Top 101 Movies of the 80s (8 Viewers)

[KarmaPolice]

This is going to be a tough thread for me. Lol. Growing up in the 80s, the movies a typical 8 year old in 1986 would watch were such a big thing for me. It’s all nostalgia for me.

If I had to throw out a really quick top 5 it would probably include the goonies, ghostbusters, karate kid, empire strikes back and raiders of the lost ark.

I get it. But that is the difference between top 100 movies of the 80s and top 100 80s movies (imo).

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Also are you guys doing individual entries for each of a the Police Academy movies or just doing like a lifetime achievement entry for the series!

Just one big "best franchise of the 80s" award at the end that you just spoiled. Thanks a lot.

I did watch a few of these movies in the last month as well, on nights where I could not PUT. THE. BONG. DOWN.

Fixed.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

78/79:

THE FLY
TRADING PLACES

The Fly was my #44 pick, and Trading Places we both had on the list (#66 and #79). Trading Places was the holiday hint, and The Fly was my dumb clue about having a bad sequel starring an actor who got fired from another movie on the list . The Fly holds up incredibly well, and is still so damn disgusting and even touching at the end.

Love both of these. I too watched Trading Places a bunch of times. Few things in the '80s were better than peak Eddie Murphy, and this film has that.

But the scene I quote the most doesn't even have him.

Pawnbroker: Burnt my fingers, man.
Louis: I beg your pardon?
Pawnbroker: Man, that watch is so hot, it's smokin'.
Louis: Hot? Do you mean to imply stolen?
Pawnbroker: I'll give you 50 bucks for it.
Louis: Fifty bucks? No, no, no. This is a Rouchefoucauld. The thinnest water-resistant watch in the world. Singularly unique, sculptured in design, hand-crafted in Switzerland, and water resistant to three atmospheres. This is the sports watch of the '80s. Six thousand, nine hundred and fifty five dollars retail!
Pawnbroker: You got a receipt?
Louis: Look, it tells time simultaneously in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Rome, and Gstaad.
Pawnbroker: In Philadelphia, it's worth 50 bucks.
Louis: Just give me the money. [looking in display case] How much for the gun?

 

[Pip's Invitation]

One gave nerds role playing fantasies for years.

Can there be only one?

 

[Scoresman]

This is going to be a tough thread for me. Lol. Growing up in the 80s, the movies a typical 8 year old in 1986 would watch were such a big thing for me. It’s all nostalgia for me.

If I had to throw out a really quick top 5 it would probably include the goonies, ghostbusters, karate kid, empire strikes back and raiders of the lost ark.

I get it. But that is the difference between top 100 movies of the 80s and top 100 80s movies (imo).

I sort of see where you're coming from. But there's no way whatever oscar nominated great drama film from the 1980s will ever top Bill Murray ad-libbing "Yes it's true... this man has no ****."

 

[Nick Vermeil]

There aren't too many '80s movies that are more quotable than Fletch.

Have you ever seen a spleen that large?

Not since breakfast.

 

[krista4]

Airplane! is 10000000x more quotable and funnier than Fletch (and I like Fletch), and you can take that to the bank. Glad to see it show up!

ETA: Is this where I tell my "Chevy Chase is a Richard" story" again?

 

[Manster]

Be interesting to compare someone's favorite 80's movies who was an adult, vs a kid, during the decade.

 

[TripItUp]

I have these ranked higher. Goonies in particular is iconic and the obvious inspiration for "Stranger Things" and other successful shows.


91: AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN - definitely top 50
87: THE GOONIES - makes my top 20

 

[TripItUp]

I swear there was a run from 1984-1986 where every month a great classic movie came out. You could pick almost any random weekend in that span and your average movie theater was showing 3-4 fun films. A run like that is rare for films.

peak cinema for certain...not to mention an epic era for music.

 

[rockaction]

Airplane! is surely higher than number 80 or whatever it is ranked as.

 

[Ilov80s]

This is going to be a tough thread for me. Lol. Growing up in the 80s, the movies a typical 8 year old in 1986 would watch were such a big thing for me. It’s all nostalgia for me.

If I had to throw out a really quick top 5 it would probably include the goonies, ghostbusters, karate kid, empire strikes back and raiders of the lost ark.

I don’t know KP’s list but I can assure you that at least some of those movies will be making the cut here.

 

[zamboni]

There aren't too many '80s movies that are more quotable than Fletch.

And Airplane! is at the top of the list - wow, I expected that to be way, way higher, but it's all subjective.

If he was doing this with anybody but me it would have been.

Shiiit

(Golly!)

 

[KarmaPolice]

Airplane! is surely higher than number 80 or whatever it is ranked as.

My issues with 70s/80s "classic comedies" has been well documented around these parts.

I did give Airplane another try last night.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Be interesting to compare someone's favorite 80's movies who was an adult, vs a kid, during the decade.

having wikkid around for this one would have been a blast.

I don't want to throw anybody under the bus by @ing who I think is the oldest around here.

 

[KarmaPolice]

This is going to be a tough thread for me. Lol. Growing up in the 80s, the movies a typical 8 year old in 1986 would watch were such a big thing for me. It’s all nostalgia for me.

If I had to throw out a really quick top 5 it would probably include the goonies, ghostbusters, karate kid, empire strikes back and raiders of the lost ark.

I get it. But that is the difference between top 100 movies of the 80s and top 100 80s movies (imo).

I sort of see where you're coming from. But there's no way whatever oscar nominated great drama film from the 1980s will ever top Bill Murray ad-libbing "Yes it's true... this man has no ****."

I keep saying - this will get more interesting as we go. As I said, any movie that was on BOTH of our lists gets a natural bump, and those make up the top 30 for our selections. Any big movie that was only on one or the other of our lists will be in that 30-60 range. And then the "fun" is that one or the other of us have some explaining to do after we wipe the tomatoes off our face. I gave the example of my #2 movie not being on his list even, and that is sitting at #30.

If the 90s are a reflection, most of the grumbles from the peanut gallery will be coming tomorrow and Thursday after we get into the heart of those picks I just talked about. Then the other will be as people start doing the math around pick 20 or so and realize that some of their favorites won't even be making the list.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

Haven't been following but hope this finds its way on the list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTXpDEqCtK8

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Airplane! is surely higher than number 80 or whatever it is ranked as.

My issues with 70s/80s "classic comedies" has been well documented around these parts.

I did give Airplane another try last night.

And NOW how do you take your coffee?

 

[KarmaPolice]

Spoiler: I chuckled a couple times, so it had that.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Haven't been following but hope this finds its way on the list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTXpDEqCtK8

Never heard of it.

 

[zamboni]

Spoiler: I chuckled a couple times, so it had that.

Get in line, folks

 

[otb_lifer]

Spoiler: I chuckled a couple times, so it had that.

i never got the love for any of the Zucker shtick projects either, with "Airplane" being most notoriously flat, imo.

i'm with ya on this one, and agree that most of the "zany/slapstick!!!1!!11111!" offerings from those decades being so incredibly over-rated.

 

[El Floppo]

Spoiler: I chuckled a couple times, so it had that.

i never got the love for any of the Zucker shtick projects either, with "Airplane" being most notoriously flat, imo.

i'm with ya on this one, and agree that most of the "zany/slapstick!!!1!!11111!" offerings from those decades being so incredibly over-rated.

similar to your face?

 

[Sullie]

78/79:

THE FLY
TRADING PLACES

The Fly was my #44 pick, and Trading Places we both had on the list (#66 and #79). Trading Places was the holiday hint, and The Fly was my dumb clue about having a bad sequel starring an actor who got fired from another movie on the list . The Fly holds up incredibly well, and is still so damn disgusting and even touching at the end.

Love both of these. I too watched Trading Places a bunch of times. Few things in the '80s were better than peak Eddie Murphy, and this film has that.

But the scene I quote the most doesn't even have him.

Pawnbroker: Burnt my fingers, man.
Louis: I beg your pardon?
Pawnbroker: Man, that watch is so hot, it's smokin'.
Louis: Hot? Do you mean to imply stolen?
Pawnbroker: I'll give you 50 bucks for it.
Louis: Fifty bucks? No, no, no. This is a Rouchefoucauld. The thinnest water-resistant watch in the world. Singularly unique, sculptured in design, hand-crafted in Switzerland, and water resistant to three atmospheres. This is the sports watch of the '80s. Six thousand, nine hundred and fifty five dollars retail!
Pawnbroker: You got a receipt?
Louis: Look, it tells time simultaneously in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Rome, and Gstaad.
Pawnbroker: In Philadelphia, it's worth 50 bucks.
Louis: Just give me the money. [looking in display case] How much for the gun?

I love that scene as well and I always assumed that whole bit was just a comedy routine/ad-libbed by Dan Aykroyd/the movie writes about a fake/non-existent watch. I appreciate watches and one night I thought "hmmm, I wonder how they came up with that?" Well, it turns out that it is in fact a real watch which, somehow, now makes me enjoy that scene that much more. It's a real brand and a real model that is worth a lot more than $50. A closer look at the Rouchefoucauld World Complication.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Spoiler: I chuckled a couple times, so it had that.

i never got the love for any of the Zucker shtick projects either, with "Airplane" being most notoriously flat, imo.

i'm with ya on this one, and agree that most of the "zany/slapstick!!!1!!11111!" offerings from those decades being so incredibly over-rated.

Okay, but do you like movies with gladiators in them?

 

[El Floppo]

Spoiler: I chuckled a couple times, so it had that.

i never got the love for any of the Zucker shtick projects either, with "Airplane" being most notoriously flat, imo.

i'm with ya on this one, and agree that most of the "zany/slapstick!!!1!!11111!" offerings from those decades being so incredibly over-rated.

Okay, but do you like movies with gladiators in them?

the scene with them dragging Kareem out of the cockpit in his full laker gear always gets me.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Spoiler: I chuckled a couple times, so it had that.

i never got the love for any of the Zucker shtick projects either, with "Airplane" being most notoriously flat, imo.

i'm with ya on this one, and agree that most of the "zany/slapstick!!!1!!11111!" offerings from those decades being so incredibly over-rated.

Just about every parody movie since it came out has its roots in that movie. I see traces of the same vein of comedy stretching back from the Marx Brothers to Ernie Kovacs to Mel Brooks to the Zuckers to Larry David to Ricky Gervais; I don't see it as 'over-rated.' There isn't a scene in Airplane! in which they didn't try to go for some kind of laugh. I respect that it's not your cup of tea, but it was a seismic event along the comedy timeline that sent ripples far enough into the future that we're still seeing its impact going on 45 years later.

 

[zamboni]

Spoiler: I chuckled a couple times, so it had that.

i never got the love for any of the Zucker shtick projects either, with "Airplane" being most notoriously flat, imo.

i'm with ya on this one, and agree that most of the "zany/slapstick!!!1!!11111!" offerings from those decades being so incredibly over-rated.

Okay, but do you like movies with gladiators in them?

the scene with them dragging Kareem out of the cockpit in his full laker gear always gets me.

We had a Kareem two-fer yesterday: also here

 

[otb_lifer]

Spoiler: I chuckled a couple times, so it had that.

i never got the love for any of the Zucker shtick projects either, with "Airplane" being most notoriously flat, imo.

i'm with ya on this one, and agree that most of the "zany/slapstick!!!1!!11111!" offerings from those decades being so incredibly over-rated.

Okay, but do you like movies with gladiators in them?

are they at least ill tempered?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

This is a different type of thread altogether.

 

[Ilov80s]

This is a different type of thread altogether.

This is a different type of thread

 

[KarmaPolice]

This is a different type of thread altogether.

You know our work and opinions from the movie thread. I agree with your post, but it was also 100% predictable as well.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

This is a different type of thread altogether.

You know our work and opinions from the movie thread. I agree with your post, but it was also 100% predictable as well.

****! This is a ******** waste of time! There's no way he can land this plane!

 

[KarmaPolice]

I'm guessing I missed a reference. I will bow out. Lol.

 

[Don Quixote]

I'm guessing I missed a reference. I will bow out. Lol.

I think you picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I'm guessing I missed a reference. I will bow out. Lol.

https://youtu.be/3qNtyfZP8bE

 

[otb_lifer]

I'm guessing I missed a reference. I will bow out. Lol.

I think you picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

now that's funny!

 

[Bracie Smathers]

Haven't been following but hope this finds its way on the list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTXpDEqCtK8

Never heard of it.

In case you weren't joking.

Finally saw To Live and Die in LA. Absolutely loved it. Anyone have any good neo noir recommendations that are a bit beyond the obvious?

Deep Cover would top my list of obscure neo-noirs. Scanning wikipedia's very loose list for the genre, Alphaville, The Bedroom Window (Curtis Hanson before LAConfidential), Big Easy, Drowning Pool, Eyewitness, 8 Million Ways to Die, Gumshoe, The Late Show, Medium Cool, Le Samouri, Sea of Love, Someone to Watch Over Me, Straight Time, True Confessions, Vanishing Point, Insomnia, The Man Who Wasnt There, Mulholland Drive, Out of Time, Reindeer Games, Sexy Beast, Suspect Zero, Tell No One.

Special credit to a guy who i believe really wanted to be the 21st C Bogie before Tony Stark found him in rehab. Robert Downey Jr did two great turns in neo-noirs - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang & The Singing Detective before giving up

And of course, i'll remind folks of the movie i'm always reminding folks about - The Long Goodbye, the true daddy of the genre

ETA: one of the reasons Deep Cover tops my list is that it was the fightin' fave of one of my Albq pals, a drunk named Steve who claimed to have gotten a DUI once on a rider mower, interrupted his wedding vows with a laughing fit (i, the best man, caused it by doing a Stevie Wonder headroll cuz the preacher peppered his remarks with the phrase "bringing sunshine into each other's lives" too much) and would run out on the field at Dukes games anytime i offered to put up the bail. if my gang were all bored in a bar, all we'd have to do is mention Deep Cover and Steve would breathe raves str8 into the face of anyone who hadnt seen it and fight anyone who'd say a word agin it. it was a good flick, but thinking of Steve while watching makes it great.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

76/77:

AIRPLANE!
FATAL ATTRACTION


Our #43 picks. We talked about these types of movies in the 90s countdown when we both had Basic Instinct rated so highly. Sadly, they just don't make those sexy thrillers like these anymore.

Every time I'm on a flight, I remember this scene:

"Stewardess, is everything all right?"
"Yes, just relax and enjoy the rest of your flight".
(She watches the in-flight movie which shows a plane crashing on takeoff and exploding into a ball of fire)

 

[El Floppo]

76/77:

AIRPLANE!
FATAL ATTRACTION


Our #43 picks. We talked about these types of movies in the 90s countdown when we both had Basic Instinct rated so highly. Sadly, they just don't make those sexy thrillers like these anymore.

Every time I'm on a flight, I remember this scene:

"Stewardess, is everything all right?"
"Yes, just relax and enjoy the rest of your flight".
(She watches the in-flight movie which shows a plane crashing on takeoff and exploding into a ball of fire)

ethel murmon


every scene is so full of stuff thrown on the wall... lots of misses, but so many hits. and so much of it just bizarre (like ethel)- which makes it amazing to me. a movie that couldn't be made today.

 

[zamboni]

76/77:

AIRPLANE!
FATAL ATTRACTION


Our #43 picks. We talked about these types of movies in the 90s countdown when we both had Basic Instinct rated so highly. Sadly, they just don't make those sexy thrillers like these anymore.

Every time I'm on a flight, I remember this scene:

"Stewardess, is everything all right?"
"Yes, just relax and enjoy the rest of your flight".
(She watches the in-flight movie which shows a plane crashing on takeoff and exploding into a ball of fire)

I say "let 'em crash".

 

[KarmaPolice]

I will say of my least favorite things that happened at the video stores was when I admitted I didn't like something, especially a comedy, then the co-workers would continue to quote the movie to me like that was what was going to convince me it was funny.

Well, time to show my dumb humor next...

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I will say of my least favorite things that happened at the video stores was when I admitted I didn't like something, especially a comedy, then the co-workers would continue to quote the movie to me like that was what was going to convince me it was funny.

Well, time to show my dumb humor next...

Well the foot will Shirley be on the other hand then!

 

[KarmaPolice]

74/75:

WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
THE 'BURBS [netflix]

Our #42 picks. 0 clue how or why The 'Burbs turned into one of my go-tos, but it still is to this day. I need to get to more Almodovar. I think I've only seen a couple of his, and I know many here are fans, as was wikkid.

 

[KarmaPolice]

We will see if he says the same thing, and we do try to keep the vibes positive in the these thread - Airplane! is the only movie that appeared on his list and this countdown that I dislike. It's very fitting that it would be a late 70s/early80s comedy that would be the one based on my history with those. I also realize it's a me thing, and have 0 issues with it being represented either.

 

[KarmaPolice]

72/73:

BRAZIL
MY LEFT FOOT [paramount +]

Our #41 picks. Brazil was my hint last night about the homework assignment that just missed my top 100. I had 3 movies that I had to watch before being able to do this, and I am happy to report that I actually did that homework. My Left Foot is yet another DDL tour de force.

 

[zamboni]

72/73:

BRAZIL
MY LEFT FOOT

One could combine these and make a Pelé documentary.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

74/75:

WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
THE 'BURBS

Our #42 picks. 0 clue how or why The 'Burbs turned into one of my go-tos, but it still is to this day. I need to get to more Almodovar. I think I've only seen a couple of his, and I know many here are fans, as was wikkid.

I've seen Women on the Verge. It was like a less zany version of a 60's era Blake Edwards movie--hectic but missing the physicality of Peter Sellers.

Haven't seen The 'Burbs in many years, vaguely remember it being quirky.

 

[JAA]

We've watched The Goonies with our kids at least 6-8 times I bet. We keep the DVD in our camp trailer, and we throw it on, in the evening sometimes during camping trips.....it's the most requested, along with the Sandlot, and Nacho Libre.....all classics, imo

I dont get Sandlot. I simply do not understand what's good about it. Can someone unpack this movie and love for me?

 

[krista4]

WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN

I would have thought this was the 90s, but I see it was 1988. Feels like it would still seem fresh today. Great pick.