Good holiday read if you (like me) grew up watching these films - although I must be the only woman in the world who hasn't seen Dirty Dancing . Now I know it's cultural significance I might have to amend my ways.

I had such high hopes for this one but the author’s Voice was completely off-putting. And some of the conclusions she drew were absolute bullshit and ridiculous. I love 80s movies. This book, in theory, was made for me. This author however, is not good. Full review to come.

I really enjoyed this primarily because it made me think critically about movies I've loved for decades, and provided some suggestions as to why I'm not all that excited about movies made today (but do love several TV shows.) Freeman is opinionated, sure, but that's kind of the point of the book- I disagree with other reviewers who didn't like it for that reason. I learned a lot about the actors, producers and directors who were active during the 80's, and how studios worked then in very different ways than they do now. What will stay with me most, however, is the desire to rewatch almost every title she mentions- especially those that I somehow missed the first time around. If you love the movies of the 80's and have a feminist slant, this is a lot of fun.

a great fun and very loving look at 80s teen films - perfect reading for those of us who grew up on these movies

Great fun read! I found a kindred spirit in Hadley Freeman (despite her disdain for modern superhero films, the horror!) and it took all of my self restraint not to continuously quote every eighties movie whilst reading this book. I think my traveling companion may have got quite sick of me loudly cackling every few pages and insisting on reading her hilarious passages from the book. I'm sorry Caitlin. If you love eighties movies, and like me, think they are constantly underrated as excellent contributions to the world of film, this is the book for you!

Important: don't read this if you'd rather not be overwhelmed by the desire to binge-watch all your favorite old 80s movies, plus a few more you somehow missed! I only wish this came with a curated Youtube playlist of video clips and soundtracks...

Anyway, it sounds like a fun, frothy topic, right? Eighties movies and why we love them! And it IS a fun topic. I was reminded of how many eighties movies are still irresistible classics, but Freeman also talks about the ones that haven't stood the test of time.

This book isn't frothy, though -- it's got real substance. In fact, I wonder if it was adapted from a particularly fun thesis, because there's smart, cogent analysis of several films, plus interviews with directors (many of whom say they wouldn't be able to get their most famous movies made today), and interesting, thoughtful commentary on how and why movies today are so different from their 80s counterparts. Some of that is pointed criticism of today's focus on blockbuster superhero movies with huge budgets, and it had been awhile since I stopped to consider what that means for filmmakers who want to do something *other* than that.

All in all, if you love Princess Bride or Ferris Bueller's Day Off or When Harry Met Sally (or, or, or ... there are so many!) I think you'll have a really good time reading this book, AND feel smarter/more well-informed about the movie industry.

I received a copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Thanks!

I really enjoyed this. It's a nice mix of research, observation, interviews, and memories.

It is hard to take seriously any book about 80s movies that claims "Good Morning, Vietnam", "Romancing The Stone" "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles", "E.T.", and "Coming to America" were considered junk when they first came out.
Freeman's writing style is annoying. She comes across as a bad Caitlin Moran-wannabe and honestly, I spent most of the time reading this thinking, I'd love to read what Actual Caitlin Moran has to say about this movie. It's all too bad because I do think the premise of a book about the changes in movies and moviemaking since the 80s could make a great book. This one ain't it, chief.

I LOVE 80's movies. And no, I didn't grow up in the 80's, but I can still enjoy them. I promise. I enjoyed reading the author's thoughts on so many great movies. There were a few chapters that went on a bit long for me, but other than that, a really fun read.

I think your enjoyment of this will depend on how much you love the specific films Freeman references, and so some essays held my attention more than others. Ghostbusters is not one of 'my' films for example, and that chapter seemed to meander around quite a bit looking for a point (this happens more than once, but the writing is generally entertaining enough to overlook it), so I skipped a lot of it. Other essays talk briefly about the films to segue into the main theme of the essay, when really I just wanted to read more about the movie. But she pulled me back in with the Batman essay and the wonderful ripping apart she does of the Nolan franchise, one I too can't really stand. Burton Batman, I'm here for you.

There are some really interesting facts and comments on the state of the film industry now versus the 80s, though it can be a little depressing sometimes to think we are going backwards in our representations of women in film, for example. I love that TV has opened up so many stories, but I also love going to the cinema and want to see stories other than the white man's plight represented. Or another damn superhero movie. It's a shame that to see that I have to return to films over thirty years old. But I guess at least they do exist.