Top Ten Lists of Eighties Movies

The concept is pretty easily, pick your ten favorite movies from the eighties. The hard part? I want JUST movies from the eighties, not movies you might have seen during the eighties. Also, try and avoid movies that came out after the eighties if possible, 1990 is pretty borderline, I won't scream too loudly if you add one that is from then...

This page currently edited by: Gwen. Past editor: Junior

By: Cortney Fuller
By: angela
  • 10. Sixteen Candles
    Anthony Michael Hall was just too cute. I love it when he hooks up w/ the girl. "I've never been with a freshman before not even when I was a freshman"
  • 9. Breakfast Club
    I feel in love w/ Judd Nelson after this movie. I always did like the bad boys.
  • 8. Back to the future
    everybody has thought about going back in time. I think it would be awesome to see my parents as teenagers.
  • 7. Fast times at Ridgemont high
    This movie proved how stupid guys can realy be. Of course the girl was pretty stupid to for not protecting herself.
  • 6. Ferris Buellers day off
    Hello was this not everybodys hookie dream!!!
  • 5. Heathers
    This just perfectly showed the clique of the 80's. Heather was the most popular name.
  • 4. The Lost Boys
    I was in love w/ Corey Haim. I told all my friends I would meet him someday & marry him.
  • 3. Goonies
    one of my favorite movies of all time. I recorded it & watched it over & over.
  • 2. a christmas story
    when dad loose the lub nuts & Ralphie says oh F*ck
  • 1. e.t.
    E.T. phone home
By: Mandy Newman
By: Sam Garber
  • 10. Predator
    OK, OK, so I put to Arnold flicks in here. This movie had an incredible atmosphere. I felt like I was caught between Platoon and Alien.
  • 9. The Terminator
    To this day I don't know what I think of first when I see his face. Is it "Arnold Schwarzeneggar" or is it "I'll be back..."
  • 8. Steel Magnolias
    It's been quite awhile since I've seen acting so superb. Wasn't Sally Field nominated for Oscar. She should have won. This movie grips you and fails to let go.
  • 7. Tremors
    Althought not quite as tops as Ghostbusters in its genre, this movie is loads of fun--laughs, scares, sci-fi. "If one of them Graboids doesn't kill him, I will."
  • 6. Lethal Weapon
    Long before they ran the series in the ground in the 1990s, Mel Gibson and Danny Glover were irresistable as subtle comedic action cops.
  • 5. Ghostbusters
    I saw this in the theatre when I was 7 years old. I had no idea you could be scared out of your wits and laugh so hard at the same time in one movie!
  • 4. The Shining
    "Heeere's Johnny!" I don't think anyone can forget, or forgive, if I may the astonishing performance of Jack Nicholson in this Steven King novel-to-screen. A "by the book" mini-series 17 years later did not tarnish the abhorrently frightening atmosphere of this Stanley Kubrick masterpiece.
  • 3. Top Gun
    Awesome air flight cinematography. Tom Cruise at his best. "I feel the need; the need for speed".
  • 2. Aliens
    "I guess she don't like the cornbread, either." Wham bam shoot 'em up sequel to Ridley Scott's 1979 hit Alien. When it cames to sci/fi war, it doesn't get any better than this.
  • 1. Poltergeist
    Sweetie, remember last night when you woke up and said "they're here?" "uh-huh" Well what did you mean? Who's here? "The TV People" Need I say more....
Honorable mention would be "The Lost Boys" and "The Color Purple"
By: Paul Giordano
By: Jeff
This isn't a set list. Most of them change every other day...it depends on what kind of mood I'm in. There are so many more I can think of that also deserve a place in the top 10.
By: Laura
  • 10. Pretty in Pink
    Loved the opening song!!
  • 9. Adventures in Babysitting
    How can you forget Elisabeth Shue in this movie it was great the way she handles all those kids and still makes it home just in time
  • 8. St. Elmo's Fire
    Can't forget Kevin, Jules, Wendy, Alec, Kirbo, Leslie, and of course Billy!!
  • 7. Beetlejuice
    Loved Michael Keaton in this movie!!
  • 6. Ferris Beuller's Day Off
    Loved the tips for faking out the parents and his memorable line... :-)
  • 5. Dirty Dancing
    Who could forget Baby and Johnny? They were just meant for each other!
  • 4. Sixteen Candles
    Loved the whole thing and even the end where all her dreams came true!
  • 3. Weird Science
    He he he :-) Loved AMH plus John Cusack!!
  • 2. Top Gun
    Great movie seemed to capture a fighter pilot's struggle w/ authority.
  • 1. The Breakfast Club
    Need I say more? I absolutely LOVED this movie!! It made me want to get up and cheer for all those people who made it what it was!!!
By: Yael
By: sherry
  • 10. wargames
    "would you like to play a game?"
  • 9. firestarter
    "will things ever be ok for us again? will i be able to go to school and things?"
  • 8. the karate kid
    "make like picture"
  • 7. home alone
    "I wish I didnt have a family!" "How would you feel if you woke up tomorrow morning and that were true?"
  • 6. a christmas story
    (thought) "A crummy commercial!" (spoken in a whisper) "son of a bitch!"
  • 5. st elmos fire
    "Alec.........." "Shut up" (pause) "Just shut up"
  • 4. The Breakfast club
    "What was that ruckus?" "Can you describe the ruckus. sir?"
  • 3. Ferris Buellers day off
    "Cameron is so tight, if you stick a lump of coal up his ass, in two weeks youll have a diamond"
  • 2. Stand by Me
    (singing) "I ran all the way home.............just to say I'm sorry............."
  • 1. Amadeus
    "But you like it, don't you, momkey?...........flunky?"
By: Roselyn
  • 10. The Dead Poet's Society
    Moving coming of age story...especially poignant for those of us who attended prep school.
  • 9. Batman
    Michael Keaton IS Batman. The soundtrack was excellent.
  • 8. Can't Buy Me Love
    This movie proves that looks don't make the man. It also teaches us never to borrow your mother's expensive leather outfit to a party where there will be drunken teenagers. Patrick Dempsey was a little dorky in the 80s, but you should see CUTE he is now.
  • 7. The Goonies
    I wish I could find pirate treasure in my hometown. "Good enough - for me it's good enough"
  • 6. Back to the Future
    I never thought Michael J. Fox could be better than he was as Alex P. Keating, but I was wrong. This movie was a funny and entertaining adventure.
  • 5. Red Dawn
    I will never forget this movie. C.Thomas Howell was at his best as the innocent teen who turns into a killing machine.
  • 4. Better Off Dead
    "Two dollars" enough said
  • 3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    Matthew Broderick was too cute in this movie.
  • 2. Sixteen Candles
    Molly Ringwald got what every girl wants - the guy she has a secret crush on to like her back. Long Duck Dong - "what's happening hot stuff?"
  • 1. The Breakfast Club
    This movie is timeless. It accurately tells what it is like to be a teen in high school. "Two hits. Me hitting you and you hitting the floor."
There are so many movies I love from the 80s. It was definitely my favorite decade to date. Some honorable mentions are, Revenge of the Nerds, The Princess Bride (as you wish), Valley Girl (I'll stop the world and melt with you), The Karate Kid (wax on..wax off) and Pretty in Pink.
By: Jordann
By: Aaron and Angela Pellett
  • 10. Footloose
    It was a big moive to kick start Kenny Loggins solo singing career.
  • 9. Disney's Little Mermaid
    You can do anything once you put your mind to it.
  • 8. Clue
    It was great because it had several different endings.
  • 7. Ghostbusters
    A great movie with sci-fi storyline and Bill Murray
  • 6. The Breakfast Club
    A great movie all the way round.
  • 5. Ferris Bullers' Day Off
    A great way to start Jennifer Grey's career. As well as Ben Stein.
  • 4. Dirty Dancing
    Patrick Swayze was great especially the water scenes and at the very end of the movie. His do-whatever-I-want-to-do attitude was very big in the 80's.
  • 3. All of the Star Trek movies
    It was great to revive a sci-fi sreies like that to the big screen especially in the 80's !!!
  • 2. Top Gun
    Tom Cruise was the greatest in the movie, He enjoys to fly anyways.
  • 1. Lethal Weapon 1
    Mel Gibson and danny glover are the greatest team ever for the movies from the 80's
There were way to many movies to narrow down to our top ten, but these were the ones we picked anyways. The Star Wars moives were very big and they still are 20 years later.
By: dave reely
  • 10. footloose
    everyboby cutloose
  • 9. a christmas story
    youll shoot your eye out
  • 8. trading places
    murphy and akroyd got them sumbitches back good
  • 7. et
    steven spielberg classic.drew barrymore when she was innocent.
  • 6. beverly hills cop 1
    eddie murphy at his best
  • 5. back to the future 1
    were do i begin.absolutely brilliant
  • 4. karate kid 1
    awesome.how the hell old is ralph macchio?40
  • 3. die hard
    one of the best lines in movie history."sir this line is reserved for emergency calls only.no f@$%ing s@@t lady does it sound like im ordering a pizza.
  • 2. rain man
    my main man vern
  • 1. the breakfast club
    instant classic.it was to the 80s what saturday night fever was to the 70s."YOUR A NEO MAXED ZOOMED DWEEBIE".DO I STUDDER.YOUR A PARENTS WET DREAM.HEY AHAB VOW MY DUBAGE or something like that.Tons of classic lines,I almost forgot the best one'DOES BARRY MANILOW KNOW THAT YOU RATE HIS WARDROBE.
By: John
  • 10. Top Gun
    The flying sequences were really done well. Cruise was great as the cocky pilot.. just a great movie.
  • 9. Ghostbusters
    Whenever people say "Who are you going to call?", I still say "Ghostbusters!"
  • 8. Die Hard
    F**king awesome film. After all that action, they put 'Let It Snow' as the end track... i thought it was a nice touch.
  • 7. Rambo 1 & 2
    Ultra-violent, mindless action? Yup. But thats what 80s action movies were all about.
  • 6. Rocky 3 & Rocky 4
    Yeah, the fighting didn't come close to resembling real boxing, but kick ass movies nonetheless.
  • 5. Wargames
    This movie must have inspired a whole bunch of hackers.
  • 4. The Breakfast Club
    I don't know if John Hughes was just trying to make money, or if he wanted to make a statement. Regardless, it was a great movie that must have hit a cord with anyone who was going to school in the 80s.
  • 3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    This was such a classic teen comedy. They show it on TV nowadays, but I don't think the next generation of teens sees the magic in it like we did then.
  • 2. Predator
    Arnold's finest. I've watched this movie so many times, but its just that good.
  • 1. Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade
    My favourite of the trilogy.
Teen movies nowadays are so messed up. All they are about is sex, sex, sex. Really, I don't see any high school film nowadays that have a message to give. The producers just throw a bunch of young people together, add some sex jokes into the dialogue, and get a girl to take off her top. Then we ask why teen pregnancy rates are so high?
By: J. L. H.
By: jesse Hancock
  • 10. footloose
    Kevin Bacon just can't dance like he use too.
  • 9. Ferris beular's day off
    why did you send the car through the window?
  • 8. Bettle juice
    I just like dead people with lots of powers
  • 7. Robo Cop 3
    neat jetpack for really fast flight
  • 6. Brave heart
    a clasic story of revenge and chaos
  • 5. 16 candles
    cool movie not much to say though
  • 4. The Fear
    only a movie that wierd would have a wood dude in it
  • 3. Return of the Jedi
    cool lazer swords and spaceships make a movie good
  • 2. Ghoust Busters
    big marsmellows and pretty laser guns
  • 1. Back to the future
    only 88 miles an hour
By: Kate
  • 10. The Breakfast Club
    What else can I say except "that man is a brownie hound."
  • 9. Eight Men Out
    John Sayles followed Matewan with this one. I hate baseball and I loved this movie about the 1919 Black Sox scandal. IMO, career best performances by John Cusack and D.B. Sweeney.
  • 8. Salvador
    Oliver Stone before he started believing his own hype. Platoon won all the awards; this, I think, is his best film. James Woods has never been better.
  • 7. The Navigator
    Not to be confused with Disney's "Flight of the Navigator." A low budget New Zealand-made film written and directed by Vincent Ward before he became a ho and made "What Dreams May Come." It's the story of a group of Black Plague-era English peasants who follow a messianic boy into a cave in search of the cure and emerge in the present day.
  • 6. Matewan
    If I told you a three-hour movie about a turn-of-the-century coal miner's union was one of the most fascinating things you could spend time wathcing, you'd probably tell me I was crazy. But this is John Sayles we're talking about.
  • 5. Blade Runner
    It's hard to appreciate this movie now after having seen almost 20 years of imitators -- some good (The Matrix); some not so good (The Fifth Element) It's also hard to believe that a director who showed so much promise in the late '70's and early '80's with Alien and Blade Runner has made so much crap since then.
  • 4. Do the Right Thing
    In addition to being probably the most important film of the '80's in terms of social commentary, it's also damn funny. Plus it's got a killer theme song (P.E.'s "Fight the Power")
  • 3. Buckaroo Banzai
    The gentleman above who indirectly compared this movie to sushi made a good analogy. They're both acquired tastes that are extremely habit-forming once acquired. To his very apt list of reasons to love this movie, I would add but two words: Perfect Tommy.
  • 2. Heathers
    The movie that every other dark teen movie that came after it wishes it was. Also probably the most quotable movie of all time. ("Well, f**k me gently with a chainsaw, do I look like mother Theresa.")
  • 1. Blue Velvet
    David Lynch at the very top of his game, before he became a silly parody of himself (see, Lost Highway).
By: Julie
  • 10. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
    Quality Quality film.
  • 9. Dirty Dancing
    It's a good one!
  • 8. Pretty In Pink
    A record store? Who wouldn't love a record store?
  • 7. Pretty Woman
    Oh, come on.... Who couldn't love this movie?
  • 6. Steel Magnolias
    This is such a good one! I'm surprised more people didn't have it on their lists! I rember watching Julia, Dolly, and Sally for the first time... what a day that was!
  • 5. Porky's
    How could you not enjoy this movie? Demented as it is, it made us all laugh at one time or another! (You know it's true)
  • 4. Ferris
    Oh c'mon...Anyone who's ever been to Chicago would love this movie! It's great! My grandma, dad, mom and son love it! (that's a lot of variation!)
  • 3. Blues Brothers
    This is my most-watched movie of all times. My dad was obsessed with it from the time it came out, and the first time I heard a cuss word, it came form Jake and Elwood Blues' mouths.
  • 2. Breakfast Club
    How could you not love every character in this movie? They are all so... loveable! <>
  • 1. Sixteen Candles
    Oh, c'mon. I know everyone loves this movie... not as much as I do, but hey. I forgive you. How could a movie get any better? I htink I have a Molly Ringwald fixation...
The 80's were pretty bad... However! The movies were the one thing that got me through them. I tell ya... They will never die! Long-live 80's movies!
By: Kyle Blume
By: Amanda Terrell
  • 10. The lost boys
    also one of the best 80`s movies
  • 9. Pretty in pink
    Very good movie very funny characters
  • 8. Eddie And The Cruisers
    very good movie
  • 7. The outsiders
    Everybody also seem to forget this one. Not only is the plot great but the actors are too.
  • 6. At Close Range
    One of sean penn`s best in the 80`s unforgettable.
  • 5. The Burbs
    this is one of the funniest movies I`ve seen in the 80`s.
  • 4. Dream a Little Dream
    Everyone seems to forget about this one. This is one of the best. If your are a corey haim and corey feldman fan you can`t miss this one.
  • 3. The Goonies
    One of my all time favorites
  • 2. The Breakfest Club
    Also a good movie hard to beat.
  • 1. stand by me
    It is one of the best movie of the 80`s you can`t beat this movie. I think I`ve seen it a 100 times at least.
I love all of these and they don`t go in any order. I would also like to say I like alot more 80`s movies these are the ones that came to my head. I love movies in the 80`s I have seen all of the two coreys movies in the 80`s

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