So what film really captures the 1980s?

[hammerntongues]

Me too. My 80s childhood memories are full of films like Back to the Future, Beat Street, Breakdance, Ghostbusters, Goonies, Gremlins, Karate Kid, the Rocky and Rambo sagas, Teen Wolf, Top Gun etc.

Thats now the entire contents of the bargain bin at Woolies

 

[Phenol]

the thread title is wrong, surely? this seems to be 'what films did you enjoy in the 80s' or something. Surely none of these films 'capture the 80s' in the sense of encapsulating what life was like for you and around you at that time?

Or am i being po-faced?

May be a bit Po Dub but never mind. I suppose if I were to name a film that captured the (very early) eighties as it was for me it would be Gregory's Girl.

 

[Kanda]

Rocky IV, Top Gun, The Goonies, Ferris Bueller, Empire Strikes Back, Aliens and Die Hard.

 

[STFC]

Thats now the entire contents of the bargain bin at Woolies

Do you think they'll have the American Ninja trilogy? Forgot to mention that crap ninja/kung-fu films were part of our staple diet in the 80s too.

 

[Error Gorilla]

The one film that captures the 1980s for me is Threads, which terrified and fascinated me in equal measures. I spent many months afterwards cycling to the library to read Protect & Survive and about Square Leg. Looking back, I think this is where my fixation with death began.

 

[trabuquera]

Beautiful Laundrette for the UK, Scorsese's After Hours for the US (it's got yuppie anxiety, drugs, the decay of NYC and batshit mad conceptual artists, for a start.)

 

[Orang Utan]

Surprised no-one has mentioned 9 1/2 Weeks yet - it perfectly encapsulates the 80s - the sexual politics, the 'designer' clothes obsession, the superficiality, etc etc - it's what American Psycho was all about

 

[Griff]

Surprised no-one has mentioned 9 1/2 Weeks yet - it perfectly encapsulates the 80s - the sexual politics, the 'designer' clothes obsession, the superficiality, etc etc - it's what American Psycho was all about

Remember wondering what all the fuss was about, seeing that one at the flicks at the time.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

It was indeed a load of flashy and empty shite.

And there followed, hard on the heels of Adrian Lyne, Michael Mann and David Fincher.

 

[Orang Utan]

It was indeed a load of flashy and empty shite.

And there followed, hard on the heels of Adrian Lyne, Michael Mann and David Fincher.

Yes indeed! They have a lot to answer for

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Me too. My childhood memories are full of films like Back to the Future, Beat Street, Breakdance, Ghostbusters, Goonies, Gremlins, Karate Kid, the Rocky and Rambo sagas, Teen Wolf, Top Gun etc.

For me, those films ARE the 80s, along with BMXing and terrible clothes.

I think this thread highlight the differences between posters who were in their childhood in the 80s, and those who were a bit older.

 

[Orang Utan]

Remember wondering what all the fuss was about, seeing that one at the flicks at the time.

I was quite youg and was entranced by nipples and strawberries

 

[jæd]

Was going to say "Shopping", but that was 1994... Um, the Goonies, Monster Club and Back to the Future 'cos I was a nipper. Oh, and The Dark Crystal...

 

[Cid]

Has to be Wargames...

Oh, and Stand By Me.

 

[Spandex]

The bleak, boring UK of bad clothes, crap discos and hanging around on the street looking for something to do portrayed in Rita, Sue and Bob Too sums up my experience of the 80s

Except I found a release by playing dungeons and dragons instead of shagging a dodgy older man...

 

[Griff]

The bleak, boring UK of bad clothes, crap discos and hanging around on the street looking for something to do portrayed in Rita, Sue and Bob Too sums up my experience of the 80s

Should've gone to the flicks to watch some American films then.

 

[Orang Utan]

Stand By Me.

Eh? How do you work that out?

 

[boozybirdie]

Am having a complete mind block but the film with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas

 

[Griff]

Am having a complete mind block but the film with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas

Fatal Attraction.

 

[Orang Utan]

Am having a complete mind block but the film with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas

Fatal Attraction

 

[Griff]

 

[STFC]

Eh? How do you work that out?

I think RenegadeDog's post sums it up:

I think this thread highlight the differences between posters who were in their childhood in the 80s, and those who were a bit older.

So even though Stand By Me was set in the 60s, many of us young 'uns kids have fond memories of watching it in the 80s.

 

[Orang Utan]

Still doesn't make sense to me, is RenegadeDog just saying that some people understand the OP and some don't?

 

[Andy the Don]

Films that sum up the 1980's for me:

British Films:
ID
Bob, Sue & Rita Too
My Beautiful Laundrette
The Hit
Made in Britain

American Films:
All been mentioned above.

 

[boozybirdie]

That's the one cheers

 

[Megaton]

Wall Street. No question.

 

[dynamicbaddog]

Letter To Brezhnev

 

[bendeus]

Porky's

 

[mwgdrwg]

80's Vampire and Werewolf films rule!

The Lost Boys
Near Dark
Silver Bullet
Fright Night
Vamp
An American Werewolf in London

(probably a million others too, but that's all I can remember off the top of my head)

 

[DotCommunist]

The Goonies. Yes I was a child in the eighties