Wizard-8 I am pretty sure some other user comments have made jokes about this movie using the movie's title, so I won't even try. Anyway, this is one of a few attempts American TV network NBC made in the theatrical film department. Watching this movie, you'll get a good idea why they abandoned this avenue after just a few movies. For starters, even on the DVD this movie doesn't resemble a theatrical movie, but a made-for-TV movie. (The fact Aaron Spelling produced the movie probably explains a lot of this.) The script is terrible - I'm not sure if there is footage missing, but it sure feels like it with subjects being brought up then abandoned. As for the direction, the lowest point is when the movie is sped up to resemble Keystone Kops shorts. But what irked me the most about the movie was the characters. The acting is unbelievably bad by all the leads, and none of the band members (except maybe for the lone male member of the band) is likable in any way. And when they sing songs... ouch! I can't picture worse covers to classic rock tunes as those showcased in this movie. The movie doesn't even give viewers who are nostalgic for the '80s any... well, I said I wouldn't make jokes with the title.

aimless-46 If you've always suspected that combining elements from "Times Square" (1980), "Josie and the Pussycats" (2001), and "Summer of '42" (1971) would be an extremely bad idea, look no further than "Satisfaction" for confirmation. Although "Times Square" fans (the film from which "Satisfaction" steals the most) will frequently cringe during the viewing experience, the fusion of these three films is not a totally bad idea. It did give Trini Alvarado, eight years later, a chance to play the tough girl Nicky Marotta part, the character she played against in "Times Square". Although she plays her less like Robin Johnson did and more like Tara Reid's Cybil in "Girl" (1998). An underrated actress, Alvarado carries too much baggage (nice girl type-casting and too sweet a face) into this role to even begin to sell it. A much better idea that might have saved the film would have been for her and co-star Justin Bateman to switch parts. Bateman is capable of looking mean and is really too limited as an actress for a part with the degree of dimensionality of Jennie Lee. I've never quite grasped the popularity of Julia Roberts but for her mega-fans "Satisfaction" is a must see. The script doesn't give her much to work with but it is an opportunity to see her when she was this young. Of course there is some retrospective perverse amusement to be had at the idea of Roberts and Liam Neeson playing second banana's to the talent challenged Bateman, Britta Phillips' career rocketed forward from this film with 65 episodes as the voice of the title character in "Jem and the Holograms". Nice voice, excellent casting choice, and a cute performance; she and Chris Nash at least manage to give a fair amount of authenticity to the production. Director Joan Freeman of Streetwalkin' (1985) fame has never done another feature; after these casting decisions it is not hard to figure out why. Maybe she is just another innocent victim of an Aaron Spelling production, she clearly was not a budding Allan Moyle. Likewise Screenwriter Charles Purpura; although his script is no worse than a lot of stuff currently getting feature treatment and the outdated slang no doubt sounded less lame in 1988. Although full of terrible music (covers of classic rock tunes performed slightly worse than when arranged for your high school band's halftime show) the film did connect with its primary target audience, discontented teenage girls who were not so disillusioned that they could not still get off on an identification jag with a group of squeaky clean girl rockers. Those looking for a more real "growing up is painful " experience should stick with "Times Square" and the more recent "Pretty Persuasion". Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.Comment | Permalink

fechka-1 So this is not one of the best movies from the '80s, but it made a big impact on me because of Julia Roberts. I thought she was so cool, and I copied a lot of my fashion styles after her character in the movie (big hair and all). Being a child of the '80s I've been slowly collecting many of the classic comedies, and this one has been on my list for a while. So when I discovered last month that it was finally coming out on DVD and at a great price, I pre-ordered my copy. It has some really good moments and good one-liners, like when Julia Roberts' character, Daryle is told by one of the preppy guys she's seeing "You're different from the other girls", she responds "I can work really hard to be the same", or when Daryle is explaining to Billy that getting married is a natural thing, Billy responds "Dying is natural too, but you don't see people rushing to do that". So if you want to take a trip back to the '80s or if you're a Julia Roberts fan, this movie is for you.

Axel McReviewy Pants This movie is fantastic. It features the Eighties' bad taste, bad ass Justine Bateman, the rest of Julia Roberts and horrible classic rock songs. I'm told I have to make this review 10 lines long so I'm going to write a bunch of words now. But I've already said what had to be said about this swell movie. It's fine. The reviewers who badmouthed it simply have messed up and hurtful priorities. That's got to be 10 lines. But I'm told it isn't. So I'm still writing words. How much do you really need to know about what people think about a movie? It's not that big of a commitment just to watch it and make up your own mind, for crying out loud. This has got to be 10 lines. Oh, thank god!