9 Sushi Scenes in 1980s Movies
Sushi made its way into American popular culture in the 1980s from Japan with a big detour in California and NYC. Although easily available today, Americans viewed sushi as exotic cuisine for the fashionable and elite in the 80s. Sushi was trendy, extravagant, and even futuristic. You don’t have to take my word for it. Here are 9 sushi scenes in 1980s movies as artifacts that preserved the attitudes toward sushi during that time.
Bladerunner (1982)
Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) gives narration throughout the film in the original version of Ridley Scott’s slow-burning classic, “Bladerunner”. Later cuts omitted this narration (for the best). In the original character introduction, Deckard’s voiceover states,
“Sushi. That's what my ex-wife called me - cold fish.”
When Deckard takes his seat at the White Drag noodle bar, he asks for four orders of fish. For whatever reason, the sushi master (his character is indeed called the sushi master, played by Bob Okazaki. Look it up) only wants to give him two. Is there a shortage of fish? Deckard also orders noodles. He then rubs his chopsticks together like a savage gaijin. This no doubt irritated etiquette-conscious Japanese audiences.
This scene set in Los Angeles is full of neon and Asian-inspired urban imagery. In the 1980s, Japan was booming. Japan invented and produced most the technologically advanced products. Americans idealized Japan, and Asia more broadly, as futuristic and a model for how the entire world would someday be. Sushi was part of this novel world of an ultra-modern… 2019.
kazuchoice gives a good comparison of the original and Final cuts. The Final Cut omits the sushi line.
Valley Girl (1983)
In 1983’s “Valley Girl”, punkers Randy (Nicholas Cage) and Fred (Cameron Dye) attend a party of preppies in the Valley. They aren’t exactly welcomed with open arms. The social pariahs make their way to the hors d'oeuvre table and find an exotic snack they’d never seen.
Fred asks, “What do we got going here, a bait shop?”
Surprised of their ignorance, Suzi answers, “Well, like, its sushi, don't you know? Like, this here is tuna, that's flying fish egg, and that's sea urchin.”
The guys watch future yuppies chow down on raw fish with revulsion. I would have been a bit squeamish myself because they were serving pistachio paste sushi. What’s up with that? I’m not sure if this was a joke, or if pistachio paste sushi was a thing in 1980’s Southern California. Either way, this scene is a great early example of how sushi became popular among wealthy and trendy, and a peculiar oddity to everyone else.
Milo also finds sushi revolting. Watch Jamie try to change his mind.
Easy Money (1983)
Monty (Rodney Dangerfield) inherits millions from his vexatious mother-in-law in 1983’s “Easy Money” (Rodney’s first lead role). Monty and his pal Nicky (Joe Pesci in his first comedic role) are on a yacht when a geisha approaches with a tray of sushi. Nicky askes, "Do you have any salami or provolone?"
Although subtle, this short scene highlights how sushi was trendy and exotic in the 1980s in two ways:
Economic class: Monty and Nicky are working-class Joes. They’d prefer to snack on something more traditional and accessible like cured pork sausage and cheese..
Generational: Monty and Nicky are middle age. Many of us resist nonnative cuisine as we age. Our tastebuds become set in their ways.
Repo Man (1984)
In 1984’s “Repo Man” starring Emilio Estevez, there’s a short scene with a punk couple on a crime spree. When his girlfriend prompts him to go commit crimes, Duke (Rick Rude) suggests, “Yeah. Yeah! Let’s go eat sushi, and not pay!”
This scene demonstrates that, in 1980s America, sushi was often prohibitively expensive for many people. Although sushi is still not a budget meal today by any means, it is accessible to a wide population and fairly affordable. Here in Issaquah, Washington, we can get a reasonably priced sushi for lunch at grocery stores. Even Costco is now selling sushi in larger servings! In 80s America, sushi was for the few. Now, sushi is for everybody.
Jamie says,
“Sushi for everybody!”
The Breakfast Club (1985)
The lunch scene in John Hughes teen classic, “The Breakfast Club” is one of the most memorable sushi scenes in 1980s Cinema. When it’s time to eat for the kids in detention, trendy Claire (Molly Ringwald) pulls out a bento box with sushi. Its complete with a wooden stand, chopsticks and a dish for soy sauce. Baffled, Bender (Judd Nelson) asks, “What’s that?”
Claire responds, “Sushi”. She shrugs as if the exotic lunch was normal. Its 1985 after all. “Rice, raw fish, and seaweed.”
The kids are all confused and a bit disgusted.
Bender says, “You won’t accept a guy’s tongue in your mouth and you’re gonna each that?”
This is the quintessential 1980s movie sushi scene. If you only watch one on this list, it should be this.
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
In 1985’s “Desperately Seeking Susan”, Susan (Madonna) is in a cab, doing her make up. The taxi driver says:
"I’ve lived in New York all my life. We used to have Chinese restaurants, Italian restaurants… now you have these sushi restaurants. Everyone goes for sushi. Sushi… I hate sushi. I had some of that sushi the other night - took it home, warmed it up - tasted just like fish!"
Susan rolls her eyes.
The driver monologue is interesting. He laments the shrinking ethnic eateries of established immigrants. Then, he openly displays his animosity for the introduction of a new, trendy ethnic cuisine. Is this because it is new and trendy? Is this because there is animosity toward the Japanese for the war, or because the Japanese started building better cars? Perhaps this disdain merely derives from the dislike of raw seafood?
In any case, this is another great example from cinema exploring old-school, blue-collar attitudes toward the proliferation of sushi in the 1980s.
Dragnet (1987)
1987’s comedic remake of the classic television police drama presents yet another scene pitting trendy against traditional. During their lunch, Detective Pep Streebek (Tom Hanks) offers his partner Sergeant Joe Friday (Dan Aykroyd) some sushi. Friday replies, "raw tuna isn't my bag" and starts into his sausage.
Streebek then educates Friday on the production of a wurst in the worst way: “Okay. Do you know the things that can fall into an industrial sausage press, not excluding hairs and bug excriment?
Friday rebutes in the only way he should: “I hate you Streebek”.
There’s nothing more fitting to exhibit the culinary conflict of the 1980s than a handheld sausage versus a tray of nigiri with chopsticks.
Wall Street (1987)
“Wall Street” from 1987 in one of the most yuppie films of the 80s, with among the most yuppie characters making the most yuppie things.
There’s a particular scene where Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) is making dinner in his posh New York apartment with girlfriend Darien Taylor (Daryl Hannah) that deserves a complete walkthrough:
The scene starts with the song “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) by The Talking Heads. Darien pulls out the rack of a toaster oven to check on some sort of triangular pastries. I’m not sure what they are, but I guess they are empanadas, because my podcast cohost Milo is a trendy dude and makes those from scratch with his wife.
We then see that Darien is drinking white wine, passing by fresh clams in the sink, then grabbing fresh pasta from a pasta maker gadget and throwing it into a colander. I don’t know why fresh pasta would go into a colander. If they plan on rinsing it, they are fake gourmands indeed.
Darien then opens the freezer and almost spills her wine as she drops a pint of Häagen-Dazs. She picks it up and… puts in in a microwave and turns it on… What’s up with that? I’m missing something here.
The music changes to what I believe to be the Italian opera song, “Rigoletto” and we witness Bud making sushi… with a gadget that molds individual nigiri rice mounds. I repeat: Bud has an electric sushi mound maker!
Bud and Darien make Todd and Margo look like the Griswolds.
Earth Girls Are Easy (1989)
There’s a scene in 1989’s “Earth Girls Are Easy” where Valerie (Geena Davis) takes an inventory of her aphrodisiacs, which includes a tray of sushi.
Did California valley girls consider sushi to be an aphrodisiac in the 1980s? I think this is a comedic bit, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t.
I couldn’t track down a video or image of this scene, and I don’t have more to write about it. Thus, I present to you a gallery of sexy Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum to act as an enhancement to your sushi aphrodisiac.
You’re welcome.
Are there any sushi scenes in 1980s movies that I missed? Drop me a note in the comments. Until next time, I leave you with this quote that sums up the rise of sushi in America pretty well:
“Think of the sushi trend that started in the ‘80s. It was as much about the Nintendo Entertainment System in your living room as it was about the availability of good-quality raw fish. The Japanese food trend rose as the world of Japanese business and culture was becoming a bigger part of American life.”
Taking a stroll down late-night tv, we’re joined by Katie of the Retromade podcast to discuss our memories of USA Up All Night.