The 100 Greatest movies of the 80s #1 Aliens (3 Viewers)

[El Floppo]

Mostly.

 

[timschochet]

Midnight Run was a fun film. Really enjoyed it as I recall. I don’t think it’s good enough for my list.

 

[timschochet]

No Midnight Run?

Yeah thats a shocking omission
Not sure theres enough material to do an 80s movie redux not featuring movies on Tims list, but im freaking tempted

Do it.

I will do a 90s list because this was so much fun, but it will be a while. So please do this.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Yup, Aliens was what I was thinking.

I prefer the extended version if only for the scene about Ripley's daughter dying. It makes her connection to Newt much stronger.

 

[Don Quixote]

If I’m allowed to wager a guess, this guy would know the answer.

The answer is always… Aliens.

 

[northern exposure]

Man, I'm really worried a very overrated movie that hasn't aged well and didn't deserve its awards is going to take this.

Whew...

What was your overrated movie?

 

[zamboni]

Raiders rules. And I'm positive I know what #1 is - and I'm pretty happy with Tim's top 3.

I'm about 98% sure I know what #1 will be. It's Tim, so he could make a wild left turn here, but I doubt it.

I was wrong. I would have sworn it was going to be Once Upon a Time In America.

That would have been an excellent choice. A stunning film.

 

[Hastur]

Raiders rules. And I'm positive I know what #1 is - and I'm pretty happy with Tim's top 3.

I'm about 98% sure I know what #1 will be. It's Tim, so he could make a wild left turn here, but I doubt it.

I was wrong. I would have sworn it was going to be Once Upon a Time In America.

That would have been an excellent choice. A stunning film.

It didn't make Tim's top 100. Pretty surprised by that actually.

 

[northern exposure]

Raiders rules. And I'm positive I know what #1 is - and I'm pretty happy with Tim's top 3.

I'm about 98% sure I know what #1 will be. It's Tim, so he could make a wild left turn here, but I doubt it.

I was wrong. I would have sworn it was going to be Once Upon a Time In America.

That was one I mentioned in PMs with Blocked Punt. Also thought Tim might have Sophie's Choice, My Left Foot, Terms of Endearment or Blue Velvet on his list.
For comedies, A Fish Called Wanda and Weird Science belonged in the top 100.

 

[TripItUp]

8. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

Directed by: Rob Reiner

Starting: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer

not in my top 20 but cracks the top 100...one of those you kinda had to have been there movies.

 

[TripItUp]

7. Do The Right Thing (1989)

Directed by Spike Lee

Starring: Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, John Turturro, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Robin Harris

An incident in New York City in which a black man is choked to death by a police officer leads to a riot.

Again, great movie but not a film that would make my top 20. Would be in my top 100.

 

[Don Quixote]

Raiders rules. And I'm positive I know what #1 is - and I'm pretty happy with Tim's top 3.

I'm about 98% sure I know what #1 will be. It's Tim, so he could make a wild left turn here, but I doubt it.

I was wrong. I would have sworn it was going to be Once Upon a Time In America.

That was one I mentioned in PMs with Blocked Punt. Also thought Tim might have Sophie's Choice, My Left Foot, Terms of Endearment or Blue Velvet on his list.
For comedies, A Fish Called Wanda and Weird Science belonged in the top 100.

No Ran or Wings of Desire either. But I recall Tim mentioning in the 1970s thread that he does not really do foreign films. At least KP and 80s gave foreign films a bit more love when they did their thread.

 

[timschochet]

Raiders rules. And I'm positive I know what #1 is - and I'm pretty happy with Tim's top 3.

I'm about 98% sure I know what #1 will be. It's Tim, so he could make a wild left turn here, but I doubt it.

I was wrong. I would have sworn it was going to be Once Upon a Time In America.

That was one I mentioned in PMs with Blocked Punt. Also thought Tim might have Sophie's Choice, My Left Foot, Terms of Endearment or Blue Velvet on his list.
For comedies, A Fish Called Wanda and Weird Science belonged in the top 100.

No Ran or Wings of Desire either. But I recall Tim mentioning in the 1970s thread that he does not really do foreign films. At least KP and 80s gave foreign films a bit more love when they did their thread.

I love both those films but I decided to make foreign films ineligible. I also loved Kurosawa’s Dreams as well.

‘

 

[STBootleg]

No Gymkata?

 

[timschochet]

There is a Nicholas Roeg film. Insignificance, that I should have included.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

There is a Nicholas Roeg film. Insignificance, that I should have included.

How ironic.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

No Midnight Run?

Yeah thats a shocking omission
Not sure theres enough material to do an 80s movie redux not featuring movies on Tims list, but im freaking tempted

Do it.

I will do a 90s list because this was so much fun, but it will be a while. So please do this.

I maybe need an assist if i do. Want to make someone who knows international films well.

Raiders rules. And I'm positive I know what #1 is - and I'm pretty happy with Tim's top 3.

I'm about 98% sure I know what #1 will be. It's Tim, so he could make a wild left turn here, but I doubt it.

I was wrong. I would have sworn it was going to be Once Upon a Time In America.

That was one I mentioned in PMs with Blocked Punt. Also thought Tim might have Sophie's Choice, My Left Foot, Terms of Endearment or Blue Velvet on his list.
For comedies, A Fish Called Wanda and Weird Science belonged in the top 100.

Keep talking. Shocked Wanda didnt make it as well.

Raiders rules. And I'm positive I know what #1 is - and I'm pretty happy with Tim's top 3.

I'm about 98% sure I know what #1 will be. It's Tim, so he could make a wild left turn here, but I doubt it.

I was wrong. I would have sworn it was going to be Once Upon a Time In America.

That was one I mentioned in PMs with Blocked Punt. Also thought Tim might have Sophie's Choice, My Left Foot, Terms of Endearment or Blue Velvet on his list.
For comedies, A Fish Called Wanda and Weird Science belonged in the top 100.

No Ran or Wings of Desire either. But I recall Tim mentioning in the 1970s thread that he does not really do foreign films. At least KP and 80s gave foreign films a bit more love when they did their thread.

I love both those films but I decided to make foreign films ineligible. I also loved Kurosawa’s Dreams as well.

‘

Why would you make foreign films ineligible?
That leaves plenty of material for an alternate 100.
No Road Warrior? Jebus.
The Last Emperor was a foreign film. Many others are co-productions

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Bull Durham - it's better than Hoosiers.

What isn’t?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

The Last Emperor was a foreign film. Many others are co-productions

Yeah but the second half was a mess and extremely dull. That has to be worth something.

 

[timschochet]

Foreign LANGUAGE films!

 

[FarFromHome]

Bull Durham - it's better than Hoosiers.

What isn’t?

Yentl? Or was that a rhetorical question? Ha ha

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

i like gremlins

 

[BlackCrowes]

"Hey Vasquez, have you ever been mistaken for a man"
"No, have you?"

 

[TripItUp]

6. Die Hard (1988)

Directed by: John McTiernan

Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Reginald Veljohnson, Alexander Gudenov, Bonnie Bedelia

Synopsis: An off duty New York cop must save his wife and other hostages during a highly sophisticated robbery in Los Angeles

Easy top 5 for me and holds up amazingly well.

 

[TripItUp]

4. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Directed by: Irvin Kershner

Starring: Mark Hamil, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, and the voices of Frank Oz, Anthony Daniels, and James Earl Jones

Would have no issue if it were #1.

 

[TripItUp]

3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Drew Barrymore

Oof, on my all time overrated list.

 

[TripItUp]

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Directed by: Steven Spielberg

Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Denholm Elliot, John Rhys-Davies

Synopsis: Archeologist/adventurer Indiana Jones seeks the legendary Ark of the Covenant

could be my #1 all time

 

[TripItUp]

1. Aliens (1986)

Directed by: James Cameron

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Paul Reiser, Bill Paxton, Jeanette Goldstein

No issues here. Holds up amazingly well...total banger.

 

[TripItUp]

Back to the Future, The Natural (not ranked) and Fast Times are the biggest misses for me.

The overrated movies are getting hammered by the consensus here so no reason to go there.

 

[Psychopav]

So no judgment because I have already thought of 2 TV series that should have made my personal top 70 but I didn't even recall when starting my list to begin with...BUT...

No Coming to America is a glaring omission to this list imo. I am curious whether that was intentional or oversight.

 

[Tau837]

Unless I missed some, Tim's list did not include these movies that would be in my top 100 favorite 1980s movies (listed here in alphabetical order, not ranked order):

Spoiler

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street
2. A Soldier's Story
3. Absence of Malice
4. All the Right Moves
5. An Officer and a Gentleman
6. Arthur
7. Batman
8. Better Off Dead
9. Black Rain
10. Dead Calm
11. Fatal Attraction
12. First Blood
13. Fletch
14. Good Morning, Vietnam
15. Jagged Edge
16. Lethal Weapon
17. Major League
18. Monty Python's Meaning of Life
19. National Lampoon's Vacation
20. No Way Out
21. Pale Rider
22. Planes Trains & Automobiles
23. Real Genius
24. Return of the Jedi
25. Road Warrior
26. Romancing the Stone
27. Splash
28. Stop Making Sense
29. The Big Chill
30. The Color of Money
31. The Mean Season
32. The Natural
33. The Outsiders
34. The Verdict
35. The Wall
36. To Live and Die in LA
37. Trading Places
38. Valley Girl
39. Vision Quest
40. Witness

[*]

IMO there are some truly egregious omissions here... I used the spoiler tag for those who want to hold out for a second 100 countdown.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

Unless I missed some, Tim's list did not include these movies that would be in my top 100 favorite 1980s movies (listed here in alphabetical order, not ranked order):

Spoiler

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street
2. A Soldier's Story
3. Absence of Malice
4. All the Right Moves
5. An Officer and a Gentleman
6. Arthur
7. Batman
8. Better Off Dead
9. Black Rain
10. Dead Calm
11. Fatal Attraction
12. First Blood
13. Fletch
14. Good Morning, Vietnam
15. Jagged Edge
16. Lethal Weapon
17. Major League
18. Monty Python's Meaning of Life
19. National Lampoon's Vacation
20. No Way Out
21. Pale Rider
22. Planes Trains & Automobiles
23. Real Genius
24. Return of the Jedi
25. Road Warrior
26. Romancing the Stone
27. Splash
28. Stop Making Sense
29. The Big Chill
30. The Color of Money
31. The Mean Season
32. The Natural
33. The Outsiders
34. The Verdict
35. The Wall
36. To Live and Die in LA
37. Trading Places
38. Valley Girl
39. Vision Quest
40. Witness

[*]

IMO there are some truly egregious omissions here... I used the spoiler tag for those who want to hold out for a second 100 countdown.

you didn't have Gremlins either! Does no one but me like that movie or something?

 

[Gr00vus]

As I've been saying, there's definitely more than enough to do a 2nd 100 (or more).

 

[BlackCrowes]

Unless I missed some, Tim's list did not include these movies that would be in my top 100 favorite 1980s movies (listed here in alphabetical order, not ranked order):

Spoiler

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street
2. A Soldier's Story
3. Absence of Malice
4. All the Right Moves
5. An Officer and a Gentleman
6. Arthur
7. Batman
8. Better Off Dead
9. Black Rain
10. Dead Calm
11. Fatal Attraction
12. First Blood
13. Fletch
14. Good Morning, Vietnam
15. Jagged Edge
16. Lethal Weapon
17. Major League
18. Monty Python's Meaning of Life
19. National Lampoon's Vacation
20. No Way Out
21. Pale Rider
22. Planes Trains & Automobiles
23. Real Genius
24. Return of the Jedi
25. Road Warrior
26. Romancing the Stone
27. Splash
28. Stop Making Sense
29. The Big Chill
30. The Color of Money
31. The Mean Season
32. The Natural
33. The Outsiders
34. The Verdict
35. The Wall
36. To Live and Die in LA
37. Trading Places
38. Valley Girl
39. Vision Quest
40. Witness

[*]

IMO there are some truly egregious omissions here... I used the spoiler tag for those who want to hold out for a second 100 countdown.

The Natural and Trading Places would make my top 20

 

[Klimtology]

No Coming to America?

 

[Gr00vus]

In the face!

 

[Don Quixote]

The Naked Gun missed out too.

 

[northern exposure]

Planes, Trains & Automobiles from Tau837's list was a big miss too.

"Those aren't pillows!"

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

Foreign LANGUAGE films!

So what about Road Warrior or Gallipoli?
Or was Mel Gibson verboten?
Crocodile Dundee, Breaker Morant, Dead Calm, Young Einstein lol

 

[zamboni]

Foreign LANGUAGE films!

So what about Road Warrior or Gallipoli?
Or was Mel Gibson verboten?
Crocodile Dundee, Breaker Morant, Dead Calm, Young Einstein lol

Meatballs

 

[Todem]

Foreign LANGUAGE films!

So what about Road Warrior or Gallipoli?
Or was Mel Gibson verboten?
Crocodile Dundee, Breaker Morant, Dead Calm, Young Einstein lol

Meatballs

1979

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

one of my faves

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Foreign LANGUAGE films!

So no Crocodile Dundee? Crikey!

(I see several of us have had this reaction.)

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I may be the only person here who has never seen Aliens. I have no idea why I haven't seen it.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

one thing I want to point out. this category is just very broad

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls098979210/

according to that there were over 1500 movies

 

[timschochet]

Foreign LANGUAGE films!

So what about Road Warrior or Gallipoli?
Or was Mel Gibson verboten?
Crocodile Dundee, Breaker Morant, Dead Calm, Young Einstein lol

Road Warrior was a miss. Breaker Morant I strongly considered and just missed out. I didn’t consider the others.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

I may be the only person here who has never seen Aliens. I have no idea why I haven't seen it.

huh?

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I may be the only person here who has never seen Aliens. I have no idea why I haven't seen it.

huh?

I really like SIgourney Weaver. She's great in everything.

Including Working Girl (1988).

 

[zamboni]

Foreign LANGUAGE films!

So what about Road Warrior or Gallipoli?
Or was Mel Gibson verboten?
Crocodile Dundee, Breaker Morant, Dead Calm, Young Einstein lol

Meatballs

1979

Sorry - Meatballs II

 

[Willie Neslon]

Fatal Attraction? The Verdict?