Perfect, 1985

STARRING: Jamie Lee Curtis (Jessie)

Baroness Jamie Lee Curtis had left her scream queen days behind her when she starred in this soundtrack driven 80’s slice of style over substance. It took her a long time to be taken seriously as a proper leading lady, she wouldn’t have a big movie again until A Fish Called Wanda in 1988. Since then she has starred in hit movies such as My Girl, True Lies and Freaky Friday. She reprised her role as Laurie Strode in Halloween: H20 only to be killed off once and for all in the awful follow up Halloween Resurrection in 2003, she has since retired.

John Travolta (Adam)

This was yet another flop for Travolta! He had already destroyed his career in his post-Grease and Saturday Night Fever craziness by starring in the terrible sequel Staying Alive and the even worse, but slightly more entertaining, Two Of A Kind with Olivia Newton-John. Things didn’t get any better until he starred in the Look Who’s Talking movies and then Pulp Fiction. Since then he has had a string of successful movies including Get Shorty and Face Off. This year he will step into the role of Edna Turnblad in the new Hairspray remake and supposedly the role of JR Ewing in Dallas: The Movie! Let’s hope he doesn’t call up old Olivia to play Sue Ellen!

PLOT: A reporter for Rolling Stone magazine (Travolta) goes to investigate the new health club craze that’s sweeping the country. Apparently they’re ‘the singles bars of the 80’s’ and he’s going to get the scoop on the motivations of the patrons of said clubs. He meets Jessie (Jamie Lee Curtis), a young fitness instructor who’s been hurt by the gutter press before. They fall in love, but can she trust him?

THOUGHTS: I have to thank Nona Hendyx and Jermaine Jackson for keeping me awake! This is pretty dull for the most part, I liked the soundtrack, but the story is pretty pointless and background. The best scene involves Travolta joining in one of Jessie’s extremely energetic aerobic workouts in a rather fetching pair of tight grey shorts.

CAN I BUY IT? Yes, on DVD!

VIDEO: Nona Hendryx - I Sweat (Goin' Through The Motions) (music video)

VIDEO: Jermaine Jackson - (Closest Thing To) Perfect (music video)

LINK: Watch Jessie's workouts at this sleazy site!

Hairspray, 1988

CREW: John Waters (Director)

Waters has consistently directed some of the greatest trash masterpieces ever committed to celluloid. His most popular movies include Pink Flamingos, Cry Baby, and of course Hairspray!

STARRING: Ricki Lake (Tracy Turnblad)

Ricki lost over 100lbs and scored her own talkshow in 1993.

Divine (Edna Turnblad)

Star of many of John Waters’ movies, most famously Divine ate dog faeces at the end of 1972’s Pink Flamingos. In 1984 Divine had a big hit in the UK with the single You Think You’re A Man, he was a popular dance diva throughout the 1980’s in Europe until his death in 1988.

Debbie Harry (Velma Von Tussle)

Debbie fronted punk/pop band Blondie before going solo in 1981. She made her major motion picture debut in David Cronenberg’s Videodrome in 1983, which went on to become a cult classic. In 2006 Debbie was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with her Blondie band mates.

Colleen Fitzpatrick (Amber Von Tussle)

Colleen reignited her career when she took the name Vitamin C and scored a platinum album.

With Jerry Stiller, Sonny Bono, Mink Stole, Ruth Brown, Michael St. Gerrard and Pia Zadora.

PLOT: Chunky teen Tracy Turnblad longs to be a dancer on the popular Corny Collins TV show. She comes home from school every day and watches it with her friend Penny. The show hosts a dance competition and Tracy wins, soon she is the most popular dancer on the show, much to the dismay of her nearest rival, Amber. But things are not all that they seem behind the scenes of the squeaky clean show. The management won’t allow any black kids on the show. Tracy and friends try and put things right.

No sex, no violence, no language, some minor drug references, PG/PG.

THOUGHS: This is my favourite movie ever. The whole movie is just so perfect and I enjoy it more every time I watch it. The dancing, the performances, the music is all perfect! It’s very kitsch and campy, but it’s suitable to show anyone! My favourite scene is the one where Penny’s mother visits downtown to rescue her from Motormouth Mabel’s store. It’s amazing! Hairspray was turned into a Broadway musical a few years ago and won a whole host of awards. They are currently filming a movie version of the musical with John Travolta as Edna and Queen Latifah as Motormouth Mabel. I know they’re much bigger names, but somehow now matter how good it is, the original will always be my movie.

CAN I BUY IT? DVD!