3 Classic Movies from the 1980s

It’s hard the believe that the decade that was the 1980s started over 30 years ago. Toys from the 1980s are becoming collector’s items and films from the decade are becoming classics. It’s strange that items from this era are now being labelled as “vintage” or “classic”, especially because they’re from an era in which I grew up in.

There are tons of good films from the 1980s. To list them all would be almost impossible. Most of you will probably recall that 2 of the original Star Wars films and some Star Trek films were released in this decade. Some of the awesome films from the 1980s are over-shadowed by this. If you let your mind wander you’ll probably remember the John Hughes films and the countless amount of other comedy flicks from the era, which are still funny in this day and age.

Well, today I’m going to get a bit nostalgic, I’m featuring 3 classic movies from the 1980s that you should see (if you haven’t done so already). I trust that you find this list useful the next time you want to rent or buy a DVD or Bluray disc.

The Breakfast Club (1985): Ever asked yourself “What happened in the 1980s during detention?”. Well, then The Breakfast Club is the film for you. It tells the story of five high school students who are all different stereotypes who meet in detention. They pour their hearts out to each other, get up to a little mischief  and discover how they all have a lot more in common than they thought.

The film featured Molly Ringwald (who also appeared in 1984’s Sixteen Candles), Emilio Estevez (who later gained famed with The Mighty Ducks films), Anthony Michael Hall (who later starred in the leading role in the TV series The Dead Zone), Ally Sheedy (who also appeared in 1983’s War Games opposite Matthew Broderick) and Judd Nelson as part of the main cast. The Breakfast Club  was written and directed by John Hughes.

For those of you who did not know the library in whichThe Breakfast Club takes place was actually constructed in the gymnasium of Maine North High School specifically for the film. In true 1980s style, director John Hughes actually wrote the screenplay to this movie in just two days – something that doesn’t happen that often in Hollywood nowadays.

In my humble opinion, Hollywood simply does not make films like this anymore. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should definitely watch it! This film will make you laugh and make you think. Some of the sensitive folks might even shed a tear. This film is simply one of the films that could be named one of the Classic Movies from the 1980s.

The Goonies (1985): Most of you that grew up in the 1980s will probably remember this classic adventure film telling the story about a group of kids who go on a wild adventure after finding a pirate’s treasure map. The film was directed by Richard Donner (who also directed the Superman movies and all the Lethal Weapon films). The Goonies was written by Steven Spielberg (who needs no introduction) and Chris Columbus (who later gained fame for his work on Home Alone).

The film featured appearances by Sean Astin (who you might know as Samwise from the Lord of the Rings films), Josh Brolin (who actually made his big screen debut in this film and who you might recognize from later films like Twister and 2012’s Men In Black 3), Corey Feldman (who also appeared in the 1986 film Stand By Me) and Martha Plimpton (who is currently starring in Television’s The Good Wife).

In case you didn’t know the last name of the brothers who are chasing he Goonies is Fratelli – Fratelli means “brothers” in Italian, this film was mostly shot in sequence and took five months to complete and more than 900,000 gallons of water was actually used in the movie.  If you’re looking for some 1980s nostalgia then The Goonies is a film you should watch or show your kids. Hollywood doesn’t bring out adventure films like this one anymore.

Flight of the Navigator (1986): This is one of those films that brings back a lot of childhood memories for me. I still remember riding to video shop on my bicycle to rent this film (which was recommended to me by the owner if I can recall correctly). Flight of the Navigator is a Adventure / Science Fiction film that blew me away when it was released.

The film tells the story of a 12 year old boy who gets lost in forest and wakes up 8 years in the future. He ends up having an adventure with the alien spaceship that is responsible for it.  He gets list in 1978 and wakes up in 1986. Just imagine the cultural differences between these two years and you’ll realize how cool the premise for Flight of the Navigator is.

This probably is one of the best Science Fiction films from the 1980s if you ask me. Flight of The Navigator was written by Mark H. Baker, Michael Burton and Matt MacManus and directed by Randal Kleiser.

The film featured appearances by Joey Cramer (who had the lead and later went on to appear in episodes of Murder She Wrote), Veronica Cartwright (who has made appearances in tons of TV shows like CSI and others since then), Paul Reubbens, Sarah Jessica Parker (who later gained fame for her role in Sex and the City) and Howard Hesseman.

If you’re looking for a Science Fiction / Adventure film that will leave you with a smile on your face, then Flight of The Navigator is the film for you. There simply isn’t any other Classic Movies From the 1980s in this genre.

There you go, 3 Classic Movies from the 1980s that you could look for on DVD. All 3 of these films are timeless and bound to entertain you. If you have any other 1980s films that you would add to this list, comment on this post and let me know, I’d love to hear from you.

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