Film, TV

THE KARATE KID and the sequels.

by generationxrewind

The Karate Kid is THE martial arts movie of the Generation X era. That is a fact and not even up for discussion. The 1984 film is one of the signature films of the era. The movie was so big, that to this day, it seems like half of the suburban strip malls in America have a Karate or Tae Kwon Do school. Yes, there were plenty of martial art schools before the movie came out, but that particular business went into overdrive after 1984.

The movie was also so big that it spawned 3 sequels: The Karate Kid Part 2 in 1986, The Karate Kid Part 3 in 1989, and The Next Karate Kid in 1994. Pat Morita appeared in all four movies. Ralph Macchio was in the first three films and Hilary Swank was The Next Karate Kid.

There was a short-lived Saturday morning cartoon on NBC in 1989. YouTube Premium has continued the legacy with its show, Cobra Kai. Of the three film sequels, which one is your favorite and why?

Click the image to get all four Karate Kid Movies via Amazon.

Film

“Lone Wolf McQuade” 1983

by generationxrewind

Lone Wolf McQuade was released on April 15, 1983, and starred Chuck Norris and David Carradine. Norris was the top Martial Arts star at the time and Carradine’s TV show Kung Fu had helped kick start the Martial Art movie boom of the seventies. The film was directed by Steve Carver, who had also directed Norris in the 1981 film, An Eye for an Eye.

This was a martial art fan’s dream come true to have two of the genre’s biggest names go head to head. The final fight scene pitted Carradine’s flowing Kung Fu style up against the straight forward karate style of Norris. There had always been rumors that the two stars didn’t like each other and that things got somewhat real during the final showdown. Carver has recently confirmed this during an interview on the YouTube show, A Word on Westerns.

Film

Lori Loughlin in Secret Admirer.

by generationxrewind

Before she became Aunt Becky on Full House, and before the college scandal, Lori Loughlin appeared in a teen comedy from 1985 called “Secret Admirer” This film is underrated and overlooked in regards to 80’s teen flicks. The cast also included C. Thomas Howell, Kelly Preston, and Cory Haim. Is that an eighties cast or what?

Click image to buy Secret Admirer now.

Verified by MonsterInsights