I've been debating between a few. Breakin, Karate Kid, Midnight Madness, and Valley Girl are at the top of list for all the 80'sness in hideous Venice Beach style clothing, and groovy top-40 music. But there is one movie that is so 80's upon rewatch it transports me back to summer days on the west coast, and that's not a good thing.
Rocky III
Eye of the Tiger, short shorts, Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, The Muppet Show, video arcades - it hits all the notes.
Rocky V is an unwatchable chunk of cancerous flesh dug out of the Rocky franchise and should rightly be burned in the faintly glowing embers of Tommy Maddox's short-lived boxing and acting careers.
Even the lackluster Creed II looked like Casablanca when set next to Rocky V. Thank God Rocky Balboa set things right again.
Really tough to answer, and like you mentioned, lots of angles. Comedy? Drama? Blockbuster? Cult classic? Captures our childhood? Something we didn't see then but later watched as an adult?
John Hughes has his finger on the pulse when it comes to teenagehood, IMHO.
I had it down ET and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, with a possible Breakfast Club... BUT - I am gonna go in another direction: Rocky IV.
For me, the 80s was a constant reminder of the USA versus the Soviet Union (some things never change even if the times and names do, eh?!). TV, school, newspapers, movies, sentiment... The 80s was about dominating the world stage. Rocky helped this along.
Definitely classic 80's. I remember going to the theatre to see Howard The Duck but it wasn't playing anymore. I had to settle for watching Transformers:The Movie.
Lost in America. All the eighties adult angst, FOMO, nostalgia for a simpler time (the sixties?!?), and eventual recognition that you have to accept responsibility for your own choices. And it has an odd little place in my personal 80s romance (and 2016 road trip)
The thumbnail is from the movie RAD. I did see it, but not in the theater. I remember at the time seeing it thinking the actors looked too old and I was amused Mr Hand (bonus points if you know him) was in it.
Felix and I took the kids to a car museum a few years ago -the kind that displays vehicles and whatnot from TV shows and movies. There was a BMX bike up on the wall with the movie poster. Felix told me all about the movie but I couldn’t remember seeing it! Until after we got home and he showed me a trailer.
I think I am going to go with a feel good movie that dealt with being a kid in the 80's. The iconic toys, hanging out with your best friend, discovering the world with wonder and dreaming of what it would be like to be a grown up.
That was the movie that me and my friends saw at least four times in the theater in The Oaks mall. It was the go-to one that we were old enough to watch without a parent when you couldn't get in on your own to see Die Hard or Young Guns again.
It’s a good call, and I think sums up the 80s so well because we associate it for that time. Instant classic, for sure. It’s such a good film that it has not only withstood the test of time, but didn’t get bludgeoned and forgotten due to the awful (IMHO) sequels.
There are some top contenders and really hard choices!
PS - Makes me feel kinda old to know that more time has passed since the film’s release to now; than the year it came out to when Marty traveled :(
I've been debating between a few. Breakin, Karate Kid, Midnight Madness, and Valley Girl are at the top of list for all the 80'sness in hideous Venice Beach style clothing, and groovy top-40 music. But there is one movie that is so 80's upon rewatch it transports me back to summer days on the west coast, and that's not a good thing.
Rocky III
Eye of the Tiger, short shorts, Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, The Muppet Show, video arcades - it hits all the notes.
We just went through all the Rocky movies a month or so ago. Great trip down Memory Lane. Even though I had little to no memory of seeing Rocky V…
Rocky III or IV would need to be on a list of, ‘movies to see from the 80s.’ But, not Rocky V. Apparently it’s not that memorable :/
Rocky V is an unwatchable chunk of cancerous flesh dug out of the Rocky franchise and should rightly be burned in the faintly glowing embers of Tommy Maddox's short-lived boxing and acting careers.
Even the lackluster Creed II looked like Casablanca when set next to Rocky V. Thank God Rocky Balboa set things right again.
And the winner (despite Kris' two bonus points) is Katie with Back to the Future. Congratulations, Katie, you get to choose Monday's question.
Really tough to answer, and like you mentioned, lots of angles. Comedy? Drama? Blockbuster? Cult classic? Captures our childhood? Something we didn't see then but later watched as an adult?
John Hughes has his finger on the pulse when it comes to teenagehood, IMHO.
I had it down ET and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, with a possible Breakfast Club... BUT - I am gonna go in another direction: Rocky IV.
For me, the 80s was a constant reminder of the USA versus the Soviet Union (some things never change even if the times and names do, eh?!). TV, school, newspapers, movies, sentiment... The 80s was about dominating the world stage. Rocky helped this along.
Come on everybody, Cut Loose, Footloose! Put on your dancing shoes!
My comment is not spam but a link to the honest trailer which made me want to pick it.
Love Honest Trailers.
https://youtu.be/ub12DkmRUnI
Also, when the heck is Substack gonna allow embedding YouTube video links?
Definitely classic 80's. I remember going to the theatre to see Howard The Duck but it wasn't playing anymore. I had to settle for watching Transformers:The Movie.
It was a win I didn't appreciate at the time.
Lost in America. All the eighties adult angst, FOMO, nostalgia for a simpler time (the sixties?!?), and eventual recognition that you have to accept responsibility for your own choices. And it has an odd little place in my personal 80s romance (and 2016 road trip)
Sounds like a longer story there.
Several! But thankfully, neither Eustace nor I gambled away the nest egg.
We didn't see it together -- though on the same day at the same theater -- which has always seemed just wrong.
Bonus points if anyone can name the thumbnail. Double if you've seen it. Triple if you saw it in the theatre.
The thumbnail is from the movie RAD. I did see it, but not in the theater. I remember at the time seeing it thinking the actors looked too old and I was amused Mr Hand (bonus points if you know him) was in it.
Felix and I took the kids to a car museum a few years ago -the kind that displays vehicles and whatnot from TV shows and movies. There was a BMX bike up on the wall with the movie poster. Felix told me all about the movie but I couldn’t remember seeing it! Until after we got home and he showed me a trailer.
What is my point total, Vince? :D
Two bonus points for Kris!
I think I am going to go with a feel good movie that dealt with being a kid in the 80's. The iconic toys, hanging out with your best friend, discovering the world with wonder and dreaming of what it would be like to be a grown up.
Big with Tom Hanks is my final answer!
That was the movie that me and my friends saw at least four times in the theater in The Oaks mall. It was the go-to one that we were old enough to watch without a parent when you couldn't get in on your own to see Die Hard or Young Guns again.
Young Guns … Oh boy! You sure are triggering memories (good ones) for me with the whole 80s thing!
Huey Lewis on the soundtrack does reinforce the argument.
It’s a good call, and I think sums up the 80s so well because we associate it for that time. Instant classic, for sure. It’s such a good film that it has not only withstood the test of time, but didn’t get bludgeoned and forgotten due to the awful (IMHO) sequels.
There are some top contenders and really hard choices!
PS - Makes me feel kinda old to know that more time has passed since the film’s release to now; than the year it came out to when Marty traveled :(