80 Favorites of the ‘80s: 80-41
So, the 1980s is an important decade in this series. It is the most important for two reasons: 1) it was the decade that inspired this entire project and 2) it was the decade I was born into.
I started this project of counting down my favorites through time, because I started thinking about all of the ‘80s movies I love and how many of them were cut out of my 100 Favorite Movies of All Time list. I got inspired to make a 80 Favorites of the ‘80s list. That naturally led me to do the same treatment for most decades in film history.
The ‘80s were a pivotal decade in film history. It marked the end of the New Hollywood era and the beginning of the Modern Age, which would last for the following 20 years. While there will always be films with the sort of intelligence, craftsmanship, and innovative storytelling the New Hollywood era brought us, the Modern Age was when films became less intelligent. The movies of the ‘80s are defined by spectacle, action, and more popcorn gee-whiz factors than thought-provoking narratives. It became more about selling tickets and box office grosses, favoring multiplexes and cineplexes over theater palaces to produce more movies with more screenings.
The crime films and political thrillers that came from the ‘60s and ‘70s evolved into the cop action films like 48 Hours, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, and Beverly Hills Cop, among others. Horror became a wildly popular genre, spawning dozens of dime-a-dozen sequels to anything that was a modest hit. Science fiction also gained a lot more traction and it ran the gamut of quality from Blade Runner to Space Mutiny and any sci-fi horror in-between. Sex comedies were almost as pervasive as the horror genre and made up a large percentage of the comedy genre in the ‘80s.
There was something for everyone. That became more evident to audiences when the video store was created. Prior to the ‘80s everyone had to wait for a re-release in the theaters to see their favorite movies again. With the advent of the VHS people could own a copy of their favorite movies. But, because the MSRP on VHS was rather expensive, the desire to rent a copy of a movie you haven’t seen in a long time was highly desirable. Video rental stores - both private and corporate - popped up throughout the country all through the ‘80s. This gave some movies that performed poorly in theaters a second chance, becoming more successful on video. Consequently, this started to slowly change the theater-going appetite. This was when some people began to wonder “Why see that drama in the theater when I can watch it at home in a few months?”. Audiences started to favor the spectacle over the drama. By the end of the decade sequels and movies based on other IP made up at least half of the highest-grossing movies of the year as opposed to one or two movies. There were a lot less Coal Miner’s Daughters or Out of Africas by, say, 1988 then action films like Die Hard or comedies like Coming to America at the top of the box office.
I’ve seen over 480 movies from the decade at least once - and that’s just the ones I remember seeing. In a way this was the easiest list so far in the series - I had plenty of movies to choose from! In this case, however, it was difficult to cut it down to 80 movies. There’s at least 10 other films that could’ve made the list. But here are movies 80-41. Keep in mind that this is just my favorite movies; it is not intended to be a statement of quality as I’m sure you’ll find some of these films are indeed better than others. I hope it serves as a guide for those who have some catching up to do and need some direction. For others it’ll be an enjoyable read to look out for their favorites.
If you’re using a phone the rest of the article is best-viewed in landscape.
80. Willow (1988)
There weren’t a lot of great fantasy films in the ‘80s. That’s mostly due to practical limitations of bringing fantasy imagery believably to life on screen. Willow was one of the few that succeeded in terms of imagery, world-building, and original character designs. As an adult it leaves me wanting more from this world, but as a kid it was incredibly imaginative, captivating, and unforgettable.
78. Clue: The Movie (1985)
I think it’s safe to say that this film is the only good movie based on a board game. Adapting any IP, especially board games, wasn’t really a thing back in the ‘80s. So, Clue was unique. It was also hilarious with a script that managed to attract some top talent of the time: Tim Curry, Christopher Lloyd, Martin Mull, Madeline Kahn, Lesley Ann Warren, Michael McKean, and Eileen Brennan with appearances by Bill Henderson, Howard Hesseman, and Jane Wiedlin. It’s hilarious and quite a bit of fun. Most people these days who’ve seen the film are familiar with multiple endings, but theater-goers saw only one of the three endings randomly. It was the perfect cherry on top of a movie adapting a game with different results.
76. Always (1989)
This is one of Steven Spielberg’s most dismissed films. There’s an entire generation who probably has no idea this film exists. It was my introduction to Audrey Hepburn, who passed away not long after this film. But she plays a small part. The film is really about the love between Richard Dreyfuss and Holly Hunter. They have great chemistry together. John Goodman makes for a great BFF. I think there’s a lot to like about this film and it’s a shame it has a poor reputation.
74. Big (1988)
This is a movie that’s been difficult for me to place on this list. It’s not a movie that I gravitate to as much as other movies on this list, but it’s also such an iconic piece of ‘80s film history - and an important part of Tom Hanks’s career. It is one of Penny Marshall’s most successful and remembered films. It tapped into what it was like to be a kid in the ‘80s while also touching on how unprepared kids are for the dangers of the world. It’s a fun film and couldn’t be left off the list.
72. Look Who’s Talking (1989)
This movie’s concept is “what if we could hear what babies are thinking?”. It was comedy gold - literally, as it became one of the 5 highest-grossing movies of the year. Kirstie Alley was sexy, but also hilarious. Bruce Willis’s voice-over work was spot-on. And I credit this movie for resuscitating John Travolta’s career (granted he slummed it through the sequels before a certain Tarantino crime film cast him). But nobody cared about Travolta through most of the ‘80s. He got to flex his comedic chops here, which he never was allowed before, and it worked. Throw in a dash of Olympia Dukakis and Abe Vigoda and you’ve got a fun time.
70. Young Guns (1988)
I rewatched this film for the first time in a long time a while back expecting it to be really cheesy. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I still enjoy it. It’s about as cool as a western could get in the ‘80s: the Bon Jovi score, the cast, the Billy the Kid premise… What’s not to love? That cast though: Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, Terence Stamp, Jack Palance, Terry O’Quinn, Brian Keith and young Dermot Mulroney and Casey Siemaszko. It’s the most bad-ass western at that time since The Wild Bunch.
68. Beetlejuice (1988)
This is another movie that is wildly imaginative and succeeds in its world-building, yet almost wasn’t included simply because as an adult I’m left wanting more from it; it’s a fairly thin plot. That’s not to say I ever wanted a sequel (and Hollywood has been determined to give us one whether we want it or not)! But I have to acknowledge how this horror comedy about the supernatural world sparked my imagination and things like The Guide to the Recently Deceased have become just as iconic as the Leg Lamp in A Christmas Story. Everyone is a lot of fun here.
66. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
Of all of the horror franchises that popped up or were popularized in the ‘80s A Nightmare on Elm Street is my favorite. But most of the sequels are either mediocre or bad. This is easily the coolest sequel, because it introduces a group of characters that become a team united to take Freddy Krueger down. It’s also really creative with its kills without getting into the cartoonish violence that would define other entries. It also brought back Nancy, the final girl of the original film. You can basically ignore Nightmare 2 and go from the first to this film and be totally fine. For some, this is their favorite Elm Street movie and I can understand why.
64. Lost in America (1985)
One of my absolute favorite Albert Brooks movies. It’s an excellent comedic skewering of white middle class America in the mid-’80s. It’s also a hilarious movie about a married midlife couple who dreamed big and bit off more than they could chew. My wife and I occasionally quote the nest egg scene.
62. Road Warrior (a.k.a. Mad Max 2) (1981)
For decades this was the crown jewel of the Mad Max movies. It is just about everything that comes to mind when one thinks about a Mad Max movie: desolate landscape, outlandish vehicles, S&M fashion, the fight for petrol (guzzoline), epic stunts. Director George Miller would return to the barren well nearly 10 years ago and give pop culture another vision of what a Mad Max movie is that has since eclipsed this film. But Road Warrior, as it was called in the States, is an incredible piece of dystopian action cinema. No CGI. All practical effects and stunts. One stuntman was famously seriously injured from a stunt that catapulted them a couple dozen feet into the air.
60. On Golden Pond (1981)
I’m a little surprised this film didn’t rank higher on this list. But, despite its TV movie feel, I’ve always loved and been moved by On Golden Pond. It’s the final performance by Henry Fonda. It’s one of the last performances by Katharine Hepburn. It stars Jane Fonda as the daughter of Henry Fonda’s character who, it’s said, has as many issues with her father as Jane did with Henry. It’s a beautiful film with gentle and touching performances by Henry and Hepburn. It’s worth hunting down just for those two alone.
58. The Untouchables (1987)
This is one of my absolute favorite Brian De Palma movies. I’m a bigger fan of his big studio movies than his smaller crime films. This is one of the coolest crime films of the decade. This is one of the greatest movies based on a TV show. A lot of people forget this is based on a TV series. That’s partially because of the historical characters it revolves around. It’s also because De Palma was able to elevate the material to something grand and almost highbrow. Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, the underrated Charles Martin Smith, Robert De Niro, and Andy Garcia star. I believe Ennio Morricone also did the score.
56. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
As I mentioned before, this is my favorite horror series of the ‘80s. This came out at a time when most horror movies were about psychos running around killing people left and right. It was fairly rote, honestly. What Nightmare did was present an original idea, one that was somewhat supernatural and difficult to believe - and therefore more difficult for victims to get help, defeat, or survive. It was brilliant. And Freddy Krueger was terrifying. He didn’t just wield a machete or a knife - he had a hand of claws and could kill you in your dreams! Horror movies - especially slasher movies - rarely get this creative and cool.
54. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
We’re very much in this funky area of the list where it’s a bit tricky to rank each film. But here we have one of my most anticipated movies of 1988. I would check the video releases regularly in anticipation of this and Bill & Ted to be available to rent. My wife has since watched this almost every year, which adversely affected my love of the film, unfortunately. But back in the ‘80s seeing various cartoon characters from both Disney and other studios interact was something special. Add in there a film noir mystery and it’s cinephile catnip. Judge Doom terrified me and his demonstration of Dip is too painful for me to watch.
52. Three Amigos! (1986)
This is not a movie I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the past 30+ years. But when I did return to it as an adult I rediscovered a movie that is still very funny with one of the best leading trios of the decade. Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Chevy Chase are absolutely undeniable in this flick about three silent screen stars who get roped into a bad situation Seven Samurai style. Even the villain (Alfonso Arau) and his henchman (Tony Plana) are hilarious. I will still quote the “plethora of pinatas” line sometimes. Director John Landis was on an unstoppable hot streak from 1978’s Animal House to 1988’s Coming to America (with the exception of his segment in 1983’s The Twilight Zone: The Movie, which justifiably almost killed his career). Yet this is one of the only films of his to make my list.
50. The Blues Brothers (1980)
I grew up with this film based on an SNL sketch. It was a big deal in my family. It combined film and soul and traditional R&B. It starred Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, John Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, James Brown, and members of Booker T. & The MGs - what a great way to introduce legends of rock history! In addition to that the cast included Carrie Fisher, John Candy, Henry Gibson, Kathleen Freeman, Frank Oz, and Charles Napier - what more could you want?!
48. The Land Before Time (1988)
Don Bluth became a big name in animation in the ‘80s. For most of the decade he filled a void that Disney Animation Studios was not: quality animated stories. This is one of his best: a tale of friendship, innocence, and grief told through a group of dinosaurs. It was quite popular when I was growing up. As I recall, it was one of the films that was shown in my 2nd grade class. I had a Littlefoot stuffie growing up. And what kid isn’t fascinated by dinosaurs at some point? This film hit on something while also allowing room for laughter and tears in its short runtime.
46. The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
Now, most people under the age of 35 are not familiar with Romancing the Stone and its sequel. Most people who are prefer the original by Robert Zemeckis. It is a good adventure movie. But I always found it too dark and preferred its lighter, more fun sequel. Like many movies in the ‘80s it isn’t as sensitive to Middle Eastern cultures as it could be. But I enjoyed the villain plot more, the Nubian scenes, the “Spaced Invaders” scene, and Danny DeVito. I’ve quoted “hot coals” many times in my life. And I actually like a lot of the music in it. It’s what my mom would call “light entertainment”, which the ‘80s was full of. And I enjoy it.
44. Dragnet (1987)
This movie based on the classic sincere TV police procedural was so silly and fun that it became a family favorite. It was somewhat of a passion project for Dan Aykroyd, which is why he plays the Joe Friday straight man. But one of the things I really love about this movie is it gives us a comedic side of Tom Hanks that we haven’t seen in over 30 years. I would really love to see THIS Tom Hanks return; enough of the serious actor stuff. Also, I owned the soundtrack on cassette and still really like it.
42. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
This movie was a huge family movie hit. It had a great lead with Rick Moranis, but what really drew people in was its concept of teens and preteens being shrunk to an eighth of an inch and hiking through a backyard like it was the jungle. The visual effects and puppetry executed this concept so believably that everyone ate it up. It was one of the first great Disney live action movies in a very long time. The sequels? Not worth it.
79. Kagemusha (1980)
The cinematic master Akira Kurosawa made color films before like Dersu Uzala (a near miss for my 70’s list). But with Kagemusha and Ran it was like Kurosawa showed us that color film could be used as a tool not just a thing to use just because it exists. I prefer Kagemusha a bit over Ran, but the imagery in both films are striking. I prefer Kagemusha’s Prince-and-the-Pauper-like tale about a thief taking the place of a deceased warlord he resembles.
77. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
This is easily my favorite James Bond movie from the Roger Moore era. I’m not largely a fan of the Roger Moore era, as it is so distinct and wildly different from any of the other eras of the franchise - and, frankly, bad. It’s a toss-up between this and The Spy Who Loved Me as to which was the better film of the era since both had their issues. But I enjoy For Your Eyes Only more despite its issues, because of its theme song, the ass-kicking Carole Bouquet, and the third act.
75. Pet Sematary (1989)
This might be the movie that made me fall in love with Stephen King - and especially Stephen King movies. There were a lot of horror movies when I was growing up, but most seemed to be basic slice-and-dice flicks. Movies like Pet Sematary showed me that horror could tell a story and be about something. It plays more like a heart-wrenching melodrama with horror elements, but it made a big impression on me and has always been a favorite.
73. Tootsie (1982)
I think people forget how funny this movie is - and how the humor doesn’t revolve around “how funny is it that a guy is dressed as a girl?”. There’s a dignity to the Dorothy character that Dustin Hoffman really stressed and emphasized during filming. I think that’s one of the ingredients that makes Tootsie a great film.
71. The Great Outdoors (1988)
John Candy and Dan Aykroyd were untouchable as far as I was concerned in the ‘80s. I ate up just about every movie Candy starred in back then. The same went for Aykroyd; it’s why he’s one of my all-time favorite actors. This is perhaps the only film the two headlined together and it was a family favorite. Just about every part of it was unforgettable: Bart the Bear, the raccoons, Aykroyd trimming his nose hairs, the steak, the teenage love interest, ‘The Land of 1,000 Dances’. It’s one of several movies coming up that I grew up with that may not be top shelf, but I still enjoy.
69. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
I almost didn’t include this movie, but when I thought about the historic characters - Napoleon, Socrates (so-crates), and Genghis Khan - interacting in a shopping mall or ice cream parlor and how wildly popular this movie about two idiots in the California Valley was it earned a place on the list. It’s also the best of the trilogy.
67. Back to the Future Part II (1989)
This is not my favorite entry in the Back to the Future trilogy. I feel that way mostly because it spends more time in the alternate, darker 1985 than the future 2015. I love it for 2015. The 2015 scenes are fun. The dark 1985 is not fun. It’s rather unpleasant. For a while it was more closely aligned with our reality than its vision of 2015. But the future scenes were wide-eyed and full of possibility and potential. I feel like this movie is one of the last pieces of sci-fi movie optimism.
65. Black Rain (1989)
This is not the Michael Douglas / Ridley Scott film of the same name and year. This is a Japanese film by Shohei Immamura about what the Japanese citizens experienced after the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. It is one of the most jaw-dropping and impactful films I’ve ever seen. It’s also often quite touching and enlightening. Unfortunately, it’s also largely forgotten, especially by Western audiences. It’s worth hunting down.
63. Tampopo (1987)
Like Black Rain, Tampopo is a film I discovered in college and fell in love with quickly. This film is simultaneously one of the best movies about food and a satire on western films and their themes. It’s hilarious, wild, weird, and unforgettable.
61. UHF (1989)
By the time the “Weird Al movie” was released, it had been 6 years since Yankovic’s debut album, he had recently released an album that took aim at Michael Jackson, and he’d had a slew of popular music videos. The ‘80s and ‘90s was peak Yankovic. And UHF did for film and TV what his songs did for music. And it was hilarious. Not all of it is appropriate today. Some of the references and jokes were very much of their time. But there’s still something very original and unforgettable about this parody. Things like Wheel of Fish, Spatula City, and Gandhi II still crack me up today.
59. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
It’s been a while since I’ve seen the sequels, but I don’t think anything ever comes close to the original - and I don’t need another sequel! Eddie Murphy had recently broken big on film in 48 Hours and Trading Places. This film made him a big movie star. It was one of the most popular films of a year stuffed with iconic movies. And aside from a fairly brutal execution scene near the beginning, this film was a lot less violent than most cop movies in the ‘80s, so it’s often deemed “family friendly”. Regardless, this might be Murphy’s best film and best comedic performance. He’s excellent here. And the theme is one of the most popular movie themes of the ‘80s - so much so it actually got heavy rotation on the radio.
57. Flight of the Navigator (1986)
Here’s another sci-fi film that captured my imagination: a story about a boy and his mysterious connection to a spaceship. There’s a bit of time travel involved in the premise, which confused my little mind for years. But I loved the idea of being in a spaceship with a bunch of different aliens. Unfortunately, as an adult it leaves me wanting a bit as it has a short runtime and is mostly a quick jaunt back home. But the score by Alan Silvestri was awesome!
55. The Abyss (1989)
I almost forgot this rarely discussed James Cameron movie. When people think of James Cameron they usually think about Terminator, Aliens, Titanic, and maybe Avatar. This movie never comes up first, if ever. Yet I dig it and always have dug it. But I will never watch the theatrical cut, because it cut out most of the third act and makes very little sense. At the time, this was an innovative piece of film history, because it moved the needle on CGI and helped make morphing technology a thing for a while. I mostly enjoy it for its undersea drama and cast of characters.
53. The Breakfast Club (1985)
What can I say about The Breakfast Club? I can say I didn’t grow up with this film. It was on basic cable constantly throughout the ‘90s and I probably saw it first then once I became a teen. But it is John Hughes’s best directorial effort for a reason - even though it isn’t my absolute favorite and he wrote a couple of scripts I enjoy more. It’s the ultimate ‘80s teen movie. No teen movie compares to The Breakfast Club, I don’t care how fun they might be. It played with teenage archetypes that still resonate in some ways today. It remains one of the greatest teen movies ever. But I love it because of the cast and how the script creates empathy for all of its characters - even the adults.
51. The Terminator (1984)
This film was basically James Cameron’s first film from beginning to end. Even if you were to count his work on Piranha II: The Spawning this is still an incredible leap forward in filmmaking for such a new talent. It’s ultimately a serial killer movie with a sci-fi premise. But that sci-fi premise is one of the greatest in film history.
49. Highlander (1986)
This is another of several movies on this list that I grew up with. This film played a pivotal role in my discovery of my favorite band, Queen (another film coming up also helped). It had one of the coolest concepts of the ‘80s: immortals wandering the earth, fighting to the death, until only one remains. ‘How could immortals die?’ you may ask. Well, by having their heads chopped off, of course! Makes sense to me, anyway… This film also introduced me to Clancy Brown and I’ve had a love of him ever since.
47. The Last Starfighter (1984)
This is a film that wasn’t talked about much by anyone I knew growing up, but was popular in my home. It was a unique take on the hero’s journey via sci-fi and managed to create a universe with spaceships and aliens that was very original, which was not an easy task by this point when Star Wars, Star Trek movies, and everything in-between already existed. I believe this was my introduction to Robert Preston and is still one of my favorite roles of his. And it’s one of the few ‘80s movies that I think could work with an update. I know a sequel from the creator has long been in development hell. But maybe a remake using current gaming tech would be a better direction. At any rate, I think this movie had a lot of potential and I enjoy it’s sense of fun and peppering of darkness.
45. Iron Eagle (1986)
This film came out 5 months before Top Gun. I was never a fan of Top Gun. I was an Iron Eagle fan. It is quite a bit xenophobic and that won’t pass muster with most these days. But I loved Louis Gossett, Jr. and Jason Gedrick. I loved the team of teens that work together to help Jason’s character create a mission to save his POW father in the Middle East. And I loved the soundtrack. One major cut from the soundtrack was Queen’s ‘One Vision’. This and Highlander served as a one-two punch towards Queen fandom. The sequels suck from what I hear.
43. Oliver and Company (1988)
If you’d told me 5 years ago that this movie wouldn’t make it to my 25 favorite movies of the ‘80s I’d think you’re crazy. Yet here I am making this list and here the movie sits where it’s at. I love this movie. I always have. Up until a couple of years ago when I watched every Disney animated movie and wrote about them I was a staunch defender of this film as the film that got Disney back on track - not The Little Mermaid. I was wrong. But I do love this movie. I love its cast. I love the soundtrack, which I had on vinyl growing up. I remember it took FOREVER for it to be released on VHS - 8 years, in fact. Despite its unrefined style I’ve always been a big fan of this movie.
41. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
What a title! It immediately indicates to you you’re in for a fun, pulpy good time. This was also a family favorite. It was a sci-fi movie about a physicist, neurosurgeon, test pilot, and rock star and his band of friends who foil an alien invasion. It stars Peter Weller, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, John Lithgow, Christopher Lloyd, Clancy Brown, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schaivelli, Dan Hedaya, and Bill Henderson. That is a really stacked cast. Unfortunately, the film bombed despite having a fairly light opening weekend. Maybe that’s why the video store clerks never knew what I was talking about when I asked for this movie 20 years ago. I do wish it made enough money to fund a sequel back in the day.
That concludes the first half of this list. Soon I’ll share the last 40 movies of my 80 Favorites of the ‘80s. Until then feel free to share your thoughts about any of these movies below. I hope there’s already some new discoveries for you to dig into.