Weird Kid's Movies of the 1980s?

[Zack]

Hey guys -- I'm writing a piece for a well-known entertainment blog about oddball kids' movies from the 1980s. When possible, I'm linking to out-of-print ones I found on Google Video, YouTube, etc.

Some ones I'm covering include THE PEANUT BUTTER SOLUTION (Canadian thing involving ghosts, baldness and...hair), TWICE UPON A TIME (early animation in a SOUTH PARK style with Harry Selick, David Fincher and more behind the scenes), etc.

Got any oddball films you'd like to recommend for inclusion? They can include stuff that was made-for-TV, short films you saw at school, cartoons, live-action, etc.

[Michael P]

The Adventures of Mark Twain. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak3z2Pm7Iwg)

[Goshin]

The Wizard


BEST KIDS 80S MOVIE EVER!!!!


i miss my NES.....

[worstblogever]

Speaking of Fred Savage movies, how about "Little Monsters"?

I recall a scene where a kid's tuna fish sandwich is instead filled with cat food, and when he goes to wash it down, he discovers his apple juice has been replaced with the urine of a monster that lives under his bed.

Fun for the kids!

[Flying Saucers Over Oz]

Would foreign films count?

I've long wanted to post a query to our Aussie friends asking what the HELL the deal was with Fatty Finn. It plays sort of like Robert Altman's Popeye done on the cheap, and sort of like that 90's version of The Little Rascals where the kids are all running around in freestyle adaptions of the original Rascals' outfits but it's supposed to be Present Day and we're not supposed to notice how weird this is.

Lessee, there's also The Monster Squad, which has developed an odd little cult.

[worstblogever]

Masters of the Universe... the live action movie was pretty wild. Frank Langella was the bomb as Skeletor, though. Totally stole every scene he was in with Dolph Lundgren.

But you'd hope he would've, right?

[BigMike20X6]

Garbage Pail Kids: The Movie
Starring Anthony Newley and Mackenzie Astin

[Ghost]

The Adventures of Mark Twain. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ak3z2Pm7Iwg)

Oh God, yes. http://forums.comicbookresources.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

[Hybrid2]

THE PEANUT BUTTER SOLUTION (Canadian thing involving ghosts, baldness and...hair),

that movie scared me as a kid.

[Michael P]

Masters of the Universe... the live action movie was pretty wild. Frank Langella was the bomb as Skeletor, though. Totally stole every scene he was in with Dolph Lundgren.

But you'd hope he would've, right?

Mark Evanier, I think it was, called this the best New Gods movie ever made.

[Michael P]

Oh God, yes. http://forums.comicbookresources.com/images/icons/icon14.gif
The thing is, they showed us that in school. The whole thing.

Let me tell you, after that, DARE kind of lost its edge.

[Ethan Van Sciver]

The Neverending Story is really weird.

[PatrickG]

I like Dabney Coleman's "Cloak and Dagger" about a boy whose hero comes to life in the shape of his absentee father.

Hm. Flight of the Navigator, Neverending Story, Princess Bride, Goonies, Back to the Future.

A couple of Disney favorites of mine:

The Not Quite Human films, the first two of which were in the 80s. About a scientist played by Alan Thicke who invents and android son named Chip.

And Mr. Boogedy and Bride of Boogedy, which I just realized had not only John "Gomez" Astin but Ben Gregory, who played Brian on ALF, and original Buffy Kristy Swanson.

[DubipR]

D.A.R.Y.L
Mac and Me

[Dark Galaxy]

I don't know if it is weird enough, or a "kids" movie but my friends and I quote
"Teen Witch" all the time.

Top that! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ00laVt62c) ( :37 second mark)

[KevinTBrown]

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
Gremlins
Adventures In Babysitting
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
Big Top Pee-Wee
Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer
Care Bears: Adventure In Wonderland




(Hey, I worked in a movie theatre in the 80s.....)

[Infra-Man]

http://i373.photobucket.com/albums/oo172/hvigilla/B000003KCU01LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Explorers - A favorite from my childhood. Fueled me with space travel dreams. Three misfit kid friends design a spacecraft. Awesomeness ensues.

http://i373.photobucket.com/albums/oo172/hvigilla/B00004U9Q301LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Frog Dreaming (aka The Quest) - Vague memories about most of the movie which I saw only once on channel 44 in the Bay Area growing up, but I remember liking this story about a mysterious lake monster and two kids finding out what it may be.

http://i373.photobucket.com/albums/oo172/hvigilla/baby-secret-of-the-lost-legend.jpg
Baby, Secret of the Lost Legend - Brontosauruses. Alive in Africa. What a strange movie, and you get to see Sean Young in her bra making the kissing with a superpowerless William Katt as Patrick McGoohan goes poaching for dinosaurs.

EDIT:
The Boy Who Could Fly - This one I need to see again, but Fred Savage's big wheel revenge was so badass.

[Infra-Man]

The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking


I remember actually watching an old (maybe the 70s?), English-dubbed (maybe originally in Swedish?) Pipi Longstocking movie that my dad got on tape when I was a kid. Gosh, that takes me back. Remember her and her friends making this bicycle-pedal-propelled flying contraption in a junkyard and then singing a really bad song.

[Tetsuo_man]

Mark Evanier, I think it was, called this the best New Gods movie ever made.

Actually I think it was John Byrne.

[Flying Saucers Over Oz]

Y'see, my problem is I don't see that many movies in theaters and I keep blurring together movies from the late 70's and early 90's with the 80's films.

Another dubbed import that comes to mind is The Wiz Kid, about a genius kid who tries to improve his reputation by creating a 'cool' clone of himself.

Then there's the English made-for-TV Woof! movie series, about a boy who keeps turning into a dog. I saw those on the Disney Channel in the 90's, I believe, and was quite impressed by the sharp writing on a fairly wackjob concept. F'rinstance, the boy and his chum (who, to his friend's annoyance, thinks having a pal who turns into a human-minded dog is the coolest thing ever) are trying to figure out what's causing the transformations and want to get help from their school-teacher. But they don't want word to get around, because he's scared of winding up in a lab someplace. So they tell her they're writing a story about a boy who turns into a dog and ask her advice on how to research it.

[Night Swordsman]

The Wizard


BEST KIDS 80S MOVIE EVER!!!!


i miss my NES.....

It was ok. I liked it.

But i do not miss my NES. It sits right next to my SNES, my Atari 2600, and my Commodore 64. With lots of games.:smile:\

And for me: Adventures in Babysitting! THAT movie just ruled.

[Mister Blisterfists]

Space Camp and Flight of the Navigator.

[RobertTidwell]

Speaking of Fred Savage movies, how about "Little Monsters"?

I recall a scene where a kid's tuna fish sandwich is instead filled with cat food, and when he goes to wash it down, he discovers his apple juice has been replaced with the urine of a monster that lives under his bed.

Fun for the kids!

I effing love Little Monsters. Great movie.

[Dark Galaxy]

Space Camp and Flight of the Navigator.

I used to love Space Camp. My hubby and I still have "Jinx send Max to space" jokes.

[Chris Hansbrough]

Would foreign films count?

I've long wanted to post a query to our Aussie friends asking what the HELL the deal was with Fatty Finn. It plays sort of like Robert Altman's Popeye done on the cheap, and sort of like that 90's version of The Little Rascals where the kids are all running around in freestyle adaptions of the original Rascals' outfits but it's supposed to be Present Day and we're not supposed to notice how weird this is.

Lessee, there's also The Monster Squad, which has developed an odd little cult.

I love the Moster Squad. It's the Goonies with Frankenstein as your CHunk and a shitload more bigotry. seriously the word fag is used in a derogatory manner about every ten minutes.

[EMeadow]

I remember actually watching an old (maybe the 70s?), English-dubbed (maybe originally in Swedish?) Pipi Longstocking movie that my dad got on tape when I was a kid. Gosh, that takes me back. Remember her and her friends making this bicycle-pedal-propelled flying contraption in a junkyard and then singing a really bad song.

The original Pippi movies were 100 times better than the remake.

And I think that particular Pippi movie is "Pippi on the Run".

[Flying Saucers Over Oz]

The original Pippi movies were 100 times better than the remake.



This is true.

And, if you've ever actually seen the original Pippi movies, mind-boggling.

[veracity]

Hugga Bunch.

Fluppy Dogs. (Damn misspelling every time.)


Ten points to anyone who knows about them without ME informing previously. Just don't ask what you can get for those ten points. A half-eaten muffin maybe.

[FeminineMystique]

The Wizard


BEST KIDS 80S MOVIE EVER!!!!


i miss my NES.....

HE TOUCHED MY BREAST!:tongue:

[Chris Hansbrough]

I love the Power Glove.....It's so bad....

[Monty_Cristo]

Hugga Bunch.

Fluppy Dogs. (Damn misspelling every time.)


Ten points to anyone who knows about them without ME informing previously. Just don't ask what you can get for those ten points. A half-eaten muffin maybe.

i knew about Hugga Bunch. no idea on the fluppy Dogs. Hugga Bunch wasn't a movie, though; was it?

[Monty_Cristo]

that movie scared me as a kid.

that movie scared everyone as a kid. my younger brother slept with a nite-light because of it.

[Flying Saucers Over Oz]

Hugga Bunch.

Fluppy Dogs. (Damn misspelling every time.)


Ten points to anyone who knows about them without ME informing previously. Just don't ask what you can get for those ten points. A half-eaten muffin maybe.


Tragically, I have heard of both of these. To my benefit, however, I have no knowledge of them beyond the names and vague images of old cartoon ads. I also think Fluppy Dogs were little stuffed dogs, a rival to Pound Puppies or somesuch.

[spidervenom]

Califooornia....

[Michael P]

Hugga Bunch.

Fluppy Dogs. (Damn misspelling every time.)


Ten points to anyone who knows about them without ME informing previously. Just don't ask what you can get for those ten points. A half-eaten muffin maybe.
I remembered them from a Dave Barry column. For some inexplicable reason, the Miami Herald sent him to a licensing show one time.

From everything I've heard, it was a race as to which show could induce diabetes quicker.

i knew about Hugga Bunch. no idea on the fluppy Dogs. Hugga Bunch wasn't a movie, though; was it?

I believe it was a pilot movie for a show that didn't get picked up. Or maybe that was Fluppy Dogs.

[veracity]

i knew about Hugga Bunch. no idea on the fluppy Dogs. Hugga Bunch wasn't a movie, though; was it?

Oh, it was very much a movie. You can find clips on YouTube. I used to watch it all the time and for some reason...wasn't scarred. Weird brain, I think.

Fluppies were a Disney creation that was supposed to be on with Gummi Bears. The movie was a pilot but after it wasn't picked up...just a movie. I saw it on Disney quite a bit back in the day.


Tragically, I have heard of both of these. To my benefit, however, I have no knowledge of them beyond the names and vague images of old cartoon ads. I also think Fluppy Dogs were little stuffed dogs, a rival to Pound Puppies or somesuch.

Fluppies were like weird dogs that were looking for their way home with keys. But once a key was used, it couldn't be again. And they were kind of stuck. It was crack fic in visual form. But it was very weird.


I remembered them from a Dave Barry column. For some inexplicable reason, the Miami Herald sent him to a licensing show one time.

From everything I've heard, it was a race as to which show could induce diabetes quicker.

Hugga would have won. Hands down. Fluppy was just cracky. Hugga was like "what to do when Grandma gets sent to the old people home, whether the kids care or not." Yeah, not terrifying at all. Well, for other kids. I was raised on horror. I thought it was cute.


I believe it was a pilot movie for a show that didn't get picked up. Or maybe that was Fluppy Dogs.
That'd be Fluppies. I have one of the Fluppy dogs I got off Ebay and a Hugga doll from Taco Bell somewhere.

[Mister Blisterfists]

Just saw this one at a friends house not too long ago:

The Gate (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093075/)

featuring a very young Stephen Dorff. Who would later become Deacon Frost, and shortly thereafter, the Vampire God La Magra.

[Royal]

Garbage Pail Kids: The Movie
Starring Anthony Newley and Mackenzie Astin

Co-sign

I really think casting was on some really good coke on that one.

[dupont2005]

i can't even think about that my pet monster movie without getting an odd sick feeling

[EMeadow]

Co-sign

I really think casting was on some really good coke on that one.

I think EVERYONE involved with that film was on pretty good coke at that time.

[Monty_Cristo]

i can't even think about that my pet monster movie without getting an odd sick feeling

was it because this is the guy who played the actual monster?
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm4283207680/nm0663330

i remember this movie vividly. i used to watch it with a My Pet Monster Pet (4-legged hand puppet version of the Monster). i always thought that the kid's voice sounded really weird coming from the actual monster.

[Mark Evanier]

Mark Evanier, I think it was, called this the best New Gods movie ever made.

ME: Since Mark Evanier never saw it, I don't think so.

[SayOcean]

The Wizard


BEST KIDS 80S MOVIE EVER!!!!


i miss my NES.....GOD I love ths movie but i was kinda creeped out by his lil brother


Speaking of Fred Savage movies, how about "Little Monsters"?

I recall a scene where a kid's tuna fish sandwich is instead filled with cat food, and when he goes to wash it down, he discovers his apple juice has been replaced with the urine of a monster that lives under his bed.

Fun for the kids!They swear a lot in that movie to and i think its rated PG? watching it and drinking wine is encouraged



Lessee, there's also The Monster Squad, which has developed an odd little cult.Man that movie scared the shit out of me when i was younger...didn't the werewolf man blow up or something


Garbage Pail Kids: The Movie
Starring Anthony Newley and Mackenzie AstinYES!!!!! YES!!!! man i really need to get that movie


I don't know if it is weird enough, or a "kids" movie but my friends and I quote
"Teen Witch" all the time.

Top that! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ00laVt62c) ( :37 second mark)hahahahahahahaha that movie cracked me up...her lil brother was HILARIOUS


http://i373.photobucket.com/albums/oo172/hvigilla/B000003KCU01LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Explorers - A favorite from my childhood. Fueled me with space travel dreams. Three misfit kid friends design a spacecraft. Awesomeness ensues.


http://i373.photobucket.com/albums/oo172/hvigilla/baby-secret-of-the-lost-legend.jpg
Baby, Secret of the Lost Legend - Brontosauruses. Alive in Africa. What a strange movie, and you get to see Sean Young in her bra making the kissing with a superpowerless William Katt as Patrick McGoohan goes poaching for dinosaurs.

EDIT:
The Boy Who Could Fly - This one I need to see again, but Fred Savage's big wheel revenge was so badass.lol its pretty sad i've seen so much of these movies.....my parents were on auto pilot though most of the 80s and 90s......


It was ok. I liked it.

But i do not miss my NES. It sits right next to my SNES, my Atari 2600, and my Commodore 64. With lots of games.:smile:\

And for me: Adventures in Babysitting! THAT movie just ruled.lol BRENDA!!!!!!!


Space Camp and Flight of the Navigator.Both of those movies were great.....flight of the navigator made me want one of those lil alien things


I effing love Little Monsters. Great movie.quoted for truth


I love the Moster Squad. It's the Goonies with Frankenstein as your CHunk and a shitload more bigotry. seriously the word fag is used in a derogatory manner about every ten minutes.lol love those 80s movies


The original Pippi movies were 100 times better than the remake.

And I think that particular Pippi movie is "Pippi on the Run".i never saw the orginal one....but nothing can stop SCRUBBING DAY


HE TOUCHED MY BREAST!:tongue:lol god i love that part


I love the Power Glove.....It's so bad....lol the power glove my friend had one of those and said he wasnt into video games and he pulled it out and owned me


Just saw this one at a friends house not too long ago:

The Gate (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093075/)

featuring a very young Stephen Dorff. Who would later become Deacon Frost, and shortly thereafter, the Vampire God La Magra.
Oh man my older brother let me watch this and it was kinda freaky....the mom from the OC is in it.....and those creepy twins


i can't even think about that my pet monster movie without getting an odd sick feelinglol yes!!!! i loved that movie I miss my pet monster

The Teddy Rupmskin videos were pretty creepy as far as i remember....with mushrooms and wizards and such

[Mister Blisterfists]

any.

and all.

Summer Camp Movies.

seriously, the 80s gave birth to, then reclaimed this movie genre.

[FemGeek]

The only 80s kids movie I can remember seeing in the 80s was The Last Unicorn, and that freaked me right the f*ck out.

[Night Swordsman]

HE TOUCHED MY BREAST!:tongue:

I SO did not.

...darn it! Sigh!


:biggrin:

[Zack]

Hey guy, thanks for all the great picks! I've sent a piece on in to the blog, and I'm waiting on edits...

Also, whoever it was talking about MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE -- it was John Byrne who compared it to the New Gods, and he actually got a note from one of the producers saying that was their intent. I remember this because it was in NEXT MEN...which I read. It was a good book, darn it!

[FeminineMystique]

I SO did not.

...darn it! Sigh!


:biggrin:

LOL *Cyber-snuggle* cheer up darling:biggrin:

[stealthwise]

that movie scared me as a kid.

Me too! I lo9ve ALL these moovies.

[Night Swordsman]

LOL *Cyber-snuggle* cheer up darling:biggrin:

(Hands Fem some Dramimine and a copy of Joy of Flying). pppp!

[Night Swordsman]

Me too! I lo9ve ALL these moovies.

Fully agree! I love most of them.

I wish to add The lady in white.

[Hurricane]

Explorers starring River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke. It's about a geeky kid who makes a bubble around an amusement park ride and they fly it into space and meet some aliens that talk in tv speak.

[Night Swordsman]

Explorers starring River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke. It's about a geeky kid who makes a bubble around an amusement park ride and they fly it into space and meet some aliens that talk in tv speak.

I LOVED the first half of that movie.
I HATED the second half of that movie.

Anyone watching it will know EXACTLY when the first half ends and the second half begins.

[Hurricane]

I LOVED the first half of that movie.
I HATED the second half of that movie.

Anyone watching it will know EXACTLY when the first half ends and the second half begins.

I own it on DVD. I know what you mean.