Look Me in the Eyes and Tell Me You're Satisfied

I don't usually make a point to see the big, mainstream movies, but "Adventureland" sucked me in because I kept reading about what a great 80s soundtrack it had. So, as someone with many great music memories from then, I spent part of today's cool, damp afternoon watching a sweet movie about a recent college graduate's summer working at an amusement park circa 1987.

And I'd have to say the soundtrack delivered admirably, from Crowded House ("Don't Dream, It's Over") to The Cure ("Just Like Heaven") to probably my favorite Replacements song ever, "Unsatisfied." But for those who lived through the 80s but whose taste went in a different direction, there was Shannon's "Let the Music Play," Expose's "Point of No Return" and "In My House" by the Mary Jane Girls. And, because of the plot line, The Velvet Underground and Lou Reed are well represented too.

All in all, what could have been a cliched coming of age movie with a hackneyed soundtrack was elevated to something far better with a story that's believable and music that sums up an excellent representation of the music of a decade...Whitesnake notwithstanding.