Log In | Register
msnbc.com News
— It wasn’t surprising to hear that Cameron Crowe was considering a sequel to the iconic 1989 release ‘Say Anything.” One thing 1980s films produced in abundance were sequels.
From “Raiders of the Lost Ark” to “Back to the Future” to “Beverly Hills Cop” to “The Naked Gun” to “Die Hard” to “Ghostbusters”… let’s just say studio execs weren't above wringing every coin they could out of a movie concept.
Crowe resisted that temptation, as did a few of his contemporaries. Here are some 1980s classics that might be prime for a reboot at the multiplex, and what those sequels would look like.
'36 Candles'
The stars of "16 Candles" have a few more lights on their cake these days. This sequel imitates real life, which saw actor Michael Shoeffling go from playing Molly Ringwald's crush Jake Ryan to a career in the woodworking business. In “36 Candles,” we catch up with Sam Baker (still played by Ringwald) who followed Jake to Pennsylvania and started a family. It’s all peace and quiet … until her wacky family and former exchange student Long Duk Dong (Gedde Watanabe) arrive for a visit.
'Still Pretty in Pink'
Let's return to the saga of Andie Walsh (Ringwald) and Blaine McDonough (Andrew McCarthy) of "Pretty in Pink" fame. Believe it or not, all you Team Andie and Duckie diehards, they’re still together, but he’s getting pressure to ditch her for a trophy wife and join the country club scene. And you won’t want to miss what happened to Duckie (Jon Cryer) and that hot girl from the Prom (Kristy Swanson). Let’s just say “reality TV superstars.”
'Some Kind of Real Life'
In this sequel to "Some Kind of Wonderful," Keith Nelson (Eric Stoltz) and Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) are struggling to remember those fairy-tale days of yore. They’re together on the wrong side of the tracks, but had to pawn her earrings to pay the rent. Now that Keith’s taken a job in the corporate world working for old crush Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson), can their marriage hold up under the strain?
'E.T. Saves Earth'
There’s a YouTube trailer that envisions a sequel to “E.T.” as a horror film, where his countrymen attempt to conquer the Earth. But in our version, NASA and the Hershey Company put up big bucks to fund this more peaceful follow-up, in which the friendly alien returns to save Earth from environmental destruction by bringing in technology from other planets. When the planet is saved after Elliot travels to distant galaxies and trades Reese’s Pieces for futuristic gadgets, interest in space travel and peanut butter candies will both be rekindled.
'Top Gun Soars Again'
Think of a middle-aged Tom Cruise, burned out by the dullness of the post-Cold War air campaigns, revived when Goose’s child wins a spot at the elite flight school. Can he recapture the swashbuckling persona of the 1980s fighter pilot? Or will the memory of that terrible decision he made over the skies of Afghanistan continue to haunt his dreams, and keep him on the ground?
