MOVIES BY THE DECADE: Top 20 Films of the 1980s

[johnns]

Continuing with our series of threads ranking the top films of each decade . . .

1980s
1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
2. Back to the Future (1985)
3. Raging Bull (1980)
4. The Shining (1980)
5. Blade Runner (1982)
6. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
7. Amadeus (1984)
8. The Terminator (1984)
9. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
10. The Princess Bride (1987)
11. The Little Mermaid (1989)
12. This is Spinal Tap (1984)
13. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
14. Stand by Me (1986)
15. The Breakfast Club (1985)
16. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
17. Raising Arizona (1987)
18. Die Hard (1988)
19. Tron (1982)
20. Say Anything (1989)

[jhiggy23]

The Killing Fields (my pick for domestic film of the decade)
Raging Bull
The Breakfast Club
Au Revoir Les Enfantes
Decalogue
Paris, Texas (greatest monologue ever)
El Norte
For All Mankind
Glory
A Passage to India
Aliens
Blade Runner
Full Metal Jacket
Karate Kid
Major League
The Mission
National Lampoon's Vacation
Out of Africa
Risky Business
Top Gun
The Shining
Gandhi
Platoon
Rain Man
Wall Street
My Left Foot (one of the greatest male performances ever)
Sophie's Choice (greatest female performance ever)
Born on the Fourth of July
Missing
Witness
A Room with a View
etc
etc

[Ernest Rister]

Empire of the Sun

[CZAR]

1. Glory (1989)
2. Do the Right Thing (1989)
3. Can't Buy Me Love (1987)
4. Coming to America (1988)
5. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
6. Scarface (1983)
7. A Soldier's Story (1984)
8. An Officer and a Gentlemen (1982)
9. E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982)
10. The Terminator (1984)
11. Trading Places (1983)
12. Back to the Future (1985)
13. The Thing (1982)
14. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
15. Halloween II (1981)
16. The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
17. Mask (1985)
18. Top Gun (1986)
19. The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)
20. Superman II (1980)

Got Em!!

[ochild3180]

Airplane (1980)
Back to the Future (1985)
Beverly Hills Cop (1983)
Big (1988)
Caddyshack (1980)
A Christmas Story (1983)
E.T. (1982)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Gremlins (1984)
Lethal Weapon (1987)
The Naked Gun (1988)
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
Police Academy (1984)
The Shining (1980)
Summer Rental (1985)
Weird Science (1985)
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)

[kpkelley]

Raging Bull
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Empire Strikes Back
Amadeus
E.T.
Full Metal Jacket
Blade Runner
Platoon
Chariot's of Fire
Rain Man
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
A Room With A View
A Passage to India
Do the Right Thing
Dead Poet's Society
The Color of Money
Born on the Fourth of July
Field of Dreams
Gandhi
Glory

[Belloche]

I grew up in the eighties with a VCR for a babysitter most of the time. I had to eliminate a lot of movies I love to come up with 20

in no order

Aliens
Back to the Future
The Thing
Blade Runner
The Shining
Conan the Barbarian
The Evil Dead
Die Hard
The Natural
Ghostbusters
The Color of Money
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Manhunter
The Blues Brothers
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
The Empire Strikes Back
Poltergeist
The Road Warrior
Raising Arizona
Raiders of the Lost Ark (my favorite film since I was 7 years old, so much for maturing tastes)

[blufellas]

1 and 2 are easy, the rest when I get home
1. The Empire Strikes Back
2. Raging Bull

[Bytor2112]

just a few of mine of the top of my head -

Das Boot
The Empire Strikes Back
The Thing
Used Cars
Full Metal Jacket
The Naked Gun
Predator
Die Hard
Lethal Weapon
Bull Durham
Field of Dreams
Raising Arizona

[Gaius Marius]

1. Empire Strikes Back
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
3. Return of the Jedi
4. Blade Runner
5. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
6. Goonies
7. National Lampoon's Vacation
8. Back to the Future
9. Karate Kid
10. Revenge of the Nerds
11. Aliens
12. Last Starfighter
13. Tron
14. Ghostbusters
15. Spaceballs
16. The Thing
17. Die Hard
18. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
19. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
20. Predator

[J. J. Hunsecker]

Back to the Future
Crimes and Misdemeanors
The Dead Zone
Die Hard
The Elephant Man
The Empire Strikes Back
First Blood
Full Metal Jacket
How To Get Ahead in Advertising
The Howling
The King of Comedy
The Long Good Friday
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Pennies From Heaven
Raging Bull
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Shining
The Terminator
Time Bandits
Who Framed Roger Rabbit

I wish I could have added Aliens, Atlantic City, The Big Red One, Das Boot, Dream Child, The Road Warrior (Mad Max II), and The Tin Drum, but alas.

[QuasidodoJr]

Hmmm... Again, my list, in no particular order:

1. The Thing
2. Big Trouble in Little China
3. Escape from New York (John Carpenter and Kurt Russell FTMFW!)
4. Die Hard
5. Brazil
6. Wings of Desire
7. My Left Foot
8. A Room with a View
9. Hoosiers
10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
11. Field of Dreams
12. The Land Before Time
13. Once Upon a Time in America
14. Say Anything
15. Raising Arizona
16. Henry V
17. The Princess Bride
18. Gremlins
19. Spaceballs
20. Airplane!

[Blu Balls]

1. Back To The Future
2. The Breakfast Club
3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
4. Weird Science
5. Aliens
6. Platoon
7. Full Metal Jacket
8. First Blood
9. Mask
10. Rain Man
11. Stand By Me
12. The Goonies
13. A Nightmare On Elm Street
14. Halloween II
15. Friday The 13TH IV (The Final Chapter)
16. The Terminator
17. Die Hard
18. Predator
19. 48 Hours
20. Beverly Hills Cop

[fgomike]

1. Empire Strikes Back
2. E.T.
3. Field of Dreams
4. Glory
5. Blade Runner
6. Raiders of the Lost Ark
7. Back to the Future
8. The Untouchables
9. Bull Durham
10. Scarface
11. Indiana Jones and Temple of Doom
12. Goonies
13 Always
14. Born of the Fourth of July
15. Platoon
16 Aliens
17. Full Metal Jacket
18. Terminator
19. Die Hard
20. Stand By Me

[sg123]

1. Raging Bull
2. Blade Runner
3. Once Upon a Time in America
4. Do the Right Thing
5. The Shining
6. Blue Velvet
7. Full Metal Jacket
8. Platoon
9. Scarface
10. Aliens
11. King of Comedy
12. Raiders of the Lost Ark
13. Batman
14. The Terminator
15. Blood Simple
16. The Color of Money
17. Born on the Fourth of July
18. Wall Street
19. E.T.
20. Predator

[AKORIS]

here are mine-- no order


1] Aliens
2] The Thing
3] The Untouchables
4] Robocop
5] E.T.
6] 48 Hrs.
7] Poltergeist
8] The Road Warrior
9] To Live and Die In LA
10] The Shining
11] The Empire Strikes Back
12] Trading Places
13] Raiders Of The Lost Ark
14] Lethal Weapon
15] Superman II
16] Airplane!
17] Planes, Trains, & Automobiles
18] The Dead Zone
19] Die Hard
20] Blade Runner

[TheZoof]

Road Warrior
Aliens
Goonies
Predator
Commando
Empire Strikes Back
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Lethal Weapon
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Superman 2
The Lost Boys
Blade Runner
Star Trek: Wrath of Khan
Die Hard
The Terminator
Glory
Batman
Karate Kid
Bloodsport
Back to the Future

[Blu Balls]

Originally Posted by Blu Balls

1. Back To The Future
2. The Breakfast Club
3. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
4. Weird Science
5. Aliens
6. Platoon
7. Full Metal Jacket
8. First Blood
9. Mask
10. Rain Man
11. Stand By Me
12. The Goonies
13. A Nightmare On Elm Street
14. Halloween II
15. Friday The 13TH IV (The Final Chapter)
16. The Terminator
17. Die Hard
18. Predator
19. 48 Hours
20. Beverly Hills Cop

Woops! I forgot Mischief.... or at least the scene where Kelly Preston takes off her granny panties

[iank]

This is gonna be hard...

1 The Terminator
2 Aliens
3 An American Werewolf in London
4 Predator
5 Raiders of the Lost Ark
6 Back to the Future 2
7 Fright Night Part II
8 Robocop
9 Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers
10 Return of the Living Dead
11 Child's Play
12 Gremlins
13 Ghostbusters
14 A Nightmare on Elm Street
15 Back to the Future
16 Fright Night
17 Killer Klowns from Outer Space
18 The Running Man
19 Throw Momma from the Train
20 April Fool's Day

So difficult. So many left out...

[JDub1]

The Natural
Aliens
Ghostbusters
Predator
The Terminator
Escape From New York
The Thing
Big Trouble in Little China
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Goonies
Empire Strikes Back
Planes Trains & Automobiles
Red Dawn
Die Hard
Caddyshack
The Karate Kid
Top Gun
Trading Places
First Blood
A Christmas Story