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: Shelby
  • 10. When Harry Met Sally
    I love Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan in this movie!
  • 9. Dirty Dancing
    The dancing is so great....definately a guilty pleasure.
  • 8. For Keeps
    good movie that many people haven't seen! One of Molly Ringwald's best performances!
  • 7. St. Elmo's Fire
    Andrew McCarthy and Judd Nelson are so awesome in this!
  • 6. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    Matthew Broderick is so cool! The parade scene is the best.
  • 5. The Sure Thing
    I LOVE John Cusack! He is great in this...very funny movie!
  • 4. Pretty in Pink
    Molly Ringwald is so cool....I love Jon Cryer as Duckie!
  • 3. Sixteen Candles
    I love this movie because the character of Samantha Baker is so real...it really feels like what happens to her could happen to anyone...haha
  • 2. The Breakfast Club
    One of the greatest movies of all time. I love it because everyone can relate to high school and to one of the 5 characters in the movie.
  • 1. Say Anything
    I love this movie! John Cusack is perfect as Lloyd and Ione Skye is so great as Diane. This is a must see.
By: Doug
By: Alex Semchuck
  • 10. Ghostbusters
    Just a really good movie!
  • 9. Caddyshack
    The way golf should be!
  • 8. Scrooged
    Bill Murray is tremendous in this role. He's mean, sarcastic, and doesn't give a damn!
  • 7. Beetlejuice
    No words can describe this movie. Michael Keaton in his best role.
  • 6. The Naked Gun
    Leslie Nielsen is spectacular, and O.J. almost gets killed, what could be better!!
  • 5. Field of Dreams
    Truly magical. You have to love ol' Shoeless Joe Jackson!
  • 4. Major League
    Probably the greatest baseball movie of all time. Funny, riveting, and a great script!
  • 3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    A cult classic. Simple enough!
  • 2. Clue
    Tim Curry, Martin Mull, Christopher Lloyd, are only half of the hilarious cast starring in the hijinks of this murder-mystery-comedy.
  • 1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
    Pure, unadulterated COMEDY, through and through!! Absolutely hilarious movie. If there is ONE holiday movie that you HAVE to see, it's this one!! Chevy Chase is pure gold in this one!
By: MKG4
  • 10. Hellraiser
    The guards wouldn't let us into see the Lost Boys because we were under 18 but they let us in to see Hellraiser. Go figure!
  • 9. Remo Williams
    Fred Ward and Kate Mulgrew together at last!
  • 8. Highlander
    Looks lame now, seemed cool then.
  • 7. A View to a Kill/The Living Daylights
    First one showed how bad a James Bond movie could be, second showed how good! Music by Duran Duran, ah-ha and the Pretenders, featuring 80's icons like Grace Jones and the ever popular Christopher Walken.
  • 6. Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai
    Ninja shoes, new wave music, Jeff Goldblum and pre-Kurgan Clancy Brown--what else could you want?
  • 5. The Hunger
    David Bowie and the beginning of vampire chic.
  • 4. Repo Man/Sid and Nancy/Straight to Hell
    The Alex Cox films: Starring variously Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, Gary Oldman, the Pogues, Joe Strummer, Grace Jones and Dennis Hopper
  • 3. Terminator
    Cool robot, cool music, cool special effects.
  • 2. Bladerunner
    'Nuff said!
  • 1. Robocop
    Nothing captured the creepy coolness of 80's future fear like Robocop!
This is the Sci-Fi/Horror/Action list for us geeks in middle-school and high school in the 1980's. Enjoy!
By: LeRoy Amacher
  • 10. Adventures In Babysitting
    Another great 80s teen comedy
  • 9. Can't Buy Me Love
    I would have paid anything to go out with Amanda Peterson
  • 8. License To Drive
    A fun 80s teen comedy to watch
  • 7. Zapped
    I wonder how boys have dreamed to have the power Barney (Scott Baio) had in the movie Zapped.
  • 6. Midnight Madness
    I have seen this 1980 movie many times on VHS and enjoyed each time.
  • 5. The Last Starfighter
    A great sci-fi adventure movie
  • 4. Better Off Dead
    A great movie with a superb ending!
  • 3. Return of the Jedi
    The best movie of the Star Wars trilogy in my opinion
  • 2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    The most action packed movie that I believe came out of the 80s.
  • 1. Back To The Future
    The best 80s movie that I have ever seen.
Other movies deserving mention include Stripes, Weird Science, Good Morning Vietnam, Das Boot, Police Academy, Short Circuit, and The Best of Times
By: Martin Duchenski
By: Seth
By: sheila
By: Ozzie
Honorable Mention (no particular order): Weird Science, Mad Max, Willow, Dirty Dancing, Red Dawn, Porky's, The Sure Thing, Empire Strikes Back, Casual Sex, Pretty in Pink, Risky Business, All The Right Moves, Real Genius, Die Hard, Empire of The Sun (deep), St. Elmo's Fire (reluctantly), The Big Chill (no wait, sorry, i take that back) Beverly Hills Cop, Stake, Out, Footloose, etc...
By: Kaiser Rot
By: Gary
  • 10. A Nightmare On Elm Street
    A new boogie man to haunt us all.
  • 9. Back To The Future
    Come On, need I say anything, Okay 1 word De Lorean
  • 8. Scarface
    Al Pacino in a great performance just showing us how Humans can be so ruthless yet so compassionate.
  • 7. Ruthless People
    A true zany comedy with great performances by both Danny Devito and Bette Midler, and from a great comedy production team; The Zuckers, also Jan Debont(director: Speed, Twister Did the Cinematography)
  • 6. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
    Absolutely the best of the series. shows just how demented George Lucas can Be.
  • 5. Die Hard
    Heres a great Formula. Lets take a New york cop place him in LA in aJapanese company to blow up Terrorists. The concept alone is mind blowing.
  • 4. The Breakfast Club
    If you we're in high school when this film was out and spent a saturday in detention, how could you not relate? The Only John Hughes Film I enjoy
  • 3. Ghostbusters
    What not a better way to laugh your A$$ off than having Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, and Harlod Ramis team up for some ghoulish fun.
  • 2. The Return Of The Living Dead
    Not to be confused with George Romero's Living Dead Films. This was probably the best Comedy/Horror film ever made, Even scary at times. This film didn't just Mock the Living Dead it revived a dying genre.
  • 1. Lethal Weapon 2
    A masterpiece in comedy/action films, this film was the highlight of the series and brought us a very memorable character...... Leo Getz
By: wardass
  • 10. Big Trouble, Little China
    Wooooooohhhhhhhhh!
  • 9. Predator
    Billy............................!
  • 8. Shining
    Your the janitor.....and you always have been......
  • 7. Flash Gordon
    Flash, i love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the earth....
  • 6. Aeroplane
    I picked a hell of a week to stop sniffing glue.....
  • 5. Commando
    Daddy.......NO!, not daddy.......
  • 4. Flight Of The Navigator
    i wanna go home.....
  • 3. Labyrinth
    you have no power over me.....
  • 2. Goonies
    fifty dollar bills.....
  • 1. Lost Boys
    woah, death by stereo....
i only put in big trouble little china, cos i couldnt think of anything else
By: tanya
80's movie rock
By: Michelle
  • 10. The Neverending Story
    It was like the Harry Potter of my time!!!!!!
  • 9. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    "He's gonna marry me someday...!"
  • 8. For Keeps
    My fave Molly Ringwald flick :)
  • 7. Cloak & Dagger
    Definitely top 10 material...
  • 6. Breakfast Club
    Anthony Michael Hall--such a little hottie...
  • 5. Real Genius
    This movie was classic!!
  • 4. Back to the Future
    "A bolt of lightening!"..."what did you say?"..."A bolt of lightening!"
  • 3. St. Elmo's Fire
    Classic brat pack film...
  • 2. Stand By Me
    "S@#$% my fat one you cheap dime store hood!" -I was in love with Will Wheaton! (hey-who knew Jerry O'Connel would turn out to be such a fox!)
  • 1. Goonies
    "Slick shoes!!" -my fave all time movie!
As you can see I am a huge fan of the 80's.....probably even more so now than when I actually lived them! I think some of the absolute BEST movies came out of the movies--even the stupidly enjoyable Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure! (which by the way would be my #11 chioice!!)
By: El Darko
By: Chuck Warren
  • 10. (tie) A Nightmare On Elm St, Part. 3 / Dreamscape
    Two great movies focused on the dream world. Vastly underrated!
  • 9. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    Indiana Jones makes his debut!
  • 8. A View To A Kill
    My favorite James Bond movie of all time. With Duran Duran's great title track (the only Bond theme to ever go #1), and Grace Jones starring, this one is 80s all the way. Christopher Walken is great, as usual.
  • 7. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Kahn
    Will forever be the gold standard against all other Star Trek movies are judged.
  • 6. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
    The best of the 3 original Star Wars films.
  • 5. The Breakfast Club
    Often mentioned by critics as one of the best "teen movies" ever.
  • 4. Weird Science
    Anthony Michael Hall is the quintessential 80s nerd, and Kelly LeBrock is great as his creation. Another classic and pure 80s.
  • 3. Sixteen Candles
    My favorite Molly movie.
  • 2. Back To The Future
    A true classic. From Marty's DeLorean to the Libyan's VW van, its pure 80s.
  • 1. Ghostbusters
    Recently voted one of the best comedies ever made. The best comedy of the 1980s. My favorite movie of the 80s.
Some that just missed: -Goonies -Lost Boys -Return Of The Jedi -E.T. -Ferris Bueller's Day Off -Top Gun -Bonfire of the Vanities -Footloose -Dirty Dancing -The Karate Kid
By: Nathan Burt
By: Scotty
  • 10. BMX Bandits
    Allways wanted to go down a waterslide on my BMX!!!
  • 9. Labrinth
    "Dance magic dance" Bowie at his best!
  • 8. Gremlins
  • 7. Return Of The Jedi
  • 6. The Dark Crystal
  • 5. Stand By Me
    Phoenix,Fieldman & Sutherland what more can you say!
  • 4. Goonies
    "Hey you guys!" Does anyone not love this film
  • 3. Raiders Of The Lost Ark
  • 2. Back To The Future
    "My name is Darth Vader I come from the plannet Vulcan!" classic.
  • 1. The Empire Strikes Back
    "Obi Wan never told you what happend to your father" still sends sivers down my back!
Lethal Weapon, Diehard, Legend, Vacation, Ghostbusters the list could go on and on!
By: Kris Lynds
By: R. Jay

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