Surprising TWIST on Brat Pack Discovered - Brats Review

Hulu Summary: Feature documentary Brats follows Andrew McCarthy reuniting with and interviewing fellow Brat Packers to answer: What did it mean to be part of the Brat Pack? Watching this movie, I drifted between being endeared towards Andrew McCarthy, the brat pack, the nostalgia for that time and also wondering what this documentary was actually about. I think it's a really good movie and I highly recommend it. But I do have a few questions that I try to answer in this video. Some of these questions in the events that occur in the movie are surprising, some of them are very unexpected, some quite bizarre and some of them are just unanswered.
#BratPack #MovieReviews #filmdiscussion
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[@ibjmac187]

I should be so lucky to suffer the Brat Pack’s kinda trauma 😂

[@TroyDRamos]

Hahaa it’s definitely a pouty kind of trauma

[@KrisBryant99]

Right???😅

[@dddpercent]

This documentary is connecting to a lot of people because Andrew got blindsided/derailed by something he wasn’t a part of. He wasn’t a part of the interview by Blum but he got hurt most by it in his eyes. Nelson was probably the one hurt most by it but at least he was there. It cost McCarthy a working relationship with Estevez if not a friendship. It did cost him the one movie Emilio mentioned. Most people can point to a moment in their life that is most regrettable and it is even harder to make sense of it if you didn’t get to defend yourself adequately. It made me think of moments in my life

[@TroyDRamos]

Very interesting, yes. I definitely think there’s some truth and what you’re saying. And I think one of the good things about this whole situation is that, like you say, it makes you reflect upon moments in your own life. I’ve been doing the same.

[@christophernoto]

Well done, Troy! 🎉 A thoughtful take on the doc, The Pack, and the process. I’m enjoying your engagement with your channel. 👍👍

[@TroyDRamos]

Thanks!! I appreciate that! Yeah interesting flick and cultural moments around these actors. And glad you’re enjoying it, appreciate seeing you around and you watching!

[@jasonkerest394]

First of all- full disclosure- I am Team Blaine for those who may ask. That said... I watched the Documentary and came to some similar conclusions. There was a very poignant moment that came about 2/3 the way through the Documentary when Andrew McCarthy talked about the Pretty In Pink premier at Mann's Chinese Theater, and he said he got drunk with James Spader across the street and then did an impromptu interview with Entertainment tonight or something, and he seemed sad or down in that moment, and then Andrew McCarthy said "That was the whole 1980's for me". I get the sense that he was at the height of his fame and presumably the height of his career, and he didn't enjoy it when he was there. And I suppose it may sound mean to say, but, Andrew McCarthy was typecast in some of those rolls as the sensitive nice guy, which was a troupe in the 80's, BUT, by the '90's that wore thin. 90's character could be sensitive, but needed an edge to them. I can make the same case for Jon Cryer too that he didn't have that edginess that a Christian Slater had in Heathers or Pump up the Volume. The one roll I could have seen him play was in the movie Singles playing the James LeGros character of "Andy"(!!!), the quote "sensitive ponytail man". Sorry Andrew McCarthy if you read this and feel I'm down on you. I do like your work. An at least you didn't have the career of C. Thomas Howell who starred in Soul Man. Just saying.

[@TroyDRamos]

I really like what you’re saying here I think that’s right. And man, you’re really right about the 90s. You had to have an edge to you. I mean, look at John Travolta. And it’s hard to think of Andrew McCarthy as being someone who could be in a Tarantino movie or something edgier like the big Lebowski or whatever. I don’t want to digress, but the 90s was real edgy movie decade that gets stronger as time goes on. Anyway, I think you read I get the sense that he didn’t appreciate what he had. I just wonder why make this now then? Does he still not appreciate it? Probably just the therapy session, but hopefully it gave him some sort of closure.

[@TroyDRamos]

By the way, I think Tarantino is probably one of the edger things, I don’t think big Lebowski is edger than that. I just meant edgier than Andrew McCarthy. He’s always the reference point just to clarify ha ha

[@melissaedwards8936]

Great review and your point of view was pretty spot on!!! ❤

[@TroyDRamos]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate that and I appreciate you watching. I’m not sure what kind of interest you have in the bratpack or with the era or how much this era will resonate with people in general, but I’m always happy when it gets attention. I think it’s a pretty interesting time ❤️❤️❤️

[@avavangaard5296]

I agree with your review. AM is soooo hung up on this I feel it has overtaken his life. The others have also been far more successful in my opinion. I thought it was just kind of sad to be honest.

[@TroyDRamos]

Oh yeah totally. I wasn’t expecting it but that’s exactly right I think. And if you look at almost all of the others, they’ve had really big success and appreciate it. It’s a shame cuz I do think AM is a good actor but I think he’s held himself back

[@lucaswilliams4476]

Only Demi and Tom went on to become legends and tom wasn't even a big part of it. Rob lowe would have had toms career if it wasn't for the sex tape thing. So Demi was the enduring survivor of the whole thing

[@TroyDRamos]

I was really impressed with Demi Moore in this movie. She feels like it seems like she’s well grounded, has a really good perspective on things. I think she’s been through a lot. I think there’s a lot of things to learn from her. And so I’m glad he had that conversation with her. I don’t know if it’s gonna help him ha ha. I don’t know if anyone can help him but himself. But I do really like what she had to say.

[@eddierascalhaskell4954]

I liked it. I just thought the absense of Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall was disappointing.

[@TroyDRamos]

Totally agree! I really love Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall and I would’ve loved to have seen them in that. I would love to hear anything from Molly Ringwald. I think she’s really fascinating. Anthony Michael Hall seems like a really really nice guy. He’s been on a lot of podcasts recently and he seems to have a really great attitude with a lot of gratitude. So maybe he didn’t really want to take part for, that reason perhaps? I’ll have to look this up, but I’m trying to think if Anthony Michael Hall and Andrew McCarthy were in a movie together ever? I’m sure they knew each other.

[@drlarrymitchell]

I see your Taps (1981) and raise you Class (1983). And about last night was just a Hollywood snooze that happened to star a few brat packers.

[@TroyDRamos]

Class! I gotta write all these down and have a long weekend of 80s movies that I haven’t seen or haven’t seen in a while

[@MrBdiddypop]

Great review. I liked the documentary. What a time to be a young Hollywood stud muffin. You didn’t have the paparazzi documenting all your debauchery. I mean these guys must have been so high on life. All these guys were young, handsome, gaining wealth rapidly, and starring in all these classic movies. I think Andrew McCarthy likely wasn’t going to be a gritty, serious actor. As he’s gotten older, he’s had a few guest roles on tv shows and he’s really good. He often plays tortured guys. He was on “The Resident”’and played a young doctor’s dad who was a former alcoholic who abandoned the family. He’s good at portraying a underlying well of pain. I would’ve liked to have known who talked smack about McCarthy. If I had to guess, I think it might’ve been either Judd or Emilio. But just speculating. I get the feeling that these guys were a bit more traditionally masculine and didn’t know what to make of him and felt a bit threatened.

[@TroyDRamos]

I think your spot on with all that. I suspect it might’ve been Emilio. And that really changes the dynamic when you look at the interview at Emilio‘s house in this documentary. He had this look on his face like maybe he was open to reconnecting, but now that I Have read the article it kind of maybe looks a little bit like (I never really like this guy, but I’m in this documentary because it’s exposure)? I don’t know. Interesting though. Hey, thanks for your kind words! I really appreciate it and I really appreciate you watching. Thank you. And I totally agree about being an actor at that time. I think that would’ve been the best time though I think anytime would be a good time.

[@MrBdiddypop]

@@TroyDRamos Yes, any time would be pretty great to be a successful actor. I was a kid of the 80's and I enjoyed all these movies and watched them on cable. I liked the actors and the music. I actually remember really like McCarthy in "Mannequin" which is a pretty terrible movie when you watch in now. Oh well, I guess when your about 10/11, your tastes aren't as refined. :)

[@TroyDRamos]

@MrBdiddypop yeah I haven’t watched mannequin in a long time, but I have watched a few scenes here there on KZbin and it doesn’t look like it holds up. I started watching pretty in pink last night though and that seems OK. So far. He’s done have held up I think. but it is interesting how things look differently when you get older.

[@ems1544]

Blum wrote a followup last week and let slip that Emilio said it. I don’t think they ever disliked each other, I think they just didn’t know each other well. Emilio said the only reason he agreed to talk about the brat pack was because Andrew asked, so I didn’t sense dislike, just lingering regret and awkwardness. I bet he apologized off camera.

[@Thathorrorguy12FU]

The article was terrible because every single member and the rest as well were great actors and still are. Andrew McCarthy was doing some of his best work in BRATS.

[@TroyDRamos]

Agreed!

[@emanuellawton7942]

Andrew McCarthy comes across as bitter, angry and self indulgent. He clearly has not gotten over the fact that his career suffered as a result of being labeled as part of the Brat Pack.

[@TroyDRamos]

Agreed and also, it’s entirely possible his career suffered from his anger and not the label! He does have talent imo, and the others didn’t let that stop them

[@emanuellawton7942]

@@TroyDRamos Yes, the other actors decided that they were not going to allow that label define who they are as a person or an artist.

[@haroldlebo2005]

There might be a bit of rivalry considering blum only meant McCarthy once, on the other hand Nelson, Ringwald, McCarthy, john qrier who???

[@TroyDRamos]

Hmm yeah maybe, that’s interesting

[@KrisBryant99]

Andrew was basically bitching threw out the documentary but his issue is that he just stopped doing good movies after a while. And the article was basically building him up but Andrew took it personally because he was so young at the time. The Andrew was the one who killed his own career doing bad movies after a while

[@TroyDRamos]

I think that’s totally right. He LET the article stop him cuz that was his choice. He has talent, look at the others… they did incredible work

[@dlamancha5697]

Awesome review! I just had a thought on the term "Brat Pack." Remember that scene in 16 Candles where Anthony Michael Hall was making martinis like he'd been making them all his life, with "New York, New York playing in the background? Well, I think it was GENIUS that the Writer Blum picked that up with the play on words Rat Pack/ Brat Pack. I wonder if John Hughes had it in mind himself? Anyway, I found the documentary a huge disappointment. The Brat Pack and actors were all over in the 80's. Girls wanted to be Molly Ringwald. There were even commercials emulating the actors! I wanted to see all of them talking about what they are doing now. Instead, we got a borderline hostile, definitely confrontational McCarthy even with his co stars at times. He didn't seem happy, then or now. That story Rob Lowe told about the Brat Packers going to Sammy David Jr.'s house is a prime example (one of the original Rat Packers) When he said 'I love what you are doing," it still wasn't enough for McCarthy. It would have been enough to sustain me for 100 years! McCarthy does not seem comfortable in his own skin. It's too bad that a man who has so much, can't recognize itl

[@TroyDRamos]

I love this comment! There’s so much to think about thank you! And thank you for your kind words about my review and thanks for watching! OK, first of all, I didn’t remember the scene in 16 candles until you mentioned it. I’ll have to go back and watch it. That is a really interesting moment. I don’t know if there are any coincidences? But that certainly was something. David Blum probably thought I would imagine. Maybe he’s not even aware of it? And I couldn’t agree more about Andrew McCarthy. I think he’s just gonna forever. Try to make people feel sorry for him because of an article. He didn’t like 40 years ago. And it’s a shame because he has talent. And you’re right about Rob Lowe and Sam Davis. And I’m the exact same way of any of those people, had ever said anything nice about my work. It would’ve sustained me for a century at least as well.

[@drlarrymitchell]

More than East Coast/West Coast, I think there's an agism thing. Punching down. Rewind the clock by 40 years. The man who wrote the article is 28, writing about a gaggle of young 20s actors, all suddenly being inundated with more money, pussy, acclaim and clout than he knows he will touch in his lifetime. Twenty eight is old enough to start getting bitter about stuff, and I think that david bloom was.

[@TroyDRamos]

Yup totally agree. Man bitter at 28 is a bad path to go down

[@bartsullivan4866]

There were so many young stars in that decade Michael J Fox, Patrick Dempsey, Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Robert Downey Jr, James Spader, Kevin Bacon, Christian Slater, Charlie Sheen. Outside of the label brat pack young adult films is what was selling at the time Hollywood has always been a bandwagon type of industry like the raunchy slutty teenage comedy of the early 1980's (god bless them for those type of movies by the way.) I still think Demi and Emilio's careers did not suffer from the article they were still getting cast and doing well into the early 90's. Maybe Andrew Macarthy should have told us all the rolls he auditioned for and didn't get or wonders why he didn't get cast. Seems like a lot of the stars of that decade rebounded nicely into TV shows in today's market Jon Cryer, James Spader, Charlie Sheen, Patrick Dempsey. So Demi was correct in the show Andrew probably just couldn't market himself or needed a better agent to get back on the horse or back in the game. Rob Lowe I am sure is cashing a lot of high numbered checks from the Hallmark channel even if its just the same movie plot over and over and over. G rated romance perhaps Andrew should have gone that route.

[@TroyDRamos]

Yeah, that’s an interesting point about Andrew McCarthy getting specific. Which roles did he not get? There’s probably no way to prove that. Again, I think he thought of himself in such high regard. Maybe he didn’t do the work needed to get into a position to even get offered those things. And yeah, I totally agree about everyone else. They really seem to enjoy a lot of success. That’s why I say that I think Moore was right when she pointed out to him that he basically was holding onto it while the rest of them just kept going and broke through.

[@bartsullivan4866]

@@TroyDRamos Your right outside of the weekend at Bernie's movies I can't remember too many other films he was even in. Hollywood actors always go through a hot and cold cycle even the very best. I look at stars from the 70's that reemerge from nowhere when they haven't been onscreen in years then suddenly hot again. Betty White, Jackie Earl Halle. John Travolta went through this kind of thing until Pulp Fiction came out. I think its harder on the women because looks fade over time unless your Beverly De Angelo she'll still be hot at 90. Andrew had that preppy kind of look to him kind of like Patrick Dempsey and really needed to get out of that image maybe if he would have tried playing a villain or against type might have done well for him like Richard Gere in Internal Affairs plays such a jerk so well in that film. Or go the Gordon Gecko route of being a totally ruthless businessman and he doesn't seem to have that edge about him to get those roles.

[@TroyDRamos]

Yeah, I think that’s right. Those hot and cold streaks. Have you read Quentin Tarantino‘s book cinematic speculation? I think it’s in this book or maybe it’s a conversation he had online about hiring John Travolta for pulp fiction. It’s a really cool story. You know Travolta was down and couldn’t get work and Tarantino wanted to meet up with him to hire him for Pulp fiction and so he met him on Abbott Kinney near Venice Beach. And he was saying that they couldn’t go anywhere because people kept crowding around him and Travolta trying to get to John and tell him how much they love him and I love his work and he means so much to them, etc. Like they had to get out of there. And what Tarantino said is really fascinating. He said, ‘I knew at that moment that Hollywood was bullshit because even though the culture didn’t think he was popular through the prism of news and current movies and talkshows, etc., this guy was a fucking star because he was getting mobbed everywhere we went’. And so I guess that kind of sealed the deal for him to say, I gotta get this guy in my fucking movie. He’s a star. It’s just that Hollywood for some reason has cold shouldered him when the public hasn’t at all.

[@EdwardBlack-y4d]

Emilio's and Rob Lowe's career arguably flourished in the wake of the moniker. While Rob Lowe ran with it until his sex tape scandal, Emilio wanted to REALLY be taken seriously as an actor and aspiring director. And the majority of projects he was getting were not going to help, but he kept working. Demi managed to get away from it by taking arguably "not Brat Pack" style material, and while it took a few years, and a LOT of tabloid drama, she did the best out of them all. The article was pretty spot on regarding the anonymous remark about McCarthy. Nearly everything he did was done in a brooding style. The fact that he actually had a couple of hit films (both screwball comedies) only showed that he was able to turn off that style to be marketable. Ringwald and Hall were both teenagers when it all happened. It took a very long time, but they were finally able to get away from the moniker. Ringwald did it by getting out of the country and working in France, only occasionally popping up in Hollywood. Hall made the curious career move by joining SNL.

[@crescendo5594]

Did any of their careers suffer as a result of that label? I would make the opposite claim that it extended a lot of their careers. Plus, Andrew has at least one movie beyond this point that a lot of people look back on fondly. How many times have you referenced Weekend At Bernies? I think he’s the only one who couldn’t get past it. None of the other popular actors talk about it much, if at all. Even the ones who didn’t want to be in his documentary have no qualms celebrating their films from that era.

[@TroyDRamos]

Yeah, that’s totally right. That’s why I think this whole documentary became like a therapy session for him. I’m not sure what he intended to happen. I would love to know that. Because I don’t think it went the way he thought it was going to go. I think he’s probably actually mad at the fact that he didn’t take advantage of it like you’re saying. He could’ve used it for good but he become a negative thing it seems like.

[@crescendo5594]

@@TroyDRamos Yeah, it’s very bizarre. The phenomenon was so much bigger than that article and label. Not many people think back to 1985 in relation to “the brat pack”. They think about the movies themselves, the characters, or maybe the perceived personas of the actors. I have a hard time placing myself in his shoes.