It's March of 1986, Steve Harrington and Robin Buckley are
hard at work behind the counter of the Hawkins' Family Video. During the course
of one Saturday, a litany of our favorite Stranger Things characters saunter in
the door, looking for the perfect movie recommendation for a weekend couch
sesh. You only have one chance to get this right. Pick the right movie, and people
will look on you as the magic 8 ball of recommendations. Choose poorly, and you
could find yourself in a Russian prison with only a bacteria-infested jar of
JIF as company. Maybe that's an exaggeration, but the stakes couldn't be
higher. So here goes: our movie recommendations for the characters of Stranger
Things, season 4.
Eleven: It's no secret that Eleven is having a hard
time making friends at her first ever public school. Eleven will definitely appreciate Brian De
Palma's 1976 horror flick Carrie, which should scare bullies everywhere from
their mean-spirited ways. Carrie, like Eleven, has supernatural powers and
struggles to keep her temper in check when the external harassment dials up to
… nah, I won't say it. But if Hopper puts a kibosh on rated R movies (doesn't
seem likely), she might enjoy the gentler Escape to Witch Mountain, directed by
John Hough (1975), also featuring gifted kids that choose the path of flight.
Joyce Byers: Joyce doesn't often get to choose the movie.
She often goes along with the horror flicks her boys gravitate towards or the
comedies the departed Bob loved. When she has time to herself, she enjoys
classic movies that the boys won't tolerate. We recommend
Night of the Hunter,
directed by Charles Laughton (1955). Joyce will love talking aloud to the
screen as the narcissistic and deranged Harry Powell chases two innocent kids
who try to escape his clutches. And it's the strong Bible-believing,
gunshot-wielding Rachel Cooper who sees through his ruse and keeps them safe.
Will Byers: Will only needs to wait three months before
Jim Henson's
The Labyrinth comes out. We think he'll appreciate this surreal
fantasy featuring Jennifer Connelly as Sarah Williams, who feels like an
outsider wherever she goes. It's only in the world of make believe that things
make sense. Until then, are feel pretty safe recommending Rob Reiner's
Stand by
Me, for its depiction of four true blue friends and no girls in sight.
Jonathan Byers: Jonathan feels conflicted about every aspect
of his life. He's avoiding most of his relational pain through escapist encounters
with recreational drugs. He needs wide open spaces to reevaluate his life. We
think he'll appreciate
Paris, Texas, a road movie where a man wanders in the
desert and comes out intent upon reuniting with his estranged family and his long-lost
wife. Jonathan also loves photography and will appreciate the creative ways the
movie makes use of color and light to set a mood.
Argyle: Argyle is a chill pizza delivery guy who enjoys
the scenic route. Now that he has helped his friends escape from Colonel
Sullivan's soldiers, he realizes his skills as a getaway driver leave much to
be desired.
We recommend Walter Hill's action
thriller
The Driver so that Argyle can gain some tips on making the
quick escape with style.
Robin Buckley: Based on Robin's enjoyment for pep
music, big speeches, and stealing the show, we believe a good old musical is in
order, especially one that's a landmark of queer cinema. We recommend Blake
Edwards'
Victor/Victoria (1982), in which a woman desperate for work dresses up
as a man impersonating a woman in a cabaret nightclub. Robin will enjoy the
fast-talking Carroll "Toddy" Todd who can use his gift of gab to manipulate
the situation when required.
Steve Harrington: Steve doesn't do double VHS, but he
was somewhat intrigued by Robin's glowing report of Julie Christie's beauty. He
wants a different Julie Christie movie. After looking through the options, we
recommend John Schlesinger's 1967 Far from the Madding Crowd. The stubborn Bathsheba
is courted by three different men and, after much strife, ends up with the best
match. The two romantic leads must grow separately before they can be happy
together. We think the "love conquers all" theme will please, although Steve may roll his eyes for bit.
Dustin Henderson: Dustin was so busy at summer camp in
1985 that he totally missed his chance to see Joe Dante's
Explorers in the
theater, about genius young scientists who dream about things they invent and
then use to build a spacecraft. Dustin may find some errors in logic that he
will want to point out to Suzie, but he will definitely enjoy the nerdspeak.
Mike Wheeler: Mike's letter game to Eleven truly sucks,
and unless he learned to better express himself, another breakup is sure to
follow. We recommend he check out Michael Gordon's 1950 classic Cyrano de
Bergerac.
Nancy Wheeler: Nancy has changed a lot since the beginning
of season 1, when her only concern seemed to be getting and keeping Steve's
attentions. She has big dreams of a life as a reporter, but her editors underestimate
her talent. We think she will love Lisa Gottlieb's
Just One of the Guys (1985).
Like Nancy, Terry is a girl who wants to be a reporter. When she gets passed over
for a writing award, her brother helps her pose as a guy at a different high
school. Nancy has become a real-life Ripley, but she still enjoys a rom-com.
Max Mayfield: Back in the 1980s, there weren't too many
films that dealt with mental health sympathetically. Max is still very much
dealing with guilt over her brother's death, and mom is dealing with things
privately. She craves an outlet to be able to share what's really going on. We
recommend Robert Redford's 1980
Ordinary People, which shows a family in
mourning. We thing she will find it cathartic.
Lucas Sinclair: Lucas feels torn between his different
friend groups. He loves his childhood friends, but he also enjoys his life as a
basketball player and jock. Lucas will appreciate John Hughes'
The Breakfast
Club, which concludes "each one of us is a brain, and an athlete, and a
basket base, a princess, and a criminal."
Eddie Munson: Eddie, sweet, sweet Eddie. His world has
been turned upside down. He puts on a brave front, but inside, he feels like a
coward. He's always been able to hide behind his role-playing games and Devil-may-care
personae, but inside the hero rises. We recommend George Cosmatos'
Cobra, which
will help him get in touch with the warrior within. There's no need to be
jealous of Steve, Eddie. We believe in you.
Hopper: After almost a year of being trapped in a Russian
prison, self-inflicted maiming, torture, beating, near starvation, and battles
with the Demogorgon, with only peanut butter and his memoires of Joyce and
Eleven to warm him, Hopper needs a gentle and feel-good story. We recommend
Howard Hawks'
Bringing Up Baby, a screwball comedy about a paleontologist who
is "gifted" with a leopard. Hopper's hard shell will take a bit to crack,
but this hilarious comedy of errors is just what the doctor ordered.
What do you think of our recommendations?
Comments