My Favorite Movies of the 1980’s

I don’t know how to explain to you that you should care about other people. I think about that quote often. “Christian, decent, hard working” folks that say they follow the teachings of a figure that only wanted to save and help as many as he could, certainly don’t mind the murder and sacrifice of those who need help the most in our country. I have luckily cut out most of the racist and ignorant people in my life. Movies helped me do that. (Whew, what a hard reach of a segue.) By that, I mean that I always see movies as warnings. Messages to receive about how to behave, act, and adjust in your life. They are obviously entertaining and fun too. But the ones that really stick give me more than that. They leave an imprint on me. The earlier in my life I see it the better.

I learned most of what storytelling is from my early days “learning” the stories of the bible. These stories scared me and made me wonder if this god is actually worth following. As I get older I can appreciate these stories for what they are, while also disliking the way they are presented in the church. But these stories have inspired countless amounts of others to tell stories. They are far more interesting to me now with the flaws I see in them. They are treated so clear-cut in the church. But if you let go of an idea of blasphemy or hell, these stories are much more intriguing and can teach you much more worthwhile lessons.

I want to keep bible talk to a minimum but I say all this to then say, the movies on this list are about many of the same things you’d find in classic literature or the oldest stories in the known history: how the sins of yours, and the country’s past can haunt you; how love dissolving makes the brain feel mad; that war in all its horrid ugliness can beat down a generation; the way complicated relationships you can’t quit will run your life until you learn to accept things about them and yourself. They have many a warning in them I find meaningful.

Our world has always rewarded those who were cutthroat, merciless, ultra-competitive, and trample on the vulnerable. That brings me to the 1980s! A time of many complicated and terrible things that someone much more intelligent and educated than I could address eloquently. But, it was also a time of underrated movies. That is a topic I can work my way through as gracefully as if I were on ice skates (I have never ice skated.) The 80s gets forgotten behind the optimistic 60s, cynical 70s, and action packed macho dialogue heavy 90s. But the 80s has its charms. It also has some of the best films of all time.

My honorable mentions

Fanny & Alexander (1982) - Criterion Channel

Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

The Elephant Man (1980)

My Dinner with Andre (1981) - Criterion Channel

Alice (1988) - Criterion Channel

Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

The Natural (1984) - Amazon Prime

Roar (1981)

Steel Magnolias (1989)

Aliens (1986) - HBO

Near Dark (1987)

The Princess Bride (1987)

Major League (1989) - Amazon Prime

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)

Now my top 50

Polish poster for Moonstruck

50. Moonstruck (1987. Directed by Norman Jewison) - Amazon Prime

Do you want to see an emotional and silly romcom starring Cher and Nicolas Cage? Do you want Nicolas Cage to have a fake wooden hand? Of course you do. A great Italians in New York movie. A movie that has lasted these 30+ years and is as fun and emotionally resonant as it’s ever been. I am a recent lover of Cher’s movie work, and although The Witches of Eastwick is good, it won’t show up on my list. But, I do suggest watching it.

49. The Dead Zone (1983. Directed by David Cronenberg) -Amazon Prime

The first entry of my Cronenberg love to come on this long list. I wish Cronenberg made more Stephen King adaptations, but I’ll take this one. A great Christopher Walken performance, and some creepy imagery. I really enjoy psychic supernatural stories and I think this one portrays it in that sweet spot of showing how it can be a burden but helpful. The supporting cast is wonderful as well with Brooke Adams, Martin Sheen, and Tom Skerritt.

48. Beetlejuice (1988. Directed by Tim Burton)

A true classic that I like more as I get older. The practical effects, miniatures, and darkness of the story told in such a light tone is aging very well for me. I am not much of an Alec Baldwin fan but he’s good here. Geena Davis is a queen of the 80’s. Winona Ryder’s first huge role, and of course the incomparable Catherine O’Hara. The intro/opening credits is one of the best opening credits of all time. I love the score. It’s a strange kid movie. Which makes it a good one for adults. If you haven’t seen it in a while give it another shot.

47. Society (1989. Directed by Brian Yuzna) - Amazon Prime & Shudder

This is a B level Twin peaks feeling satire for 70 or so minutes that eventually descends into the most goopy levels of madness I’ve ever seen. I loved it. One way of dealing with the class divide is to make a sophisticated subtle movie showing both sides. This movie takes a slightly different approach. I hope you’ll watch it if you love weird horror and some occasionally bad acting. This is an inspired movie, and I don’t think I should recommend it but watch it around midnight sometime and tell me what you think. Eat the rich before they eat you.

46. When Harry Met Sally (1989. Directed by Rob Reiner)

This movie is better than the spot I have it on the list, but I really don’t like Harry in this movie. That’s all that is holding it back for me. Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby are fantastic but something about Billy Crystal in this pushes me away from it. Hopefully that will subside on my next watch. Movie rules nonetheless.

45. The Color of Money (1986. Directed by Martin Scorsese)

A rare gem of a sequel that improves and adds onto a movie 25 years later. Paul Newman in a great later in his career role, and young Tom Cruise being in the mode I like him best in. Up and comer that fully believes in himself but has a lot of insecurity. Not one of the most popular Scorsese movies, but it’s one of his most universal films. I could see anyone enjoying this.

44. Blue Velvet (1986. David Lynch) - Amazon Prime

The one that put Lynch on this path to what he is now known for most. The odd, eerie, evil spirit underneath the ideal American life. The image of the severed ear at the beginning is a perfect encapsulation of his career. The rotten flesh hearing the world and being eaten and rotted out by what it’s left with in the dirt. Dennis Hopper is at a 10 here, and I love seeing a fully realized nightmare come to life.

43. Manhunter (1986. Directed by Michael Mann)

The first Hannibal Lecter movie that is barely about him. Brian Cox plays him nearly perfectly, but Anthony Hopkins & the movie as a whole overshadowed him in Silence. But, this is a fantastic movie with a menacing performance from Tom Noonan. William Peterson, known now for CSI, was a solid leading man in the 80’s. Not one of my top Mann films, but it’s one I should rewatch. I love the color and the score.

42. Sweetie (1989. Directed by Jane Campion) - Criterion Channel

Jane Campion’s first film and maybe my favorite of hers. A dysfunctional family story that feels like it inspired Wes Anderson and many other indie dramas of the current century. It tows that line of tragedy and comedy so well. Off-putting while heartwarming is difficult and Campion nails it. A mostly unknown cast are near perfect. This is an under seen movie that should be a classic.

41. O.C. and Stiggs (1985. Directed by Robert Altman)

Robert Altman hated teen movies so much he made one that satirized them so hard it was a huge flop and most people hated it. I laughed more during this movie than I have in most, and if it wasn’t so annoying it would be even higher. I love the aggressive calling out of privilege and the high class of the southwest. It will not be for most, but it’s a great comedy of its time that is so angry at those in charge.

40. The Abyss (1989. Directed by James Cameron) - HBO

One of the more dangerous movies ever made. Behind the scenes everyone nearly drowned, got pneumonia, or got their hair and skin burned by too much chlorine being used in the water. I think they got a lot of good out of it though. Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are really really good. The supporting cast fit this stuck under water setting perfectly. Then you add in some of the best visual effects and beautiful underwater images I’ve ever seen. One of those that if I had seen it as a kid it would mean much more to me now.

39. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981. Directed by George Miller)

The Mad Max series has hit its peak with Fury Road, but Road Warrior is the true precursor to that glorious perfect film. Max barely speaks, the action is intense, and the ways people have adapted are innovative and fun. It’s my favorite of the first three, and the one that really feels like the same universe as what came after.

38. Witness (1985. Directed by Peter Weir) - Amazon Prime & HBO

This is an Amish country dirty cops thriller with Harrison Ford. It is as good as that sounds, to me anyway. Paced methodically and develops everyone you see at least a little bit. It was nice to see a movie respect the Amish so much while also showing the limits of their faith. Really beautiful movie that also has fight scenes and some of the sexiest scenes with no touching you can find.

37. Matewan (1987. Directed by John Sayles)

Based on the true story of the coal mine strike and shooting in the 1920s in West Virginia. Chris Cooper gives an understated necessary leading performance. James Earl Jones is a stand out. A meditative movie about unions, corporations, and what it means to have a job in a world that doesn’t care about you.

Polish poster for Babette’s Feast

36. Babette’s Feast (1987. Directed by Gabriel Axel) - Criterion Channel

Most movies build to a fight, a race, a chase, a hostage situation or something else high stress. How about the titular meal entrancing you and filling you with such rare hope. A French woman comes into a quiet ultra religious community in Denmark and opens some minds. It is not much of a plot movie, but it does have the satisfaction of a full narrative. It makes me want to make things.

35. Tootsie (1982. Directed by Sydney Pollack) - Netflix

A very silly movie about a man complaining women are getting parts and he isn’t, but it’s a funny, sweet, and another one of those warning movies I mentioned previously. Dustin Hoffman can be grating but he also fully disappears. Jessica Lange is perfect, as is the rest of the supporting cast. It’s a classic comedy for a reason.

34. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1984. Directed by Steven Spielberg) - Netflix

Not much that needs to be said here. It’s one of the canon kid movies. It’s also a good movie about divorce, loneliness, and government overreach. I miss when kids movies were kind of scary and sad. They always mean more when they lift you up.

33. Bull Durham (1988. Directed by Ron Shelton) - Amazon Prime

I wasn’t expecting this to be maybe the best baseball movie by the time I got around to it last year. All these actors, specifically Sarandon, Costner, and Robbins, are fantastic. It’s romantic as hell, sexy, and funnier than most modern comedies. Another classic for a reason.

french poster for the re-release of Come and See

32. Come and See (1985. Directed by Elem Klimov) - Criterion Channel

After a few popular ones, you knew I was bound to throw an obscure Russian war film in here eventually. It’s a tragedy. A young boy leaves his village and when he returns the Germans have made their way through. It’s bleak, but brutally honest. One of those probably perfect films, but too much makes it hard to watch again. True art.

31. Stop Making Sense (1984. Directed by Jonathan Demme) Amazon Prime & Criterion Channel

The best concert documentary stands the test of time after almost 40 years. Even if you aren’t into the Talking Heads, you will be taken by the choreography, energy, and positive feelings from the stage. It is the one that gave the future concert docs a blueprint.

30. The Big Chill (1983. Directed by Lawrence Kasdan)

A Gen-X hangout movie to beat the rest. An amazing cast that includes Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, and Kevin Kline makes the thing. It’s that feeling of when a friend dies suddenly and you see those you haven’t in a while. How it can be difficult but also better than anything else you could be doing. Friendships that just pick back up.

29. Married to the Mob (1988. Directed by Jonathan Demme)

Demme is one of the most fun director filmographies to go through. He makes fun odd ball movies and also big serious dramas. This is a screwball comedy with great performances that I would put in that Moonstruck pile of fun Italian & New York movies. One of Michelle Pfieffer’s best, and Matthew Modine should’ve been a leading man for longer. It’s simple, and feels like an idea that is even older than it is. But it sings, baby!

28. Lethal Weapon (1987. Directed by Richard Donner)

One of my favorite movie franchises of all time. I am certainly not looking to watch any movies about sympathetic cops anytime soon, but the fact that’s who they are is barely important to this. It’s an action thriller with real emotional characters. I unfortunately still love Gibson’s acting, and Glover is the unsung MVP here. I really like these characters and the arcs over the series.

27. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988. Directed by Martin Scorsese)

My favorite movie about Jesus and it’s not close. A movie full of people who would never play biblical times characters and it makes it better for me. Hearing these New Yorkers and great character actors playing these roles makes me so happy. Willem Dafoe is an incredible Jesus. It’s the most humane Jesus story out there. It was stupidly boycotted when it came out. I think if you have strong faith it won’t change your mind, but deepen your feelings for the subject. And if you have no interest in christianity it will give you more empathy for the story.

26. True Stories (1986. Directed by David Byrne)

The mid-eighties was a glorious time to be a Talking Heads fan and I can’t imagine a more fun moment than getting to see your favorite artists debut feature film. The earliest John Goodman star role about a small town full of weirdos, I mean that in the best way, putting on a parade and talent show. It wouldn’t be a Byrne project without some idiosyncrasies and kindness. There’s more than enough of both here.

Here’s the top 25 video in case you’d prefer 10 or so minutes of movie highlights.

25. Dead Poets Society (1989. Directed by Peter Weir)

A movie that I haven’t seen in a little while so it may not mean as much to me as it did then, but I still love it. A young cast of future stars and character actors surrounding an inspired and schticky Robin Williams. A movie with shameless manipulation, a lot of slogans and speeches without a whole lot of follow through. But, that’s what being an adolescent is about. You feel so much all the time and you can feel when something feels off. All you need is that person to believe in you and show you a path to what you’ll become. Those role models will rarely be what you want them to be, but you can make your own version of what you saw in them. I might be remembering this movie for what it made me think and feel more than what the movie actually is. But, that’s what makes things favorites sometimes.

24. Thief (1981. Directed by Michael Mann)

Michael Mann loves professionals. He loves process, and showing how isolated true professionalism can be. In this one he gets a (you guessed it) thief played by James Caan and shows how he goes about his business. He meets a woman, he has some dealings with other criminals, and there are heists. First and foremost though, there is a job. And a job done well.

23. Raging Bull (1980. Directed by Martin Scorsese) - Criterion Channel

This is the best boxing movie with almost no boxing in it. Black and white, fueled on rage and cocaine with a sense of melancholy for a life poisoned by jealousy and insecurity. De Niro and Pesci in their first back and forth is phenomenal. Not near my favorite Scorsese, but a must see for any film lover.

22. Christine (1983. Directed by John Carpenter)

My biggest surprise on this list came courtesy of me watching this within the last year and being so pleasantly surprised at how fun and dark this thing is. It is a great King story about finding the thing that is yours and wanting to keep it no matter what. When you find the person or thing you love most. Also, a car chases people down and kills them. It rules.

21. Robocop (1987. Directed by Paul Verhoeven)

On the surface this is a fun action movie with a lot of explosions and silliness. But, I get a lot more from this. It’s clever way it makes fun of the way policing and those who make the rules of that policing do their jobs is perfect. If a movie would ever agree with defunding the police it is this one. Using the excess of the 80s to its advantage to show how corrupt it all was. Still is. This movie is always funnier and smarter than you remember it.

20. Something Wild (1986. Directed by Jonathan Demme) - HBO

The last Demme of my 3 on this list. It’s my favorite because of the control. It’s charming, funny, weird, exciting, and turns into something else in the final act. Melanie Griffith getting a role that most actresses dream of getting to play, and Jeff Daniels at his WASPy best. Ray Liotta in his first great role. It’s a great road trip movie and a great movie to think about what you want to do with your life. It’s mostly just fun and well made.

19. The Thing (1982. Directed by John Carpenter)

One of the best claustrophobic movies ever made. A horror/thriller about scientists stuck in Antarctica with an alien picking them off and becoming them one by one. It’s simple, and it rules. That kind of simple that leads to you to a bunch of questions afterwards, and none of them need to be answered. You just want more. An anthology of The Thing stories. This is my favorite early Kurt Russell as well.

18. The Fly (1986)

Italian poster for Videodrome

17. Videodrome (1983)

16. Dead Ringers (1988. Directed by David Cronenberg) - Amazon Prime

I was having trouble ranking these so I put them all in this block together like one big mash up of goop body horror how David Cronenberg would like it. I love his movies. Even the ones that are less successful to me, (The Brood, eXistenZ, Maps to the Stars), are still good movies with things to draw from them. The first listed is The Fly with Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. Another simple one. A scientist accidentally gets his DNA mixed in with a fly in his machine he’s building and slowly transforms. It is more than that though. It’s a good relationship movie. How work can consume someone. It’s got some of the best body horror ever created. The second one is Videodrome starring James Woods. I love these simple ideas. A trashy TV channel programmer finds out about this foreign show called, you guessed it, Videodrome that broadcasts what seems to be real torture and gruesome punishment. A mystery goes from there and I enjoyed the strangeness and practical effects so much. Dead Ringers, in my opinion Cronenberg’s best movie, about twin gynecologists that swap when one loses interest in a woman he’s dating. It’s a psychological thriller with a strong melancholy feeling behind it. It deals with ideas about emotional pain and how scary things can be when you’re too clinical about your life. I think all of these are great and his best run of movies in his career.

15. On The Silver Globe (1988. Directed by Andrzej Źuławski)

The plot is just that a small group of explorers go to find new civilization in space away from earth. But, it is such a nutso tale of dogmatism and the scary ways religion and fascism go hand in hand. It’s also just so fascinating to watch. It was being filmed in the 70’s and the Polish government shut it down close to completion and he wasn’t able to finish the movie for 11 years. It was very worth the wait. I think if he were allowed to complete back then it would be a true masterpiece, but I’ll take this near masterpiece we got.

14. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985. Directed by Paul Schrader) - Criterion Channel

A fictional telling of the life of the Japanese author Yukio Mishima. The first three parts are based on his books, while the last part is the true story of what happened in November of 1970. His life was complicated and helps you empathize with someone who led a nationalistic and passionate life. Another warning of a film. All Schrader’s best work is that. He gets in the minds of people he disagrees with and portrays the lives with such vigor that I could watch his only his best movies for months and not grow tired of them. This is my second favorite and what most consider his best.

13. Airplane (1980. Directed by The Zucker brothers & Jim Abrahams)

Comfort food at its most pure. A decent chunk of my sense of humor was developed from this movie. I still think about it all the time and miss the dumb parody movies. I wish they came around more often. But, I understand some people, including some of those involved with this one, ruined those movies for the rest of us by making bad ones.

12. Do the Right Thing (1989. Directed by Spike Lee)

Not the easiest transition from Airplane to this, but I did it. Obviously prescient and tragically relevant for a long time to come. Spike’s first great film speaks to race and the roles we all take in the world. Told like a slice of life in one Brooklyn neighborhood during the hottest summer on record and it just gets hotter and hotter. If you haven’t seen it, you should, and if you’re one looking for more things by black artists to watch right now this is near the best you can see.

11. Paris, Texas (1984. Directed by Wim Wenders)

One of the saddest movies I can think of that isn’t bleak. It’s slow, sure, but it has a precocious kid, kind relationships, and happy memories. A man wanders out of the desert not remembering anything about himself. His brother slowly helps him remember about his life and his family. The loneliness and longing on display here can create a distance, but anyone with a well of emotion to tap into could be in for one of the greatest depictions of love and loss.

10. Broadcast News (1987. Directed by James L. Brooks)

Deciding between style and substance is a constant choice for many of us. In movies, do we want to enjoy looking at and being around something, or getting into the words and feelings they give us. The ones that don’t make us think about ourselves too much, or the ones that make us question moments in our lives. I think that choice is in everything we do. This movie is about those choices, but the movie itself is both. It’s going to make you care about Holly Hunter’s character. This is one of the best romcom’s I’ve ever seen and it doesn’t feel like what you think of when you think of a romcom. An endless joy of a movie.

9. After Hours (1985. Directed by Martin Scorsese)

8. The King of Comedy (1983. Directed by Martin Scorsese)
My favorite two Scorsese 80s movies get their own block. After Hours is full of faces but no “stars” by traditional standards. A bunch of character actors and comedians just nailing every moment to create the perfect all nighter New York movie. It’s an absurd movie where the women get to really be comedic and it’s so fun to watch them go. The King of Comedy is unfortunately now connected to Joker forever since that movie is essentially a bad rip off of this original story. It tells the story of a lonely sad man trying so hard to be a late night comic. De Niro gets a lot of praise for his biggest and passionate performances, but this is one that if I watched it again right now I might call it his best. If you liked Joker watch this, and if you didn’t see it or care about it watch this. Just watch this one.

German rerelease poster for Blood Simple

7. Blood Simple (1984. Directed by Joel Coen) - HBO

Japanese poster for Raising Arizona

6. Raising Arizona (1987. Directed by Joel Coen) - HBO

Another block for my second favorite directors of all time. They only made these two movies in the 80s, and they started as strong as any director can. Blood Simple is an old fashioned genre movie. The southern noir with cheating, murder, hitmen, and sweaty people in a neon lit bar. You can see the seeds of No Country for Old Men here in so many scenes. Frances McDormand and Joel Coen have been together since this movie, and it is one of those movies that gets better each time I watch it. Their next one is a looney tunes level adventure with Nic Cage and Holly Hunter. A couple who meets when she takes his mugshot that leads to her wanting him to steal a rich baby for them. It’s so funny and strange. It seems silly but the Coen’s can’t help but be thoughtful as well. Do yourself a favor and start with these two movies and just watch all their movies in order. I did it a few years ago and it made me appreciate them even more.

5. Amadeus (1984. Directed by Milos Forman)

My favorite movie about creative jealousy and envy. Yes, both! F. Murray Abraham is fantastic as Salieri, and Mozart as a little rude kid genius played by Tom Hulce is so good. It’s a long character study of two people I never want to be that I can’t recommend enough. Anyone who has ever made anything creatively should see this, and if you never have you may want to after watching it. It also gave me a deeper appreciation for classical music.

4. Terms of Endearment (1983. Directed by James L. Brooks)

The creator of The Simpsons has two of my top ten, and never made a movie better than his first two. This one is so well written but as with all my favorites it is about performances. Shirley MacLaine is great. Jack Nicholson, John Lithgow, and Jeff Daniels are all good. But this movie belongs to Debra Winger. Her work in this is in my favorite performances of all time. She encompasses almost every feeling or emotion you can have in a lifetime. Completely subtle while also being big. She made me cry, and the movie reminded me of all the heartbreak and beauty in my life. You can also watch it with anyone.

3. Full Metal Jacket (1987. Directed by Stanley Kubrick)

This is about as opposite of the previous pick as it could be. The famous war film that some boys watch way too young. The first half of the movie is the popular part. When you start with those performances by Vincent D’Onofrio and R. Lee Ermey it is hard to stay as into the rest. But as I get older that second half with the horrors of war and what war does to peoples brains grows fonder. Still not better than the first half, but deeply effecting. Matthew Modine, again, is an underrated leading man.

2. Possession (1981. Directed by Andrzej Źuławski)

A purely emotional and shocking experience. The plot is not important here. You understand the basic premise of what is going on and then you get taken into a world of madness. Isabelle Adjani gives one of the most impressive and effort filled performances you’ll ever see. Sam Neill being pretty different than he is in Jurassic Park. And I don’t even know how to talk about this movie except to say it is insane and explicit. I love it.

1. The Shining (1980. Directed by Stanley Kubrick)

By this point I’m sure if you like movies you could’ve guessed this one. It just keeps getting better. The images are seared into my mind and the scenes are on a loop when I see a tricycle, snow, or big stairs. Jack Nicholson’s larger than life personality fits into this movie so well, the best use of him in his career, and Shelley Duvall is the unsung hero in this movie. An actress that only grows in my respect for her as I grow older. She does so much great work in this movie. I don’t care as much about the conspiracies, theories, or plot. But, I do care about how it’s masterpiece to me. I can talk about it all day and I won’t be doing that so you don’t hate me. Turn off the lights, set your phone across the room, and watch this again. It’s better than you even remember.

I might change this up next time. Thinking of doing my top 10 in each year of the 90’s since I am more experienced with those years. Let me know what your favorite movies are. I would love to know.

Black Lives Matter and I will see you soon.