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wonderfulworldofmichaelford · 7 years ago

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The Top 100 Movies of the 1980s

Ah, the 80s. In terms of art, they were a time of boundless creativity, where it seemed like artists would put any crazy idea out there just to see what stuck. As a result, we got lots of crap... but we also got a whole lot of awesome, memorable, and iconic movies.

This was the decade where fantasy really got big, with unique fantasy films coming out all the time. Sci-fi and horror as well had a good decade, with the latter genre churning out all manner of quirky slasher films in which supernatural madmen killed. Stephen King movies had a good run as well, kicking off the decade with The Shining and getting some other good to great movies along the way. Animation produced a lot of quirky, niche films that only later found the devoted audiences they deserved, but it also put out the film that would launch an animated Renaissance in the next decade. And of course, the 80s truly belonged to one man: Arnold Schwarzenegger, who put out everything from action classics to hilarious comedies to cult classic films.

But that’s enough history; let’s get right on in to the list:

100. Heavy Metal

1981

Sci-fi, fantasy, horror, titties, sex, and awesome music all come together in this fascinating cult classic that loosely strings together a bunch of vignettes that exist solely to show off badass, mindlessly awesome sci-fi and fantasy adventures. It’s one of the most awesome and underrated animated films ever made for sure.

99. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banazai Across the 8th Dimension

1984

One of the strangest films ever, this one is especially notable for having a surprisingly star-studded cast which includes Peter Wellers, Christopher Lloyd, John Lithgow, Jeff Goldblum, and Clancy Brown. It’s a pretty fun sci-fi story too, that asks the REAL questions, like… what’s that watermelon over there for?

98. The Toxic Avenger

1984

Did Troma realize what they were unleashing upon the world when they made this? This epic, trashy revenge film about a janitor dipped in toxic waste due to a mean prank cleaning up crime in his shithole of a town is as awesomely ridiculous as the title implies.

97. The Living Daylights

1987

And they say there were no good Bond films in the 80s! Timothy Dalton’s first outing is rather excellent, and features an awesome scene in which the villain Necros disguised as a milkman lays waste to a house. License to Kill was great too, but this one just has a bit of an edge, mostly thanks to a-Ha’s awesome theme song.

96. The Great Mouse Detective

1986

Disney released a Sherlock Holmes-esque film with mice, and it is perhaps one of their most underrated classics. Aside from the excellent Holmesian mystery story, you have an incredibly risque song number from a stripper mouse and Vincent Price devouring the scenery as an incredibly hammy villain. What’s not to love here?

95. The Dark Crystal

1982

One of the boldest, most daring fantasy films of the 80s, this is some of Jim Henson’s finest work, no doubt. The story may be cliché, but the excellent worldbuilding, puppets, and overall design of everything more than makes up for the flaws.

94. The Return of the Living Dead

1985

Horror and comedy come together in this homage to Romero’s zombie films. Not only does this movie feature the iconic zombie Tarman, it is also responsible for popularizing zombies craving brains in pop culture. Zombie cinema owes this movie quite a debt of gratitude.

93. Fatal Attraction

1987

Some parts of this movie have not aged particularly well, particularly that slasher film-esque ending… the rest of it though? Still excellent, gripping, and dark. Alex Forrest is a disturbing villain for the ages, a woman scorned who takes her vengeance much, MUCH too far.

92. They Live!

1988

This film is a brilliant satire of Reagonomics featuring one of the greatest fistfight brawls in cinematic history, and yet it will always be known best for that one, single line: “I am here to chew bubblegum and kick ass… and I’m all out of bubblegum.” And you know what? That’s ok.

91. The Lost Boys

1987

80s vampire movies don’t get much better than this one, one of the rare well-received films by Joel Schumacher. It has the style, the fashion, the Coreys! It’s the peak of 80s vampirism for sure.

90. Mystics in Bali

1981

This film is incredibly, insanely awesome, a complete and utter mindfuck. It’s basically what happens if you made a kung-fu movie except you replaced the kung-fu with witches and vampiric flying heads whose entrails dangle out their neck hole. This is one of the most batshit movies ever made, and deserves more respect.

89. Dirty Dancing

1987

I’d be remiss to not mention Baby and how no one should put her in a corner, but this movie has more going for it than just that, like an excellent soundtrack and an incredibly dreamy Patrick Swayze. Sure it’s a bit cheesy, but it really just adds to the charm of the film.

88. Twins

1988

Whoever would have guessed that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito would have such excellent onscreen comedic chemistry? More importantly, who could have ever guessed that they could convincingly and endearingly play twins?! Arnold and Danny made quite a few films together, but this one is definitely the best of the bunch, and easily one of Arnold’s best comedy outings.

87. The Adventures of Mark Twain

1985

This is a pretty dark story for a family film, what with it essentially being a man’s journey to commit suicide (that man being Mark Twain). Interspersed with vignette adaptations of his stories, including a scene based off of The Mysterious Stranger that is easily one of the most unsettling sequences of animation ever created, this is an underrated masterpiece.

86. Commando

1985

Somehow, some way, they managed to make an action movie that distilled everything amazing about Arnold Schwarzenegger action films together into one movie. It has one-liners, it has brutal kills, it has Arnold singlehandedly slaughtering his way through armies of goons, it has dozens of lines you can quote… this is a love letter to Arnold movies, starring the man himself.

85. The Last Dragon

1985

Blaxploitation and kung-fu go together like peanut butter and jelly; throw in some weird hokey mysticism and a gargantuan portion of cheese, and you have a cult classic on your hands. Throw in a villain as awesome and memorable as Sho’Nuff, and you have a gem for the ages.

84. UHF

1989

Weird Al only ever starred in one movie, but boy did he make that one movie count. This film is an excellent showcase of his odd, wacky sense of humor, and even then it still has a solid story to carry the jokes along.

83. Creepshow

1982

Horror legends Stephen King and George Romero teamed up with special effects wiz Tom Savini and paid tribute to old school horror comics of the 50s with this masterful string of short stories. Standouts include Something to Tide You Over featuring a shockingly terrifying turn by Leslie Neilsen, The Lonesome Death of Jody Verrill which has Stephen King himself in the titular role, and best of all The Crate, which is about the titular object… or, well, what’s inside it. All this adds together to make the best horror anthology film ever made.

82. Killer Klowns from Outer Space

1988

Step aside, Pennywise! Here comes a whole gang of man-eating clowns from the stars! In an homage to B-grade monster movies of the past, particularly The Blob, at that! Keeping the spirit of the old-school monster movie alive is an easy way to win me over, and doing it with tongue firmly in cheek? Well, that’s just icing on the cake!

81. Bad Taste

1987

Peter Jackson’s early work all truly lives up to the title of this film, but this one takes the cake, or perhaps the barfed-up bowl of goo. With all the gore and nastiness, this is one of the trashiest, most awesome sci-fi films ever inflicted upon this Earth.

80. The Adventures of Baron Munchausen

1988

Terry Gilliam’s charming flight of fancy is just as creative as his other 80s works, and honestly? It’s probably my personal favorite. Where else can you see an uncredited Robin Williams as king of the moon, or a young Uma Thurman as Aphrodite herself? Or the Grim Reaper in what might be its most horrifying cinematic interpretation ever?

79. The Land Before Time

1988

You wouldn’t think a film about dinosaur children journeying across the land could be so dark and gripping, but, well, here we are. This is one of the strangest coming-of-age films ever made… and also one of the best.

78. The Running Man

1987

Yet another Arnold classic, this one actually tackles some deeper themes beneath the cheesy 80s action, such as the glorification of violence in media and how the media loves to distort and twist the truth. This was years before reality TV mind you, and yet it was disturbingly accurate. And they say Arnold’s movies can’t be deep!

77. Clue

1985

Anyone who tells you “X is a stupid idea for a movie, it could never work!” is a fucking idiot, because in 1985 they managed to make an excellent screwball comedic mystery out of a popular board game… and it was magnificent! Getting folks like Madeline Kahn, Tim Curry, and Christopher Lloyd involved definitely helped.

76. Lethal Weapon

1987

I think it’s safe to say nearly every buddy cop movie after this one took a page from its book. This is a hugely influential movie, and thankfully it’s really damn good even looking back, giving us one of Mel Gibson’s best performances ever.

75. Christine

1983

What can I say? I love movies about killer cars. John Carpenter did a really good job at making the titular car as badass and menacing as possible, and it stands tall as one of the best films based off of Stephen King’s work.

74. The Brave Little Toaster

1987

Long before Toy Story 3, there was this film, which has a very similar plot, right down to the ending (which is no surprise as many people who worked on this went on to Pixar). With a charming and likable cast and several scenes that range from amusingly strange to nightmarishly memorable, this is one hell of a family film.

73. The Dead Zone

1983

Christopher Walken stars in this supernatural thriller based on a work by Stephen King, proving the 80s were probably one of the best times to be a Stephen King adaptation, because damn this is one hell of a film. Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen turn in fantastic performances in this one, highlights of their careers even.

72. The Untouchables

1987

While it is a somewhat fictionalized and dramatized account, there is no denying Brian De Palma managed to make the tale of Al Capone’s takedown as stylish and cool as you’d hope the story of the legendary gangster’s defeat would be.

71. The Killer

1989

This is without a doubt one of the finest films John Woo ever made. The action is incredible, the story is incredible, and it all culminates in a shootout at (where else?) a church. This is pure, classic, undiluted Woo right here.

70. Beetlejuice

1988

Michael Keaton portrays the ghost with the most, the titular spirit, with so much personality that it makes it nearly impossible to hate this film. It does help the other main characters have a lot of heart and charm to counteract his hilariously douchey antics, though.

69. Re-Animator

1985

Sci-fi and zombies collide in this H. P. Lovecraft adaptation. Jeffery Combs really makes the movie with his stellar performance as Herbert West. This is also probably the only movie where you can see a severed head try and perform cunnilingus on a young woman, so there’s that too.

68. The Name of the Rose

1986

What a strange concept: a detective story, except with a friar doing the investigating in an abbey in the Middle Ages. And yet, it somehow works really well, not in the least bit due to Sean Connery’s excellent performance.

67. Pumpkinhead

1988

One of the best overlooked horror films of the 80s, this is a rather unique demonic horror film. Lance Henriksen turns in a wonderful performance, but the real star here is special effects legend Stan Winston’s awesome creation, the titular monster. This is one hell of a directorial debut, I gotta say.

66. Caddyshack

1980

This is easily one of the best sports films and one of the funniest comedies ever made. Comedy legends like Chevy Chase and Bill Murray turn in excellent and hilarious performances, but as I’m sure you know it’s Rodney Dangerfield who’s busting everyone’s guts with his antics.

65. An American Werewolf in London

1981

This movie is pretty good as a horror film with comedic elements, but there’s no doubt it is most notable for the incredible special effects work from Rick Baker. And if that doesn’t tell you enough about this movie’s quality, Michael Jackson specifically sought out director John Landis and Baker to help him make the music video for “Thriller” solely because of this film.

64. Blow Out

1981

John Travolta stars in this fascinating thriller about a movie sound recordist who accidentally picks up proof that a supposed accident is murder while recording sounds. Dark, gritty, and as thrilling as a good thriller should be, this is one of Travolta’s and director Brian De Palma’s best films, hands down.

63. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

1986

Damn, how is this perennial classic about the ultimate lovable slacker so low? Well, mostly because I kinda find Ferris to be a manipulative douchebag who manages to get away with everything by taking advantage of the good graces of others. But do my feelings toward the titular character change the fact this is a charming work of 80s genius? Nope!

62. The NeverEnding Story

1984

The 80s were a wonderful time for unique and creative fantasy films, and not many were as creative as this one, which has impressive puppet work, incredible designs for the sets and strange beings that populated the world, and a somewhat cheesy but charming and exciting story populated with likable characters.

61. Big

1988

This is a movie that just oozes charm. Part of it is due to it being one of the most lowkey fantasy films of the 80s; the other part comes with it being a unique take on the coming-of-age story. But let’s be honest: most of it comes from the living embodiment of charm himself, Tom Hanks.

60. Return to Oz

1985

This movie has a lot going against it, seeing as it’s something of a sequel to a beloved classic. But instead of going for the colorful and cheerful route of the original (with moments of darkness) this movie goes in the opposite route, with moments of cheerful quirkiness surrounded by some truly unnerving and dark content, such as a witch who steals people’s heads. In all honesty, this makes the film, in a lot of ways, better than The Wizard of Oz.

59. Stand By Me

1986

Many see this as one of the greatest coming-of-age films, and one of the greatest Stephen King movies ever made. And on both fronts, it’s easy to agree. Four boys walking down the train tracks together… is there a more iconic image in the history of coming-of-age films?

58. Ladyhawke

1988

A forgotten fantasy masterpiece of the late 80s, it features Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer as star-crossed lovers, with Hauer turning to a wolf by night and Pfeiffer becoming a hawk by day. This is a creative and unique fantasy romance that definitely deserves more exposure than it got.

57. Willow

1988

What if George Lucas made Lord of the Rings? You’d probably get something like this, which features a story written by him, a story which despite the 80s fantasy cheesiness resonates with all the charm of the early Star Wars films and even featuring one of the franchise’s stars – Warwick Davis, AKA Wicket the Ewok.

56. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

1989

While it is something of a formulaic Indy film, it’s also the single best sequel of the series. Who isn’t a sucker for Arthurian legend, Christian mythology, and Sean Connery fighting Nazis? People you don’t want to spend time around, that’s who.

55. Brazil

1985

This is Terry Gilliam’s magnum opus, a sci-fi masterpiece with a similar dystopia to 1984. The difference here is that there’s a bit more dark comedy – not surprising since Gilliam is a Monty Python alum. Despite being fucked up by executive meddling originally, these days it has become hailed as one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time and a cult classic for the ages. Hard to disagree with that.

54. The Karate Kid

1984

Of course this would be on here. This is one of those beloved classics that has to be on every great 80s film list, in no small part due to Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi and the epic motivational jam “You’re the Best.”

53. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

1988

From the hilarious opening and the creative opening credits to Leslie Neilsen’s hilariously deadpan performance to all the clever jokes, slapstick, and visual gags, this is one of the funniest works in Neilsen’s career, and even in cinema as a whole.

52. The Little Mermaid

1989

Disney was in a dark, troubled time in the 80s… and then this film came along and kickstarted their 90s Renaissance era with a bang. Unforgettable songs, an entertaining villain, and one of Disney’s most charming main characters (so charming she doesn’t even need to speak!), The Little Mermaid easily stands the test of time, though it isn’t quite as good as some later Disney films.

51. Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures

1989

One of Keanu Reeves’ earliest films, this is the story of two lovable doofuses and their journey through time to meet some of history’s greatest mind. Filled with laughs and charm, this is to this day one of Reeves’ best and most enjoyable films. It helps to have George Carlin in your movie.

50. Jason Lives: Frday the 13th Part VI

1986

There were five films before this of varying quality, with the first being a horror milestone, but it’s pretty hard to deny that part six is the best of the bunch. It brings Jason back as a zombie, it adds in some humorous and tongue-in-cheek elements, and most importantly it has Alice Cooper popping out a badass villain theme song for Jason. This is where the series peaked.

49. Big Trouble in Little China

1986

One of John Carpenter’s greatest efforts, this film has truly earned its cult following. Martial arts and mysticism blend together to create a unique tale in which, in the words of Carpenter and Kurt Russell themselves, shows us “...A guy who thinks he’s the action hero when he’s really the comic sidekick.”

48. Spaceballs

1987

Mel Brooks proves he can be funny in any decade he decides to make a movie with this, a spoof of not only Star Wars but sci-fi tropes in general. You’ll be quoting a lot of the lines long after the movie ends, guaranteed.

47. The Elephant Man

1980

One of David Lynch’s most straightforward films… and yet, also one of his best. It is a powerful, emotional story loosely based on the real tale of Joseph Merrick (here in the film named John). John Hurt gives an incredible performance as Merrick, and in an important cultural milestone this film was the movie that helped establish the Best Makeup category at the Oscars following this film getting snubbed for it (it was previously merely a special citation award that had been given out twice).

46. Pink Floyd: The Wall

1982

One of the most infamously trippy and surreal music movies ever made, the deranged animation combined with some horrifying real-life imagery blend together to create one of the most inventive and strange artistic experiences ever put to film.

45. The Secret of NIMH

1982

Don Bluth’s magnum opus, and dark story of a mother’s bravery and love for her child as she goes against insurmountable odds to save her sickly son from death. Well known for its fucked up imagery, it also contains a lot of heart and spirit, particularly in the brilliantly done main character, Mrs. Brisby. There’s a reason this is cited as one of the finest animated films ever made.

44. Conan the Barbarian

1982

Basically every swords & sorcery film owes a massive debt of gratitude to this, the epic Arnold tale of a mighty barbarian’s quest for revenge. When everything from Red Sonja to Samurai Jack owes you a debt of gratitude, it’s safe to say you’re classic.

43. Clash of the Titans

1981

Greek myths have never been brought to life more enjoyably. While there is a fine layer of cheese here – the mechanical owl and Zeus’ disco lights being the chief offenders – it’s all part of this film’s charm. Ray Harryhausen did the work for the stop-motion monsters, and without a doubt his work on Medusa is some of his finest work ever, with her single scene being the stuff of nightmares. And let us not forget his reimagining of the kraken as the stand-in for Cetus; here, the kraken is a massive four-armed fish man, a take that has embedded itself in pop culture enough that other fantasy settings have cribbed this for their krakens.

42. Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

1983

The capstone to the thrilling original trilogy, it is a tad more uneven than the previous installment, but that’s about the only major negative going for it. From the opening scenes in Kabba’s slimy crime palace to the final battle with the Empire on the moon of Endor, this movie set the standard for how you should conclude a trilogy (though it didn’t set the standard on how you should treat Boba Fett).

41. The Last Unicorn

1982

The Rankin and Bass combo is best known for bringing delightfully corny stop-motion Christmas specials to life, but in 1982, they brought this, a gorgeous, dark, magical family film. At times charmingly magical, at others horrifyingly dark, but always stunningly gorgeous, this is one of the greatest hidden gems of the 80s.

40. Highlander

1986

Clever concepts and a fine cast come together beautifully in this unique fantasy film of immortals doing battle. Come for Sean Connery and Christopher Lambert’s excellent performances, stay for Clancy Brown’s early role as the badass and psychotic villain Victor Kruger. There’s plenty of silliness and badassery all around, as is only fitting for an 80s fantasy film.

39. Akira

1988

Motorcycle riding, explosions, telekinesis, psychic kids, horrifying mutations… this anime has it all! There’s even overdramatic shouting of the name of a friend! This film helped show to many that animation had a place beyond just entertaining kids or families, and that adult animation is a viable thing; not only that, it really helped introduce anime in the West, and helped inspire other great works like The Matrix. Truly a landmark, Akira’s place in pop culture and cinematic history can’t be ignored.

38. Pee-wee’s Big Adventures

1985

This film is weird; it’s a Tim Burton film that doesn’t really feel like a Tim Burton film (Large Marge notwithstanding). But that’s a good thing in this case; this charmingly simple tale of an eccentric man on a quest to retrieve his lost bike while getting into misadventures and meeting equally eccentric characters, culminating in an epic chase scene across Warner Bros. lots, is nothing short of fun.

37. Labyrinth

1986

Jim Henson and David Bowie were two of the most inventive, creative, and talented men on the planet, and yet putting the two of them together on one project seems crazy. And yet, it happened, and boy is the result glorious. The incredible puppet work and catchy songs are one thing, but David Bowie’s performance as Jareth the Goblin King is on a whole different level. He does so good he makes up for Jennifer Connelly’s corny acting in spades.

36. The Road Warrior

1981

Before Fury Road, there was The Road Warrior, a movie that lays as much claim to being called one of the most adrenaline-charged action films of all time. Filled with the crazy car stunts and action you would expect of a Mad Max movie, this movie is so good you almost forget you’re cheering for Mel Gibson of all people. Almost.

35. The Breakfast Club

1985

A group of misfits get together in detention, and inner reflection and a tight bond ensue. This is another one of those perennial classics, a teen movie that has stood the test of time and remained relatable through the years. It’s hard not to relate to a bunch of alienated, suffering teens; we were all there once.

34. First Blood

1982

Before the heavily actionized sequels… there was this, a tragic, almost Shakesperean tale of a Vietnam vet who is so traumatized by his experience there is just no place for him in this world. This was far deeper and more politically charged than newcomers to the Rambo movies might expect, but it is all the better for it.

33. The Fly

1986

Remaking a B-grade horror film and turning it into one of the most shining examples of body horror in all of cinema is quite an impressive feat, but David Cronenberg pulled it off! This movie is in many ways superior to the original film, and features one of Jeff Goldblum’s most impressive performances – one that is Oscar-worthy, I might add.

32. The Blues Brothers

1980

Movies based off of SNL skits have a reputation of sucking… save for this hilarious musical masterpiece, which has anything you could ever ask for from a comedy: Nazis getting run over, great songs and choreography, tons of cameos, and the greatest car chase ever put to film.

31. Field of Dreams

1989

If you build it, they will come… and cry their eyes out. This is one of the most tearjerking and heartwarming sports movies ever made, and arguably the best lowkey fantasy film of the 1980s.

30. TRON

1982

Sci-fi hardly got more groundbreaking than this cult classic. This movie just oozes style, what with its glowy video game aesthetics, and features a young Jeff Bridges (which is always a plus) and those kickass lightcycles. These days it has gotten a lot more appreciation due to things like Kingdom Hearts, and that appreciation is not undeserved; what other movie can spawn an awesome sequel three decades after the original?

29. Flash Gordon

1980

You COULD say that this film is nothing but a Star Wars ripoff that shamelessly cribs that series and its aesthetic… or you could say FLASH! AAAAAAAA-AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SAVIOR OF THE UNIVERSE! The costumes, the cheesiness, the Queen soundtrack… this movie is the epitome of awesome.

28. Batman

1989

Tim Burton’s first crack at the Caped Crusader is still, to this day, one of the most impressive superhero films ever. Big props to both Michael Keaton in the title role and Jack Nicholson as his archenemy, the Joker; as it should be, these two and their performances make the film.

27. Full Metal Jacket

1987

One of Kubrick’s greatest works, it is a misunderstood work; you don’t just tune out after R. Lee Ermey’s part ends. You come for Gunnery Sgt. Hartman, you stay for him, and then you sit through the Vietnam war bit. Yes, even I’ll admit the Vietnam war part is not quite as good as the first half… but it still is filled with memorable scenes, characters, and quotes. Still though, mad props to Ermey, one of the few men to ever get away with improvising lines under Kubrick’s direction. You can’t understate an achievement like that.

26. Heathers

1988

One of the greatest black comedies, maybe even THE best black comedy, ever made. It’s like a dark parody of films like The Breakfast Club, with high school angst and bitchy cliques taken to their logical extreme.

25. A Nightmare on Elm Street

1984

This was really hard. The Elm Street series maintained a rather consistent level of quality overall throughout the 80s, from the underrated fifth and second installments to the third movie, which I would say is the best of the bunch. But I think that this spot can only belong to the original, without which none of the others would be possible. Wes Craven truly created an icon in the nightmarish Freddy Krueger, and Robert Englund brought him to life. This is truly the finest slasher film of the 80s.

24. This is Spinal Tap

1984

13 spaces away from its ideal spot, this mockumentary follows the world’s loudest metal band on one of their crazy tours. This film has apparently had actual rock stars scratching their heads and wondering what the joke is… apparently this film is too real for them. Whether that makes this better or not is up to you, but there’s really no denying this is a brilliant film either way.

23. Airplane!

1980

Remember the days when spoof movies were funny? This film is a crowning moment of comedic genius; it needs to be seen to truly be appreciated, it’s a comedy no amount of explaining can do justice. Just go watch it and laugh your ass off.

22. RoboCop

1987

Action and comedy are genres that really go hand-in-hand; being a bit tongue in cheek about slaughtering hordes of evil mooks is just amusing on a lot of levels. RoboCop manages to be ultraviolent, funny, bitingly satirical, and just a plain good time.

21. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

1982

Sci-fi rarely gets more Shakesperean than this. There’s very little about this that isn’t absolutely iconic and ingrained in pop culture, from Kirk’s infamous scream of Khan’s name to Khan himself as played by Ricardo Montalban to the tragic final moments of Spock near the end. This is widely considered one of the greatest sequels ever made, and it’s nearly impossible to argue against that.

20. Blade Runner

1982

Harrison Ford. Rutger Hauer. A dark sci-fi dystopia. It’s hard to believe this movie was once a cult classic that didn’t exactly wow at the box office, since it has gone on to be one of the biggest sources of inspiration in the sci-fi genre ever, and managed to produce one of the greatest monologues ever with Roy Batty’s “Tears in the Rain” speech. Some would argue that the recently released sequel surpasses this, but we still gotta give props for all this film gave us.

19. The Terminator

1984

The original unstoppable robot assassin film is truly iconic, and it is one of the films that helped turn Arnold Schwarzenegger into the massive pop culture icon he is today. So many quotable lines and a dark, brooding atmosphere that heightens the intensity, this is a film that, while overshadowed a bit by its incredible sequel, is every bit as good as you could imagine.

18. Gremlins

1984

This is heralded as one of the greatest Christmas movies ever, and it’s hard to argue; this is a charming, quirky, dark holiday monster movie. The creature designs are fantastic, the characters are likable, and the movie just has such a sense of black comedy and dark fun that it’s pretty much infectious. This is the standard by which all holiday monster movies should be judged.

17. Predator

1987

This is the definitive Arnold movie, and one of the manliest movies ever made on the face of the Earth. Not a single line of dialogue, not a single scene, nothing in this movie isn’t dripping with the sheer essence of manliness. Hell, the one woman that is in here is hardly noticeable due to the sheer amount of muscular men surrounding her. And even all the incredible manliness aside, we have one of the most awesome, badass alien antagonists ever put to film, with a unique design and an arsenal of weapons that make it into basically what Boba Fett SHOULD have been. This movie kicks so much ass it’s unreal; watch it, and you too can be a sexual Tyrannosaurus!

16. Scarface

1983

This is probably the best gangster movie ever. Yeah, you heard me: I think this is better than The Godfather, and maybe even better than Goodfellas (at the very least, those two are on the same level). I think the reason I believe this is because Tony Montana is just such a compelling character; his rags-to-riches story and his own paranoia and hubris causing his downfall is like a Greek tragedy, and the movie is like this dark, violent character study. In that way, you could call this the Citizen Kane of gangster films, except this film is also entertaining and engaging.

15. Escape from New York

1981

Kurt Russell has scarcely gotten a better role in his career than he did here. Snake Plissken is a hardened badass, and a pop culture icon who has inspired many incredible characters, from Solid Snake to Hoss Delgado. But the main character isn’t the only thing worthwhile; John Carpenter’s excellent and atmospheric score and the dark dystopian world shown here all help this film carve out its own identity amidst many bleak dystopian films of the 80s. But… yeah, Snake is what really makes this movie. I’m a sucker for ruggedly handsome men in eyepatches, sue me.

14. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

1982

What kind of list would this be without this film on here somewhere? Spielberg really outdid himself here; it’s a heartwarming, tearjerking, incredibly well-done lowkey sci-fi film for the ages. Spielberg somehow managed to make a lumpy brown alien into the most sweet, adorable thing you could ever hope to see, and managed to give us some of the best child acting ever seen with the child leads of the movie. There’s very little about this film that isn’t excellent; it’s no wonder it has gone on to embed itself in pop culture to the extent it has.

13. Blue Velvet

1986

It’s amazing how good straightforward David Lynch movies can be, considering the man is usually at his best with surreal mindfucks. But this somewhat less surreal film is a dark look at the rotten heart behind the cheerful facade of white picket fence America, a darkness completely embodied in the horrifying, insane madman that is Dennis Hopper’s Frank Booth, a frothing lunatic for the ages and one of the greatest villains ever put to screen.

12. The Thing

1982

People who say all remakes are inevitably doomed from the get-go and that there can be no such thing as a good remake are hard to take seriously when movies like The Fly and this, John Carpenter’s magnum opus, exist. Taking an old B-grade horror sci-fi film and reworking it into a gory horror story that acts as a reflection of the then-current AIDS crisis and Cold War paranoia was a stroke of genius, and manages to create a film that truly outshines the original in just about every way. Maybe more directors should try remaking old B-movies.

11. The Goonies

1985

Children going on adventures was a huge thing in the 80s, and for my money, it never got better than this film. This film is like a combination of everything great about 1980s adventure movies: creative death traps, likable characters, memorable music that will instantly get you to think of the film, memorable villains, and a solid plot about saving the neighborhood… all of it seems so cliché, but by god does this film make it all work. And for how cheesy it all sounds and how 80s the film feels, it holds up remarkably well! Goonies never say die, indeed.

10. Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

1988

And they say the movie can never be better than the book! Even the guy who wrote the book this is based on thinks the movie is better, and who can blame him? Not only do we have truly groundbreaking effects that really help you believe animated characters and live-action characters are interacting, Daffy Duck and Donald Duck have a scene where they get into a fight, and then later Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny share a scene! Holy shit, for those two scenes alone this movie would deserve a spot on this list, and the fact that the rest of it is as exciting and memorable as those scenes is just a showcase of what a genius work this is.

9. The Shining

1980

It’s hard to believe that Kubrick won the Worst Director Razzie for this movie (well, it’s not that hard to believe, the Razzies fucking suck), since this is one of the most intensely atmospheric horror films ever made. Leave it to an insane perfectionist like Kubrick to make a ghost story as chilling and terrifying as this. This movie is also the poster child for an adaptation that is excellent while deviating quite a bit from the source material. Hardcore Stephen King fans may be disappointed, but for everyone else, this is one of the greatest, most iconic, and most influential horror films ever made. Even King came around to loving it eventually!

8. Evil Dead II

1987

The original movie was a low-budget gorefest about a bunch of kids terrorized by demonic spirits in a cabin in the woods… with all but one person dead, where could they go from there? Why, they could add some more comedic elements and make Ash more badass than ever by giving him a chainsaw for a hand! Equal parts funny and scary, this film manages to improve on its predecessor in every way – and there’s no tree rape here, either, which is always a big plus! Bruce Campbell truly shines in his performance as Ash Williams, and really sets the tone for what the man would become in the equally awesome sequel and TV series. Sure, some of the stuff here is really campy, but there’s no doubt in my mind a lot of the silliness is intentional; it’s all part of the charm.

7. Back to the Future

1985

Time travel plots are tricky to pull off, due to all the tricky logic involved. You’re pretty much always gonna have holes in the time travel logic, so you better be damn sure you have charming, likable characters at the helm to keep the audience from straining their brains trying to make sense of the weirdness… and by god, this film has that! Michael J. Fox, one of the most charming people alive, is Marty McFly, and Christopher Lloyd is one of the most lovably eccentric scientists ever put to screen. It also helps this film takes on a more fun, lighthearted, and funny tone, leading to it just oozing charm. Much like many other films on this list, it’s easy to see why this has become such an iconic movie.

6. Die Hard

1988

This is considered one of the greatest action films ever made, one of the greatest Christmas movies ever made, and just flat-out one of the greatest movies ever made, period. But why is that? Because it’s a story of an average, everyday man thrust into an extraordinarily dangerous situation, and he deals with it like any ordinary cop would deal with a situation as crazy as terrorists taking over a skyscraper. Unlike other 80s action heroes, John McClane isn’t some crazy, invincible badass who can gun down a hundred mooks with ease. He bleeds, he gets hurt, he takes a fucking beating… but he is determined to save the day no matter what, and he perseveres to take out the charming, cunning snake that is Hans Gruber. Of note is that Hans Gruber is an awesome, incredible villain, one for the ages… and in a weird twist, the hero is equally good, if not BETTER than the villain. That’s a rare sight for sure!

5. Ghostbusters

1984

Few films from the 80s have aged as well as this. From the mostly great special effects (yeah, the stop-motion on the demon dogs is not quite up to par with the other effects) to the inventive plot, this movie is not short on good ideas, but the real glue holding this film together is the camaraderie between the four leads. The four Ghostbusters have such great chemistry and play off each other really well, with their differing personalities bouncing off each other with such great results… more movies should take notes from the chemistry that Aykroyd, Murray, Ramis, and (to a lesser extent) Hudson have.

4. Aliens

1986

This right here is how you do a sequel that strays from the original’s tone and even genre a bit while still staying true to the idea. And what do you know, it’s James Cameron doing it, pulling off a feat he’d do again in the 90s with the second Terminator film! The original Alien was a dark, claustrophobic horror film; this movie keeps some of the horror elements, but ups the action, the amount of aliens, and most importantly the amount of Ripley. Sigourney Weaver cements Ripley’s place in the halls of pop culture with her iconic portrayal of sci-fi’s greatest leading lady. It’s a sequel that’s so damn good, it may just be better than the original. Now, if only Cameron could come back to the franchise… Ridley Scott ain’t doing so well with it.

3. The Princess Bride

1987

The 80s was not short on great fantasy films whatsoever… but none of them can hold a candle to the masterpiece that is Rob Reiner’s comedic fantasy adventure. All of these characters are memorable, the dialogue is infinitely quotable, there’s just never a dull moment… and long before Dave Bautista wowed audiences in Guardians of the Galaxy, we had Andre the Giant showing us all wrestlers could deliver great film performances. There’s not really anything bad I can say about this movie… except that it ends. Ah well, nothing great lasts forever.

2. Raiders of the Lost Ark

1981

Cinematic adventures just don’t get better than this. There’s hardly anything I can say about this movie that hasn’t been said a million times better by a million other reviewers; this is a fun, exciting adventure with a bit of light fantasy elements tossed in to spice everything up. And you know, in this day and age, seeing an all-American badass bookworm beating the shit out of Nazis is just really damn refreshing.

1. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

1980

The dawn of the 80s saw the release of what very well may be the single greatest sequel ever made. It takes everything that was good about the original movie and just runs with it; there’s more aliens, more exotic locales, more Jedi action, more drama, more Han Solo… And then we have truly iconic moments, lines, and characters like the battle of Hoth, Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett, Yoda, “I am your father,” “I love you.”/“I know.” This is one of the crowning achievements of the sci-fi genre, the magnum opus of the Star Wars saga, and without a doubt the finest film of the 1980s.

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