1980s

This was probably the hardest list I’ve ever made and frankly I think it’s impossible to only name ten. I grew up in the ’80s and there were so many films that benchmarked my development but these five are particular favorites. I tried to ensure every target audience was accounted for so they wouldn’t all only pertain to a person in his or her early 30s like myself – again, I agonized over this list. Nonetheless, here are my top 10 ’80s movies that have stood the test of time. 1. Say Anything. This movie was iconic because he finally gets the girl. And, we just can’t seem to figure out why the two of them struggled so hard to come to this conclusion. The only scene that keeps us going is when he holds up the radio for her. 2. Footloose. The whole concept of a town that was not allowed to dance and this guy, Ren, who decides to make it his mission to put on a dance. It never ceases to amaze us why this was a compelling plot. 3. Legend. Tom Cruise was battling the Lord of Darkness while trying to save the woman he loves. Sounds like every other movie, right? However, watching it now shows the lack of visual stimulus that we are so used to today. 4. Breakin’ and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo We all remember the dancing in these films because we all tried to do this new, break dance! However, these movies had very weak plots. By the time the second one came around, they were dancing to save the community center. 5. The Last Starfighter. This movie has some of the first special effects ever! For that reason, it’s often pretty lame when we look back on it, making us simply laugh at our simplicity. 6. Weekend at Bernie’s This was all about making a guy look alive when he was really dead. They came up with all sorts of ways to make him move like tying strings on his hands and pulling it so that he appeared to be waving from far away. It’s pretty unbelievable and it didn’t play very well back then either. 7. Mannequin This artist creates a mannequin and proceeds to fall in love with her. Then, for some crazy reason, she comes alive! Actually, it’s because she was cursed centuries ago and only love could set her free. Great story! 8. Cocktail. Tom Cruise was a mega star and so anything that he played in was instant gold. However, if we take a look back, it is only a story about a bartender who falls in love with a rich girl but he can’t have her until he proves himself worthy by getting his own bar. Not too engaging. 9. D.A.R.Y.L. This acronym stood for Data Analyzing Robot Youth Lifeform. This kid finds out that he is a top secret agent who is also a machine with superhuman abilities. This was another early attempt at special effects that seem to fall short when compared to today’s expectations. 10. Space Camp. We loved watching these kids compete to be the best at this space camp. Then they were accidentally launched into space to keep from burning up during a trial run of a rocket ship! It was great to watch back then, but this would never fly today! Credits: retromagzine Share this story on Facebook with your friends. Related: Can You Name These 15 Action Movies from the ’80s The Cast Of “Little House On The Prairie” Then And Now

1980s

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