The eighties were a wild decade full of time travelers, ghosts, snakes, and frozen concentrated orange juice futures. These 10 films represent a wide range of genres and characters.
Best Early Eighties Fashion: Flashdance (1983)
Based in Pittsburgh, Flashdance features a steel mill worker, an aspiring ballerina, and a cabaret performer—who are all the same person. The movie won an Academy Award for best song (Flashdance… What a Feeling) and has some fantastic dancing scenes.
IMDb Rating: 6.2
A Crash Course in Commodities Trading: Trading Places (1983)
The Duke brothers, who own a commodities brokerage firm, conduct a nature vs. nurture experiment with two men, one born wealthy and one not. Eventually, those two men uncover an insider trading plot and plan revenge.
IMDb Rating: 7.5
Best Fast Food Knock-Off: Coming to America (1988)
A crown prince (Eddie Murphy) arrives in Queens and takes a job at MacDowell’s fast-food joint (not to be confused with that other restaurant). He’s looking for love while trying to hide his wealth. The movie even features a cameo of the Duke brothers from Trading Places.
IMDb Rating: 7.0
Because We Should Always Listen to the Scientists: Aliens (1986)
Officer Ripley somehow gets convinced to go back to space after surviving a relentless alien attack, and once again, her warnings are unheeded until it’s nearly too late. Nevertheless, she persists.
IMDb Rating: 8.3
Best Paternity Reveal—Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (Episode V) (1980)
This second Star Wars movie (in order of release) features Lando Calrissian, Han Solo in carbonite, and Yoda’s wise teachings. (Do. Or do not. There is no try.) No wonder it’s the most popular film in the franchise.
IMDb Rating: 8.7
Artificial Intelligence Gone Rogue: TRON (1982)
A software engineer is digitized and downloaded to a mainframe and must fight a powerful and evil AI. This movie has a very eighties feel of what the future looks like, though much of it is still relevant concerning artificial intelligence and users’ rights.
IMDb Rating: 6.8
Worst Movie for Ophidiophobia Sufferers: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Why’d it have to be snakes? Searching for the titular artifact before the Nazis can get their hands on it, archaeologist Indiana Jones finds himself surrounded by those slithering creatures. And that’s only the start of it.
IMDb Rating: 8.4
Epic Entrepreneurs: Ghostbusters (1984)
Featuring outrageous New York real estate and a terrifying marshmallow man, Ghostbusters is iconic, spawning sequels, remakes, and an animated series. Who ya gonna call?
IMDb Rating: 7.8
Double-Crossing Diamond Thieves: A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
After a successful heist, a group of thieves fights over their haul of diamonds. Things quickly go south as everything that can go wrong does go wrong. You’ll never look at a steamroller the same way.
A Brooklyn Time Capsule: Do the Right Thing (1989)
This movie, which takes place over one hot summer day, follows Mookie, a pizza delivery guy, played by Spike Lee, as he makes the rounds around Bed-Stuy Brooklyn. It’s a snapshot in time, highlighting racial and neighborly tensions.
IMDb Rating: 8.0
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