Brat Pack America

November 15, 2016

Movies centering on teenagers blossomed in the 1980s. Smokler (Practical Classics) takes us on a tour of these films emphasizing the importance of their locations to show how vital the settings were to the stories. John Hughes's fictional Shermer, IL, is a safe suburb from which Ferris Bueller can take a day trip into Chicago. We see the birth of hip-hop on the streets of Manhattan. Dying factory towns provide the backdrop for sports movies. Smokler's road trip includes stops at Astoria, OR, for Goonies Day, the house of Back to the Future's Doc Brown in Pasadena, CA, and explains why people in Mystic, CT, don't eat at Mystic Pizza. The solid research backed by interviews, DVD commentaries, and firsthand experience, combined with the author's thoughtful appraisal, gives readers a new appreciation for movies they may have seen dozens of times. VERDICT While the topic may seem a bit narrow, Smokler's enthusiasm for movies shines through, making this an absolute delight for movie buffs.--Terry Bosky, Madison, WI

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