The Beiderbecke Affair (1985)

1985 | UK | Alan Plater | ★★★★★

Starring the wonderful pairing of James Bolam and Barbara Flynn, Alan Plater's hugely entertaining The Beiderbecke Affair is a rambling six-part comic thriller – a follow-up of sorts to the equally enjoyable Get Lost! (1981) – packed with jazz, political satire, charismatic performances, and incomparable dialogue.

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"Trevor Chaplin teaches woodwork and likes to listen to jazz. Jill Swinburne teaches English and wants to help save the planet. Trevor tries to buy some jazz records but this leads to meeting a 'dazzlingly beautiful platinum blond', a suspicious detective sergeant and a strange pair of men running a junior football team. Big Al and Little Norm agree to help Trevor and Jill with their school supplies problems. Jill decides to stand as a local councillor. A tale of 'Black Economies', council corruption and many strange characters all set to a background of Bix Beiderbecke." IMDb

See also:
The Beiderbecke Trilogy (1984-88)
Stotty's 1980s Favourites

Cheers (1982-93)

1982-93 | USA | James Burrows, Glen Charles, & Les Charles | ★★★★★

Set in a lively Boston bar owned by a former sportsman, James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles's rightly venerated Cheers is a consistently warm and witty sitcom, packed with memorable episodes, cracking dialogue, and decidedly loveable characters.

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"Laid-back Sam Malone, a former relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, owns and runs Cheers, a cozy bar in Boston. He hires smart, uptight -- and jilted -- Diane Chambers as a server, out of sympathy, but their attraction causes constant bickering. Wacky characters fill the bar: sarcastic waitress Carla, beer-loving accountant Norm, know-it-all postman Cliff. When Diane leaves Boston much later, Sam sells the bar, buys a boat and sails the world, but his boat sinks, so he returns. New, ambitious manager Rebecca Howe hires him back, but they love to hate each other too." IMDb

See also:

Stotty's 1980s Favourites

Phenomena (1985)

1985 | Italy | Dario Argento | ★★★★

Starring Jennifer Connelly and Donald Pleasence, Dario Argento's Phenomena is a stylish and thoroughly entertaining yet utterly ridiculous slasher flick, featuring stilted dialogue, nonsensical plotting, and a brilliantly dementedly brilliantly demented ending.

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"Jennifer Corvino (Jennifer Connelly) daughter of a world-renowned movie star, arrives in the so-called Swiss Transylvania to attend an exclusive girls school. However, a vicious killer is targeting the pupils, and sleepwalker Jennifer finds herself in the assassin's headlights when her nocturnal wanderings cause her to witness the death of a fellow pupil. Aided by paraplegic etymologist John McGregor (Donald Pleasence) and her own uncanny ability to communicate telepathically with insects, Jennifer sets out to track down the killer before she herself becomes the latest victim..." Arrow Video

Brewster's Millions (1985)

1985 | USA | Walter Hill | ★★★★

Starring Richard Pryor and John Candy, Walter Hill's Brewster's Millions is a decidedly unsubtle yet often riotously funny adaptation of George Barr McCutcheon's much-filmed 1902 novel, featuring some great comic performances and plenty of delicious satire.

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"Richard Pryor stars in the title role of this adaptation of George Barr McCutcheon's novel. Minor league baseball player Montgomery Brewster stands to inherit $300 million from his recently deceased great-uncle, but only if he can first spend $30 million in 30 days without letting anyone in on the reason. If he fails, the fortune will instead be divided amongst charities with his law firm taking a large cut for their services. As he gets to grips with the value of money, Brewster's task proves much harder than he'd imagined, even with the assistance of his teammate Spike Nolan (John Candy)." Universal Pictures