48 Hrs. (1982)

There may have been buddy movies before, but 48 Hrs. (1982) broke the color barrier for the genre, laying the foundation for biracial box office stuff like Lethal Weapon (1987), See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) Rush Hour (1998), Blue Streak (1999) and Let's Be Cops (2014). Originally meant to be a Clint Eastwood vehicle, this flick was smart enough to cast Saturday Night Live funnyman Eddie Murphy in his first ever film role, and would launch his career as a legitimate movie star when it wound up being a huge hit. Murphy is Reggie Hammond, a con on 48-hour leave from prison to help a black-sheep cop, played grumpily by Nick Nolte, track down the prison escapee turned cop killer former partner of Reggie's, Albert Ganz (James Remar). Obviously, the cop and crook have an icy relationship at first, but eventually they grow close. However, as they chase the baddie, the question remains if Reggie's really committed to the straight and narrow or if he's got a trick up his sleeve. The storyline may not be that original, but it's never less than entertaining. Plus, there are enough skin flashes to keep the blood pumping between chase scenes and shootouts. Greta Blackburn plays a blonde hooker whose hooters and tight buns we see as she brushes her teeth naked, while Denise Crosby keep the boobs a-flapping while fighting off an attacker. Annette O'Toole looks fine even if covered in too many clothes, but if you really slow it down you'll see her flashing bush to Mr. Nolte. Plus, there's the nighty clad brown sugar of Olivia Brown, Suzanne Regard as a pasty and thong wearing cowgirl stripper, and Margot Rose in a pair of white panties, and you'll want to watch 48 Hrs. two-day! This is one movie to see with a special buddy, preferably the one in your pants.