80s movie showdown: Snake vs. Axel
Big choice on TV for Friday night, my fellow 80s couch potatoes. On AMC, it's Escape from New York. Or on Bravo, it's Beverly Hills Cop. Both start at 8 p.m.
Which one to pick? I own them both on DVD, but I'm still a fan of the serendipity of coming across the movies on TV.
Time to battle it out.
LEAD CHARACTERS:
Axel Foley: Eddie Murphy is funny, foul-mouthed and ... well, I can think of any other F words that apply here. Still, I like Eddie more in "48 Hours" and "Coming to America."
Snake Pliskin: Kurt Russell's best 80s role? I'm thinking it is.
Advantage: "Call me Snake."
THE PLOT:
New York is a prison: Brilliant. Too bad it's set in 1997. By then, the city was cleaned up.
Eddie's a cop in Beverly Hills: "Is this the man who ... wrecked the buffet at the Harrow Club?" Hell yeah.
Advantage: "The super cop bit ... was working."
SUPPORTING CAST:
Beverly Hills: John Ashton and Judge Reinhold both know they eat too much red meat.
New York: Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton.
Advantage: "A-No. 1! The Duke of New York City!"
THE LINES:
Beverly Hills: "We're not going to fall for the banana in the tailpipe."
New York: "Call me Plisskin."
Advantage: "I don't smoke Lucky Strikes.
I smoke King-Sized Kents!"
So it's a wash. What did you expect? Just Tivo one and watch it later.
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Bassnote - not even close!
Posted by: Tonianne | June 14, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Man, I thought I was the only person who liked Tequila Sunrise.
Posted by: Bassnote | June 14, 2008 at 11:21 AM
Her mountainous bre*asts make certain for some sort of landslide?
I'll get back to you.
Posted by: Marissa | June 14, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Clark, there's a pun to be spun off from your comment.
Alas, I'm too caffeine-deprived to conjure it up.
Posted by: jane | June 14, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Is it just me, or does Michelle Pfeiffer always have red-eyes?
Posted by: Marissa | June 14, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Adrienne Barbeau = Escape From New York in a landslide
Posted by: Clark | June 14, 2008 at 10:03 AM
Tequila Sunrise is a classic. I've done a retro-review on it already. Raul Julia was fantastic.
Posted by: Spears | June 14, 2008 at 07:37 AM
Saw "The Thing" on a date (how's that for romantic!) and haven't seen it since. Might be time for a re-watch.
Posted by: jane | June 14, 2008 at 06:09 AM
I really liked Kurt as the detective in TEQUILA SUNRISE ('88) opposite Mel Gibson's drug kingpin, the third leg in a steamy love triangle with Michelle Pfeiffer.
Posted by: Rick | June 14, 2008 at 04:44 AM
"The Thing" was another great John Carpenter / Kurt Russell collaboration in the 80s.
Posted by: Ray | June 13, 2008 at 11:28 PM
Don't forget "The Fog" and "They Live" both Carpenter 80's classics!
Posted by: Tom | June 13, 2008 at 11:05 PM
Steven Spears, I seem to recall a while back that you gave me such grief for having bought BTILC DVD at Wal-Mart. I think you asked if I was human. hmmmph, and now you admit you've never seen it.
Well! I never!
Posted by: Marissa | June 13, 2008 at 11:03 PM
Th Thing is a great film.John Carpenter made amazing movies in that era.Assault on Precint 13 is a 70s movie,but i just wanted to mention it,because it`s a phenomenal B movie.Halloween(also 70s),Christine,Starman!
Posted by: Miguel | June 13, 2008 at 10:57 PM
The Thing kicked ###! I had a party at my house Senior year of high school, and we had that movie playing in the living room. A bunch of people gathered and started quoting the movie line for line. The funniest moment was when about 35 people shouted, "You've gotta be f-ing kidding me!" along with Kurt Russell.
I just ran out and bought the DVD of Escape from New York. I'll be watching it after my kids go to bed.
Posted by: Bassnote | June 13, 2008 at 09:58 PM
You haven't seen BTILC?? That's a cheesy CLASSIC! Russell doing a cheesy John Wayne impersonation:
"If the man asks you if you've paid your dues, you just look him square in the eye and tell him what your old buddy Jack Burton always says...the check's in the mail, pal."
Posted by: John Hays | June 13, 2008 at 09:53 PM
Still looking for the special edition DVD of "The Thing."
But I can't quit ... "Re-no, Re-no, Re-no!"
Posted by: Spears | June 13, 2008 at 09:36 PM
I think his best work was in "The Thing" as RJ MacReady. There's a character name for ya.
Posted by: Tom | June 13, 2008 at 09:27 PM
Truth be told, I haven't seen BTILC yet.
Posted by: Spears | June 13, 2008 at 08:55 PM
Just to go on the record, I really like both "Escape from New York" and "Beverly Hills Cop".
Big Trouble in Little China is a guilty pleasure. I do hope that we get a "BTILC" podcast before a "Making the Grade" podcast.
Posted by: Ray | June 13, 2008 at 08:53 PM
I'm speechless, Ray. But then again, I also like Kurt as "Reno Hightower" in "The Best of Times."
Posted by: Spears | June 13, 2008 at 08:46 PM
I know that I'm going to catch some flak from the 80s Nation with this comment, but... For my 80s Kurt Russell entertainment dollar, I liked "Jack Burton" (Big Trouble in Little China) better than Snake. I know... heresy
I saw Big Trouble in Little China when it was first released and was not very impressed. After catching it on cable years later, I realized that it was intentionally campy. "It's all in the Reflexes"
Posted by: Ray | June 13, 2008 at 08:44 PM
Escape from LA was awful. But it had its moments.
Posted by: Spears | June 13, 2008 at 08:23 PM
"When I get back, I'm gonna kill you."
Snake is too cool.
Posted by: Bassnote | June 13, 2008 at 08:22 PM
I'm sticking with Escape from New York for now.
Posted by: Spears | June 13, 2008 at 08:10 PM
Now,wait a minute,i can do better than my previous comment.I wouldn´t watch any of them.I would watch Friday the 13th.I don´t like it but it`s the day to watch it,if there is a day to watch such a crappy horror movie.
Posted by: Miguel | June 13, 2008 at 08:08 PM
I'd pick Escape From New York. I love BHC, but Snake rules.
Posted by: Bassnote | June 13, 2008 at 08:07 PM
I`m not in the USA,but if i was,and i had nothing to do,i would choose Escape from New York,because i own Beverly Hills Cop. Now,here`s a comment from Miguel with no importance whatsoever!
Posted by: Miguel | June 13, 2008 at 08:05 PM