Top 5 Movies from the 80’s
Classic Movie #2: 1984’s Karate Kid
Pat Morita stars as a handyman and martial arts master who agrees to teach a bullied boy, Ralph Macchio who plays Daniel Larusso, the art of Karate. Along the way, Mr. Kesuke Miyagi shows Daniel-san that there is more to the martial art than fighting (like waxing Miyagi’s sweet ride, painting his long wooden fence, and lastly sanding his beautiful deck).
The movie gave hope to the nerds that they too, could one day beat up the bullies that terrorized them with wedgies. Not only that, if you knew Karate, you could pick up hot chicks like Elisabeth Shue who played as Ali Mills, the love interest of wimpy Daniel Larusso.
Among my memorable movie quotes, “Sweep the leg Johnny”, “Wax on, wax off”, and of course, “Finish Him!”, a line which no doubt, Mortal Kombat stole from this legendary 1980’s classic.
Lastly, who can forget the final fight scene where Danny gives it good to Cobra Kai, Johnny?
The Karate Kid (Special Edition)
Classic Movie #1: 1985’s Goonies
If you made it down to #1, then congratulate yourself for being able to count. Goonies is about a bunch of neighborhood kids that embark on a crazy adventure after finding a pirate’s treasure map in Mikey’s (Sean Astin) attic. One of the epic adventure movies of the 1980’s features music from Cyndi Lauper and a whole bunch of other no-names. Really – it’s not that important, but what is important is the main hottie in this movie. Starring as the hot female cheerleader, Andy Carmichael (yes- it’s Andy) is Kerri Green who has a great scene in which she makes out with Mikey – tongue and all! – woot!
Who is Kerri Green? Well, unfortunately Kerri turns out to be a talentless actress and hasn’t done much since her days of playing as the dumb cheerleader on Goonies. Nonetheless, I provide a picture of her below for reference.
Some memorable movie quotes came from the character, “Sloth,” played by John Matuszak. I remember hearing rumors that Sloth was a real person with a tragically deformed face and cone-shaped head. It turns out that it was just a rumor. Make up took hours to complete and one of the eyes, which was out of place on the face, was mechanically operated by remote control.
In this scene is Chunk sharing a “Baaaby Ruuth” with Sloth who ultimately proclaims “Sloth loves Chunk!” in a teary-eyed scene near the end of the movie.
Watch the original Goonies trailer!
Here is a gallery showing you the then and now pictures of the main Goonies cast members.
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No Blade Runner?!
I know this list is more on the comedic side of the wire, but without Blade Runner there would be no Matrix – IMHO.
Karate kid and top gun seem to appeal to me more than the others
No Sophie’s Choice or ET?
Topgun SUCKS but the other movies are great!!!
@ Derrick Gibson
Blade Runner IS a spectacular movie, but you are incorrect in saying there would be no Matrix without it. The general idea for the FIRST matrix was actually taken from something written by a Greek philosopher a couple thousand years ago called the allegory of the cave. Look into it! It’s rather interesting.
That’d also be why the second and third installments were total garbage, they weren’t based on ancient text.
Terminator 2
How could you…
how could you forget this?
T2 deserves… at the very least… an honorable mention.
How could Die Hard not be on this list?
What about Blue Velvet?
Breakfast Club,
definitely missing :)
Hey not ‘Rambo’ or ‘Flashdance’!?
I remember the 1986’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off movie
was very funny. That Ferrari was cool tool. Need to get that movie in my DVD collection.
thanks from tony
This list is shit.
No Fastimes, Raiders, Mad Max, Blues Bros, Highlander, or even Brazil.
Good list.
I would’ve replaced Top Gun with E.T. though.
No Bladerunner?
Because this is a populists commercialized movie hell list (lol)
I mean, I would NEVER watch any of these movies ever again. I did not love the 80’s that much!
Bladerunner though I WOULD watch again…and again, and again. It held up quite well. These movies show what the 80’s were like…
Yuck!
No taste here!
Mad Max 2 was one of my favourites on the 1980’s. Top Gun shouldn’t be in this list.
The Neverending story !! Wolfgang Petersen, 1984
Actually, what Derrick, was saying, and I’m assuming, is that Bladerunner opened up the idea of high budget sci fi or something much more general. I don’t think he meant the story idea of Matrix came from Bladerunner. A lot of people know about the allegory of the cave, nothing spectacular…just freshman level philosophy turned screenplay/novel
Billy F.:
Have you ever read The Republic? The Matrix, based on ancient text? You might say the allegory of the cave provided inspiration for the Matrix, but its hardly based on it.
Ghostbusters
You’re crazy! No top 5 list could be complete without The Breakfast Club!
Oh my gosh, how could you not have [ADD MOVIE TITLE HERE] on the list?!
You fail at writing posts!
;)
The list is alright, nothing unexpected and filled with lovely bit of mature commerical cheese.
Blade runner is over rated, that film bores me so much its nothing compared to other noir films.
@BillyF
‘The Matrix’ owes as much to ‘The Illuminatus Trillogy!’ (and therefore 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea) as it does the allegory of the cave.
Navel gazing over the nature of reality is nothing new – but the allusions to Hagbard Celine are too numerous to discount.
reads like a list of some of the top grossing movies of the 80s, not of the better films. I have seen two of the five, and I would onely watch one of them again if there was nothing else on.
goonies? if you’re 6 its ok to watch once. rest seems ok but there was some better movies from the 80s.
Whoa, Kerri Green looks hotter now than she did at 18
No
Aliens?
Terminator?
First Blood?
Full Metal Jacket?
Raiders of the Lost Ark?
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back?
Scarface?
You are missing some major movies here!
Im not faulting your choices but, judging by the responses, perhaps you shouldve made this a Top 10 or 20 films. There are some classic 80’s flicks in thay miss out.
Just a friendly suggestion :-)
You knooowww you should have had The Breakfast Club on it.
Real Genius
Weird Science
Revenge Of The Nerds
Not to knock Blade Runner, but there’s a difference between the goofiness of a classic 80’s movie and a true classic movie. Movies like Goonies fall in the classic 80’s movie genre, whereas Blade Runner is just a classic movie. It’s timeless and if you throw Rutger Hower out you could easily say it’s timeless. (Sorry Rutger, you are an 80’s throwback.)
It just depends on what age you were in the 80s. I remember being a kid and watching these movies over and over; while my mother groaned and rolled her eyes.
So hang on…
Kerri Green (18 at the time) has a great scene in which she makes out with Mikey (14 at the time) – tongue and all!
?????? an 18 and a 14 year old? Was there no laws in the 80’s??
No Weird Science??? Really???
Raging Bull Anyone?
To bad this list is only five, must of been tough breaking it down to only five cause there could easily be 50 movies on a list.
Where’s the blues brothers
I used to be a homeless rodeo clown but now I am a world class magician !
@Andy:
Terminator 2 was a 90’s movie. Came out in 1991 if I remember correctly. It still rocked, and was by far the best of the Terminators, but it doesn’t belong on an 80’s movie list. :)
Yes..Openedge…ebveryone who doesn’t shre YOUR narrow taste in movies has no taste! WE got you.
This proves that you were iether not alive in the 80s, or you stopped maturing back then. There is nothing more pathetic than someone who thinks that everyone who does’t share their opinions on things like this are “wrong”
I think the list was decent. you all have to keep in mind this was about a saturday afternoon network tv show. I have never seen things like Full Metal Jacket or T2 on a Sat afternoon. I would have totally added the breakfast club bet even then not so suitable for afternoon TV….the under the desk scene and flipping the bird? also, Bladerunner is so over-rated…just my opinion tho
Silly people. Don’t you all realise that these types of lists are very, VERY subjective?
Instead of castigating the author for not mentioning your favourite movies, why not just include YOUR list.
Here’s mine, in no particular order:
Back to the Future
Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back
Raiders of the lost ark
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Terminator
Thanks Johnny and MD for a voice of reason. I write for this site, and I too would probably have a different spin on my Top 5, however you have to appreciate the classic quotes and video clips to remind you of your childhood. I’d rather enjoy a trip down memory lane than complain about what is wrong with the list. Granted a Top 10 or 20 list would have been more flexible, but to go that in depth with each movie on a long list such as that is really too much for most people to read. That is why normally lists such as this just have a list of the movie titles, this list attempted to provide more, and I applaud Rick for it. Nice job.
No freakinway man that is crazy!
This list is teh l@m3rz. You fail at having taste.
No Valley Girl, Last American Virgin or Reckless?
I love these movies very much
To pick only 5 ‘best’ movies for entire decade… silly article.
Back to the Future FTW, no question of it.
Mind you, all of the movies listed were great in the 80’s. But a true child of the 80’s would have at least 3 of these 5 in the top 5 – These are true 80’s films that signify what the 80’s were about – they make you think “80’s”:
Breakfast Club (#1 or #2 – no question)
Sixteen Candles (Only 80’s Movie that is on the same par as Breakfast Club)
Footloose (Cheesy – but a big 80’s movie)
Weird Science (Chet was great!)
Ferris Bueller (Classic, and the only one I consider in the original list to be a truly “80’s” film)
Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo, it’s a classic I swear
Would not change a thing, excellent list!
where’s sloth today?
ET is a must. It practically was the trailblazer of its genre.
All that movies are just a pile of shit!!!
No close encounter of the third kind?
dasearch, “All that movies are just a pile of shit!!!”- iF THIS IS YOUR BEST SHOT, GO BACK TO THE CAVE YOU CAME FROM. AND STAY THERE FOR THE NEXT THOUSAND YEARS. AFTER THAT THOUSAND YEARS, HOPEFULLY, HOLLYWOOD IS NO LONGER AROUND. BETTER STILL, STAY THERE FOREVER. WE DON’T NEED YOUR KIND IN HERE.
dasearch:
Get a tutor for simple grammar mtherfcker. (The misspelling is intended, I do not need a spelling tutor).
Blade runner sucked, really really badly. SEriously that movie was fuckn horrible
dude who complained about Terminator 2- thats a 90S MOVIE son
It is way too hard to pick a Top 5 by yourself from a decade of movies. Those are all very valid choices up there in that list, but I would’ve taken one or two off and added another couple up there, like a couple John Hughes flicks. But hey, to each their own.
What about Indiana Jones?!, very bad list.
I would’ve said about a gazillion movies before I said the goonies.
Breakfast Club prolly woulda won out for me, tho. ITA with the others.
I definitely would have to say that Indiana Jones, Highlander, Terminator, and E.T. should be on any Top List’s radar. But then, that’s totally my opinion. Perhaps there should be a Top 20 Movies of the 80s after all, then we could include a lot of great opinions here regarding what should be on a worthy list. :)
my favourites are weird science (I can be a real serious bitch when I dont get what I want)
breakfast club ( and you have to love the soundtrack)
pretty in pink (cheesy but I love the duckster)
Dirty dancing (nobody puts baby in a corner…shame)
and my final one would be big no matter how old I get if its on tv I watch it
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