Eat a Bowl of Tea (1989)

Eat a Bowl of Tea is a cute idea with a good cast (including my first childhood Hollywood crush, Russell Wong). But the execution is not very good. Wayne Wang's direction is all over the place, making the film feel very disjointed, and the pacing and vibe feel totally off.

Back to the Future Part II (1989)

This kind of cartoony film was in vogue for a while, I guess, but it's just not for me at all. I don't understand the fake punches and phony violence and the mugging for the camera. This kind of thing happens in Terry Gilliam movies from the period and, I guess, all sorts of other 1980s movies too – Mad Max, Brazil, and Waterworld are other examples. I find this kind of thing so annoying. Back to the Future Part II's charms were all lost on me. I don't think I even cracked a smile during this; I certainly didn't laugh at any of the film's so-called jokes.

Harlem Nights (1989)

Harlem Nights is badly directed (by Eddie Murphy) but hilariously written (by Eddie Murphy). The jokes are really funny, and all very much in Murphy's vein of humor. I laughed out loud a lot, but this is not a good movie at all. Mostly because it's just so uneven. The tone is really off. Even though it's an absolutely hilarious movie, entire sections seem filmed to be serious. And while the costume design is exquisite, the production design truly makes no sense. Richard Pryor also seems miscast. Della Reese is incredible – as are most of the cast – but Pryor isn't really holding his own here. He was probably already quite ill when he made this, and so watching him is rather sad, and he seems not to understand that he's in a comedy. It's an odd movie that I quite enjoyed all the same.

What Happened to Santiago (1989)

Lo Que le Pasó a Santiago is the only film from Puerto Rico ever to be nominated for Best Foreign Film (now called Best International Film – Puerto Rico is no longer consider eligible since it isn't an independent nation). It's a strange movie. One the one hand it's a simple story about a retiree who is changing his life and reevaluating his priorities and falling in love again. On the other hand it's a bit of a ghost story. Isn't it? Actually I'm not totally sure. The real world and the world of the past or the spirit world seem to touch in this film. Either way Lo Que le Pasó a Santiago is charming and rewards patience.

As with much of my viewing lately, I was (finally) able to see this movie via the Cave of Forgotten Films website.