When two Italian-American boys from New York are falsely accused of murder in a small Alabama town, they call for a lawyer--but the only lawyer they know is their cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci), who made six attempts before he passed his bar exam. My Cousin Vinny is a classic fish-out-of-water comedy; the flimsy plot about clearing the two boys and solving the murder is just a hook to support a lot of culture-clash humor.
They grew up on the outside of society. They weren't looking for a fight. They were looking to belong. In 1960's Tulsa, teenagers come two ways. If you're a "soc," you've got money, cars, a future. But if you're a "greaser," you're an outsider with only your friends...and a dream that someday you'll finally belong. Francis Coppola's powerful film of S.E. Hinton's classic novel captures how it feels to be caught between childhood's innocence and adulthood's disillusionment. The ensemble is a Who's Who of young talents of the past two decades: Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, C.
The story continues of a young man's rites of passage, aided by the knowledge and guidance of his Japanese mentor, who teaches him valuable lessons in life through karate and meditation. In this sequel, Daniel and Miyagi travel to Okinawa and encounter more emotionally charged adventures. Literally picking up about five minutes after the conclusion of the 1984 The Karate Kid, the sequel, also directed by John G.
John G. Avildsen not only directed Rocky, he tried remaking it over the years in a dozen different ways. One of them was this popular 1984 drama about a new kid (Ralph Macchio) in town targeted by karate-wielding bullies until he gets a new mentor: the handyman (Pat Morita) from his apartment building, who teaches him self-confidence and fighting skills. The screen partnership of Macchio's motor-mouth character and Morita's reserved father figure works well, and the script allows for the younger man to develop sympathy for the painful memories of his teacher.
Kreese, the ex-marine whom Miyagi humbled with a few punches and kicks, has never forgotten the bitter taste of defeat. Bankrupt after the first tournament defeat, he's back with a particularly nasty friend and a new trainer--and he's aching to lure Miyagi and Daniel into the fight of their lives. When Daniel decides not to compete in the challenge, he becomes the target of numerous attacks by Kreese and his villainous friends, who will stop at nothing to win the title back.
The legend of Mississippi blues master Robert Johnson has served as a fountainhead for generations of blues and rock musicians, as well as a powerful fable for the dark, often violent mysteries of delta blues. Johnson's mythic deal with the Devil, in exchange for his extraordinary musical gifts, has become a fixture in blues lore and an example of the enduring pull of superstitions that can be traced back to Mother Africa and Yoruba deities.
