The term “creative destruction” is most often used in business, but there’s a small movie genre in which it applies. A stranger enters a close-knit community and miracles begin to happen. Hysteria – and predictably, jealousy – ensue. They don’t always end well, but a happy ending does not guarantee a great film. “Mr. North” (1988) is simply quirky, despite a loaded cast (Anthony Edwards in a rare-for-him, leading-man role, Virginia Madsen with an adorable Irish accent, Lauren Bacall, Robert Mitchum, etc.). Takes place in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1926, with producer John Huston in full nepotism mode (Danny directs, Anjelica co-stars).
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I swear, some people would praise David Lynch if he barfed. The problem with “Wild at Heart” (1990) is that he’s trying too hard to be stylish and not nearly hard enough to be good. Summary: Older, crazy, alcoholic rednecks are trying to kill younger, stupid, chain-smoking rednecks. Nicolas Cage plays himself, but with an Elvis accent. Laura Dern stars in her own porn movie within the actual movie. Diane Ladd plays the same character twice – with a Southern accent and without, sometimes in the same scene, sometimes in the same sentence. They’re all surrounded by gross weirdos. And barf.
“Red Dawn” (1984) is one of several “What if the Russians and us went to war?” movies from the 1980s. This one stars a Brat Pack B list. It’s a guilty pleasure for many red-blooded American men of a certain age. It makes passing reference to how hard it is to fight in Afghanistan (apparently, nobody listened). Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey are together, three years before “Dirty Dancing.” They even have a tender scene right before she blows up a Russkie with a grenade. She also has several scenes with Charlie Sheen, two years before “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”
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