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Life Moves Pretty Fast
Life Moves Pretty Fast: The Lessons We Learned from Eighties Movies (and Why We Don't Learn Them from Movies Any More) | Hadley Freeman
Hadley Freeman brings us her personalised guide to American movies from the 1980s - why they are brilliant, what they meant to her, and how they influenced movie-making forever.
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PurpleyPumpkin
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Wow, reviewing this list of movies brought back so many memories! I did this challenge with my hubby since he has a better memory for these things than I do. 😅 We still watch some of these periodically & they never get old. Favourites in no particular order are Ferris Bueller‘s Day Off, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Die Hard (DEFINITELY a Christmas movie 😂), & Back to the Future. Thanks for putting this list together @dabbe ! #TLT #ThreeListThursday

dabbe You and your hubby kicked butt! Bravo! 🤩🤗😘 8mo
PurpleyPumpkin @dabbe This was so much fun! Thanks for putting it all together. 😉💜 8mo
dabbe @PurpleyPumpkin 💙🩵💙 8mo
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MemoirsForMe Wow! You two are quite the movie buffs. I must check this out with Craig! 8mo
PurpleyPumpkin @UwannaPublishme Honestly, this was a blast! Rob and I started dating in the late 80s and we were always going to movies! Or renting them on VHS. 😜 8mo
MemoirsForMe Craig and I did the same! 😂 We met in 1990 and we each had quite a collection of VHS tapes. I hate to admit, we still have most of them! 😳📼 8mo
29 likes6 comments
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StellarDoc
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I hope your Sunday is as chill as #TomKittleston.

Clare-Dragonfly 😻😻😻 2y
14 likes1 comment
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Sharpeipup
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Hoping this line for early voting moves just as fast.

Lynnsoprano The weather looks slightly better than what we saw people standing in the other day when we went to the library to pick up hubby‘s hold. (We took our ballots to the SOE office two weeks ago). Are you in South Florida, because that‘s exactly what the weather looks like here right now. 4y
Sharpeipup @Lynnsoprano Central Florida and it started raining just after I took the photo. Note: I did stay to vote & the book stayed dry! 4y
31 likes1 stack add3 comments
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squirrelbrain
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Some #yellow books for #coldplayjuly....

kspenmoll Some great reads in yellow! 5y
Suet624 @kspenmoll I was going to say the same thing! 5y
BarbaraBB Great pic! 5y
Eggs Nice collection 💛👏🏻🤗 5y
kspenmoll @Suet624 likeminds😘 5y
71 likes5 comments
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KarenUK
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#LilithJuly
Couldn‘t think of #BasketCase and not have my brain go immediately to the ‘labels‘ from The Breakfast Club! #Oncean80sgirlalwaysan80sgirl !
This non-fic book has been on my #TBR for ages, but it sounds really fun!

And I ❤️ today‘s (breakup) song so much! .... link below ⬇️
https://open.spotify.com/track/7AXUdQmZMA5u221iv6gB0m?si=7zsQRBOgSR-cjJDFcXwu7Q

CoffeeNBooks I have this book on my bookshelf, but I haven't read it yet. 5y
Cinfhen Book looks really good!! And ANYTHING Breakfast Club is gonna be a pick from me❤️🙌🏻 5y
DebinHawaii Great pick! I thought this book was such fun! 🤗 5y
44 likes1 stack add3 comments
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CoffeeNBooks
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Cinfhen This looks GREAT!!!!! 🙌🏻❤️ 6y
ElizaMarie I can‘t wait to read your review on this one! It looks super interesting! 6y
BookishTrish I loved it. 6y
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Soubhiville I‘ve got this waiting on my TBR shelf. Maybe next month... 🤪. Hope you love it! 6y
TheKidUpstairs ❤❤❤ 6y
CoffeeNBooks @Birdsong28 Yes! That one's on my TBR list as well! 6y
109 likes9 stack adds7 comments
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squirrelbrain
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#timbittunes
#everythingismovingsofast

Great book if you like 80s movies...

‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don‘t stop and look around once in a while you could miss it‘ - Ferris Bueller‘s Day Off

JennyM Ain‘t that the truth! 6y
mreads 🐿❤ 6y
Cathythoughts 👍🏻♥️ 6y
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TheKidUpstairs ❤❤❤ 6y
dgingo We‘re planning a “book club” where we read a chapter of this book and watch an 80s movie connected to the chapter to discuss it. When relevant, we‘ll add a related book into the mix. 6y
TheKidUpstairs @dgingo I want to be in your book club! That sounds so fun! 6y
dgingo @TheKidUpstairs Any chance you live in DFW? 😊 6y
TheKidUpstairs @dgingo nope, not even close! I'm in Canada, near Toronto. I might just have to steal your idea and start my own! 6y
dgingo @TheKidUpstairs Let me know if you do! We could do a little blended club meeting one day thanks to technology! 6y
Cinfhen Yes please!!!!!! 6y
tracey38 This sounds so fun! 6y
98 likes3 stack adds11 comments
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Ellohcin
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Current read.

zzz I miss the 80's 😣😣😣 6y
16 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Soubhiville
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@Hooked_on_books thank you for including Life Moves Pretty Fast with my next #OwlPost! I laughed a little at this month‘s selection, as I almost bought a copy at McKay‘s last night! I‘m looking forward to reading it! What a bummer that the original got lost in the mail 🙁. It may turn up at some point though, I‘ve seen it happen in other clubs. Whose book is this, do you know?

tracey38 This book sounds great! Love 80s movies. I just watched The Breakfast Club the other night. 6y
Hooked_on_books Wow, that got there fast! It amazes me sometimes. I saw the Owlpost book on your TBR, so I figured you‘d be happy to see it. I think it‘s @MooseGurl ‘s pick. Oh, and you‘re welcome! (edited) 6y
Purrfectpages I‘ve wanted to read this for awhile! 6y
Betty Good idea for a gift for my daughter; she‘s a bit younger than you 6y
83 likes11 stack adds4 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

This book is both a love letter to 80s movies and a societal commentary of our culture as reflected by movies over time. It‘s written with great humor and I thought it was a ton of fun. A great read for fans of 80s movies.

@Soubhiville I‘m going to mail your owlpost tomorrow and am dropping this one in with it—I spotted it on your TBR. 👍🏼

LeahBergen I love Pretty in Pink. 💕💕💕 6y
Soubhiville Oh yay! Thank you! I absolutely love 80‘s movies, the Goonies is my favorite! 6y
Magpiegem I really really REALLY want to read this book! 6y
58 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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GirlWellRead
Pickpick

feel like I could write this type of book. I mean who doesn't want to talk about being kissed by Jake Ryan, or Blaine? I mean, seriously! And how good does an 80s movie make you feel? This book made me dig out my VHS tapes and get reacquainted with some old friends. Thank you Hadley for this gem, I would definitely recommend this read.

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Lizpixie
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#Aprella #day3 #RIP2MyYouth I spent most of my youth in the 80s,the decade of bad taste.As you can see from the photo,I had the perm, the INXS band shirt & the attitude. At least I‘m not wearing my day-glo midriff top or my ra-ra skirt with a lace bow in my hair in this one! The 80s had the best teen movies of all time though, think The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Ferris Buellers Day Off & Heathers. #oncean80sgirlalwaysan80sgirl #gogoanddayglo

squirrelbrain Loved this book! ❤️ 7y
Readergrrl Love this post!!! Graduated high school in 1986 and college in 1990!!! Good times!!! 7y
Cathythoughts Great post 👍🏻love your pic 💫 7y
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Centique Yess! The best movies! 😍 7y
Mdargusch I can watch Ferris Bueller over and over! 💙 7y
Reviewsbylola This looks like so much fun and that cover is awesome!! 7y
emilyhaldi Love your perm! You were having fun!!! 🎉 Ferris Bueller is one of my favs 🙌🏻 7y
LeahBergen Yay for the ‘80s! 🎉 7y
91 likes8 comments
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xicanti
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It's still a couple hours until midnight here, so I figure I'll screen another film covered in LIFE MOVES PRETTY FAST. I last saw this one half my life ago.

Also, I totally went out and bought a streaming Blu-Ray player (on clearance) because the cable box here can't run Netflix and I hate watching things on my computer. It's small enough that I can take it home with me, so that's all good. #24in48preshow

TricksyTails Bueller! 7y
TobeyTheScavengerMonk I like to watch and entertain the theory that Ferris is Cameron‘s imaginary friend ala Fight Club. Favorite quote: “You‘re not dying. You just can‘t think of anything good to do.” 7y
29 likes2 comments
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xicanti
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Hadley Freeman made me want to rewatch a bunch of films I haven't seen in a while (and catch up on those I totally missed because of my parents' rules about audiovisual materials), so tonight I'm screening DIRTY DANCING. It's been at least fifteen years and pretty well all I remember is what I just read summarized in Freeman's book.

CocoReads Enjoy. It‘s one of my favorite movies! 7y
WarpedSweetness I love this movie!! 7y
BethFishReads 💕💕 7y
47 likes3 comments
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xicanti
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Pickpick

A fascinating dive into 80s cinema, with a strong focus on gender and the shifting cultural norms that've shaped the film industry. Freeman does lean on her own (acknowledged) biases and I don't agree with every stance she takes, but that made this book all the more fun to read--and to argue with. And it made me want to watch a hell of a lot of films, as any good work of cinematic criticism should.

Liatrek This sounds like a perfect companion book to Ready Player One with all its 80s movie references 😊 7y
mrozzz Cool!! 7y
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xicanti
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Freeman has tons of important stuff to say about gender and media consumption.

TobeyTheScavengerMonk I got this for Christmas! Looking forward to it! 7y
27 likes1 comment
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xicanti
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True words about THE PRINCESS BRIDE.

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AshHisson
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Pickpick

Loved this. Though I didn't always agree with some, I loved reading her arguments for and against certain movies, and learning new trivia for old favourites. Would definitely recommend for other film lovers. Will reread. 5/5 #popculture #nonfiction #essays

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TobeyTheScavengerMonk
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So I got some books! Usually it‘s a pretty even book/movie mix, but 7 of these are about movies so it all shakes out.

Gonna focus in on some of these in the days to come!

GrilledCheeseSamurai I sure wouldn't mind reading through that Dark Crystal book! 🙋‍♂️ 7y
LibrarianRyan I too got the dark crystal. And Labyrinth. 7y
LeahBergen Nice!! 7y
Texreader What an amazing haul!! 7y
75 likes4 comments
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DebinHawaii
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#Septembowie #OhYouPrettyThings Catching up on yesterday's prompt, these are my books with 'pretty' in the title. I've read them all except for Pretty Girl-13 which is on my Kindle #TBR.

Marchpane Love this! Very *pretty* collage 👏🌈 7y
Laylafinn How was pretty girls? I have that one on my desk 7y
DebinHawaii @Marchpane Thank you! 🌈💜😆 7y
DebinHawaii @Laylafinn Have you read any of her books before? It's pretty dark & twisted but I liked it and Slaughter's writing in general. 📚👍 7y
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Lauredhel
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And with this book for the Free Space - written by Hadley FREEman, geddit? - my #litsychallenge2017 is done! Yaaay!! #litsyreadingchallenge

britt_brooke 🙌🏻🙌🏻 7y
PurpleyPumpkin Well done!🙌🏽 7y
jessberk13 Awesome job!!! 🤓🙌🏻📚 7y
67 likes3 comments
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Christy2318
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#5movies - The Princess Bride is always #1. Others subject to change but this is what came to mind tonight - The Breakfast Club, Bull Durham, Romancing the Stone, Gone With the Wind. I think my age is showing. 😱😆

Liatrek I was just watching Romancing the Stone the other day. Forgot how great that movie was. 7y
Gezemice Princess Bride! We watch it a lot, too! "I don't think that word means what you think it means." 7y
Christy2318 @Gezemice Inconceivable! 7y
Bostonmomx2 The Breakfast Club is a popular one! 7y
58 likes4 comments
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Lauredhel
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In case you were wondering about what came after "because".

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Lauredhel
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I expected this, too. *sob*

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Bookgirl
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Pickpick

If you grew up in the 80's or just love 80's movies, this is a fun book. Freeman explains the virtues of the classic 80's films, looking at them through various lenses (feminism, racism, ageism? Not sure what to call the examination of teenage movie tropes) You'll enjoy the movie quoting and some of the backstory on films. At times she beats a point to death and I disagree with her disgust of 16 Candles and Jake Ryan, but overall enjoyable reading

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Lizpixie
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#JuneBookBugs #day15 #Stripes The only stripes I could find in my shelves is a book I posted only a few days ago. So, whoops for that. Out of over 2,000 books this is the only one, so they must not be a popular cover choice. This cover reminds me of being 14 & wearing a ruffle skirt, dayglo crop top & huge earrings. And a perm. Yeah, that was me.

Cinfhen Hehe, I think I had that same outfit and the perm too! 8y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled I went for the side ponytail myself 🤦‍♀️ 8y
Purrfectpages Wait, what? I need this book in my life. 8y
70 likes5 stack adds3 comments
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kristina_with_a_k
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If the introduction is any indication of what's in store for the rest of the book, this is going to be a good read. #nowreading #eightieskid

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Lizpixie
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#JuneTunz #day10 #GoldenYears This is a non-fiction book about the golden years of teen movies, the 80s. There were some pretty amazing movies brought out in that decade, my teen years. Movies like The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Ferris Buellers Day Off & Sixteen Candles.With actors like Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Jennifer Grey & John Cusack, they are some of my very favourite movies, especially The Breakfast Club. Love it!❤️

Boghunden What an amazing cover 😍 8y
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LaraReads @Cinfhen @Lizpixie yes to both those hashtags! Love this post! 8y
Marla I loved all those movies. My high school and college years were in the 80s. 8y
Cinfhen My favorite movie song @Lizpixie "In Your Eyes" 8y
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GuiltyFeat
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Mehso-so

Just a little too self-conscious for my tastes. Freeman shies away from full-blown memoir to talk semi-seriously about movies in the 80s and why they're important, but she can't help inserting herself also. It ends up being neither one thing or the other. A little disappointing though passably entertaining, but I'm not buying her affection for Rick Moranis... Steve Gutenberg, on the other hand is a true role model for the ages.

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PacingTheCage
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Hughes died in 2009, at the ridiculously premature age of 59, of a heart attack: " When you grow up, your heart dies."

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PacingTheCage
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Downtonabbeyroad394
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Screws fall out all the time the worlds an imperfect place

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Eyelit
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February was a good month for light nonfiction reads - here's a handful of the #recentnonfictionread titles I finished. #marchintoreading

SusanInTiburon I liked Not Just Jane a lot. 8y
emilyesears Oooo these all sound good! 8y
Daisey I just finished listening to Frontier Grit today and really enjoyed it! 8y
97 likes1 stack add3 comments
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jes
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I've been looking so forward to reading this. As a film school graduate, as well as an 80s kid, this books calls to me.

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RoxyWilde
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Lazy Saturday

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Lauren.Archer
Pickpick

For the most part this was a really fun book. I read through a couple chapters pretty quickly because I had not seen the movies. If you like 80's movies I would definitely read. You will laugh quite an it.

BraveNewBooks I loved this book! Spot on about why so many 80s movies seem more meaningful than stuff made today. I had seen most, but the ones I hadn't got added to my list! 8y
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Lauren.Archer
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Finally getting around to this one, so excited.

StephBengtson Ooh! I need to check that one out! 😍 8y
Weave That looks a lot of fun ~ enjoy x 8y
rabbitprincess Getting so much nostalgia from the cover! I recognize the Polaroid VHS stripes 😃 8y
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DebinHawaii I liked this one! 👍 8y
nikirtehsuxlol learn all the things from the 80s! 8y
124 likes20 stack adds6 comments
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DebinHawaii
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Pickpick

I really liked this book because I love 80s movies & it gives an in-depth look at many of my faves like Dirty Dancing, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Steel Magnolias & Pretty in Pink & gave me new insights/things to look for when I (invariably will) re-watch them. It got a bit repetitive at times & I had more interest in certain chapters, but the author's obvious passion for her subject & snarky humor make it good fun for film buffs👍👍

Soubhiville I'd like to read this, and also 8y
Weaponxgirl Have you read her other book? I really enjoyed it. A joke about Richard Dawkins had me laughing out loud at a bus stop 8y
DebinHawaii @Soubhiville I won a copy of Brat Pack America in Goodreads but I haven't received it yet. I'm looking forward to reading it though. @Weaponxgirl I have not read anything else by her but based on this one, I definitely would. 8y
Suet624 Sounds so fun!!! 8y
113 likes16 stack adds4 comments
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DebinHawaii
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I fully intended to venture forth into society in some way today, but instead I am couch potato-ing it on this windy cool day. Pajama pants & comfy tee-shirt, the couch, a bowl of yesterday's delicious chickpea noodle soup for lunch, this book about 80s movies on my tablet, and at the moment, Harold and Maude on cable. (Not an 80s movie, but it's been ages since I've seen it and I forgot how odd and endearingly quirky it is).

kalinichta Love Harold and Maude. I remember being captivated by it when I saw it for the first time as a kid. 8y
Suzze Harold and Maude came out the year I graduated from high school. I was obsessed with it. (edited) 8y
DebinHawaii @kalinichta @Suzze It was really fun to see it again although now I have Cat Stevens stuck in my head! 😁👍 8y
melbeautyandbooks Sounds like a fabulous day! 8y
SusanInTiburon I wouldn't mind having Cat Stevens stuck in my head again. Been a long time. 8y
92 likes5 comments
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ElizabethSensa
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"The motivating force of almost every single classic eighties teen film was not, in fact, selling soundtracks... It was social class." P143

Battlecat In your eyes... 5y
8 likes1 comment
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alanacristin
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[Footnote to discussion of Top Gun, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Beverly Hills Cop] "The result of this veneration of mavericks in eighties movies is that the villains of these films are often completely in the right: Iceman is completely right that Maverick is dangerous, just as the Environmental Protection Agency is right that the Ghostbusters look like unlicensed clowns and Mr. Rooney is right that Ferris should be in school." ? #big80s #movies

MrBook 😂👏🏻👍🏻 8y
12 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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alanacristin
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This Ghostbusters essay is everything: "This is my kinda sci-fi, and my kind of masculinity: gleefully, nonsensically, sweetly nerdy." #big80s #movies #masculinity #Ghostbusters

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Heideschrampf
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I really regret having missed this gem at this years Book Festival, but will definately buy the book now and join Freeman in the lament of the lost art form of (feminist) 80s teen movies #edbookfest

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balletbookworm
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Pickpick

A very entertaining, thoughtful examination of 80s films, seen through the lens of one woman's personal favorites. It's weighted far more towards comedies (Princess Bride, Ghostbusters, Ferris Bueller, When Harry Met Sally, Baby Boom, Back to the Future, etc) than other genres. (She admits to not being on the bandwagon for Star Wars, which means Empire and Jedi are both weirdly absent from a book about 80s movies, even as peripheral references).

balletbookworm There are some excellent points made about feminism in Eighties movies, great Nancy Meyer quotes, and the last chapter about Eddie Murphy was great. 8y
BookishClaire This sounds good! 8y
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balletbookworm
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"Waffling on about Godard."

??????????????????

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balletbookworm

"Waffling on about Godard."

??????????????????

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SGJ
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Pickpick

Going slow through this one, what with having to keep up with the new semester (and: all I assign...), but really liking it. Especially lines/statements like this.

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deefig

I'm planning on having my book club read this one. A majority of us were teens in the 80s, hoping this is a good one.

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SGJ
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Reading the chapter on Dirty Dancing now—still super-early in this one. Realizing I've never seen all of that movie, as the night I was watching it on VHS (88?), I had to hit pause to go find one of my beat-up friends in the pasture, since his dad was out there trying to run him down with a welding truck. So the night turned into another one with cops and ambulances and statements, like so many did that year. But I'll finish this movie, someday.

LeahBergen Damn! Well, at least you weren't interrupted during something REALLY good ... like The Breakfast Club. 😉 8y
BookNotes 😳 8y
80 likes29 stack adds2 comments