NOSTALGIA! Comedies for teens that marked the adolescence of forties

Only those who lived through the famous 80s know what an unforgettable period it was. Yes, it was a politically incorrect decade, but it was also the birth of many concepts that would forever change popular culture and our relationship to entertainment and film. It was in the 1980s, for example, the consolidation of the so-called blockbusters, that is to say the heyday of entertainment cinema, films that were released in theaters and became larger than life, being part of our daily. Films that are talked about and loved to this day – such as Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, Top Gun, Karate Kid and many more. This is also the time of the emergence of video clubs, stores that young people may have heard of. These places, which were used for the physical rental of films to be seen at home, undoubtedly contributed not only to the popularity of said films that have become eternal, but also to the survival of other productions that went unnoticed during their passage on the big screen. .

Another element that has greatly contributed to bringing films closer to their audiences has been the distribution on television channels. Each country had one or more channels open to the public which served to introduce a whole generation to the most varied film productions. In Brazil, the main cicerones were Globo and SBT, which brought joy to many children, adolescents and adults. Cinemas and video libraries may not be accessible to everyone, but thanks to television shows, everyone can discover the great successes of the seventh art and fall in love with them. With this in mind, we have decided to honor this very special moment, remembering a program specializing in the screening of films that have entered and never left the popular imagination, Sessão da Tarde, on Globo. Here, we will remember with you some classic teen comedies presented there, which will celebrate their 35th anniversary in 2022. It is not an easy task. Check.

To read also: Afternoon Session of the 80s! Remember the classic teen comedies that are 35 years old

In the 80s, certain names reigned supreme when it came to teen comedies. One of them was certainly that of the redhead Molly Ringwald, of a remarkable presence, as well as that of the director John Hughes, and which continues to be sung by the younger generations. It is no coincidence that Ringwald and Hughes collaborated on certain projects that served to elevate the name of the two at the time. Movies like Kittens and Big Guys (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985) and The Girl in Pink Shocking (1986). So the following year, continuing the three aforementioned successes, Molly Ringwald starred in The Pick-Up Artist (something like the makeup artist), but without the presence of John Hughes (who had no involvement in this production). Released by 20th Century Fox on September 18, 1987, the work featured another booming teenage name at the time, one who managed to consolidate after many ups and downs, becoming the biggest star of Hollywood today. : Robert Dowey Jr. – thanks to the Marvel movies, where the hero Iron Man lives.

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While Molly Ringwald was the darling of the genre at the time, having starred in some of the most influential films, Downey Jr. won with O Rei da Paquera the chance to star in her first film, exactly 35 years ago. The actor had already participated in some successful films at the time, of course, like Mulher Note Mil (1985) and Back to School (1986), but always in supporting roles. In the plot, Downey Jr. embodies a young professional flirt, accustomed to distilling his antics with unsuspecting young people. Everything changes in the villain’s life when he finds his greatest challenge in the ways of Molly Ringwald and truly falls in love with the girl. It turns out that she comes from a troubled home, where she has to take care of her father and untie the knot he has tied by getting involved with criminals. The cast also includes Dennis Hopper, Danny Aiello and Harvey Keitel; and is produced by star Warren Beatty.

An absolute classic of the Afternoon Session, Three O’Clock High in the original title (a reference to the end of classes in American high schools) was released on October 9, 1987, produced by Universal Pictures. What many may not know is that it is also produced by Amblin Entertainment, the studio of a certain Steven Spielberg. It turns out that the director had his name removed from the credits, leaving only that of his company. This had previously only happened with one Spielberg-produced film, the western Fandango (1985). Either way, Spielberg was unhappy with the end result and wanted to dissociate himself. It turns out that the director of Jaws wanted something closer to Karate Kid (1984), but director Phil Joanou decided to take inspiration from Martin Scorsese’s films, in particular After Hours (1985), creating a film for teenagers full of suspense and nervous moments – without forgetting the humor too.

Another strong influence of the film was the classic 1952 Western Kill or Die starring Gary Cooper – which does not coincidentally have in the original title the hour of the duel which will take place between the protagonist and the villain, and which makes move the plot. : High Noon, or noon. In the plot of Te Pego Lá Fora we also have a scheduled duel, but an after school fight – something every teenager can relate to, even more so those who grew up in the bad 80s and 90s. because that the peaceful Jerry Mitchel (Casey Siemaszko) will essentially face a psychopath out of hell, in the skin of Buddy Revell (Richard Tyson), a big guy who seems invincible and unstoppable, a transfer student with serious social problems, who does not like not be touched (perhaps because of having suffered abuse in the past). And what does our hero do right now without knowing this information? That’s right, touch it!

Unlike the other items above on this list, this Maid to Order (in the original title) didn’t have a major studio behind its release. On the contrary, the studio responsible for distributing the film in the United States was the unknown New Century Vista Film Company. So on July 31, 1987, ready for the busiest North American box office season – at the height of summer and school holidays – arrives this ’80s-style Cinderella tale. Amy Holden Jones back when she was well known for being an ardent spokesperson for feminism and her films reflected the cause, even if it didn’t always feel like it. We owe him in particular the slasher O Massacre (Slumber Party Massacre), from 1982, which the studio subverted by not understanding the satirical intention of the filmmaker.

Holden Jones wrote and directed Cinderella at Avessas and his ace up his sleeve was the presence of Ally Sheedy, an actress who was one of the members of the teenage girl group known as the brat pack – of which the aforementioned Molly Ringwald is also output. While the redhead was “America’s sweetheart”, Sheedy was the rebellious, alternative girl, reprising some of her characters in The Breakfast Club (1985). It is precisely for this reason that Holden Jones believed he had a trump card in his hands when he took the rebellious Sheedy and made her the typical pampered and privileged girl, whose greatest concern in life is the new dress she will buy and the new party she will throw. attend. The plot subverts the Cinderella story in 80s style, doing the opposite and turning the princess into Cinderella, in this case a maid. Same with the Fairy Godmother, played by Beverly D’Angelo (from the Frustrated Vacations franchise). It was another successful film in the afternoon session. Who remembers?

Also Read: 12 Movies You Need to Know The Brat Pack: The Hottest Stars of the 80s

Another absolute classic from Sessão da Tarde which turns 35 in 2022 is Like Father Like Son (literal translation of the title in Portuguese). Produced by TriStar Pictures and released on October 2, 1987, the film is part of a very popular trend in the late 1980s: children’s comedies about the change of body and the change of age of the main characters. Other feature films that were part of this “movement” were Quero Ser Grande (1988), A Special Request (1988), Inside Out (1988), and A Different Dream (1989). It can be said that at the time, Tal Pai Tal Filho was the pioneer of this subgenre which would become a trend at that time. Directed by Rod Daniel, the same as O Garoto do Futuro (1985) and K-9: A Good Police Officer (1989), Like Father Like Son’s plot is simple and shows what happens when a super responsible surgeon switch places with your relaxed teenager. Of course, along the way, the big lesson is to learn to put yourself in the other person’s shoes, to understand them better.

The secret of the production is this chemistry between the main actors, it’s what would make the film work or not. Thus, two very famous names from the 80s have been chosen as protagonists. Jack Hammond was cast in the English short film Dudley Moore – who years earlier had scored in such hits as Mulher Nota 10 (1979) and Arthur – The Millionaire Seducer (1981), that second Oscar-winning pop hit in certain categories. Like Father, Like Son would become the new big hit in Moore’s career – who was somewhat out of the limelight in films that fell short of expectations. For the role of the son, the young Kirk Cameron was hired, then aged 17 and making his debut in his first film role. Cameron was well known at the time and was successful in the series All in the Family (Growing Pains), which aired from 1985 to 1992.

Finally, this is the most unknown element and which everyone may not remember. Despite this, however, it features an actor who enjoyed similar success in the 1980s, when he was revealed in teen movies. This is John Cusack, then a young actor who had already participated in 8 classic films from the time he starred in this Hot Pursuit (in the original title). The film was released on May 8, 1987, distributed by Paramount Pictures. In the film, Cusack plays a young man completely in love with his girlfriend, a girl from a wealthy family. The family plans a vacation in the Caribbean, but the boy finds he can’t go at the last minute because he has to take a chemistry test at school. So the girl goes without him next to her parents. At 45 from the second half, the teacher abandons the test, and the unlucky subject is free to “fly”, it turns out that the decision was too late, and the beloved has already set sail. Now the protagonist must pursue her, using all possible and imaginable means within his reach, to be able to enjoy this paradise with his teenage love. Even if you’ve already been through real hell, with the right to kidnappers, criminals, corrupt police and even pirates, that’s to say everything the 80s is entitled to.

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