My favorite films from 1981

Hollywood produced a diverse collection of movies in 1981, including one about the Russian Revolution, a comedy about life in the modern Army, ​and a tale of murder that I consider to be the best addition to the film noir genre in a generation.

​The year included blockbuster adventure and comedy films as well as a lesser known body of character-driven stories that Hollywood no longer seems interested in making. ​

​Here are my favorites (followed by some noteworthy contenders):​

"​Reds" - (Directed by Warren Beatty) My favorite film of 1981 and one of my favorites of all time. Beatty directs, writes and stars in a brilliant work that received 12 Oscar nominations and won three, including Best Director and Best Cinematography. The terrific cast includes Maureen Stapleton (Best Supporting Actress winner) Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Edward Herrmann, and Gene Hackman. At 3 hours and 15 minutes, it's probably one of the longest movies you will ever watch, but I think it is worth every minute. In my opinion, it's Hollywood filmmaking at its best. 

"​​Body Heat" - William Hurt is good and Kathleen Turner is smoking hot in Director (and writer) Lawrence Kasdan's tale of infidelity and murder. ​A great addition to the film noir genre. ​The cast includes Richard Crenna, Mickey Rourke and Ted Danson.

​​"On Golden Pond​" - ​Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn won Oscars for their work in Mark Rydell's (Oscar nominee for Best Director) film about a crusty old man and the strained relationship he has with his daughter (Jane Fonda). The film received 10 Oscar nominations and won three, including Best Writing (Ernest Thompson).

"Absence of Malice" - (Directed by Sydney Pollack) Paul Newman is subtle and intense as a warehouse owner trying to figure out how a newspaper report tied him to the murder of a union boss. Oscar nominations for Newman (Best Actor) and Melinda Dillon (Best Supporting Actress). The cast includes Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Josef Sommer, and Wilford Brimley. 

"​Indiana Jones and the ​Raiders of the Lost Ark"​ - The first (and best installment) of the franchise series. ​Director Steven Spielberg is at the top of his game with this Oscar-winning adventure tale (screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan) that introduced archeologist Indiana Jones and his associates. The cast includes Karen Allen, Denholm Elliott, Paul Freeman, and John Rhys-Davies. 

"​Stripes" - ​Two friends join the Army and an outstanding comedy movie unfolds. ​Bill Murray and Harold Ramis star. The supporting cast includes John Candy, P.J. Soles, Warren Oats, Sean Young, Judge Reinhold, and John Diehl. Ivan Reitman ("Meatballs," "Dave," "Draft Day") directs​​

"Eye of the Needle" - Donald Sutherland stars as a German spy in Great Britain during World War II, He finds himself hunted and stranded on a remote island with an Englishwoman, her disabled husband, and child. The cast includes Kate Nelligan and Stephen MacKenna.

​"True Confessions" - ​An ambitious priest (Robert DeNiro) clashes with his brother (Robert Duvall), a police detective who is investigating a murder that might involve members of the Catholic archdiosese in post-war Los Angeles. The remarkable supporting cast includes Burgess Meredith, Ed Flanders, Charles Durning, and Kenneth McMillan. Joan Didion penned the screenplay. 

​"Ghost Story"​ - ​John Houseman, Fred Astair, Craig Wasson, Alice Krige, and Patricia Neal star in a story about two generations of men haunted by a beautiful ghost. Loosely based on Peter Straub's popular book, the film delivers its share of frights and memorable moments.

​​​"​Thief" - ​(Directed by Michael Mann) ​James Caan stars in this tale of a thief forced to do one more job. The cast includes Robert Prostky, Tuesday Weld and James Belushi.

A few others I found entertaining and noteworthy: 

"Neighbors"​ - (Directed by John Avildsen) ​Starring John Belush, Cathy Moriarty, Dan Aykroyd, and Kathryn Walker.

"An American Werewolf in London" - (Directed by John Landis) Starring David Naughton and Jenny Aguttter.

"The Four Seasons" - (Directed By Alan Alda) Starring Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Bess Armstrong, Sandy Dennis, and Jack Weston.

"Cutter's Way"​ - (Directed by Ivan Passer)​ Starring Jeff Bridges, John Heard and Lisa Eichhorn.

"Four Friends" (Directed by Arthur Penn) ​Starring Ted Wasson, ​Michael Huddleston, Jodi Thelen and Jim Metzler. 

"Raggedy Man"​ - (Directed by Jack Fisk) Starrying Sissy Spacek, Sam Shepard, Eric Roberts, William Sanderson, and R.G. Armstrong.

"Taps" (Directed by Harold Becker) Starring George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Ronny Cox, and Tom Cruise

-- Thank you for reading. Please leave a comment or email me at kbotterman@gmail.com.

A few observations from my summer road trip

 

My wife and I recently returned from a short but much-appreciated vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee. I enjoy traveling by car. I do my share of the driving, but I also enjoy recording notes on the many things I see while riding in the passenger seat. It helps pass the time, and I often learn a good deal along the way.

This trip could be titled the Zombie Operations tour. I came across a few businesses I thought had closed their doors years ago, yet still survive in a few locales. A good friend calls these places and things Zombie Operations, meaning they died long ago, but refuse to fade away. So here are a few things I saw and learned on the road during the summer of 2021:

• Those of a certain age will remember the days when the Ponderosa Steakhouse was a popular chain of buffet/steakhouse restaurants. There was a Ponderosa not far from my parents house in Arlington Heights. That was back in the 1970s. I thought the chain ceased operation years ago, but was pleasantly surprised to learn there is one still serving customers in New Salem, IN, one of two still doing business in the Hoosier state. 

• I also was surprised to learn a Big Boy Restaurant operates in Frankfurt, KY. Big Boy is another once widely popular chain of restaurants (known for its hamburgers) that I thought went defunct years ago. There was once one in Palatine, IL, not far from where I grew up. I last ate there in 1979. I haven't seen an open Big Boy in decades, yet there is one cooking up the Big Boy burger. Amazing.

• And finally on this tour of products considered long dead is Hamm's Beer. I saw a new billboard promoting a Hamm's Beer, a brew widely popular in the Midwest during the late 1960s. Hamm's used a black bear as its advertising mascot and boasted of being born "in the land of sky-blue waters." Its market share and sales declined in the 1970s and continued a long slide. But the beer also is supported by a core group of consumers, and some fans even operate a page on Facebook. I was never a fan of the beer, but I'm always impressed when a product can survive dark days and establish itself with a loyal base.

• Indiana's economy seems active and doing well in certain sectors, based on what I observed. We saw construction of several commercial buildings, mostly warehouses and distribution centers. I hope that continues for the Hoosiers.

• I was impressed with the number of private colleges and public universities we encountered on our journey to the national park. I had heard of most of the schools previously, the University of Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky University, for example. But two were new to me - Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, and Maryville College in Maryville, TN. I was particularly impressed with Maryville College.

• Those who travel by car are familiar with the state-operated "rest areas" along the interstates. Illinois has the worst, in my opinion. They are out of date and poorly maintained. They are not pleasant places to visit. I try to avoid them and stop at one only when no other option is immediately available. Sadly, Indiana's rest areas are little better than what Illinois offers. I was disappointed with Indiana's efforts. For my money, Texas offers the very best public-operated rest areas. And if you're looking for a clean privately owned location for a rest while on the road, try a Love's Travel Stop. We visted a few and each was clean and well maintained.  

 --Thank you for reading. Share a comment here, or email me at kbotterman@gmail.com.