We’ve given you enough lists of books to take you through to the end of 2016 (and we’ll be checking that you’ve read them all), so we thought we’d give you, via the terrific Hadley Freeman, this list of eighties movies that you should sit back and watch this Christmas. We’re imagining that you’ll have some extra time on your hands, and how better to spend it? Plus, popcorn is basically fat free, isn’t it, which is what you’ll be wanting after delicious Christmas dinner. You don’t have to watch all of these films, but we’ll bet you want to after looking at the posters…
EIGHTIES MOVIES I DIDN’T LOOK AT PROPERLY IN THIS BOOK THAT YOU REALLY NEED IN YOUR LIFE
20 Weekend at Bernie’s
The second greatest Andrew McCarthy film, and that is high praise.
19 Little Shop of Horrors
Rick Moranis singing! Of course you want to see this.
18 The Blues Brothers
You probably haven’t seen this for a while. You should rectify that.
17 Spaceballs
Lone Star, Dark Helmet, Pizza the Hut – it’s a rare day that I don’t make some reference to Spaceballs, and it’s an even rarer day that someone recognises it.
16 Young Sherlock Holmes
A truly great teen adventure film and that it isn’t better known is definitive proof there is no God.
15 Desperately Seeking Susan
Feminism, fashion and Madonna.
14 Three Amigos!
The Singing Bush! The Invisible Horseman! This film has what its director John Landis calls ‘a real commitment to silliness’, and songs by Randy Newman to boot.
13 A Christmas Story
A Christmas film staple in every American home, and it should be in everyone’s home. Like Radio Days, but without the sentiment.
12 Parenthood
Cheesy? Yes. Conservative? Damn right. But it’s also really funny, really sweet and it’s got Jason Robards, Tom Hulce, Dianne Wiest, Martha Plimpton, Keanu Reeves, Rick Moranis, Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen and Joaquin (then Leaf) Phoenix all being brilliant in it. Come on.
11 St Elmo’s Fire
It causes me physical pain that I haven’t written about St Elmo’s Fire in this book. Please ease that pain for me by promising to go and watch the film, OK?
10 The Flamingo Kid
A too little known Matt Dillon film, featuring Hector Elizondo as his father, and a truly classic 1960s soundtrack.
9 The Accidental Tourist
Not as good as the book, no – but how could it be? William Hurt was made for the part of Macon Leary, the sad, repressed writer.
8 The ’Burbs
Crazy and dark, in a great way. I miss funny Tom Hanks.
7 Stand By Me
It would be too sad to watch poor River Phoenix as a sweet little boy if this film wasn’t as great as it is.
6 Bull Durham
Yeah, I love eighties Costner, but he is acted off the screen here by a young Tim Robbins. A great funny and sexy sports film.
5 Troop Beverly Hills
A movie about Girl Scouts, shopping and the importance of shoulder pads. Shelley Long at her best.
4 Planes, Trains and Automobiles
After Molly Ringwald, John Candy became John Hughes’s film muse, and this is the pair at their finest.
3 Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Another movie to be discussed in depth in this book’s inevitable sequel.
2 Field of Dreams
Best film ever about dead people playing baseball in a cornfield, and the filmmakers are welcome to put that quote on the DVD.
1 Lucas
One of my favourite films of all time, albeit starring one of the most cursed casts ever. Go watch it now, it’s wonderful
This list appears in ‘Life Moves Pretty Fast: The lessons we learned from eighties movies… (& why we don’t learn them from movies anymore)
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