'All cowboys ain't dumb. Some of 'em got smarts real good'

The Country Music Awards are on TV tonight, so you know what that means: Time to break out all the old 80s DVDs and watch something far more entertaining.

And anything would be more entertaining to me. Still, the 80s were full of movies that revolved around country music. (And by far, most of them were truly awful).

Here are five worth remembering (but not worth watching):

NINE TO FIVE (1980): Not a lot of country music, but that dreaded theme song from Dolly Parton still haunts my dreams.

URBAN COWBOY (1980): Vinnie Barbarino as a cowboy? That's about as believable as a religion based on worshiping space aliens.

COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER (1980): Which name sounds more country -- Sissy Spacek or Loretta Lynn? Someone tell me if this movie was any good, because I was never bored enough to watch it.

TENDER MERCIES (1983): A movie with Wilford Brimley and I still don't like it? Robert Duvall won an Oscar for his role as a recovering alcoholic country singer (is there any other kind?).

RHINESTONE (1984): One of the worst movies of the 80s. Think of this: Someone in Hollywood saw "Urban Cowboy" and thought, "If Travolta can play a hick, then so can Stallone!" And you wonder why there's a writer's strike.

Comments

[Marissa]

How about "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas?" Yee haw! Y'all come back now, ya hear?

[Spears]

Oh god, I'd forgotten that movie. I should have just goggled Dolly Parton movies in the 80s. Scary. Truly scary.

[Marissa]

After thought, but here's a lovely little diddy from Burt and Dolly. "Sneakin' around with you" Oh yeah, it's a true gem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blvNOCdyoUk

[Tom]

Make it stop! Make it stop! I'm just glad "Six Pack" didn't make the list. Definitely not worth remembering.

[Marissa]

There's a clip from that movie, too! You had to go and mention it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UGJXzjdNVQ

[chase]

Regarding your note above, Steve, did you mean "oggled?" ...

Hey, don't forget Clint Eastwood's 1982 Honkytonk Man, actually a good flick, and Clint sings in it!

Does "Any Which Way You Can" count? What's her name is a "singer" in it, (name the bar .... wait for it ... wait for it ... That's right, The Palomino ...)

[Jeff in Cuba]

I was just thinking of "BLW in T" a few weeks ago during the whole Senator Craig footsie debacle.
It reminded me of Charles Durning mincing around in his underwear as the Governor of Texas.

[Marissa]

Ya know how 1408 gave Steve nightmares? Well, that description Jeff in Cuba just gave is going to give me the heebie jeebies all night long (and I don't have a mini-bar to yell at).

Chase, Clint Eastwood sings in another movie. Not from the 80s, but he's croonin'. Do you know it?

[80sfan]

Oh my I haven't thought of TBLWIT in quite some time, and with probably good reason. But who can forget Dolly singing I Will Always Love You? Whitney couldn't hold a candle IMO.

[Ian from Down Under]

If TV movies count, I want to nominate
1. The Gambler - Kenny Rogers
2. The Gambler : The Adventure Continues - Kenny Rogers
3. The Gambler III : The Legend Continues - Kenny Rogers
Unfortunately parts 4 & 5 of The Gambler quintuplets were made in the 90's. So they can't make this list. DARN!!!
4. The Coward of the County - Yep!!! Kenny again

Steve, do you think they will ever make Keep Your Hands to Yourself into a movie? Surely that would be your lifetime goal to see that as a motion picture. Ha Ha

[Glenn S.]

I saw Coal Miners Daughter with my mother when it first came out, and I pretty much went along because I had nothing better to do that afternoon. I didn't consider myself a country music fan, only knew of Sissy Spacek as the actress who played Carrie (which I hadn't actually seen), and had no idea who Tommy Lee Jones was. However, I came out of the theater feeling that I had watched a truly great movie. Several viewings later and I still feel that way. The movie has laughs, tears and most of all the performances feel absolutely real. Highly recommended.