Welcome to the Flashback Bistro!
Have a seat, get comfortable, bring your appetite for new (to you) films and TV shows.
There’s plenty of room for everyone!
TV shows are ending their seasons, and a lot of fans can be left wanting, hungering for visual feasts and tasty storytelling. That’s where the Flashback Bistro comes in.
Here, I will be recommending movies and shows that may have fallen through the cracks of the everyday fan.
There is no rhyme or reason to the picks, and I won’t be suggesting the obvious cult shows or movies here. These will be shows that I haven’t seen on many internet lists that really deserve a look. Some you may know, some you may not. Most of these are older properties that a new generation may never have heard of.
The first item on the Flashback Bistro’s menu is Ladyhawke, a 1985 film starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Rutger Hauer, and Matthew Broderick.
Rutger Hauer plays Etienne Navarre in the fantasy film Ladyhawke
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
Set during medieval times in the city of Aquila, this film stars Broderick as the thief Philipe Gastone, who escapes a dungeon deemed inescapable. While trying to get out of the city, he meets up with former captain of the guard Navarre-played by Hauer- who heard of his escape, and recruits Philipe to help him exact revenge on the man that separated him from his true love.
Michelle Pfeiffer plays the mysterious Isabeau d’Anjou, a beautiful stranger that begins traveling with Philipe at night, but only after Navarre disappears.
Michelle Pfeiffer as Isabeau D’anjou in 1985’s Ladyhawke Photo credit: Warner Bros.
Things don’t add up, and Philipe learns too late that he has been caught up in a horrible curse, one placed by the most powerful man in the city.
Will he escape the effects of the curse, or will he be another victim? Can Philipe learn to think of others, shake off his cowardice, and be the key to freeing his new friends?
This film is incredible.
The love story is one of my favorites still. Though it is said to be based on an old legend, it was actually written by the screenwriters.
Fighting, humor, heart, more than a few heart pounding-and heartbreaking-moments, not to mention two of the most beautiful horses ever to grace the screen, so what’s not to love?
The actors shine, all seen very early in their careers. Looking at Rutger Hauer in this film, it is easy to see why he was Anne Rice’s model for the vampire Lestat in the Vampire Chronicles books. Michelle Pfieffer’s otherworldly beauty is fitting for her role of the night dwelling Isabeau. Broderick keeps the humor coming as a cowardly braggart of a thief who is constantly talking to God, reneging every deal after he is safe. Look for a cameo by Alfred Molina as the cruel Cesar.
The movie has stood the test of time, still looking gorgeous today. The special effects are kept to a minimum, so that helps keep this film less dated than many of its contemporaries. The cinematography is beautiful, the costumes perfect, and the pacing keeps you more than interested.
This menu item certainly deserves a spot as a main course in our bistro.
Ladyhawke is available on DVD, and most streaming services.
The poster for the film Ladyhawke, starring Matthew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer.
Credit: Warner Brothers
