SONGWRITER, NEIGHBORS, & SHEENA bring back the ‘80s
Mill Creek Entertainment has released a series of throwback blu-rays, complete with nostalgia-heavy packaging. Each of these movies will transport the viewer back in time to the days of video stores and being kind. The extras are nonexistent, and only one even has subtitles, but for a blast from the past, they can’t be beat.
SONGWRITER
What an ode to both Austin of yesteryear and two legends. Getting to soak in peak Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson in all their 80’s glory is worth the investment in time and money alone. The original music they wrote is pretty good, too, even for non-country fans. (And compared to modern Nashville dreck, this is Mozart.) Lesley Ann Warren balances the boys club with a tender and touching performance. With a script from Bud Shrake and supporting efforts from the likes of Rip Torn and Stephen Bruton, Songwriter proves to be worth the resurrection.
NEIGHBORS
Neighbors is nonsense. That undeniable fact is depressing given that it is John Belushi’s last film appearance and the follow up Blues Brothers with he and Dan Ackroyd sharing the screen once again. Having those two powerhouses along with the director of Rocky and the Karate Kid movies should add up to much more than this, but sadly, it doesn’t. There are glimpses of the two having some genuine fun on the set but not enough. Kathryn Walker and Cathy Moriarty bring a lot to their roles, but it’s not enough to save a story that makes little sense and goes nowhere, even if the passengers are top shelf.
SHEENA
Aah, the days when a PG rating would allow one tasteful nude scene. It’s a different era, and Sheena isn’t the best of that bunch. While The Beastmaster might have had a little magic, it wasn’t worth putting Tonya Roberts in her own vehicle, which would take too many reams of paper to dissect all the ways in which it is problematic through a modern lens. (White-savior syndrome, anyone?) The filming locations in Kenya are really something to see, but the most memorable thing about Sheena will be the VHS cover.