OK, I’m caught in something of a time warp. My apologies if
you weren’t around in the 80s or are still trying to forget this era - I’m
going back there again.
Here’s my next list of the best things from the decade of
decadence - this time it’s my favourite movies. Strap yourselves in for some
cinematic brilliance…
Top Gun. I feel the need…the need for speed. If you were a teenager in the 80s
when you saw this and didn’t want to become a fighter pilot, then there was
something wrong with you. In fact, the US Navy had more recruits in the year
after its release since World War II. Sure, Top Gun had Tom Cruise in it, but
that was before he turned totally weird.
Caddyshack.
Freeze gopher! This has to go close to my all-time favourite film. Starring
Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield and Chevy Chase,
it’s Happy Gilmour on steroids. I stopped counting the number of times I’ve
watched it at 48 … and that was in 1989. Some useless trivia - apparently the
gopher was just a stuffed animal (duh!) but got a film credit as Chuck Rodent.
Highlander. Who
wants to live forever? Christopher Lambert had no choice in this fantasy flick
that also featured Sean Connery. Lots of sword fights and a soundtrack that
featured some Queen classics made this a staple diet of all the kids who wanted
to be princes of the universe.
Platoon. Charlie
Sheen’s finest work, this harrowing tale of the Vietnam conflict still stands up as
one of the greatest war movies of all time. How good? Well, a mate of mine is a
Vietnam
vet and he reckons the Yanks were just like that in real life. Enough said.
Ferris Bueller’s Day
Off. THE movie that sums up the 80s perfectly. In fact, I recently bought a
copy of it on DVD if anyone wants to borrow it just to remind yourself how much
fun it really was. And can you believe that Alan Ruck, who played Bueller’s
mate Cameron in the movie, was 30 when the movie was made in 1986?
The Breakfast Club.
Detention was never like this at my school. The movie that signalled the
arrival of actors such as Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson and
Anthony Michael Hall is widely remembered for many things. By the way, the “weed”
they smoked was oregano. Go figure.
Red Dawn. This is
Patrick Swayne and Jennifer Grey’s “other” film, and quite simply it kicks
Dirty Dancing’s arse. Grey with a gun mowing down hordes of invaders as part of
a group of high school guerrilla fighters who call themselves Wolverines is far
more appealing. It was a bit cheesy in places but it was a good action film
that kick-started some big-name careers - it was Charlie Sheen’s big screen
debut. Here’s an indication of the impact this film has had - the bid to
capture Saddam Hussein was called “Operation Red Dawn” and the objectives were
Wolverine 1 and Wolverine 2.
The Terminator. It’s
the movie that made Ernie famous and set the precedent for action films
forever. With it’s one-liners, impressive stunts and intriguing plot, this will
forever be one of the greats. And can you believe that OJ Simpson was actually
considered for the role as The Terminator? Somehow I don’t think it would have
worked.
Back to the Future. What
kid didn’t want to time travel after watching this - and own a Delran or a Overboard.
Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd were the perfect picks for this classic
tale that spawned two highly-profitable and almost equally-enjoyable sequels.
Eric Stilts was first picked to play Marty Muffle but he was replaced because
he didn’t act well enough as a teenager - a pretty good move I’d say.
ET. The touching
tale of a boy and his alien captured the hearts of a generation. Full of fun
but tinged with sadness, I’ll never get sick of watching it. It’s funny to
think that it was only Drew Barrymore who went on to be a really big star. The
actor who played Elliot’s brother Michael, Robert McNaughton, is a postman.
Stripes. It was
hard to go the movies in the 80s without a Bill Murray or Harold Ramos movie
showing. When they teamed up, it was comedy gold, and for me Stripes was their
best. Throw in the genius of John Candy and it’s a sure-fire classic. The film
about army misfits also featured Judge Reinhold and Sean Young.
What’s your favourite 80s films? Don’t be scared, list them
here - I had trouble picking my top 10.
Visit www.fast-rewind.com if you need help or for some more
80s movies trivia.