ShrykeVerse Top Movies of the 80's Countdown

[transformers2]

If we can't bash whitey, then what's left?

Whoever took over Boston in the last decade?

Out-of-state real estate developers

[transformers2]

#25
Boosh: Labyrinth (1986)


JohnErle: When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
For my money, it's the greatest rom-com ever made.

One of things that makes it so special was the collaborative process in which it was written. Rob Reiner and his producer, who were both newly single, would get together with Nora Ephron and talk about their experiences in the dating scene of the 80s. Ephron would then take their male perspective and combine it with her own to craft the screenplay, the end result being that each side of the relationship is unusually well-developed. And the collaboration didn't end there. It was Meg Ryan who suggested acting out an orgasm in the middle of a crowded restaurant, and it was Billy Crystal who provided the movie's most iconic line: “I'll have what she's having.”


six: Vagabond (1985)
Over lockdown I took a punt and bought the complete Agnes Varda box-set. It was either that or another few crates of craft beer. I’m surprised how Varda isn’t mentioned in the same breath as Truffaut or Godard. Varda has a keen photographer’s eye and a sense of character that mark her aesthetic territory in the French New Wave. While Cleo from 5 to 7 may be my favourite of hers, this comes a close second. A beautiful, moving film about the fate of a young girl who gives up society to hitchhike around the country. It’s a heartbreaking film about those who live on the fringes, and how society neglects said types


StarLord: License to Kill (1989)


transformers: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
The Last Crusade serves up plenty of Spielbergan movie magic with the reliably dazzling spectacle of its setpieces and effortless feeling of wonder it conjures up as Indy goes on what was supposed to be (and what ultimately should've been) his final adventure. But what really makes The Last Crusade special is the introduction of Sean Connery as Indy's father Henry Sr. The stellar interplay between Connery and Ford paints a vivid picture of their complicated relationship that's built on just as much as on resentment and guilt as it is love and by getting to know the man that helped bring him into the world, you get a better understanding of how Indy came to be such a stubborn, selfish, curious, charismatic, and fiercely determined individual that is willing to go to great lengths to achieve their professional goals.

[JohnErle]

Labyrinth – Good, not great, and David Bowie with his enormous package chasing after a teenage Jennifer Connelly is more than a little creepy, and not in a good way.

Vagabond – I haven't gotten around to any Varda yet, and that clip doesn't really move her to the top of my must watch list.

Licence To Kill – It's a pity Timothy Dalton didn't have a chance to play Bond more than twice. I like the movie, but the bright, colourful cinematography and abundance of pastel colours are a bit at odds with the attempt to make a grittier Bond film.

Last Crusade – When the original James Bond played Indiana Jones's father it was a huge deal, and rightly so. Two of the greatest action heroes of all time teaming up should be a water cooler moment, and luckily they had great chemistry together. I haven't seen any of the Indy films in ages, but this was probably my favourite.

[Screen203]

I may join you guys for a Top 15 or 20, I don't think I've even seen 30 80s movies.

For example, I haven't seen a single movie listed so far (except for the first half of Full Metal Jacket)

As for the tech stuff, we should probably start thinking about a back-up plan if this site ever goes belly up

Pretty much where I'm at too, with both the list and the technical issues.

[numbersix]

Boosch: I need to rewatch and I love Henson's imagination. Not sure if the story stands up, but I guess it's not really about that.

John: You know, I never watched this until around lockdown, and what I thought would be a passable romcom turned out to be something far better than I imagined. It's smart, witty, and relatable.

Starlord: Should have saved my Dalton non-anecdote for this round. Not much to say about this. Neither of his Bonds impressed me much, though they're damn better than the next few installments. A View To A Kill remains my favourite though.

Tranny: Yes, agreed on all counts. Connery and Ford's chemistry makes this far more than a cash-grab sequel. Love it.

[JohnErle]

A View To A Kill remains my favourite though.

[Buscemi2]

I know. I'm as shocked as you are.

A View to a Kill is my second least favorite official Bond entry.

[transformers2]

#24
Boosh: Glory (1989)


JohnErle: Ran (1985)
No surprise here, since I already mentioned it was coming. I was aware of it in the 80s but probably never watched it, so I've only seen it once and decided not to rank it ahead of nostalgic favourites I've seen many, many times. Like with Kagemusha, the cinematography alone is reason enough to watch this movie, even if you hate subtitles.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?si=QTnvTEFk24YR6Oa7[/youtube]

six: Withnail and I (1987)
The ultimate student film. At 19, how could we not revere this tale of two struggling British actors who leave the boozy lifestyle in London to take a boozy holiday to the countryside, with much boobery along the way. Infinitely quotable, and mostly hilarious, with a hint of pathos towards the end, it made Richard E Grant’s career.


StarLord: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)


transformers: The Breakfast Club (1985)
Five high school kids from different cliques are brought together by a shared punishment of Saturday detention. Through a string of conversations where they share laughs, spill their hearts and tell their dickhead vice principal to go eat shit, these strangers depart the school with a powerful, cathartic shared experience that they'll never forget. It's contrived, cutesy and a total god damn charming delight-which are the exact qualities I'm looking for in a teen movie from this decade.

[numbersix]

Boosch: A film I very much enjoyed as a teen but I've never bothered to revisit. I wonder is it more than oscar bait?

John: Snap. Glad to see this getting the appreciation it deserves. And may end up being quite high in our collective favourites.

Starlord: Another film I enjoyed as a kid. I saw a bit of it recently and there were some good ideas

Tranny: contrived and cutesy indeed, and that puts me off seeing this as much more than an artifact of the era, rather than a good film so to speak.

[JohnErle]

Glory – I saw it when it was new to cable, and I know I liked it, but I never had any desire to revisit it. Like Six, I suspect it would seem like pure Oscar bait today.

Withnail & I – It has a devoted cult following which I would never dare argue with, and the movie does have its charms, but even watching that brief clip I'm struck by how much more presence Richard E. Grant has as opposed to that other guy, and when your audience's window into this world is through such a forgettable actor, that's hard to recover from.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation – John Hughes wrote both this film and the original Vacation, both of which are hilarious. I might regret leaving this one off my list.

The Breakfast Club – John Hughes strikes again. He was the voice of my generation, and this is his masterpiece. It's hardly a spoiler to say it'll be near the very top of my list. Yes, the humour is a bit broad and cutesy at times, but it's the raw emotions when they start dropping truth bombs on each other that makes it essential viewing.

You know, when we inevitably shut down this antiquated forum and move over to the greener pastures of Facebook or wherever, one thing I'll miss is the old school emojis. Especially this little fella.

He looks just like Roger Moore in A View To A Kill, walking around with an unblinking, surprised look on his face for two hours because he'd just had a facelift, thinking he was done with Bond, but then Pierce Brosnan had to do another season of Remington Steele, so they called Roger Moore back into service almost before the bandages had been removed.

[Buscemi2]

We tried the old Facebook. I think that group died some years back.

[transformers2]

#23
Boosh: RoboCop (1987)


JohnErle: The Naked Gun: From the Files of the Police Squad! (1988)
All the increasingly lame sequels and straight-to-video knockoff comedies Leslie Neilsen did after this makes it easy to forget just how hilarious this Zucker/Abrahms/Zucker comedy truly is.


six: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
While technically not a Studio Ghibli film per se, it is the film that launched the iconic Japanese animation studio. Nausicaa is one of the more action-packed film, set in a world where giant mutant insects are clashing with the human tribes who are struggling to survive, until one teenage girl starts to realize the secret behind them. It’s an inspiration, imaginative, and well-paced film full of thrills, but also an admirable message about the ecology. Not that anyone adhered to it.


StarLord: The Road Warrior (1981)


transformers: Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
A shift to a more comedic tone that provided more space for Shane Black's brilliant one-liners to shine and bigger, more satisfying action makes this the class of the Lethal Weapon franchise.

[numbersix]

Boosch: Excellent choice, and it just made my list. It stands up as a deeply violent, disturbing satire.

John: Every scene is brimming with great gags and lines. I'd need to sit through it again to see if it stands up, and I suspect the Police Squad series does it better, but this is nevertheless one of the greatest spoof movies.

Starlord: Another one I need to revisit. It's definitely an ambitious step up as a sequel, with an added dash of zaniness and a richer world of characters. As far as I remember, the big truck chase sequence is pretty much the basis for all of Fury Road.

Tranny: Is this the one with the bomb in the toilet? I guess it's good that it embraced the silliness of it all, but not really for me.

[Buscemi2]

Yes, Lethal Weapon 2 is the toilet bomb movie.

[numbersix]

I know. I'm as shocked as you are.

A View to a Kill is my second least favorite official Bond entry.

To clarify, it's a really bad film, but it's so bad it's actually kind of hilarious. Roger Moore phoning it in with his face, as John outlined, Bond spending most of the movie being clueless, with some brilliantly awful performances from Grace Jones and Chris Walken. It's almost an unintentional spoof movie. You see, Bond films are for the most part not very good - they all involve him working his way through scantily-clad women and battling cartoonish henchmen. Might as well embrace the cartoon.

That said, some of Craig's Bonds are almost decent. Almost.