ShrykeVerse Top Movies of the 80's Countdown

[Chienfantome]

#25

Boosh: Labyrinth (1986)
I've never seen it !

JohnErle: When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
I have great memories of it. I really need to rewatch it. It definitely is not your typical romcom. Last time I saw it I was probably 20 or something, but now I'm 42, I'm sure the film would speak to me more.

six: Vagabond (1985)
Ha ! That's funny, a French film I've actually never seen. I really need to catch it.

StarLord: License to Kill (1989)
A good Bond film. Nothing remarkable, but good.

transformers: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
A marvelous adventure, the kind of film that turns you into a film lover. It's just way too low on your list !

[numbersix]

My Neighbour Totoro is without doubt one of Ghibli's finest

[Chienfantome]

24. Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
Some films should be classics but are overlooked or considered minor in the filmography of a great director. Peggy Sue is one of those. Kathleen Turner plays a 40-something 1980’s woman who suddenly wakes up in 1960 and gets to relive her senior high school year. A teen movie on the surface, Coppola’s film goes much deeper than that, exploring the emotion of a character who gets to relive her life and see how the time has flown. It navigates in the realms of time between comedy and melodrama, exploring both lightness and darkness, creating a woman’s portrait that goes straight to the heart.

[Chienfantome]

#24

Boosh: Glory (1989)
I've only seen Glory once when I was a teen on VHS. I remember liking it, but it was a long time ago.

JohnErle: Ran (1985)
Like I said earlier, I need to revisit Kurosawa's 80's films.

six: Withnail and I (1987)
Never seen it, and it's barely heard of here in France. I've only ever heard about this film on these boards, and it's hard to catch in France. But one day I'll manage to see it.

StarLord: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Never seen it, and I don't think it's ever been released in France, or ever played on TV here.

transformers: The Breakfast Club (1985)
This one was close to joining my list. A classic of a teen movie.

[Chienfantome]

23. Do The Right Thing (1989)
I have actually taken quite a few years to finally discover Spike Lee’s film. It was rereleased here restored 5 years ago, and that’s when I finally saw it, on the big screen. Beyond how influential it has been, and how strongly political and intelligent it is, it’s a remarkable work of narration with its unity of time, place and action. It knows how to be modern and daring on one side and classic on the other side, bringing colors and comedy into a subject that catches us and have us hold our breath. And the heat can be felt on the screen.

[Chienfantome]

#23

Boosh: RoboCop (1987)
I love Verhoeven, but strangely I've never really been a fan of Robocop. But I realize I haven't seen it in a very, very long time. I should give it another go.

JohnErle: The Naked Gun: From the Files of the Police Squad! (1988)
I used to love The Naked Gun when I was a kid. The spoof movies were so popular then, and it was the top of the game. I haven't seen it since the 90's probably, but I used to love it.

six: Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
I really hesitated between this one and Totoro to put in the top and went with the latter. But Nausicaa is another amazing film from Miyazaki.

StarLord: The Road Warrior (1981)
I'm not sure I've seen this sequel, actually.

transformers: Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
A strong sequel, the only one really worth watching in the Lethal Weapon franchise I think.

[Chienfantome]

22. The Thing (1982)
Here’s another one I actually discovered quite recently, 6 or 7 years ago when it was also released restored. Most of you have listed it already so you all know. As a Rio Bravo fan, I’ve always loved Carpenter’s ability to remake this film one way or another, over and over again. The Thing’s probably his best feature, fascinating, terrifying, exciting, with Kurt as badass as ever.

[Chienfantome]

#22

Boosh: Airplane! (1980)
Definitely a classic. Haven't watched it in ages, otherwise I might have included it.

JohnErle: The Right Stuff (1983)
One of the greatest for sure. I discovered it in theaters about 20 years ago, and I have watched it a few times since. Fascinating film.

six: Blood Simple (1984)
Strangely, I'm not such a fan of the Coens first film. At least I haven't been when I saw it. Maybe I should revisit it, but I had the chance to see it in theaters , but it kind of bored me a bit.

StarLord: The Thing (1982)
I put the same film in #2, so very good choice !

transformers: Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
I've never seen this one, but it's tempting.

[StarLord123]

In retrospect, I'd probably rank The Thing at least a few spots higher now. I rewatched it for the first time in a while during the countdown and it's damn near perfect.

[Chienfantome]

21. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Robert Zemeckis’ film could be just another nostalgic memory from childhood. A film I love because I watched it over and over again when I was a kid, and I did. But Roger Rabbit remains a fascinating film even as an adult, because it was visually ambitious and a step into modern blockbusters. Because it was, at its core, an homage to cinema, and to the art of making people laugh, and to animation, made with love and care. And because it is, first and foremost, a film noir, sometimes nostalgic, sometimes dark, always sincere. I grew up loving Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and I still adore it today as a film lover.

[Chienfantome]

#21

Boosh: The Killer (1989)
That's a good one. John Woo's films don't age that well, but it's still a Hong Kong movie classic. I considered it.

JohnErle: Body Heat (1981):
I'm not sure I've seen this one.

six:My Left Foot (1989)
Such a long time since I saw it. Powerful film. I should have picked it too.

StarLord: Full Metal Jacket (1987)
I remember the shock of discovering this one. Kubrick was such a great director.

transformers: They Live (1988)
I really liked it when I saw it as a teen. Haven't seen it since, but it was fun.

[numbersix]

I'm surprised no one else picked Roger Rabbit. It's a great, and one of the many examples of 80s kid oriented films that had really fucked up moments (the Goonies and the dead body, and that scene in The Neverending Story)

[Chienfantome]

Yeah, Christopher Lloyd's Judge was the cause of so many nightmares when I was a kid !

[JohnErle]

I believe Roger Rabbit was an honourable mention for me, largely because it's been so long since I've seen it, but I do remember loving it, and I'm curious to see if the groundbreaking FX still hold up.

[Chienfantome]

20. Garde à vue (international title is either The Inquisitor or The Grilling) (1981)
I don’t know if you guys ever heard of this French film, or are familiar with Lino Ventura (Army of Shadows, The Sicilian Clan) and Michel Serrault (The Birdcage, Assassin(s)), two of the very best French actors, both long gone unfortunately. This one is a classic in France, the two actors facing each other inside a police station, Ventura as a cop, Serrault as a lawyer who is a suspect in a murder case, held in custody. It is a tense film, filled with terrific dialogues and acting, in which a sad and melancholic atmosphere reigns. Ventura has always been a favorite of mine, but the one who steals the show here is Guy Marchand as a foul-mouthed cop who is a bit dumb on the edges. Terrific French film from the early 80’s.