Film Friday: The 80’s

I wanted to highlight some of my favorite movies from the 80’s but then I thought I’d make it a little more challenging to create a list. So, here’s my favorite movie from each year in the 80’s. Some years it was really easy to decide which movie to include, while others it was hard to find one that I had even seen.

1980 – The Blues Brothers

Jake Blues, just out from prison, puts together his old band to save the Catholic home where he and brother Elwood were raised.

One of my favorite comedies, mostly because it takes place in Chicago.

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1981 – Raiders of the Lost Ark

Archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the US government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis.

It’s always hard to choose if I like Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Last Crusade as my favorite Indiana Jones movies. This one wins out, because I love Marion.

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1982 – The Wrath of Kahn

With the assistance of the Enterprise crew, Admiral Kirk must stop an old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh, from using the life-generating Genesis Device as the ultimate weapon.

I feel dorky including this one, but I couldn’t pass it up.

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1983 – WarGames

A young man finds a back door into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, possibly starting World War III.

This is a movie that has not aged well. It’s still entertaining but more in campy way. Finding a movie that I liked from 1983 was really hard. Not a lot of great titles came out this year.

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1984 – Sixteen Candles

A young girl’s “sweet sixteenth” birthday becomes anything but special as she suffers from every embarrassment possible.

Because it’s impossible to make a list with 80’s movies and not include a John Hughes film. My favorite Hughes movie is constantly changing. Right now, this one is my favorite even though Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Breakfast Club are all wonderful as well.

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1985 – Back to the Future

A young man is accidentally sent thirty years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr. Emmett Brown, and must make sure his high-school-age parents unite in order to save his own existence.

This is is one that I instantly knew I wanted to include on the list. I pull it out every couple of years to re-watch.

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1986 – Labyrinth

A selfish 16-year old girl is given 13 hours to solve a labyrinth and rescue her baby brother when her wish for him to be taken away is granted by the Goblin King.

Another film that I knew needed to be included. I was obsessed with this movie as a kid. I could recite it by heart.

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1987 – Lethal Weapon

A veteran cop, Murtaugh, is partnered with a young suicidal cop, Riggs. Both having one thing in common; hating working in pairs. Now they must learn to work with one another to stop a gang of drug smugglers.

I haven’t actually watched this one for quite a few years. So, I’m not sure how well it still holds up. I used to watch the Lethal Weapon films a lot when I was a teen.

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1988 – Beetlejuice

A couple of recently deceased ghosts contract the services of a “bio-exorcist” in order to remove the obnoxious new owners of their house.

I’m a fan of Tim Burton’s films and this one of my favorites. This is also another one that I really liked watching as a kid.

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1989 – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

The Griswold family’s plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.

My favorite Christmas movie. It’s a family tradition to watch this one every year around Christmas.

What are some of your favorite movies from the 80’s?