Ooh! Pointless nostalgia

Black Shuck · 25 Nov 2003, 20:29

Before you all complain that specific films arent included, by '80s movie' I mean 'a film which could ONLY have been made in that decade.'
For example, Blade Runner doesn't count as it is a timeless masterpiece which is so fresh and original it could have been made this year. ditto 'Aliens' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'.

to qualify for an 80s classic, a movie has to have:
a synth-pop soundtrack
outrageous fashions (Judd Nelson, take a bow)
fantastic hair (David Bowie, I salute you!)
a plot so full of holes that if you think about the storyline for more than five seconds, you realise how implausible it is
Rick Moranis in some capacity

Black Planet · 25 Nov 2003, 20:35

Molly Ringwold movies. Especially with John Cryer as Ducky. He was classic.

25 Nov 2003, 20:40

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Good choice.

6FeetOver · 25 Nov 2003, 20:42

"Were you, or were you not, motioning to Claire?"

Black Shuck · 25 Nov 2003, 20:58

"Manure!! I hate manure!!!"

kafka · 25 Nov 2003, 21:10

Black Shuck wrote:For example, Blade Runner doesn't count as it is a timeless masterpiece which is so fresh and original it could have been made this year. ditto 'Aliens' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'.

I voted for BTTF before I read this comment carefully. To be honest, I think the BTTF trilogy is absolutely timeless, and absolutely classic - and not so much of an '80s movie' by your definition. And I love most of the other movies on the list, but I do think that BTTF is substantially more than just 80s cheese - and it's probably in many ways the least "80s" of the lot.

A few more to consider:

Heathers - how was *this* not included?

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension
Rambo (come on: Eye of the Tiger!)

and another in the 'timeless' category, for the Brits:
Withnail & I (one of my favourite films)

Cheers,
--George

Black Shuck · 25 Nov 2003, 21:23

kafka wrote: I voted for BTTF before I read this comment carefully. To be honest, I think the BTTF trilogy is absolutely timeless, and absolutely classic - and not so much of an '80s movie' by your definition. And I love most of the other movies on the list, but I do think that BTTF is substantially more than just 80s cheese - and it's probably in many ways the least "80s" of the lot.

I never said any of the films were cheesy. BTTF has: synth soundtrack, crazy fashions and a 'one teenager has to save the world' 80s vibe.

Kafka wrote:A few more to consider:

Heathers - how was *this* not included?
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension
Rambo (come on: Eye of the Tiger!)

Sorry, Kafka, but none of those are 80s enough.

25 Nov 2003, 21:35

In think maybe Heathers should qualify. And The Outsiders.
I'm not slagging off your poll though, oh no. I've been there before.

kafka · 25 Nov 2003, 21:44

Black Shuck wrote:
kafka wrote: I voted for BTTF before I read this comment carefully. To be honest, I think the BTTF trilogy is absolutely timeless, and absolutely classic - and not so much of an '80s movie' by your definition. And I love most of the other movies on the list, but I do think that BTTF is substantially more than just 80s cheese - and it's probably in many ways the least "80s" of the lot.
I never said any of the films were cheesy. BTTF has: synth soundtrack, crazy fashions and a 'one teenager has to save the world' 80s vibe.

No way! There's nothing especially crazy about the BTTF fashions (given that they're mainly set 'in different times', there's not all that much in the way of '80s' clothing at all, really - apart from the Calvin Klein bits, of course. And the soundtrack's not all that synthy.. although of course the Huey Lewis stuff does date it somewhat. And the plot's *not* about "saving the world" by any stretch of the imagination. I'd say that BTTF had more of an early 90s vibe (akin to Bill and Ted, late 80s-early 90s) than a true "rooted in the 80s" sense. Heck, the third film *was* in the 90s, and the trilogy was always a trilogy rather than three individual films. So nerrrrr. ;p

Black Shuck wrote:
Kafka wrote:A few more to consider:

Heathers - how was *this* not included?
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension
Rambo (come on: Eye of the Tiger!)
Sorry, Kafka, but none of those are 80s enough.

Are you barmy?

Although of course I meant 'Rocky' when I said 'Eye of the Tiger'.. (another contender!)

6FeetOver · 25 Nov 2003, 22:15

Jeezus...

What about:

Sixteen Candles
Pretty in Pink
Better off Dead
Valley Girl
One Crazy Summer
Weekend at Bernie's
St. Elmo's Fire
The Lost Boys
Legend
The Road Warrior
Lethal Weapon
Splash
Big
Vacation
Stand By Me
Say Anything
River's Edge

etc., etc., ad nauseam...

Almiche V · 25 Nov 2003, 22:36

Who ya gonna call?

CorpPunk · 25 Nov 2003, 22:40

SINsister wrote:Jeezus...

What about:

Better off Dead

An absolute masterpiece. I vote for that, in spirit.

Thea · 26 Nov 2003, 07:45

howard the duck

randdebiel² · 26 Nov 2003, 10:35

I was hesitating between Labyrinth(Bowie is really great in it

)
and Ferris (for the yello soundtrack

)
it's ferris of course

Black Shuck · 26 Nov 2003, 12:34

randdebielÂ² wrote:I was hesitating between Labyrinth(Bowie is really great in it )
and Ferris (for the yello soundtrack )
it's ferris of course

Ohhhhhhh Yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

kafka wrote: No way! There's nothing especially crazy about the BTTF fashions (given that they're mainly set 'in different times', there's not all that much in the way of '80s' clothing at all, really - apart from the Calvin Klein bits, of course. And the soundtrack's not all that synthy.. although of course the Huey Lewis stuff does date it somewhat. And the plot's *not* about "saving the world" by any stretch of the imagination. I'd say that BTTF had more of an early 90s vibe (akin to Bill and Ted, late 80s-early 90s) than a true "rooted in the 80s" sense. Heck, the third film *was* in the 90s, and the trilogy was always a trilogy rather than three individual films. So nerrrrr. ;p

Oh come on! the way Mickey J Fox and his girlfriend dress are sooooooo eighties. and it DOES have an eighties vibe. I never said that Marty had to save THE world, but Marty is a teenager who has to save HIS world (himself and his family) and he does it in a crazy, cool, wisecracking way.
it's about as eighties as they come!

SINsister wrote:Jeezus...

What about:

Sixteen Candles
Pretty in Pink
Better off Dead
Valley Girl
One Crazy Summer
Weekend at Bernie's
St. Elmo's Fire
The Lost Boys
Legend
The Road Warrior
Lethal Weapon
Splash
Big
Vacation
Stand By Me
Say Anything
River's Edge

etc., etc., ad nauseam...

First of all, I could only pick ten options.
Also:
Pretty in Pink/St Elmos fire dont qualify as they are basically the same film as 'the Breakfast Club'
I've never heard of Sixteen Candles, Better off Dead, Valley Girl, One Crazy Summer, Vacation, Say Anything and The River's Edge. and If I haven't heard of them, they can't be any good.
and the rest of the films you list (with the possible exceptions of the Lost Boys and Lethal Weapon) just arent as '80s' as the ones on my list. Jow on earth are 'the Road Warrior' and 'Stand by Me' 80s films? one is set in the future, the other in the 1950s! they are also too modern in feel to be classed as '80s' films.

mh · 26 Nov 2003, 13:13

Hasta be Ghostbusters! I've very fond memories. It's the ultimate team based buddy movie (the zany wacky guy, the clumsy accident prone git, the wisecracking cool dude, the stereotyped dense secretary, etc etc etc etc) with a preposterous premise and a wonky synth-rap sounttrack. How can ya possibly go wrong?

zaltys7 · 26 Nov 2003, 13:18

Rivers edge is a classic eighties film, one that makes me think that Keanu reeves may be able to actualy act. Crispin Glovers amphetamine fueled performance is amazing and as an aside, the kid who played keanu's younger brother was also in Near Dark THE classic eighties film.

Paul

emilystrange · 26 Nov 2003, 13:55

my whole life is pointless nostalgia....

MrChris · 26 Nov 2003, 14:07

I voted for the Breakfast Club because I am sad. Oh, so did the rest of you. Heh.

I used to have a huge poster for that film in my student room. Unfortunately, it was in Italian. It read (something like) 'Sincontrarono una sola volta ma la loro vita cambio per siempre'. Which I read as 'they broke a single rule, but their lives were changed forever'. Does anyone here speak Italian?

26 Nov 2003, 14:22

"weekend at bernies" anyone?

Padstar · 26 Nov 2003, 16:17

Empire Records..... even though it was the nineties!!!!!

Far too hard to pick that!

Paddy.

6FeetOver · 26 Nov 2003, 16:31

emilystrange wrote:my whole life is pointless nostalgia....

Heh - I'm right there with ya, sis!

6FeetOver · 26 Nov 2003, 17:10

Black Shuck wrote:I've never heard of Sixteen Candles, Better off Dead, Valley Girl, One Crazy Summer, Vacation, Say Anything and The River's Edge. and If I haven't heard of them, they can't be any good.

ROFL!!!

Nah, you're just from THAT side of the Pond, which can't be helped...

Oh yeah - you forgot Fast Times at Ridgemont High, too...

Debaser · 26 Nov 2003, 17:10

From that list?? Ghostbusters. Blimmin love Dan Ackroyd I do!

I remember the cartoon, Number One Son was just at the right marketable age for that....Christmas shopping consisted of trudging up and down various cities and towns looking for the elusive 'Fire House'

And we've still got the back packs somewhere....

kafka · 26 Nov 2003, 18:22

MrChris wrote:I voted for the Breakfast Club because I am sad. Oh, so did the rest of you. Heh.

I used to have a huge poster for that film in my student room. Unfortunately, it was in Italian. It read (something like) 'Sincontrarono una sola volta ma la loro vita cambio per siempre'. Which I read as 'they broke a single rule, but their lives were changed forever'. Does anyone here speak Italian?

We have a poster of it in our game room/80s room (along with various Bueller photos, a Jesus Jones poster, a Men Without Hats poster, a Poison poster, and my Ms. Pacman arcade machine).. it's quite funny, because it's a bootleg poster and to look at it initially looks fine.. until you look a little closer:

"But what we found out is that each one of us is a brain...and an athlete...and a basket case...a princess...and a crimimal". [sic]

Heartland

Ooh! Pointless nostalgia

Which is the bestest 80s movie?