Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Schoeffling in the John Hughes movie ‘Sixteen Candles’

We turn to writer and director John Hughes with his directorial debut movie. The coming-of-age comedy looks into the experiences of a handful of high school kids, themed around a girl whose family has forgotten to celebrate a girl on her sixteenth birthday. Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Shoeffling star in the movie Sixteen Candles (1984).

(From left, Molly Ringwald as Samantha ‘Sam’ Baker and Liane Curtis as Randy in the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

Molly Ringwald stars as Samantha ‘Sam’ Baker, whose sixteenth birthday opens with a telephone conversation with her good friend Randy. Liane Curtis portrays Randy, who offers encouragement through the events of a weekend where embarrassing event after embarrassing event greet Sam. The events escalate from forgotten birthday wishes before school to an embarrassing admission, passed during study hall, that falls into the hands of Sam’s secret crush.

(From left, Haviland Morris as Caroline Mulford and Michael Schoeffling as Jake Ryan in the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

Michael Shoeffling portrays Jake Ryan, Sam’s older secret crush who has been seeing Caroline Mulford, as portrayed by Haviland Morris. The age difference plays a role in Sam’s reluctance to approach Jake, let alone her unawareness of Jake having read the note and considering a response that would make Sam happy. It is while riding the school bus home that we learn ‘Farmer Ted’, also known as Ted Farmer, is also interested in Sam.

(From left, Anthony Michael Hall as Ted Farmer, John Cusack as Bryce and Darren Harris as Cliff, also known as ‘Wease,’ in the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

Anthony Michael Hall portrays Ted Farmer. Farmer Ted either is Sam’s age, or slightly younger. In approaching Sam Baker in multiple awkward and embarrassing ways of his own, he uses trust within his own social group while using self-assurance to connect at separate points with Sam, Jake Ryan and Caroline Mulford. Much of the film’s humor and sweetness gets expressed through situations Farmer bridges. Parallel humor surrounds the character of Long Duk Dong, who bridges separate points in the familial and high school stories expressed within Sixteen Candles.

(From left, Gedde Watanabe as Long Duk Dong and Debbie Pollack as Marlene, also known as ‘Lumberjack’ in the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

Gedde Watanabe portrays Long Duk Dong, a foreign exchange student living with one set of Sam Baker’s grandparents. Dong connects with Marlene, as portrayed by Debbie Pollack, at a school dance. Dong’s introduction was intended for a series of promiscuity-based jokes that overlapped with the appearance of Sam Baker’s sister and extended family for what would be the marriage of Ginny Baker, Sam’s sister, the day after Sam’s sixteenth birthday. Blanche Baker portrayed Ginny Baker.

(From left, Blanche Baker as Ginny Baker, Carlin Glynn as Mrs. Brenda Baker and Zelda Rubinstein as Organist in the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

The events surrounding Ginny Baker’s wedding, including the family introductions, the ceremony itself and the immediate aftermath offer embarrassments of lighthearted humor for the family, friends and celebrants in attendance. The bringing together of this event as well as the larger movie offer a nice tying together of the movie, if not the knot of marriage itself.

(From left, actress Molly Ringwald, writer/director John Hughes and actor Michael Schoeffling on set of the John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles).

The movie Sixteen Candles offered lighthearted comedy in the spirit of coming-of-age comedy. Not all jokes have aged well, yet nothing significantly over-the-top from a gender or culturally mean-spirited perspective, at least to my listening, is a legacy here. The perspective is largely an awkward, teenage one. In this sandbox, the movie is appropriate and appealing. I offer Sixteen Candles as written and directed by John Hughes 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, November 24, 2021

JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson and the film ‘Poltergeist’

Per our friends at Merriam Webster, a poltergeist is a noisy usually mischievous ghost held to be responsible for unexplained noises (such as rappings). The original film Poltergeist (1982) garnered Academy Award nominations for original score, visual editing, and sound editing in becoming the subject of this film review. Originally coming to theaters when I was seven years old, Poltergeist is an early candidate for the first truly scary movie that I ever saw.

(JoBeth Williams as Diane Freeling and Craig T. Nelson as Steve Freeling in the film Poltergeist).

Imagine yourself moving into a new house in what looks to be an affluent new neighborhood in a swanky new neighborhood. Craig T. Nelson as Steve Freeling and JoBeth Williams as Diane Freeling move into a big new house just like this where they are installing a new swimming pool and have friendly if not quirky neighbors nearby.

(Heather O’Rourke as Carol Anne Freeling in the film Poltergeist).

Things are routine and generally happy until random occurrences in the home, first noticed by daughter Carol Anne Freeling, as played by Heather O’Rourke, begin to introduce themselves. Carol Anne seems to be communicating with some undefinable spirits through her television.

(Oliver Robins as Robbie Freeling, left, and Dominique Dunne as Dana Freeling in the film Poltergeist).

The story of Poltergeist begins to introduce quirky little behaviors in the Freeling home beyond this television interest. Items begin moving of their own accord in the kitchen and in bedrooms in ways that defy ready definition. Carol Anne’s sister, Dana Freeling as portrayed by Dominique Dunne, seems immune and away from things due to spending more time with friends outside the house. Freeling family son Robbie Freeling, as portrayed by Oliver Robins, experiences more of the disturbances through direct contact with the forces seeking to interact with Carol Anne.

(From left to right are Martin Casella as Marty, Beatrice Straight as Dr. Lesh and Richard Lawson as Ryan in the film Poltergeist).

The experiences in the home are of sufficiently disturbing outcome that the Freeling family brings in professional help to assess what is happening. A team of three led by Beatrice Straight as Dr. Lesh comes to the home, and includes Martin Casella as Marty and Richard Lawson as Ryan. The group substantiates that what appears to be a poltergeist does appear in the home. That is, the Feelings have a haunted house.

(Zelda Rubinstein as Tangina, left, and James Karen as Mr. Teague in the film Poltergeist).

The nature of the haunting needs some advanced help, as Carol Anne is drawn into an unexplained spiritual domain of spirits who seemingly once occupied the cemetery where the Freeling family home had been built. James Karen as Mr. Teague unwittingly might have knowledge crucial to this situation. Tagina, as played by Zelda Rubinstein, feels a deep connection with the spiritual realm and seeks to offer support to the Freeling family in their moment of poltergeist crisis.

(Director Tobe Hooper, left, and screenplay writer Steven Spielberg, right, in the period leading up to the film Poltergeist. Not pictured are screenwriters Michael Grais and Mark Victor).

In this Tobe Hooper directed film with screenwriting and story credit for Steven Spielberg, tensions build in terms of the Freeling family regaining the full physical and spiritual return of their daughter Carol Anne, the revelation of the cemetery experience, and a yet an even deeper connection between the spiritual world and the home where the Freeling family has lived. In a truly suspenseful, frightening climax of tension and release, a major battle for the spiritual and physical survival for a family living their lives among a poltergeist creeping into our own realm. I rate Poltergeist at 3.75-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, August 24, 2019