1980s Best Movies

Caveman (1981)

Atouk (Ringo Starr) is the leader of a small band of misfit cavemen who are part of a larger community headed by strongman Tonda (John Matuszak). Atouk is madly in love with Tonda’s woman, Lana (Barbara Bach). He even ignores the advances of the lovely Tala (Shelley Long) and sets his mind to finding some way of wooing Lana. During Atouk’s quest for romance, he and his cohorts fend off dinosaurs, indulge in hallucinogens and invent cooking, music and medicine.

The Ice Pirates (1984)

The time is the distant future, where by far the most precious commodity in the galaxy is water. The last surviving water planet was somehow removed to the unreachable centre of the galaxy at the end of the galactic trade wars. The galaxy is ruled by an evil emperor (John Carradine) presiding over a trade oligarchy that controls all mining and sale of ice from asteroids and comets.

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

“This Is Spinal Tap” shines a light on the self-contained universe of a metal band struggling to get back on the charts, including everything from its complicated history of ups and downs, gold albums, name changes and undersold concert dates, along with the full host of requisite groupies, promoters, hangers-on and historians, sessions, release events and those special behind-the-scenes moments that keep it all real.

Blue Thunder (1983)

Frank Murphy is a courageous and honourable Los Angeles police officer who is chosen to test run Blue Thunder, a high-tech experimental attack helicopter. While flying Blue Thunder, Murphy and his partner discover that the government intends to use the helicopter for corrupt crowd control and surveillance.

Arthur (1981)

Wealthy New York City playboy Arthur Bach (Dudley Moore) is perpetually drunk and completely rudderless. Dutifully supported by his sharp-tongued and quick-witted butler, Hobson (John Gielgud), Arthur reluctantly prepares to enter into an arranged marriage with heiress Susan Johnson (Jill Eikenberry). When he meets Linda Marolla (Liza Minnelli), a waitress from Queens, he falls head over heels in love, but if he backs out of his engagement with Susan, he may lose his fortune.

Blue Velvet (1986)

College student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) returns home after his father has a stroke. When he discovers a severed ear in an abandoned field, Beaumont teams up with detective’s daughter Sandy Williams (Laura Dern) to solve the mystery. They believe beautiful lounge singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) may be connected with the case, and Beaumont finds himself becoming drawn into her dark, twisted world, where he encounters sexually depraved psychopath Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper).

First Blood (1982)

Vietnam veteran and drifter John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) wanders into a small Washington town in search of an old friend, but is met with intolerance and brutality by the local sheriff, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy). When Teasle and his deputies restrain and shave Rambo, he flashes back to his time as a prisoner of war and unleashes his fury on the officers. He narrowly escapes the manhunt, but it will take his former commander (Richard Crenna) to save the hunters from the hunted.

Uncle Buck (1989)

“Uncle Buck” is a 1989 American comedy film written, directed by John Hughes, and starring John Candy and Amy Madigan with supporting roles by Jean Louisa Kelly, Macaulay Culkin, Gaby Hoffmann, Garrett M. Brown and Elaine Bromka.