BIG
Tom hanks stars as the child who wished he could be BIG. A children’s fantasy, this film was a great hit in my house pretty much every Christmas through the 90’s. As a man with the mind of a young boy BIG was a hit because as a kid you could easily relate to what he was thinking and doing, even though he was in a mans world. My favourite bit of this film has to be when Tom Hanks character is in a boardroom meeting and someone else is presenting their idea of the latest craze in toys for kids. Tom Hanks critiques the concept (obviously with the rest of the team unaware that hes a child) with joyous feedback from the owner of the company. The inroads and happy moments that Tom Hanks character has in this film are truly joyous, and well warrant a copy of the film on my shelf anyday.
E.T – Extra Terrestrial
My mums favourite film, E.T was a film that I found slightly slow in places but generally ok. Not being too fond of UFOs and the like as a child, I wasn’t too receptive to the part in the film where the spaceship lands and its all dark. I also didn’t really like the part where E.T gets ill and is in quarantine by the government. Not because it upset me, but more so because it was quite boring. I think that steven spielberg had a great concept with this film and achieved his objective, however if this 1980’s cinematic masterpiece was released now, I don’t think it would do too well given the slow bits in the film. Yes i was a demanding child, but at least I knew what I wanted from a film.
Who framed Roger Rabbit
Now this is a film that had it all. A mouthy cartoon rabbit, a hot, seductive cartoon temptress, and an assignation plot that binds it all together. Who framed Roger Rabbit is the first film I can recall that broke the boundaries of cinema by having cartoons acting alongside real actors. This angle on the film made it a big hit in my childhood, with my entire family sitting and watching it together (That’s a rarity in my house – trust me).
Back to the Future
One word. Delorian. What a machine. When Marty Mcfly hits 88 miles per hour, he travels back in time! Thanks to doc Emit Browns “flux capacitor”, the delorian is the first invention that the crazy doctor came up with that actually worked. Unfortunate for him he chose to rip off a bunch of Libyans for the plutonium he needed to power the vehicle, he gets shot, leaving Marty to try and save his life by jumping into the car and shooting off through a car park….
One of the greatest movies of the 80’s, with a killer rock soundtrack (summer of love – what a tune), Back to the Future was a craze for all kids to follow. With two more films following Marty on his travels in the time machine, the trilogy would definitely have helped a lot of kids pass the time during the summer holidays.
