
One of Brian De Palma’s most divisive films, Dressed to Kill is a spine-chilling Alfred Hitchcock update for the late 1970s. Sexually frustrated wife and mother Kate Miller (Angie Dickinson) visits her New York psychiatrist, Dr. Elliott (Michael Caine), to complain about her unfulfilling erotic life. When she then goes to meet her husband at a museum, she meets an anonymous man whom she follows out to a cab. After an afternoon of satisfying sex, Kate discovers that the man has a venereal disease, but that information becomes a moot point when a razor-wielding blonde woman slashes Kate to ribbons in the elevator of the man’s building. Blonde prostitute Liz (Nancy Allen), who caught a glimpse of the murderer, becomes both the prime suspect and the killer’s next target. With the police less than willing to believe her story, Liz joins forces with Kate’s son Peter (Keith Gordon) to get the psychopath themselves.
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Tag Archives: 1980s
Maniac Cop (1988) William Lustig, Tom Atkins, Bruce Campbell, Laurene Landon, Action, Crime, Horror

Innocent people are being brutally murdered on the streets of New York City by a uniformed police officer. As the death toll rises and City Hall attempts a cover-up, Frank McCrae heads the investigation. A young cop, Jack Forrest, finds himself under arrest as the chief suspect, having been the victim of a set-up by the real killer and a mysterious woman phone-caller. Forrest, his girlfriend Theresa, and McCrae set out to solve the puzzle before the Maniac Cop can strike again.
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Stop Making Sense (1984) Jonathan Demme, David Byrne, Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, Documentary, Music

David Byrne walks onto the stage and does a solo “Psycho Killer.” Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz join him for two more songs. The crew is busy, still setting up. Then, three more musicians and two back-up singers join the band. Everybody sings, plays, harmonizes, dances, and runs. They change instruments and clothes. Bryne appears in the Big Suit. The backdrop is often black, but sometimes it displays words, images, or children’s drawings. The band cooks for 18 songs, the lyrics are clear, the house rocks. In this concert film, the Talking Heads hardly talk, don’t stop, and always make sense.
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Great Balls of Fire! (1989) Jim McBride, Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder, John Doe, Biography, Drama, Music

Upstart rock ‘n’ roll singer Jerry Lee Lewis (Dennis Quaid) has just cut a record at Sun Studio. Jerry’s cousin, pastor Jimmy Swaggart (Alec Baldwin), tries to steer him away from a depraved life in the music business, but Jerry was born to play the so-called “devil’s music.” With rock ‘n’ roll king Elvis Presley busy with military service, Jerry sees his chance to claim the throne of popular music. But, his unabashed love of his 13-year-old cousin, Myra (Winona Ryder), may ruin his chances.
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The Woman in Red (1984) Gene Wilder, Kelly LeBrock, Charles Grodin, Comedy, Romance

Teddy is a middle-aged man who has a good wife, kids, friends, a fine job and a girlfriend. You could say that he has everything he wants; but he doesn’t. One day he sees a gorgeous woman in a red dress, and gets crazy!!! He must have her…
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Terms Of Endearment / Tendres Passions (1983) James L. Brooks, Shirley MacLaine, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson, Comedy, Drama

Based off of the novel by Larry McMurtry, the film’s plot focuses on the capricious relationship between a mother and her daughter. Their lives are constantly changing and the daughter fighting about of terminal cancer, every day is filled with drama…
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Down by Law (1986) Jim Jarmusch, Tom Waits, John Lurie, Roberto Benigni, Comedy, Crime, Drama

DJ Zack and pimp Jack end up in prison for being too laid-back to avoid being framed for crimes they didn’t commit. They end up sharing a cell with eccentric Italian optimist Roberto, whose limited command of the English language is both entertaining and infuriating. More useful to them is the fact that Roberto knows an escape route.
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Private School (1983) Noel Black, Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, Matthew Modine, Comedy, Romance, Erotic

Christine (Phoebe Cates), a student at an exclusive all-girls private school, is in love with Jim, who attends an academy for boys nearby. Christine’s arch rival Jordan also has her eye on Jim, and she is willing to do whatever she can to steal him away. Jim’s uber-slob buddy Bubba is going with Betsy, Christine’s cynical friend, though he would probably be unfaithful if any other woman were willing to get near him. Bubba and his pals sneak into the girls’ school dressed in drag in hopes of reaching the Promised Land (better known as the women’s shower room), while Christine and Jim run away together for the weekend, though their escapade isn’t as romantic as they had hoped.
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Bad Girls Dormitory (1986) Tim Kincaid, Carey Zuris, Teresa Farley, Natalie O’Connell, Action, Drama, Horror, Erotic

Inmates at a women’s prison run by a corrupt warden and her gang of sadistic guards plan a breakout.
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Moontrap (1989) Robert Dyke, Walter Koenig, Bruce Campbell, Leigh Lombardi, Horror, Sci-Fi

The Space Shuttle returns to earth, but some of the equipment brought back on it begins to behave strangely. Scientists are unsure what is happening, and decide to take all necessary precautions.
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