The 100 Greatest movies of the 80s #1 Aliens (7 Viewers)

[timschochet]

78. The Goonies (1985)

Directed by: Richard Donner

Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Kerri Green, Jeff Cohen

Synopsis: A group of kids trying to save their home from foreclosure discover a treasure map.

I love the dark. I LOVE the dark. But I hate nature. I HATE nature! - Jeff Cohen as Chunk.

One of the great kids movies of the 80s. Really a Spielberg film though he is uncredited outside of being its producer. It has that Spielberg feel, the wonder of adventure. On a side note, I always kind of liked the Cyndi Lauper tune.

 

[Jayrod]

78. The Goonies (1985)

Directed by: Richard Donner

Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Kerri Green, Jeff Cohen

Synopsis: A group of kids trying to save their home from foreclosure discover a treasure map.

I love the dark. I LOVE the dark. But I hate nature. I HATE nature! - Jeff Cohen as Chunk.

One of the great kids movies of the 80s. Really a Spielberg film though he is uncredited outside of being its producer. It has that Spielberg feel, the wonder of adventure. On a side note, I always kind of liked the Cyndi Lauper tune.

I felt like this movie (and another that SHOULD come much later in the rankings) was a huge influence on the Stranger Things series.

Bunch of misfit kids running all over town on bikes on some secret mission while parents are AWOL with a creepy element....80's nostalgia at its finest.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

78. The Goonies (1985)

Directed by: Richard Donner

Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Kerri Green, Jeff Cohen

Synopsis: A group of kids trying to save their home from foreclosure discover a treasure map.

I love the dark. I LOVE the dark. But I hate nature. I HATE nature! - Jeff Cohen as Chunk.

One of the great kids movies of the 80s. Really a Spielberg film though he is uncredited outside of being its producer. It has that Spielberg feel, the wonder of adventure. On a side note, I always kind of liked the Cyndi Lauper tune.

I felt like this movie (and another that SHOULD come much later in the rankings) was a huge influence on the Stranger Things series.

Bunch of misfit kids running all over town on bikes on some secret mission while parents are AWOL with a creepy element....80's nostalgia at its finest.

There’s a reason why Sean Astin got cast in Stranger Things.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

78. The Goonies (1985)

Directed by: Richard Donner

Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Kerri Green, Jeff Cohen

Synopsis: A group of kids trying to save their home from foreclosure discover a treasure map.

I love the dark. I LOVE the dark. But I hate nature. I HATE nature! - Jeff Cohen as Chunk.

One of the great kids movies of the 80s. Really a Spielberg film though he is uncredited outside of being its producer. It has that Spielberg feel, the wonder of adventure. On a side note, I always kind of liked the Cyndi Lauper tune.

I felt like this movie (and another that SHOULD come much later in the rankings) was a huge influence on the Stranger Things series.

Bunch of misfit kids running all over town on bikes on some secret mission while parents are AWOL with a creepy element....80's nostalgia at its finest.

It's not just The Goonies. The 80's was a decade of child empowerment and it's reflected big time in the movies. There wasn't the later dichotomy of kids are either a) helpless or b) imbued at birth with superpowers. Regular kids could DO things if they just mustered the courage and savvy to do them.

I could go further, but I'm sure other examples of this will be reflected in this countdown.

 

[Hastur]

Of the 22 that have been listed so far, 4 are on my top 100

 

[Gally]

I have seen six of the top eighteen.

I am 12 of the top 22

 

[Manster]

Goonies, and Ghostbusters ranked waaaaaaay too low, imo. Both top 10-15 for me

 

[timschochet]

77. WarGames (1983)

Directed by: John Badham

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, Ally Sheedy, John Wood

Synopsis: A computer hacker nearly starts World War III.

A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess? - Joshua the Computer.

1983 was the beginning of owning personal computers. It was the year I graduated high school and my parents gave me a Commodore 64. That was the hot item at the time.

And so this movie came out, and the technology is really dated but the story was tense and carried you along. It’s a brainy high school movie but it’s also somewhat in the same genre as Failsafe and other nuclear doomsday stories. Very enjoyable flick.

 

[rockaction]

Greetings, Professor Falken. Would you like to play a game?

 

[Hastur]

77. WarGames (1983)

Directed by: John Badham

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, Ally Sheedy, John Wood

Synopsis: A computer hacker nearly starts World War III.

A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess? - Joshua the Computer.

1983 was the beginning of owning personal computers. It was the year I graduated high school and my parents gave me a Commodore 64. That was the hot item at the time.

And so this movie came out, and the technology is really dated but the story was tense and carried you along. It’s a brainy high school movie but it’s also somewhat in the same genre as Failsafe and other nuclear doomsday stories. Very enjoyable flick.

This came out when I was 13. Pure nostalgia for me. Love it.

 

[rockaction]

1983 was the beginning of owning personal computers. It was the year I graduated high school and my parents gave me a Commodore 64.

For those of us that didn’t have computers at home, we joined the Computer Club at our computer lab in the middle school. I was twelve. We got so much *** in Computer Club and the rep to get even more ***. Totes cool. We clacked away on Apples and Commodore 64s. I wanted an Apple IIc so badly at home. We got an IBM. SO. MUCH. ***.

I would later earn an A+ as a senior in high school in BASIC computer programming, which earned me even more *** along the way.

“Did you hear about [rock]?”

“Yeah, that ****in’ A+ in BASIC?!"

“Too right. Oy, I bet he’d program three of those murals for some of that ***!”

 

[Fantasy_Freak]

90. Fandango (1985)

Directed by: Kevin Reynolds

Starring: Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson, Sam Robards

Synopsis: During the Vietnam War, a group of friends in Texas head to the Mexican border to dig up a bottle of champagne.

There’s nothing wrong with going nowhere, son. - Kevin Costner as Gardner

A forgotten classic, and one of my personal favorites on this list. (I learned upon reading the Wiki page that it is also one of Quentin Tarantino’s all time favorite films.) Costner, who will have a prominent place in this countdown, shines in his debut role. The parachute school sequence remains fixed in my memory- so good

90. Fandango (1985)

Directed by: Kevin Reynolds

Starring: Kevin Costner, Judd Nelson, Sam Robards

Synopsis: During the Vietnam War, a group of friends in Texas head to the Mexican border to dig up a bottle of champagne.

There’s nothing wrong with going nowhere, son. - Kevin Costner as Gardner

A forgotten classic, and one of my personal favorites on this list. (I learned upon reading the Wiki page that it is also one of Quentin Tarantino’s all time favorite films.) Costner, who will have a prominent place in this countdown, shines in his debut role. The parachute school sequence remains fixed in my memory- so good.

Love this movie, faintly forgot about it until I just read your list. Love the parachute scene, "ARCH, ARCH."

 

[BlackCrowes]

great movie. the whole Joshua guessing the launch codes was thing was kind of silly. if you can guess one at a time, kind of defeats the point.

 

[SFBayDuck]

78. The Goonies (1985)

Directed by: Richard Donner

Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Kerri Green, Jeff Cohen

Synopsis: A group of kids trying to save their home from foreclosure discover a treasure map.

I love the dark. I LOVE the dark. But I hate nature. I HATE nature! - Jeff Cohen as Chunk.

One of the great kids movies of the 80s. Really a Spielberg film though he is uncredited outside of being its producer. It has that Spielberg feel, the wonder of adventure. On a side note, I always kind of liked the Cyndi Lauper tune.

The golden age of movies filmed in Oregon. Started of course with Animal House ('78), then Personal Best ('82), Goonies ('85), and Stand By Me ('86).

I'd even add Up the Creek ('84) with Tim Matheson basically playing Otter from Animal House with his old buddy Flounder and Pee Wee from Porky's, all on a raft on the Deschutes. But that movie won't make any "best of" lists.

 

[nightmare]

78. The Goonies (1985)

Directed by: Richard Donner

Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman, Martha Plimpton, Kerri Green, Jeff Cohen

Synopsis: A group of kids trying to save their home from foreclosure discover a treasure map.

I love the dark. I LOVE the dark. But I hate nature. I HATE nature! - Jeff Cohen as Chunk.

One of the great kids movies of the 80s. Really a Spielberg film though he is uncredited outside of being its producer. It has that Spielberg feel, the wonder of adventure. On a side note, I always kind of liked the Cyndi Lauper tune.

The golden age of movies filmed in Oregon. Started of course with Animal House ('78), then Personal Best ('82), Goonies ('85), and Stand By Me ('86).

I'd even add Up the Creek ('84) with Tim Matheson basically playing Otter from Animal House with his old buddy Flounder and Pee Wee from Porky's, all on a raft on the Deschutes. But that movie won't make any "best of" lists.

"That's Chinese for down river!"

"Who's oooooo??"

Movie Cheese at it's best.

 

[timschochet]

76. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Directed by: Martin Brest

Starting: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton

Synopsis: A Detroit police officer heads to Beverly Hills on his free time to try to solve the murder of his best friend.

Tell Victor that Ramon- the fella he met about a week ago? Tell him that Ramon went to the clinic today, and that I found out that I have, um, herpes simplex 10, and that I think Victor should go check himself out with his physician and make sure he’s fine before things start falling off the man - Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley.

A showcase for Eddie Murphy’s great comic talents, and an entertaining cop movie. I remember this movie made a LOT of money, and it was pretty enjoyable.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

A showcase for Eddie Murphy’s great comic talents, and an entertaining cop movie. I remember this movie made a LOT of money, and it was pretty enjoyable.

I think that's what makes this movie so different - it could have been a action/drama "cop movie" but Eddie Murphy was dropped into it and invited to work his schtick.

 

[BlackCrowes]

i'm not gonna fall for a banana in the tailpipe

 

[Gally]

i'm not gonna fall for a banana in the tailpipe

I think we already did with this low ranking.

 

[Gally]

76. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

This is really the first ranking that I think is way off. There have been others that thought should have been much higher but for some reason this one is really striking me as out of order. I would likely have this is a top 10-15 80's movie.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

i'm not gonna fall for a banana in the tailpipe

I actually got so mad at contractors working on the unit above mine, that I asked to stop working at 10:00 pm at night when the building rules state all construction must end by 5:00pm (after the Russian leader threatened to “bury me” if I didn’t walk away) that I stuck a banana In their trucks tailpipe the next morning.

I eventually realized it was the wrong way to handle it and I removed it an hour later - but it was surely inspired by Beverly Hills Cop.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

Lovely soundtrack.

 

[timschochet]

75. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Directed by: Robert Zemekis

Starring: Bob Hoskins, and the voices of Charles Fleisher and Kathleen Turner

Synopsis: Toon Town star Roger Rabbit is accused of murder.

I’m not bad; I’m just drawn that way. - Kathleen Turner as Jessica Rabbit

Great concept for a film, and I may be in the minority here but I never feel that it quite lives up to its potential. The opening sequence is absolute money, and so are a few of the other scenes. But overall the whole doesn’t quite equal the sum of its parts, IMO. Uneven. Still great, still belonging on this list, but not quite as high as some might place it.

 

[John Maddens Lunchbox]

76. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

This is really the first ranking that I think is way off. There have been others that thought should have been much higher but for some reason this one is really striking me as out of order. I would likely have this is a top 10-15 80's movie.

Woody Allen made a lot of movies in the 80s

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

75. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Directed by: Robert Zemekis

Starring: Bob Hoskins, and the voices of Charles Fleisher and Kathleen Turner

Synopsis: Toon Town star Roger Rabbit is accused of murder.

I’m not bad; I’m just drawn that way. - Kathleen Turner as Jessica Rabbit

Great concept for a film, and I may be in the minority here but I never feel that it quite lives up to its potential. The opening sequence is absolute money, and so are a few of the other scenes. But overall the whole doesn’t quite equal the sum of its parts, IMO. Uneven. Still great, still belonging on this list, but not quite as high as some might place it.

And you should be. It lives up to everything it should. And Bob Hoskins is excellent in it.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Never really liked it.

 

[Scoresman]

They somehow made a rabbit more annoying than Bugs Bunny.

 

[rockaction]

Loved it. Roger is annoying but that was the point. To make him a sort of early Bugs or Daffy Duck.

I love both concept and execution. The Freeway!

 

[Runkle]

76. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

This is really the first ranking that I think is way off. There have been others that thought should have been much higher but for some reason this one is really striking me as out of order. I would likely have this is a top 10-15 80's movie.

Sequel is up there

 

[timschochet]

74. The Last Emperor (1987)

Directed by: Bernardo Bertolucci

Starring: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O’ Toole

Synopsis: Tells the life story of Puyi, the last emperor of China.

The Forbidden City is a theatre that has lost its audience. So why do the actors remain on the stage? - John Lone as Puyi.

Grand, majestic, epic film yet flawed. Here the flaw is easy to spot: Bertolucci was a lifetime Communist and the theme of this movie is that there is no free will. Puyi has no choice in anything that happens to him and he only achieves happiness at the end of the story when he finally comes to accept it. But the lack of free will theme translates into a void: there are no strong characters for us to empathize with in this movie, not even villains. In the end you watch it and just don’t care about Puyi, not even enough to pity him. Still a great film but it could have been so much better.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

There were thousands of movies released in the 80's. You don't have a list of 100 that you enjoyed all the way through?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

There were thousands of movies released in the 80's. You don't have a list of 100 that you enjoyed all the way through?

That’s the oddest thing to me about these threads.

The descriptions often state things like “boring”, “uneven” or “not for me” - so why exactly is it on this list. Seems like most people could come up with 100 movies they love in each decade so why drag in “boring” movies?

 

[timschochet]

There were thousands of movies released in the 80's. You don't have a list of 100 that you enjoyed all the way through?

I love The Last Emperor. If it was better it would be higher on the list. But it’s still great enough to be on the list.

 

[timschochet]

There were thousands of movies released in the 80's. You don't have a list of 100 that you enjoyed all the way through?

That’s the oddest thing to me about these threads.

The descriptions often state things like “boring”, “uneven” or “not for me” - so why exactly is it on this list. Seems like most people could come up with 100 movies they love in each decade so why drag in “boring” movies?

This movie isn’t boring. There was another film, Empire of the Sun, that I found boring at times but certainly not boring at other times.

There is no film on this list that I don’t enjoy watching.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

There were thousands of movies released in the 80's. You don't have a list of 100 that you enjoyed all the way through?

That’s the oddest thing to me about these threads.

The descriptions often state things like “boring”, “uneven” or “not for me” - so why exactly is it on this list. Seems like most people could come up with 100 movies they love in each decade so why drag in “boring” movies?

This movie isn’t boring. There was another film, Empire of the Sun, that I found boring at times but certainly not boring at other times.

There is no film on this list that I don’t enjoy watching.

Yes - you actually said the entire second half of the movie was bad and boring which seems to directly counter “enjoy watching” unless you only watch the first half.

My comment isn’t a criticism, it’s just something I’ve struggled with understanding what you were trying to do - seems like you blend “subjectivity” with “objectivity” when most people who share their lists are ranking the movies subjectively.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

But the second half- what can I say? It’s gloomy and dull. It’s like the film completely slows down, runs out of a story to tell. It’s miserable and things get worse and worse but the main reaction is…boredom.

This is the exact quote.

How can a movie with a description like this be in your top 100 movies?

 

[Brunell4MVP]

77. WarGames (1983)

Directed by: John Badham

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, Ally Sheedy, John Wood

Synopsis: A computer hacker nearly starts World War III.

A strange game. The only winning move is not to play. How about a nice game of chess? - Joshua the Computer.

1983 was the beginning of owning personal computers. It was the year I graduated high school and my parents gave me a Commodore 64. That was the hot item at the time.

And so this movie came out, and the technology is really dated but the story was tense and carried you along. It’s a brainy high school movie but it’s also somewhat in the same genre as Failsafe and other nuclear doomsday stories. Very enjoyable flick.

I still like this movie. It holds up despite the 40 year old tech. And I loved my commodore 64. Nothin like using Basic to start up a game of Donkey Kong

 

[timschochet]

But the second half- what can I say? It’s gloomy and dull. It’s like the film completely slows down, runs out of a story to tell. It’s miserable and things get worse and worse but the main reaction is…boredom.

This is the exact quote.

How can a movie with a description like this be in your top 100 movies?

I probably overstated it. It’s in my top 100 basically because the first half is so enjoyable.

I would compare it to the song “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” it’s in my top ten Stones songs of all time but the jazz ending doesn’t do much for me. I even turn it off sometimes.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I would compare it to the song “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” it’s in my top ten Stones songs of all time but the jazz ending doesn’t do much for me.

Hmmmmm.....

 

[Andy Dufresne]

But the second half- what can I say? It’s gloomy and dull. It’s like the film completely slows down, runs out of a story to tell. It’s miserable and things get worse and worse but the main reaction is…boredom.

This is the exact quote.

How can a movie with a description like this be in your top 100 movies?

I probably overstated it. It’s in my top 100 basically because the first half is so enjoyable.

I would compare it to the song “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” it’s in my top ten Stones songs of all time but the jazz ending doesn’t do much for me. I even turn it off sometimes.

All right. I accept this answer even if I can't agree with it.

 

[TripItUp]

75. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Directed by: Robert Zemekis

Over Goonies???

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

75. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Directed by: Robert Zemekis

Over Goonies???

Gods, yes. Goonies is pretty good, but it's not that good. Roger Rabbit is a classic. The interaction between the live actors and the animation is so good. Writing is crisp. It's just better. And should probably be higher than this. And way higher than anything by Woody Allen.

 

[timschochet]

73. Risky Business (1983)

Directed by: Paul Brickman

Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Curtis Armstrong

Synopsis: High school senior watches his parents’ house while they’re on vacation, gets mixed up with a call girl.

I can’t believe this. I have a trig midterm tomorrow, and I’m being chased by Guido the killer pimp! - Curtis Armstrong as Miles

Breakthrough film for Tom Cruise. What a lucky SOB. I watched my folks house more than once growing up and I never got to hook up with a call girl. (There were prostitutes a few blocks from my house that I was aware of but they didn’t look like Rebecca De Mornay. More like Wendy from Breaking Bad. In fact they were pretty skanky and I would have been terrified to approach them.)

 

[Manster]

75. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Directed by: Robert Zemekis

Over Goonies???

Gods, yes. Goonies is pretty good, but it's not that good. Roger Rabbit is a classic. The interaction between the live actors and the animation is so good. Writing is crisp. It's just better. And should probably be higher than this. And way higher than anything by Woody Allen.

To each their own......Roger Rabbit wouldn't make my top 100 from the 80's. Goonies would be top 10. Of course movies like Caveman, and Strange Brew would be in my top 100 so......

And I feel like I can name drop those, cuz no way in hell are they making this list

 

[Manster]

73. Risky Business (1983)

Directed by: Paul Brickman

Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Curtis Armstrong

Synopsis: High school senior watches his parents’ house while they’re on vacation, gets mixed up with a call girl.

I can’t believe this. I have a trig midterm tomorrow, and I’m being chased by Guido the killer pimp! - Curtis Armstrong as Miles

Breakthrough film for Tom Cruise. What a lucky SOB. I watched my folks house more than once growing up and I never got to hook up with a call girl. (There were prostitutes a few blocks from my house that I was aware of but they didn’t look like Rebecca De Mornay. More like Wendy from Breaking Bad. In fact they were pretty skanky and I would have been terrified to approach them.)

Ahhhhh Rebecca De mornay. One of my first crushes

 

[TripItUp]

They somehow made a rabbit more annoying than Bugs Bunny.

yeah, not in my top 100...maybe not in the top 200

Goonies top 20 easily

 

[TripItUp]

heard they are doing another Goonies with original cast...maybe on a podcast.

 

[zamboni]

They somehow made a rabbit more annoying than Bugs Bunny.

Blasphemy - someone took a wrong turn at Albuquerque.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

73. Risky Business (1983)

Directed by: Paul Brickman

Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Curtis Armstrong

Synopsis: High school senior watches his parents’ house while they’re on vacation, gets mixed up with a call girl.

I can’t believe this. I have a trig midterm tomorrow, and I’m being chased by Guido the killer pimp! - Curtis Armstrong as Miles

Breakthrough film for Tom Cruise. What a lucky SOB. I watched my folks house more than once growing up and I never got to hook up with a call girl. (There were prostitutes a few blocks from my house that I was aware of but they didn’t look like Rebecca De Mornay. More like Wendy from Breaking Bad. In fact they were pretty skanky and I would have been terrified to approach them.)

I still think this is Cruise's best film. And the soundtrack from Tangerine Dream is also excellent.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

73. Risky Business (1983)

Directed by: Paul Brickman

Starring: Tom Cruise, Rebecca De Mornay, Curtis Armstrong

Synopsis: High school senior watches his parents’ house while they’re on vacation, gets mixed up with a call girl.

I can’t believe this. I have a trig midterm tomorrow, and I’m being chased by Guido the killer pimp! - Curtis Armstrong as Miles

Breakthrough film for Tom Cruise. What a lucky SOB. I watched my folks house more than once growing up and I never got to hook up with a call girl. (There were prostitutes a few blocks from my house that I was aware of but they didn’t look like Rebecca De Mornay. More like Wendy from Breaking Bad. In fact they were pretty skanky and I would have been terrified to approach them.)

I still think this is Cruise's best film. And the soundtrack from Tangerine Dream is also excellent.

The only other movie I like him in is Tropic Thunder. Otherwise, he's smarmy and oozy.