Netflix '80s Fix: Hero and the Blue Velvet Brothers In Little China

The showers of April films didn't grow much in the month of May on Netflix. A grand total of six movies released in the '80s were added, although a couple are highly popular cult classics. Looks like May will be good for cleaning out your queue in preparation for hopefully a packed month of June.

As usual, I'll be including a new '80s Pop Twenty countdown in this month's fix and a recommendation for newly-added film that just missed our favorite decade. 

Big Trouble In Little China (1986)

Rated PG-13 Add to queue

When a 2,000-year-old magician kidnaps his friend's fiancée, two-fisted trucker Jack Burton and sexy attorney Gracie Law must navigate a shadowy world filled with supernatural creatures and spectacular action to capture the culprit.

I've only watch this movie in the last couple of years and never really connected with it in its time. Having said that, I can see why it's a cult classic now. It's a fun little adventure that you can shut your brain off and enjoy.

Blues Brothers (1980)

Rated R Add to queue

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd lay waste to Chicago as the title characters, a pair of two-bit crooks on a quest to save the Catholic orphanage where they were raised by reuniting their former band for a charity gig.

Easily in my top 20 movies of the '80s. Although my boys aren't old enough to watch it with the R rating, I've shown them the insane car chase scene on YouTube to much enjoyment. I probably quote it weekly and find myself sometimes in restaurants wanting to ask a random family "how much for the women? I want to buy your women."

Hero and The Terror (1988)

Rated R Add to queue

Homicide detective Danny O'Brien (Chuck Norris) is known simply as "Hero" for having brought down L.A.'s most vicious serial killer Simon Moon a.k.a. "The Terror." But for years, O'Brien has secretly been haunted by the fact that his capture of Moon was a fluke. When The Terror escapes from jail and returns to his old killing ways, O'Brien finally gets the chance to earn his glorified reputation...if his monstrous enemy doesn't destroy him first!

Can honestly say I've never seen this Chuck Norris flick. The plot sounds good, but mixed reviews with a 3.1 out of 4 on Netflix to just 39% on Rotten Tomatoes. But I figure it's worth the gamble with Norris' action pedigree.

Blue Velvet (1986)

Rated R Add to queue

In this surreal independent thriller from writer-director David Lynch, an innocent man gets mixed up in a small-town murder mystery involving a kinky nightclub chanteuse and a kidnapper with a penchant for snorting helium.

Yet another I haven't seen, but has high scores on Netflix (3.4/4) and on Rotten Tomatoes (93% critic /89% audience) so it sounds like this David Lynch film delivers.

New adds this month also include the action film Born To Defense starring and directed by Jet Li. The romantic comedy Author! Author! is also available starring Al Pacino and Dyan Cannon.

'80s Pop Twenty
Here are the 20 most popular '80s movies and shows currently available on Netflix and their location on the previous month's countdown. It's been one year since I started posting the fix and Roger Rabbit has reigned supreme since!

1. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (12th consecutive month)
2. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (no change)
3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (no change)
4. Manhunter (no change)
5. The Thin Blue Line (no change)
6. Trading Places (+1)
7. Day of the Dead (-1)
8. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (+1)
9. The Cook, Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (+1)
10. Heathers (+1)
11. Labyrinth (+1)
12. The Fox and the Hound (+1)
13. Stand By Me (+1)
14. The Dark Crystal (+1)
15. Pee-Wee's Playhouse (no change)
16. Eddie Murphy: Delirious (no change)
17. Amadeus (new)
18. This Is Spinal Tap (new)
19. Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (-2)
20. The Verdict (new)

Removed from Netflix streaming was Romancing the Stone. Dropping out of the top 20 was The Muppets Take Mahattan and The Great Mouse Detective.

Just missed...
Here's a movie that just missed the '80s that is newly available.

Blown Away (1992)
Rated R Add to queue
Corey Feldman and Corey Haim play teenage brothers Wes and Rich, who work at a ski lodge to earn money for their college tuitions. Trouble brews when Rich gets involved with sexy 17-year-old Megan (Nicole Eggert), who soon reveals she wants her father dead. It seems Megan believes her dad killed her mom, and she's out for revenge. Before they know it, the boys are mixed up in a murderous plot and must put a stop to it.

For those of you who need a little more Corey in their lives.

If you've missed a previous month's post, check the Netflix '80s Fix archive. Most featured titles should still be available to stream. Also, feel free to comment with any movies or shows you've recently rediscovered.

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