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Pro-wrestler and 1980s bastion of masculinity Terry "Hulk" Hogan passed away on July 24, 2025. He was 71. He was best-known early in his career for his sweaty antics in the WWF (later WWE) ring, and later became better known for some of his controversial actions and opinions outside of it. Also controversial was his filmography. Hogan, like many pro-wrestlers, attempted multiple times to become a movie star, although it was with only dubious success. He effectively played versions of himself in the bonkers sports dramas "Rocky III" (1982) and "No Holds Barred" (1989), but more frequently appeared in whimsical, kid-friendly movies like "Suburban Commando" (1991), "Mr. Nanny" (1993), and "Santa With Muscles" (1996). 

Few of these films were hits -- indeed, most of Hogan's kids movies were widely derided bombs -- but that didn't stop the Hulkster from trying. As recently as 2009, Hogan made another kids movie -- his final live-action film appearance -- in the form...

Rob Lowe believes it is a "super valid" time to make a sequel to St. Elmo's Fire.The 61-year-old actor starred in the original 1985 movie - which followed a group of graduates as they adjusted to life after college - as William 'Billy' Hicks and he's set to reprise the role of his saxophone-playing alter ego for a second movie, and he's insisted it is a great time in the characters' lives to see what they are doing now.He told People magazine: "We're working on the script, and it's really getting good."I think it's super valid to revisit those characters that continue to mean a lot to people and watch them navigate this chapter of life, because arguably this chapter of life is every bit as interesting and fraught as — 'What do I do when I get out of college?' " The Brat Pack film was directed by...

Success can be a double-edged sword. While every filmmaker would like their first movie to be a breakout success, those kinds of hits build expectation for their second feature, and not every director can navigate the artistic and industrial labyrinth that it takes to produce another instant classic.

Indeed, the perfect one-two punch is rarely achieved. Many of the best directors don’t start out with one of their finest or most successful films, those that do can’t always parlay that into a second success.

But some filmmakers have managed to immediately capitalize on all that good will, directing a second great movie after their debut wins the hearts of critics and/or audiences. With “Past Lives” filmmaker Celine Song’s second film “Materialists” now in theaters, we’re pretty danged sure these are the best.

Nicolas Cage and Nicolas Cage in ‘Adaptation’ (Sony Pictures Releasing) Adaptation.

Spike Jonze’s sophomore feature,...

"The movie is really about the passing of time," Brats director Andrew McCarthy tells Gold Derby. "I turned 60 not that long ago and I realized that I had begun to look at events of my life in a different way than I used to."

For the first time in decades, McCarthy reunites with fellow Brat Packers Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, and Ally Sheedy, along with other stars of that era like Jon Cryer, Timothy Hutton, and Lea Thompson, to discuss their rise to stardom in the 1980s and how the term "Brat Pack" — coined by journalist David Blum in an article for New York Magazine — impacted their careers.

Reflecting further, McCarthy says his fascination lies less with the Brat Pack itself and more with how perspectives on life evolve with time. "When I was 22, we hated it — all of us," he says. "We felt stigmatized — it was very limiting.

Image Source: Universal Pictures Homes Entertainment If you’ve been on social media lately, you probably haven’t escaped the memes about how this year marked the 40-year anniversary of the date when The Breakfast Club’s action took place. And, on that very same social media, you’ve no doubt seen the photos of the five stars, reunited at the C2E2 2025 convention. At their panel, they reflected back on the movie and their experiences; Emilio Estevez talked about the very first time that he, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and Ally Sheedy were brought together by director John Hughes prior to filming. (Click on the media bar below to hear Emilio Estevez.) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Emilio_Estevez_The_Breakfast_Club_.mp3 The Breakfast Club is available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and most digital platforms. It’s also streaming on Netflix.

The post Emilio Estevez...

Hollywood Insider - 40 Years Later, The Brat Pack Reunites — But Not for a Sequel

Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall came together at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo earlier this April to talk all things Brat Pack. No Plans to Return to Detention

You’d think that after 40 years, the story of five teenagers stuck in Saturday detention might fade into the background of film history. But 'The Breakfast Club'? It’s still front and center — and apparently, still just as meaningful to its cast as it is to the fans who grew up with it (and the ones discovering it now).

At Chicago’s C2E2 pop culture convention on April 12, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, and Anthony Michael Hall took the stage together for the “Don’t You Forget About Me: The Breakfast Club 40th Anniversary Reunion” panel.

Anthony Michael Hall was one of the most sought-after young actors of the 80s, appearing in numerous hit coming-of-age films, and one of the members of the group of young actors dubbed as the "Brat Pack." It's recently been announced that the actor will be joining the cast of the Netflix series Wednesday.

Per Variety, the actor will appear in the series based on American cartoonist Charles Addams' The Addams Familyin a yet-undisclosed role. His addition to the cast marks a reunion between Hall and Wednesday executive producer – and director of four Season 1 episodes – Tim Burton.

Image via Prime Video

The two previously worked together on Burton's Edward Scissorhands, starring Johnny Depp as the eponymous blade-fingered protagonist, in which Hall played Jim, Kim's jealous, arrogant boyfriend – and the film's primary antagonist. Both Edward Scissorhands and Wednesday fall under an aesthetic umbrella that has characterized Burton's career, blending dark, gothic elements with more whimsical fantasy.

The Breakfast Club is widely considered one of the best teen films of all time, and it's a movie that has certainly gone on to live beyond the time it was released in 1985. It defined a generation in the '80s and has spoken to generations that have discovered it since its initial release. A film of its stature, especially in this Hollywood climate obsessed with established IP, seems prime for a modern-day reboot, but one of the film's stars,Molly Ringwald, believes it's such a product of its time that it couldn't be remade. Mostly because it's a little too white.

The entire cast of The Breakfast Club reunited for the first time in 40 years at the C2E2 fan convention in Chicago, via Variety, and Ringwald, as she sat with her co-stars, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy, revealed that she believes the film's...

The Breakfast Club is one of the most celebrated comedy movies of the 1980s, still appreciated by fans who miss the distinct style of late filmmaker John Hughes' films. After four decades, all five lead stars of the film reunited to reflect on its legacy, and they agreed that The Breakfast Club isn't a movie that could be pulled off today.

Per THR, a celebration of The Breakfast Club was hosted at the C2E2 convention in Chicago in honor of the movie's 40th anniversary. The stars present included Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Anthony Michael Hall. It was the first time all five had been reunited since the film was released four decades ago. Estevez shared how it was important for him to finally join his co-stars for a special event.

"This one felt special, it’s here in Chicago where we made the film,...

Molly Ringwald’s candid remarks on why the 1985 classic The Breakfast Club should not get a remake have sparked a backlash after the actress claimed that the movie lacks the diversity needed to resonate with today’s audience.

Starring alongside an ensemble cast, including Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, and Judd Nelson, Ringwald portrayed the role of Claire Standish, a spoiled, wealthy girl in the movie. However, despite its high acclaim and enduring popularity, she defined the movie as racist and sexist, stirring controversy as it celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Molly Ringwald defines classic The Breakfast Club as racist and sexist

The cast of The Breakfast Club recently reunited to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the movie, which follows five high school students who form an unlikely bond after being detained in their school library on a Saturday morning.

The Breakfast Club | Credit: Universal Pictures

And in a panel,...

Everything old might be new again, even in the Brat Pack world, but ’80s teen queen Molly Ringwald has offered a measured — yes, it’s possible — take on where she thinks films based on some of the most popular films of the decade should go. In short: traditional remake? No. A new story inspired by? Sure!

In a recent wide-ranging chat in honor of the film’s 40th anniversary, hosted by “Happy Sad Confused” podcaster Josh Horowitz was joined by “The Breakfast Club” stars Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, and Ally Sheedy.

During the much-anticipated reunion of Ringwald and the other four stars of the 1985 John Hughes-directed high school classic “The Breakfast Club” on Friday at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, the question of remaking the film inevitably cropped up. In response, Ringwald offered this: “I personally don’t believe in remaking that movie, because I think...

Molly Ringwald doesn't want a 'Breakfast Club' remake.The 57-year-old actress revealed doesn't think the 1985 coming-of-age comedy-drama film from John Hughes is diverse enough for a straightforward re-do and believes it doesn't represent today's world.According to People, Molly told attendees at the C2E2 fan convention in Chicago: "I personally don’t believe in remaking that movie, because I think this movie is very much of its time. It resonates with people today. I believe in making movies that are inspired by other movies but build on it and represent what’s going on today. This is very, you know, it’s very white, this movie. You don’t see a lot of different ethnicities. We don’t talk about gender. None of that. And I feel like that really doesn’t represent our world today."I'd like to see movies that are inspired by ‘The Breakfast Club,...

Despite the long-awaited reunion, don’t expect the original Breakfast Club to endorse a modern update.

As she reunited with her co-stars from the 1985 John Hughes-helmed teen classic on Friday at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, Molly Ringwald explained why she doesn’t think the film needs a remake.

“I personally don’t believe in remaking that movie. Because I think this movie is very much of its time,” she said, according to multiple outlets. “You know it’s very white, this movie. You don’t see a lot of different ethnicities; we don’t talk about gender, none of that, and I feel like that really doesn’t represent our world today.”

Ringwald added, “I believe in making movies that are inspired by other movies, but build on it and represent what’s going on today. So I would like to see movies that are inspired by The Breakfast Club...

Molly Ringwald doesn’t think “The Breakfast Club” should be get a remake. Instead, the ’80s icon would rather “see movies that are inspired by ‘The Breakfast Club,’ but take it in a different direction.”

While speaking on the C2E2 panel “Don’t You Forget About Me: ‘The Breakfast Club’ 40th Anniversary Reunion” on April 12, Ringwald said about the 1985 movie, “I personally don’t believe in remaking that movie, because I think this movie is very much of its time,” she said. “It resonates with people today. I believe in making movies that are inspired by other movies but build on it and represent what’s going on today. This is very, you know, it’s very white, this movie. You don’t see a lot of different ethnicities. We don’t talk about gender. None of that. And I feel like that really doesn’t represent our world today.

Molly Ringwald is not in favor of “The Breakfast Club” getting a remake. Appearing at the C2E2 fan convention in Chicago (via People), the actor said the 1985 classic is not diverse enough to warrant a straightforward re-do.

“I personally don’t believe in remaking that movie, because I think this movie is very much of its time,” Ringwald said. “It resonates with people today. I believe in making movies that are inspired by other movies but build on it and represent what’s going on today. This is very, you know, it’s very white, this movie. You don’t see a lot of different ethnicities. We don’t talk about gender. None of that. And I feel like that really doesn’t represent our world today.”

Ringwald added that she’d “like to see movies that are inspired by ‘The Breakfast Club,’ but take it in a different direction.

The cast of The Breakfast Club reunited last weekend in Chicago, a pretty common occurrence for fan-favorite films like the John Hughes teen comedy. But there was something different about this particular reunion. While the Brain (Anthony Michael Hall), the Princess (Molly Ringwald), the Basket Case (Ally Sheedy) and the Criminal (Judd Nelson) have gathered in the past at fan conventions and the like, the guy who played Andy the Athlete always ghosted them. But this time, Emilio Estevez decided to show up.

“We don’t have to use the cardboard cutout anymore because he’s here. I feel really moved that we’re all together,” said Ringwald at the C2E2 pop culture convention, per Entertainment Weekly. “I feel really very emotional and moved to have us all together.”

Why did Estevez ditch all the previous get-togethers? “I skipped all of my high school reunions,” he joked, though that’s probably true as well.

It's hard to question the legacy of a movie like The Breakfast Club. John Hughes' coming-of-age masterpiece of 1985 was a fascinating depiction of teenage angst, as seen from the perspectives of five students coming from different parts of '80s society. It was a game-changer for its young cast, who would then become part of the Brat Pack and pursue acting careers outside the stereotypes the movie built for them. Curiously, as famous as the film was and as timeless as it remains for its fans, in over 40 years, the cast has never reunited. That was until a few days ago, when Andrew, Brian, John, Claire, and Allison were seen together at a pop culture convention.

The Breakfast Club cast has reunited for the first time in 40 years, although not in a sequel to the beloved high school movie. As reported by People, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estévez,...

The Breakfast Club is a classic teen movie that has a firmly cemented place in pop culture. However, fans of the movie often go on record as saying there's just one thing they dislike about it - the makeover that goth chick Allison (Ally Sheedy) gets from Claire (Molly Ringwald).

Now, the stars of The Breakfast Club - Sheedy, Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, and Emilio Estevez - have reunited for "Don't You Forget About Me: The Breakfast Club 40th Anniversary Reunion" at the C2E2 pop culture convention in Chicago. There, Ringwald told her co-stars and the con attendees (via Entertainment Weekly) that she doesn't want to be blamed for that unpopular makeover, which left Allison stripped of all that made her unique.

"I just want to say that I am not responsible for the makeover, and I was really not happy," Ringwald declared. She went on, "I...

It’s been 40 years since the Brain, the Athlete, the Basket Case, the Princess, and the Criminal all suffered through detention at Shermer High. Now, they have reunited for the first time ever as a way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Breakfast Club.

The 40th anniversary celebration of The Breakfast Club was first teased last month, but it’s still a nice surprise for fans considering Anthony Michael Hall, Emilio Estèvez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, and Judd Nelson have never joined up in this capacity before. But thanks to Chicago’s C2E2, the troubled teens – now successful middle-aged actors – were able to take to the convention scene this week.

Speaking at the event marking the 40th anniversary of The Breakfast Club, Estèvez – who played Andrew Clark, sentenced to a Saturday detention for taping another student’s butt cheeks together – said this was the exact moment he needed...

It was a high school reunion 40 years in the making.

The stars of the 1985 film The Breakfast Club — Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, and Anthony Michael Hall, otherwise known as the prom queen, the jock, the weirdo, the rebel, and the nerd — reunited for the first time at the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo on Sunday.

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A post shared by C2E2 (@c2e2)

During the panel, the actors shared their memories of filming, as well as working with writer-director John Hughes, who died in 2009. You can watch the full panel here.

“I feel really very emotional and moved to have us all together,” said Ringwald (Claire). “This is the first time that Emilio has joined us. We don’t have to use the cardboard cut-out anymore.”

Joked Estevez (Andrew), “I skipped all of my high school reunions, so this just was...

Four decades after John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club helped define a generation of teen cinema, the film’s five lead actors appeared together publicly for the first time since its 1985 release. Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Ally Sheedy, and Judd Nelson joined a panel at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) on Saturday, timed near the film’s 40th anniversary.

As the cast took the stage, the crowd greeted them with cheers and applause. The “Colonel Bogey March,” whistled by the characters during their detention day in the film, played over the loudspeakers. The panel covered a wide range of topics, including working with John Hughes, behind-the-scenes memories, and the film’s standing in a different media landscape.

“This is the first time that Emilio has joined us. We don’t have to use the cardboard cutout anymore because he’s here,” said Ringwald. “I feel really...

Don’t you forget about them.

For the first time in four decades and just a little past the 1985 classic film’s 40th anniversary, all five stars of John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club reunited.

Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy all took the stage during a panel conversation celebrating the seminal coming-of-age drama at Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo yesterday. As they were introduced by moderator Josh Horowitz, the cast walked out to the “Colonel Bogey March,” the same track the teenagers whistled to in the movie that fateful day in detention.

During the panel, which you can view in full here, the actors discussed working with the storied writer-director Hughes and their on-set memories, taking questions from the audience and speaking to the movie’s enduring legacy.

“I feel really, very emotional and moved to have us all together,” Ringwald said, per Today. “This...

The five members of “The Breakfast Club” reunited Saturday, 40 years after the Shermer High School trouble makers first met in detention.

Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall gathered for a panel at Chicago-based pop culture convention C2E2 (via People) to chat with fans about John Hughes’ 1985 classic. Entertainment journalist Josh Horowitz moderated the conversation.

“I feel very emotional and moved to have us all together,” gushed Ringwald, who starred as it-girl Claire Standish in the film. She went on to jokingly acknowledge the attendance of Estevez, adding, “We don’t have to use the cardboard cutout anymore. I feel really moved that we’re all together.”

“I felt that I needed to do it myself,” Estevez quipped back, before noting that the reunion felt “special” given that C2E2 takes place in Chicago, the city in which “The Breakfast Club” was shot.

Later in the discussion,...

The Breakfast Club stars Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall united publicly for the first time since the film’s 1985 release on Saturday, taking part in a 40th anniversary conversation at the C2E2 convention in Chicago.

“I feel really very emotional and moved to have us all together,” Ringwald told the crowd, noting that while the rest of the group had previously reunited, it was the first time Estevez had joined them. “We don’t have to use the cardboard cutout anymore because he’s here. I feel really moved that we’re all together.”

Estevez joked that he had also skipped all of his real-life high school reunions, but appearing at the event “was something that finally I felt I needed to do just for myself. This one felt special, it’s here in Chicago where we made the film. It’s obviously the 40th anniversary,...

Netflix is not fooling around this April as it bulks up its slate for the first full month of spring. Romance films, comedies and dramas abound on the streamer with a few titles that launched at the end of March making it into the best new films to stream on Netflix in April.

For those in a more serious or wistful mood, The Life List and A Dog’s Way Home will pull at the heartstrings and help viewers feel all the feelings when they watch. Those in the mood for uplift can watch Rudy or The Breakfast Club or Field of Dreams. Those wanting a laugh can stream One of Them Days.

Find the best new movies streaming on Netflix in April 2025 below:

The Life List – March 28 L to R: Sofia Carson as Alex and Kyle Allen as Brad in ‘The Life List’

Based on the book by Lori Nelson Spielman,...

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This April, Netflix is bringing you a lot of entertainment, from the highly anticipated conclusion to the psychological crime thriller drama series You to the brutal Tom Hardy action film Havoc. However, for the purposes of this article, we are only including the films that are coming to Netflix this month and have an 80% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score. So, check out the seven best films that are coming to Netflix in April 2025 with an 80% or higher Rotten Tomatoes score.

The Age of Innocence (April 1) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88% Credit – Columbia Pictures

The Age of Innocence is a historical romantic drama film directed by Martin Scorsese, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Jay Cocks. Based on the 1920 novel of the same name by Edith Wharton, the 1993 film is set in the 1870s and it follows Newland Archer, a wealthy...

Long before Marvel Studios started struggling with its Marvel Cinematic Universe (which might be better left to die at this point) there were some historic superhero movie missteps. The first real superhero blockbuster, 1978's "Superman" remains one of the greatest comic book movies of all time, but even that birthed some seriously questionable sequels, thereby setting a precedent for the best and worst superhero films to come.

In the years since Christopher Reeve's Supes convinced audiences of the late-70s that a man could fly, we have had some downright abject superhero outings. When done right, these films can offer the ultimate escapist fantasy, tapping into our collective inner child and taking us on rapturous thrill-rides through our own imaginations. Or, they can be "Black Adam." I kid ... sort of. The problem exemplified by that notoriously underwhelming DC effort is that these films can often just be lazy, formulaic,...

Dear Mr. Vernon, we accept the fact that we had to sacrifice a whole Saturday in detention for whatever it was we did wrong…Forty years after a quintet of troubled and anxious teens sat through a weekend detention session, the Brain, the Athlete, the Basket Case, the Princess, and the Criminal will be reuniting, marking the first official time since The Breakfast Club was released that the core cast will be getting back together – and that’s definitely better than a remake.

While there have been partial reunions for the cast of The Breakfast Club (namely at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards and even earlier this year at MegaCon), next month’s C2E2 in Chicago will bring Emilio Estèvez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy to the stage. Sadly, Paul Gleason – who played Principal Vernon – passed away back in 2006, so nobody will be getting the horns…...

Michael Strahan surprised his co-stars and viewers with a detail about his past they may not have realized.

During Good Morning America this week, Michael appeared alongside co-anchors Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos.

Their co-star Will Reeve was also seated with them for a segment and had a question for Michael.

“Hey, you ever go to your high school reunion?” he asked.

“Nope,” Michael replied, quickly shutting his co-star down during the funny moment.

“Ok. Well, tough start,” Will said as Robin and George began laughing with others in the GMA studio.

Michael admitted to a surprising detail about his high school

“I graduated with a class of two. That’s not very cool. There’s two of us there,” Michael said as everyone continued laughing over his remarks.

“‘How are you?’ ‘How are you?’ Ok, let’s go home,” he said, mimicking what his high school reunion would’ve been like.

Prime Video's hit Reacher is in the middle of its third season. As with the previous seasons, the new outing brings a host of new main characters. One of these is rug importer Zachary Beck, who offers Reacher a job after he saves Beck's son Richard. Beck is played by Anthony Michael Hall, who's enjoyed a nearly 40-year career in the industry.

That's right, Gen-x readers, the 1980s were four decades ago. Take a minute to process that if you need to. Hall was one of that decade's biggest teen stars, with appearances in Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science. He was a frequent collaborator with John Hughes, the king of '80s coming-of-age teen comedies. That partnership set Hall up for lifelong success, which is still an impressive feat in today's industry. Of those early parts, Sixteen Candles really gave Hall his breakout role. He followed that...

Anthony Michael Hall recently played a very interesting villain in the Amazon Prime Video series Reacher. Zachary Beck allowed Hall to show his dramatic range with a strong, yet sober antagonist that was still able to confront the bulky and skilled hero. His role in the show is a big deal for the underrated actor who's mostly associated with John Hughes' teen comedy dramas of the 1980s. Although he never meant to be typecast during that period, it was inevitable. Hall faced some struggles after his teen years were over, and he couldn't play the same characters. Fortunately, one of his peers cared about him enough, and Hall credits him with advice that may have saved his career.

A few decades have passed since we saw Hall overcome a few high school stereotypes in The Breakfast Club, but he would end up playing similar characters over and over. Hall was...

Demi Moore’s SAG Awards win for outstanding performance by a leading female actor on Sunday may be another stepping stone on her path to Oscar semi-inevitability, but what stands out has been her transparency and owning of her narrative, as exhibited in acceptance speeches that connect the dots from “that little girl who didn’t believe in herself” to her current stature as an icon of longevity.

It’s understandable to still be in awe of her Golden Globes speech for The Substance. Looking radiant on the stage, the actress eschewed a list of thank-yous to eloquently address the movie’s message about female insecurities. Let’s read the words: “I had a woman say to me, ‘Just know, you will never be enough. But you can know the value of your worth if you just put down the measuring stick.'”

With much respect to this anonymous sage,...

Anthony Michael Hall has spent his career pursuing roles that allowed him to empathize with all kinds of characters. He’s always looking for that depth, that drive — that hook that inspires him to dig his teeth into a script, and defy expectations — and to prove he’s much more than the nerd from ’80s Brat Pack movies like “The Breakfast Club” and “Sixteen Candles.”

His newest role is playing an arms dealer on the third season of “Reacher,” the hit Amazon Prime Video show about an ex-military police drifter who travels the United States, busting up increasingly outsized criminal enterprises. For any actor, “Reacher” is a huge platform, but Hall was laser-focused on the complexity of his character, Zachary Beck, who poses as a humble rug importer.

“It’s a very rich character,” he says. “He has a cover for his life, and is operating within this framework of a criminal network.

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It’s been 40 years since The Breakfast Club hit theaters, becoming a box office hit and instant coming-of-age classic that’s still beloved by viewers today.

Released in 1995, the John Hughes film cemented the star power of leads Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall (who had both starred in Hughes’ Sixteen Candles the year before), along with rising “Brat Pack” actors, Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy and Judd Nelson.

John Hughes was the patron saint of adolescents who found great success with a series of hit comedies, most of them centering around the plight of teenagers. Yet how many of those titles remain classics? Let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films as both a writer and director, ranked worst to best.

Born in 1950, Hughes first came to the attention of Hollywood as a writer after penning “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983) and “Mr. Mom” (1983). That financially successful one-two punch landed him his first directing gig: “Sixteen Candles” (1984). A tender coming-of-age story about a teenage girl (Molly Ringwald) suffering one indignity after another on her sweet sixteen firmly established him as the premiere helmer of adolescent comedies, leading to “The Breakfast Club” (1985), “Weird Science” (1985), and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986).

Yet Hughes also excelled at entertainments outside the classroom, including the road trip farce “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” (1987), starring...

The moment

On Feb. 15, 1985, The Breakfast Club was released, setting the standard for teen films and cementing writer-director John Hughes as the master of the genre, while making its ensemble instantly famous. There are aspects to the beloved film that have not aged well; however, The Breakfast Club‘s impact on filmmaking and the zeitgeist — from its poster to its cast to its music to its universal message — cannot be understated four decades later.

The setup

Hughes had made a name for himself the prior year with his directorial debut, Sixteen Candles. Up to this time, “teen movies” had largely evolved from cautionary rebellion films in the 1950s to beach party films of the 1960s to slasher films of the 1970s to sex comedies in the early 1980s. But Hughes had the uncanny ability to capture both the joys and the trials of the teenage years, both in written word...

Andrew McCarthy‘s recent documentary “Brats,” about his time as a teen idol in the 1980s alongside peers like Rob Lowe, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy, charted the actor’s path from irritation and outright hostility toward the “brat pack” label to grudging affection, as he recognized that the movies he looked down on while he was doing them — films like “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “Less Than Zero,” and “Mannequin” — meant more to an entire generation of filmgoers than more “serious” prestige fare like “The Falcon and the Snowman” ever could.

The danger for those of us who grew up on the movies is that the trajectory will be reversed — that films that seemed meaningful to our teenage eyes aren’t really all that great when viewed outside the lens of indulgent childhood nostalgia. Yet revisiting one of McCarthy’s most popular films via a new 4K Uhd release...

Golden Globe nominee Rob Lowe has shared a new update regarding the current status of Sony Pictures’ upcoming St. Elmo’s Fire sequel. In the 1985 movie, The West Wing alum portrayed the role of Billy Hicks, a charming saxophonist who’s not quite ready yet to grow up and face his responsibilities, despite already being married with a baby.

During a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Lowe confirmed that St. Elmo’s Fire 2 is still in development, after over seven months since the reunion project was first announced. However, he hinted that it may still take a while before the long-awaited sequel could go forward into production. "We’re putting together St. Elmo’s Fire 2. So we’re back working together… I’m dead [serious.] Yes. We’re gonna see what those people are doing at our ages now. This is a real thing," Lowe said. "I know. It’s great.

The Brat Pack dominated the 1980s with their presence in coming-of-age films, yet one creative has always stood out as one of their favorite partners—John Hughes. Though the writer-director is a defining voice in comedy from the era, delivering classics like Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Home Alone, and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, some of his best work has come with the young, fast-rising stars. Their defining achievement, The Breakfast Club, set a particularly high bar for teen movies, with Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, and Anthony Michael Hall coming together for a story all about overcoming differences to find understanding in each other. From the stars' experience, that inclusionary message was reflected in how Hughes treated them while shooting their big hit.

This article contains discussions of child abuse and sexual assault.

True crime has been a very popular genre for a while now, so it's not surprising that a genuinely horrifying real-life case — which occurred in Austria and came to light in 2008 — served as inspiration for two (admittedly different) movies. So, if you've seen the 2021 Lifetime original film "Girl in the Basement," what is it about ... and how does it connect to real-life events?

Released in 2021, "Girl in the Basement" stars Stefanie Scott as Sarah Cody, a rebellious teenager who's seeing a boy named Chris (Jake Etheridge) and sneaks out to meet up with him against the wishes of her extraordinarily strict father Don. After she returns home, having been out all night, Don does something horrific; he imprisons his own daughter in the soundproofed basement of the Cody family home, unbeknownst to her mother Irene (Joely Fisher) and sister Amy...

Acclaimed New Jack City screenwriter Barry Michael Cooper has passed away. He was 66 years old.

Per Variety, Cooper passed away on January 22, 2025, in Baltimore, Maryland. Cooper's passing was announced by a representative for award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee, with whom Lee collaborated for Netflix's streaming series adaptation of She's Gotta Have It.

Born in Harlem, New York sometime in 1957 or 1958, Cooper grew up in Little Washington Heights, spending much of his youth in the Esplanade Gardens co-op. Cooper served as an investigative reporter for The Village Voice throughout the 1980s. His time with the alt-weekly paper led to the publication of his article "Tedd Riley's New Jack Swing: Harlem Gangsters Raise a Genius," which is largely attributed for naming the genre itself back in 1987. Later that year, The Village Voice published Cooper's article "Kids Killing Kids: New Jack City Eats Its Young," which drew the attention of Quincy Jones, who...

Save for a 1992 guest spot on the Og Quantum Leap and voicing herself in a 1993 episode of The Simpsons, Brooke Shields — best known at the time for the ’80s films The Blue Lagoon and Endless Love, plus Calvin Klein ads — had yet to break out on television through the mid-1990s.

And then she winningly stalked Joey Tribbiani (more accurately, Dr. Drake Ramoray) in Friends‘ January 1996 post-Super Bowl episode.

More from TVLineBrooke Shields Lands Role on Hulu's Ryan Murphy Legal Drama Starring Kim Kardashian (Exclusive)Fast Friends: Max Drops Trailer for Friends Game Show - Get Release DateJoey Turns...

Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault.

Most high school movies from the 1980s might’ve been the go-to for teen comedy back in the day, but a lot of them don’t hold up today. Even though some of these flicks are still tossed around as the best high school movies of all time and even the best movies of the '80s, they’ve got some serious issues when viewed through a modern lens. This includes casual sexism, misogyny, and even jokes about sexual harassment,

Unfortunately, the films in question tend to glorify the idea that boys can do whatever they want without consequences while objectifying and disrespecting women at every turn. The inappropriate pranks, reckless behavior, and creepy crushes might have been used as comic relief decades ago, but now they just come off as red flags.

The Breakfast Club (1985) Directed by John Hughes

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The Rat Pack may have nested in popularity in the ‘50s and ‘60s, but the 1980s were all about a group known as The Brat Pack. An obvious play on words, the young, famous, and good-looking crew of up-and-coming stars seemed to be in just about every teen movie of the decade. The elite and tough-to-break-into group included names like Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Rob Lowe, and more, with their faces popping into titles including St. Elmo’s Fire and Sixteen Candles. Aside from the former, the movie to contain the most members of the beloved blossoming stars was a little high school-centered film called The Breakfast Club. Helmed by legendary comedy film director and scribe, John Hughes, the Certified Fresh 89% Rotten Tomatoes film is now streaming on Peacock.

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A few classic Eighties teen movies (mostly from John Hughes) are celebrating their 40th birthdays around now, and — unlike Samantha’s family in Sixteen Candles — Funko didn’t forget. The collectible toymaker is releasing a line of Pop! figurines of characters from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink. All of the new Eighties Funko Pop! figurines are available to preorder on Amazon.

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The Holdovers is a comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne from a screenplay by David Hemingson. The period film is set in the early 1970s, and it revolves around Paul Hunham, a grouchy, disliked teacher at Barton Academy, who has to supervise the students who were unable to return to their homes for the Christmas holidays. He soon forms a bond with a rebellious and troubled student who recently lost his father. The Holdovers stars Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Carrie Preston. So, if you loved the feel-good comedy, sombre drama, and compelling characters in The Holdovers, here are some similar movies you could watch next.

Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Pluto TV & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Madman Films

Hunt for the Wilderpeople is an adventure comedy-drama film written and directed by Taika Waititi. Based...

Many movies aren't as wholesome and lighthearted as people assume they are, and watching them closely reveals they can be surprisingly dark. This is especially true when it comes to children's movies, as animation, comedy and music can gloss over some heavy themes. However, these elements can do the same in more mature movies in some circumstances, and people might forget about some darker moments.

Older movies like Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Breakfast Club can hide some darkness behind a glossy veneer of nostalgia. When people think of these classics, they often think about the fashion, the music or the actors. This ignores some distressing topics, like depression, trauma and isolation. Ultimately, it's best to dispell any assumptions about a movie before judging it fairly, but this isn't always easy.

The Breakfast Club (1985) The Teen Movie Is R-Rated For A Reason

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The Breakfast Club ending is a much more profound, ambiguous, and thought-provoking conclusion than the average teen comedy, with storylines left unresolved and questions left unanswered. Released in 1985 to critical acclaim and box office success, The Breakfast Club revolves around a group of high school misfits in Saturday detention under the watchful eye of their totalitarian vice principal. One of John Hughes’ most iconic high school movies marked the peak of the “Brat Pack” era, with such stars as Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, and Anthony Michael Hall giving some of the best performances of their career.

Decades after its release, The Breakfast Club remains a celebrated classic and a staple of popular culture. With some of the most memorable quotes, characters, and cinematic moments of its decade, it's a cornerstone of the ‘80s movie aesthetic. Its unforgettable final scene leaves a lot of crucial questions unanswered, though. Most coming-of-age movies...

Beginning in the late 1960s and spreading into the 1970s, American cinema was revolutionized by the New Hollywood movement. At the forefront of this movement was a crew of directors from different entertainment disciplines who spoke to the exploding youth counterculture with classics like "Bonnie and Clyde," "The Graduate," and "M*A*S*H." The world felt like it was going mad, but the movies were somehow helping us make sense of this descent. Before moviegoers could adjust to this newfangled mode of motion picture art, the film brats arrived. Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg rattled the industry's cage in wildly different ways. It was a glorious time. Then studios, with the perhaps unwitting assistance of Lucas and Spielberg, locked in on a formula: They could make hundreds of millions of dollars off a single movie if they hit the right commercial buttons.

South Of Hope Street

Director Jane Spencer's fourth feature, South Of Hope Street, imagines a near dystopian future with striking parallels to the present day. It's the year 2038 and World War 3 rages. The Black Boots faction has the upper hand. Nonconformity and mystery are outlawed, and the truth is whatever narrative the government choose to propagate. Reaching a crisis point, the government decides to build a giant wall in the sky to hide the truth. In the midst of the chaos, Denise (Tanna Frederick) and Tom (Judd Nelson) band together with their disaffected friends to fight back, and are joined by Benjamin Flowers (Michael Madsen) and his mountain-dwelling hippies.

Spencer made her directorial debut with the 1991 comedy drama Little Noises, starring Crispin Glover as a writer who takes advantage of his mute friend and plagiarises his poetry. This was followed by Faces On Mars (2003), a quirky LA set drama,...