top of page
My 15 Favorite 80s Movies
This is a list of 15 of my favorite movies made within 1980-1989.
15. WarGames (1983)
When David Lightman, a teenager who's also a frequent hacker and uses his computer to do things that would normally be illegal, accidentally hacks into a military supercomputer called the "WOPR" (War Operation Plan Response), he starts a "game" with it. Little does he know that the computer is hooked up to the displays of a major missile base and whatever David and the computer do is misconstrued as real moves by the U.S.S.R. With the help of his friend Jennifer, he has to denounce this simulation and save the world from World War III.
(This movie is an all-time favorite of mine, very funny and intense.)
14. Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989)
Indiana Jones learns that archeologists have gone missing while looking for the Holy Grail, one of them is his father, Dr. Henry Jones. He was captured and is being held in a castle at the Austrian-German border. After they escape, the Jones's have to use his "Grail Diary" to find the Grail before the Nazis do.
(This is my favorite Indiana Jones movie. I also love Raiders of the Lost Ark, but I wanted some diversity on this list.)
13. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Bill and Ted are two best friends, who have a band called the "Wyld Stallyns", and although they have little musical knowledge, their band is their passion. However, Bill and Ted are about to fail their high school history exam, and would send Ted to military school. This all changes when Bill and Ted meet Rufus, a time-traveler from the future who tells them they have to pass the class or the world's perfect future, built on the "Wyld Stallyns" music, will be ruined. So, Bill and Ted go back in time to take important historical figures back to the future, where they can help them finish their exam.
(While this movie's time travel concept is a bit hard to swallow, I love it. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter are hilarious as the somewhat dim-witted Bill and Ted.)
12. Rocky IV (1985)
*Spoiler* Ivan Drago, the Soviet Union's toughest boxer, attempts to defeat Rocky Balboa. When Apollo Creed challenges him instead, he's fatally defeated and Rocky seeks vengeance on Drago. They train hard and fight harder to see who is triumphant in this controversial fight between the United States and the Soviet Union.
(While the death of Apollo sucks, this is my favorite Rocky movie other than Rocky III.)
11. Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
Chris Parker has to babysit a little girl named Sara while her parents are at a party. When Chris's friend Brenda runs away from home, she has to pick her up from a bus station in downtown Chicago, while also babysitting Sara. The girl's brother Brad and his friend Daryl tag along with Chris and Sara. From crashing a sorority party to their car breaking down in the middle of the city, and all of it while making sure Sara and Brad's parents think everything is normal, it's one hell of an Adventure in Babysitting!
(This movie is full of quips and scenes that I love! There's also a hilarious scene where Chris and the kids stumble into a nightclub where they meet Albert Collins. This movie was definitely going on this list.)
10. The Shining (1980)
A writer named Jack Torrance is hired as a winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel, an old summer resort shrouded in the mountains of Colorado. Jack, his wife Wendy, and his son Danny, begin experiencing weird things in the old hotel. The hotel itself was even built on ancient Native American burial grounds. During the long isolation, Jack goes crazy and terrorizes his family.
(Starring Jack Nicholson during his prime! This is also one of my 15 favorite horror films.)
9. Clue (1985)
Based on the Parker Brothers game, it follows a butler named Wadsworth and the six guests of the estranged Mr. Boddy, who promises to shed light on whoever is blackmailing each of them after he invites them to his large mansion. When Mr. Boddy arrives, he gives each of them a lethal weapon, a Lead Pipe, a Dagger, a Wrench, a Candlestick, a Revolver, and a Rope. Mr. Boddy tells them to kill Wadsworth and turns out the lights. When the dust settles, Mr. Boddy lies dead on the floor and no one knows whodunit.
(I could quote this movie over and over and still laugh at it. The re-watch value is high and I would definitely check it out.)
8. Ghostbusters (1984)
When Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler,
a group of disgraced scientists, are thrown out of Columbia University for their unpopular supernatural theories, they move into an old dilapidated fire house and they go into the business for themselves. Using their Proton Packs to find, trap, and then hold ghosts in their containment unit under the building. Soon, a lawyer named Walter Peck arrives with a warrant for the arrest of the Ghostbusters, labeling them as unlicensed waste handlers and shuts down their containment unit. The unit explodes and releases tons of ghosts and spirits into New York City and brings about the coming of Gozer, a destructive ancient Mesopotamian-Sumerian god.
(This movie was almost more like #5 on this list, however I consider every movie on this list a favorite of mine. I also love the sequel, Ghostbusters 2 (1989)
7. Back to the Future (1985)
The movie follows a teenager named Marty McFly. Marty goes to meet his friend, Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown, where he shows Marty his invention, a Delorian that can travel in time using a "Flux-Capacitor" which is activated by reaching 88MPH, generating the 1.21 Gigawatts necessary for time travel. The machine connected to the Delorian uses plutonium, which he stole from a group of Libyans, who gave him the plutonium to make them a bomb.
When the Libyans find Doc and he's attacked, Marty gets into the Delorian and drives away, unwittingly reaching 88MPH and traveling 30 years back in time, to 1955. Where he intervenes in his parents meeting and falling in love. Now, with the help of a younger Doc Brown, he has to help his parents meet, and find a way to generate the 1.21 Gigawatts without plutonium and get Marty back to the future!
(This description doesn't even properly tell you about the movie, you'll just have to watch it.
P.S. It's worth it.)
6. Blade Runner (1982)
Rick Deckard works as a "blade runner", a person who tracks down artificial lifeforms called "replicants" and "retires" them. The movie takes place in the dystopian year of 2019, in Los Angeles, CA. Deckard is informed that there's four replicants that are on Earth illegally. Roy Batty, Pris, and Zhora. Replicants were created by a company called the Tyrell Corporation, they are so realistic, one of the only ways people can tell whether these lifeforms are human or not is by administering a "Voigt-Kampff" test, where the subject's reactions to a series of questions are monitored to measure their humanity.
(Ridley Scott gives an amazing and detailed view into the future of humanity. Flying cars, dystopia and cyberpunk has never been more satisfying.)
5. The Neverending Story (1984)
Bastian Bux is a teenage boy with a very active imagination. He is mercilessly teased by bullies at his school, and is even thrown in the trash after they chase him through the town. He hides in a book store, where the grumpy store owner is ready a mysterious book. When the owner leaves the room, Bastian takes the book and leaves a note promising he'll return it. After school, he hides in his school attic and reads the book. It tells of a world called "Fantasia" a world of imagination, where anything is possible. Fantasia is being slowly absorbed by a entity called "the Nothing." One of the inhabitants, called a "Rockbiter", talks about how his home was devoured by the Nothing" and how it disturbed him.
Fantasia's ruler, the Childlike Empress, has become ill, and a young warrior named Atreyu volunteers to find a cure. Slowly as the book continues, Bastian realizes that this is no ordinary book, it's real.
(This movie has my favorite opening credits, by using salt, milk, dies, fresh water, and really good lighting. The music was performed by Limahl, there was a French and English version of the theme released.
4. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The second chapter in the Star Wars Trilogy. After the Death Star is destroyed, the Rebel Alliance is driven out of their old base by the Empire, and, led by Princess Leia, set up a new base on the snowy planet of Hoth. Where the Empire starts a war to drive out the Rebels from Hoth. Luke travels to the Dagobah system and trains to learn how to use The Force from Yoda, an ancient Jedi master. Han Solo, Leia, C-3PO and Chewbacca escape on the Millennium Falcon and go to Cloud City, where they meet Han's old friend, Lando Calrissian. Lando betrays Han, and they're captured by the Empire.
(This is my favorite Star Wars movie.)
3. The Dark Crystal (1982)
In the magical world of Thra there is a magical crystal called "The Dark Crystal." When the Dark Crystal cracked, two races new were formed, the Skeksis and the Mystics. Jen, a Gelfling who is the last of his people, was taken in by Mystics. The prophecy says Jen must heal the crystal and bring the two races together. On his journey, Jen meets Kira, another Gelfling, who can communicate with animals. Jen and Kira must travel to the Skeksis' Castle and get to the crystal, where they have to heal the crystal and bring balance back to Thra.
(Jim Henson considered this movie to be his crowning achievement in his career, and I agree.)
2. Labyrinth (1986)
When her father and step-mother go out, Sarah Williams is stuck watching her brother for the night. When she's fed up with his wining, Sarah somewhat jokingly wishes for the "Goblin King", a character from one of her favorite plays, to take her little brother away. When the actual Goblin King appears and graciously accepts to relieve her burden, he explains that Sarah has thirteen hours to solve his labyrinth and retrieve her brother, "or your baby will be ours forever...such a pity..."
Sarah meets several funny and memorable character in the labyrinth, and she learns important life lessons as well.
(Another Jim Henson masterpiece. This was also Kevin Clash's movie debut.)
1. Flight of the Navigator (1986)
A 12-year old boy named David Freeman goes out to pick up Jeff, his younger 8-year old brother, from a friend's house. When his dog runs off, David falls into a ravine and he's knocked-out. When David wakes up, he discovers that 8 years has passed, his parents are older, and his brother is now 16-years old, but David hasn't aged. At the same time, an alien spaceship crashed nearby and was confiscated by NASA. David is convinced by a doctor to come to a facility, which is, unbeknownst to him, near where they're holding the alien spaceship. When David finds out he's been made to stay longer than they promised, he escapes incognito and follows a voice to the alien ship. He enters it and is greeted by the ships robotic pilot, called a "Trimaxion Drone Ship." David calls him "Max" for short. Max refers to David as the Navigator, and tells him his job was to travel to other planets, collect data and charts and then report back to an alien world called Phalon.
(This movie has a great soundtrack by Alan Silvestri, best known for the music in the Back To The Future trilogy, Forrest Gump, and The Avengers.
Tell me your favorite movies from the 80s!
bottom of page