The big film of the summer (for myself, at least) was John Hughes' FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF. As a teenager going into his Senior year that fall, this movie really set a tone. Sure, we as audience members were a bunch of Cameron Fryes secretly wishing we were Ferris, but wasn't the movie secretly about Cameron anyway? I actually saw FBDO at a sneak preview a week before it opened at the Showcase West. Everyone was given a "Leisure Rules" poster and pin. I still have mine.
BACK TO SCHOOL was another incredibly big movie that summer. It was Rodney Dangerfield at the height of his cinematic powers. It also starred Sally Kellerman, Keith Gordon, Robert Downey, Jr. and, in his film debut, Sam Kinison. I also saw this one at the Showcase West.
I suppose, on a date night, you could do worse than THE KARATE KID PART 2. It was a good sequel, but for some reason, whenever I come across the title of this film, the Peter Cetera theme song, "Glory of Love" always nests in my brain for hours... I caught up with this one on cable. There were way too many movies to see that year.
Legal Eagles was one for an older crowd. There always needs to be a balance. I mean, how many thirtysomethings were really waiting for the next KARATE KID or another John Hughes film? I think I caught up with this one on video.
...And if there are summer films for Thirtysomethings, then what about a movie for the Fourtysomethings and beyond? Well, BIG TROUBLE was the ticket for those moviegoers who loved THE IN-LAWS. It was John Cassevettes' last directing gig.
The toddlers need a movie to call their own, too, right? How about a movie that'll make 'em beg their parents to buy more toys? Though standard today, the theatrical cartoon as toy commercial was a pretty recent phenomenon back then. I pity those poor parents.
Let's see, on a larger scale, what was playing in town that week in 1986:
The Southland theater, just down from Century III mall on route 51 was the newest theater around at the time. That's why it received top billing in the ad. It shows that horror fans were digging POLTERGEIST II and the Tobe Hooper remake of INVADERS FROM MARS, macho action addicts were getting their Testosterone fix off of Sly Stallone's COBRA, Arnold Schwarzenegger's RAW DEAL and the Tom Cruise / Kelly McGillis romancer TOP GUN (with DOLBY STEREO prominently displayed in the North Hills cinema ad). Sci-Fi fans were geeking out on THE MANHATTAN PROJECT, the robot comedy SHORT CIRCUIT and the Kate Capshaw vehicle, SPACE CAMP. The more sophisticated filmgoer could see Woody Allen's HANNAH AND HER SISTERS at the Hollywood and McKnight cinemas, while the King's Court was exclusively playing the Merchant / Ivory opus ROOM WITH A VIEW. The Alan Alda starred SWEET LIBERTY was playing in a few theaters at this time, also.
No surprises from the Showcase Cinemas, which were playing generally what every other first run house was playing that week.
Oliver Stone's SALVADOR was still screening at the West Hills Cinemas on that week in 1986. Meryl Streep was starring in Plenty on one of two screens at the Bethel Cinemas and the Plaza was still grinding out the Charles Bronson popcorn muncher MURPHY'S LAW. The Filmmaker's at the Fulton, ever the high class establishment was projecting the British documentary 28 UP.
The Drive Ins were in full force on that summer of '86; some legit, some porny. What's interesting here is to see what the second features were that played along side the current films. Penelope Spheeris' HOLLYWOOD VICE SQUAD was paried with RAW DEAL at several Drive Ins,while BACK TO THE FUTURE was paired with SWEET LIBERTY at the Brookside and with THE MONEY PIT at the Greater Pittsburgh. SWEET LIBERTY was paired with Ridley Scott's LEGEND at the Camp Horne and Twin Hi-Way Drive Ins and Paramount's GUNG HO was paired with APRIL FOOL'S DAY at the Monroeville and PRETTY IN PINK on screen one at the the Mt. Lebanon. SPACE CAMP and the Schwarzenegger starred COMMANDO played at the Colonial, Kenmwar and Wexford Starlite Drive Ins. I saw that double bill at the Colonial. One of the five Greater Pittsburgh screens was playing the inspired double bill, Empire Pictures' CRITTERS and Troma's GIRLS SCHOOL SCREAMERS. The Dependable, Maple and screen two of the Mt. Lebanon were playing porn. The Dependable had as their third "legit" feature, 3 Stooges shorts and, strangely, the Mt. Lebanon and Maple Drive Ins weren't advertising any "legit" feature to go along with their pornographic films.
The adult "Art" houses were going out of vogue, but there were still two advertising with graphic ads. The Garden was playing the Harry Reems starrer PULSATING FLESH and a second feature, the John Holmes / Jamie Gillis helmer MARATHON (1982) (both from Diamond Films) and, getting with the times, had added a "Grecian Room" that played Gay / All male bills. The Art cinema, while advertising it's existence, wasn't printing titles by this time. Could be for many reasons; they weren't aware of what they were showing in advance or they might have been showing untitled loops at this time.
The New Edison was no longer a Burlesque house and was now touting it's acts a Go-Go and Exotic. Seems at this time, the fan dancers were being given their pink slips and pole dancing was coming in.
For some good clean fun, you could have gone to harpers where every Wednesday night, you could join "George Gee's Swinging Dance Party" that had "The Big Band Sound". Figgin's had an "Evening of Jazz" that I'm sure was not to be missed.
Of course, if you were hungry or wanted to take that special someone out on the town for the evening, you could always patronize the Baltimore House where their special that week was Hard Shelled Crabs.
But, if you asked me, the place to be on Wednesday, June 25th, 1986 was at Heinz Hall...
That's right! LIBERACE was performing all that week at the Heinz Hall with two shows a day. How could you not see that???!?
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