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: shannon
By: Shawn VanDam
  • 10. Hard Bodies
    Grant Cramer (Scotty) is an acting GENIUS!
  • 9. Breakin'
    I mean.... Turbo & Ozone.
  • 8. Better Off Dead
    Johnny C. kicks @ss....
  • 7. Weird Science
    Made me want to create women.
  • 6. Ghostbusters
    Who in the F*#@ are you gonna call??
  • 5. The Empire Strikes Back
    Happy fun film, had the best ending because Vader beat Lukes monkey @ss like he stole something.
  • 4. Conan the Barbarian
    Arnolds best d@mn film ever, and I do mean EVER!
  • 3. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
    Anthony Edwards still had hair..... Sean Penn was hilarious... and Phoebe Cates was absolutely - Wonderful.
  • 2. Purple Rain
    Prince you are my father.
  • 1. Flash Gordon
    Awesome soundtrack. You can watch it over and over again and never get bored.
Films that just missed it: Goonies, Krush Groove, Meatballs 1 & 2, Lost Boys, PeeWee Hermans Big Adventure, The Porkys trilogy, & all the other T & A movies I forgot.
By: Melanie
By: Jon
  • 10. Ghost
    Good movie, not the best but up there.
  • 9. Back To The Future
    Can watch over and over again. Part 2 is just as good, however part 3 was a major let down, I almost fell asleep watching it, the Old west is a boring storyline, it wasn't funny or capture the time travelling theme as well as the first 2 parts, I was also very dissapointed by the ending to the trilogy. don't u think so?
  • 8. Cocktail
    Good movie, the charcters are likeable especially Coglin, the sad ending is excellent, too many movies are merely good because they go for the happy ending where the main character doesn't die e.g. Far and away, Cocktail has the good ending.
  • 7. Bill And Ted's Excellent Adventure
    Great escapism movie, funny and re-watchable. The sequel Bill and Ted's Bogus journey is suprisingly good (at times)
  • 6. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    Very watchable movie, over and over again. The ending credits are good as well as when Ferris comes in at the end after the credits "what are u still doing here? its over go home"
  • 5. Running On Empty
    Great movie and acting by River Pheonix, if u haven't seen it yet rent it now
  • 4. The Breakfast Club
    Great movie, u can laugh, cry and relate to one or a combination of the characters all at the same time. Some of the scenes piss me off though, especially the sympathy scenes by Bender and the gun in the locker story by tha geek played by anthony michael hall, these scenes are uncessary.
  • 3. Big Trouble in little China
    Great escapism movie with the mystical Chinese underworld etc. Probably not one of my favourites at the moment, but has to come in at near the top after all the times i watched it.
  • 2. The Karate Kid
    Daniel is a great, realistic and likeable character, the plot realistic. Captures the theme of high school bullying with the obvious but enjoyable ending. The sequels are hideous and reflect poorly on the original.
  • 1. Weired Science
    Two of the best characters ever created in Gary and Wyatt, both are nerds but have admirable qualities and i would hang out with them. The movie inspires and is tha best. Good to watch when your feeling down. I wish John Hughes would have made a sequel.
Honourable mentions: Pump up the volume, The last emporer, Coming to America, Boyz 'n' tha Hood, Night before, Can't buy me love, Buffy the vampire slayer and Mannequin. I haven't seen Say anything or Stand by me yet, but look forward to renting them after all the mentions by others.
By: alaina burrell
  • 10. Flight Of The Navigator
    Sarah Jessica Parker played a part in that, but NO ONE has mentioned it! HELLO!
  • 9. Dead Poets Society
    Oh Captain my captain? * Choked up, tear *
  • 8. Back To The Future
    AWESOME! TOTALLY AWESOME!
  • 7. Big
    Best imagination there.
  • 6. Breakfast Club
    Dude, they smoke weeeed! He he he!
  • 5. Ferris Buellers Day Off
    SAVE FERRIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 4. Stand By Me
    The most incredible movie about kids growing up.
  • 3. The Lost Boys
    The lead vamp is a major hottie!
  • 2. The Monster Squad
    What can I say?! I loved to scare myself when I was younger...
  • 1. The Goonies
    This movie made me want to explore every time I watched it. I wanted my life to be just as exciting!
monster squad and the goonies are the best movies from the 80'S! being A child of the 80'S myself, I wish they would return. -- alaina 19 oregon
By: Jess
  • 10. Big
    I can't get enough of the part when Tom Hanks jumps around on the gigantic piano keys:)
  • 9. Splash
    A really sweet film.
  • 8. The Wizard
    Fred Savage is a cutie! Plus, if you love Super Mario Bros. and nintendo, you'll LOVE this movie!
  • 7. Fame
    "I'm gonna live forever!"
  • 6. E.T.
    "I'm keeping him."
  • 5. Soulman
    This movie cracks me up! Rae Dawn Chong is radiant:)
  • 4. The Neverending Story
    I LOVE THIS MOVIE! I'm almost 20 years old, and I enjoy this movie now more than ever:) Aboslutely enchanting!
  • 3. Pretty in Pink
    The scene where Duckie sings "Try a Little Tenderness" to Andie (Molly Ringwald's character)in the record store is classic! Plus, Andrew Mcarthy is adorable:)
  • 2. The Breakfast Club
    "Don't you...forget about me." The ultimate teen angst film!
  • 1. The Back to the Future Trilogy
    "Whoa Doc, this is heavy." Speilberg, Fox, and Lloyd make time travel big business. The director makes the film believable, while the actors make it fun to watch:)
In my opinion, the 80's really were a magical time for film. Almost every story ends happily:)
By: Michael
  • 10. Two-Lane Blacktop
    One of the most underrated director´s of all time and a tremendous movie.
  • 9. anything from Georges Méliès
    Méliès was a wizard, a true star and his films are still a joy to watch.
  • 8. When A Woman Ascends The Stairs
    Only japanese movies could have been this beautiful.
  • 7. Foolish Wives
    Stroheim´s masterful performance is equal to his direction !
  • 6. Querelle
    Only Fassbinder could find the perfect counterparts of Jean Genet´s colourful prose.
  • 5. Rose Hobart
    A very early example of a video clip. Kenneth Anger eat your heart out !
  • 4. Meshes of the Afternoon
    Maya Deren was one of the pioneers of avantgarde cinema. Still unbeatable poetic stuff.
  • 3. M
    It´s all in the eyes of Peter Lorre. Blueprint for any psychological crime thriller.
  • 2. Celine & Julie go boating
    Totally unique film. Love it or leave it. Rivettes best !
  • 1. Badlands
    Just a flawless piece of american filmmaking. What more can I say ?
Next please...
By: Jethro W.
By: Kathryn
  • 10. E.T.
    I cried! (and it wasn't because I knew Cory Feldman's carrer was doomed)
  • 9. Pretty in Pink
    This one was part of the (as I like to call it) Growing up with Molly Ringwald series. Hated the ending though. Poor duckie!
  • 8. April Fool's Day
    This was the "Scary Movie" of the eighties.
  • 7. Weird Science
    What Teenage boy DIDN'T see this one? Anthony Michael Hall was adorable.
  • 6. Dirty Dancing
    C'mon who can forget Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze doin the lambada?
  • 5. Ferris Bueler's Day Off
    Such a funny movie. LOVED it.
  • 4. Back to the Future
    Michael J Fox is wonderful in this movie. It's a classic.
  • 3. Flashdance
    Jennifer Beals was my idol!! I think I bought like ten pairs of legwarmers.
  • 2. Breakfast Club
    This has got to be on everybody's list. Great music, great performances, great movie.
  • 1. Sixteen Candles
    Two words:Jake Ryan!! Where IS Michael Schoeffling these days?
By: Rebecca Cooley
By: Ron
  • 10. Better Off Dead
    One of two great movies from the same genre. One crazy summer is only a tad behind better off dead
  • 9. Vacation
    childhood favriot
  • 8. Private School
    All t&a but still great
  • 7. Stripes
    Bill Murray in his prime
  • 6. Fast Times at Rigemont High
    Always on the list
  • 5. The Wild Life
    A sleeper that not many know about
  • 4. Caddy Shack
    A movie that will never go out of style. Saturday night live crew at their prime.
  • 3. Breakfast Club
    all around classic - pure brat pack
  • 2. Sixteen Candles
    Vintage 80's comedy
  • 1. Weird Science
    just a pure classic
By: Herbie Doyle
  • 10. Beetlejuice
    the first not animated movie i saw as a kid. scared the shit out of me, and i still love it!
  • 9. Ghostbusters
    i love this concept and i wish i thought of it sooner!
  • 8. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    i know people like this! I use to go out w/ Cameron Fry!
  • 7. 16 Candles
    this same exact thing happened to me on my 16th birthday; coincidance?
  • 6. Pretty In Pink
    its Jon Cryer!! not Matthew Brodric!!!
  • 5. Back To The Future Series
    all special in their own way w/out drifting too far from the origional
  • 4. Punp Up The Volume
    rejects of the world! RISE UP!
  • 3. Good Morning Vietnam
    who doesnt love hearing about Nixon talking about his love for pot?!
  • 2. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
    Jeff Specollie is my hero!
  • 1. The Breakfast Club
    hell, i wouldnt mind spending my Saturday w/ Ali Sheedie, Emilio Estives, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald
Honnerable mention goes out to Empire Strikes Back, Full Metal Jacket, Sand By Me, the Goonies(hell, anything w/ the Coreys!), Dead Poets Society, the Burbs, Labrynth and Spaceballs.
By: JEREMI DAVIDSON
By: Neil Workman
  • 10. Pee Wee's Big Adventure
    Elizabeth Daily rocks. Also a funny flick.
  • 9. Dirty Dancing
    Really a good movie even if it's a chick flick. ohhhh Jennifer Grey has pretty nice legs.
  • 8. Return To Oz
    The Wheelers are so coooooooool. Wish i had skates on my arms and legs.
  • 7. St Elmo's Fire
    This has quality actors. Fantastic soundtrack.
  • 6. Can't Buy Me Love
    Patrick Dempsey rocks in this flick.
  • 5. Beverly Hills Cop
    Eddie Murphy is full of character." .....Phil ey Phil give me a kiss Phil.....ey man you changed".
  • 4. Spaceballs
    An extreamely funny movie. i relly got a kick out of this one." i'm the bearded lady who are you one of the freaks" " hey come back here you fat bearded bitch"
  • 3. Dance Til Dawn
    Absolutely loooooooooooved this flick. Wow that Alyssa Milano was damn gooooood even Tracy Gold for that matter.
  • 2. Back To The Future
    WIIIIIIIIIICKED movie. So funny when his mum is making moves on him. Hahahaha.
  • 1. Better Off Dead
    This movie is the funniest i've seen. Every character is completely off the wall and its just so cool to watch.
I love anybody who also appreciates the awesome flicks of the 80's. So many great movies it's almost impossible to rank them. See ya guys. P.S Write back. cooooool
By: daniel perry
By: Krista
  • 10. The Legend of Billie Jean
    "Fair is fair!!"
  • 9. Can't Buy Me Love
    This is a helpful hint to all you love birds out there.
  • 8. Heathers
    "Veronica.....Dinner...."
  • 7. Fast Times At Ridgemont High
    Sean Penn was great in that movie, it was so funny!!!
  • 6. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    This one's for u Cameron.....Twist and Shout!!! "Bueller? Bueller?"
  • 5. Dirty Dancing
    How do they learn to dance like that?
  • 4. Weird Science
    This movie was so funny, "Gimme the keys, I'll drive".
  • 3. Sixteen Candles
    Wouldn't it be nice for us all to have gotten our high school crush the way that Samantha got Jake
  • 2. Top Gun
    No one could look better in that uniform than Tom Cruise!
  • 1. The Breakfeast Club
    This is an 80's classic, with a lot of the brat pack in it, you got to love it!
I love sooo many more movies from the 80's. These were just ten that I could think of off the top of my head that I really liked.
By: Michelle
  • 10. For Keeps
    Molly Ringwald, Randall Batinkoff
  • 9. Night of the Comet
    Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney
  • 8. Urban Cowboy
    John Travolta, Debra Winger
  • 7. Blue Lagoon
    Brooke Shields, Christopher Atkins
  • 6. The Breakfast Club
    Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall..........all the greats
  • 5. Girls Just Want to Have Fun
    Sarah Jessica Parker, Helen Hunt, Shannen Doherty
  • 4. Legend of Billie Jean
    Helen Slater, Christian Slater
  • 3. Lost Boys
    Keifer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Jason Patric
  • 2. North Shore
    Matt Adler, Nia Peeples
  • 1. Less Than Zero
    Jami Gertz, Andrew McCarthy, Robert Downey Jr.
This in no way comes close to listing all my favorite movies of the 80's!
By: Erin
If you are a child of the 80's you'll know about these movies. The 2 Corey's were so awesome. But Will Wheaton was the one I wanted to marry! Ha! :)
By: Michael Flynn
  • 10. Midnight Run
    A FUNNY AS HELL movie. "I need to get off this plane! I suffer from claustrophobia and acrophobia!" "Yeah, well soon you'll suffer from fistaphobia."
  • 9. Predator
    Just as good as Aliens, with Schwarzenegger and some other guys south of the border to catch an alien who loves big-game safari for humans.
  • 8. Aliens
    One of the best sequels ever, and very intense and always-redeeming pulse-racer.
  • 7. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
    KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!! KHAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!! The best Star Trek film ever, with ties to the original series plus an excellent script.
  • 6. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
    Classic stuff right here. It touched us all in a way, made us cheer, laugh, cry, and feel good about an alien from another planet who befriends a young boy.
  • 5. The Naked Gun and Airplane!
    Urinating with a microphone on, life-threatening sports bloopers, a boat called "I Luv U", "Weird Al" Yankovic envy, and loony and crazy antics via the ZAZ trio, also behind the Towering Airport Poseidon Earthquake Adventure When Time Ran Out, Airplane!
  • 4. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    Easily one of Spielberg's best. It's, so, uh...it's a classic. Dr. Jones, you great man.
  • 3. Caddyshack
    I want a hamburger, no cheeseburger. I want a hot dog, I want a milkshake, I want potato chips---YOU'LL GET NOTHING AND LIKE IT!!!!!!! Easily comedy heaven. Ty Webb, Al Czervik, Carl the greenskeeper, Judge Smails, Noonan, Spaulding, the gopher, Lainie...so memorable.
  • 2. Die Hard
    The decade's best action film did for the 80's what classics like The French Connection and Dirty Harry did for the 70's. It's a very simple concept: Take The Towering Inferno, add terrorists and replace a firefighter with an LAPD sergeant, and you have this.
  • 1. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
    Definitely one of the funniest movies in the past 20 years, and John Hughes' best film ever also. Steve Martin and John Candy provided excellent charisma as a latter-day Odd Couple, with an ad exec and a shower-curtain-ring salesman trying to get home to Chicago where there's a bad snowstorm. Also very quotable. Also makes you feel good all around.
Other favorites: Big Trouble in Little China, Trading Places, Star Trek IV, Temple of Doom/Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon. Plus Ferris Bueller and Breakfast Club. The worst: The Presidio.
By: Darren
  • 10. A Nightmare On Elm Street
    yeah, the sequals are pretty much trash, but the original is a creepy classic fun fun film
  • 9. Return of The Living Dead
    zombies+comedy+total coolness= a much needed-to-be-rediscovered film with a hellova soundtrack
  • 8. Superman 2
    better than the original. period.
  • 7. The Breakfast Club
    pure teen angst. it's a sin not to put this on a best 80's list
  • 6. Fast Times At Ridgemont High
    probably the best highschool film ever
  • 5. Batman
    Jack Nicolson drove this flick while tim burton as navigator and everyone else in back seat. Plus one of the best film scores ever.
  • 4. The Shining
    best pure horror film of the 80's. Jack in his most remembered performance, even though it is over the top
  • 3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    best of the indiana jones
  • 2. Die Hard
    best action film of all time
  • 1. Say Anything
    cameron crowes first film. Yeah, I know i said Fast Times was the best highschool movie, but Say Anything takes place after highschool
honorable mentions: Aliens, Empire Strikes Back,

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