Three Totally 80’s, Totally Idaho Movies You Didn’t Know Existed

This weekend, instead of the usual, slick, special effects-heavy, big star-driven blockbuster on Netflix, Hulu, or wherever you get your movies, try something different. Try something local. Try something old. Try a film set in Idaho, but produced in the 80's.  Since they didn't get their due when they were new, let's give them a shot in 2020. After all, it's not like there's a lot of other things to do. Some of these might even surprise you and be good!

Moving
"Moving" is a 1988 R-rated comedy about a guy named Arlo, who takes a job without many details. The biggest of those details was that he had to move his family from New Jersey to Boise, Idaho. The movie is packed with star-power. Richard Pryor stars with cameos from Randy Quaid, Dana Carvey, Rodney Dangerfield, Stacey Dash, singer Morris Day of The Time, and WWE wrestler, King Kong Bundy. Filmed in both California and Boise, the movie opened #4 at the box office and didn't improve, grossing just over 10 million dollars. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 33%.

Empire Of Ash 2
Empire of Ash 2 is a Canadian post-apocalyptic film that didn't get much attention when it was released in 1988 and has yet to really find an audience. Perhaps the title, "Empire of Ash 2," threw people off since there wasn't an "Empire of Ash 1." Actually, "Empire of Ash 2" was simply titled "Empire of Ash." When it was released on DVD, it was given its new title. The movie, set in 2050 in what is called "New Idaho," since the old one was lost in a nuclear war. They have survived the war and a virus, but now they are being chased by mutants. TV Guide said that the movie had "no saving graces," but it did get a sequel. "Empire of Ash 3" (which was really "Empire of Ash 2," since "Empire of Ash 2" was really "Empire of Ash") was also released in 1989.

The Being
"The Being" is a classic example of what happens when someone with a lot of money has no idea what to do with it. A millionaire hires a recent college graduate, with no previous experience, to write and direct a movie. Then that millionaire hires three Oscar award-winning actors to star in it. The plot is about a scientist and a mayor saving Pottsville, Idaho, from a monster that lives in a nuclear dump. The monster spends most of the movie, killing people and leaving slime everywhere. The New York Times called it "abysmal." It was so bad that it took more than two years for the movie to be released after it was completed. It was filmed entirely in Boise, though, so how bad can it be? Rotten Tomatoes gives it 19%.