ShrykeVerse Top Movies of the 80's Countdown

[Buscemi2]

Have you read the book on the making of Caddyshack, Tran?

[numbersix]

At least you managed to post them

But weird - I copy and paste from word all the time and it works. Maybe if you use something less complex, like an rtf document, there won't be issues?

Anyway...

Boosch - one of Kubrick's weakest efforts is still a damn fine war film. The first half totally overshadows the second half, which essentially is a single sequence, but it's conclusion isn't half as shocking or affecting as what we've already been shown.

John - a film on my To See list. Sadly the UK Criterion edition is out of stock while Criterion find a new distributor (which they just did, and now are finally releasing 4k editions here), so hopefully this will be back and stores. Can't wait to see, especially to see if it knocks Ran off my 80s list.

Starlord - I spent my whole life thinking this was a dumb 80s movie, rather than a very odd mix of psychological thriller and action film. Was there anyone more 80s than Brian Dennehy?

Tranny - It's one I saw as a kid and enjoyed, but haven't revisited so I've no idea if it's good.

[transformers2]

But weird - I copy and paste from word all the time and it works. Maybe if you use something less complex, like an rtf document, there won't be issues?

I'll definitely try that tomorrow if it's still acting up.

Have you read the book on the making of Caddyshack, Tran?

Nope. I'm going to try and get back into reading in the coming months, so maybe I'll give it a look.

[transformers2]

#29:
Boosh: One of the only prolific Kubrick movies I haven't seen.

John: Haven't seen it, but I really should considering how much Kurosawa has influenced directors and films that I love.

six: Ditto with this Kurosawa joint.

StarLord: This won't be the last time this appears here Brilliant, tense action movie as well as an incredible showcase for Stallone's slept-on and perpetually underutilized acting chops.

[JohnErle]

Maybe a message to that webmaster email would reach him somehow?

One possible workaround is to make a short, placeholder test post, and if that works you can edit that post. I haven't seen any issues editing a post I've already made.

Full Metal Jacket - Stanley Kubrick only made two movies in the 80s and both will appear on my list.

Ran - Akira Kurosawa only made two movies in the 80s and both will appear on my list.

First Blood - It's not a bad movie at all, and very different from the cartoonish sequels. It was one of the first big-budget movies shot in British Columbia, so the Vancouver film industry of today might not exist without it.

Caddyshack - I saw it for the first time recently and it was very dated but okay. At least it's funnier than Police Academy. Rodney Dangerfield steals every scene he's in, but he isn't in enough of them.

[StarLord123]

I saw Conan the Barbarian for the first time yesterday (at least that I can recall). Raw, gritty, and brutal which makes it stand out from other fantasy movies from that era. Arnold was supposedly the one and only choice to play this role and it's clear as to why as he nailed it.

First Blood stands out as an highly tense thriller and quite a profound dive into the struggles that Vietnam veterans faced post-war, although the sequels dove head first into full 80s cheese.

Although some elements of Caddyshack are certainly dated, the sheer absurdity is commendable.

Also, I sometimes do get a message on mobile saying "This page isn’t working, forum.reelsociety.com is currently unable to handle this request." I did this time as well but the post still went through.

[BanksIsDaFuture]

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

[transformers2]

#28
Boosh: The Terminator (1984)


JohnErle: The Man with Two Brains (1983)
Here's one I haven't seen in many years, so I'm hedging my bets by ranking it pretty low on my list. I remember it as a mad scientist spoof that's equal parts Mel Brooks and Monty Python, and Steve Martin's finest comedy


six: Back to the Future (1985)
Can I treat the trilogy as one film? Probably not, although in doing so the greatness of Part 2 is cancelled out by the uninspired Western that is Part 3. Regardless, the first film is brimming with youthful energy, thanks to Michael J Fox’s spirited performance (which is crazy considering he was shooting Family Ties at the same time and moonlighting as Marty McFly). It’s a timeless film, and every second is a joy.


StarLord: Rocky IV (1985)


transformers: Field of Dreams (1989)
A master class in sappy, over-the-top sentimental melodrama, Field of Dreams is a celebration of baseball, father-son relationships and Kevin Costner's special ability to play a convincing, inherently likeable Average Joe.

[StarLord123]

As far as I'm concerned, Rocky IV is Cold War era propaganda and 80s cheese at its finest. It may lack the strong dramatic storytelling that its predecessors have, but it's made up for with one exciting montage after another that gets the blood pumping, a brisk running time which means the movie hits the ground running and never stops until the end, and possibly the most visceral and exciting climatic boxing match the series has ever had. Overall, not the best Rocky film, but certainly the most rewatchable. The 2021 director's cut is an interesting attempt to convert it into a more serious and grounded film in line with the first two, by minimizing the cheese, but it therefore comes off as tonally conflicted. It does however have a much better version of the funeral scene that should've been in the original cut.

At least one other movie listed will be showing up again later, though it may take a minute.

[JohnErle]

Terminator - A classic, but it missed my list.

Back To The Future - Another classic that missed my list, perhaps because it seemed like too obvious a choice. And the way I remember it, I hated part II and was pleasantly surprised by Part III, but neither really needed to be made.

Rocky IV - Damn Ruuskies. They were Hollywood's go-to villains in the 80s and they're making a strong comeback in the villainy department today. I have no real memory of this film, but I'm pretty sure I never liked it. I mainly remember the jokes at its expense. Now that Rocky's fought a giant, super-human Russian, what's next? Aliens? Dracula? Bigfoot?

Field Of Dreams - There's lots of stuff to love about the movie, like the ending and Burt Lancaster's arc, but the whole evil bankers foreclosing on the family farm plot was a bit much.

[numbersix]

Boosch: A classic of the decade, and hugely inspirational

John: Hmmm, I've definitely seen it but can't remember much. It has reminded me that I've no Steve Martin movies in my list. Maybe I should have squeezed in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

As for Back to the Future 2, I think it's almost as good as the first. It's the Ghost of Christmas Future combined with a dystopian sci-fi that ended up predicting Trump, and even goes back to the original and finds ways to make it just as fun and tricky.

Starlord: I've only watched the first, and bits of the rest. Isn't this the one with the much-derided robot?

Tranny: Another I've seen and liked as a kid, but fear I'd get diabetes if I watched it now.

[JohnErle]

As for Back to the Future 2, I think it's almost as good as the first. It's the Ghost of Christmas Future combined with a dystopian sci-fi that ended up predicting Trump, and even goes back to the original and finds ways to make it just as fun and tricky.

That all may be true, but the way I remember it, it was so focused on the gimmickry of the time travel premise that it had none of the heart of the original.

[BanksIsDaFuture]

I think The Terminator is as good as T2 - it's just a different genre, pretty much.

I once read that BTTF is a perfectly formatted movie and should be (is?) studied by all future filmmakers.

(Haven't seen any of the other 28's)

[StarLord123]

Starlord: I've only watched the first, and bits of the rest. Isn't this the one with the much-derided robot?

Yep, which Stallone removed from the director's cut entirely.

[transformers2]

#27
Boosh: Manhunter (1986)


JohnErle: Dead Ringers (1988)
Again, here's another one I haven't seen in decades, but I always felt it was David Cronenberg's masterpiece. After this, he became too guilty of repeating himself over and over again


six: The Thin Blue Line (1988)
One of the most inspirational documentaries of all time, and perhaps solely responsible for the dearth of true-crime doc series on every streamer these days. A story about a potentially wrongful incrimination, it’s a great mix of talking heads and re-enactment, the latter being done with notable taste. A classic for any documentary fan. Morris’s The Fog of War is almost as brilliant


StarLord: Midnight Run (1988)


transformers: Top Secret! (1984)
Time has kind of forgotten the Abrahams, Zucker and Zucker braintrust's follow-up to Airplane!, which is a damn shame because it's a terrific, wide-spanning parody that skewers everything from Cold War spy movies to Elvis' musicals. On top of the wall-to-wall sight gags and absurd setpieces (the climactic underwater bar fight is the top highlight for me) that the writer/director trio was known for, Top Secret! showed off why Val Kilmer went onto the have the career that he did with his playful, deeply charismatic turn as musician turned freedom fighter Nick Rivers.