The Ultimate History of the 80s Teen Movie by James King

Reviewed by Christy

            Though I was very young in the 1980s and don’t remember much (except The Little Mermaid and Jem and the Holograms), I’ve always had a soft spot for the decade. I’m certainly not unique in that aspect which the popularity of Stranger Things and the remake of Stephen King’s IT reflects. A comprehensive look at the 1980s is incomplete, however, without discussion of teen movies. Of course, teen movies existed pre-1980s but they became a full blown phenomenon during those years.

            King begins his book by discussing the late 70s rise of John Travolta with Saturday Night Fever and Grease. King posits Travolta was born just a little too early because though those two movies made him a mega star for a short period of time, soon teens on screen overran cinemas. King covers Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Dead Poets Society and “everything in between”.  He details the writing and auditioning processes, how tough or fun particular productions were, and who came close to getting a certain role. No matter how fun a topic may sound, if someone just regurgitates facts and statistics it will become a very dry, dull read. But fortunately, King avoids this by injecting humor throughout which made me laugh out loud a couple of times. While there are some movies I will just never be interested in seeing (Revenge of the Nerds), his analysis of others made me appreciate some in a new light (previously mentioned Fast Times) or want to see for the first time (The Karate Kid).

            He also talks a little about the importance of movie soundtracks and how some producers felt a good soundtrack could make or break their movie which leads into digressions about Prince and Madonna and their attempt at movie careers. King also doesn’t shy away from the tougher discussions about these teen movies – like the lack of diversity or the troubling way female consent is treated. (Particular scenes in Sixteen Candles that involve a drunken popular girl came under new scrutiny in the #MeToo era.)

King writes a thorough history with fun details and interesting analyses. Though there are unsavory moments that don’t play well in 2019, King contextualizes them and opens them up for discussion. He also ends the book with Travolta’s cinematic comeback in Pulp Fiction which I thought was a nice little bookend.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

Reviewed by Christy H.

            My Best Friend’s Exorcism is about two best friends – Abby and Gretchen – and how they navigate their sophomore year of high school in 1988.  Oh, and Gretchen’s demonic possession.

I love horror, I love the 80s, so this seemed like a perfect fit.

            Gretchen and Abby have been best friends since Gretchen was the only one to show up for Abby’s 10^th (and E.T. themed) birthday party. In high school, they are a part of a foursome that are constantly together but none of them have Gretchen and Abby’s tight bond. In fact, when Gretchen disappears in the woods one night, only to return naked and dirty the next morning, Abby is pretty much the only one deeply concerned. Although never being a teen girl himself, Hendrix somehow nails the all-or-nothing connection of female friendships during adolescence.  Gretchen and Abby spend almost every waking hour together or on the phone for their well-timed chats (11:06 pm every night.) Abby’s loyalty and tenacity is admirable. When Gretchen starts to act strangely, and her other friends abandon her – Abby doesn’t. When Abby gets in trouble at school, or Gretchen’s parents bar her from every seeing Gretchen again – Abby doesn’t give up.

I really enjoyed this novel. Each chapter is named after an 80s song, and the time period is woven in well. Nothing too over the top but just enough to have fun with it. Hendrix’s writing is fairly cinematic; I could see this as a movie. (When Gretchen walks into school with a drastic new look I could practically see the slow motion.) The thing that hit me the most though is that it’s actually pretty heartwarming. It all comes down to a girl’s love for her best friend, and how that love literally saves them both. I read this book often before bed, and I would have dreams of old high school friends. When I finally reached the conclusion I cried. A lot. Which I most definitely did not expect. The exorcism scene in particular has a sweet twist on a familiar trope. While there were a couple of minor things I would’ve taken out if I could, they didn’t cause negative feelings overall. This is the first book I’ve read by Hendrix, and I liked it so much that I’ll keep an eye out for his other work. Now I’m going to go text my best friend.