ShrykeVerse Top Movies of the 80's Countdown

[transformers2]

The Doctor Sleep mention wasn't a quality comparison, it was simply pointing out that I was reminded of how much I enjoyed The Shining while watching it.

[JohnErle]

Apart from mine, all of todays picks have either appeared before or will undoubtedly appear again, so I'll take a break from commenting today, apart from saying that Doctor Sleep was one of the most excruciating experiences I've ever had in a movie theatre.

[numbersix]

The Doctor Sleep mention wasn't a quality comparison, it was simply pointing out that I was reminded of how much I enjoyed The Shining while watching it.

I know, Tranny, I just couldn't wait to stick that proverbial shiv into Flanagan's mess of a film

[transformers2]

Good to know that we have the co-chairs of the Doctor Sleep hater committee among our ranks

Moving on....

#12
Boosh: Blade Runner (1982)


John: The Changeling (1980)
The scariest horror film of the 80s, and one of the most chilling haunted house movies of all time. And despite the American star and British director, it was a Canadian production, which is probably why it's not as well known as it should be.


Ron: Amadeus (1984)


six: Brazil (1985)
Every second film of the 10s seemed to be about a dystopia. But none rivalled Terry Gilliam’s manic depiction of a Kafkaesque bureaucracy, as a low-level worker dreams of a woman, only to come across her in real life, and get embroiled in a twisted adventure. Gilliam’s use of wide-angle lenses ensures a constant sense of delirium in this brilliantly realized world, one in which the individual never really has a chance.


StarLord: Predator (1987)


transformers: Better Off Dead... (1985)
In an era chock full of terrific teen movies, this is my favorite. Its dark, absurdist sense of humor provides the film with a heightened reality setting that allows it to really stand out from its peers in the subgenre and John Cusack arguably established the charming sadsack persona that has followed him around for most of his career with his great work here.

[transformers2]

#13
Boosh: Haven't seen it.

John: One of the first movies chosen by anyone that I had never of before. Hutton's career path was an odd one and it's a shame he never really rose to stardom.

Ron: Refer back to what I said when StarLord chose it on Wednesday.

six: Really wasn't a fan of this when I saw it a while back. May have to give it another watch to see if that's still case.

StarLord: Excellent choice.

#12
Boosh: Saw it in a film studies class I took in college. Have no idea what cut I saw, but it was a really rough watch that bored the hell out of me.

John: Another one I haven't heard of. Trailer looks promising though.

Ron: Haven't seen it

six: Haven't seen it

StarLord: Tense, consistently propulsive and entertaining as hell. It should be the north star for every action horror movie.

[Buscemi2]

Did your viewing have narration, Tran? This isn't the definitive way to watch this one. The Director's Cut or the Final Cut is the way to go.

[transformers2]

It did.

[numbersix]

#12

Boosch: A classic. Those models still beat anything CGI to this day

John: An interesting one. Every October I trawl through endless articles in search of a good, scary film I might have missed. Last year for example it was Lake Placid, which is surprisingly effective. Anyway The Changeling is one that appears constantly, but when I did get around to watching it I was disappointed as it felt neither scary nor particularly good. Maybe it was the frame of mind I was in, but given the continual love for this film I'd actually like ot rewatch and give it another chance.

Ron: One of those films that was big at the time but it seems to have faded from collective memory. I liked it when I watched it a while back.

Starlord: Good pick, and it featured on my list. Although I realised I forgot a classic documentary that, had I remembered in time, might have replaced this

Tranny: I'm not familiar with this at all. There were so many John Cusack 80s movies they all merge. But no, I've never seen this.

[JohnErle]

Blade Runner - What kind of film studies class would show the Theatrical Cut of Blade Runner? Did they also show the happy ending cut of Brazil and a colourized version of Citizen Kane? Tranny should ask for his money back. I didn't think the theatrical release was even available anymore, expect maybe as a bonus feature on disc 4 of some overly-complete 4K boxed set. As for the movie, it's visually stunning, but no film has put me to sleep more often than Blade Runner, so it just missed my list.

Amadeus – As Oscar-winners go, I think its reputation is still reasonably favourable, but I haven't seen it in decades.

Brazil & Predator – See previous comments.

Better Off Dead... - I was big into John Cusack at the time so I liked it as a kid, but I have it rated as 4/10 on IMDb so I must have seen it as adult and not cared for it. And I'm pretty sure that “perfectly good white boy” line was ripped off from Steve Martin's The Lonely Guy which came out a year earlier. “I want my two dollars” is a line for the ages, though.

[transformers2]

#11
Boosh: Cinema Paradiso (1988):


John: Full Metal Jacket (1987):
Yeah, yeah. I've heard the argument about how the boot camp portion of the story overshadows everything that came later. I don't buy it. I can't imagine this movie without Animal Mother, or "Me so horny. Me love you long time," or that incredible tracking shot on the battlefield, or Pvt. Joker being confronted about the peace symbol on his lapel, or that incredible, climactic sniper sequence. And even if you do think the movie shoots its wad too early, at least it sticks around for some very satisfying cuddling.


Ron: Blade Runner (1982):


six: Die Hard (1988):
The greatest action film of all time. There’s nearly nothing I can say that hasn’t already been uttered a million times. But this film stands the test of time, perfectly balancing tension and a sense of fun, as John Maclean tries to pick off the armed kidnappers of the Nakatomi Plaza. The key is him having no shoes, adding a vulnerability that you rarely see in action flicks as the heroes brush off bullet wounds.


StarLord: Ghostbusters (1984):


transformers: RoboCop (1987):
The precision in which RoboCop threads the needle between sharp social satire and straight B-action movie is something that should be studied by anyone who is seeking to understand what perfect tonal balance looks like in practice. Fortunately, its themes of corporate greed and the dangers unfettered capitalism present to society are no longer relevant today, making this a really fascinating examination of an ugly bygone era in the United States.

[numbersix]

Boosch: Ah, now here's an interesting one. This is a very popular film amongst cineastes. I've one or two friends who would consider this an all-time favourite. But, I don't get it. It's sweet, but that sweetness descends into saccharine for me. It just lavishes on the nostalgia and the tears, and its own love of cinema makes it masturbatory. Adding the fact that it's essentially a less fun, more safe version of a Fellini film (in particular the superb Amacord in its reminicense of childhood), I'm left with something that's average at best.

John: All those post-camp scenes you mention are okay but even compared to other Vietnam films, they don't stand out hugely. Maybe it's just the expectations we all put on Kubrick for being the master of cinema. He certainly has another film from this decade which is far, far superior.

Ron: So good I've watched 5 edits of it.

Starlord: Great stuff. Almost made my list

Tranny: In some ways, it should have made my list.

[transformers2]

#10
Boosh: E.T: the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)


John: The Name of the Rose (1986)
Jean-Jacques Annaud followed up his surprise hit, Quest For Fire, by leaping several centuries into the future, all the way to the Middle Ages, for this lean, focused adaptation of Umberto Eco's sprawling historical epic.


Ron: First Blood (1982)


six: Do The Right Thing (1989)
Spike Lee’s ultimate statement on his home territory. Inspired by true events, this is his take on the pressure cooker that Brooklyn can become under the right (or wrong) circumstances. The multi-character story shows how even innocuous tensions (with racial hints) can turn into something explosive, with people choosing either a violent or pacificist response (reflecting his two heroes – Malcom X and MLK). And all told with his distinct visual flair.


StarLord: RoboCop (1987)


transformers: The Untouchables (1987)
Delivering a stylish, cartoony cops vs. crooks mob saga is one of Brian De Palma's top contributions to cinema. There's a real go-for-broke, leave it all on the screen mentality sitting behind every creative choice and performance here that is every bit as inspiring as it is knowingly showy. It's like a buffet that has a great, varied spread: Excess rarely comes in a package that's been so thoughtfully crafted and when it does, it deserves to be celebrated just the same as a more modest display of excellence.

[JohnErle]

Cinema Paradiso – I probably saw it back in the day, but it's been so long I can't judge the film.

Ghostbusters & E.T. - It was only a matter of time before these showed up. They just don't make universally beloved blockbusters like these any more. E.T. was the first movie I ever saw twice in a movie theatre, and Ghostbusters is a ton of fun, even if Bill Murray's 80s shtick could be a bit grating. Both are undisputed classics, but both missed my list.

Do The Right Thing – It's Spike Lee's masterpiece, for sure, but it's been ages since I've seen it, so I didn't really consider it.

The Untouchables – I love it, but in the decade that turned me into a movie lover there was too much to choose from, so it just missed my list. It was both a breakout movie for Kevin Costner and a comeback role for Sean Connery, two of my favourite movie stars, so maybe I should have picked it.

The rest have all been picked before, so there's nothing new to add, but Tranny might want to subtract the word “In” from my #10 pick. The title is simply The Name Of The Rose.

[transformers2]

The rest have all been picked before, so there's nothing new to add, but Tranny might want to subtract the word “In” from my #10 pick. The title is simply The Name Of The Rose.

Fixed. Don't know how I managed to make that mistake.

[Ron Burgundy]

16+15

Boosh
Aliens
Its rare a sequel matches the original, but this one has such a unique new direction. The cast surrounding Ripley are all great. Nice pick. 7.5/10
Brazil
Terry Gilliam stood his ground with this film, who saw this coming from the legions of fans of Monty Python?! 7.5/10

John
The Living Daylights
Strange to see this picked more than once, it obviously doesn't live only twice? Solid bond just not in my top 5.
6.5/10
The Thing
Did you know: this movie upon release was a complete bomb?! Perhaps boosh could care to explain the reason behind this...10/10

six
The Is Spinal Tap
Like tranny, i sought out more Christopher Guest after seeing this, but nothing topped this one. I love the bit where the drummer gets caged in his own stage prop. 7/10
Akira
Possibly the best animation from the 80s, full stop. A rare treat that gets better upon repeat viewings. 9.5/10

Starlord
The Abyss
Saw this for the 2nd or 3rd time recently. Its a pretty good movie all in all, suspense, sci-fi, action plus the setting make it real entertaining. The ending does let the film down a bit. 6/10
Batman
Hard to not like or even not-love. I grew up with this Batman, so can never not like it. 7/10

transformers
Raising Arizona
This is perhaps the 2nd movie you've picked where im not sure where the love comes from. Its not a bad movie, but its not amazing. 6/10
This is Spinal Tap
Very funny at times, some parts lacking but the highs heavily outweigh the lows. 7/10