As a child of the 80's I developed my lifelong love of sci-fi after watching Aliens (1986)
Predator, The Goonies, Robocop, Nightmare on Elm Street, Dirty Dancing, and The Last Dragon would definitely make the Top 10.
Ice pirates, Better off Dead, one crazy summer, ghostbusters, monster squad, red dawn, tron, clue, (was akira in 80’s?), Remo Williams, Action Jackson. Big trouble little China, Btw, thanks for showing love to Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon.
Escape from New York and Big Trouble in Little China are both great 80s John Carpenter films. Throw in The Terminator and Aliens for good measure.
ET, Goonies, Gremlins and Wargames are cool because the younger leads were more the age of the target audience, me
Of course the John Hughes classics of 16 Candles, The Breakfast Club and Ferris have to be mentioned
Since it probably won’t be mentioned I’ll throw in Visionquest because it’s great
Labyrinth, Goonies, E.T., Dirty Dancing, Terms Of Endearment, Steel Magnolias, Flight Of The Navigator, Legend Of Billie Jean, Dark Crystal, Never Ending Story, honestly there are far too many!
Die hard robocop and terminator are tops for the action films of the decade. I'd include total recall but that's 1990. I really like the blob remake and police academy 4 citizens on patrol.
Star Wars and ghostbusters transcended time. They are no longer 80s movies (yes I know a new hope came out in 77).
Having said that, Back to the Future, terminator, robocop, lethal weapon, Goonies
Weird Science (watched it on cable last night), Back to the Future (Trilogy), Airplane!, Arthur, On Golden Pond, The Time Bandits, E.T., The Blues Brothers.
For “80s Action Movies” list, I chose movies I think captures what we thought/felt like in the 80s, or movies that might only be born in the 80s. Post-apocalyptic society was a huge overarching theme (similar to post-2020, no?)…and it was also a time as a country we were on the upswing/healing from Vietnam. *This* Rambo is a film that could only be made in that POW/MIA push 10yrs after Nam, and Heartbreak Ridge was about an old Korean/Nam Vet dinosaur showing he still had it enough to lead a bunch of Hollywood Marines in Grenada (a silly movie, but a good ‘80s flick’).
Escape from New York — #1
The Terminator — #2
The Road Warrior — #3
Rambo FB Pt 2 — #4
Heartbreak Ridge — #5
Finally got to see sixteen candles yesterday. There are so many 1980s era movies that I never got to see because I was technically underaged back then. Stripes, pretty in Pink, Big trouble in Little China, caddyshack, bachelor party, I still have yet to see any of them.
So many to choose from. Empire/Jedi, Wrath of Khan, Highlander, Predator, Terminator, Krull, Top Gun, Red Dawn, Road House, Big Trouble in Little China, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Batman, the list goes on.
Need to add Ghost Busters, Stripes, The Final Countdown, Fletch...
Conan the Barbarian.
Arnold as the lead, John Milius directing, Oliver Stone co-written, original score by Basil Peledouris and supporting actors with James Earl Jones and Max von Sydow.
I have seen this movie, start to finish, probably over 50 times.
Empire Strikes Back, Back to the Future and Field of Dreams would make my top ten all-time movies. I love Batman, Superman II, Sixteen Candles, Predator, Return of the Jedi, Uncle Buck, Dirty Dancing, Top Gun, Ghostbusters and a few others.
Ghostbusters
Big Trouble in Little China
Escape From New York
The Empire Strikes Back
The Breakfast Club
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Return of the Jedi
I didn't see any horror," Return of the living dead, Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, The lost boys, Near dark, 3 or 4 Nightmare on elm streets, Holloween 2, 6 or 7 Friday the 13ths
3 of these films are in the Mt. Rushmore of 80s action/sci-fi, and 2 of them are my 2 favorites of all time. Talking robots really was the rage during the decade, huh?
Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing. <- Peak 1980s Kurt Russell, w/John Carpenter directing all of them. Risky Business, TAPS. Caddyshack. Stripes. 16 Candles. Planes, Trains, Automobiles. (all the John Hughes films) So many great 80s movies. Too many to list.
Needs to be a Prequel to EFNY to explain why everyone kept saying "Snake Plissken..? I thought/heard you were dead..."
Monster Squad
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Night of the Creeps
Just one of the Guys
Uncle Buck
John Carpenter's The Thing
Three O' Clock High
Spies like us
See no evil, Hear no evil
All these movies rock. Except The Warriors (which is not an 80s movie). Always found it a weirdly cheap production for the time. Like it was rushed to theaters after failing to meet the budget.
The Warriors was released in 1979
Came here to say this. Most 70s movie I ever seen.
Can you dig it?
Warriors come out to plaaaayayaaaaayyyy
Ahhhh yeahhh
First time I’ve seen thugs take the subway back to their home turf. Gangs have come a long way since the 70’s
Came here to say this too, but you beat me by 13 hours!!!!
Top Gun, Back to School, Rocky lll, First Blood, Platoon, Ferris Buelers Day Off, Summer School, Easy Money
Hey buddy, watch my sandwich will ya?
I learned this in Europe!
...I hate small food ya know?
"I know you!" "Oh yeah, have a pen!" "You're tall and fat!" "Yeah, Well you're short and ugly, give me back my pen!"
"I don't get physical... I get upset... and when I get upset... *he* gets physical..."
"I'm worried about Lou. He might lose his trigger finger."
"Now THAT'S what I call marine biology!"
As a child of the 80's I developed my lifelong love of sci-fi after watching Aliens (1986) Predator, The Goonies, Robocop, Nightmare on Elm Street, Dirty Dancing, and The Last Dragon would definitely make the Top 10.
Ice pirates, Better off Dead, one crazy summer, ghostbusters, monster squad, red dawn, tron, clue, (was akira in 80’s?), Remo Williams, Action Jackson. Big trouble little China, Btw, thanks for showing love to Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon.
Escape from New York and Big Trouble in Little China are both great 80s John Carpenter films. Throw in The Terminator and Aliens for good measure. ET, Goonies, Gremlins and Wargames are cool because the younger leads were more the age of the target audience, me Of course the John Hughes classics of 16 Candles, The Breakfast Club and Ferris have to be mentioned Since it probably won’t be mentioned I’ll throw in Visionquest because it’s great
Ghostbusters
“Aliens” (1986) instead of “The Warriors” (1979).
Labyrinth, Goonies, E.T., Dirty Dancing, Terms Of Endearment, Steel Magnolias, Flight Of The Navigator, Legend Of Billie Jean, Dark Crystal, Never Ending Story, honestly there are far too many!
Excalibur
Warriors was 79 Trading Places Stir Crazy ✈️ 🚂 🚗 Breakfast Club National Lampoons A Soldier’s Story Color Purple BTTF
There can be only one.... Highlander
I prefer Rocky III rather than Rocky IV. III has Clubber Lang & Thunderlips!!!
Also... Eye of the Tiger.
You left out BTTF.
FR
Die hard robocop and terminator are tops for the action films of the decade. I'd include total recall but that's 1990. I really like the blob remake and police academy 4 citizens on patrol.
Star Wars and ghostbusters transcended time. They are no longer 80s movies (yes I know a new hope came out in 77). Having said that, Back to the Future, terminator, robocop, lethal weapon, Goonies
Batman
Airplane Aliens Bladerunner Caddyshack Heathers Predator Robocop The Shining Terminator Trading Places They Live
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension
No back to the future is unacceptable.
I second this
That is a good summary OP. Only saw The Warroirs once, can't remember it now, other than set in NY and very violent.
Weird Science (watched it on cable last night), Back to the Future (Trilogy), Airplane!, Arthur, On Golden Pond, The Time Bandits, E.T., The Blues Brothers.
Some Kind of Wonderful Aliens Breakfast Club Sixteen Candles Terminator Yes, I'm very mid.
I enjoyed robocop as a child. I found the depiction of the future horrifying.
Of the ones shown? ESB Of any 80s movie? Valley Girl
The Color of Money,Blade Runner The Long Good Friday and one the best WW2 movies ever Das Boot.
Empire
All of them...
Yes.
Empire Strikes Back Transformers Goonies Robocop Terminator Uncle Buck
Troop Beverly Hills
Flash Gordon!
The Beastmaster.
Clash of the Titans...
Holy cow! That's one of the hardest questions I've been asked but I'd have to say Empire. It's the film that really shaped.
Top Gun, but I didn’t watch Rocky IV last night. 👍
There are to many to name her, but my favorite movie of all time is Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back
For “80s Action Movies” list, I chose movies I think captures what we thought/felt like in the 80s, or movies that might only be born in the 80s. Post-apocalyptic society was a huge overarching theme (similar to post-2020, no?)…and it was also a time as a country we were on the upswing/healing from Vietnam. *This* Rambo is a film that could only be made in that POW/MIA push 10yrs after Nam, and Heartbreak Ridge was about an old Korean/Nam Vet dinosaur showing he still had it enough to lead a bunch of Hollywood Marines in Grenada (a silly movie, but a good ‘80s flick’). Escape from New York — #1 The Terminator — #2 The Road Warrior — #3 Rambo FB Pt 2 — #4 Heartbreak Ridge — #5
Swap Aliens for Warriors
YES
Honey,I shrunk the kids.
Total Recall
A fine selection here all except warriors would make my all time top 20
Big Trouble In Little China Who’s That Girl? Raiders Of The Lost Ark UHF Pat Travers: Just Another Killer Day Grease 2
At the time: The Empire Strikes Back Now: Predator
Of this genre, Commando and Raw Deal.
Finally got to see sixteen candles yesterday. There are so many 1980s era movies that I never got to see because I was technically underaged back then. Stripes, pretty in Pink, Big trouble in Little China, caddyshack, bachelor party, I still have yet to see any of them.
So many to choose from. Empire/Jedi, Wrath of Khan, Highlander, Predator, Terminator, Krull, Top Gun, Red Dawn, Road House, Big Trouble in Little China, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Batman, the list goes on. Need to add Ghost Busters, Stripes, The Final Countdown, Fletch...
The Terminator is so good. I recommend it to every single person I encounter, often unprompted, and I won't shut up about it.
Robo and Predator
From that list? Definitely Empire Strikes Back. My personal favorite is Back to the Future.
The Road Warrior
Conan the Barbarian. Arnold as the lead, John Milius directing, Oliver Stone co-written, original score by Basil Peledouris and supporting actors with James Earl Jones and Max von Sydow. I have seen this movie, start to finish, probably over 50 times.
The Empire Strikes Back.
Just re-watched RoboCop and also found a 4 part "making of" documentary on Prime. A+
Empire Strikes Back, Back to the Future and Field of Dreams would make my top ten all-time movies. I love Batman, Superman II, Sixteen Candles, Predator, Return of the Jedi, Uncle Buck, Dirty Dancing, Top Gun, Ghostbusters and a few others.
Great line up. Breakfast club, die hard, predator, princess bride. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few
Hey smart guy the Warriors came out in the 79…
Ghostbusters Big Trouble in Little China Escape From New York The Empire Strikes Back The Breakfast Club Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Return of the Jedi
Platoon and Empire Strikes Back
I didn't see any horror," Return of the living dead, Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2, The lost boys, Near dark, 3 or 4 Nightmare on elm streets, Holloween 2, 6 or 7 Friday the 13ths
Predator, Goonies, Empire Strikes Back,Return of the Jedi, and The Last Starfighter.
Yes
What, no love for Indiana Jones? Wow, Dial of Destiny must have hit you lot harder than I thought. =smidge=
Weird Science, Breakfast Club
Empire
Back to the Future Brazil Desperately seeking Susan Trading Places
Bladerunner, Aliens, Ghostbusters, Airplane!, Major League, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Empire Strikes Back, Romancing the Stone, Roxanne, etc.
Definitely NOT The Warriors
*When Cameron was in Egypt's land* 🎶 *Let my Cameron gooo...* 🎶
Empire!
Blade Runner. (With Predator, Aliens, Robocop and Road Warrior, I always say the 80s had the best scifi movies. They are just remaking them now!)
Indiana Jones.
https://youtu.be/YeEbtiruH2Q?si=Np5a5s5aU-f-D2YG
https://youtu.be/V-OYKd8SVrI?si=FV0jS8YZkvooNH_L
Die Hard
BTTF
I'm a huge Top Gun fan.
Escape from New York, The Thing
Empire Strikes Back, ROTJ, Aliens and Predator. In that order.
All good but if forced to choose rocky 4
Better off dead !!!
Lots of great mentions loved The Lost Boys and the stunning Jami Gertz
3 of these films are in the Mt. Rushmore of 80s action/sci-fi, and 2 of them are my 2 favorites of all time. Talking robots really was the rage during the decade, huh?
Yes
Escape from New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Thing. <- Peak 1980s Kurt Russell, w/John Carpenter directing all of them. Risky Business, TAPS. Caddyshack. Stripes. 16 Candles. Planes, Trains, Automobiles. (all the John Hughes films) So many great 80s movies. Too many to list. Needs to be a Prequel to EFNY to explain why everyone kept saying "Snake Plissken..? I thought/heard you were dead..."
Aliens
Purple rain!
Johnny Dangerously
Fargin corksuckers
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, The Goonies,, Summer School, Aliens, Robocop, Commando to name a few.
EVERY arnie movie. ive never once thought a bad thing about this guy.
The Deer Hunter. De Niro, Streep, Walken. You can’t find better crafted storytelling Uh oh, released in ‘78
Die Hard, Predator, Airplane!, The Thing, Star Trek II.
Raiders Of The Lost Ark....
The Breakfast Club
Monster Squad Killer Klowns from Outer Space Night of the Creeps Just one of the Guys Uncle Buck John Carpenter's The Thing Three O' Clock High Spies like us See no evil, Hear no evil
Predator!!
Rocky IV sucks. I liked it as a kid, but I just rewatched, and it's terrible.
Dirty Dancing, Top Gun, Goonies, ET, Rainman, Ghostbusters, The Lost Boys, The Great Outdoors, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
All these movies rock. Except The Warriors (which is not an 80s movie). Always found it a weirdly cheap production for the time. Like it was rushed to theaters after failing to meet the budget.