I have picked the movies I most enjoyed watching when I was a kid and I would like to share them with you. This list includes a sci-fi trilogy, two adventure movies, three road trip comedies, and four teen movies. I've added comments for each entry. Let's begin.
A time-travelling DeLorean, a bizarre scientist that looks like Albert Einstein, and a kid who doesn't want to be called chicken, yeah you've guessed it, the first entry on my list is the "Back to the Future" trilogy. Director/writer Robert Zemeckis, writer Bob Gale and producer Steven Spielberg brought us three enjoyable time-travel movies starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher LLoyd as Doc Emmet Brown.
In Back to the Future I, 17 year-old Marty McFly was accidentally sent to 1955 as he tried to lose the terrorists who shot his friend Doc Brown in a Delorean (which the Doc converted into a time machine) after the car reached the speed of 88 miles per hour. In order to get back to the future, Marty seeks the help of a younger version of the Doc. But there's a dilemna, how to get 1.21 jigawatts of power to power the flux capacitor which can only be generated by plutonium or a bolt of lightning (this makes for a great ending). Marty must also find a way to get his folks to fall in love after he interfered with their meeting or else he and his siblings will cease to exist. But his dad's high school bully, Biff Tannen, will not make Marty's task easy.
In Back to the Future II, the Doc asks Marty, and his girlfriend Jennifer, to come with him to the future in order to prevent Marty's future son from landing in jail. Unbeknownst to the Doc and Marty, the older Biff Tannen from the future stole the time machine and gave a sports almanac which tells sports results from the past to his younger self in 1955. Upon their return to the present, Marty and the Doc were surprised to come back to an alternate 1985. It turns out that the younger Biff used the almanac to bet on sports which made him a rich and powerful person. Marty and the Doc must now come back to 1955 to steal the almanac from the younger Biff and restore things back in order.
In Back to the Future III, a courier arrives at the scene after the Delorean disappeared with the Doc in it after the time machine was struck by lightning. He hands Marty a letter written by the Doc in 1885 telling Marty the location of the time machine and that the 1955 version of the Doc should have no trouble sending Marty back to 1985 and with specific instructions that Marty should not come back for him. However, Marty finds out that the Doc was killed by Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen while researching about the Doc in the library. With the help of the Doc's counterpart in 1955, Marty travels back to the old west (the Doc has hinted that he wanted to live in the old west) to save his friend Doc Brown. Just like in the first movie, the Doc faces a challenge on how to get the time machine back to the future. This time how to get it running to 88 miles per hour after the fuel line was hit by a Native American Indian arrow after Marty was transported to 1885. Gas hasn't been invented yet. The solution, push the time machine to 88 miles per hour. Makes for another exciting and thrilling finish.
I was simply amazed by these three movies. I remember seeing Back to the Future II with my Grade 6 classmates in 1989 at Makati Cinema Square. We enjoyed it a lot. We were astonished by a hover board, a shrinking jacket and shoes that lit up and strapped on by itself. A debate even ensued if Nike really sold those shoes. We were also taken for a ride in the hover board chase (with Griff, Biff's grandson). It was like de javu, we've all scene the skate board chase in Back to the Future I where Biff gets covered in manure. I have to say both chases were exciting and funny. Up to this day I still don't know how they made the hover board "hover". The special effects in the trilogy were awesome. And back then there was still no CGI. In the ending of part I, how did they make the time machine fly? Astig! That's all I can say. The writing in these movies was intelligent and funny at the same time. And the acting, well it was great as well. Michael J. Fox is Marty McFly. Fast talking, smooth, cool, nice guy. Christopher LLoyd played the part of eccentric Doctor Emmet Brown very well. I still think of him as Einstein. Just when we thought we won't see the Doc anymore, he unexpectedly appears with his family in the ending of Back to the Future III. We get to meet Jules and Verne. Clara we already know. Then Jennifer asks the Doc about the note from the future that got erased when Marty didn't accept a challenge to race. The Doc responds "It means your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it. So make it a good one, both of you." What a nice way to end the trilogy with that dialogue. Well, I just love these three movies. And they don't lose their magic even if I have seen them a lot of times by now.
My next entry is "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", part three of the Steven Spielberg/George Lucas adventure film, "Raiders of the Lost Ark".
In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indy (Harrison Ford) rescues his father, Dr. Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), in Nazi territory after the latter went missing while trying to find the Holy Grail. After saving his father, Indy himself continues the quest. Using his father's diary which contains clues and maps that lead to the location of the cup of Christ, Indy races to find the Grail ahead of the Nazis, who plan to use the Grail's power to grant eternal life to dominate the world.
I love this film. For me, this is the best Indiana Jones movie. Even better than Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. I saw this movie during a film showing in school back in a time when laser disc was still new (brings me back to '91-'92). I love River Phoenix who played the young Indiana Jones. As a young kid back then, I was intrigued by the Holy Grail - the mysterious cup allegedly used by Christ that grants eternal life. I love the part near the end of the film where Indy has to figure out the clues found in his father's diary to pass three tests before he could get the cup of Christ. The first test, the breath of God. Indy got saved from getting his head cut off by figuring out that "a penitent man kneels before God." He was able to duck as a giant blade sweeps over a room. The second test, the Word of God. Indy had to spell the name of God on stepping stones correctly. Indy initially steps on "J" to spell "Jehovah" and the stone falls off. Indy then remembers that in Hebrew, Jehovah is spelled with an "I" and passes the test. The third test, the path of God. In this test, Indy had to make a "leap of faith" in order to cross a ravine. I like this part. Turns out there was an invisible bridge. After Indy reached the chamber where the grail is located, he met the guardian of the grail. A knight whom Indy was supposed to combat but the knight was already too weak to fight.
I love that the Holy Grail in this film was a simple cup. One that is used by a carpenter's son. Makes sense, doesn't it? I also love the part when Indy's dad told Indy to let go of the grail as Indy reached for it after the quake inside the temple. I was awed by the temple, by the way, which is a real place in Petra, Jordan.
Next film I saw when I was a young kid - Steven Spielberg's "The Goonies".
After their leader Mikey stumbled upon a treasure map in his attic, The Goonies, a group of kids from the coastal town of Astoria, embark on an adventure passing through underground tunnels and escaping booby traps to find the treasure of famed pirate One Eye Willie in hopes of saving their neighborhood from contractors who intend to transform it into a golf course.
The Goonies stars Sean Astin, who later played Rudy, Sam in LOTR and Speedo guy in Click, Corey Feldman (the other Corey), and Martha Plimpton who now plays Virginia Chance in Raising Hope. I knew it was her.
Every kid back then would love The Goonies. It is an exciting and enjoyable film. You get what you expect from a Steven Spielberg blockbuster. The part I like most in this movie is when Mikey (Astin) was kissed by his brother's girlfriend by accident in one of the tunnels. 
- Next on my list, "Adventures in Babysitting".
After high school senior Chris Parker (Elisabeth Sue) got stood up by her boyfriend, she agrees to babysit three kids - Brad and Sara Anderson, and their friend Darryl. All was well until Chris's friend Brenda called and asked to be picked up at a bus station down town. Chris and the kids get into a station wagon and travel to the city not knowing that they are in for a wild and crazy night.
I saw this film in Betamax. Back in the day, bootleg movie rental shops renting out Betamax and VHS movies sprung up like mushrooms in Metro Manila. This film is one of the tapes I borrowed at that time. I enjoyed this movie a lot. This film is fun, exciting and hilarious. This is the type of comedy film I like watching. Sad, though, I cannot find a copy of this film anymore. I would love to watch it again.
Adventures in Baby Sitting is writer/producer/director Chris Columbus's directorial debut. He also directed "I Love You, Beth Cooper" years later.
"License to Drive" stars the late Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, and a young Heather Graham. In this movie, Corey Haim plays Les, a high school teen who had recently failed his driver's exam. Despite not having a license to drive, Les sneaks out with his grandfather's prized Cadillac and goes out on a date with his crush, Mercedes Lane (played by Heather Graham). During the date, the hood of the Cadillac gets broken because a drunken Mercedes danced on it. She later passes out. Not knowing what to do, Les goes to the house of his best friend Dean (played by Corey Feldman) to have the dent on the car fixed. After the dent was fixed, Dean and another friend, Charles, persuades Les to go on a joyride, putting drunk Mercedes in the trunk of the car. What follows is a series of misfortunes which damaged the car even more.
I saw this film on TV several years ago. This is another movie starring the "Two Coreys" that I like. "Lost Boys" is another one. I just like this type of movie. What can I say, the road trip comedy movie is one of my favorite film genres.
Next on my list, "National Lampoon's European Vacation".
After winning in a game show called "Pig In A Poke," the Griswald family, headed by loveable Clark Griswald (played by Chevy Chase), travel to several places in Europe in their small rent-a-car not knowing of the havoc they create i.e. driving on the wrong side of the road, hitting a bicyclist, knocking down the stones in Stonehenge, and etc. (full of laughs)
To me this film is really funny especially with Chevy Chase playing the bumbling yet lovable dad, Clark Griswald. I also think the shooting locations for this movie were great. It's always been my dream to see London's Big Ben, Stonehenge, and the Eiffel Tower. At least I got to see them in this film. Salzburg, where the Sound of Music was filmed, is another place in Europe I wish I could go to.
Next on my list of movies I saw when I was a kid, "Sixteen Candles".
In Sixteen Candles, we follow high school sophomore Samantha "Sam" Baker (Molly Ringwald), who has a huge crush on the most popular guy in school, Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling), as she tries to get through the day of her sixteenth birthday, which her family forgets because they were busy with her sister's wedding.
This movie is the first collaboration of filmmaker John Hughes and '80s teen princess Molly Ringwald. It is said that John Hughes wrote this film specifically for Ringwald after seeing a photo of her.
This film is very funny and entertaining. Every teen back then and even teens now will love this movie. There's the dance and the house party which we often see in teen movies. There's the cool dialogue, the high school stereotypes - nerds, geeks, jocks, and popular kids. The supporting cast in this film also did a brilliant job. Gedde Watanabe as foreign exchange student Long Duk Dong, Anthony Michael Hall as "The Geek", and matinee idol John Cusack as a nerd. I just love this film.
Next on my list is "The Breakfast Club".
Five high school stereotypes who have nothing in common, namely, the Brain (Anthony Michael Hall), the Athlete (Emilio Estevez), the Basket Case (Ally Sheedy), the Princess (Molly Ringwald) and the Criminal (Judd Nelson), share a whole day together in their school library during Saturday detention and become good friends in the process.
John Hughes really makes cool high school movies. He really knows what it is to be like a teenager. He makes an accurate portrayal of them. Each of the stereotypes in this film, I think, represents all teenagers. To those characters, each teenager and each person who was once a teenager could relate. Also, the need to belong or to be accepted by your peers, which is a main theme in this film, I too have once felt that. John Hughes's films also always had the best music, in this case the Simple Minds’ song "Don't You Forget About Me". With lyrics saying: "Will you stand above me? Look my way, never love me" and "As you walk on by will you call my name?" Will the members of the Breakfast Club still be friends after detention? A fitting song for this movie. This is one of the many excellent movies of John Hughes.
Next is "Pretty in Pink".
Andie, the girl from the "other side of the tracks" and Blaine, the rich, handsome and popular guy in school, try to make their romance work despite their different social backgrounds and amidst pressure from their friends.
Pretty in Pink was named after the Psychedelic Furs' song "Pretty in Pink". It was written by John Hughes and directed by Howard Deutch. It stars Molly Ringwald as Andie, Andrew McCarthy as Blaine, Jon Cryer as Andie's friend Duckie and James Spader, who did a very good job as Blaine's douche bag friend Steff.
This film is very cool. I especially like the soundtrack - Pretty in Pink (Psychedelic Furs), If You Leave (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark or OMD), Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (The Smiths), Bring On The Dancing Horses (Echo & The Bunnymen), Shell-Shock(New Order), Left of Center (Suzanne Vega), and etc. You'll love the soundtrack if you're a New Wave fan.
The music is another thing I like in John Hughes's films. John Hughes really has great musical taste. In this film he had Jon Cryer dancing and lip-synching to soul artist Otis Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness". Entertaining scene by the way. On the back door of the record store where Andie works, there is a poster of The Smiths. Also in one of the record racks, there's a selection which says "The Smiths". Cool.
And last on this list of movies I saw when I was a kid, "Some Kind of Wonderful," which also happens to to be my all-time favorite movie.
Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz), who works in a gasoline station, scores a date with the prettiest girl in school, Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson), who recently broke up with her cheating boyfriend, to the dismay of Keith's best friend, Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson), who realizes that she has feelings for Keith.
I saw this film on our black and white TV when I was thirteen. It really made an impression on me. I was into punk and new wave music at that time (me being a poser), due mainly to listening to my older brother's cassette tapes. I was really pleased to see skinhead Duncan and the other guy who has spike hair and who was wearing a t-shirt with an anarchy symbol if I'm not mistaken (the one who pushed Watts's beat up Mini Cooper when it ran out of gas). Even drummer girl Watts and Keith look cool in this movie. Great.
I could also relate to Eric Stoltz's character, Keith. In this movie, Keith's father wanted Keith to go to business college after high school so that Keith could have a better future, so that Keith could have a "shot to be the first guy in the family who didn't have to wash his hands after a day's work". Keith's dad was really pissed after finding out that Keith spent all the money he earned working at the gasoline station to buy a pair of diamond earrings for Amanda. Keith explains himself and his dad says, "You're eighteen years old, for Christ's sake!". Then my favorite dialogue in this movie was said by Keith - "Then I'm nineteen! then I'm twenty ! When does my life belong to me?". Those were such powerful words. I was thirteen when I first saw this film and was at the teenage rebellion stage. Those words stuck. Of course, dads mean well. But once in a while, they should also listen to what their kids really want and they should also trust their kids to make the right decision sometimes.
References: IMDb, Wikipedia
Photos: some, from all over the internet, some, screenshots from my dvds
indianajones.com
