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Independence Day (1983) Shmaltz-filled homecoming love story with an overpoweringly dramatic subplot.

Published October 8, 2024October 7, 2024by Stunt Rock in My Favorite Films, Unrealistic People Falling In Love

Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (1983) Uneven New York anthology full of progressive themes and likable performances.

Published October 1, 2024September 12, 2024by Stunt Rock in Lifetime Movie Network, Unrealistic People Falling In Love

Mid-Knight Rider aka Hard Knocks (1979) Insane character study of a male prostitute who leaves his life behind and ends up on a farm.

Published September 24, 2024September 12, 2024by Stunt Rock in 70s Existential Bullshit, My Favorite Films

Foolin’ Around (1980) Meandering midwestern college romance full of wacky hijinks.

Published September 17, 2024September 12, 2024by Stunt Rock in Unrealistic Teen Fantasy

Ice Castles (1978) Tolerable triumph-over-tragedy schmaltz.

Published September 10, 2024September 9, 2024by Stunt Rock in Unrealistic People Falling In Love, Unrealistic Teen Fantasy

That Was Then… This Is Now (1985) A lesser novel by a popular author becomes a one hour and forty-two-minute slog.

Published September 3, 2024September 2, 2024by Stunt Rock in Coming of Age According To A Script, Dangerous Kids

Patti Rocks (1988) Two buddies try to convince a woman to have an abortion in this affecting Midwest indie drama.

Published February 20, 2024February 20, 2024by Stunt Rock in Early-Buddy Erotica, Lifetime Movie Network

Eddie Macon’s Run (1983) A guy in jail for punching his boss plans an elaborate escape.

Published February 8, 2024by Stunt Rock in Barely Justified Revenge

Vision Quest (1985) Awkward and horny wrestling teen stalks and beds artistic drifter

Published January 30, 2024January 31, 2024by Stunt Rock in Coming of Age According To A Script

Hard Choices (1985) Juvenile offender goes on the lam with social worker in this early-80s authentic indie.

Published January 23, 2024January 23, 2024by Stunt Rock in Unrealistic People Falling In Love

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About

The Betamax Rundown was started by failed musician and artist Stunt Rock in October of 2006, with the intent being to review and analyze a personal library of over 2100 Betamax tapes.

When not watching movies, he enjoys making artistic horseshit no one cares about.

Steve Bullyhuff is the ever-loyal proofreader and fact-checker. When not fixing drunken typos, he enjoys playing rock music.

The Betamax Rundown is updated sporadically.

Independence Day (1983) Trigger warning if your grandfather ever made you high like a tree. Independence Day (1983) Beret-clad photographer Mary Ann (Kathleen Quinlan) has lived in the same town her entire life yet still finds the energy to run around snapping photos of townspeople as she awaits an acceptance letter from a San Franciso art school, while also helping her cancer-stricken mother convalesce. We’re supposed to ignore that she’s clearly 30 and still trying to get into art school. Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (1983) Extra Ellen Barkin appreciation post. Her performance in the first segment was described as "bruised, tough and sexy" by Janet Maslin in the NYT. Accurate. Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (1983) Kevin Bacon, playing a young cabbie looking for love in the third story of this anthology film, sings a song, but it sound like it might be overdubbed. Enormous Changes at the Last Minute (1983) Uneven New York anthology full of progressive themes and likable performances. Mid-Knight Rider aka Hard Knocks (1979) Some select clips: Mid-Knight Rider aka Hard Knocks (1979) HARD RECOMMEND! This movie is insane. Somewhere there has to be a proper cut where it all works perfectly, but this seventy-seven-minute cut released on home video is wild. It’s Midnight Cowboy but quickly turns into homesteading Western before dropping into First Blood territory. Foolin' Around (1980) A young Bill Macy in his first screen role! Foolin' Around was filmed in 1978 so I'm comfortable saying this even though it was released after Somewhere In Time (1980) which is technically the first appearance of W. H. Macy. Foolin' Around (1980) For the most part, Foolin’ Around is a meandering love story filled with wacky PG-level hijinx. It feels more like a 70s-era live-action Disney movie than the post-Animal House frat comedy it was marketed as.

The World Sucks Now.