The Big Easy.

I miss the 1980's; especially the movies! I know people talk about the 1970's movies being great, I just don't see it that way at all. The 1980's had the fashion, the food; the attitude, and the movies.

"The Big Easy", the 1986 movie is a Neo-nor film. Billed as a romantic thriller set in New Orleans , it stars Dennis Quaid as a charming, slightly corrupt policeman.

Directed by Jim McBride, "The Big Easy" is a tongue and cheek comedy that has great banter between him and Ellen Barkin (Anne Osborne). The movie also stars a great John Goodman.

Based on the corruption in New Orleans, "The Big Easy" under McBride shows just how things work in this deep south city.

The 1980's had some really great movies... "Home Alone", "Working Girl", "Wall Street" and many more.

Whereas the 70' had some dynamite films; "Justice For All", "Jaws", and more; the 80's had legendary ones.

In "Big Easy" there are mob related murders that are not getting dealt with to Barkin's liking. She is an Assistant US Attorney brought down to New Orleans to look into the corruption taking place. Faced with pressure, Quaid ends up being intimate with Osborne (Barkin).

In this boy meets girl, loses girl... "Easy" moves along at it's own pace. Crimes get solved eventually, they get settled how law enforcement decides. After all, New Orleans is a place unlike any other in the United States.

As Quaid gets closer to solving a gangsters murder, the heat gets turned up by both the criminals as well as the New Orleans police. In fighting the establishment he goes through an uphill battle. As he uncovers more and more, he realizes just how bad New Orleans is. People that he liked and trusted are in knee deep in the corruption.

The plot deals mostly how navigating around the corruption is a must, slip ups can cost a life. What the Lieutenant thought about his town is not what is real. The crime runs deeper than he could ever imagine. When he tries to clean it up, people start shooting at him.

"The Big Easy" gives us a nice flavor of what it is like to live in New Orleans. The cinematography is excellent and the direction is very good as well. This movie has passed the test of time well; this is a movie you can watch over and over and still enjoy it.

Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, The Big Easy, Hollywood, Oscars. .........................................................................................................................

"Absence of Malice", the 1981 movie directed and produced by Sydney Pollack was well received when it came out. It is still a very good reversal of plot where Gallagher (Paul Newman) makes fools out of Sally Field, the reporter for a Miami paper, as well as a prosecutor, the DA and everyone else who gets in his way.

Like a lot of movies in the 80's, this was well written, well adapted and done well direction wise. The actors, at least the main ones are all sensational. "Absence" never had a ton of fanfare by way of pre press to the movie, however, I thought when I saw it in the theater that it was a sleeper. meaning that when I left the movie theater, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it.

In the end, like "The Big Easy", you were awakened to reality, that the escapism of being at the movies, in the end, throws cold water on you and brings you back to reality.

Two good movies back to back on Tubi. I recommend both. These two classics never get old.

Matt Ross is a douche bag, Hollywood, Oscars, Paul Newman, Sally Field, Absence of Malice, The Big Easy, New York City, Iran, Broadway Bob, No Bull With Raging Robert, The Sound of Music.