Personal Best (1982)

Mariel Hemingway plays as an Olympic-caliber pentathlete, and Scott Glenn is her demanding coach. The film excels at presenting the beauty and grace of the athletes through slow motion and the complications of girlfriends competing against each other.

d: Robert Towne | imdb.com | Arm wrestling | the first part

The King of Comedy (1983)

Obsessed fan Robert De Niro doesn’t just want to be like his idol — talk show host Jerry Langford (played by Jerry Lewis) — he wants to be him. The dark comedy is an indictment of America’s celebrity culture, and it was long ahead of its time.

d: Martin Scorsese | imdb.com | trailer | movie | Critics’ Choice