Tampabay.com
NOVEMBER 07, 2007

'All cowboys ain't dumb. Some of 'em got smarts real good'

Urbancowboy The Country Music Awards are on TV tonight, so you know what that means: Time to break out all the old 80s DVDs and watch something far more entertaining.

And anything would be more entertaining to me. Still, the 80s were full of movies that revolved around country music. (And by far, most of them were truly awful).

Here are five worth remembering (but not worth watching):

NINE TO FIVE (1980): Not a lot of country music, but that dreaded theme song from Dolly Parton still haunts my dreams.

URBAN COWBOY (1980): Vinnie Barbarino as a cowboy? That's about as believable as a religion based on worshiping space aliens.

COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER (1980): Which name sounds more country -- Sissy Spacek or Loretta Lynn? Someone tell me if this movie was any good, because I was never bored enough to watch it.

TENDER MERCIES (1983): A movie with Wilford Brimley and I still don't like it? Robert Duvall won an Oscar for his role as a recovering alcoholic country singer (is there any other kind?).

RHINESTONE (1984): One of the worst movies of the 80s. Think of this: Someone in Hollywood saw "Urban Cowboy" and thought, "If Travolta can play a hick, then so can Stallone!" And you wonder why there's a writer's strike.

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About the blogger

Relive the '80s music, movies and culture with Tampa Bay Times entertainment news editor Steve Spears. A teen during the greatest decade ever, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.

E-mail Steve Spears:
stuckinthe80s@tampabay.com
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