10 Best Movie Classics that Define the 1980s

What a decade the '80s was! While we were worrying about gas lines, a president with a mind firing a few cans short of a six-pack, and Iran, where some whack job right wing religious nut calling himself the Ayatollah was taking over, most of us kept our own sanity by escaping the weirdness in the safety of the movie theatres. When it comes to movies, the 1980s was a treasure trove of big blockbusters. Getting the list down to 30 is hard, but 10...well, I just can't believe some of the spectacular films I'm leaving off the list, but here's my "top 10 list" of the very best films from a bumper crop. Hope you enjoy 'em too!


******* TEN GREATEST 1980s FILMS ********
As always, I count them UP.

1. The Killing Fields  (1984)
Favorite Quote:  "Nothing to forgive, Sydney. Nothing."
Dith Pran: Haing Ngor

This is a brutal movie depicting one of the most brutal periods in history, the rise of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, where millions of people were slaughtered in the name of re-education and "purity". The brutality is told through the eyes of a journalistic interpreter (Dith Pran) to Pulitzer-prize winning New York Times journalist, Sidney Schanberg. Pran makes it possible for Schanberg and other western journalists to escape the tyranny of Khmer Rouge, though he himself must face terrifying hardship with no reasonable hope of escape. (Haing Ngor, who had never before acted, took home an Oscar for his role as Pran).

----------

2. Das Boot  (1981)
Favorite Quote: "It's a long way to Tipperary!"
Director: Wolfgang Petersen

Wolfgang Petersen's intense World War II submarine tale never ceases to amaze me. This is a movie that captures the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat as it traces German submarine U-96's tour of duty. It's an intense 3-1/2 hour cinematic journey through claustrophobic conditions and battle-torn European seas. This movie is the definitive submarine movie and easily among the top 5 war movies ever filmed.

----------

3. Blade Runner  (1982)
Favorite Quote: "I had in mind something a little more radical."
Deckard: Harrison Ford

This is one of the most stylish sci-fi flicks you'll ever see, one of the smartest storylines you'll follow, and a true cult classic. Harrison Ford is brilliant as the low-key, reluctant "Blade Runner" detective, Deckard. Deckard is charged with hunting down a group of escaped replicants. There's a director's cut version floating around, but it's oddly wimpy, not to mention being no longer than the original video version --- which has a stronger ending.

----------

4. Reds  (1981)
Favorite Quote: "Profits."
Jack Reed:  Warren Beatty

It never ceases to amaze me how many people haven't seen this brilliant piece of 1980s cinema. It's really Warren Beatty's gran opus --- an epic motion picture that charts the global rise of socialism in the early 20th century, culminating in the Russian revolution and the attempt of one American journalist to foment revolution on this side of the Atlantic as well. I think some viewers are a little weird about this film's sympathetic viewpoint towards communists, though regardless of your politics, it's a brilliant film that tackles huge themes that shook the earth throughout the 20th century.

----------

5. The Untouchables  (1987)
Favorite Quote: "Myyyyy....baaaabbbbbyyyyy!!!"
Eliot Ness: Kevin Costner

Great crime flick! DePalma shows his style with an absolutely great slow-motion shootout scene starring a baby carriage careening down the steps of Union Station. Kevin Costner does a standout job portraying the aggressive federal agent, Elliott Ness --- the man who will bring down Al Capone (Robert DeNiro). (Though it was Sean Connery who took home an Oscar for his portrayal of the street wise beat cop, Malone.)

----------

6. Raiders of the Lost Ark  (1981)
Favorite Quote: "I hate snakes."
Marion: Karen Allen

This is one of the most thoroughly entertaining, most adventurous action movies ever made. Harrison Ford turns in one of his most iconic performances as Indiana Jones, globe-trotting archaeologist on a never-ending quest for antiquities from lost civilizations. Has he met his match when Hitler hires rival archaeologists to track down the Ark of the Covenant? And the brilliant musical score by John Williams is as classic as the movie itself. Action doesn't come much bolder than this!

----------

7. Chariots of Fire (1981)
Favorite Quote: "I've known the fear of losing, but now I am almost too frightened to win."
Director: Hugh Hudson

Sure, it's probably the most powerful movie about field sports ever made, and sure, the Vangelis music was a worldwide phenomenon, but underneath all that is a powerfully emotive movie that's really about personal drive, ambition, motivation and heroism. It's about being a man, taking a stand, and achieving dreams. Eric Liddell and Ben Cross are brilliant as two athletes from very different backgrounds, driven by very different human forces.

----------

8. Ran (1985)
Favorite Quote: "Man is born crying. When he has cried enough, he dies."
Director: Akira Kurosawa

The story is straightforward: it's Shakespeare's "King Lear" set in feudal Japan. The King wants to divide his territory into thirds, one region to be controlled by each of his three sons. Treachery, greed, and various and sundry other human vices ensue, creating havoc in the king's household and ultimately, tragedy on the battlefield.

----------

9. Back to the Future (1985)
Favorite Quote: "I have your car towed all the way to your house for you, and all you have is Lite beer?!"
Doc Brown: Christopher Lloyd

Delightfully whimsical and fun, "Back to the Future" sees Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) transported 30 years back in time. This is a movie with plenty of humor and style to it, right down to Huey Lewis judging a "battle of the bands" in which McFly plays a too darn loud cover of "The Power of Love". I wonder if a bolt of lightning really does generate 1.21 gigawatts. What I love about this movie is its levels of depth: you can watch it 10 times and still find new things to laugh at. (Ever noticed that the "Twin Pines Mall" sign at the beginning turns into "Lone Pine Mall" by the end of the movie???)

----------

10. Raging Bull  (1980)
Favorite Quote: "I'm da boss."
Jake: Robert DeNiro

There's people who love "Rocky" movies, and frankly, they can have 'em! If I'm going to watch a boxing movie, I'd rather have it done with STYLE and intensity --- I'd rather see Martin Scorsese's brilliant interpretation of the boxing career of Jake La Motta (Robert DeNiro). It's a gritty, rough-hewn film that crackles with intensity and the black and white cinematography gives the film an impact and sense of authority that it could never have achieved with mere color.

----------


There you have it!!  Ten of my very favorite 1980s era films. It was a great decade for movies, and I know perfectly well there's dozens more that are in the same league with these. Care to chime in with a few of your own favorites?