and bar brawl for Eddie to shoot off his mouth feels lifted from '82), with Walter Hill's excessive stylistic choices (people falling in slow-motion, glass constantly shattered, etc.) showing about a decade's worth of improved experience. Eddie Murphy's name comes first in the credits now, followed by Nick Nolte's before the title. Star power, it's a bitch! 😅 An uber-villain that only Jack Cates knows about and is trying to track down, the mysterious 'Iceman,' wants Reggie Hammond killed as soon as he gets out of prison. Upset that Cates still has his $500K loot from the previous movie and under pressure by fellow prisoner Kirkland Smith (Bernie Casey) to deliver on his promise, Reggie is in no mood to deal with or even talk to Cates about helping the latter avoid an internal investigation that could get him kicked off the force. The goons that 'Iceman' hires to kill Reggie (including the brother of the James Remar character from the prequel) and all his old crime pals not wanting anything to do with him pushes the fast-talking ex-con to reluctantly work one more time with his old "partner."
It's still 75-80% cop action flick, 20-25% comedy, an imbalance that doesn't bother most people but irks me when it's brought up first as a comedy. Great supporting cast (Ed O'Ross, Kevin Tighe, Tisha Campbell for a hot second, Brion James returning as Kehoe, etc.), even more noticeable steel drums in James Horner's score and a slightly faster pace than its prequel make me like "Another 48 Hrs." over OG "48 Hrs." by the slimmest of margins. 3.40 PRISON BUS FLIPPING/TRUCK CRASHING STUNTS TO DIE FOR (out of five).
Finishing Junesploitation 2026 in a very weak way this year. The amount of tasks that have come up over the past week has made getting one movie a day in challenging. Hopefully there is time later to get to my last catch-up day. I got to over forty films this year. It is not a bad number, but I was planning on a watching more.
ReplyDeleteTHE LEGEND OF THE STARDUST BROTHERS (1985, dir. Makoto Tezuka)
I stumbled onto this looking on Tubi just a couple of days ago, and it immediately became my first choice today. It looked weird, and the viewing experience was even weirder than expected. Two Japanese singers, one in a punk band and another a new wave group, are put together into a pop duo by a strange music mogul. The Stardust Brothers are born. They hit the top of the music charts, yet it is only a matter of time that another singer to comes along to take the spotlight. Then the crazy things start happening. All the while, everything is being presented like a zany music video, and one song is followed by another song. Visual gag is followed by visual gag. In all honesty, STARDUST BROTHERS became an exhausting watch at 100 minutes. So much is thrown at the viewer that it gets overwhelming. If you are looking for a weird experience, though, this might be the film for you. Did I say that it is very '80s? It is.
Any time/effort you put into Junesploitation! is welcomed, Casual. Not everybody can do a movie a day, let alone 165+ movies/cartoons like some freak I know. 😉🙃
DeleteJune is a time of the year that I have looked forward to since 2017. That was my first participation - though it was only partial that year - in Junesploitation. It was what got me involved in the FTHISMOVIE community. I have officially (according to my spreadsheet) reached 400 total Junesploitation watches since then. At least 3/4 of those have been new watches, too.
Delete😊👍
DeleteBONUS: 30 DAYS OF PINK PANTHER & FRIENDS, DAY 30!
ReplyDelete167.- PINK PANTHER AND PALS: PINK UP THE VOLUME, ZEUS JUSTICE, A PINK AND STORMY NIGHT (3/7/2010, YOUTUBE)
The last attempt (by Cartoon Network 16 years ago) at a 'Pink Panther' cartoon revival that, like the 1993/94 version, goes back to the theatrical shorts of the 1960's for inspiration (two Panther shorts with one Ant/Aardvark short in-between) and brings them up to date (internet, widescreen TV's, etc.). All characters except The Little Man (here renamed 'Big Nose') have been given a youth/shrinkage re-imagining, including the Panther, which makes them look much younger (teenagers maybe?). In 'Pink Up The Volume' Big Nose wants a day of peace and quiet with his dog, but the next-door PP wants to play/practice his musical instruments. The giant crystal dome Big Nose uses to try to keep quiet reminded me of Stephen King's "Under the Dome." 😁 'Zeus 'Juice' takes on the 'juicing' fad of that era (remember the informercials for juicers?) with the Aardvark bulking-up to chase after Ant, until the latter makes some bulking-up of his own. And in 'A Pink and Stormy Night' a mad scientist (Big Nose) and his Igor-like dog call on the PP pizza delivery to get a subject for a series of terrifying experiments. Wackiness ensues, including a fair share of goofy homages to "Bride of Frankenstein" that the diehard monster movie fans will appreciate. I might check out more 'PPAP' cartoons after I finish the 93/94 series, but based on this pilot episode's compilation of shorts this Cartoon Network series comes slightly below the 90's one. 3.15 DOME-CRACKING TINY MUSIC TRIANGLES (out of five).
And the 30 Days of Pink Panther and Friends! are officially over! 🥳🥰😋 It's my last day off before I have to work the entire 4th of July weekend (no 250th birthday celebration for me), so time permitting I might sneak an extra review or two today before finishing up Junesploitation! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING, and please remember to visit F This Movie everyday for new content and on the WEEKENDS for lively discussion about movies we watched the previous week and a lot of other stuff. We want to see you visit here more often than just every June. 😉 See you around. 👋😎
(editors note: for the last movie of the month i chose a comedy that i recall liking when i was a kid but know that its terrible....)
ReplyDeleteNaked Space aka Spaceship aka The Creature Wasnt Nice (1981)
Yes this movie has three different titles. It is a loooow budget kinda-parody of 2001 and Alien starring Leslie Nielson, Gerret Graham, and Cindy "shirley" Williams. Its also potentially one of least funny comedies EVER made. Production value of an extended skit from a cable access show. Random musical numbers within. Doing some research this morning it sounds like the studio took the flick from the director and recut it a bunch...but im not sure how much could have been there to begin with. Woof.
HUGE Thanks to all who participated in Junesploitation!!!! Its so great to read all your reviews and come away with suggestions and giggles. Personally i had a blast and only missed a day or two. Outstanding job F This Folks!!!!!!!
J.M. drove me to this.
ReplyDeleteCurse of the Pink Panther (1983, dir. Blake Edwards)
Clouseau is (still) missing and Chief Inspector Dreyfus has the task of finding him. He programs a computer to find the world's best detective, but secretly tampers it so it finds the worst. Enter bumbling American police officer Clifton Sleigh, who bumbles his way out of every dangerous situation he gets into. You know, like Clouseau did, remember?
Like J.M. wrote a few days ago, there are some well directed set pieces and a few jokes that kinda land, but they're few and far between and Ted Wass is no Peter Sellers. Edwards had an amazing cast of actors in tiny roles, but didn't know what to do with them. This was overall pretty dismal.
There's a reason the series stopped here, returned 10 years later to even worst results, then went away for another 13. No Peter Sellers? No sale... or should l say 'no SAIL!' 😳🫣
DeleteSee No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
ReplyDeleteSometimes, the chemistry between two legends is enough to carry a movie. See No Evil, Hear No Evil is the definition of that sentence: a high-concept, low-brow collision that remains a mandatory watch for anyone obsessed with the glory days of the Pryor and Wilder pairing.
Directed by Arthur Hiller, this was the third of four collaborations between comedy titans Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. It’s a classic odd-couple setup: Dave (Wilder) is deaf, and Wally (Pryor) is blind. They become an unlikely team when they witness a murder in Dave’s newsstand. Wally hears the shot, Dave sees the killer’s shapely legs, and what follows is a frantic, slapstick-heavy chase through NYC and New Jersey involving a stolen gold coin, a secret superconductor and a whole lot of hijinks, as they say.
The cast is a weird, wonderful mix of genre staples. You’ve got Joan Severance, who had the perfect cold, calculated look for the villainous Eve (and thiose gorgeous gams that Dave notices) and a young Kevin Spacey is in full “goon” mode as Kirgo, long before he hit A-list status. Look for the legendary Anthony Zerbe—a guy who has been in everything from The Omega Man to License to Kill—playing the blind villain, Sutherland.
The production was a legal mess before a camera even rolled. Joseph Bologna and Renée Taylor (who wrote Lovers and Other Strangers) sold the script in 1984 but later sued Columbia Pictures for a massive payout after being cut out of the rewrite process. Before Wilder was cast, the studio considered Jim Belushi for the role of the deaf store owner. That would have been an entirely different—and significantly less charming—kind of movie.
While the critics at the time—including Roger Ebert—hated it, calling it a “dud,” the audience didn’t care. It sat at number one at the box office for two weeks. My wife absolutely adores this movie, and we watch it at least twice a year.
There is one really good thing that came out of this: Wilder attended the NY League for the Hard of Hearing to prepare for his role. He worked with speech pathologist Karen Webb, who would become his fourth wife. That’s good luck, as he’d already turned down the movie twice, as he was worried the film would mock people with disabilities. He changed his mind when, during his research and meetings with real deaf people, he was told, “People with handicaps do have a sense of humor.”
Writers Earl Barret and Arne Sultan created Too Close for Comfort, so from all the Cosmic Cow fans, thank you.
Thanks for all your contributions this year, B&S. Remember, you promised you'd visit FTM on the weekends and not wait until next June to visit again. 👋😃
DeleteThank you! I’ll try and visit! Getting ready to do a month of USA up all night movies!
DeleteSORRORITY BABES IN THE SLIMEBOWL BOWL-O-RAMA (1988) dir. David DeCoteau
ReplyDeleteIt’s a shame that they didn’t have even halfway decent actors to support Linnea Quigley because this super simple yet ingenious concept could have been a true cult classic instead of just a laff-trax so-bad-it’s-good flick.
The imp in this is only slightly less lame than the monster from EVIL TOONS.
I feel like this is a PERFECT last day o junesploitation pick.
DeletePlanes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
ReplyDeleteThe beloved John Hughes classic is arguably the biggest blind spot I'm tackling this year. And it's fine-ish. I don't know what it is, but I've never been into the John Candy brand of comedy. I have nothing against him, he always seemed like a lovely guy, it's just that I rarely find him funny in anything (maybe Spaceballs, but that's more about the character than the performance). Steve Martin is good, naturally, as he guides us through all the wacky physical gags, property destruction, and a healthy dose of requisite 80s gay-panic. I did get a little emotional at the end, because Hughes knows how to tug on those sentimental strings like few others, so at least there's that. A rather subdued end to an otherwise thrilling month of movies.
Thanks everyone for another fantastic Junesploitation! It was my seventh, and judging by my overall enjoyment of the movies I watched, probably the best one yet.
I like to cap things off with my top 5 of the month, so here it is:
Blood Simple (1984)
Cast a Deadly Spell (1991)
Three the Hard Way (1974)
Hard Ticket to Hawaii (1987)
Stage Fright (1987)
And as always, I'll be back in October.
Why not July? August? Wha's wrong with September? We're open year-round and commenting on movies (new and old) almost every day of the year, you know? 🤨🤗
DeleteWait, Mr. Vargas watched 16-17 hours of movies yesterday? and 5 of em in theaters?
ReplyDeleteIs there a secret to not needing sleep??
Actually l had the theater movie reviews in my back pocket, waiting for the final free day of the month to unleash them all at once. 😁 l did spend all-day yesterday watching the non-theater movies, plus the three 80's movies l started today with. Thanks, Tom, please visit us on weekends to keep the movie conversations going all year long, not just June. 🤘🤠
DeleteOh, okay. I thought people just post what they watch on that day, not things from the past.
DeleteI noticed this on Bluesky and started reading what you guys were reviewing, interesting stuff I haven't heard of
I like to have a movie to share for each themed day in June so I pre-watch some stuff. But it’s all movies watched in June. There’s no calendar police. I love seeing everyone’s reviews for each day regardless of when they watched them. I’ve discovered so many great movies from the other F This Movie heads. Cheers!
DeleteCheers to you too, Chris. Don't be a stranger for the rest of the year, come visit us year-round and on weekends. 🙂
DeleteEarth Girls Are Easy (1988, dir. Julien Temple)
ReplyDeleteA trio of fur-covered humanoid aliens crash their spaceship in the backyard (not a euphemism) of recently dumped beautician Valerie. She and her friend decide to shave the aliens in the hopes that they'd blend in better, and turns out without the fur they look exactly like Jeff Goldblum, Jim Carrey and Damon Wayans! With three handsome aliens in tow, the girls decide to go out on the town. While the aliens prove to be a big hit with the ladies, Valerie might be developing deeper feelings for one of them.
The premise is fun, Geena Davis is delightful as the lead, Goldblum, Wayans and especially Carrey are perfect casting for goofy aliens learning to be human, Charles Rocket is as good at playing a jerk as Michael McKean is at playing a surfer dude, and the movie goes all out with big setpieces, lavish musical numbers (oh yeah, I had no idea this was a musical!) and one bizarre nightmare sequence. And there's even a Depeche Mode song on the soundtrack! This was a total blast.
In one scene, the aliens are watching TV and there's a commercial for Finland written by someone who seems to be under the impression Finland is located somewhere in the Alps.
And that concludes Junesploitation for me. My movie total was an even 50. This was the first time I watched exclusively new-to-me movies, and I found a fun mix of great, bad, and great bad movies.
DeleteThank you to the FTM gang and everyone who contributed, it was excellent like it is every year!
Nikko the Finnish connoisseur. 🥹😎
DeleteClue (1985)
ReplyDeleteThis was way more entertaining than a movie based on a board game has any right to be. Really great momentum in the narrative. I recorded this off IFC and it included all 3 different endings. Is it always shown that way nowadays?
Yes, the three consecutive endings is common now. Used to be you had to select one of the endings beforehand. You can still do that, but the back-to-back-to-back endings gives a "Clue" viewing more comedy bang for the buck. 🙃🙂
DeleteI'd have to but the disc back in the player, but i think you can still select only one random ending
DeleteWhen I rented it to stream a few years ago (off of Google Play? or Prime?) it had all 3 endings back to back.
Delete168.- THE NIGHT BEFORE (1988, AMAZON PRIME). Also streaming on TUBI, ROKU CHANNEL).
ReplyDeleteFrom writer/director Tom Eberhardt ("Night of the Comet") comes this teenage/prom night take on Martin Scorsese's "After Hours," but PG-13 and Los Angeles-bound. Winston Connelly (Keanu Reeves) wakes up in an alley in the middle of nowhere with no memory how he got there. Gradually Winston (and the audience via well-timed editing back-and-forth between past and present) puts together that her lost-a-bet-to-go-out-with-a-nerd prom date, popular cheerleader Tara Mitchell (Lori Loughlin) and him drove to the wrong side of the tracks and into an 'ethnic' neighborhood where they misplace Winston's father's car and wallet, Tara's credit card, and eventually each other. Winston is scared of Tara's policeman father (Michael Greene) coming after him, or the "Three O'Clock High"-type ticking clock toward a foretold fight between him and someone named 'Tito' (Trinidad Silva) that freaks everyone Winston meets. If you can get past the too-obvious racism of its 'white panic'-driven premise and the prost!tut!on angle (lost count how many times Tara gets sold to which p!mp, or for how much) this is a freaking riot, especially when Keanu is "high" and dancing with Loughlin (whose resting bitch face gets major laughs) to the live tunes of George Clinton and his P-Funk All-Stars. 'Tiny' Lister and Theresa Saldana stand out among the supporting cast. 3.5 VANS FULL OF STOLEN 'TOY STORE' LOOT (out of five).
169.- MILLY/WILLY, aka SOMETHING SPECIAL (1986, AMAZON PRIME). Also streaming on TUBI.
ReplyDeleteWish there were more female filmmakers involved in this one than just co-screenwriter Carla Reuben, because with a more deft touch this could have been... well, actually 'something special.' Astronomy-loving tomboy Milly (Pamela Adlon, TV's "Better Things" and "Louie") is disappointed her mother Doris (Patty Duke) keeps pushing 'girlie' things on her, while father Fred (John Glover) just ignores her and wishes he had a son. A timely magical 'eclipse' grants Milly's deepest desire... except it just gives her an additional male organ and that's it. 😳🥶 Fred is thrilled at the prospect of having the son he always wanted to practice boxing and play catch with, while Doris regrets all the wasted dance/ballet lessons. But Fred wants Millie to be either boy or girl, her choice. So Milly becomes Willy, transfers to a new school and gives the male gender a try. For a mid-80's 'PG-13' comedy (complete with nerd acceptance, bragging about sexual conquests and the inevitable run-in with bullies tropes), the not-subtle read of Milly/Willy transitioning to another gender as allegory for LGBQT youth being accepted/rejected by family/peers feels decades ahead of its time. Despite clear budget limitations and a waste of Duke/Glover in parental roles that never have meaningful conversations with their offspring (missed opportunity), this is a sweet little coming-of-age comedy. Look for Seth Green as a tiny child hustler scoring deals on yard sales pushing his lil' red wagon cart. 3.75 DIRTY-SOUNDING FRENCH PICK-UP LINES (out of five).
MY STEPMOTHER IS AN ALIEN (1988)
ReplyDeleteKim Basinger plays an alien come to Earth with a secret mission. She marries a milquetoast scientist played by Dan Ackroyd. Is it all part of her plan, or is it… love? It takes an hour for the “stepmother” part of the plot to kick in, when the stepdaughter (young Alyson Hannigan!) suspects something is up. You can tell how hard everyone’s working overtime to make this comedy as madcap as possible, yet the whole thing is just kind of flat and lifeless. The mind boggles as to what Joe Dante could’ve done with this material. But, alas.
30 days of fan films, day 30: RAIDERS OF THE SAVAGE CIMMERIAN SWORD (2022)
Indiana Jones ventures into a tomb to find an ancient sword once wielded by a legendary barbarian. A familiar villain gets hold of the sword first, with hopes to combine it with a second, even more familiar ancient artifact. Also, there’s a ninja. Writer/director/star Matthew Lee Blackburn does a scarily good Harrison Ford impersonation. But this is weirdly artsy, with long stretches of just trippy visuals with no dialogue. I guess that comes from mixing the tones of two (three?) different franchises. Blackburn has made a bunch of these Indy mashup movies. Even though this wasn’t the best, maybe I’ll watch more.
This month has been, let's say, weird. But #Junesploitation has definitely helped get me through it all. Thanks as always to Patrick and the whole F This Community for all you do with the movie love!
OMG.....loooove this data.....thanks M. Archer M!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis is really cool
ReplyDeleteFrom the Hip (1987, dir. Bob Clark)
ReplyDeleteJudd Nelson stars as a lawyer who develops a tactic of acting as outrageously in court as possible to baffle everyone in the courtroom.
I can't sanction this movie's buffoonery.
Beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteHamburger: The Motion Picture
ReplyDeleteMy expectations were low (at best) and boy did this movie deliver. This was clearly inspired by the success of Police Academy, but lacks the imagination or humor to be as good as even Police Academy 5.
An oversexed college student transfers to the only school that will take him, Busterburger University, a spoof of the actual McDonald’s Hamburger University that trained managers and franchise owners at the time. There are sporadic chuckles amid the hijinx, but it’s all pretty forgettable.
That being said, this has been a pretty great Junesploitation overall and I’ve made some discoveries I’ve really loved. Thanks to all who participated and read along!
Thanks for posting reviews all month long, JP. 😎 Please try and visit FTM the rest of the year (especially on weekends) so we can read your posts/thoughts all year long, not just every June. 🙃🙂
DeleteMuchas gracias. 🫡😙
ReplyDeleteTerminal Exposure (1987, di.r N. Mastorakis)
ReplyDeleteFirst time watch for me. This feels like a good one to close out Junesploitation! Bit of a mash up of s3x comedy, buddy movie, crime caper. Some great stuff here from the great Nico Mastorakis.
Thanks to everyone for you contributions this month, has defintely expanded my "to-watch" list.
Thank you soooo much for your contributions, TPA. 😇🥲 Please, don't be a stranger for the next 11 months until Junesploitation! 2027 arrives. Visit us the rest of the year, and on weekends post your thoughts in our weekly open forum thread. ✌️😃
DeleteHunk (1987 Dir Lawrence Bassoff)
ReplyDeleteBradley Brinkman sells his soul for a program when met with a job crunch. The program "The Yuppie Program" turns out to be a big success so as a reward Bradley is given a huge royalty check and the summer off to write his next program. Bradley heads for a Martha Vinyards-esque Californian resort town. Once there Bradley learns really quick he does not fit in with the wealthy and the beautiful. Thats when Deborah Shelton shows up and offers Bradley the chance to be the "man every man wants to be and every woman wants to be with". Being that the deal is offered with a 90 day trial Bradley jumps on it and wakes up in the morning transformed into Hunk Golden. James Coco is the devil watching over Shelton and tempting Hunk to join him as he time-travels and causes tragedy and terror throughout history. While this isn't great, it did have a couple of laughs, a couple of really strong lines and a decent message about being happy with who you are. Also the movie comes out strongly anti-yuppie so I dig that as well. Its like Mannequin. No its not good but yes it is extremely watchable.
I'm going to be honest, the movie got a really big Deborah Shelton bump from me.
DeleteThanks again for another Junesploitation. I've really enjoyed reading your reviews and following along with what everyone has been watching on Bluesky! Time to wait for October.
The hell with October, Munkee! 🤯 We can talk movies every weekend (and weekdays too, plenty of content) between now and Scary Movie Month. Come back soon-ish. 🥹😢🙂
Delete🤘
ReplyDeleteThe Toxic Avenger (1984)
ReplyDeleteThought I had seen this before, but I must have been confusing it with Nukem High. Delightfully gnarly and not as offensive (dated) as I expected. Started part 2, but work got hectic (and it seemed kind of terrible).
Thanks for the inspiration this month! Been listening since (near?) the beginning, believe this is the first year (at least in a while, thanks a lot children) since I've managed to hit every subject. Also thanks Tubi for being gods gift to cinema. I feel more obligated to donate to them than Wikipedia at this point.
Loved having you around this month, Frank D. 😃😎 Come back and visit us all year long (weekdays and specially weekends), not just a couple of months per year. 👋😉
DeleteI lurk year round! Just need to take the time to comment more actively. Thanks for having me! Always a pleasure reading about your choices.
Delete✊️🤓
DeleteBLOOD DINER (1987, Jackie Kong)
ReplyDeleteHorror comedy with gallons of gore and nude aerobics! Inspired by exploitation king H.G. Lewis’s landmark BLOOD FEAST, this one is completely over the top in every way possible, by turns extremely annoying and absurdly hilarious. I particularly enjoyed Carl Crew’s side(and head)-splitting performance as the wrasslin’ loving cannibal cook—his squared circle tussle with grappler Little Jimmy H!tler was a highlight of the film that didn’t include intestines. Also loved the scenes in the “punk” club, including the blood-soaked finale in which our cannibal crew attempts to revive an ancient Egyptian goddess to the tinnitus-inspiring tunes! Troma vibes but not Troma, BLOOD DINER falls somewhere below FRANKENHOOKER and above HOBGOBLINS on my ratings scale. And I LIKE HOBGOBLINS! An appropriate final curtain for Junesploitation 2026.
I want to thank all the contestants for their contributions: everyone gets a participation trophy and a Chipotle gift card. I will be back for on Saturday for the Open Thread with my official summation of my Junesploitation experience! Hope to see y’all there this weekend!
Thank you Patrick and the FThisMovie community for another fun June of movie-watching. I covered some new ground while finally taking many films off of the watchlist. More titles, of course, were added to it.
ReplyDeleteWrapping up Junesploitaiton 2026 with the movie today's image comes from.
With SECRET ADMIRER (1985) already being on my watchlist, today seemed like the right time for a watch. In many ways it does not stand out from the pack of 1980s comedies, but everything about it is done with such competency and an appealing spirit that it stands out in today's cinematic environment. The script moves the plot along at just the right pace, and the characters all feel very distinct. There is not a weak spot in the cast. Sure, that ending is beyond being cliche even then, but I can forgive that. I had fun.
In order to complete the themes, my last watch for the month will be THERE'S ALWAYS VANILLA for George Romero day.
Well, this is it, it had to happen, the month is over. Thank you Patrick and the whole Fthismovie team, and the community around it, you all make this month great!
ReplyDeleteFor my 80s comedy I went with Sumer School (1987). I am a sucker for coming-of-age comedies, and sometimes dramas, but mostly comedies, so it's no suprise that I loved this too. Unfortunately, the dog doesn't wear sunglasses in the movie, only on the poster. But Chainsaw and Dave we're great, I didn't know what their deal was, I went in blind, so finding out that they love horror and goopy fx just made it so much better, that gory classroom scene just tied this whole thing together. Two thumbs up!
And as a bonus, since I missed yesterday, I also watched Bela Lugosi meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952). Because what else screams "exploitation" like a mutant clone ripoff of a Martin and Lewis movie? Sammy Petrillo and Duke Mitchell... I don't know what to say about these two, except, they kinda look like Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. This is not a great, or even good, or even mediocre movie, but it's certainly entertaining, and it keeps its promise, Bela Lugosi does meet a Brooklyn gorilla. And Sammy gets shot in the chest, so theres that too. So what're you waiting for, go watch it now!
Thanks again for the wonderful month!
Duke Mitchell! I checked out his mobster flick GONE WITH THE POPE for Action! day. Love that dude!
DeleteThanks for playing, Mr. Dunbar. Come again, not just next October or June '27 but every weekeday and weekend between now and next time we meet. 😎😜
DeleteWasn't able to watch any movies the last couple of days, but I had a really fun Junesploitation over the other 28.
ReplyDeleteThanks to the FThisMovie community for all the reviews and banter this month. I laughed at your synopses of some truly bizarre movie premises, had some great discoveries based on your recommendations, and added way too many movies to my watchlist.
Porky's II: The Next Day (1983)
ReplyDeleteWent into this with a little apprehension. But hear me out, this was the most progressive movie I've seen this month. Starts with some hijinks, but the girls are taking part in it to prank some of the stupider and more lustful guys. Then they're putting on a Shakespeare play (where some of the manly guys are convinced to dress up as women), and this complete caricature of a religious minister (stereotype, but not inaccurate for American evangelicals) comes in to bust up their play because they think Shakespeare is lewd.
We finally get politicians involved, but finally they're only caring about being re-elected, and in attempting to sleep with the young woman (again, not inaccurate). And then the KKK teams up with the religious people because there's a native guy taking part (again, not inaccurate that the KKK were overlapping with the super religious). But the teens take them down in the end. And with a lot of humour and pranks mixed in.
It's not without its dated jokes, but it actually comes down on the right side. A lot of the hipocrisy it's mocking in society is still prevalent today. This was one of my favourite watches of the month, which was a complete surprise.
With some problems with families health (everything is fine now), and busyness at work, I wasn't able to watch a whole lot this month. Maybe 10-12 movies. But really enjoyed reading everyone's reviews every day, and I have added a lot to my watchlist for the next year. Love Junesploitation. Thanks Patrick and Fthismovie for continuing to make this a thing.
DeleteI love these nerdy stats! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteFun to see this summary. Thanks for compiling the stats!
ReplyDeleteOne Crazy Summer (1986, dir. Savage Steve Holland)
ReplyDeleteFinal movie for me. I had a pretty good watch generally but I don't really like this much Bobcat outside of very specific movies. There were some great gags like the "generic" schools and the heads mounted on the cat's litter box (or was it carrier), that caught me off guard. A decent fun time to close out the month.
I'm pooped but wanted to post this tonight. Thanks everyone for sharing all your great movie posts! And thanks to Patrick and the FTM crew for the years of movie love they continue to foster!!
170.- HOWARD THE DUCK (1986, BLU-RAY)
ReplyDeleteI know what you're thinking: 'J.M., you goof! It's 80's COMEDY! day, which automatically means movies that aren't funny cannot be included!' 🙄🫤 Guess back in his post-"Return of the Jedi," Lucasfilm expansion days, someone forgot to tell uber-producer George Lucas to ask his filmmaking buddies Willard Huyck & Gloria Katz to include something that's actually funny in their $35+ million movie adaptation of the ol' Marvel comic. I think they succeed a little early on when we're on Howard's duck planet and the pop-culture puns ('Splashdance,' 'Duckweiser,' etc.) come thick and fast. Then again, the over-sexualization of alien ducks also starts here with the Playboy-like duck centerfold and the lady duck in the bathtub.. 'amusing' herself. 😱🥶Whether it's Howard working at a brothel-like establishment in 'Cle-veland,' Howard in bed with cute rocker Beverly (Lea Thompson) coming dangerously close to crossing several lines or Tim Robbins making a complete ass of himself (without the release of laughter to make his annoying shtick tolerable), there's an abundance of cringe and stupid in this flick at the expense of non-existing laughter.
Only during the 2nd half after Jeffrey Jones (and an actual villain to raise the non-existent stakes) appears does "Howard The Duck" become a somewhat good and interesting flick (stuff blows up real good, special effects big and small start happening besides the Howard suit, stuntmen get hurt during Howard's flying acrobatics, etc.)... which sadly now comes with the heavy weight of Jones' known proclivities dragging down the fun. I laughed a few times, but mostly at "HTD" and never with it. It's a reminder that even after being given the mother of all IP cash cows and every opportunity to prove himself as a producer, George Lucas was a mere mortal pawn in the Hollywood game of blockbuster 'Life.' 2.10
'SATAN'S SL*TS' MOTORCYCLE JACKETS' (out of five).
And my last movie of Junesploitation! '26, courtesy of JB suggesting it...
ReplyDelete171.- USED CARS (1980, DVD). Streaming on HOWDY.
It squeaks into 1980, but in my mind "Used Cars" is the most 70's comedy ever made. Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale's baby earns its 'R' rating by making its tale of dog-eat-dog used car salesmen fighting for every clueless customer's dollar mean, angry and so over-the-top funny we get used to its pace rather than accept its reality. This, not "Escape from New York's" Snake Plissken, is the role that made me forget Kurt Russell ever was a young Disney actor. Between him, fellow salesman Jeff (Gerrit Graham, "Phantom of the Paradise") and Jack Warden in dual roles as car dealer-owning brothers at each other's throats, the energy of the movie is already at overdrive. Throw in Lenny and 'Squiggy' (Michael McKean and David L. Lander, respectively) as airwave pirates interrupting a presidential address to air a commercial for the good guy's dealership, and I'm literally on the floor laughing so hard I can't breathe. 🤣😂 Only the third act starts to drag when Kurt Russell has to choose between love (Deborah Harmon) or his political ambition, and that's with an impressive 'mile of cars' series of driving scenes that must have been a bitch to film (the $8 million budget is all on the screen). It's always good to let time pass to keep comedies as angry and full of energy as "UC" fresh whenever I revisit it. 4.5 'THAT'S TOO F***ING HIGH!' EXPLODING MERCHANDISE (out of five).
Thank you so much for reading my reviews. It's been an honor... [DROPS DEAD]
That was AWESOME! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteClosed out June with REAL GENIUS (1985) dir. Martha Coolidge
ReplyDeleteI showed this to my two oldest daughters and it did not disappoint. The laughed a lot. Were charmed by Kilmer. Loved to hate Hathaway. Dug the music.
It’s a perfect 80s comedy.
Thank you to Patrick and everyone at F This Movie for another month of great movie love. And a big thank you to everyone who participated. I read the all even if I don’t comment that much. Can’t wait for Scary Movie month!!!
Why wait 'till October, CC? Visit us everyday and weekends between now and SMM for more FTM movie fun. 😉🫠
DeleteI feel lost and adrift. Watching sports.
ReplyDeleteI always have a Junesploitation hangover in the first week of July. Sometimes it is not easy finding the time and energy for a movie a day, but it does become a routine after 30 days that I have to unwind from.
DeleteThe heatwave is gonna make me fall in love with AC movie theaters really fast! 🥵🥶
Delete