The Next Installment of More Funky 80’s Movies I Love!!

This is the third installment of my 80’s movies list. I am done trying to put them in some semblance of order, hahaha! It drives me bonkers trying to decide which ones should be on this list, and which ones belong on the next list. Ahhh! I love them all!!! So without further ado, here is a short list including some more of the greatest movies the 1980’s had to offer!! (Please note that I know that there are a whole lot more….and if I had to actually put them in order of favorite-least, some movies that will appear on later lists definitely rank higher!! This is hard! Hahaha!)

• Back to the Future 1985

How could you not love this movie?? The whole idea of being able to travel back in time is a wonderful concept! Except going back into the time that your parents met and inadvertently messing up their meeting…that gets a little dicey! Not to mention horribly uncomfortable when your mom suddenly has a crush on you!! However, in trying so hard to get his parents together in the past, Marty McFly made his parent’s life so much better!! My BFF recently told me that she loves watching movies with me, because I get so invested in them, hahaha! I gasp, yell, and worry about the fates of the characters. This one was an awesome movie for that. I mean, Marty’s very existence depended on whether or not he could get his parents back together!!

I love the actors in these movies! Christopher Lloyd is absolutely amazing! (My favorite character of his? Uncle Fester of course!!) And Lea Thompson is just the cutest! (My favorite of her roles to be seen later on this list!) And Michael J Fox….what a fox!!! I was a fan of Family Ties, and I had always thought that he was so handsome!!

• Back to the Future Part II 1989

Out of the three (and since this is an 80’s list, part III will not be on any of these lists), Part II is my favorite! I loved the future they portrayed! I will admit that seeing as that date has officially passed, and 10-21-2015 is definitely not as cool in real life, watching the movie now makes me a little sad, hahaha! If you read my post about that day, then you know that I am thankful that we do NOT have flying cars! Hahaha! We cannot be trusted! But the big disappointment is 3D movie technology! Man….I would love to see Jaws like that!

When they go back into their present time in 1985 and everything is different and chaotic and horrible…this is where my little movie heart went wild! How can they fix this? What happened? Biff now runs the whole town? And he is that big of an obsessive lug-head that he used his fortune and power to kill George so that he could marry Lorraine? Well, thank goodness he waited until after the kids were all born! It was definitely a nail-biter moment for me!

Then, he has to go back to 1955 to fix this screw-up?? Holy Cow!! That ending though!!! Love it!!

PS Little Elijah Wood!!! Love it!!

• Batman 1989

This was the first superhero movie that I really enjoyed. First of all, three of my most favorite people are affiliated with this movie–Michael Keaton (Beetlejuice), Jack Nicholson (I just love him!!!), and Tim Burton (My all time favorite director!!). As with most of Tim Burton’s movies, this one had a dark tone and crazy emphatic music, with a nice splash of humor that seems to lighten the mood of his darkest movies! In my personal opinion, Michael Keaton is my favorite Batman, and Jack Nicholson is my favorite Joker. Why? Their face! Literally, that is what I like the most about them. Michael Keaton’s face is humorous without him even trying. I feel this helped the role, because Batman is such a dark dark hero anyway! I mean, he watched his parents be murdered, that can mess a person up! (You think?) I feel as if Keaton kept the character dark without taking it over into the edge of the abyss. You could tell he was pretty solitary, but he still had charm. Bruce Wayne was still approachable! Not all Christian Gray like Christian Bale made him seem. And Nicholson….with that incredibly sexy and sinister smile…oooh boy! He was certifiably crazy and creepy! Love this movie so much!!

• Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981

LOVE this movie!!! This was the introduction into the non-stop-adventure world of Indiana Jones! What was a professor of archaeology doing being a treasure-seeking fiend? I don’t know, but I love him for it! The opening scene to this movie is so iconic and so epic…from the sweat-inducing chore of attempting to settle the balance between the golden statue and a bag of sand all the way to being chased by a giant boulder…classic!! And of course, his battle against the Nazi’s and their pursuit of the Ark of the Covenant. A splash of romance and the unlikely hero that this professor must become in order to save this beautiful woman…wonderful! My other favorite scene would have to be the ending, of course, when the Nazi’s are idiotic enough to open the Ark, and everyone who is watching has their faces melted off!!

• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom 1984

This one is my personal favorite…probably because I thought that Willie was so pretty, had a wonderful singing voice, and the plot involved the rescuing of hundreds of little children! I also loved Short Round! Why wasn’t he in the other movies? Indy meets Willie in Shanghai, and Lao, a crime boss, attempts to murder him with poison. Willie finds the antidote, and subsequently gets both rescued and abducted by Indy, in his attempt to live. With the help of that trusty 11 year old, they all manage to escape with their lives…only to have them all put into danger again when the board a plane owned by Lao! The real part of this story begins once they enter Mayapore and are entrusted to find the sacred stone of the Shivalinga, and all of their children! Pankot Palace may sound nice, but they all find out that that is not the case!

My favorite scene is still the dinner scene! I would not eat a single thing! Live baby snakes? Giant bugs? Soup with eyeballs?!! And, the family favorite, chilled monkey brains for dessert? I honestly think my brother, father, and I will eventually get that tattooed one of these days, as our family thing, hahahaha!

• Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 1989

How can you not like a movie with Sean Connery in it?

In this one, we are taken back to Indy’s youth, (played by the most amazing River Phoenix, RIP), and discover how he fell into his life as the Indiana Jones. Catching some thievery in the act, Indy attempts to save the artifact because it, “belongs in a museum!” On a train full of circus animals, we discover how Indy came upon some of his more amusing quirks–like why he hates snakes! Or how he came upon the whip–yeah, lion taming will make you want to be very proficient in the whip wielding department! Lastly, we know where he got his hat.

Another fantastic discovery–his relationship with his father–who also happens to be single-minded, focused, and obsessed with an ancient artifact…the holy grail! Again, Indy must fight Nazi’s in order to keep his father out of their hands!

My favorite scene is the ending…how Indy had to go through the trials and find the holy grail in order to save his father. Good thing old dad was so obsessive! Those trials were horrendous!

Also, I’m not sure how many of you have seen the old VHS versions…but there are some awesome commercials on those things!! Cue the opening music!!

• Ghostbusters 1984

Probably one of the greatest movies of all time!! The amazing comedic duo of Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd, both unforgettable members of Saturday Night Live, come together to fight a beastie that everyone fears at least a little! Is your slumber troubled by bumps in the night? Who are you gonna call? The Ghostbusters, of course! Now, I do believe in ghosts…we have lived in some rather freaky places (for example, the house of a man who allegedly molested children and hid their bodies in the walls in the basement), so seeing this movie gave me an insane sense of hope. What I especially like is that the process for getting rid of the ghosts has nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with science!! Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not anti-religion! It’s just that if the ridding of ghosts depended on my faith, then I would be terrified! But with science, well, that makes it a little easier. I do not need a strong faith basis to follow directions! Okay, point this this towards ghost, don’t cross the streams, move ghost towards trap, close the trap! Got it!!

Loved the “big bad” in this movie…secret cult, haunted apartment, people turning into dogs, and a giant Stay Puff Marshmallow Man!! So funny, some pretty dang scary scenes, and toasted marshmallow for dessert!

• Ghostbusters II 1989

The four unlikely heroes are back. Unfortunately, the city of New York was not as grateful as they should have been when they saved the entire city (and caused massive amounts of damage) just a short time ago. They are no longer in favor, and they have basically gone in their own directions. However, the return of Dana Barrett has brought them a new case. It seems as if her new little baby, Oscar, is being pursued by malevolent pink slime! What do they do? Where is it coming from? Oh, that creepy dude in the painting that is hanging up in the museum where Dana works? Oh, yup.

What I liked a lot about this movie was that it kind of played on the fallbacks of New York. The city is kind of known for both for being mean and for being indifferent. And it is this attitude that feeds the malevolent pink slime that is flowing in an old transient system underneath the city. Thankfully, though, the slime can be reprogrammed. What does it need? A little sweet talking and some awesome music!!

The best part? Saving the city again…this time with the Statue of Liberty!!!

10-21-2015…Is it What You Expected Marty McFly??

As most of you should know, today is the day that Marty McFly arrived in the “future” to save his son from a harrowing fate!

How do we measure up?

I will admit that I am not the best person to write about this particular subject, because, although I love the movie, I know VERY LITTLE about technological advances, haha! So this is definitely from the persepctive of a small-town girl comparing her own world to that of Marty McFly in 1985’s Back to the Future Part II.

Not so much with the flying cars, but like my buddy and I were just discussing, I do not believe people as a whole are stellar drivers with all four wheels on the ground, let alone flying en masse in the air!!

However, we have made HUGE strides in getting away from fuel! Electric cars, cars that run on vegetable oil….we’re getting there.

3D movies…well ours aren’t that cool! I work as a projectionist, and we mainly play 3D movies…and they have come a long way….but still not that cool! However, I do like that Jaws was relevant this year, what with it being the 30th anniversary and all.

We do not, (thank goodness), have computerized self-adjusting clothing. But I did hear that Nike was trying to come out with self-tying shoes!

This is how his “self-adjusting” jacket actually worked, haha!

And I still think their style is a lot cooler!!

We do have hoverboards! But they are pretty exclusive, and from what I understand, you have to have metal flooring.

We do have games that do not require the use of your hands! But even the Wii and Xbox can go a little bit further…

We have phones in glasses. Again, not that popular.

We do have dehydrators/rehydrators…not that cool…

Teleconferencing–totally have that! And you do not even need a TV!

We do not all have fax machines in our homes, though. I imagine it would be a lot harder to hide a piece of paper “yelling” that, “You’re Fired!!”, rather than an email like we would get.

Tablets are a thing, and so are digital signatures.

Thumbprint identification is also a thing…although I am still glad that we do not have these instead of doorknobs. And I did find this picture during my search, and it has the auto-dog-walker and super glow-in-the-dark paint on the sidewalks. The dog-walker is pure laziness, but the paint would be awesome! Just soak in the sun all day, and shine brightly at night? Sweet!

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Personally, I cannot wait for this thing:

I loved that movie then, I still love that movie now. Although Spielberg and Zemeckis may have dreamed a little too wildly, I believe that their dreams helped shape the directions of the dreams that led us to today.

Halloween Makeup!!!

via facebook…

It is almost that time of year!!!!! Personally, it is my favorite holiday. Especially trick-or-treating. My BFF and I did it for so long, we drove ourselves to the individual houses, hahaha! Honestly, I think I was 22 the last time I went trick-or-treating, and the last “kid” I could “steal” was a 16 year old!! The looks that I received that year….

I also love the decorations. If you have read any of my Funky posts, then you know why. Just take a look at my movie lists, hahaha! Elvira, vampires, werewolves, aliens…..it has been “my thing” for as long as I can remember. Not to mention that quite a few of my family members were (most have passed away) tattooed, into rock music, and rode Harleys–skulls, roses, spiders, the Grateful Dead paraphernalia…it’s kind of inherent to that subculture. Point being, I grew up with those things being a part of my everyday, not just something to be brought out once a year.

But my favorite thing about Halloween? DRESSING UP!!!! Costumes, jewelry, makeup….using the entire month as an excuse to rock some sweet makeup and my favorite earrings! (FYI, my favorite of the favs include a rather substantial collection of skeleton earrings!!! I even found some skeleton keychains of which I turned into earrings, to be available soon at our etsy shop!!! www.etsy.com/shop/FunkyLollipop ).

As soon as October commences, I will offer some everyday Halloween makeup tutorials, but until then, here are some of last year’s pics!!!

**Also, like a lot of people, I went to the internet to find inspiration. So I will include some of those pics as well!!**

The Pumpkin (My first time, with no internet inspiration):

The Spider Web:

wonderhowto.com

funspookystuff.blogspot.com

The Witch:

The Graveyard:

My adorable, sweet aunt sent me this pic:

So, I did my best:

The Bats (My Personal Fave!!!):

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downloadfreepictures.com

Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead, sugar skull):

For our Halloween celebration at work, we had to dress up, but could not be scary…

Because I work at a museum geared around wildlife, my spider has leopard print!!

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Kitty-Kat (attempting to copy Tal Peleg!!!):

Tal Peleg

The Autumn Sunset (with bats flying in):

The David Bowie (I Love the 80’s!!!):

Notice three of my favorite skeleton earrings!! (That green thing on my ear is the skull to another pair)

Blue and Green Bats (to match my monster hat!!):

The Galaxy (I actually wore this for the Denver ComicCon, but it is still a cool idea for Halloween!!):

Funky’s Favs From the 80’s, Loved Since the 80’s!! Part II

I figure that “Throwback Thursday” is as good a day as any to continue on in my Funky 80’s Movies Favs. Today, these are the movies that are in my #2 category, hahaha! Yup, 13 movies make up my #2 slot, hahaha! But hey, it is the 13th of August, so why not?!

• Poltergeist, 1982

Let’s start this count down with a bang, huh?? This has to be the scariest scary movie ever made!! Not to mention that the very making of this three part movie, resulted in many deaths and thus creating a Poltergeist Curse! Spielberg did not cut any corners in trying to scare the pants off of everyone, even allegedly using real bodies of the dead in the making of this film. The film’s story revolves around Carol Anne Freeling (Heather O’Rourke), an adorable blonde haired blue eyed angel, and the apple of her parent’s, Diane (JoBeth Williams) and Steve (Craig T. Nelson), eyes. Littlest sister to eldest daughter Dana (Dominique Dunne–murdered in real life) and middle brother Robbie (Oliver Robbins). Suddenly, after breaking ground in the backyard for a swimming pool, weird things start happening around the house….furniture moving, the dog barking at nothing, Carol Anne talking to the static on the TV screen…..but the worst is yet to come!!!! When Robbie gets attacked and Carol Anne disappears, the Big Bad has definitely come to town!!

I love this movie! Truly. My BFF and I have watched this at least 100 times, and it still scares the tar out of us. Then add in all of the mysterious deaths, the weird scary stuff that happened on set, and the fact that we had both lived in at least one haunted house apiece, this movie is at the top of our list! Desiree and I loved to be scared. Yes, we do a lot of it to ourselves, but it is so much fun! It also helps that our small town has a very checkered and dark past, including an Native American Massacre and a leprosy colony, and even a little bit of a Poltergeist-esque past–allegedly, our graveyard used to be on the other side of the highway. When they moved it, they only moved the headstones, not the bodies. Allegedly the entire suburb, restaurant, and the other businesses on that side of the street are supremely haunted. There are even tales of a ghostly young woman who constantly searches for her baby–who is buried on the other side…

Favorite Character–Tangina

Scariest Part–there are so many! But when Diane tries to get to the kid’s room, and the hallway suddenly extends, then there is a horrific demon ghost dog thing guarding the door, and a giant evil mouth trying to swallow the kids…..

I have yet to see the remake….I highly doubt it will be as good….

• Poltergeist II, The Other Side, 1986

The saga continues….turns out these ghosts are truly obsessed with Carol Anne. They have marked her. They need her. And they will follow her wherever she goes. There is no escape….

Part II, delves a little deeper, literally, into the house’s history. Turns out there was a doomsday cult that had burried themselves underground, in which they all died. The preacher of this group, amazingly portrayed by Julian Beck (who also died. Not very mysteriously, but he is still on the dead list), is probably the creepiest guy I have ever seen! And I swore as a young child that I had seen him before. I still have nightmares about that man!

Scariest Part–When Steve drinks the worm out of the tequila bottle and incedentaly becomes possessed by the preacher, Kane. Eventually he vomits up the demon man, and it is the most disgusting and frightening thing I have ever seen. Perhaps this is partially due to me sneaking out of my room around seven-years old, and witnessing this terrifying scene too young and all alone, since I wasn’t supposed to be out of bed, hahaha!

Read about the Poltergeist Curse at–http://www.popsugar.com/entertainment/Poltergeist-Curse-True-Story-37392582

• Labyrinth, 1986

“You remind me of the babe.” “What babe?” “The babe with the power.” “What power?” “The power of voodoo, hoodoo, you do–” “Do what?” “Remind me of the babe!” Gotta love David Bowie, man. And he stars in this movie as Jarreth, the Goblin King. What’s a Goblin King, you may ask? Well he’s the guy you call when you want that horrible little brother, sister, whatever, to hurry up and get out of your life! Sarah, (Jennifer Connelly), a tragically misunderstood teenager, has been left at home to take care of her step-brother. However, she is not having fun with that, so she says the magic words, and Jarreth appears. Sarah knows that she has made a terrible mistake though, so she begs him to let her take poor little Toby back. She only has “13 hours to solve the labryrinth before (her) baby brother becomes one of us, forever. Such a pity!”

I love this movie! Amazing music, from the outstanding David Bowie. He is also very easy on the eyes! But my favorite thing about this movie? Jim Henson’s puppetry! Oh my goodness that man and his crew are so incredibly talented! This is my all time favorite Jim Henson movie, but there are quite a few fantastic movies to choose from!

Favorite Puppet–Ludo!!!

Favorite Song–Within You and As The World Falls Down

• Willow, 1988

Let me nerd out real quick on Warwick Davis–what an absolutely amazing actor!! I love Warwick so much! He is, most likely, in one of everyone’s favorite movies–Return of the Jedi, Leprechaun, any of the Harry Potters…

Willow Ufgood, portrayed by Warwick Davis, is an unlikely hero in a world full of magic, monsters, and madness. A child, Elora Dannon, prophesied to have the ability to defeat the evil Queen Bavmorda, has been suddenly thrust into the hands of Kiya, Willow’s wife, and therefore Willow’s hands. All he really wants to do is return her to the land of the Daikini’s, but it soon becomes apparent that this child is special, and there are some very evil forces coming for her.

WILLOW, Warwick Davis, Billy Barty, 1988, (c) MGM/courtesy Everett Collection

Willow, having fallen in love with the child as father’s are prone to do, now must do everything he can to protect Elora. With the help of Madmartigan (a very studly Val Kilmer), Willow must embark on this magical, mystical, and quite dangerous quest to keep this baby alive….

Favorite Supporting Characters–The Brownies!!

Favorite Surprise–When Sorsha chooses sides.

• Goonies, 1985

This is the very best heroic child-adventures movies of all time! Mikey (Sean Astin), his brother Brand (Josh Brolin), Mouth (Corey Feldman), Chunk (Jeff Cohen), and Data (Jonathan Ke Quan) are the Goonies–a group of ragtag miscreants living on the goonies, hence the nickname. They are losing their house, and while rampaging through the attic and all the old stuff up there, they run across an old treasure map. Maybe this is there chance to get the money to save their house? By finding ol’ One-Eyed Willy’s “rich stuff!” Along the way, they meet up with Brand’s would-be girlfriend Andy (Kari Green), and her best friend, Stef (Martha Plimpton), and they are all swept along in this booby-trapped adventure to find a pirate’s gold. However, someone is on their tale…an escaped convict and his crazy family, including his beloved brother Sloth (John Matuszak), have to get to those kids before they blow the top on their whole plan!

Favorite Goonie–Mouth!! He certainly has one!

Favorite Part–Where they play the organ, and almost die in the process!!

• Beetlejuice, 1988

Barbara (Geena Davis) and Adam (Alec Baldwin) are a happily married couple ready to start their at-home vacation when tragedy strikes–they die! Now they are stuck haunting their own house! And unfortunately, there are some weirdos moving in! The Deetz’s! Delia (Catherine O’Hara), her husband Charles (Jeffery Jones), and their “strange and unusual” daughter, Lydia (Winona Ryder), who can actually see the ghosts. How can Barbara and Adam get them out? There is a handbook for the recently deceased that will tell them everything that they can do, but the one thing they should NEVER do, is call for Beetlejuice!! Michael Keaton plays Beetlejuice, an odd ghost that haunts the dead! And he has singled in on the Maitlands, and really wants to help them get the Deetz’s out of their house….but will Barbara and Adam be able to accept his methods??

Favorite Character–Beetlejuice, duh!

Favorite parts–anytime the Maitlands go to the “other side”–I love seeing all of the ghosts and how they died. I also love when Barbara and Adam “put on their game faces” to go and scare the Deetz’s!

This is the movie that started my Tim Burton obsession! Gah! What a highly imaginative and beautifully dark director!!

• Little Monsters, 1989

I love this movie! It is probably in my brother’s top five favorite movies, and, like I mentioned before, being seven years his senior, I helped raise him with these kinds of movies! Aren’t I sweet?? I remember my older cousin and I tried to scare him by telling him that there were monsters under the bed, and he asked us what they looked like. Then we spent the rest of the day drawing pictures of the monsters that lived under the bed….silly boys!

Brian Stevenson (Fred Savage) and his family has just moved into a new town. Lonely and trying to grow up, Brian is a sullen pre-teen with a rather crusty ‘tude. But suddenly a whole new world opens up for him when he captures Maurice (Howie Mandel), a blue skinned monster from under his little brother’s bed. (Brian’s little brother, Eric, is played by Fred’s real life brother, Ben!!!) Maurice decides that Brian is rather cool, so he takes him on an adventure beneath the floorboards!! Did you know that Little Monsters are to blame for all of those bad things that we get in trouble for? Like shaving the cat, and muddy footprints, and the dog eating your homework….

Favorite Part–Maurice and Brian wreaking havoc in various homes.

Actual Scary Part–Boy. He is really scary….

• Legend,1985

In my personal opinion, this is the best movie Tom Cruise has ever been in! He plays Jack, a child of the forest in love with Lilly (Mia Sara). In a fit of passion and romance, he takes Lilly to see the unicorns. Unfortunately, she makes the horrendous mistake of touching these pure creatures with her unclean human hands, and led the Darkness (Tim Curry) right to them! The Darkness needs the horns of the unicorns so that he may banish the light forever, and thrive in the darkness, with his evil minions. Lilly wants, desperately, to fix her mistake. Can she? Can she do it in time? Or will she be lost to The Darkness? Can Jack rectify his mistake, for trusting a human? Can he save Lilly from The Darkness?

Beautifully written and stunning cinematography! Unicorns, elves, goblins, demons, fairies–this movie has all of my favorite mythological creatures in it! And I simply adore Tim Curry, and his rendition of The Darkness is perfectly frightening!

Scene to Make Me Tear Up–When the female unicorn is sitting next to her frozen mate.

Favorite Character–The Darkness

• Monster Squad, 1987

Another awesome heroic child-adventure classic! A group of boys have officially dubbed themselves “The Monster Squad”–where they basically just get together and talk about and draw pictures of monsters. But suddenly, they find out that monsters do really exist! Dracula has come back to town, and he has brought all of his friends!!! Can the group become a real Monster Squad and defeat these monsters before they destroy the whole town???

Favorite Part–finding out why my dad doesn’t like me calling him a “dork,” hahaha!

Favorite Monster–Frankenstein, “Bo-g-gus!”

• Neverending Story, 1984

What a good movie to remind children that we need to keep reading books!! Bastian Balthazar Bux (Barret Oliver) is a nerdy kid who is consistently picked on by bullies. One day he hides in a random book shop to hide from the pursuers. It is here that he comes across The Neverending Story. The shopkeeper tells him not to take it, but he does anyway, and he is immediately sucked into a world of heroes and adventure, and the terrifying big bad–the nothing. Fantasia is being taken over by the nothing, and they don’t know who to call to stop it, so they try Atreyu (Noah Hathaway), the greatest warrior known in the land. Bastian travels with Atreyu on his journey to stop the nothing, but Bastian doesn’t know that Fantasia is more than it seems, and the fate of that world is in his hands, as much as anyone elses!!

Saddest Part–When Artax gets stuck….”I won’t give up, I won’t quit! Artax!! Nooo!” Even typing it makes me tear up!

Favorite Character–Falkor, the luck dragon!!

• Return To Oz, 1985

The much anticipated sequel to the Wizard of Oz, Faruza Balk tries her hand in acting for her first time in the role of Dorothy Gale. She made it back from Oz ok, but no one believes her story. She is not sleeping well, and all she ever talks about is this crazy place called Oz, so Aunt Em finally decided that it is off to the Asylum for testing. However, things do go awry there, and before she knows it, Dorothy is back in Oz. But it is all wrong! The yellow brick road is a mess, and the Emerald City has been decimated! The Tin Man and The Cowardly Lion have been turned to stone! Where is everyone? What happened?

With crazy new characters like the creepy Wheelers and Princess Mombi–who can change her head on a whim (Jean Marsh–the same lady who plays Queen Bavmorda in Willow), and new friends like Billina the chicken, Jack the Pumpkin Head, Gump, and Tik-Tok–can Dorothy defeat the Nome King and put Oz back to normal??

Favorite Character–Princess Mombi.

Biggest Disappointment–The classic characters; The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion definitely don’t look like they used to!

• Conan the Barbarian (1982) and Conan the Destroyer (1984)

I did put these two together, but both movies individually are worth a mention!!

Conan (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is an orphan from a land that specialized in making weapons–steal is very important to his people. His family, his people, were savagely murdered by Thulsa Doom (James Earl Jones). It is Conan’s life mission to avenge his parent’s death! Along the way he makes a friend, and finds a lover–a woman of great strength and stealth. Together, the three of them will attempt to thwart the now snake-king, Thulsa Doom, and stop him from murdering any more!

Favorite Character–Thulsa Doom

Favorite Thing–That Conan finds love…

Conan the Destroyer, the second story (but it should have never been the last!!! Where is Conan the Geriatric Barbarian?), sees Conan commandeered for a dangerous quest to help a young princess gather a very important jewel. This time, Conan makes friends with the amazing woman, Zula (the Grace Jones), after saving her life. Together, they will complete the quest, and defeat the resulting mayhem, and still be heroes worthy of praise!

Favorite Part–The wizard and the mirrors.

Favorite Thing–That he still only loves Valeria…

Funniest Beast–This thing!!

• The Terminator, 1984

As you can probably see, I come from an Arnold Schwarzenegger household, hahaha! Stallone? Van damn what? Who?

I love the first terminator! I cannot tell you how annoyed I get when I reference The Terminator, and someone says, “Oh, with Eddie Furlong?” Uh, no, that would be Terminator II, Judgement Day, hello! I am not going to describe the story line for this one, because I feel as if everyone should have at least seen this one. Why do I love it? I love Kyle Reese, expertly portrayed by the handsome Michael Biehn. He was the one who originally said, “Come with me if you want to live.” Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton), is the perfect amount of sweet and naive–the perfect person to become the mother of the hero. She needed to be turned into a badass, but have the ability for that sweet and fairly innocent love that could beget a child. I also think that it is crazy that John will become the hero, but he would never exist if he didn’t send back Reese. How can a child of the future be the byproduct of relations with a future man? Boggles the mind! This movie is chock-full of amazing one-liners and various quotable nonsense! Love it!!

Favorite Line–“Even though we were only together for a few hours, we loved a lifetimes worth.” (This is my idea of the perfect type of romance. When is this story going to happen for me, huh?)

Favorite Part–When The Terminator digs out the fake eyeball and cuts open his arm.

Random Embarrassment–I would totally get married to the song that Sarah and Kyle make love to, hahaha!

Funky’s Favs From the 80’s, Loved Since the 80’s!! Part I

I love movies! I mean, I loooooove movies! It is a family joke that I learned how to use the VCR at two years old, but it is true. My mom had three jobs, my dad was a workaholic–if he wasn’t at work, he was working on something around the house–and I was an only child until I was 7, so I had to learn how to entertain myself! I know, I know–using the television as a babysitter? Ah well, I still turned out ok; graduated at the top of my class and everything, hahaha! And my love of movies continued–even sent me to college the first time for a degree in video production! (However, let me just say that I was a little disappointed at first, because it felt as if some of the magic had gone out of movie watching now that I knew what tricks to look for, but that didn’t last forever–it came back when I found directors that could still surprise me with their ingenuity!)

As I was contemplating this blog, I was just going to do my top five #1’s (hahaha, I know, they are all my #1?! I really had to push myself to delineate which one would be my technical #1 for this post!), but I realized that they were all from the eighties! My #1 category has been in existence for almost as long as I have! It makes me wonder if I actually do think they are the best, or if I am just so ridiculously loyal that I can’t even change my top movies because I have been with them for so long! Either way, I decided to expand on that…the five movies that I was going to include are my #1’s, what about my top #5? Are there five in each of those categories too? I honestly don’t know about that, but I do know that a rather large chunk of them emerged in the eighties! I am totally an eighties child! And having parents who fully embraced the present, they allowed me to experience the eighties for myself–none of this over-protection and censorship–not in the home, anyway. Maybe they wouldn’t let me play outside by myself when we lived in the city, or ever leave their sight when we were in public, or (still to this day) let me go anywhere without a phone call home and a number to reach me while I am gone–but I could watch any movie I pleased, hahaha! (For the record, my parent’s did not have XXX-rated movies; or if they did, I never knew about them!)

So, without further ado, here is the first installment of my top movie picks, that just so happen to belong in the eighties!! (I had to limit myself to movies from the eighties that I have loved forever! Either loved since the 80’s or seen with my BFF Desiree so often that they’re special. There are some, like “Dirty Dancing” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Stand By Me” and “Evil Dead” and “The Shining” and “Overboard” and especially “Scarface” (etc…) that are absolutely amazing!! But I did not see them until I was much older!)

My #1’s:

• Little Shop Of Horrors–1986

Steve Martin and my three favorite ladies!

Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene

I love this movie because it is, hands down, the best musical ever!! Little Seymour Krelborn (played by Rick Moranis) was an orphan, “a child of the streets,” until Mr. Mushnik (Vincent Gardenia) took him in and gave him, “shelter, a bed, crust of bread, and a job…” at Mushnik’s Flower Shop. It is there that he meets Audrey (Ellen Greene)…the prettiest girl in skid row, who also happens to be dating a sadistic masochistic dentist (Steve Martin). Both Seymour and Audrey are depressingly stuck in Skid Row, New York, and dream of a new and better life. Suddenly, fame and fortune are thrust upon them when Seymour discovers a, “new and interesting plant,” (adorably dubbed the Audrey II) that appeared at Changs’ during a, “total eclipse of the sun!” The cute little thing is immediately noticed, and the customers start pouring in, but suddenly she wilts! So Seymour is forced to discover what in the world this strange little plant eats! Much to his dismay…it’s human blood!! This “Mean Green Motha” flourishes from its sanguine diet, gently nuzzling and guzzling Seymour’s poor battered fingers. But the Audrey II just keeps growing and growing and growing! Seymour will soon be an empty husk if he cannot figure out a way to feed this hungry beast. What should he do? “I don’t know. I have so, so many strong reservations. Should I go, and provoke mutilation?” Is there someone who, “deserves to die?” If the plant dies, so does the fame and fortune, and, to Seymour’s utter dismay, would the attention that the original Audrey has recently been giving him. What will Seymour do to get out of Skid Row???

And Bill Murray!!

Favorite Song–“Somewhere That’s Green”

Biggest Surprise–Rick Moranis can SING!!!

• Waxwork–1988

This creepy little classic takes place in a random suburban town, where six buddies are attending the University. Mark Loftmore (Zach Galligan from Gremlins), China Webster (Michelle Johnson), Sarah Brightman (Deborah Foreman), Tony (Dana Ashbrook), Gemma (Clare Carey), and James (Eric Brown) are exclusively invited to a midnight showing at the mysterious Waxwork Museum that popped up one day in a serene suburban neighborhood. Showing up at midnight seemed like a good idea, but Gemma and James bail immediately. So the four that are left knock on the door. With a creepy Russian little person answering (“We were expecting more…”), followed by a giant of a man serving refreshments, it is with a substantial amount of trepidation the four consent to the tour. Inside are some of the most morbid scenes imaginable. Murders, monsters, witches, werewolves, vampires, and even a cameo from the aforementioned Audrey II! Unfortunately for them all, some of the scenes are not finished, and they are the last pieces needed! Tony and China have disappeared, can Mark and Sarah find them before it is too late? Or will they be sucked in too?

I adore the premise of this movie. The Mummy is real. Count Dracula is real. The werewolf, zombies, and the Phantom of the Opera are real historical figures. David Lincoln (David Warner) has collected mementos from these historical figures and by using magic and the waxwork scenes, he intends to bring all of these horrors back to life, right now, all together. What would happen to the world then??

My favorite waxwork scene–Count Dracula

My favorite line–“I do what I want, when I want. Dig it or f*** off!” ~China Webster

• Earth Girls Are Easy–1989

A musical romantic comedy that has infused my entire life hahaha! I didn’t see this movie in 1989, when it came out, but I saw it soon after. What got me into this movie at first was my father and I were HUGE fans of “In Living Color” (If you have not seen it, google it right now!), in which both Damon Waynes and Jim Carrey star in some of our favorite clips! (This Old Box!!! and any of Carrey’s clips! Ridiculous!) Going to the movie rental place was common practice, and I saw the cover for this one. OMG, I thought, Damon Waynes and Jim Carrey?! And the Geena Davis from Beetlejuice? Count me in! Of course, at the time, I was six or seven, so I had no idea what the connotations were of that title!

So the premise is, Valerie Gail (Geena Davis) and her BFF, Candy Pink (Julie Brown), live, work, and play in the Valley of California. They were stereotypical “valley girls” with the, “Oh my gosh!” and the “BFD!”, and the “Like…” Currently, Valerie is engaged to her Dr. Ted Gallagher (Charles Rocket), but things are not going very well….they haven’t had sex in two weeks (and there are some bad signs that he might not be exactly faithful, but Val doesn’t know that!). Candy decides that what Val needs is to, “skip the nail expo and stay home and ambush Ted!” After a thoroughly enjoyable musical make-over, Val becomes a “Brand New Girl!” She sets up and entire little romantic love nest for Ted to come home to. But “Dr. Love” made a giant boo-boo! He brought home a sexy little nurse to what he thought was an empty house. Needless to say, Valerie was not very happy. Kicking him out, she trashes the house and goes to bed alone.

The next day, while she is lounging next to her pool, a “giant hairdryer” suddenly lands in it! And her comes Mac (Jeff Goldblum), Wiploc (Jim Carrey), and Zeebo (Damon Waynes), three awesomely furry aliens that have crashed in the Valley!! After a Candy Pink make-over, turns out that they are three extremely attractive aliens that have crashed in the valley! Now what is a girl to do….

EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY, Damon Wayans, 1988. ©Vestron Pictures

Favorite Song–“Because I’m Blonde!”

Big Surprise–Julie Brown wrote a lot of the movie and the songs!! Get the DVD, because it has a karaoke selection! Remember, Julie Brown played the gym teacher in Clueless….so watch those two movies back to back. Shocker!

• Elvira: Mistress of the Dark–1988

If you have ever visited my page before, than you already know about my obsession with Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark. In this movie, Elvira is working as a late-night host of cheesy horror movies. But what she really wants to do is have an act in Las Vegas! However, after a particularly bad show, the owner of the television station tried to get a little too handsy, so Elvira simultaneously quit and was fired. How is she supposed to come up with $50,000 to open up the Vegas show now? Then, as if through fate, she gets a letter informing her of her Great Aunt Morganna’s untimely passing, and she needs to head to Fallwell, Massachusetts to collect her inheritance. (That was almost a direct quote from the movie, just thought I’d mention that.) So off she goes.

Unfortunately, Fallwell is one of those towns, that allows no funny business or FUN, for that matter. So Elvira’s appearance came as “quite a shock!” Much to the dismay of the townspeople, her car (that beautiful Thunderbird convertible) breaks down, so she is forced to stay in this “quaint little hell hole!” Upon the reading of the will, she finds out she inherits a “house, a dog, and a book!” Well that was worth the drive, now wasn’t it! Algonquin, the poodle, is too adorable for words at first, so Elvira gives him the best make-over ever! Next she needs to start on the house. Maybe if she can fix it up and sell it, then she can raise the $50,000. Who knows what in the world is in that book….why would Great Aunt Morganna specify it? However, the townspeople HATE her, especially Chastity Pariah. So her time in Fallwell is chock-full of mishaps and mayhem. Also a creepy encounter with her dear “Great Uncle Vinny,” who may be more than the upstanding citizen he appears to be….

Favorite Line–“Ooooh, that hurrrrt…” 

Favorite Weapon–a woman’s high-heeled shoe.

• The Lost Boys–1987

If I had to choose, this one would be my all time favorite. Michael Emmerson (Jason Patric) and his little brother Sam (Corey Haim) are forced to move to Santa Carla, California when their mom (Diane Wiest) gets a divorce. They move in with her father (Barnard Hughes), a reclusive taxidermist who stays as far away from town as he possibly can. However, one trip to the Boardwalk has all three of them trapped in a web so sinister, it is a wonder how they will make it out alive.

Lucy (Wiest) meets Max (Edward Herrman), who seems to be the simple proprietor of a video store. Sam finds a comic book store, where he meets the amazing “Frog Brothers.” Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Alan (Jamison Newlander), who claim to be legit vampire hunters. Michael meets Star (Jami Gertz), a beautiful woman constantly in the company of a little boy referred to as “Laddie.” Upon following her, he finds out that she also hangs out with a infamous gang, led by David (Keifer Sutherland). Michael recklessly pursues Star, and entangles himself within the gang. He should not have not have sipped that wine though!

With Sam’s new buddies, and their frightening knowledge, Sam knows that there is something wrong with Michael. Can the save Michael before it is too late??

Favorite Vampire–David (my first crush for as long as I can remember, at least 4 years old)

Favorite Line–Too many to count! “Maggots, Michael. You’re eating maggots, how do they taste?” “It’s the attack of Eddie Munster!” “Burn rubber does not mean warp speed!” “My own brother! A g******n s**t-sucking vampire! You wait until mom finds out, buddy!”

TigerChainz, Spunky Punx, and FunStix: Available TOMORROW!!

As most of you already know, Funky Lollipop opens it’s metaphorical Etsy doors TOMORROW!!! Happy Independence Day to us! (www.etsy.com/shop/FunkyLollipop) So to prepare for this momentous occasion, we decided today’s post will be all about some of the exciting products that you will find in our little shop! These three are recently finished, and they are definitely some of my favs! I honestly believe that the hardest part of this business will be letting go of my work, hahaha! I would wear every piece I have ever made!

The first pair I wish to discuss is the TigerChainz!

I LOVE animal prints! I always have. However, the real inspiration for the tiger print is my home life, hahaha!  In case you are unaware, my brother’s name is Tony, and, of course, his favorite animal is the tiger…Tony the Tiger! (Mmmm Frosted Flakes!) This past Halloween, Tony and his girlfriend tried really hard to come up with a cute couples costume. Personally, I think they did amazingly well! Can you guess? My brother went as a tiger, and his girlfriend, the Tiger Tamer (think circus, or Siegfried and Roy). From then on, “tiger” or “tiger tamer” has been a frequently used term. It was then that I realized that I had never even attempted tiger print! I got right on it. Although I am not as impressed with my tiger as I am with my zebra, I still think that it is pretty darn pretty! And these are my favorite so far!

These are post earrings, not hooks. I decorated both the literal post, and the backing of the earring. This creates the illusion that you are wearing more than one pair! These earrings are fairly lightweight, and would definitely be a unique and wild addition to any look!

The Spunky Punx

These are my absolute favorite! They are post earrings as well, but the super special thing about them are that they are asymmetrical! Both earrings have three skulls and two spikes, but the placement of the pieces and the color of the skulls are different, and one earring is just a touch longer than the other. Some black chains and some silver chains also give it a little more flair as well. One has more chain on the front, while the other is heavy in the back. Spunky fun with a punk-y flair!! I randomly found these pink and black skulls, and I had to have them, use them, and love them! They are so intricately detailed right down to their little teeth! Also, like the last pair, both the front and the back are decorated–meaning that there are four individual pieces! These little gems certainly make my outfits look better!!

Where did the skull obsession come from?

Elvira! Of course!

The FunStix

Oooh! I love these little polka dotted quirky earrings! Green with pink polka dots, purple with aqua, and yellow with orange polka dots. The sticks go from smallest to largest and so do the chains. These are hooks, and they dangle pretty far down, but not far enough to touch your collarbone (unlike quite a few of my earrings, hahaha!). The sticks are wood, so it makes these earrings surprisingly light! They are a little “I Love The 80’s” hahahaha! These earrings are so fun and flirty, and would brighten any drab day!!

So please come check out our shop tomorrow! Find beautiful pieces from both Funky and Lollipop, and see if you can tell which is which! (Probably pretty easy, hahahaha!)

See you Soon!!!

Top 5 Favorite Period Piece TV Shows

#1 Deadwood – Available on Amazon Prime

My favorite period piece is Deadwood, it premiered on HBO in March of 2004 and had three seasons before it’s untimely cancellation.  I actually resisted watching it for the longest time, because I’m not a huge fan of TV shows where bad people do bad things and then suffer the consequences (i.e. The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy).  But in the first blush of my now husband and I’s blooming relationship, he said I should watch and I caved.  Boy am I glad I did!  The language is filthy but so clever, and the combination is utterly endearing.  Not all of the people are bad, but no one is entirely good either.  It may not be the most accurate portrayal but it is completely entertaining.    Favorite Characters: Calamity Jane, Dan Dority and Whitney Ellsworth.  Most Improved Character: Al Swearengen.  Interesting Fact: I can do a spot on Calamity Jane impression!  If you like this show, check out: Justified – it’s not nearly as foul, language wise, but the bizarre wittiness is very similar.

#2 Mad Men – Available on Netflix

Number two on the list is Mad Men.  Sure the characters are morally ambiguous, and there are times you despise pretty much everyone; but the ways that the characters change, and don’t change, over the span of a decade sucks you right in.  It tackles some pretty heavy stuff, from sexism to suicide, but does a really good job of lightening the mood so you don’t drown in darkness and despair.  Then there’s the style–Janie Bryant is the costume designer for the show and she’s a genius!  For anyone that actually lived through the sixties or, like me, are nostalgic for time periods they’ve never experienced, this show is a jewel.   Favorite Characters: Peggy Olsen and Sally Draper.  Most Improved Characters: Pete Campbell and Stan Rizzo.  Interesting fact: The actor that played Lane Price is named Jared Harris and he is the son of Richard Harris who played Dumbledore in the first Harry Potter movie.  If you like this, check out: The Astronaut Wives Club – granted I’ve only seen one episode but it definitely has that sixties style, only time will tell if it can come close to Mad Men but really it’s hard to believe that’s even possible. (I’m obviously still mourning)

#3 Downton Abbey – Available on Amazon Prime

Number three on the list is Downton Abbey.  It starts in 1912 when the Titanic sinks and goes well into the twenties and chronicles the life of a noble family and their servants in an English manor house.  It’s been called a historical soap opera and that’s pretty much accurate. I love it anyway.  I find the way they live and the way they talk highly interesting and amusing.  They tend to view things from a slightly more modern perspective than was probably the case at the time, but I love the way the characters can be so blunt and so polite at the same time.  The setting is lush and beautiful, the costumes are amazing and inspiring, and the insight into the complex social structures of the time are fascinating.  It’s mostly lighthearted entertainment, but there are a few scenes that were so sad I found them pretty hard to watch.  Favorite Characters: Mrs. Hughes, Sybil Crawley and the Dowager Countess.  Most Improved Character: Edith Crawley. Interesting Fact:  I can also do a pretty good impression of Mrs. Hughes.  If you like this, check out: North and South – which is not, as I thought, a mini-series about the civil war but in fact a sweet little show about a girl from southern England moving with her family to a working class town in northern England.

#4 Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries – Available on Netflix

Number four on the list and the inspiration for this post is Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.  I stumbled upon this lovely show while trying to see if Downton Abbey was still available on Netflix, and fell in love.  The setting is unusual, Melbourne Australia in the 1920’s, but only because I haven’t really watched much Australian television.  The stories are charming, if a bit predictable.  For anyone that is a fan of the mystery genre, some of the plots will be old hat (keep an eye out for a take on an Agathe Christie classic).  The main character is bold as brass and you love her for it, and the supporting characters quickly worm their way into your affections as well.  It’s pretty silly and fun at times, her butler’s name is actually Mr. Butler, which I adore.  To be honest though, the acting could be terrible and the plots could be incomprehensible, and I would still tune in just to hear them talk and see them walk around in those fabulous hats.  I can’t do an Australian accent yet, but after a few more days of binging I’m sure I’ll improve!  Favorite Characters: Miss Fisher, Jack Robinson and Mr. Butler. Most Improved Character: Jack Robinson  Interesting Fact: Australian slang is incomprehensible to me.  If you like this show, check out: any Agathe Christie movie.  They have a lot of versions of these on PBS.

#5 Freaks and Geeks – Available on Netflix

Number five on the list is Freaks and Geeks.  It’s a little bit of a departure from the others series on this list, as it takes place in middle America in the early 1980’s, and is about teenagers.  This little show has an amazing cast, is funny and touching and sweet, and certainly reminds me of several people I went to high school with.  I was both a freak and a geek at various times in my life, so this one is close to my heart.  There have been a million shows about high school and there will be a million more, but I don’t think we will see a show like this again any time soon.  I think my favorite part is that the people look like real people in real clothes, and not like a bunch of supermodels in designer clothes that all live in New York City.  It’s probably way too late to bring this one back, but if the execs at NBC had any idea what this show’s creator and cast would go on to do, they might have at least given it a second season. Favorite Characters: Lindsay Weir and Bill Haverchuck.  Most Improved Character: Kim Kelly.  Interesting Fact: The actor who played Bill Haverchuck is now on Silicon Valley and is the most attractive person on that show!  If you like this show, check out: Dazed and Confused, if only for the soundtrack and Mathew McConaughey’s hair, but it is also one of my favorite high school movies.