«Matador» (1986)

 Sex and Violence, Death and Silence 

An ex-matador Diego Montes has a paraphilia – he gets sexual gratification from watching female murders in the movies. He runs a bullfighting school and one of his students – religiously repressed Angel, - desperately tries to prove his manhood. The student tries unsuccessfully to rape a girl and, after that, he claims that he is guilty in a series of murders. The police commissioner is not convinced is that this neurotic kid is capable of such things, but is there any evidence to find the true murderer?

Red is the color which is associated with two things – sex and violence. The bullfighting is strongly associated with the red muleta, which is used during the final stage (the tercio de muerte or «the third of death»). Skilled matadors are rich, famous and desired by women. Nevertheless, the legalized ritual murders of animals and adrenaline addiction could seriously change the psyche of the matador and make them highly unsuitable for regular life.

Catholic teaching is strongly against pre-marital sex and promiscuity. Angel wasn’t lucky to be born with the religious mother, who repressed his sexuality and who is constantly controlling every aspect of his life. Still, the hormones, mixed up with the distorted psyche, makes an explosive thermonuclear cocktail. It surely exploded, but who is the true culprit behind those horrific murders? Watch and find the answer.

Media could sexualize the violence, especially in thrillers and horror movies. Pedro Almodóvar distorts the traditional cliches of Italian giallo movies. In his world, the attractive women are like bulls, who are running towards the red muleta of a dangerous person. Still, there is one unusual twist, like in the best giallos of Dario Argento. I am not going to spoil it; I hope you will be as pleasantly surprised as I am.

«Matador» is a good dark comedy about sex and violence in Spain of the 1980s. If you are not very impressionable or moralistic, then check out this film.

«Ginger & Fred» (1986)

Bittersweet symphony by Fellini 

A popular Italian TV show entertains the viewers with all kings of grotesque, including charlatans, impersonators and imprisoned mafiosos. One day, the show presents to the people two past stars – impersonators of Fred Astaire and Ginger Roberts. Will the modern public understand those dinosaurs?

In the 1980s Silvio Berlusconi launched his TV empire and flooded the Italian screens with Americanized game shows and soap operas. Fellini shows Rome filled with vulgar advertising and adult cinema billboards. He constantly pokes fun at this new world with its emphasis on tittering the lowest impulses of the people. He even gave a small role to Moana Pozzi (Google about her).

Still Fellini is no Pasolini, so he wasn’t filming the indictment of modern society. He made a bittersweet symphony about two past stars, who are reunited after a long separation. They’re beaten by life and age, but they still have their magic. While they’re preparing for the showtime, we feel their energy and chemistry. So, maybe they will be able to win the love of the new generation.

So, despite showing the vulgarity of the 1980s Italy, «Ginger & Fred» is first and foremost a moving story about the meeting between an old Italy of music hall and a new Italy of TV shows. It tastes like grapefruit or fine chianti. So, don’t hesitate to savor it!

"The Hitcher" (1986)

Guess

Rutger Hauer, how could you act in second-rate films? You could have won all major film award; you could have acted with the best directors! Remember Roy Batti, Eric and Martin – in all those roles he was 146% authentic. Instead of following this path, Rutger Hauer torpedoed himself with second-rate films. Despite that, if a great actor takes his job seriously, he could make a second rate film shine like a diamond.

Jim Halsey got an easy job – to deliver a brand new Cadillac from Chicago to San Diego. The ride a rather joyful, until Jim picks in West Texas a hitchhiker, who goes under a name of John Rider.  For a first few minutes, everything goes smoothly, but then the hitcher starts acting strangely and threatening Jim with knife. The hitcher tries to make Jim say «I want to die», but Jim is able to dump him on the road. On the next day, Jim again spots the hitcher and he realizes, that it won’t be an easy trip…

The 1980s were an age of supernatural creeps, as Freddie Kruger and Jason Voorhees.  Those film paid a lot of attention to explanation of the creep’s past and modus operandi. The American folk, especially the Southern, is full of stories about maniacs and maniacs families. Such folk was a ground for some rather creepy films. Remember the original low budget «Texas Chainsaw Massacre», which was scarier, than both Freddie and Jason.

In real life, you wouldn’t know a damn thing about a creep and no nun would tell you about his Achilles heel. In real life you would be left alone again a scary maniac and you would be left only to decide, whether he would be merciful enough to kill you instantly or he would like to play. The best thrillers and horror movies won’t spend much time on pseudo-psychological side (quoting Stanley Kubrick), they would leave all fantasies to the scared viewer.

A Rutger Hauer’s creep – is a creature without past and name. He doesn’t belong to no database and he perfectly spots weak-spirited victims. From the beginning, the man with a strange accent radiates an aura of ruthlessness and disregard for any constraints. He perfectly feels the impotence of John and he wants to play. He is like a street smart big cat, who is bored with merely eating a mouse, instead of that he would play and even let the mouse ran, but he would jump and catch the mouse again.

The mouse is trapped on the cat’s territory, who perfectly know the terrain of West Texas. The cat would all Texas against the mouse, and from every corner mouse is in constant danger. But this mouse belongs to the cat and if someone else would get close to the mouse, the cat would slaughter him and continue his sadistic and unpredictable game. Only in «Tom and Jerry» mouse is able to beat the shit out of a cat, but in real life mouse have almost no chances. Or naïve viewer is an optimist?

Coolness of «Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man» was a result of Mickey Rourke and Don Johnson, and following their lead, Rutger Hauer turns «The Hitcher» into a creepy thriller, which keep you tense until the last second. After watching this films, I am willing to beg Rutger Hauer on my knees to show us again his capabilities. Come on, Rutger, show us what you are capable of!

"Highlander" (1986)

There can be only one

When we were kids, we all watched «Highlander» TV-series and played in Duncan MacLeod. It were fine TV-series, which quality, nevertheless, depreciated (I don’t remember after which season). Before the TV-series, there were two «Highlander» movies. The second part I watched long time ago and even back then it didn’t impress me too much. Rewatching the first «Highlander» was a bit of cautious experience.

Why? Because there are so many examples, when our favorite childhood/teenage film do not pass the time test and after rewatching them we have only one question – «What was so special about this film». On the other hand, certain films, as my favorite «The Last Boyscout» pass the time test and you want to rewatch them again and again.

What a makes a banal action movie cool? Perhaps, a hero’s charisma. Remember the black humor and philosophical dialogues of Bruce Willis and his verbal clashes with Damon Wayans, and also charismatic villains. «Highlander» also passed a 33-year test. What makes a story about immortals, who chop each other heads, so attractive?

The story becomes attractive, if you add here some fine actor, including, sadly, underperformed Christopher Lambert. Only a year ago he played a thief, hooligan and vagabond Fred in «Subway», which enabled him to get a first main billing in the English-speaking film. His Connor MacLeod is not an unnatural superhero; he is a man.

The Immortal is a creature with superpower and immortality doesn’t brings out a joy. Such life leads to sadness, because you cannot have children and you will always lose your loved ones. Some Immortals turns into monsters, but Connor MacLeod saved his humanity. He helps people, saves children from the SS and kept an ability for love and compassion, but he would pay anything in order to become human again.

His nemesis – Kurgan, - is a complete antipode. He lost his sanity because of the immortality and superpower and turned into the monster, which could kill anyone and crash anything. If he wins, the humanity would enter the Dark Age. Clancy Brown also did an outstanding job in creating a villain, which terrified all kids.

Another characters also did a good job. Sean Connery is tantamount to a nice Scottish single malt, which you could keep for ten years in your bar and it would get better and better. Sean Connery did a good job in portraying Ramirez – a tutor of Connor, which taught him new rules and the main thing – always to stay human and apply your new power responsibly.

While rewatching all films you could expect a disappointment with old special effects. Yes, multiplication is not so cool in computer age, but sword fights and stunts are still quite impressive, so just don’t pay attention to old special effects.

You should not forget the music. Queen wrote a music, which enabled to make the fight atmosphere. While listening Who Wants to Live Forever, the spectator would feel sadness with Immortals, who can’t keep their loved ones; Don’t Lose Your Head prepares you for the battle scenes and etc. It is very sad, that Freddie Mercury died, but his music lives forever.

The Director did an outstanding job in assembling the spare parts, which resulted in a great and rewatchable film. Don’t afraid to be disappointed and rewatch «Highlander» and after that, to make it even better, listen to A King of Magic by Queen!