Review of the Eighties

A Cultural Review of the Eighties

Decades can be difficult to define, in part because the culture and mores of a period often transcend any single expansive theme or subject. In the collective imagination, the eighties are bold and animated; they represent a riotous recalibration of everything from pop music to mainstream cinema. This week, we’re bringing you a selection of pieces about the art and culture that helped define the era. In “A Girl of the Zeitgeist,” Janet Malcolm profiles Ingrid Sischy, the savvy Artforum editor who helped transform Manhattan’s art scene during the early part of the decade. In “At Mr. Chow’s,” Jamaica Kincaid writes about attending a party in honor of Culture Club and the band’s lead singer, Boy George. Pauline Kael reviews Ridley Scott’s science-fiction masterpiece “Blade Runner” and explores the cinematography of violence in Brian De Palma’s innovative gangster film “Scarface.” In “A House Divided,” Judith Thurman considers Toni Morrison’s deft examination of slavery’s legacy in her fifth book, “Beloved.” Brendan Gill reviews “Glengarry Glen Ross,” David Mamet’s dark comic play about the underbelly of salesmanship, and Edith Oliver writes about the Broadway première of August Wilson’s “Fences.” In “Open and Shut,” Terrence Rafferty explores the colloquial vivacity of Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” and, in “Lies, Lies, and More Lies,” Rafferty reflects on the psychological tension in Steven Soderbergh’s début film, “sex, lies, and videotape,” and critiques the screwball charm of Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron’s comedy “When Harry Met Sally.” In “Demoniasis,” Brad Leithauser examines the themes of identity and spirituality in Salman Rushdie’s novel “The Satanic Verses.” In “Up from the I.R.T.,” Calvin Tomkins chronicles the rise of graffiti art and considers the unconventional work of young artists such as Keith Haring. Finally, in “Smooth Pebbles at Southfork,” Michael J. Arlen presents a deeply immersive review of the popular evening soap opera “Dallas.” (Yes, you read that right—The New Yorker published an eight-page review of “Dallas,” in 1980.) We’re living in alarming, uncertain times; we hope that this look back at an earlier decade provides an enjoyable respite for you this weekend.

—Erin Overbey, archive editor