KarmaPolice
Footballguy
We have another "odd" grouping of 3-4 movies, and then we will start getting a few more typical 80s flicks.
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Top 101 Movies of the 80s (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter KarmaPolice
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KarmaPolice
Footballguy
94/95:
COME AND SEE [CRITERION]
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO [HBO MAX]
Our #55 picks. I still have a blindspot when it comes to Studio Ghibli movies, but I did get to watch a couple from the 80s for this countdown. I really loved this one, and my daughter and I had a blast with Kiki's Delivery Service as well. I wanted to watch Come and See, but expected to be in for a mentally draining watch, so I kept putting it off.
COME AND SEE [CRITERION]
MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO [HBO MAX]
Our #55 picks. I still have a blindspot when it comes to Studio Ghibli movies, but I did get to watch a couple from the 80s for this countdown. I really loved this one, and my daughter and I had a blast with Kiki's Delivery Service as well. I wanted to watch Come and See, but expected to be in for a mentally draining watch, so I kept putting it off.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
93: MYSTERY TRAIN [CRITERION]
80s #54 pick. I hadn't heard of this one, but added it to my Criterion queue.
80s #54 pick. I hadn't heard of this one, but added it to my Criterion queue.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
92/91:
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN [PRIME, PARAMOUNT+]
RIVER'S EDGE [TUBI, KANOPY]
Officer is 80s' #53 pick, and River's Edge showed up on both of our lists at #76 and #78. I had forgotten all about Officer for this, and it might have made it at the end of my list - good movie. I hadn't watched River's Edge in years and thought it held up nicely with some good performances.
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN [PRIME, PARAMOUNT+]
RIVER'S EDGE [TUBI, KANOPY]
Officer is 80s' #53 pick, and River's Edge showed up on both of our lists at #76 and #78. I had forgotten all about Officer for this, and it might have made it at the end of my list - good movie. I hadn't watched River's Edge in years and thought it held up nicely with some good performances.
krista4
Footballguy
OH and I might be the only people here who regularly quote this movie. Love it.
Charlie Steiner
Footballguy
Outstanding pick.
El Floppo
Footballguy
felt like this where Jarmusch lost his way. did not like when I saw it in the theaters. haven't revisited.
El Floppo
Footballguy
I've given Crispin Glover a lifetime pass because of this movie.
I had two great friends at Tisch/NYU experimental theater wing when this came out and they were obsessed with him. IIRC, he published his book on rat catching around the same time and actually put his (a) phone number at the end to call with any questions. they'd call it constantly- working out crazy improvs to leave on the answering machine (Crispin never picked up or called back)
zamboni
Footballguy
Glover is a weird, weird dude. Hell of an actor but seems like one of those actors who’s not even acting.
Anyway love this movie - it’s as dark AF - how it could not be with Glover and Dennis Hopper. Also a really good performance by Keanu Reeves, who had a brief stretch of movies here in the mid-to-late ‘80s (won’t spotlight) that showed he wasn’t just a goofus and could really act.
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KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I will post another 4-5 soon. In that group we will finally see some "real" 80s movies.
zamboni
Footballguy
Way to go, Karma.
Enjoyable film and a very well-deserved Oscar for Lou Gossett, Jr. Plus you know a movie has some heft when it gets a nod on The Simpsons
Todem
Footballguy
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
OK, this feels perfect since I was recently in Memphis and I've been meaning to try another Jarmusch movie. This is bumped to the top of the queue for this week.
Todem
Footballguy
Two excellent movies.
Rivers Edge is a great cult classic. Dennis Hopper steals every scene he is in. Just a dark, drab anti 80’s preview of the grungy 90’s type of teenage youth that was to come (I believe this was made and released in 1987). And yes Glover gave a tour de force performance here.
krista4
Footballguy
It’s not for everyone. Which Jarmusch have you seen? I rank Ghost Dog, Down By Law, and Paterson higher personally, and OH’s favorite is Dead Man. But we both love this one.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Pretty sure JUST the newest one, which I didn't like at all.
zamboni
Footballguy
Also Ione Skye’s film debut.
krista4
Footballguy
I just asked OH which one he'd recommend to a Jarmusch newbie to try to encapsulate him (which is very hard to do), and we both agreed we'd start with Ghost Dog. But with the Memphis connection, I can see why you'd watch Mystery Train. My vote: both! And maybe throw Dead Man in there, too - I feel like since you enjoy Terrence Malick, you would like that one.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
#90: GREMLINS [HBOMAX, TUBI]
My #52 pick. Is there a certain time zone we need to consider for this after midnight nonsense? I still have a blast with this movie, and it's one I think of and say "wtf was wrong with the 80s?". This is one of my first memories seeing a movie in the theater. I begged my parents to let me go, then proceeded to lose my **** as gremlins got nuked and put in a blender. I didn't even get to the cheery story of daddy getting stuck in the chimney.
I am one of those kids that helped get the PG-13 rating, I guess.
My #52 pick. Is there a certain time zone we need to consider for this after midnight nonsense? I still have a blast with this movie, and it's one I think of and say "wtf was wrong with the 80s?". This is one of my first memories seeing a movie in the theater. I begged my parents to let me go, then proceeded to lose my **** as gremlins got nuked and put in a blender. I didn't even get to the cheery story of daddy getting stuck in the chimney.
I am one of those kids that helped get the PG-13 rating, I guess.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
88/89:
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? [DISNEY+ ]
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON [VUDU, TUBI]
Our #51 picks. One of the surprises for me was how few straight horror movies I have on my list. The famous scene still holds up well, and the movie still cracks me up. We need more werewolf movies. Well made ones, anyway. Seems they did have a run in the 80s though with the Howling franchise and stuff like Silver Bullet.
WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? [DISNEY+ ]
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON [VUDU, TUBI]
Our #51 picks. One of the surprises for me was how few straight horror movies I have on my list. The famous scene still holds up well, and the movie still cracks me up. We need more werewolf movies. Well made ones, anyway. Seems they did have a run in the 80s though with the Howling franchise and stuff like Silver Bullet.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
One of those movies that seems to have been a cultural phenomenon at the time and has really fallen out of the consciousness today. I watched it again over lockdown and it totally held up. They don’t make movies this sexy much anymore.
Mr. Mojo
Footballguy
Not a a big Roger Rabbit fan (it's ok/good but not great).
But I loved AAWIL.
Charlie Steiner
Footballguy
I felt I was 'too old' at the time for a kid movie like Gremlins, even though I was just fresh out of high school.
I saw Roger Rabbit to see what the fuss was about but it didn't do much for me. Never been into horror movies so I never had any interest in seeing American Werewolf.
Don't get me wrong; I think they're objectively good picks, they just weren't for me.
There are two fairly obscure films I will be suprised to see make it, and if they don't, maybe I'll throw in a little write-up near the end.
Mr. Mojo
Footballguy
We may not agree much but we are 100% on this one. Always loved it. So much fun.#90: GREMLINS [HBOMAX, TUBI]
My #52 pick. Is there a certain time zone we need to consider for this after midnight nonsense? I still have a blast with this movie, and it's one I think of and say "wtf was wrong with the 80s?". This is one of my first memories seeing a movie in the theater. I begged my parents to let me go, then proceeded to lose my **** as gremlins got nuked and put in a blender. I didn't even get to the cheery story of daddy getting stuck in the chimney.
zamboni
Footballguy
“Hi, Gizmo” just didn’t have the same effect as “Hi, Brad” from a few years earlier.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
Another nostalgia pick for me coming up.
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
I thought I remembered liking Gremlins. Then I watched it again this winter. Not so much.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Maybe a movie people are less familiar with. Brutal WW2 movie told from the perspective of a Belarussian teen soldier fighting to save his rural village from NAZIs. I would say it's the Russian Apocalypse Now as it's surreal in how it shows war as total human madness. A movie you might watch once and think once was enough.
Trailer
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
86/87:
WITNESS [PRIME, PARAMOUNT+]
THE GOONIES [HBOMAX, TUBI]
Our #50 picks. I've never seen Witness, so I just added that to the Prime list. There are several picks like Goonies on my list - fun nostalgia picks that put a smile on my face.
WITNESS [PRIME, PARAMOUNT+]
THE GOONIES [HBOMAX, TUBI]
Our #50 picks. I've never seen Witness, so I just added that to the Prime list. There are several picks like Goonies on my list - fun nostalgia picks that put a smile on my face.
El Floppo
Footballguy
we're roughly the same age, so you probably saw Stranger than Paradise in the theater like me. I completely dug that, even if I didn't "love" it. so I was excited to go to the theater for each subsequent movie of his... especially after his sophomore effort Down By Law, which is far and away my favorite- just for the way he frames and paces his shots (something I still love).
but as his narrative scope got bigger, I felt like he lost his touch a bit, or at least I wasn't as interested in the visual + narrative approach he was using. tbh, all I really remember about Mystery Train was that it disappointed me- maybe my expectations were too high given his first real dive into a bigger cast/story and bigger name actors (especially using my at the time obsession, Screamin' Jay), but it felt posery and trying too hard to me. Night on Earth was also a miss for me for similar reasons (or maybe it was Screamin' Jay in that one...lol).
most of what I remember about Dead Man, is that I saw it with a group of grad school friends at the Angelica... and they all fell asleep. I'm talking half a dozen grad students snoring away in their seats after the first 15 minutes. I also remember thinking Johnny Dep was trying too hard... but I still liked it. I was the sole awake member of our crew throughout.
I feel like I should revisit all three of those.
After those, I was kind of hit or miss even seeing his stuff. But I genuinely enjoyed Ghost Dog and flat out loved Broken Flowers (I didn't even realize it was Jarmusch until afterwards).
Pip's Invitation
Footballguy
I really liked Broken Flowers. But only saw it because Bill Murray was in it. Don’t know a whole lot of other Jarmusch aside from his Neil Young documentary Year of the Horse. I’ve never seen Dead Man but did buy the soundtrack for obvious reasons.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
We have a bit of a run for horror/suspense movies. I looks like of the next 10, 4 of them would fall under that category. Of course those are 4 of my 6 solo picks coming up in the next 10.
Time to fire off those guesses!! They would be my #s 43, 44, 46, and 48 on my list.
ETA: The hardest to guess is the one that will be next posted. I will probably list the next 10 tomorrow.
Time to fire off those guesses!! They would be my #s 43, 44, 46, and 48 on my list.
ETA: The hardest to guess is the one that will be next posted. I will probably list the next 10 tomorrow.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
For 80s in that next 10 he gets 2 solo picks: one Academy Award winner based on a book and a "comedy". 
The last of the bunch is a holiday movie we can agree on.
The last of the bunch is a holiday movie we can agree on.
massraider
Footballguy
Isn't this formula ripe for a re-do? Have their been pre-teen buddy flicks that I have missed?
El Floppo
Footballguy
feel like I've seen a few with the kids over the last few years. guh... can't remember any of them. but the same style of kids talking over eachother naturalness. tbh... It- while scarier and older- was pretty similar.
Dan Lambskin
Footballguy
If it’s Christmas Vacation you’re about 85 spots too earlyFor 80s in that next 10 he gets 2 solo picks: one Academy Award winner based on a book and a "comedy".
The last of the bunch is a holiday movie we can agree on.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I'm not as good at the hints as @krista4, but I will try for the horror movies:
One movie is a shining example of the subgenre of horror that is the same as the title of one of my favorite horror movies of the 2010s.
One movie is based on a book
One is a cautionary tale of breaking a commandment
One had a terrible sequel, also in the 80s, starring an actor who got fired from a movie on this countdown after weeks of shooting.
One movie is a shining example of the subgenre of horror that is the same as the title of one of my favorite horror movies of the 2010s.
One movie is based on a book
One is a cautionary tale of breaking a commandment
One had a terrible sequel, also in the 80s, starring an actor who got fired from a movie on this countdown after weeks of shooting.
Charlie Steiner
Footballguy
You misspelled Die Hard.If it’s Christmas Vacation you’re about 85 spots too earlyFor 80s in that next 10 he gets 2 solo picks: one Academy Award winner based on a book and a "comedy".
The last of the bunch is a holiday movie we can agree on.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
My other 2 tomorrow are comedies. More silly nostalgia involving vacation and high school that turned into family favorites with my son and I.
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Dan Lambskin
Footballguy
Also just a bit of nostalgia, where I grew up we had a little strip mall about a mile from my house. Maybe half a mile up the main road (well it was top speed 35 MPH but still a busy enough road. Town I grew up in was basically perfect mile grids)
Anyway this place had a drugstore, record store, book store, butcher (and I’m sure some other stuff) and of course a video store. Used to live walking up there and and browsing and picking up movies as a kid. And like I had my own membership card in 3rd grade for reference. Anyway one time they must have questioned my mom about something I was trying to rent and my guess is she must have just told them let him get whatever because one time they let me rent Bachelor Party in like 4th or 5th grade. She saw they case and was like what the hell this and I just said “I dunno it’s got Tom Hanks and naked girls”. She wasn’t too happy but I don’t think I had any restrictions
Tl
r the 80s were a wild time. Growing up in that era was awesome , you still had freedom but technology was advancing like crazy
Anyway this place had a drugstore, record store, book store, butcher (and I’m sure some other stuff) and of course a video store. Used to live walking up there and and browsing and picking up movies as a kid. And like I had my own membership card in 3rd grade for reference. Anyway one time they must have questioned my mom about something I was trying to rent and my guess is she must have just told them let him get whatever because one time they let me rent Bachelor Party in like 4th or 5th grade. She saw they case and was like what the hell this and I just said “I dunno it’s got Tom Hanks and naked girls”. She wasn’t too happy but I don’t think I had any restrictions
Tl
r the 80s were a wild time. Growing up in that era was awesome , you still had freedom but technology was advancing like crazy
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
It had that fun balance where tech was growing, but it wasn't awesome enough or portable enough to interfere with getting out and ****ing around.Also just a bit of nostalgia, where I grew up we had a little strip mall about a mile from my house. Maybe half a mile up the main road (well it was top speed 35 MPH but still a busy enough road. Town I grew up in was basically perfect mile grids)
Anyway this place had a drugstore, record store, book store, butcher (and I’m sure some other stuff) and of course a video store. Used to live walking up there and and browsing and picking up movies as a kid. And like I had my own membership card in 3rd grade for reference. Anyway one time they must have questioned my mom about something I was trying to rent and my guess is she must have just told them let him get whatever because one time they let me rent Bachelor Party in like 4th or 5th grade. She saw they case and was like what the hell this and I just said “I dunno it’s got Tom Hanks and naked girls”. She wasn’t too happy but I don’t think I had any restrictions
Tl
It's just wild that we have all the tech to keep our kids safe, but as a society we act like it's the end of the world if they are more than 2ft from us. It's bananas the stuff our parents used to let us do.
Dan Lambskin
Footballguy
It had that fun balance where tech was growing, but it wasn't awesome enough or portable enough to interfere with getting out and ****ing around.Also just a bit of nostalgia, where I grew up we had a little strip mall about a mile from my house. Maybe half a mile up the main road (well it was top speed 35 MPH but still a busy enough road. Town I grew up in was basically perfect mile grids)
Anyway this place had a drugstore, record store, book store, butcher (and I’m sure some other stuff) and of course a video store. Used to live walking up there and and browsing and picking up movies as a kid. And like I had my own membership card in 3rd grade for reference. Anyway one time they must have questioned my mom about something I was trying to rent and my guess is she must have just told them let him get whatever because one time they let me rent Bachelor Party in like 4th or 5th grade. She saw they case and was like what the hell this and I just said “I dunno it’s got Tom Hanks and naked girls”. She wasn’t too happy but I don’t think I had any restrictions
Tl
It's just wild that we have all the tech to keep our kids safe, but as a society we act like it's the end of the world if they are more than 2ft from us. It's bananas the stuff our parents used to let us do.
Exactly. I could easily go a mile or two in any direction and dozens of places (strip mall, various parks and woods, arcades, fast food places and various friends houses). No way my parents could have tracked me down. And again I’m taking like elementary school age. But yeah, I could also pretty much rent any movie I wanted, get any song on tape and still play ever evolving video games
Dan Lambskin
Footballguy
But now my wife freaks if my 14 year old is out past dark 3 streets over even though we can pinpoint his exact location and we he can instantly call us if there’s an issue
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
I was talking about that with my kid when we visited my home town the other month. It wasn't a big town, but I was on one edge of the town and the elementary school was on the other. I vividly remember walking and biking that all the time to go play with friends - easily a couple miles. 0 chance my parents would know if we wandered off or how to get ahold of us. Once in a while they would drive past to check if they were coming from work or something. It's odd to think about as a parent now, knowing how much I crap myself when I don't know where the 8 year old is for a few minutes.It had that fun balance where tech was growing, but it wasn't awesome enough or portable enough to interfere with getting out and ****ing around.Also just a bit of nostalgia, where I grew up we had a little strip mall about a mile from my house. Maybe half a mile up the main road (well it was top speed 35 MPH but still a busy enough road. Town I grew up in was basically perfect mile grids)
Anyway this place had a drugstore, record store, book store, butcher (and I’m sure some other stuff) and of course a video store. Used to live walking up there and and browsing and picking up movies as a kid. And like I had my own membership card in 3rd grade for reference. Anyway one time they must have questioned my mom about something I was trying to rent and my guess is she must have just told them let him get whatever because one time they let me rent Bachelor Party in like 4th or 5th grade. She saw they case and was like what the hell this and I just said “I dunno it’s got Tom Hanks and naked girls”. She wasn’t too happy but I don’t think I had any restrictions
Tl
It's just wild that we have all the tech to keep our kids safe, but as a society we act like it's the end of the world if they are more than 2ft from us. It's bananas the stuff our parents used to let us do.
Exactly. I could easily go a mile or two in any direction and dozens of places (strip mall, various parks and woods, arcades, fast food places and various friends houses). No way my parents could have tracked me down. And again I’m taking like elementary school age. But yeah, I could also pretty much rent any movie I wanted, get any song on tape and still play ever evolving video games
Charlie Steiner
Footballguy
And guns and firetrucks and drugs and booze.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Parenting is so different now. A lot of parents seem to think their job is to make sure their kid doesn't experience a moment of discomfort. I was dealing with a parent last week nearly on the verge of tears because they were scared their 18 year old son might get in a car accident driving to school. She wanted advice if she should let him drive himself to school. We are talking a totally normal and very responsible kid with all As and Bs, plays varsity sports, passed all the drivers training stuff. Why are you bringing this up to his teacher?It had that fun balance where tech was growing, but it wasn't awesome enough or portable enough to interfere with getting out and ****ing around.Also just a bit of nostalgia, where I grew up we had a little strip mall about a mile from my house. Maybe half a mile up the main road (well it was top speed 35 MPH but still a busy enough road. Town I grew up in was basically perfect mile grids)
Anyway this place had a drugstore, record store, book store, butcher (and I’m sure some other stuff) and of course a video store. Used to live walking up there and and browsing and picking up movies as a kid. And like I had my own membership card in 3rd grade for reference. Anyway one time they must have questioned my mom about something I was trying to rent and my guess is she must have just told them let him get whatever because one time they let me rent Bachelor Party in like 4th or 5th grade. She saw they case and was like what the hell this and I just said “I dunno it’s got Tom Hanks and naked girls”. She wasn’t too happy but I don’t think I had any restrictions
Tl
It's just wild that we have all the tech to keep our kids safe, but as a society we act like it's the end of the world if they are more than 2ft from us. It's bananas the stuff our parents used to let us do.
KarmaPolice
Footballguy
A problem is the tech that helps keep the kids safe also bombards us with endless examples of how they are going to get shot, kidnapped, in an accident, kill themselves, on and on.Parenting is so different now. A lot of parents seem to think their job is to make sure their kid doesn't experience a moment of discomfort. I was dealing with a parent last week nearly on the verge of tears because they were scared their 18 year old son might get in a car accident driving to school. She wanted advice if she should let him drive himself to school. We are talking a totally normal and very responsible kid with all As and Bs, plays varsity sports, passed all the drivers training stuff. Why are you bringing this up to his teacher?It had that fun balance where tech was growing, but it wasn't awesome enough or portable enough to interfere with getting out and ****ing around.Also just a bit of nostalgia, where I grew up we had a little strip mall about a mile from my house. Maybe half a mile up the main road (well it was top speed 35 MPH but still a busy enough road. Town I grew up in was basically perfect mile grids)
Anyway this place had a drugstore, record store, book store, butcher (and I’m sure some other stuff) and of course a video store. Used to live walking up there and and browsing and picking up movies as a kid. And like I had my own membership card in 3rd grade for reference. Anyway one time they must have questioned my mom about something I was trying to rent and my guess is she must have just told them let him get whatever because one time they let me rent Bachelor Party in like 4th or 5th grade. She saw they case and was like what the hell this and I just said “I dunno it’s got Tom Hanks and naked girls”. She wasn’t too happy but I don’t think I had any restrictions
Tl
It's just wild that we have all the tech to keep our kids safe, but as a society we act like it's the end of the world if they are more than 2ft from us. It's bananas the stuff our parents used to let us do.
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rockaction
Footballguy
The economics and emotional investments in raising a child are so steep that losing them is an emotional and financial disaster. We don’t accept death or loss anymore so you get helicopter parents trying to prevent preventable accidents. That’s my two cents. It’s the cost of loss that causes the concern.
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