Movies that Rock: "Say Anything" 20th Anniversary Edition

Has it really been 20 years? The image of John Cusack as Lloyd Dobler holding the boom box outside Diane's window while Peter Gabriel belts out his classic "In Your Eyes" is still very fresh in my mind. But here we are, two decades later, and it is time to relive this iconic late 80s film. There is no better way of doing so then getting the 20th Anniversary Edition of "Say Anything".

"Say Anything 20th Anniversary Edition" made its debut on Blu-ray Disc November 3 (DVD version was released on same day). This is one of those movies that you never tire of seeing, full of one-liners that I still find myself using today. The film holds up against time well, as it explores timeless themes of growing up, finding love, and fighting for the one you want. Like most other John Cusack movies, "Say Anything" also spawned one of the best soundtracks of the 80s, featuring the aforementioned hit by Peter Gabriel, but also great cuts from Living Colour (“Cult of Personality”), The Red Hot Chili Peppers (“Taste the Pain”), Cheap Trick ("You Want It"), and The Replacements ("In Your Reach"). While not as well known, AOR fans cannot miss two additional cuts from the soundtrack - the wonderful power ballad "All For Love" by Nancy Wilson (Heart) and a gorgeously melodic track from Germany's Freiheit called "Keeping the Dream Alive". You can sample the soundtrack here.

Say Anything 20th Anniversary Edition - Synopsis
In this charming critically acclaimed tale of first love, Lloyd, an eternal optimist, seeks to capture the heart of Diane, an unattainable high school beauty and straight-A student. He surprises just about everyone – including himself – when she returns the sentiment.

Movies that Rock: "This Is Spinal Tap" on Blu-ray Disc

What better way to debut a new feature here on BMF that highlights rock movies than profiling the iconic "This Is Spinal Tap"?

In celebration of the 25th (!) anniversary, "This Is Spinal Tap" is now available on Blu-ray Disc (MGM Home Entertainment). All of the great extras that accompanied the DVD version are there - cast and crew commentary, deleted scenes and outtakes, their music videos, and more - but the Blu-ray Disc also contains two brand new exclusive features: Spinal Tap’s 2007 Live Earth reunion performance of their hit “Stonehenge” at Wembley Stadium and Nigel Tufnel’s interview for the National Geographic Stonehenge special.

For most people, this film needs no introduction. Put simply, it is the defining picture that brilliantly satirizes virtually every strata of the hard rock music scene. Spinal Tap (Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer) is the fictional band that takes center stage, and we have a front row seat to witness the typical growth cycle of your average heavy metal band. From the unlikely rise to fame, the ridiculous excesses, the shoddy management, inevitable fall, and modest comeback, too many bands have followed in the footsteps of what was intended to be fiction. In fact, many bands have been quoted as failing to see the humor in this movie because they have actually lived every scene. This just speaks to how "in tune" with the music business the writers were, which included the stars and director Rob Reiner.

This Is Spinal Tap is beyond classic - it is the quintessential movie any musician or music fan must see, again and again.

Spinal Tap on MySpace. Official site.