It's time for round 4 of the
80s Movie Smack-Off, the Elite Eight! See parts 1-7 in previous posts for details on rounds 1-3. We'll complete all of round 4 here. The winners of round 4 go to the Final Four. Here's the eight remaining teams and their respective match ups and seeds.
Bracket 1 (Haim/Feldman Bracket)
5. Better Off Dead
6. Police Academy
Bracket 2 (Gag Me with a Spoon Bracket)
1. Fletch
3. Airplane!
Bracket 3 (B. A. Baracus Bracket)
1. Caddyshack
2. Weird Science
Bracket 4 (Rocky Dennis Bracket)
1. National Lampoon's Vacation
2. Sixteen Candles
Round 4 Results:
The final match of the Haim/Feldman Bracket features two underdog movies, 5 seed
Better Off Dead and 6 seed
Police Academy. Each are worthy opponents.
Better Off Dead is this tournament's dark horse. It is doubtful that many would have seen it coming this far.
Police Academy was a big hit in the theaters, so its success to this point is not as surprising. While
Police Academy is one of the best 80s comedies,
Better Off Dead simply encompasses everything about the 80s into one movie. It's a guy gets girl story, it has all the dumb shenanigans that
Weird Science or
Sixteen Candles has, and it has a great cast of characters, all of whom mesh seamlessly together. Because of this,
Better Off Dead beats
Police Academy 65-61. Believe it or not,
Better Off Dead is going to the Final Four.
The last match in the Gag Me with a Spoon Bracket is between
Fletch and
Airplane!. These movies are seminal examples of the 80s, and each is extremely funny. They're not in the Elite Eight for nothing. Chevy Chase in
Fletch is fantastic. But
Airplane! features Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, Peter Graves, and Leslie Nielson. What a coincidence that both movies have Kareem Abdul Jabbar!
Airplane! wins this match in double overtime, because of its variety of actors and sketches that provide a bit more of a complete palate than does
Fletch.
Fletch is better as a serious movie than
Airplane!, as it has a pretty good plot that doesn't distract from the comedy. But, the
Smack-Off seeks the best 80s comedy, and
Airplane! just has a bit more of what we expect.
Fletch is the second #1 seed to fall in the
Smack-Off:
Airplane! wins this bracket and moves on to the Final Four.
The final match in the B. A. Baracus Bracket is between
Caddyshack and
Weird Science. Both these are heavy hitters, as their seeding implies (#1 vs. #2). It's no surprise that these movies meet here, as each is extremely funny.
Weird Science is much more indicative of the 80s lifestyle than is
Caddyshack. This is because
Caddyshack was released in 1980, and is really more a reflection of America in the seventies. But, it is an 80s movie by definition.
Caddyshack might be the single most recognizable movie for men between the ages of 25 and 45. Every dude loves
Caddyshack.
Weird Science, though awesome in every respect, really only enjoys a cult following at this point in time. That's strange, since
Weird Science was bigger at the time of its release than was
Caddyshack. Each of these movies is a worthy contender for the Final Four, but
Caddyshack gets the win. Its stellar cast is too strong, and its reputation as one of the best comedies ever simply launches it past
Weird Science. Sorry John Hughes, you don't win this round.
Caddyshack to round 5.
The final match in the Elite Eight is between
Vacation and
Sixteen Candles, the 1 and 2 seeds of the Rocky Dennis Bracket. John Hughes will get a Final Four representative after all! This is the toughest match of the Elite Eight, next to
Fletch and
Airplane!. Both
Vacation and
Sixteen Candles are perfect movies. Nothing could improve them.
Vacation absolutely nails the typical lifestyle of an 80s suburban family, and
Sixteen Candles absolutely nails 80s teen life in high school. So, which is the better 80s comedy? It is very tough to call, but
Sixteen Candles has a slight edge on
Vacation. But boy do you need a microscope to see that edge.
Sixteen Candles has more charm and is a bit more multi-dimensional than
Vacation.
Sixteen Candles is a better "feel-good" movie too.
Vacation is easily one of the best movies of the decade, or any decade, but
Sixteen Candles marches on to the Final Four.
That completes the Elite Eight.
Better Off Dead, Airplane!, Caddyshack, and
Sixteen Candles are in the Final Four! Check the bracket to the right for a recap of the entire
Smack-Off, and visit
The Snout Bag soon to see how the Final Four breaks down. We're getting very close to discovering the best 80s comedy movie...
