Welcome to an exciting year-long project here at The Nerdy. 1985 was an exciting year for films giving us a lot of films that would go on to be beloved favorites and cult classics. It was also the start to a major shift in cultural and societal norms, and some of those still reverberate to this day.
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We’re going to pick and choose which movies we hit, but right now the list stands at nearly four dozen.
Yes, we’re insane, but 1985 was that great of a year for film.
The articles will come out – in most cases – on the same day the films hit theaters in 1985 so that it is their true 40th anniversary. All films are also watched again for the purposes of these reviews and are not being done from memory. In some cases, it truly will be the first time we’ve seen them.
This time around, it’s Dec. 13, 1985, and we’re off to see Clue, Jewel of the Nile, Legend, and Trouble in Mind.
Clue
I love this truly stupid movie.
Six strangers receive letters asking them to attend a dinner party. Once there, they all use codenames to protect their privacy, but it turns out they are all being blackmailed by the same person. During the dinner party, the murders begin, and the mystery becomes who is committing them, why, where, and how.
Based on the board game of the same name, or Cluedo if you’re outside the U.S., this was the first time someone had attempted something like this. Now everyone seems to be trying to pull it off, but it’s going to be hard to top this outing. The cast alone makes this a winner of a film and it’s insanity is a large portion of its charm.
And Tim Curry. Oof. This man often receives praise, but not nearly enough. Especially as this is one of two films he was in that day in 1985, the other is coming in this post in just a bit.
Jewel of the Nile
I have never seen two actors less enthusiastic about being in a movie.
Set six months after the events of Romancing the Stone, Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) and Jack Colton (Michael Douglas) are sailing around the world on the latter’s ship. Joan is clearly falling out of love with the nomadic lifestyle and leaps at the opportunity to write a biography of Arab ruler, Omar Khalifa (Spiros Focás). Of course, things aren’t quite as they seem, and Jack has to come to Joan’s rescue with Ralph (Danny DeVito) also on his trail.
What an absolutely joyless film. The behind-the-scenes drama, which was reportedly extensive, is evident on nearly every frame of this movie. Romancing the Stone, which had come out in March 1984, knew what it was and reveled in it. There was an organic nature to it, and here, everything feels calculated.
No one is happy about this film. Even the audience isn’t happy about it. I think the only true amazing moment about this whole project is that Turner, Douglas, and DeVito would be able to gather once again for War of the Roses. They seem so miserable in this film, it’s shocking they were able to be in the same room again.
Legend
Oh, look, it’s Tim Curry again.
Set long ago, Darkness wants to be released from his prison, but can’t until the last two unicorns are killed and light banished from our world. Once the male unicorn is dead, the world plunges into winter, but the mare lives, but Jack (Tom Cruise) only has so much time to stop Darkness from killing her and making the light disappear forever.
Just so you know, there are at least three cuts of this film. For this review, I watched the 89-minute theatrical version, as that was what we saw back in 1985.
There is no arguing this is a feast for the eyes. From the sets to the makeup, it’s a joy to watch. And Ridley Scott fires off some great visuals in his direction. The shot of the two goblins approaching through the snow to kill the mare is a stunning, tense shot that is just a thrill to see.
And Tim Curry as Darkness, as always, is fantastic. He completely disappears in the role and is showing just how commanding he can be on screen.
Sadly, the plot is just not there. I am sure in the 114-minute directors cut the stakes feel far more substantial, but this truly does feel like an abridged film, and it quickly wears thin.
Trouble in Mind
I’m all for world-building so long as it makes sense.
John “Hawks” Hawkins (Kris Kristofferson) is a former cop who went to prison for taking out some vigilante justice. As he arrives back in Rain City (Seattle), he meets Coop (Keith Carradine) and Gloria (Lori Singer), whom he immediately begins to fall for. Gloria welcomes his affections as Coop progressively falls deeper into a world of crime until everything crumbles for everyone involved.
It takes place in Rain City (Seattle), with a backdrop of war. The war never plays a part in the story; you just know it exists. You also know it’s not the U.S. because the money looks different, and there are just random odd flags thrown on buildings.
And the hairstyles… oof. Apparently, everyone loves zebra cuts.
But, if you’ve ever wanted to see Divine playing a mafia boss (out of drag) and Keith Carradine becoming progressively more of an 80s new wave style icon, the more crimes he commits, make sure to watch Trouble in Mind.
The movie is just odd top to bottom and feels like someone really wanted to catch the quirky fun of Streets of Fire, but had absolutely no clue how to do it.
1985 Movie Reviews will return on Dec. 20, 2025, with A Chorus Line, The Color Purple, Enemy Mine, and Out of Africa.
