Top 101 Movies of the 80s (4 Viewers)

[KarmaPolice]

We are now at a point where there is a run of movies from Fitzcarraldo to #30 movies where with 1 exception, it's only movies that are on one of our lists, but in the top 20 so rated very highly. So keep in mind that even though these are movies 31-40, these are one of our favorites of the decade. We will have my #10 tomorrow and his #3 before we get to our combined top 30.

 

[KarmaPolice]

41/42:

FIELD OF DREAMS
SPOORLOS (aka The Vanishing) [criterion]

These are our #17 picks. I watched The Vanishing for the first time in a decade or more last fall and was blown away by how tense I was and how good the movie was. The woman who played Saskia was great.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

44/45:

FITZCARRALDO [peacock, tubi, kanopy]
CINEMA PARADISO [paramount+ , kanopy]

I guess this is the high falutin retort to the Rambo and Predator pairing. First is 80s' #20 selection. Paradiso was on both of our lists at #54 and #67. I would be curious to see people's lists of movies that showed up here they haven't seen. If Cinema Paradiso is one and you are open to sub titles, that would be one of ours that I suggest. I think most movie lovers would get something out of this movie.

YES, the jungle opera movie! Will it rank higher than Search For Spock?

Is that the one with the nuclear wessels? That better be on the list.

is that the one with the whales too?

Yup and the one with Captain Kirk saying “double dumbass on you”.

AKA the best Star Trek movie.

Uh. Those citations are from The Voyage Home.

 

[Ilov80s]

Field of Dreams is one of the earliest theater memories. I saw with a friend and his dad. We were all really into baseball. I fought the tears back so hard watching it. It still gets me every time. Moonlight Graham giving up his dream kills me.

 

[KarmaPolice]

44/45:

FITZCARRALDO [peacock, tubi, kanopy]
CINEMA PARADISO [paramount+ , kanopy]

I guess this is the high falutin retort to the Rambo and Predator pairing. First is 80s' #20 selection. Paradiso was on both of our lists at #54 and #67. I would be curious to see people's lists of movies that showed up here they haven't seen. If Cinema Paradiso is one and you are open to sub titles, that would be one of ours that I suggest. I think most movie lovers would get something out of this movie.

YES, the jungle opera movie! Will it rank higher than Search For Spock?

Is that the one with the nuclear wessels? That better be on the list.

is that the one with the whales too?

Yup and the one with Captain Kirk saying “double dumbass on you”.

AKA the best Star Trek movie.

Uh. Those citations are from The Voyage Home.

LINK

 

[KarmaPolice]

Tomorrow we will be on 31-40. In this pack we have 1 on both lists, 5 are 80s' and 4 are mine. Of mine, I have one artsty fartsy black and white movie and 3 other 80s staples that I THINK might get 80s some ****. He has 1 I will get **** for , one I think we might have done during a movie club, and 3 more I haven't seen.

I think it was @JAA who said that he was going to do similar, but since there have been so many I am planning on picking 5 of @Ilov80s movies that I haven't seen and watching them soon since I am in 80s mode. I've already decided on Something Wild, Mystery Train, his #10, and #3. The other will be To Live and Die in L.A., House of Games, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, or all 3.

 

[Scoresman]

44/45:

FITZCARRALDO [peacock, tubi, kanopy]
CINEMA PARADISO [paramount+ , kanopy]

I guess this is the high falutin retort to the Rambo and Predator pairing. First is 80s' #20 selection. Paradiso was on both of our lists at #54 and #67. I would be curious to see people's lists of movies that showed up here they haven't seen. If Cinema Paradiso is one and you are open to sub titles, that would be one of ours that I suggest. I think most movie lovers would get something out of this movie.

YES, the jungle opera movie! Will it rank higher than Search For Spock?

Is that the one with the nuclear wessels? That better be on the list.

is that the one with the whales too?

Yup and the one with Captain Kirk saying “double dumbass on you”.

AKA the best Star Trek movie.

Uh. Those citations are from The Voyage Home.

Captain, we’ve picked up an anomaly on long range sensors. It’s a life form incapable of identifying a joke.

 

[otb_lifer]

41/42:

FIELD OF DREAMS

love it. great tear jerker.

but i always thought it odd that a black 60s radical (Terrence) did not once bring up the color barrier, especially since just about all of the ghost players coming out the corn were of that segregated era.

i get that the game were integrated by the '60s, but pretty much all of Mann's childhood saw the barrier (if we assume James Earl Jones real age as that of Terrence Mann - born in 1930).

Jackie came in 1947.

 

[zamboni]

41/42:

FIELD OF DREAMS

An all-timer for me.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

I’ve never seen field of dreams

 

[Andy Dufresne]

44/45:

FITZCARRALDO [peacock, tubi, kanopy]
CINEMA PARADISO [paramount+ , kanopy]

I guess this is the high falutin retort to the Rambo and Predator pairing. First is 80s' #20 selection. Paradiso was on both of our lists at #54 and #67. I would be curious to see people's lists of movies that showed up here they haven't seen. If Cinema Paradiso is one and you are open to sub titles, that would be one of ours that I suggest. I think most movie lovers would get something out of this movie.

YES, the jungle opera movie! Will it rank higher than Search For Spock?

Is that the one with the nuclear wessels? That better be on the list.

is that the one with the whales too?

Yup and the one with Captain Kirk saying “double dumbass on you”.

AKA the best Star Trek movie.

Uh. Those citations are from The Voyage Home.

Captain, we’ve picked up an anomaly on long range sensors. It’s a life form incapable of identifying a joke.

A joke... is a story with a humorous climax.

Saying they were from Search For Spock is simply an error.

 

[Mummy4]

I’ve never seen field of dreams

me neither.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Hey, um.......Dad?

You wanna have a catch?

 

[KarmaPolice]

Let's throw a couple out there for morning discussion, then I will probably do 3-4 on break and the last 5-6 later.

 

[KarmaPolice]

39/40:

RAISING ARIZONA
E.T.

Our #16 picks on our list. Remember the post from last night - basically all the movies we will see today were only on one of our lists, but when ranked they were in our top 20: so one of us love it, and the other not so much. I was laughing a little last night thinking about my experience in the theaters in the early 80s. I was terrified of E.T., and then Gremlins scared me. It's a wonder I bothered continuing to watch movies, but maybe that set me up for a love of horror later? Everybody cooing about E.T. but me having flashbacks fof ET in the closet, screaming, and looking like a piece of white dog ****. I didn't get the love at the time, but it has warmed my heart over the years.

 

[zamboni]

Hey, um.......Dad?

You wanna have a catch?

People should watch, Charlie. People should most definitely watch.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

Hey, um.......Dad?

You wanna have a catch?

People should watch, Charlie. People should most definitely watch.

Peace, Love, Dope!

 

[otb_lifer]

Hey, um.......Dad?

You wanna have a catch?

People should watch, Charlie. People should most definitely watch.

Peace, Love, Dope!

loved how standoff-ish Terrence were at first ... chasing Ray with the bat "you, from the 60s, BE GONE!"

softening up at Fenway concession stand, but still a bit canatankerous ...

R: what do you want?

T: I want to be left alone!

R: no, i mean ... what do you want? (pointing at menu)

T: oh ... dog n' a beer

 

[Andy Dufresne]

E.T.

I was terrified of E.T., and then Gremlins scared me. It's a wonder I bothered continuing to watch movies, but maybe that set me up for a love of horror later? Everybody cooing about E.T. but me having flashbacks fof ET in the closet, screaming, and looking like a piece of white dog ****. I didn't get the love at the time, but it has warmed my heart over the years.

I think E.T. is more relevant than ever.

I've lived a bit and like to think I've learned a few things. I believe the two worst "diseases" plaguing our society are prolonged adolescence and narcissism. This leads to an absence or what I consider the most important human emotion - empathy.

Elliot begins the movie as a lost child of divorce, thinking only of how it affects himself. Then he encounters The Other (like we all do ALL the time in our own lives) and his initial reaction is one of fear - just like you, @KarmaPolice.

But then he makes an emotional connection to E.T. and both sympathizes and empathizes with his plight. He now has a heroes journey to undertake - one that will require him to accept adult responsibility.

In the course of events the boy becomes more of a man. He emotionally reconnects with his mother. But emotional apex of that, for me, is when he commands the older boys who had earlier shunned him to "Follow ME!!" as they evade the government agents on nothing but their bikes.

And even at the ending, when E.T. offers to take him away for an adventure, Elliot essentially says, "I'd love to, but my responsibility is here and I'm needed here."

It's my #1 all time favorite movie and it becomes more so every time I watch it.

Oh, and it's John Williams' best work too.

 

[Ilov80s]

We released ourselves on our own recognizance.

 

[zamboni]

Nothing really to do with the plot, but E.T. to me had among the best residential neighborhoods. Totally wanted to live in a neighborhood like that when I first saw it as a kid.

 

[Ilov80s]

Raising Arizona is a top 3 Cohens for me. It just gets funnier and funnier every time I see it. It deserves the same appreciation and legacy that Lebowski has.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Raising Arizona is a top 3 Cohens for me. It just gets funnier and funnier every time I see it. It deserves the same appreciation and legacy that Lebowski has.

Is one of my eight favorite comedies.

 

[landrys hat]

What did the pyjamas look like?

I don't know. They were jammies! They had Yodas 'n **** on em!

 

[otb_lifer]

Raising Arizona is a top 3 Cohens for me. It just gets funnier and funnier every time I see it. It deserves the same appreciation and legacy that Lebowski has.

THIS ^

now, honey ... junior does not look down on me because i chose a life of crime

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Evelle: [about the balloons he just bought] These blow up into funny shapes and all?

Grocer: Well no... unless round is funny.

 

[otb_lifer]

Evelle: [about the balloons he just bought] These blow up into funny shapes and all?

Grocer: Well no... unless round is funny.

can't recall if they ever used Forsythe again, but his chemistry with Goodman were superb ... and, of course, Goodman himself just bangin' for them like nobody's biz.

 

[Ilov80s]

Evelle: [about the balloons he just bought] These blow up into funny shapes and all?

Grocer: Well no... unless round is funny.

can't recall if they ever used Forsythe again, but his chemistry with Goodman were superb ... and, of course, Goodman himself just bangin' for them like nobody's biz.

And man did Nic Cage fit perfectly into their goofy world. I believe Holly Hunter was roommates with Frances McDormand and Raising Arizona was written for Holly. Edwina and HI McDunnough are such a great couple.

 

[Todem]

#63: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK [parmount+ ]

@Ilov80s ' #34 pick. I will just duck and let him talk about it.

Wow, sorry, catching up but this is awful. This either means you left off Temple of Doom and Last Crusade or you ranked them higher, both of which are just not right, but all three are top films of the 80s. In what universe is RoTLA not a top ten 80s movie?

Also, people are saying that for some of us we're getting caught up in nostalgia as if it's a negative thing. I completely disagree. For movies, the way they can take you back to a previous time, especially childhood is such a strong and great feeling Couple this with the fact that the 80s were pretty much the golden age of action/adventure blockbuster movies, pushing down theseclassics in favor of the artsy fartsy just makes no sense for this decade. It's not like we're getting caught up in nostalgia for terrible movies here. Nobody remembers the 80s for Amadeus or Chariots of Fire or Driving Miss Daisy. They remember the 80s for Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Back to the Future.

This right here.......the 80’s was the absolute prime of “popcorn” flicks.

Todays Hollywood is sucking air......dying in fact for ideas like we got in the 80’s.

There is no better decade for pure silver screen joy. And why we went to the movies.....literally every weekend.

 

[Todem]

#63: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK [parmount+ ]

@Ilov80s ' #34 pick. I will just duck and let him talk about it.

Wow, sorry, catching up but this is awful. This either means you left off Temple of Doom and Last Crusade or you ranked them higher, both of which are just not right, but all three are top films of the 80s. In what universe is RoTLA not a top ten 80s movie?

Also, people are saying that for some of us we're getting caught up in nostalgia as if it's a negative thing. I completely disagree. For movies, the way they can take you back to a previous time, especially childhood is such a strong and great feeling Couple this with the fact that the 80s were pretty much the golden age of action/adventure blockbuster movies, pushing down theseclassics in favor of the artsy fartsy just makes no sense for this decade. It's not like we're getting caught up in nostalgia for terrible movies here. Nobody remembers the 80s for Amadeus or Chariots of Fire or Driving Miss Daisy. They remember the 80s for Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Back to the Future.

It's not. BUT sometimes nostalgia can cloud or over shadow quality. Also, depending on ages people have different sweet spots for nostalgia, or in the matter of Raiders and not watching it until my 30s, I have 0 nostalgia for it, and I didn't think it held up well. Still a fun movie, but it would be in my personal 100-200.

For me having 0 consideration for stuff that might be "artsy-fartsy" also is pretty ignorant. Just because my 10 year old brain didn't love them doesn't mean they aren't stellar movies that people should watch, or movies I have fallen for later in life. I think the more interesting discussion will come when we see the 29-30 we agreed on and are at the top. The top 30 is not lacking in cheese, explosions, laughs, or violence. Yes, there about about 6-7 in there that are "artsy-fartsy" and some huge titles we will get to before that too. Again, this was our list of favorite movies from the 80s, not favorite "80s movies" we both felt it was an important distinction based on our lists.

There's definitely room for artsy fartsy in a top 100 80s movies but they should mostly be on the back end. The top 50 should be filled with the following:

- Star Wars
- Indiana Jones
- Back to the Future
- campy 80s horror like NOES, Friday 13th, etc. (select films, not all of them)
- almost all the john hughes catalog
- other classic comedies like Caddyshack, Vacation, Ghostbusters, etc.
- other Blockbusters like Top Gun, Rambo, Aliens

I'm sure your top 50 will have a lot of these, but ROTLA was a swing and a miss. I know this is all subjective, but that was as close to being an objectively wrong pick as it gets.

Yeah that blew my mind.....easily top 5 for the 80’s....like a no brainer.

 

[Todem]

56: SCARFACE [hulu]

80s' #30 selection. I still haven't managed to sit down and watch it. It wasn't part of my homework assignment, so I didn't feel the need yet.

"Her womb is so polluted....I can’t even have a baby with her"
“Say goodnight to the bad guy” “You will never see a bad guy look like me again"

“What happened?”
“I told them I was in a Sanitarium"
“No...I told you tell them you were in Sanitation”

“First you the get the money....then you get the power...then you get the p***y"

 

[Todem]

53: GHOSTBUSTERS [amc+]

My #27 pick. This one is right there with Karate Kid as being movies that formed the core of my love for movies. Gremlins scared me, but what a June in 1984 with that movie, then Karate Kid and Ghostbusters. I know I saw each of those many times with my friends before they left the theater, and those were a couple of the very few we had on VHS. Easily have seen each of those two movies 100s of times.

I went to see Ghostbusters......walked right into Gremlins after it.....then into The Karate Kid......total cost?

$2.00

 

[Todem]

59/60:

ORDINARY PEOPLE [prime, paramount+]
THE ABYSS


Our #32 picks. Cameron getting his underwater boner on starting in the 80s. I was surprised how much I loved this one on a rewatch and love the idea of underwater ETs. Ending was cheesy, but that goes for a lot of movies so I don't knock it too much. I had forgotten about Ordinary People. Great movie that I would have had in the 70s-100 range.

The Abyss?

In all seriousness, I never understood the love for this movie? Was it the plot? Was it the acting? Was it the cinematography? Was it the rat-in-fluid?

I've never understood the draw to this movie. I doubt it would make my top 100 and it is now currently ranked ahead of ROTLA

Yeah we are not letting Raiders go.......sorry Karma and Ilove80’s you deserve a load of shade for this disaster of Raiders of the Lost Ark.....argulby one of the most iconic action films of all time.....not even in the top 10 of your 1980’s top 101 films of all time.

I mean I am floored on just that one.

Oh well......let the countdown roll on!!

 

[El Floppo]

I never claimed any of those movies are crap or that they only hold up for nostalgia. It's just odd that people can't understand a person watching Raiders as an adult for the first time not connecting with it like you all did, or in the case of 80s ironically not growing up with any of these movies and coming at them from that perspective as well.

Not you or 80s. A few people have come here and suggested that the only thing propping up the movies we are arguing for is nostalgia.

I wonder if "a few" is really just me? I don't remember anybody making that claim, and I never said or thought that. nothing props those old classics up. my point was always about people railing against movies they hadn't seen because their posts make it seem like they just assume this draft should be about movies from their childhood. the 80s had a ton of absolutely amazing, adult-focused movies that to me (and many) are better even than a lot of these classic family movies. plus the non-porn too.

Ok...so there were 3 foreign movies "better than Raiders of the Lost Ark"

Cinema Paradisio: A kid falls in love with movies while befriending the local projectionist in his small Italian town.
90 critic /96 audience on RT, a life-affirming ode to the power of youth, nostalgia, and the the movies themselves.

Fitzcarraldo: This crazy Euro wants to build an opera house in the middle of the Rain Forrest. To do so, he has to lift a massive boat over a mountain. There's no CGI here. Herzog (Grizzly Man) goes to the jungle and attempts to actually do it.
77/92 RT, With a production as audacious as the feat it's depicting, Fitzcarraldo comes by its awe-inspiring spectacle honestly.

Au Revoir Les Enfants: If you dig WW2 stories, this is a good one. It's not a war movie but is focused on an all boys Catholic school in France during the German Occupation.
RT 97/93 Louis Malle's autobiographical tale of a childhood spent in a WWII boarding school is a beautifully realized portrait of friendship and youth.

CP... ooh damn. destroys me. I liked it- didn't love- because it came out during a period of super high schmaltz Italian movies that always rubbed me wrong. but it slays me because it reminds me of the woman that got away for me- the one. people thought I looked like the male lead (I was nowhere near as handsome as that kid) and that my ex looked like the female lead (who was nowhere near as beautiful as my ex). that movie brings me right back to that loss and fills my head with woulda/couldas and regret.

Fitz needs to be seen with the doc Burden of Dreams. just an absolutely insane idea and amazingly realized film.

Au Revoir... my HS French teacher was consulted on this as well... he also was one of those kids hidden in a Catholic school. At the time, we were all told the story was about HIM... didn't even realize it being about Malle, which I guess... makes more sense.

 

[El Floppo]

Raising Arizona is top 10 for me... of all time. (at least today... but I love it that much that it's always in consideration for me, whether top 10 or top 25)

 

[opensourcebeer]

I have this sneaking suspicion that none of John Carpenter's 80's movies (Escape From New York, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live) are making this list.

 

[JAA]

Looks like HBO is the place for good 80s movies.

#63: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK [parmount+ ]

@Ilov80s ' #34 pick. I will just duck and let him talk about it.

Wow, sorry, catching up but this is awful. This either means you left off Temple of Doom and Last Crusade or you ranked them higher, both of which are just not right, but all three are top films of the 80s. In what universe is RoTLA not a top ten 80s movie?

Also, people are saying that for some of us we're getting caught up in nostalgia as if it's a negative thing. I completely disagree. For movies, the way they can take you back to a previous time, especially childhood is such a strong and great feeling Couple this with the fact that the 80s were pretty much the golden age of action/adventure blockbuster movies, pushing down theseclassics in favor of the artsy fartsy just makes no sense for this decade. It's not like we're getting caught up in nostalgia for terrible movies here. Nobody remembers the 80s for Amadeus or Chariots of Fire or Driving Miss Daisy. They remember the 80s for Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and Back to the Future.

It's not. BUT sometimes nostalgia can cloud or over shadow quality. Also, depending on ages people have different sweet spots for nostalgia, or in the matter of Raiders and not watching it until my 30s, I have 0 nostalgia for it, and I didn't think it held up well. Still a fun movie, but it would be in my personal 100-200.

For me having 0 consideration for stuff that might be "artsy-fartsy" also is pretty ignorant. Just because my 10 year old brain didn't love them doesn't mean they aren't stellar movies that people should watch, or movies I have fallen for later in life. I think the more interesting discussion will come when we see the 29-30 we agreed on and are at the top. The top 30 is not lacking in cheese, explosions, laughs, or violence. Yes, there about about 6-7 in there that are "artsy-fartsy" and some huge titles we will get to before that too. Again, this was our list of favorite movies from the 80s, not favorite "80s movies" we both felt it was an important distinction based on our lists.

There's definitely room for artsy fartsy in a top 100 80s movies but they should mostly be on the back end. The top 50 should be filled with the following:

- Star Wars
- Indiana Jones
- Back to the Future
- campy 80s horror like NOES, Friday 13th, etc. (select films, not all of them)
- almost all the john hughes catalog
- other classic comedies like Caddyshack, Vacation, Ghostbusters, etc.
- other Blockbusters like Top Gun, Rambo, Aliens

I'm sure your top 50 will have a lot of these, but ROTLA was a swing and a miss. I know this is all subjective, but that was as close to being an objectively wrong pick as it gets.

Serious question for you and others - how much are you going back and watching all these movies you are listing? Yes, some of these things you listed will show up, but adult KP has found many of them to be overrated on rewatches and slid down the list as others rose. We can have specific discussions as more and more are revealed.

Good questions, my best responses are based on the fact that I only really watch older movies in 2 ways now (Im 48).

1. Looking for a movie for family night. This includes wife, 3 boys (19, 17, 14), and myself
2. At someone else's house and trying to see "whats on right now"

If Im looking for something for the family, classic 80's is perfect as they are for everyone. I understand people use the word "nostalgia", but it's more than that. These movies are "recognizable" by everyone either through their franchise, name recognition, or even meme's.

Also, when scrolling through "what's on now", any of my fav movies I can pick up at a random place in the movie and get into it quick. I would say my top 30 movies from the 80's i've seen dozens of times, simply because they are great and easy to watch. No trying to pick, but can someone just pick a random spot in After Hours or The Outsiders and watch for 30 minutes and enjoy? I know I couldnt start watching Sex Lies and Videotape at random spots and enjoy it. NO CHANCE on The Abyss.

Your post perfectly explains why you will have issues with many of my picks. I agree in your 2 scenarios many if my movies are a terrible fit. No, I'm not watching Sex, Lies and Videotape in those situations, I'm not a psychopath. I would say that 80% of my movie watching is not how you describe. It's mostly me or at the most my wife watching.

How you described you watching is a great way to consume movies, but not the only way. Many times I want to be pushed, made to cry, think about the world or relationships in a different way, whatever. That's also what great movies do, at least imo. And some movies are made so turn off the phone, stfu, and watch it from start to end.

Stop with the thoughtful and logical reasoning. You are ruining my childhood one pick at a time and I will forever internet hate you. That is all

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I have this sneaking suspicion that none of John Carpenter's 80's movies (Escape From New York, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live) are making this list.

Don't forget Christine.

But it's okay to forget BTiLC. I couldn't finish that one.

 

[JAA]

49/50:

SOMETHING WILD [prime]
THE LOST BOYS [tubi]

The first one is 80s' #23 pick. That's a big one, so @Ilov80s should pimp that one. The Lost Boys was on both of our lists, but his was a much more reasonable #90 rank to my #34. This movie rules, as does Windex for cologne.

I love the Lost Boys. Excellent pick, though I would prolly have it 10-20 picks higher. I mean, the Frog Brothers? This is an absolute cult classic. I doubt we will see License to Drive in the OP lists, but another great Corey movie.

The other movie? Never heard of it

 

[El Floppo]

I have this sneaking suspicion that none of John Carpenter's 80's movies (Escape From New York, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live) are making this list.

Don't forget Christine.

But it's okay to forget BTiLC. I couldn't finish that one.

that's my favorite of his. WHY ARE YOU RUINING MY CHILDHOOD YOU MONSTER

 

[opensourcebeer]

I have this sneaking suspicion that none of John Carpenter's 80's movies (Escape From New York, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live) are making this list.

Don't forget Christine.

But it's okay to forget BTiLC. I couldn't finish that one.

I prefer BTiLC to Christine, but I can understand not liking either one.

The Thing is an absolute classic IMO.

 

[Ilov80s]

56: SCARFACE [hulu]

80s' #30 selection. I still haven't managed to sit down and watch it. It wasn't part of my homework assignment, so I didn't feel the need yet.

"Her womb is so polluted....I can’t even have a baby with her"

Edwina's insides were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase.

 

[otb_lifer]

I have this sneaking suspicion that none of John Carpenter's 80's movies (Escape From New York, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live) are making this list.

"The Thing" were my selection for top flick of '82 when we did that community exercise - to omit it here would necessitate pitchforks ...

 

[El Floppo]

56: SCARFACE [hulu]

80s' #30 selection. I still haven't managed to sit down and watch it. It wasn't part of my homework assignment, so I didn't feel the need yet.

"Her womb is so polluted....I can’t even have a baby with her"

Edwina's insides were a rocky place where my seed could find no purchase.

say... that reminds me...

 

[Ilov80s]

49/50:

SOMETHING WILD [prime]
THE LOST BOYS [tubi]

The first one is 80s' #23 pick. That's a big one, so @Ilov80s should pimp that one. The Lost Boys was on both of our lists, but his was a much more reasonable #90 rank to my #34. This movie rules, as does Windex for cologne.

I love the Lost Boys. Excellent pick, though I would prolly have it 10-20 picks higher. I mean, the Frog Brothers? This is an absolute cult classic. I doubt we will see License to Drive in the OP lists, but another great Corey movie.

The other movie? Never heard of it

You’ve got some catching up to do. Jonathan Demme, Melanie Griffith, Ray Liotta, Jeff Daniels.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

What I like about the Abyss was there really is no other movie like it. Solid script, solid cinematography, solid special effects(for the time), great acting for the genre, great ending and original story.

I recall Deepstar Six coming out around the same time but that movie is trash and not in the same stratosphere. Abyss is a good movie.

I looked forward to The Abyss for weeks before it came out and saw it the first day.
All I could say was Meh.
It was good but didn't come close to meeting my expectations.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

49/50:

SOMETHING WILD [prime]

Exhibit B that Jeff Daniels is underrated.

I agree about Jeff Daniels but Melanie Griffith cemented herself as one of my least favorite actresses of all time after this. She just ruined it for me.

 

[Ilov80s]

49/50:

SOMETHING WILD [prime]

Exhibit B that Jeff Daniels is underrated.

I agree about Jeff Daniels but Melanie Griffith cemented herself as one of my least favorite actresses of all time after this. She just ruined it for me.

What! She’s incredible in it.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

I have this sneaking suspicion that none of John Carpenter's 80's movies (Escape From New York, The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, They Live) are making this list.

Don't forget Christine.

But it's okay to forget BTiLC. I couldn't finish that one.

that's my favorite of his. WHY ARE YOU RUINING MY CHILDHOOD YOU MONSTER

I guess it's what I do...?

What I like about the Abyss was there really is no other movie like it. Solid script, solid cinematography, solid special effects(for the time), great acting for the genre, great ending and original story.

I recall Deepstar Six coming out around the same time but that movie is trash and not in the same stratosphere. Abyss is a good movie.

I looked forward to The Abyss for weeks before it came out and saw it the first day.
All I could say was Meh.
It was good but didn't come close to meeting my expectations.

Problem with the theatrical release is that the effects weren't complete but the suits wanted a summer release anyway.

It's the special edition you have to watch. Unfortunately it's never been released on BluRay so you can almost never see it in HD anywhere - occasionally it airs on one of the cable networks I think.

Rumors of a 4k are floating, but they have been for years and I'm not...wait for it...holding my breath.

 

[Charlie Steiner]

39/40:

RAISING ARIZONA
E.T.

Our #16 picks on our list. Remember the post from last night - basically all the movies we will see today were only on one of our lists, but when ranked they were in our top 20: so one of us love it, and the other not so much. I was laughing a little last night thinking about my experience in the theaters in the early 80s. I was terrified of E.T., and then Gremlins scared me. It's a wonder I bothered continuing to watch movies, but maybe that set me up for a love of horror later? Everybody cooing about E.T. but me having flashbacks fof ET in the closet, screaming, and looking like a piece of white dog ****. I didn't get the love at the time, but it has warmed my heart over the years.

Gonna be honest here, I thought E.T. was going to be #1.

Raising Arizona is what put the Cohens on my radar, and I still love quoting this film, as do a lot of folks around here, I see.