FATAL BEAUTY (1987)

IMDB rating - 4.7

"An earthquake is about to hit L.A. It's called Detective Rita Rizoli."

Fatal Beauty stars Whoopi Goldberg as a tough narcotics cop who goes undercover in a multitude of different disguises. The movie has a very Beverly Hills Cop feel about it, but I've always thought it stood out (along with Jumpin' Jack Flash) among Whoopi's 80's comedies. FB also stars Sam Elliott and Ruben Blades, with bit parts by James LeGros, Neill Barry, and Mark Pellegrino (aka Jacob from Lost).

Here's a cheesy, but memorable scene from the flick:

LESS THAN ZERO (1987)

Based on the novel by Brett Easton Ellis (American Psycho/Rules of Attraction), Less Than Zero is one of my favorite movies from the 80's. Rich Beverly Hills kids getting lost in a dark world of drugs, parties, and sex, the movie was intended to be an anti-drug film and actually had very little in common with the storyline of the book. Robert Downey Jr. gives one of his greatest performances in what was a largely overlooked film at the time. Sure, the movie has a lot of cheesy moments, but I love the overall style of the film, as well as the soundtrack, which features The Bangles' "Hazy Shade of Winter" (music video below) and tracks by Joan Jett, Poison, LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Slayer and Roy Orbison. The pic also features fleeting cameos by Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers and an uncredited (and unknown at the time) Brad Pitt.

IMDB rating - 5.9

BLOOD DINER (1987)

Blood Diner is another horror film I remember vividly from the late 80's. A remake of the 1963 classic Blood Feast, Blood Diner is a disturbing ride, but I always found it very funny in an extremely dark sort of way. Jackie Kong, once a budding female director from Merced, CA, has unfortunately not done much since. Her previous credits include Night Patrol (1984) and The Underachievers (1987).

IMDB rating - 3.5 (kult klassic rating 7)

More about Blood Diner here.

Enjoy the first five minutes of Blood Diner...