by Sam Juliano
Alex Garland’s “Civil War”
I was asked by several friends not to reveal SPOILERS, so this will restrict what I can report on my screening of CIVIL WAR. Visceral and terrifying, the film is a dystopian exploration of the societal breakdown of order and how witnesses of some jolting acts of gun violence stay the course in chronicling the horrors with their cameras. Kirsten Dunst is brilliant in conveying the densification in an episodic journey greater than the sum of its parts. It is often sloppy and overly bombastic but undeniably powerful. The last twenty minutes of the film are extraordinary. 4/5
“Come On Eileen” Named Best Popular Song of 1982!
The biggest surprise of all our song polling was confirmed when Voting Tabulator Angelo A. D’Arminio Jr. sent the results of the 1982 song polling this morning. The coronation of the British group Dexys Midnight Runners and the Emerald Express’s “Come On Eileen” was eye-opening because the song didn’t open in the US until January 1983. However, it debuted in the UK in the summer of 1982, and our voters went with that time frame. The vote was exceedingly close, with several songs bunched near the top! “Come On, Eileen” won with 190 votes, followed by “1999” by Prince (185),” “I Melt with You” by Modern English, (185) “Steppin Out” by Joe Jackson (184) and “More Than This” by Roxy Music (173) 43 ballots were cast!
1 Come On Eileen – Dexys Midnight Runners 190
2 1999 – Prince 185
3 I Melt with You – Modern English 185
4 Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson 184
5 More Than This – Roxy Music 173
6 Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye 163
7 Atlantic City – Bruce Springsteen 157
8 Abracadabra – Steve Miller Band 142
9 Don’t You Want Me – The Human League 140
10 Rock the Casbah – The Clash 137
11 I Love Rock ‘n Roll – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts 134
12 Town Called Malice – The Jam 126
13 Maneater – Hall & Oates 125
14 Eye of the Tiger – Survivor 124
15 Back on the Chain Gang – Pretenders 123
16 Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash 123
17 White Wedding (Billy Idol) 119
18 Here I am- Air Supply 118
19 Dirty Laundry – Don Henly 117
20 IGY – Donald Fagen 115
21 Gloria – Laura Braningan 108
22 Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics 108
23 Shoot Out the Lights – Richard & Linda Thompson 106
24 Shock the Monkey-Peter Gabriel 94
25 The Message – Grandmaster Flash 92
26 Eminence Front – The Who 87
27 Always On My Mind – Willie Nelson 84
28 Senses Working Overtime – XTC 76
29 Save It for Later (The English Beat) 75
30 Love My Way (Psychedelic Furs) 74
31 Avalon – Roxy Music 73
32 Shake It Up – The Cars 72
33 Somebody’s Baby-Jackson Browne 72
34 Don’t Stop Believing – Journey 71
35 Ebony and Ivory…McCartney / Wonder 68
36 Temptation – New Order 62
37 Private Eyes (Hall & Oates) 58
38 She Blinded Me With Science – Thomas Dolby 57
39 Hold Me – Fleetwood Mac 54
40 Cat People (Putting Out Fire), David Bowie 53
41 Who Can It Be Now…Men At Work 53
42 You Got Lucky (Tom Petty) 52
43 Gypsy (Fleetwood Mac) 51
44 Our House – Madness 50
45 Do I Do (Stevie Wonder) 47
46 Edge of Seventeen…Stevie Nicks 47
47 Hungry Like the Wolf” – Duran Duran 47
48 Only You – Yaz 45
49 Up Where We Belong—–Joe Cocker-Jennifer Warnes. 45
50 I Can’t Go For That (Hall & Oates) 42
43 ballots cast.
Best Popular Songs of 1983 polling!
Once again, Billboard’s song list and any song from any album are eligible. As always, we have overlaps, as some songs that made our 1981 Top 50 are again prominent on the 1981 Billboard. I won’t vote for the same song again, but everyone can vote for any. My own Top 20 are, as usual, presented in alphabetical order:
Africa (Toto)
All Night Long (Lionel Richie)
Baby, Come to Me (Patti Austin & James Ingram)
Billie Jean (Michael Jackson)
Burning Down the House (Talking Heads)
Every Breath You Take (The Police)
Every Day I Write the Book (Elvis Costello)
Hello (Lionel Richie)
King of Pain (The Police)
Maneater (Hall & Oates)
The More I See (Fun Boy Three)
Never Gonna Let You Go (Sergio Mendas)
One on One (Hall & Oates)
Radio Free Europe (R.E.M.)
Sunday Bloody Sunday (U2)
Thriller (Michael Jackson)
Total Eclipse of the Heart (Bonnie Tyler)
Truly (Lionel Richie)
Twilight Zone (Golden Earring)
Wrapped Around Your Finger (The Police)
————————-TOP 100 1983——————————-
1 “Every Breath You Take” The Police
2 “Billie Jean” Michael Jackson
3 “Flashdance… What a Feeling” Irene Cara
4 “Down Under” Men at Work
5 “Beat It” Michael Jackson
6 “Total Eclipse of the Heart” Bonnie Tyler
7 “Maneater” Hall & Oates
8 “Baby, Come to Me” Patti Austin and James Ingram
9 “Maniac” Michael Sembello
10 “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” Eurythmics
11 “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me” Culture Club
12 “You and I” Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gayle
13 “Come On Eileen” Dexys Midnight Runners
14 “Shame on the Moon” Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
15 “She Works Hard for the Money” Donna Summer
16 “Never Gonna Let You Go” Sérgio Mendes
17 “Hungry Like the Wolf” Duran Duran
18 “Let’s Dance” David Bowie
19 “Twilight Zone” Golden Earring
20 “I Know There’s Something Going On” Frida
21 “Jeopardy” The Greg Kihn Band
22 “Electric Avenue” Eddy Grant
23 “She Blinded Me with Science” Thomas Dolby
24 “Africa” Toto
25 “Little Red Corvette” Prince
26 “Back on the Chain Gang” The Pretenders
27 “Up Where We Belong” Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
28 “Mr. Roboto” Styx
29 “You Are” Lionel Richie
30 “Der Kommissar” After the Fire
31 “Puttin’ on the Ritz” Taco
32 “Sexual Healing” Marvin Gaye
33 “(Keep Feeling) Fascination” The Human League
34 “Time (Clock of the Heart)” Culture Club
35 “The Safety Dance” Men Without Hats
36 “Mickey” Toni Basil
37 “You Can’t Hurry Love” Phil Collins
38 “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” Journey
39 “One on One” Hall & Oates
40 “We’ve Got Tonight” Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton
41 “1999” Prince
42 “Stray Cat Strut” Stray Cats
43 “Allentown” Billy Joel
44 “Stand Back” Stevie Nicks
45 “Tell Her About It” Billy Joel
46 “Always Something There to Remind Me” Naked Eyes
47 “Truly” Lionel Richie
48 “Dirty Laundry” Don Henley
49 “The Girl Is Mine” Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney
50 “Too Shy” Kajagoogoo
51 “Goody Two-Shoes” Adam Ant
52 “Rock the Casbah” The Clash
53 “Our House” Madness
54 “Overkill” Men at Work
55 “Is There Something I Should Know?” Duran Duran
56 “Gloria” Laura Branigan
57 “Affair of the Heart” Rick Springfield
58 “She’s a Beauty” The Tubes
59 “Solitaire” Laura Branigan
60 “Don’t Let It End” Styx
61 “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You” Laura Branigan
62 “China Girl” David Bowie
63 “Come Dancing” The Kinks
64 “Promises, Promises” Naked Eyes
65 “The Other Guy” Little River Band
66 “Making Love Out of Nothing at All” Air Supply
67 “Family Man” Hall & Oates
68 “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin'” Michael Jackson
69 “I Won’t Hold You Back” Toto
70 “All Right” Christopher Cross
71 “Straight from the Heart” Bryan Adams
72 “Heart to Heart” Kenny Loggins
73 “My Love” Lionel Richie
74 “I’m Still Standing” Elton John
75 “Hot Girls in Love” Loverboy
76 “It’s a Mistake” Men at Work
77 “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya” Culture Club
78 “All This Love” DeBarge
79 “Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy” Sammy Hagar
80 “Heartbreaker” Dionne Warwick
81 “Faithfully” Journey
82 “Steppin’ Out” Joe Jackson
83 “Take Me to Heart” Quarterflash
84 “(She’s) Sexy + 17” Stray Cats
85 “Try Again” Champaign
86 “Dead Giveaway” Shalamar
87 “Lawyers in Love” Jackson Browne
88 “What About Me” Moving Pictures
89 “Human Nature” Michael Jackson
90 “Photograph” Def Leppard
91 “Pass the Dutchie” Musical Youth
92 “True” Spandau Ballet
93 “Far from Over” Frank Stallone
94 “I’ve Got a Rock ‘n’ Roll Heart” Eric Clapton
95 “It Might Be You” Stephen Bishop
96 “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
97 “You Got Lucky” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
98 “Don’t Cry” Asia
99 “Breaking Us in Two” Joe Jackson
100 “Fall in Love with Me” Earth, Wind & Fire