My friend has just let me know that director John Hughes has died. I know that his best films are very much of a certain time, it's just that that particular time was my particular time. Some of my fondest memories growing up concerned Pretty In Pink, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller et al and I think it's a shame that he's dead at only 59. I spent a long time hoping to blossom into Molly Ringwald when I should have realised that being Ally Sheedy was fine, actually. My favourite Hughes moment is the above, when Duckie erupts into Iona's shop (and I so wanted a mother figure like Iona!) and dances and lip-synchs brilliantly to Otis Redding's Try A Little Tenderness. Over to you...
16 comments:
I guess my teens are officially over now that John Hughes has died. I watched some of his films so many times, and always loved seeing Kevin Smith pay such fond tribute to them in his films, especially 'Dogma'. Great choice of moment, but it's got to be Ferris singing 'Twist And Shout' in the parade for me. I wanted to be him so badly! Or Judd Nelson in 'The Breakfast Club', mostly cos I was more like Brian in that film.
Tracy, it's a superb clip and I'm pretty sure it was the first time I heard Otis Redding, so for that, thank you John.
Ferris and co driving off in that Ferrari 250 GT to the sound of Big City. Also, the dance scene in the Breakfast Club, which I'm sure was originally set to Prince's Let's Go Craszy, but they changed it, motherfuckers.
RIP John Hughes
that's very sad, Ferris Bueller is definitely in my top 5 favourite films ever (I watched it again very recently on a plane - had a selection of top current Hollywood films to choose from, but decided to skip The Reader and head for Ferris Bueller yet again - it gets even better with age!), Ferris was and is an idol and hero of mine and eagle-eyed 'Spillers may have noticed that I quoted the great man in answer to an EOTWQ a few weeks ago when asked to give a personal motto.
Hopefully John Hughes' passing will spark a critical re-evaluation of these films which I think are simply great films. Not "good 80's films" or "fun teen comedies" but just excellent films.
Shermer, Illinois will never be the same.
I love all John Hughes 80s films, and those he had a hand in. I can't imagine the American Pie generation will look back with such fondness.
Ah. The thing about Judd Nelson's character in the wonderful Breakfast Club was that if people knew what it was like to be him, no one would envy his life.
That didn't stop my best friend and I fancying him like mad. Every time I hear Simple Minds I see that character and get goosebumps.
John Hughes had a great insight into being a kid and feeling like an outsider. I also liked his humility. I once heard him say (about Home Alone's success I think) that finally his kids thought he was cool.
I might just put the Breakfast Club on my cinemaparadiso list and watch it all over again.
I may well wear a ceremonial pink batwing top and black leggings tonight in memory of John Hughes.
Spot the children of the 80s...Carole, please take a picture!
Last year I used Pretty in Pink and Kes to compare and contrast treatment of high schools in 'teen' films in the US and the UK. The kids really enjoyed Pretty in Pink and loved the clothes: except of course, that final, awful prom dress. Even they, 20 years on, thought that Duckie was the right one.
Kes depressed the crap out of them, mind.
@ TracyK - Ferris Bueller is a genuine classic - ToffeeGirl and I were just discussing it a few weeks ago and suggesting that we should watch it again.
Does anyone else remember the TV series that was (kind of) based on it? It was called Parker Lewis Can't Lose and it starred Corin Nemec, Melanie Chartoff and Timothy Stack. I loved it.
RIP John Hughes.
i LOVED Parker Lewis Can't Lose - i was beginning to think I had imagined the whole thing because no-one else seemed to remember it! Didn't know it was based on Bueller though.
Weird Science should get a mention too, as that makes my top ten fave films too. It was one of the first films that me and Mrs J watched together, I couldn't believe she had been deprived the experience of it and of course she loved it too.
I didn't know that he had a hand in Home Alone too, i've been saying for years and years that it's one of the best trilogies ever (although let down by the third) , the more I think about it, the more i'm convinced of his genius.
We watched Weird Science last night in tribute. Next: Ferris!
THis was a good read:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/movies/08appraisal.html
For me, it's the Vacation movies - loved them. We watch Christmas Vacation every Christmas. Sad and a bit scary to see John Hughes pass away at 59. He's exactly one year younger than me.
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