the anti V brigade

It was one of those late Saturday nights (or wee hours on Sunday mornings for that matter) out with the Banker, perhaps out of sheer boredom, (no, not because of the Banker.God forbid.), that I began pondering about the 80s, and in particular the films from that era that I fondly remember. I decided then to compile a list of films which could be identified as being uniquely 80s and which best defined it. To avoid any controversy, the 80s is taken to be the period from 1981-1990 ahem.

The movies in question do not necessarily have to be the best ones from this period in terms of critical acclaim or be regarded as being of ‘Oscar pedigree’. (for those who take the Academy awards seriously) So, obvious choices like Oliver Stone’s Platoon and Wall Street, or Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket do not necessarily have to be on this list by ‘default’.

I also deliberately avoided, perhaps a little unlike myself, films that were generally regarded as overtly ‘dark’ or ultraviolent (by 80s standards of course), and preferred my list to consist of films which fell more along the lines of light hearted family fare. That meant the automatic elimination of some of my favourite films like Terminator, Scarface, Blue Velvet, the 2 Alien films and Die Hard as contenders. This of course should not detract from the fact that these films are classics. They just simply do not fit the specifications with regards to the list I’m compiling.

It is also required of course that I have seen the films in question. I will not compile a list of films based solely on reputation or general consensus. So sadly, films like Steven Spielberg’s E.T, Richard Donner’s The Goonies, Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits and John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club (I have seen only part of it), will not make the list; though I’m certain 80s aficionados would probably want to kill me for what would widely be perceived as an act of blasphemy. Oh, and I am not including Empire Strikes Back simply because the Banker doesn’t like it. So if you have a gripe with that exclusion, take it out on the bastard.

Lastly, I have opted to select at least one film from each year of the decade. So effectively that means no 2 movies on the list would be from the same year of release. This might mean excluding certain films that might be regarded as dead certainties. But because we do not want to undermine the quality or the contribution made by these ‘unfortunate’ films, they will instead make their way to our list of honourable mentions. So here goes in chronological and in no particular order of merit, the 10 definitive films of the 1980s.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

“You want to talk to God? Let’s go see him together, I’ve got nothing better to do. “

Directed by Steven Spielberg, this action adventure juggernaut has inspired countless copycats ( from The Mummy to the woeful Sahara), but is widely regarded as unsurpassed in terms of its capacity to entertain and being a benchmark for movies of such nature. Harrison Ford cemented his superstar status with this film as the archaeologist/adventurer Indiana Jones. This film was sandwiched between the Star Wars films in which Ford portrayed Hans Solo. The Last Crusade remains my personal favourite of the trilogy. But The Last Crusade being a sequel was dependant on the blue print of this film to be as successful as it was. Raiders of the Lost Arc has all the necessary ingredients for a bone fide blockbuster; fine casting, epic scope,nail biting suspense, great action sequences and a hero played so convincingly that you never stop rooting for him( this coming from someone who has a soft spot for villains). This film for the record made it to the American Film Institute’s top100 films of the 20^th century; and its for a very good reason.

Conan the Barbarian (1982)

“For us, there is no spring. Just the wind that smells fresh before the storm.”

This is the film that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a star. It is also the film that highlighted his ‘thespian skills’ or lack of, bringing forth an immeasurable amount of ridicule (which with a few exceptions hasn’t stopped since). He won a Razzie for ‘worst actor’ for his efforts. But this film is also widely regarded as among the best ‘swords and sorcery’ films ever made. It might pale in comparison to contemporary fantasy flicks like Lord Of The Rings; but back then, this was as good as it got for this genre. And personally, I’d take quaint simplicity of Conan the Barbarian over a bloated extravagance like LOTR any day. The sequel was forgettable, but this film is regarded as a classic especially among the Dungeons & Dragons worshipping masses. There is a certain charm in the inherent corniness of the film that makes it highly appealing. This isn’t high end cinema, but it doesn’t have to be to be an effective entertainer.

WarGames (1983)

“Gentlemen, I wouldn’t trust this overgrown pile of microchips any further than I can throw it. “

Allow me to be brutally honest. I am hardly a big fan of this film. In fact, I reckon the film has terribly dated, barely struggling to survive the test of time. Its one of those films that could only be thoroughly enjoyed if you transport yourself back to that era and watch it with the mentality of a person belonging to that era. But this film in 1983 was ahead of its time; wayyyyyy ahead of its time. It is to put it bluntly, the first ever film made about home computers, security breaches, hacking and the virtual world (and how it can affect reality). The tale revolves around a teenager played by Matthew Broderick who would go on laterto star in another 80s classic, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), who hacks into military central computer, unwittingly setting World War 3 in motion. Though the film in my opinion the film fails to entertain today as it might have 20 years ago, it is unquestionably groundbreaking and deserves to be in the list for pioneering this particular genre.

Ghostbusters (1984)

“Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, no job is too big, no fee is too big!”

While Wargames might have struggled to measure up after all these years, you could not possibly accuse this film of a similar charge. Ghostbusters is a film for all ages. Anyone who grew up in the 80s, who grew up watching the cartoon series and the merchandise it spawned from toys to sticker books would remember how phenomenally popular they were; till the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles came along and burst their bubble. The Ghostbusters, even today maintain their status as icons of the 80s. This film is a case study on how horror and comedy can be so effectively combined to produce such a memorable film. The cast of Bill Murray, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis is absolute gold. This remains one of Murray’s best films along with Stripes, Groundhog Day and Rushmore. The man is a comedic genius, and here, playing the iconic Dr Peter Venkman (we all loved Venkman back then, though we could never understand why Venkman who’s distinctly slim in the cartoon series was played by someone who’s distinctly not in the film. We of course as ignorant 7 year olds failed to realize the movie came first. So it was the cartoon producers who got it wrong), he shines magnificently. The Ghostbusters still remains one of my favourite childhood films.

Back To the Future (1985)

” I’m sure in 1985 plutonium is available at every corner drugstore, but in 1955 it’s a little hard to come by.”

How could anyone complile a list like that and not include Back to the Future. It is probably THE movie of the 1980s. If anyone needed a formula for THE perfect family film, they do not have to look any further than this. I have seen this film countless times, and it never fails to awe me. It is almost impossible to get sick of it. It is brilliant in every way possible, from the screenplay (sprinkled with few of the best one liners ever) to the casting (Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd have never been in a better movie);and even deals with time travel paradoxes in a more convincing manner than most other films I’ve seen.(James Cameron obviously did not take note when he directed Terminator 2) It makes me weep that they don’t make movies like that anymore. That today’s excuse for a family entertainer is something as appallingly mediocre as Garfield or Scooby Doo. (not to mention how these films have irredeemably ruined with one swoop the reputations of such iconic characters which took decades to develop. I await similar results with the upcoming Transformers) I know I haven’t finished with the rest of thelist, but I’ll go out on a limb and say Back to the Future is THE blockbuster film of the 1980s.(though it must be noted that Back to the Future 2 which I reckon is cruelly underrated has always been my personal favourite)

To be Continued

-WUMmy