Top Ten Lists of Eighties Movies

The concept is pretty easily, pick your ten favorite movies from the eighties. The hard part? I want JUST movies from the eighties, not movies you might have seen during the eighties. Also, try and avoid movies that came out after the eighties if possible, 1990 is pretty borderline, I won't scream too loudly if you add one that is from then...

This page currently edited by: Gwen. Past editor: Junior

By: Linds
By: Casey
  • 10. Platoon
    conscience of the 80s
  • 9. Breakfast CLub
    heart of the 80s
  • 8. Dirty Dancing
    sensuality of the 80s
  • 7. St Elmos Fire
    soul of the 80s
  • 6. Footloose
    flavor of the 80s
  • 5. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    Great concept, beatifully done...Tom Selleck was saposed to play INdy, but Magnum came up.
  • 4. Empire Strike's Back
    Best of the Best
  • 3. Terminator
    Instant classic and inspiration for the Matrix.
  • 2. Wall Street
    "Greed is Goood!!"
  • 1. Top Gun
    Along with Footloose and Flashdance, Top Gun defined the 80s.
By: Brian
  • 10. Empire Strikes Back
    Sigh I Think Best Of The Original 3, But Now The Two New Ones Have Made This Series A Laughing Stock And Have Wrecked The Image.
  • 9. secret of my success
    who would not want to do the lovely aunt in this one...sigh..i think this is where i started my love for older women..*S*
  • 8. Raiders Of Lost Ark
    a classic indy movie...who else didnt want a whip...
  • 7. Breakfast Club
    too many one liners to think of perfect one here.....Did i stutter??
  • 6. Fast Times
    DUDE I that is my head!!
  • 5. Stripes
    nose cold?
  • 4. Blues Brothers
    what is there to say??
  • 3. Back To the Future
    heavy, theres that word again...(get the DVD pack if you havent, some good extras in the 3 pack)
  • 2. Better Off Dead
    You cannot even get decent drugs in this town!
  • 1. Terminator
    I'll be back....and he is...
By: Jeremiah Clark
By: Cornelia
By: saqib shah
  • 10. Big
    a very cool film. its a shame hanks doesn't make films like this anymore.
  • 9. Tron
    it looks stunning and stars jeff bridges
  • 8. Commando
    by far one of arnies best films. 'dont disturb my friend he's dead tired'
  • 7. The Goonies
    i loved it as a child.
  • 6. Back To The Future
    the whole trilogy rocks but this is where it all began.
  • 5. Bright Lights Big City
    starring michael j fox and kiefer sutherland as drug addicts.
  • 4. Teen Wolf
    a werewolf playing basketball?? a classic starring michael j fox
  • 3. Pretty In Pink
    molly ringwald is too cool for skool
  • 2. St Elmo's Fire
    it rocks because they're slightly older yet still together
  • 1. The Breakfast Club
    possibly the best brat pack movie
the brat pack ruled. shout out 2 molly ringwald and rob lowe. others: platoon, top gun, young blood, gremlins, working girl.
By: N.M.
  • 10. Eating Raoul
    Tagline: "Meet the Blands! They're square...They're in LOVE...AND they kill people." Co-Written, directed and co-starring Paul Bartel.
  • 9. Raiders of the Lost Ark
    "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?!" - Indiana Jones
  • 8. Star Wars: Episode V -The Empire Strikes Back
    "Use the Force" - Yoda Still the only good Star Wars film.
  • 7. Falcon and the Snowman
    An absorbing drama based on a true story. Starring Sean Penn and Timothy Hutton; directed by John Schlesinger.
  • 6. Blue Velvet
    Tagline: "It's a strange world." Directed by David Lynch.
  • 5. Platoon
    Tagline: "The first casualty of war is innocence."
  • 4. Repo Man
    Tagline: "...It's 4 A.M., do you know where your car is?" Directed by Alex Cox. One of the my all time favourite cult classics and the only decent movie Emilo Estevez ever acted in.
  • 3. The Right Stuff
    Tagline: "How the future began." Great script and direction; brilliant cinematography.
  • 2. Full Metal Jacket
    Directed by Stanley Kubrick.
  • 1. Blade Runner
    Tagline: "A chilling, bold, mesmerizing, futuristic detective thriller." Directed by Ridley Scott (Gladiator). Beautifully filmed, I recommend the original version.
Taglines courtsey of IMDb.com
By: Jacki
  • 10. Uncle Buck
    Very funny, John Candy's hilarious!
  • 9. Short Circut
    Number 5 alive!!! Great movie!
  • 8. 16 Candles
    Gotta love Molly in this one!
  • 7. The Goonies
    CHUNK! An awesome adventure!
  • 6. Don't Tell Mom The Babysitters Dead
    Extremely funny and thats all there is to say!
  • 5. Ferris Buellers Day Off
    Definately a funny one, one of those movies you never get sick of!
  • 4. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
    This movie was Hilarious! I laughed for hours!
  • 3. Dirty Dancing
    GREAT MOVIE!! Just makes you want to get up and dance!
  • 2. Home Alone
    I always wanted to set up those traps in my house and catch a burglar! Definatly one of those movies you can't get enough of!
  • 1. Breakfast Club
    I loved this movie!! If you haven't seen it you really should!!
By: Paul
The above ARE the top movies of 80s the best , WITHOUT DOUBT please if you are gonna watch anything watch all of the above movies , if you hate them than you can send me abusive emails, BUT you gotta watch them ok thanks Paul New Zealander Honoarble Movies are Sixteen Candles, Star Wars Sequels
By: Kelly Fleak
  • 10. Hellraiser II
    The movie's crap. What gets me is the fact that a group of production company execs actually saw this at a test screening and said, "you know...I LIKE IT!" This movie is so disturbing you'll never turn on your TV again, due to the chance that it just might be on when you do. (P.S. I don't know if Pinhead has Internet access or not, but if he does...uh...I'm just joking about that whole "crap" thing)
  • 9. Girls Just Want To Have Fun
    Ahh...I remember this movie. In fact, I remembered it three times last night.
  • 8. Beastmaster
    I wish I was the Beastmaster. Then maybe I could get my dog to stop crapping on the carpet.
  • 7. Airplane!
    This was not only the funniest movie of all time, it was actually the first time I ever saw breasts. Sadly enough, it was also the last.
  • 6. Tron
    Look for the extremely rare director's cut where Tron & Co. slam Cuervo shots with Dig Dug. I don't want to ruin it, but Flynn has one too many and spends a passionate evening with Q*Bert that, trust me, he probably doesn't want to talk about.
  • 5. Lost Boys
    Judging by the title, I'll bet this was Michael Jackson's #1 rental until he watched it and found out it was just a movie about vampires.
  • 4. The Karate Kid
    The heartwarming tale of a young boy who conqouers not only his adversaries, but his inner fears and insecurities as well. To bad the line everyone remembers is "PUT HIM IN A BODYBAG, JOHNNY!!! YEAH!!!" Come on. Say it with me.
  • 3. Bloodsport
    I honestly beleive this movie was written by the hand of God itself. How else can you explain a scene where an Iranian in a Cliff Huxtable sweater says to Jean-Claude Van Damme: "Look...it's the American s---head who makes tricks with bricks."
  • 2. The Bad News Bears
    My name is Kelly Fleak, and the stud ballplayer in this movie's name is Kelly Leak. True story: I played baseball in high school, and anytime someone swung at a rediculously high outside pitch, it was referred to as "taking a Leak." I thought that was pretty funny.
  • 1. The Goonies
    The greatest movie of the 80s has had an amazing impact on my life throughout the years. For example: My senior year in high school I gave a slightly modified version of the "Down here it's our time..." speech during halftime in the locker room, and we came back to win the game. And just last week, I drank a twelve pack of PBR and hooked up with a girl who looked just like Sloth.
I think I'm in love with this girl Dowd. I think she just wants to be friends though.
By: MaryJane
  • 10. The Cat's Eye
    Another good screwed up movie.... a good movie to watch when wanting to quit smoking... ha ha... i love the little gobblin thing in the last "story".... Great movie!!!!!!!!!!
  • 9. Dream a Little Dream
    I LOVE THE COREY'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 8. Hellraiser
    "Your suffering will be legendary.... even in hell!!!!!!!!!!!" CLASSIC!!!!!!!
  • 7. Killer clowns from outer space
    Screwed up movie... but funny!
  • 6. The Monster Squad.
    Cute movie... love Dracula, The monster of Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Wolf man, and whatever that fish thing is called all in one movie together.
  • 5. Willow
    Great movie! Val Kilmer was so good in it.
  • 4. Howard the Duck
    Oh come on... You know you all love that movie.
  • 3. A Nightmare On Elm St.
    Freddy is the best!!! I love him!!! The best movie out of them all.
  • 2. Fright Night
    Yes, I do have a thing for vampires.... mmmmmmmmmmmm vampires.
  • 1. The Lost Boys
    A great vampire classic.
This are just some movies that I like.... I also like what everyone already listed... but i didn't want to come up with the same list like everyone else....
By: jeff
  • 10. The Little Mermaid
    Disney makes its comeback.........and has kept on going from one fish to the next
  • 9. 3-D Films
    Jaws 3-D, Friday the 13th Part III, Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared Syn, Treasure of the Four Crowns,Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone & Ammityville 3-D....IN YOUR FACE!
  • 8. Top Gun/Risky Business/Legend/All the Right Moves
    Cruise on into, this better than ever street
  • 7. Blade Runner/Tron/Empire/Jedi
    cutting edge sci-fi fun
  • 6. The Beastmaster
    this had to be the movie that made me realize I was gay...hot bod in a loin cloth..whew, and you thought it was because of my #1 choice...silly
  • 5. E.T./Raiders/Gremlins/Future/Goonies
    movie title + Mr. Spielberg = HITS
  • 4. 16 Candles/Breakfast Club/Ferris/Wierd Sci/Wonder
    John Hughes was the director of the eighties agnst
  • 3. Flashdance/Footloose/Dirty Dancing/Staying Alive
    re-making the movie musical, sort of
  • 2. Girls Just Want to have Fun/Breakin'/Fire w/ Fire
    all good girls go WILD sometime
  • 1. Xanadu/The Pirate Movie/Grease 2/Streets of Fire
    come on now, Olivia Newton-John singing while rollerskating, Kristy McNichol singing with pirates, Michelle Pheiffer singing "Cool Rider", Diane Lane lipsyncing the greatest movie song, "Tonight is what it Means to be Young" how were these films NOT hits
By: Paul
  • 10. Officer and a Gentleman
    Don't you do it! I've got nowhere else to go! I got Nuthin!
  • 9. Top Gun
    I feel the need, the need for Speed!
  • 8. Jerry McGuire
    You Complete Me
  • 7. Star War: AotC
    Obi Wan "Anikan, I swear you'll be the death of me."
  • 6. A Few Good Men
    I want answers!
  • 5. James Bond: Die Another Day
    You've become useful to us again
  • 4. Tears of the Sun
    Lt developes a conscience
  • 3. Minority Report
    Precrime Unit, gotta love the whole pretense.
  • 2. Vanilla Sky
    There has been NO murder!
  • 1. Blackhawk Down
    We will leave NO Man behind!
By: Richard G. Lamery
  • 10. Dirty Dancing
    The best dancing-musical of the decade. It's nostalgic, hard around the edges but filled with heart. Great music, and Patrick Swayze was a real hunk! At it's core, this was a powerhouse.
  • 9. Beetlejuice
    One of the very greatest pieces of filmmaking ever realized on celluloid!! Tim Burton's definitive directorial statement. Macabre but humor of dark and rather demented origins. Yet, it's still so manic and off the wall! Outrageous and fun all the way!
  • 8. A View to a Kill
    Grace Jones in a 007 flick? Oh yeah! Tremendous performances, and I'll never forget that scene in the blimp. My heart pounded so hard and fast, that I felt like I was on that bridge... LONG WAY DOWN!! Also, this movie features the very best Bond theme to date "View to a Kill" by Duran Duran. Cold and passionate! My favorite moments in a Bond film, no contest.
  • 7. Valley Girl
    I hate Nicolas Cage. But this movie manages to be a glorious smorgasbord of grody Valley teen culture. It also showcases a great trademark moment from a director used to dealing with often bleak subject matter. The music is to die for, and the movie deals with a lot of emotions without getting deep into them and affects without changing the tone of the film.
  • 6. A Nightmare on Elm Street
    Wes Craven's best horror film. Freddy Krueger is an amazing villain. The concept is so original, that Wes really made it his own and went with it- to the sleepless nights of many teens!
  • 5. Heathers
    How very! Caustic, a little mysterious, and very ambitious low-budget teen cult classic. Wynona Ryder and Christian Slater picking off their High School's 'untouchable' elite and leaving the scenes looking like their victims had committed suicide. I do happen to think Wynona's character Veronica was just a bit TOO remorseful however... what do you think?
  • 4. Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan
    They really saved the best for last when it came to this series. This flick not only severly drips with 80's, but it's fun for many varied reasons. It's also every bit as intense as the best horror films of this decade.
  • 3. The Breakfast Club
    A little melodramatic, but the best teen comedy/drama of the decade. Fairly represents the 'clique' mentality that became such a massive thing with the teens of the 90's. This one's ahead of it's time, to be sure.
  • 2. Ghostbusters
    The most butt-kicking flick of the decade for fans of real movie magic, without an actual message
  • 1. The Karate Kid
    Teens... adversity and a little teen angst... with a powerful message that still reaches beyond it's time
By: Alicia
By: Bill Patch
  • 10. Willow
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Madmartigan: That's magic? It smells terrible. Willow: It's the life spark. It forms-- Madmartigan: Well it stinks! This whole thing stinks!
  • 9. Top Gun
    Iceman: You two really are cowboys. Maverick: What's your problem, Kazanski? Iceman: You're everyone's problem. That's because everytime you go up in the air, you're unsafe. I don't like you because you're dangerous. Maverick: That's right! Ice... man. I am dangerous.
  • 8. My Science Project
    Cop: Hey kid. Why do you wear sunglasses at night? Vince Latello: Because when you're cool, the sun shine on you 24 hours a day.
  • 7. Weird Science
    Lisa: You okay? Garry: Well, my nuts are halfway up my ass, but other than that, I'm perfect!
  • 6. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    Ferris: Cameron has never been in love -- at least, nobody's ever been in love with him. If things don't change for him, he's gonna marry the first girl he lays, and she's gonna treat him like shit, because she will have given him what he has built up in his mind as the end-all, be-all of human existence. She won't respect him, 'cause you can't respect somebody who kisses your ass. It just doesn't work.
  • 5. Ghostbusters
    Dr. Peter Venkman: We've been going about this all wrong, this Mr Stay Puff's OK, he's a sailor, he's in New York, we get this guy laid we won't have any trouble.
  • 4. Goonies
    [The Fratellis are interrogating Chunk] Francis Fratelli: Tell us everything! Everything! Chunk: Everything. OK! I'll talk! In third grade, I cheated on my history exam. In fourth grade, I stole my uncle Max's toupee and I glued it on my face when I was Moses in my Hebrew School play. In fifth grade, I knocked my sister Edie down the stairs and I blamed it on the dog...When my mom sent me to the summer camp for fat kids and then they served lunch I got nuts and I pigged out and they kicked me out...But the worst thing I ever done -- I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, t-t-then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa -- and then I dumped it over the side, all over the people in the audience. And then, this was horrible, all the people started getting sick and throwing up all over each other. I never felt so bad in my entire life. Jake Fratelli: I'm beginning to like this kid, Ma!
  • 3. Caddyshack
    Carl Spackler: This crowd has gone deadly silent, a Cinderella story outta nowhere. Former greenskeeper and now about to become the masters champion.
  • 2. Stripes
    John Winger: C'mon, it's Czechoslovakia! We zip in, we pick 'em up, we zip right out again! We're not going to Moscow. It's Czechoslovakia! It's like we're going into *Wisconsin*.
  • 1. Breakfast Club
    John Bender: But face it. You're a neo maxi zoom dweebie, what would you be doing if you weren't out making yourself a better citizen?
By: April
  • 10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    Quintessential movie for anyone who ever played hooky from school. Classic line: "So that's how things are in that family." Said by the principal after watching Ferris(dressed up to look like his gf's father) and his gf kiss passionately when he comes to pick her up at school because her "grandmother died".
  • 9. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
    I'm sure this is a movie that Keanu Reeves wishes he never did but it is a classic movie. The sequel was pretty good too but the originals are always the best. WYLD STALLIONS!!!!!!!!
  • 8. Teen Wolf/Teen Wolf Two
    I prefer the sequel just because I have this soft spot for Jason Bateman, but the original is good too. You can buy them together as a DVD set. It has no extras though. Does anyone remember the cartoon that was on Saturday mornings for a brief time?
  • 7. For Keeps
    Another Molly Ringwald classic. A more obscure one though. Molly plays a pregnant teenager who learns about love and blah blah blah. Classic scene is when she's at the dinner table and she's like "Can you please pass the turnip, and oh ya, i'm pregnant."
  • 6. Sixteen Candles
    John Hughes is a movie genius! Molly Ringwald at her best. This movie gets played on TV at least once a month and I still sit down and watch it every time.
  • 5. St. Elmo's Fire
    Very touching and moving. The best part is when Emilio Estevez's character lays a huge kiss on Andie MacDowell's character. Another great John Hughes film.
  • 4. The Breakfast Club
    Who doesn't like this movie. The brat pack at thier best!
  • 3. Pretty In Pink
    A great John Hughes classic. James Spader is a total ass in this movie which is great, but the real scene stealer is Ducky played by Jon Cryer. Classic Ducky line: "Blaine isn't a name, its a major appliance!"
  • 2. Labryinth
    I've got two words for you: David Bowie If you haven't seen this movie, RENT IT!! It's a classic and its got a pre-oscar win Jennifer Connelly in it.
  • 1. Say Anything
    John Cusack is a movie God. My favorite part is when John's character is talking to his sister on the phone after Ione Skye's character dumps him and he says "I told her I loved her and she gave me a pen." Very cute!
There are so many great movies of the 80's that its hard to pick favorites. Honourable mentions have to go to Karate Kid, The Goonies, The Outsiders, The Lost Boys, and anything with John Cusack in it, particulary A Sure Thing. I just want to say one last thing. 80's movies were way better than the movies of today!
By: Renee
  • 10. Beetlejuice
    You can't get Michael Keaton like this anywhere else.
  • 9. Dirty Dancing
    I have gone through intense psycho-therapy to cure myself of ADDICTION to this movie lol.
  • 8. Breakfast Club
    "Can you hear this? Would you like me to turn it UP for you?"
  • 7. Turner and Hooch
    Tom Hanks and that nasty dog that you can't help loving.
  • 6. Beaches
    ..as I wipe the tears from my eyes.
  • 5. Stand By Me
    Little River Phoenix and Jerry O'Connell... So fucking cute.
  • 4. The Three Amigos
    Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short.. It just doesn't get any better.
  • 3. Ferris Beuller's Day Off
    "Ferris Beuller, you're my hero."
  • 2. St. Elmo's Fire
    Rob Lowe.
  • 1. Mannequin
    Andrew McCarthy was my dream.
Flatliners- great cast.. Indiana Jones-temple of doom and raiders of the lost ark.. Karate Kid- part one and two.. And Pretty Woman, even though it's from 1990, I consider it 80's.
By: Kayla
By: Miacat
  • 10. Beetlejuice
    Betelgeuse! Betelgeuse! Betelgeuse!
  • 9. Dirty Dancing
    "the time of my life" (sigh!)
  • 8. E.T.
    E.T. PHONE HOME!
  • 7. Dune
    closer to the novel than the 90's miniseries, but the rain scene at the end of the movie was a bit too much of a deviation
  • 6. The Empire Strikes Back
    for me, this is the best in the first Star Wars trilogy
  • 5. Pump Up the Volume
    the wind-up "organ" toy... those red envelopes in the mail... radio!
  • 4. Heathers
    red bows... beluga bullets... Heather McNamara... Big Fun... Jason Dean... dynamite... Veronica... DINNER!!!
  • 3. Less Than Zero
    I remember New Order's "Morning Sun" in the background... one of Robert Downey, Jr.'s best roles
  • 2. The Breakfast Club
    princess / jock / A-student / junkie / basket case / box of sushi / dandruff snowflakes falling on a drawing / hands-free lipstick application / makeover / "Don't You Forget About Me" / angst
  • 1. Say Anything
    "I told her I love her and she gave me a pen!" ...How frustrating love could be.
other stuff I love because of those fab costumes: Flash Gordon, Labyrinth, and Tron (cool animation!)

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