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Sixteen Candles

Sixteen Candles

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: sweet sixteen
Review: One of the classic Brat Pack films and still funny as ever. With Anthony Michael Hall being as geeky as ever and Molly Ringwald being the contemporary yet unnoticed 16 year old crushing hard and shocked that no one remembers her birthday, Sixteen Candles will draw a laugh out of you. Mixed with an Asian exchange student and more geekdom than you possibly fit into a room together, it will take you back to the 80s with an oomph!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Movie gets a 5. DVD gets a 3.
Review: Yes - the DVD quality isn't great. Yes - soundtrack is altered. That aside, this is John Hughes' crowning glory in movie making.

The premise is great. The execution is even better. The cast pulls it all of spectacularly (could the casting for the grandparents be any better?). The screenplay is great. The entire movie is quotable (ask any and all of my friends). Even the site gags (Joan Cusak getting a drink of water or dancing) are hilarious.

The pain of high school should be half as fun as this movie makes it seem to be.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: We Forgot Your Birthday!
Review: My sister got me this movie for my sixteenth birthday. She knows how much I love actress Molly Ringwald and all eighties movies. It was perfect because that year my mom forgot my birthday, which is how the movie starts... and then continues, creating the worst sixteenth birthday that a girl could imagine. It reminded me of how bad my birthday could have been.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "No, Sam. You're Just Being a Little Selfish and Immature."
Review: If you grew up in the 1980s, and you haven't seen this movie, I don't know what to tell ya. It's as much a staple of 1980s culture as "Thriller," ColecoVision, and Saturday evening runs of "Solid Gold." In fact, "Sixteen Candles" and its influence are so ingrained in American pop culture, every other adult in their mid-thirties is able to recite the script in their sleep. For the uninitiated, former Brat Packer Molly Ringwald is Samantha Baker, a suburbanite whose parents blow off her sixteenth birthday because they're too preoccupied with her older sister's wedding, which takes place the next day. High school crushes are as inevitable as acne, and Samantha has the hots for the hunky jock Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling), who is already attached to prima donna prom queen Carolyn (Haviland Morris). While Samantha works up the nerve to approach Jake, she's trying to ward off the Geek (a star-making performance by Anthony Michael Hall) and his unwanted advances. All the while this is happening, Samantha is completely bummed that her parents forgot her birthday. I mean, a kid's sixteenth birthday is pretty major, so her frustration and angst are pretty understandable. But no matter how well you summarize this already-familiar plot, you can't deny the fact that "Sixteen Candles" has some of the best one-liners you will find in any film. The humor is plumb-dumb silly but a whole lot of fun thanks to director John Hughes. However, if "Sixteen Candles" has revealed its age in any way, it's through its subplot with foreign exchange student Long Duck Dong (Geede Wantanabe). The ethnic jokes border on tasteless, but it's hard not to laugh out loud at Dong's attempt to assimilate into American culture. While "Sixteen Candles" isn't a "classic" as we understand the term, it's a revered favorite that still generates chuckles from me. I'm just disappointed that the film features music and a soundtrack that's different from the original version. What's more, the DVD looks like a bare-bones effort with virtually no features and it has lackluster sound. However, "Sixteen Candles" still earns its five star rating for it's such a sentimental favorite for many viewers.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the 80's Best
Review: This is a very amusing movie and one of my favorites. The story focuses around Molly Ringwald on her 16th birthday. Her entire family seems to forget as they bustle around to prepare for her older sister's wedding. To add to things, her grandparents are staying at their house along with the very strange Chinese exchange student Long Duck Dong. Meanwhile, Sam (Molly Ringwald) is locked on her fantasy world revolving around the high school stud while trying to evoid the high school geek (Anthony Michael Hall.) A definite crowd-pleaser. The grandparents are a riot without even trying to be and Long Duck Dong is just...weird, but amusing. Molly Ringwald is terrific in her role. Highly recommended!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: My absolute favorite teen movie
Review: This was John Hughes at his best. "Sixteen Candles" is a classic teen movie and it set the precedent for numerous imitators and copy-kats. Yet, this movie is absolutely untouchable. I don't think I know anyone who hasn't seen it and doesn't love it. I highly recommend this movie as a must for your collection. I would have given it 5 stars because the movie in itself is excellent, but I was highly disappointed with the quality of the DVD. There aren't any special features and the sound is horrible. I would have liked to see an interview with the cast and the director. Maybe a couple of deleted scenes. Something! I don't even think there was a trailer. I was also disappointed because there is another version of the movie made for the numerous runs on television. There aren't any huge glaring differences, but there are a few additional scenes. I hope they eventually put out special editions of all the Hughes teen classics.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: If you grew up in the 80's you already know this movie
Review: Take yourself back a couple of decades by buying this movie. Who can resist the now innocent seeming depiction of high-school life in this movie. If only things were still as simple, then the world would be a better place :) For John and Joan Cusack lovers, its always fun to see them in their younger years as well. Nearly everyone else in these 80's high school movies has disappeared (though Anthony Michael Hall was in Caveman's Valentine), but that doesn't reduce their appeal.

Buy it now, watch it at least once a year so you don't forget how much simpler things seemed "back then."

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: What's the deal with this DVD?
Review: Ok, I was an 80's pre-teen, now late 20 something.

I grew up on John Hughes films, like the rest of you out there-I would NEVER knock this film. I love it. What I hate, is the way some movies are butchered by the production process and or the brilliant people who decide to re-do a classic.

Here's what's the deal with this DVD. I bought it brand new for a very low price several years ago, and now I see it has been removed from the market in most places. I know why. #1 The picture quality is not great. Grainy. #2 They changed the soundtrack in the film. YOU CAN'T DO THAT, especially on these "genre specific" titles we of a certain age can practically recite to each other when we are bored.

Examples: During the beginning title sequence when everyone is heading to the school, the song playing (when all the people are sitting down and pounding thier feet)is re-done and it is LAME. The scene in the beginning where Samantha is checking herself out in the mirror is not playing as loudly, and it isn't the same song. During the scene where Samantha fills out the "sex quiz" the song "Happy Birthday" by Altered Images is playing in the background. Now it is completely silent with no song playing at all. It took me that amount of time after getting it home to flip out and say, what the [heck?] My husband is not of my generation. He had no idea what I was talking about, so if you are not that particular about this, it may not bother you. It does state on the back of the box: "Some Music Rescored/Home Video Version". I didn't see the fine print when I bought it.
The song playing while Jake (heart throb) dances with Caroline (prom queen) at the school dance is "True". The catchy song that plays when Samantha gets up the courage to talk to Jake in the gym coat check area is different. And I could have sworn there was a George Michael (actually that would have been WHAM!) song playing at one point during the party scene, but it is gone too.

Now it is hard to get ahold of it, with rumours of it never coming back..I am going to hold onto it even with it's flaws, because it may never. I'd rather have it, than not have it in that case, but I am glad I paid very little for it and feel bad for those who have to fork out tons to get it now. Shame on you Image Entertainment and Universal!! =0(

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "I can't believe it, They...forgot my birthday!"
Review: HALLELUJAH!!! It is about time Universal re- released this DVD!!! I almost paid the outrageous prices wanted as this is my favorite movie of all time!!!!!! Hopefully it gets restored to its original state as when Universal re-released the video in '96, they changed all of the music...which royally [stunk]!!! For instance, the scene when they are leaving for the church, they play David Bowie's "Young Americans" in the new release, it is silent!!! YUCK!!! Please Universal, I hope you don't let me down!!!!!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: 5 stars if tape quality was better!
Review: I love this movie and if it was soley on the movie this would get 5+ stars, but after watching this only three times my tape is crappy and the sound sucks. It's not my VCR either because all other tapes are fine. I hope that the DVD version comes back as I'd like to have a better quality version of this great 80's film that can make me laughe when I need it.


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