I've been posting paintings from Gallery 1988's John Hughes tribute show for the past two weeks and last night the show opened and the rest of the paintings have gone online. Here are four more of my favourites.
The title of the show, The Road To Shermer, refers to Shermer, Illinois, a fictitious suburb of Chicago used in several of Hughes films: Weird Science, The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, and National Lampoon's Vacation.
Oh Molly, will you ever end up with a boy that's right for you? I mean, of course not, the '80s are long gone, but Dave MacDowell perfectly captures her pining for the upcoming John Hughes tribute show at Gallery 1988.
And here's the Psychedelic Furs to get you in the proper mood:
If Anthony Michael Hall was able to conjure Kelly LeBrock out of a computer in 1995, why can't I do the same on my laptop in 2011? Get on that, Internet!
I'm guessing this is pop artist Audrey Pongracz's piece for Gallery 1988's upcoming John Hughes tribute show.
I had such a crush on Molly Ringwald. The opening scene of Pretty in Pink where she rolls a pink stocking up her leg, as the The Psychedelic Furs sing, permanently seared itself into my teenaged brain.
What if quintessential '80s teen movie director John Hughes had made an episode of Scooby-Do? Pop artist Dave MacDowell answers with Scooby Hughes, and nothing could thrill me more expect his revelation that Gallery 1988 is planning a John Hughes tribute show. That is going to be awesome!
It's funny, I love The Breakfast Club and have seen it innumerable times and yet I don't know the character's names other than John Bender (perfectly cast by MacDowell as a dog).
I see the brain (with Anthony Michael Hall's introduction to pot as Shaggy), an athlete (Emilio Estevez as Fred), a basket case (Ally Sheedy as Velma), a princess (Molly Ringwald as Daphne) and a criminal (the aforementioned Judd Nelson).
This would be one hell of a crossover and I can totally see The Breakfast Club kids falling under Tyler Durden's sway. Stupid kids. I can also see at least seven movie references.
Brian Johnson: That's seven including when we first came in and you asked Mr. Vernon whether Barry Manilow knew that he raided his closet.
Richard Vernon: Now it's eight. You stay out of this.
Brian Johnson: Excuse me sir, it's seven.
Not sure why Vernon has gigantic breast, but no matter. (The Breakfast Fight Club by Dave MacDowell Studios for Gallery 1988's Crazy 4 Cult 4 show.)
From the brilliant remixers Eclectic Method comes a fabulous mashup tribute to John Hughes. Yes, I know he died two weeks ago, but this is far too cool.
And, in coming across this mix at Clandestine I further discovered that Eclectic Method will be headlining the closing party for the Toronto International Film Festival, playing on massive LED screens in Yonge-Dundas Square on September 19. Sweet! No further details, but I assume the show will be free as it is a public square.
Alright, stating to get excited for the festival, even if I'll only get to see five films this year.
I realize that just about every other blog's already posted this, but the news broke while I was at work and, well, lest I get canned for blogging on the company dime, I was forced to wait until I was home to sadly report that John Hughes, the Patron Saint of '80s Teen Flicks, passed away today at age 59. What a sad, sad day. Sure, that other '80s icon, Michael Jackson, broke records and was a trail blazer and all that jazz, but John Hughes defined teenage life in the '80s for anyone that graduated circa 1989 and captured the high drama of high school like no other director of the time. Who didn't run around yelling "Automobile? Lake! Big Lake! SCCHMBUMP!" And I totally remember joshin' "I'm thinking 'bout trying for a scholarship" to my friends in the stands after tossing a complete airball during a JV basketball game. Replete with the insolent moves, natch. This, of course, was followed by a long lecture on sportsman-like behaviour by the parentals on the ride home. I just sucked it up, though, cause I knew that John Hughes had my back. And if he'd seen my schtick, he certainly would've cast me in his next movie. I was literally joking about Ferris Bueller's Day Off just this afternoon, man. The important thing here, though, is that the teen-angst genre has lost one of its greats. Films like his can never be replicated, not only because we live in a far too politically correct environment today - another reason to love him more - but more importanly because nobody can distill a generation like he could. Rest in peace, John Hughes. There better damn well be dozens of retrospectives of your work cause I could use a little Vacation about now.
Pamela Westoby guesting and ghosting while Barker cottages. Still. If you like this, you might just like my book Hoyden and my flickr!