#1983 at the movies

[talesfromthecrypts]

They actually make physical media for a much larger percentage of movies than they ever did in the past. Often with a lot more care than any small release was treated in the early dvd days. Its just if you only watch streaming stuff or the big new recent box office hits you won't see that. It is so ridiculously easy to get physical media for movies that even 5 years ago you couldn't even find. Like yes Netflix is a stingy bastard but so many things are available on disc WITH special features than ever before

[cheezy-whizz]

[vertigoartgore]

Brian DePalma's Scarface, John Carpenter's Christine and James L Brooks's Terms of Endearment all turn 40 today. Feel old yet ?

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Something Wicked This Way Comes - Movie poster concept art by Bob Peak (1983)

[hellothereimaloser]

outsiders request? Sick Ponyboy and Darry and Soda caring for him? bonus points if you make ponyboy look really feverish and on the verge of tears

Lol do i get bonus points 🤩

[yodaprod]

Evil Dead TV spot (1983)

[stew-skys-husband]

Pov im the funniest artist in The Outsiders fandom

vers. without the text bc i love the sillies

[sparklingcid3r]

Darry’s face after Pony tells him that Johnny died still puts an ache in my chest every time I see it

I swear, from this moment on he’s only ever wearing the look of a scared kid trying to keep it together

[kitsnewgroove]

darry and soda are more dressed up than pony is for his own damn court hearing 🙄🙄

[chippedshake]

Darry helping Pony out with some bullies and a six-year-old Ponyboy running up to him a week later with a comic in his hand, saying "Darry, Darry, look, he's just like you!"

And it's a Superman comic book, open to a page where he's fighting a villain and bringing some civilians to safety

"See? He's helping people like you helped me!"

Darry just laughing and ruffling his hair

"Sure, Pony, I'm Superman."

And going back to his homework

But Ponyboy won't let it go. He starts calling him Superman and gets Soda in on it. Two-Bit absolutely cackles the first time he hears it and instantly plays along. Then Johnny starts saying it too, maybe a bit as a joke, but also because he's thinking about how Darry helps him with his homework sometimes and helped scare those Socs away and gave him a hug when he found him in the lot. Steve starts once Darry grows up and actually starts looking like Superman and by the time Dally gets there, he doesn’t even question it.

Darry laughs at first. Jokes about it. Then he starts hearing people talking about Superman and thinks, for a second, that they're talking about him before he remembers that it's just his family that calls him that.

By the time Ponyboy's eight, no one remembers how it started, no one cares about how it started, it just is.

Then it's a Tuesday evening when Darry's twenty and he's getting home from ten hours of heavy-lifting and has to cook dinner and the bills are due and he feels like collapsing onto the couch and sleeping for three days, but he doesn't have the fucking time to sleep because Pony has to go to school and Soda has to not oversleep and they have to have something to eat for dinner and he needs to convince Johnny he can stay over and isn't a burden and Two-Bit can't be getting too drunk because he needs to graduate goddammit and Steve might be kicked out tonight and needs to have somewhere to sleep and Dally needs some sort of constant in his life and it's too much and Darry's just twenty, he can't do it anymore–

"Darry, Darry, look, he's just like you!"

And suddenly Ponyboy's hopeful eyes are looking up at him, seeing Superman instead of his big brother because he helped fight off some Socs.

But that isn't enough anymore. He can't just fight off some Socs and come home and do his seventh grade homework. He needs to somehow keep his family together, make sure they all have a place to sleep and food to eat. And he can't falter, can't fail for a second because he's Superman, and Superman is invincible. Doesn't feel pain. Doesn't get tired. Doesn't let anything get him down.

"Hey there, Darry. Everything good?" Steve walks into their house without knocking.

"Yeah, just a bit tired." Darry sits up from where he’d been leaning back on the couch. Can't be tired. Can't be weak. "You kicked out again?"

"Yeah. Cool if I hang out here tonight?" Darry nods, stifling a yawn as he gets up. "What's for dinner?"

"Uh..." He glances towards the kitchen, trying to remember what they have. "Not sure. I'll figure it out."

"Need anything from the grocery store?"

Darry shrugs. "I can get it myself."

"I don't mind. You look beat."

"I'm fine," Darry says instinctively.

Steve snorts. "Okay. Need anything? I'm gonna go buy some cigs anyway."

"Uh..." Darry opens the near-empty fridge and sighs. "Some spaghetti for tonight. Get some chicken, too, we'll make it tomorrow. And a couple apples so you idiots eat some fruit."

"Got it."

Darry starts digging around for his wallet.

"Don’t worry. S'on me. Still got some from when the old man kicked me out two weeks ago."

"Steve, I can't ask you to–"

"Then it's a good thing you ain't askin'."

They stare off for a few moments before Darry relents.

"Thanks, Steve."

Steve nods. "No problem, Superman." He gives a mock salute and walks out the door.

Darry stares at the empty doorway for a couple seconds before he snaps out of it and starts cleaning up in case the state decides to poke around. He knows it isn't sustainable. They can't go on like this forever, he can't take care of his brothers alone forever.

He knows he isn't really Superman.

But maybe if he lets himself get help, he doesn’t have to be.

[weirdlookindog]

Debbie Harry in Videodrome (1983)

[czache78]

thinking about pony dying at that fountain.

Johnny sitting covered in blood, Pony’s head resting in his lap as he begs him to wake up, it’s not funny anymore, just breathe again.

Darry and Soda collecting the gang by the time it’s morning and neither of them have seen Johnny or Pony since last night, conducting a search of the entire town.

Darry being so worried as they search, because what if Pony didn’t even want to see him, what if Pony really hated him now. And what makes it worse is Soda won’t even speak to Darry, not after he hurt their baby brother.

When they find Johnny, he’s sitting against the fountain and by now, he’s freezing but he can’t get up, he can’t even speak to Dally when he grabs his arm, because Pony is gone, Pony’s not breathing.

Soda immediately kneeling down by Pony, thinking he’s asleep or something, and then seeing his unblinking eyes, his blue face, his cold hands, and just sobbing.

Meanwhile, Darry is just standing there knowing what’s happened but not knowing what to do, and he’s just numb, he can’t move or speak or even breathe.

Dally having to go to the police station, and the cops hardly believing him because of his record, but he looks so desperate and broken that they hear him out and follow him to the park.

Steve, Dally, and Two-Bit having to literally drag Soda away from Pony, sobbing and screaming, and it hurts them so much to see essentially their little brother dead, and the rest of their friends breaking down.

Dally having to practically carry Johnny back to the Curtis house, because he can’t speak or walk or do anything but think about Pony’s eyes that he would always watch, so cold and lifeless now.

Darry retreating to his room because they all must hate him for this as much as he hates himself.

Soda still sobbing and clutching onto one of Pony’s sweatshirts while Steve just sits next to him and rubs his back, trying not to cry himself. Dally’s eyes, somehow even more cold and hard than before, as he makes sure Johnny is okay, even though he’s not gonna be okay, none of them ever will be.

Johnny not being able to speak for weeks, months after Pony’s death, and still struggling with it after that, because Pony was the only one he could really talk to and now Pony was gone.

Darry getting huge flashes of deja vu from his parents death— immediately after, he’s thrown into planning. At his parents death, it was a way for him to calm down and organize his thoughts, but now he’s just too tired, it’s just the routine that he has to do.

Them all pitching in for a gravestone with his name on it. It’s not even his full name. Pony Curtis, 1953-1967. Them not even having a funeral because the cops won’t hear them out, why should they care about some greaser?

The cops ruling it a suicide and none of them quite believing it, but there’s always that thought in the back of Darry’s mind— what if Pony just got too fed up when he hit him? What if he riled up those Socs on purpose?

All Dallas can think is— he’s 14. He’s only a kid. (He can’t bring himself to use past tense.)

A week later, the social worker appearing at their door. Soda hasn’t spoken to Darry for that entire week, but he looks back at him with tears in his eyes as the social worker takes him away, going to ship him off to a boys home.

Darry breaking down as soon as he leaves, holding onto Soda’s old flannel and Pony’s stuffed bunny that he used to claim he was too old for, just sitting on the couch and crying until he falls asleep.

Two-Bit finding him the next morning and trying to hug him but Darry flinches away because the last time he’d touched someone he’d hit his little brother, who’d then gotten killed.

Steve watching his best friend going from a happy boy who’s always smiling to someone barely able to respond to his hugs or words of comfort. Steve knowing that Soda will never be the same, and he can’t do anything about that.

Steve joking that he won’t be competing for Soda’s #1 best friend spot now, and immediately regretting it when Soda breaks down in tears. Steve, who usually can just be there and Soda will be comforted even if Steve’s not good at that, standing there helpless as Soda cries.

The gang jumping at the opportunity to have a rumble, and even when the Socs start retreating they keep running after him because they need somewhere to get this energy out, to get some sort of revenge.

Darry having to be pulled off of Paul long after he'd passed out, and just falling apart refusing to let anyone touch him because that's what caused Pony to run away, to get killed, and he doesn't want to hurt anyone else, to cause anyone else's death because of him.

Darry just sitting in the corner of their living room afterwards unable to look at anyone because he's never cried like that in front of them, especially not his brother(s). Him feeling horrible when Soda gets up, still injured, and tells them it's way past his curfew and that he's gotta get going.

Soda, as he walks home, passing by the park where Pony died and just breaking down in tears. Him not making it back until the next morning, because he's crying so much he passes out. Him wishing maybe some Socs could come and jump him too, because he deserves it more than Ponyboy did.

Two-Bit drinking that night, more than he had before, because he just doesn't want to think about it anymore. He's had enough of tragedy and misfortune and pain, and drinking will make him forget about it, if only for a little while. Him regretting it when he wakes up even worse than before, but getting drunk again and again because the good parts of it overweigh the bad.

Dally turning even more cold and hard, and not trusting anyone except for Johnny. Him jumping Socs anytime he comes across them even if he's outnumbered and comes back more injured than victorious, because he's doing this for Pony, he's doing this for his gang.

Darry taking Johnny in as a little brother, and he knows it's not the same but it's as close as he's gonna get to having his normal routine, and that's pretty much the only thing that will calm him down. Darry finding a book of ASL in his parents' old room. Him trying to learn some of it so he can communicate with Johnny, knowing that Johnny and Pony learned it, but giving up after a few tries because he sees the hurt in Johnny's eyes.

Soda getting a letter while he's in the boys' home, and hoping against all hope that it's someone from his gang, wishing that it was his little brother even if there's no way. Him opening the letter and it's from Sandy, saying that she's moved to Florida and is breaking up with him.

Soda nearly throwing up when he's finished reading it, because he's lost everyone. First his parents, then his little brother, and with him the rest of his friends, and now his girlfriend. Soda not being able to talk about the letter for months afterwards, even when Darry finally finds a way for him to come home.

Steve sneaking into the boys' home one day and getting shoved away when he tries to put a hand on Soda's shoulder. Him feeling horrible that he's not good enough, that his best friend will never be the same, but shoving a chocolate bar into Soda's hands before he leaves, because before Pony died, Soda would always feel better after he ate one.

Darry eyeing the knife on the counter while he's cooking, or loosening his hold on the ladder just a little bit at his roofing job, because it's his fault Pony's dead. Darry not eating until he absolutely has to. Darry launching himself into getting Soda back or caring for Johnny, because he's worthless otherwise. Darry using it as a way to numb the pain.

Darry flinching whenever someone tries to touch him, or anytime he feels the slightest hint of anger, because he doesn't want to hurt anyone else. Darry panicking when Two-Bit slams a bottle down on the counter, because loud noises remind him too much of hitting Ponyboy. Darry wanting nothing more to hug Soda when he finally gets home, but not wanting to lose his other brother, too, at his fault.

Just... Pony dying at the fountain.

[cheezy-whizz]

Gay people will develop mental issues and make AT LEAST one of these movies their whole personality

[sunsbrightside]

i think I've been listening to Throwing in the Towel too much

[atomic-chronoscaph]

The Hunger (1983)

[hellothereimaloser]

His struggles are so valid ✊😭 Sad Sodapop hourssssss