1980s Kids: Brats - Andrew McCarthy Doc about The Brat Pack, June 13, Hulu

[dcar00 14153]

11 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

that entire movie took place in ally sheedy’s head. She was the only on in detention that day, the rest were characters in her head 

That is the M Night Shambala remake version.

[billfromlaketravis 11447]

DC guys was The Tombs ever as wild as the bar depicted in St. Elmo’s Fire? 

I went to Barley House near SMU while I was still in my 20’s and it had a very strong St. Elmo’s vibe. 

[dcar00 14153]

someone needs to do a flow chart on brat pack or maybe 3 columns - Varsity, JV, JV-B team.

I never considered Hutton as even close to Brat Pack.  Spader gets lumped in because of Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero.

I'm guessing Downey Jr wouldn't even consider being in this.

 

[tx 3 putt 76870]

Hutton was never brat pack. He was an Oscar winner and serious actor by 1985. Plus this extremely bad ass movie under his belt …..

https://youtu.be/Ob2DIURBXts?si=gC1m1Ywg9FiGOI_h
 

https://youtu.be/40aD94yJcwQ?si=A3sF-ZUuBJHrF4RB

[billfromlaketravis 11447]

I wish they had done this documentary on the 30th Anniversary of St. Elmo’s Fire. 
 

Harry Dean Stanton was a “mentor” to the Brat Pack. His perspective could have provided some interesting color. He passed in 2017. I imagine he hung out with for free booze, drugs and women, but I’d like to hear from the horse’s mouth. 

[burntorangebongos 10710]

12 hours ago, South Austin said:

Rob Lowe and Emilio Estevez were in Outsiders.

They weren't  really known and weren't considered brat packers yet. That movie was awesome with a bunch of newbies with Matt Dillon being the best known. I don't lump this in as a Brat Packer movie like the Breakfast Club or St. Elmo's Fire even with those two in it. Oh snap! I forgot Leif Garrett, he was better known too than Emilio or Rob.
 

Edited May 29 by burntorangebongos
Leif fucking Garrett!

[lateshow 1304]

On 5/28/2024 at 11:50 PM, billfromlaketravis said:

I wish they had done this documentary on the 30th Anniversary of St. Elmo’s Fire. 
 

Harry Dean Stanton was a “mentor” to the Brat Pack. His perspective could have provided some interesting color. He passed in 2017. I imagine he hung out with for free booze, drugs and women, but I’d like to hear from the horse’s mouth. 

Until Tom Cruise, pre-weirdo Scientology, was banging his girlfriend at the time, Rebecca De Mornay while shooting Risky Business. 

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

On 5/28/2024 at 12:23 PM, tx 3 putt said:

 

 

everyone else did something to act out. Her character only watched 

Except Hughes said the plan was to make a movie every ten years that followed the life of each character.  

[tx 3 putt 76870]

4 minutes ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Except Hughes said the plan was to make a movie every ten years that followed the life of each character.  

in her head ….

[atomheartbevo 89628]

1 hour ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Except Hughes said the plan was to make a movie every ten years that followed the life of each character.  

So a GenX version of The Big Chill?

[Chips O'Toole 1322]

The correct answer is Judge Reinhold. 

[Dennis Taylor 18809]

On 5/27/2024 at 1:42 PM, Michael Knight said:

the most worthless generation of stars, not a single memorable role and their careers all flamed out when audiences became more sophisticated in the 90's. Endemic of the time the 2 most talented members (James Spader and Robert Downey Jr. ) were relegated to the role of bad guy or sidekick

I bet you were a blast at the parties you used to get invited to

[threesheets 1672]

On 5/28/2024 at 10:41 PM, billfromlaketravis said:

I went to Barley House near SMU while I was still in my 20’s and it had a very strong St. Elmo’s vibe. 

My St. Elmo's (albeit a country version) was Adair's. Especially those weeknights when it was an act with a weekly time slot playing and everyone there was a regular.

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

My St. Elmo's (albeit a country version) was Adair's. Especially those weeknights when it was an act with a weekly time slot playing and everyone there was a regular.

Love Adair’s. Lot of time and money spent there early 00’s.

[atomheartbevo 89628]

Going to watch this weekend.  Molly and Judd aren’t in it (well Judd talks on the phone)

from ET:

Quote

"I mean, they both are in the film in a sense that there's a lot of clips and interviews and things,” the director told Entertainment Tonight. "The Brat Pack is an ongoing relationship, you know what I mean? And some people are at different places in their lives to want to or not want to talk about it. I think that just informs it even more. I mean, that's my takeaway from it." 

While Ringwald and Nelson may not have sat down for interviews like their fellow Brat Pack stars, the pair do appear in the film through the use of archival footage taken at the height of the cultural phenomenon in the 1980s. Nelson can also be heard in a phone call toward the end of the film. 

 

[Herpa Derpa 6123]

On 5/28/2024 at 11:42 AM, Rex Kramer said:

I’ve got a bone to pick with you about Hurley and Beckinsale and Locklear. 

Only click if you want your childhood ruined:

Spoiler

 

On 5/28/2024 at 8:27 PM, South Austin said:

I don’t know if Outsiders qualifies as a Brat Pack flick. The term probably wasn’t even invented then. But it was one of the first big movies to feature an ensemble cast of young actors and cater to a younger audience. That genre took off in the early 80s.

Dude.

Edited June 14 by Herpa Derpa

[CoTex 1160]

Watched it.  Hot take - here goes.

McCarthy comes off as insecure. He wants to say “We were all gonna be the next Tom Hanks and Orson Welles until this news article hung a label on us and ruined our careers.”

Demi rattles off a bunch of shit she heard at therapy to calm him “there was an againstness against us.”

Rob Lowe tells him he missed the point.  That label guaranteed your staying power - now your part of something bigger than yourself.

What I think really happened is MCArthy couldn’t turn early success into lasting success and he wants to blame someone.  
 

Emilio is kinda like “I’m good bro - had to springboard off all yall to get my success - feel a little bad about that but not really.”
 

I don’t think this movie is good for his legacy.  Would have been better served saying “look at us now - we didn’t die of suicide and cocaine induced heart attacks like you all thought we would.”

[usmc0331horn 953]

Weekend at Bernie's did more to kill his career than that article imo.

Also, why is he so pissed about this article decades later? Rob Lowe thought it was pretty cool and could have done a lot of good for them if they let it.

[dcar00 14153]

Rob and Demi seemed like the most, "whatever...why would you let that shit really bother you".  of course both of them had bigger issues later than some brat pack label so maybe they had better perspective

Estevez probably had his dad in his ear saying you need to get away from that soon if you want to be thought of as serious.

McCarthy obviously let it eat him up.  It was funny that Blum wasn't going to apologize. 

All of them were kind of average actors anyway.

 

[billfromlaketravis 11447]

I’m watching it now. Exactly what I expected. I don’t get McCarthy’s cry baby bullshit. How much money did The Brat Pack article make him? How many roles did he get for being a member? Now he can do whatever the hell he wants. Please God, send The New Yorker to write an article about my poor ass. 
 

The subtle Brat Pack digs at Michael J. Fox and Cruise were bizarre. Absolutely no one in 2024 associates them with the Brat Pack, except for McCarthy. They are not your peers. They’re stars. 
 

 

[billfromlaketravis 11447]

I didn’t think you could get a depressed rich white people documentary made in 2024. But you did it McCarthy! 

 

[Mach 1 1677]

10 hours ago, CoTex said:

Watched it.  Hot take - here goes.

McCarthy comes off as insecure. He wants to say “We were all gonna be the next Tom Hanks and Orson Welles until this news article hung a label on us and ruined our careers.”

Demi rattles off a bunch of shit she heard at therapy to calm him “there was an againstness against us.”

Rob Lowe tells him he missed the point.  That label guaranteed your staying power - now your part of something bigger than yourself.

What I think really happened is MCArthy couldn’t turn early success into lasting success and he wants to blame someone.  
 

Emilio is kinda like “I’m good bro - had to springboard off all yall to get my success - feel a little bad about that but not really.”
 

I don’t think this movie is good for his legacy.  Would have been better served saying “look at us now - we didn’t die of suicide and cocaine induced heart attacks like you all thought we would.”

Thanks for taking the bullet. I turned it off after 5 or 10 minutes assuming what you described is exactly what it would be.

Embarrassing.  Streaming services need content, throw it against the wall.

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

Watched it.  Hot take - here goes.
McCarthy comes off as insecure. He wants to say “We were all gonna be the next Tom Hanks and Orson Welles until this news article hung a label on us and ruined our careers.”
Demi rattles off a bunch of shit she heard at therapy to calm him “there was an againstness against us.”
Rob Lowe tells him he missed the point.  That label guaranteed your staying power - now your part of something bigger than yourself.
What I think really happened is MCArthy couldn’t turn early success into lasting success and he wants to blame someone.  
 
Emilio is kinda like “I’m good bro - had to springboard off all yall to get my success - feel a little bad about that but not really.”
 
I don’t think this movie is good for his legacy.  Would have been better served saying “look at us now - we didn’t die of suicide and cocaine induced heart attacks like you all thought we would.”

All of McCarthy’s characters are insecure so he’s just playing himself in real life. Aside from maybe Mannequin, which I like. Come at me.

[CoTex 1160]

Should have just done “The Brat Pack” 40 years later and let them all tell stories about getting wasted and being entitled.

Surely they have some stories.

[dcbc 14465]

1 hour ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Aside from maybe Mannequin, which I like.

Mannequin was filmed at Woolworth's

[Genco 3040]

1 hour ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

All of McCarthy’s characters are insecure so he’s just playing himself in real life. Aside from maybe Mannequin, which I like. Come at me.

I caught about 30 minutes of Mannequin on one of the HBOs a few months back. It's an unwatchable piece of shit but I was intrigued by the bitchy girlfriend Roxie.

Her name is Carole Davis. Her IMDb resume is unremarkable but she's had steady work throughout the years. She was also Penthouse Pet of the Month in January 1980. I'll post those pics in the old school fap thread.

[T’Boo Ted Marshall 2732]

I caught about 30 minutes of Mannequin on one of the HBOs a few months back. It's an unwatchable piece of shit but I was intrigued by the bitchy girlfriend Roxie.

Her name is Carole Davis. Her IMDb resume is unremarkable but she's had steady work throughout the years. She was also Penthouse Pet of the Month in January 1980. I'll post those pics in the old school fap thread.

I caught about 30 minutes of Mannequin on one of the HBOs a few months back. It's an unwatchable piece of shit but I was intrigued by the bitchy girlfriend Roxie.

Her name is Carole Davis. Her IMDb resume is unremarkable but she's had steady work throughout the years. She was also Penthouse Pet of the Month in January 1980. I'll post those pics in the old school fap thread.

I don’t doubt it is terrible now. I’m referencing my 12 yo self that watched it with girls I wanted to pet in theater.

[Texzilla588 769]

We watched it this afternoon. Wife was yelling at McCarthy for being a whinyass loser. Seemed like everyone was just telling him he was to blame for fucking his career up when he was a part of something huge.

The real Brat Pack was basically the cast of St Elmo’s Fire plus John Hughes from breakfast club. Cruise is not part of it. Comes from the New Yorker article.

Lowe is correct that they were huge because of the article and blind luck. They caught the huge right wave of Hollywood making movies for young folks, the vcr and rentals, expansion of tv beyond three channels and rise of HBO. McCarthy believes his plan to be the next Olivier was wrecked by the article. But without it he might have been the serious but starving nyc actor. Lowe has a ranch on the beach in Malibu. Demi is rich and hot. Lea Thompson was brat adjacent and married well and has solid memorable roles like mom in back to the future.

Lowe has some great roles. His role as liberace’s plastic surgeon was fantastic. He’s figured out accessibility and humility is his niche after wrecking his career with the original sex tape. He’s even good on The Floor.

[MagicSoccerSpray 1732]

6 hours ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

All of McCarthy’s characters are insecure so he’s just playing himself in real life. Aside from maybe Mannequin, which I like. Come at me.

 

Mannequin was great.

  

4 hours ago, Genco said:

I caught about 30 minutes of Mannequin on one of the HBOs a few months back. It's an unwatchable piece of shit but I was intrigued by the bitchy girlfriend Roxie.

Her name is Carole Davis. Her IMDb resume is unremarkable but she's had steady work throughout the years. She was also Penthouse Pet of the Month in January 1980. I'll post those pics in the old school fap thread.

 

 

Edited June 16 by MagicSoccerSpray

[66BUFF 2562]

14 hours ago, dcbc said:

Mannequin was filmed at Woolworth's

[Surly Bevo 24908]

On 5/28/2024 at 12:23 PM, tx 3 putt said:

 

 

everyone else did something to act out. Her character only watched 

 

On 5/28/2024 at 12:23 PM, tx 3 putt said:

 

 

everyone else did something to act out. Her character only watched 

 

[YGIFS 19449]

28 minutes ago, 66BUFF said:

Mike Elko, "Dad?"  

This documentary seems like an annoying premise and I want to avoid it.  But the films of John Hughes, many filmed just a few miles from where I grew up as I came of age just behind this generation will always be near and dear to my heart.  Even if most of the actors involved turned out to be complete douchebags.  I realize he didn't create all their films, but he captured lightning in a bottle.  Too bad most of them went on to do little else of note.  But they did some good work together and managed to not lose one another to overdoses or suicide, so that's something I guess.  Some of their movies aged horribly, but some stick with you like a forgotten song from childhood.  

[CoTex 1160]

1 hour ago, YGIFS said:

Mike Elko, "Dad?"  

This documentary seems like an annoying premise and I want to avoid it.  But the films of John Hughes, many filmed just a few miles from where I grew up as I came of age just behind this generation will always be near and dear to my heart.  Even if most of the actors involved turned out to be complete douchebags.  I realize he didn't create all their films, but he captured lightning in a bottle.  Too bad most of them went on to do little else of note.  But they did some good work together and managed to not lose one another to overdoses or suicide, so that's something I guess.  Some of their movies aged horribly, but some stick with you like a forgotten song from childhood.  

I like most of the actors - what I know about them.  Emilio seemed pretty balanced.  Sheedy seemed warm and kind.  Lowe seemed like life was good to him, he knew it, and was truly grateful, Demi turned being pretty and having a husky voice into a good career, Timothy Hutton wasn’t worried about much - beekeeper.

Jon Cryer did a lot more with a lot less than McCarthy.  Kinda wish Cryer had been harder on AM. 
 

McCarthy stepped on his own wang with this project.  Vanity project - look at me - didn’t work out.  Try again bro.

[billfromlaketravis 11447]

On 6/15/2024 at 9:06 AM, CoTex said:

Watched it.  Hot take - here goes.

McCarthy comes off as insecure. He wants to say “We were all gonna be the next Tom Hanks and Orson Welles until this news article hung a label on us and ruined our careers.”

Demi rattles off a bunch of shit she heard at therapy to calm him “there was an againstness against us.”

Rob Lowe tells him he missed the point.  That label guaranteed your staying power - now your part of something bigger than yourself.

What I think really happened is MCArthy couldn’t turn early success into lasting success and he wants to blame someone.  
 

Emilio is kinda like “I’m good bro - had to springboard off all yall to get my success - feel a little bad about that but not really.”
 

I don’t think this movie is good for his legacy.  Would have been better served saying “look at us now - we didn’t die of suicide and cocaine induced heart attacks like you all thought we would.”

I think you nailed it. They all use the Brat Pack article as a crutch for why they weren’t more successful. No acknowledgement that they just weren’t good enough. 
 

I think Ringwald was the only member with Oscar level talent, but she made her bed and slept in it. 

[CoTex 1160]

5 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

I think you nailed it. They all use the Brat Pack article as a crutch for why they weren’t more successful. No acknowledgement that they just weren’t good enough. 
 

I think Ringwald was the only member with Oscar level talent, but she made her bed and slept in it. 

Maybe they should blame John Hughes.  He could have found some serious script and cast them all.  
 

[YGIFS 19449]

16 minutes ago, CoTex said:

Maybe they should blame John Hughes.  He could have found some serious script and cast them all.  
 

You show John Hughes some damn respect!  Hughes wrote only one "serious" script, and that was "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles."  Granted it's funny as hell, but it's got so much layered heart that gets better with each passing year.  But somehow I don't see it working with Anthony Michael Hall as Del and Judd Nelson as Neal.  

[TrashMaster G 17546]

On 6/15/2024 at 9:06 AM, CoTex said:

Watched it.  Hot take - here goes.

McCarthy comes off as insecure. He wants to say “We were all gonna be the next Tom Hanks and Orson Welles until this news article hung a label on us and ruined our careers.”

Demi rattles off a bunch of shit she heard at therapy to calm him “there was an againstness against us.”

Rob Lowe tells him he missed the point.  That label guaranteed your staying power - now your part of something bigger than yourself.

What I think really happened is MCArthy couldn’t turn early success into lasting success and he wants to blame someone.  
 

Emilio is kinda like “I’m good bro - had to springboard off all yall to get my success - feel a little bad about that but not really.”
 

I don’t think this movie is good for his legacy.  Would have been better served saying “look at us now - we didn’t die of suicide and cocaine induced heart attacks like you all thought we would.”

I thought Rob Lowe pretty much nailed it. His attitude was "Yeah, the article was mostly bullshit, but so what? It was, ultimately, a gift. Here we are 35 years later and everybody still knows us."

It ended up being guaranteed immortality.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21874]

10 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

 

I think Ringwald was the only member with Oscar level talent, but she made her bed and slept in it. 

And I would have gladly joined her

[GhostOfTomJoad 9323]

I thought Rob Lowe pretty much nailed it. His attitude was "Yeah, the article was mostly bullshit, but so what? It was, ultimately, a gift. Here we are 35 years later and everybody still knows us."
It ended up being guaranteed immortality.

Rob Lowe comes across as a very self-aware dude. I've heard him do some guest DJing on E Street Radio & he talks candidly about being a kid with a crazy dream of being an actor, not knowing how he was going to accomplish that goal, but knowing it would take a lot of work & determination to get anywhere. He doesn't bitch like some & complain he's not taken seriously as an actor because he's handsome. He knows his limitations & accepts that he gets work because he's a very good looking character actor. That's not a bad career 40 years down the road.

[TrashMaster G 17546]

1 minute ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

17 hours ago, TrashMaster G said:

I thought Rob Lowe pretty much nailed it. His attitude was "Yeah, the article was mostly bullshit, but so what? It was, ultimately, a gift. Here we are 35 years later and everybody still knows us."
It ended up being guaranteed immortality.

Rob Lowe comes across as a very self-aware dude. I've heard him do some guest DJing on E Street Radio & he talks candidly about being a kid with a crazy dream of being an actor, not knowing how he was going to accomplish that goal, but knowing it would take a lot of work & determination to get anywhere. He doesn't bitch like some & complain he's not taken seriously as an actor because he's handsome. He knows his limitations & accepts that he gets work because he's a very good looking character actor. That's not a bad career 40 years down the road.

His autobiography was an entertaining read.

[MissingInAction 25011]

McCarthy is a no talent ass clown. He was always the weakest link in everything he did. I remember being annoyed by him as a kid.

Bitchass gonna bitchass.

[Trey3216 15344]

On 6/16/2024 at 12:30 PM, 66BUFF said:

Damnit.  I had that one cued up...

 

Glad I read all the way through.  

[South Austin 52452]

51 minutes ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

Rob Lowe comes across as a very self-aware dude. I've heard him do some guest DJing on E Street Radio & he talks candidly about being a kid with a crazy dream of being an actor, not knowing how he was going to accomplish that goal, but knowing it would take a lot of work & determination to get anywhere. He doesn't bitch like some & complain he's not taken seriously as an actor because he's handsome. He knows his limitations & accepts that he gets work because he's a very good looking character actor. That's not a bad career 40 years down the road.

When he doesn't try to stretch those limitations, I've enjoyed some of Lowe's post-80s work.  He can be good at comedy, in stuff like Tommy Boy and Parks and Recreation.  And I thought he was great in West Wing.  He and Emilio Estevez seem to have been the most grounded about their Brat Pack careers, and even if they didn't become excellent actors, they haven't taken themselves too seriously and have done some pretty good work here and there.

[South Austin 52452]

Watched this last night, and it’s pretty much like folks here described: A self-indulgent Andrew McCarthy therapy session. 

If that article have never been written, McCarthy’s career still would’ve peaked in the 80s. Instead of bitching about it for the rest of his life, she would embrace the fact that he and the others were part of some of the most important and beloved movies of our adolescence.

Side note: I had always thought in the 80s that Charlie Sheen looked more like his dad than Emilio Estevez. But when I saw him in this film, I said to myself, “Holy shit, that’s Jed Bartlett.”

[Nice Guy Eddie 13508]

I thought McCarthy had some good roles in the 80s but turned to bad roles in the 90s. maybe my recollection is wrong but I liked heaven help us with Mary Stuart masterson. Estevez basically went the same route as McCarthy but his films were more successful. Weekend at Bernie’s or mighty ducks can destroy your career if you also don’t create more critical praised films.

if I understand right McCarthy has done well as a tv director in the last decades. Maybe that doesn’t buy you Iron Man’s Malibu mansion but not exactly a failure.

[CoTex 1160]

If I was trying to make the case that McCarthy was, in fact, a big brat (an ill-mannered immature person) I think this movie would get me most of the way home.

He also made the case that, maybe he was the only one of the brat pack that was a … brat.  The rest are just Hollywood weird folks.

we’ve been trolled somehow.

 

[Beau Vine 54207]

This thread is an excellent reminder of how lame the 80s were.

[4th and 5 4914]

Emilio looks just like his dad now.

and the show underwhelms 

[jimmyjazz 45887]

Andrew McCarthy is the worst actor in American film history.

Rob Lowe as a sexy sax player is peak 80's.

[NeverMarryAStripper 21874]

That made me embarrassed to be a sax player