When I saw that Tom Hanks was teaming up with CNN to put on another mini series, AND it was about movies, I was thrilled! The Decades series that they did was incredible, and if you haven’t watched it you can head over to Netflix and look for it. But this Movies series seems to be headed in the same direction of amazingness. So far I’ve watched the 80’s episode, and as a self-proclaimed movie buff I feel like they really nailed it, covering the movies that really made the 1980’s. In the 80’s movies became a little edgier in my opinion, but also sought to right many wrongs that as a society we had experienced in the 70’s. There was an overwhelming number of movies that covered the Vietnam War, and by the 80’s we were really starting to recognize that the treatment of veterans and the service members themselves was less than what should have occurred, and I really feel that movies like Born on the Fourth of July, Good Morning, Vietnam and Full Metal Jacket spent time giving the American People a view into the war that wasn’t like anything that had been portrayed in the news media, a more human view.

On top the 80s were really the golden age of Saturday Night Live stars and the movies they were in. Films like Ghostbusters (which is one of my favorites), Trading Places, Blues Brothers, Caddy Shack, Beverly Hills Cop, Three Amigos (which was not mentioned on CNN, and This is Spinal Tap are glorious comedies that stand the test of time…and frankly are a lot funnier than many things out. SNL stars even moved over to less comedic roles like that of When Harry Met Sally (a huge favorite of mine). Films today just frankly aren’t as good on the level that were in the 80’s and the 90’s. I feel like we’re lucky now if there is one good, non-remake or non-fast and the furious movie out at any one time. Maybe Hollywood is just running out of ideas? Sure special effects were in their infancy and sometimes they are pretty funny to look at, there’s a timelessness and re-watchability about many of these movies that you just don’t have as often anymore.

Movies in the 80’s also gave us Blockbusters and Franchise hits – like Die Hard, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Predator and Terminator. I mean, how can you argue with that. Movies with intense plots, story lines with depth. I mean, sometimes Indiana Jones was just a little more funny than deep, but you get what I’m saying. Below you’ll find the list of all the movies mentioned (which I painstakingly wrote down as I was watching), and I’ve grouped them into my must-see movies and all the rest; but all the rest are still pretty awesome!

What’s your favorite 80’s Movie?

HAPPY MOVIE WATCHING

Other’s Mentioned

Raging Bull
Ordinary People
Blue Velvet
The King of Comedy
Heaven’s Gate
The Verdict
Hannah and Her Sisters
Zelig
Manhattan
Broadway Danny Rose
Purple Rose of Cairo
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Crocodile Dundee
Caddy Shack
The Women In Red
48 Hours
Trading Places
Beverly Hills Cop
Escape From New York
Mad Max 2
Brazil
Blade Runner
Aliens 2
Fatal Attraction
The Color of Money
First Blood/First Blood II
Commando
Missing in Action
Blood Sport
Conan the Barbarian
Predator
Platoon
Hamburger Hill
Sophie’s Choice
Silk Wood
Out of Africa
A Cry in the DArk
Ironweed
Glory
Reds
The Right Stuff
The Last Empire
Ragtime
Gahndi
Stranger Than Paradise
Drugstory Cowboy
Sex Lies and Videotape
Blood simple
Pee Wees Big Adventure