Movies Of The 80's - 1987

 

Introduction

As an 80's music aficionado, I've found myself interested as of late in the world of 80's soundtracks. Be it scores, or various artist albums, I'm always on the lookout for a CD to add to my collection.

Of course, there are the staples. Top Gun, Footloose, Flashdance, Ghostbusters, and the list goes on and on. These albums have been a mainstay in my collection since relatively the start of it. But, this is just the tip of the iceberg, and I wanted to dive deeper.

The problem I quickly found was that while searching based on films that popped into my head randomly, I wasn't necessarily delving very far. After mulling it around for a while, I finally broke down and decided that to truly find just what was out there, I first had to educate myself on what films were out there.

It took months of cataloging, which was based on limited time between work and other obligations, but finally I was able to reach the finish line. Utilizing links to Wikipedia by year denoting the List of American Films of (insert year here), I created a series of posts with each movie poster, ad, or some form of representation for made for television movies, to have a reference guide. Now I could truly begin my search into just what soundtracks were out there.

Not wanting all this work to go to waste, I decided I would take the next several weeks to present to you the Movies of the 80's! We've already looked at the freshman year of the decade, and it continues here with 1987.

At this point, I have to concede that my track record with films of the 80's isn't pointing towards success in 1987. Though I'm sure I've seen a handful of them, I'm to the point where I doubt it's going to be many.

The Kruger train gets put back on track with the third installment, which also brings back original cast member Heather Langenkamp. It's the true sequel to the first films, and one of my favorites in the franchise.

Adventures in Babysitting is your typical over the top, only could have happened in the 80's films, but its a classic that deserves its place in history.

Every time I mention Amazon Women from the Moon, people look at me like I have two heads. I can't seriously be the only person on Earth who saw this movie. It's awesome! The Aresnio Hall sketch is my favorite, and one I still check out on Youtube every now and then.

I have the soundtrack for Back to the Beach, and I want to say that I even saw it in passing when my sister was watching it one day. However, I couldn't tell you anything about the film.

I eventually got around to seeing Beverly Hills Cop II a year or two ago. Honestly, I don't get the hype that was the franchise. It's far from Eddie Murphy's best work. I mean, it was okay, but nothing spectacular.

Man, I got duped into watching Born in East L.A. based on my, at the time, enthrallment with Cheech and Chong movies. This one was nothing like them, and a complete downer.

I'm pretty sure that I got subjected to watching Whoopi Goldberg's Burglar when my dad was around, and big into movie watching via his massive satellite dish in the back yard. Personally, I can't stand the woman. Didn't like her as a kid, don't liker her now.

Though I never would have equated it to the Beatles track in the 80's, I did see and enjoy Can't By Me Love as a kid. It's your typical boy wants girl who is out of his league story, a common trope from the era.

Hecks yeah I saw The Chipmunk Adventure as a kid, and you better believe I still watch it to this day. The Chipmunks have always been one of my favorite cartoons, and the movie is a classic. The story, the songs, everything all just comes together perfectly.

The story of how Dirty Dancing came to be, and then overtook the box office, is a great one. From a struggling movie production, to a cast that didn't get along, everything seemed destined for failure. While I didn't personally find the movie itself all that interesting, I can see why many people do / did, and it definitely deserves its place as an 80's icon.

Disorderlies, on the other hand, yeah, that's one for a niche audience. I mean, what's not to love about the Fat Boys heading up their own film? As a kid, I thought it was great. As an adult, it didn't age well.

Classic television series re-visioned for a new era. Check. Top tier casting of the 80's? Check. Great story? Well...It's passable. Dragnet certainly was an interesting revitalization of the franchise, but sadly, didn't punch hard enough to warrant any sequels. Critics were definitely kinder to the film than your average movie goer.

Raw is one of those classic comedy shows that I used to watch with the sound turned down as low as possible, while trying to stifle my laughter to draw any attention. I loved it as a kid, and this was probably boosted more by the fact that it wasn't something my parents would have at all let me sit through had they caught me.

A very young Christen Bale takes on the lead role for Empire of the Sun, a movie which the only thing I remember anything about is the chocolate bar that he finally gets. This was a film my dad owned on laserdisc which I tried my best to sit through with him. However, my young mind was not interested in it at all.

Quite the opposite of Empire of the Sun occurred with Ernest Goes to Camp. That's a classic film that deserves to be preserved in the halls of....well...wherever movies go to be preserved for eternity.

Evil Dead was the necessary...well, evil...to get to Army of Darkness. I understand why it's a cult classic, but seriously, is it really as good as people want to believe? I don't think so. I mean, I watched it, and coveted it in my "Evil Dead Trilogy" on VHS, but in hindsight, it's far from cinematic perfection.

I'm a half point kind of guy when it comes to Full Metal Jacket. I really enjoy the film when the cast is in boot camp, and quickly lose interest once they get to Vietnam.

Now we're talking. G.I. Joe the movie for the win. Cobra La may have had a silly name, but the characters were cool. Such a shame we never got a Pythona figure back in the day.

Garbage Pail Kids was a film I was excited to see as a kid, but sadly didn't get to go to the theaters for it. Between having a limited release, and getting pulled quickly from most places, I had to settle for the trust ol' satellite dish. Man was that film disappointing. The soundtrack sure has retained its secondary market value though.

I saw Good Morning Vietnam as a teenager when my dad owned it on Laserdisc, but it never really did anything for me, entertainment wise. Definitely not one I remember much of, or would have any interest in seeing again.

Hard Ticket to Hawaii was my continuing appreciation for Donna Speir and her fellow female co-stars. Definitely wasn't watching Andy Sidaris movies for the story.

Harry and the Hendersons should have been a bigger classic than it was. I watched it again, for the first time in over a decade (or two), during the pandemic. Still a great flick.

For a moment in time, Hellraiser was one of my favorite horror film franchise. I actually really liked part four, and may very well be alone in that category. The thing that stood out to me, and made it elevate above the rest, was that it wasn't a slasher flick. Rather, the "victims" in the story called upon their own sadistic tortures.

I've been wanting to see Inner Space again, but I can't find anywhere that it's streaming. I remember seeing it as a kid and thinking it was a good flick.

Jaws, The Revenge...a forgettable sequel in a franchise that ran its course two sequels prior.

La Bamba may very well be the first biopic I ever saw about a musician. Great flick. I watched it again a few years back, and really got the opportunity to appreciate it.

While I tried watching The Last Emperor with my dad when he owned it on Laserdisc, it never really help my attention. Him throwing his mouse against the temple walls was a deal breaker for my young mind.

If I think really hard, I remember very small fragments of Leonard Part 6. I want to say it was a good film, but I honestly don't remember the overall plot line.

I caught Less Than Zero several years ago, and was floored at the role that Robert Downey Jr. played. As someone who didn't really pay that close attention to him until Iron Man, I don't know if this flick was released during the height of his popularity, or during his decline.

It took me a few watching sessions of Lethal Weapon to really appreciate the film. In fact, I think I it wasn't until watching the sequel that I went back to the original and gave it another shot.

One of the few 007 films I saw during the year it was released, but I couldn't honestly tell you what the premise of The Living Daylights was.

Classic, classic, classic, and still one of my favorite movies of all time. The Lost Boys is epic, and a solid flick from start to finish. One of, if not THE best from the Corey's.

Mannequin...What a silly premise, but iconic movie. It's hard to hate on a film with such a solid soundtrack.

I remember right before getting to see Masters of the Universe that I got in big trouble with my dad, and he didn't take me. Thankfully, I eventually got to go. While I may have been alone in my mindset, I thought the film was awesome, and it's still one of my favorites.

Another one I'm probably alone on, I never actually liked The Monster Squad. I tried watching it several times from child to adulthood, and I just can't get into it.

Hey, now there's three in a row that I actually saw back in the 80's! However, between Outrageous Fortune, Over the Top, and Overboard, the latter is the one I remember the most vividly.

When I saw Planes, Trains and Automobiles as a kid, I really didn't get the jokes. I know it's considered one of the greatest comedies of all time, but I don't think I was old enough to really appreciate it.

Now Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol, is another story. It's my all time favorite in the series, and one I can, and have, watched over and over again. Zed and Sweetchuck for the win!

Predator may have launched a franchise, but it was never a movie I game much of a second thought to. To me, it was just another throw away action flick. Good for popcorn, explosions, and catch phrases.

It was the sequel I was most excited for since seeing the trailer for Return of the Jedi. Revenge of the Nerds II may have been the beginning of the end for the franchise, but to this day remains one of my favorites. I thought it was equally good, and perhaps even slightly better, than the first.

It was always difficult for me to watch Robocop as a kid, though I did. The sheer violence to my young eyes was cringe worthy. It made such an impact that to this day, I don't think I could sit through it with open eyes.

Another Steve Martin film that was labeled a classic, and that I don't see what all the fuss is about was Roxanne. Wow...A guy with a big nose. Hilarious?

Fun fact. Gus Rethwisch was the husband of my brother's fourth (or fifth) grade teacher. He played Buzzsaw in The Running Man.

I watched Some Kind of Wonderful on Amazon Prime last year. Of the 80's flicks that often make lists, I wasn't that impressed with it. Cookie cutter story and formula. Soundtrack was pretty unmemorable too.

I vividly remember seeing Spaceballs in theaters, and loving every minute of it. For the longest time, I also owned over a dozen variants on home video, back when I was collecting Star Wars home video releases. Mel Brooks has a tone of classics. This one will always be my favorite.

Summer School was one of those cult classics of the 80's. I saw it quite a few times, and wouldn't mind seeing it again. I'd also like the soundtrack, but that is proving difficult to get my hands on.

Then there was Superman IV. A perfect example of why Cannon films has no business touching franchises.

Teen Wolf Too was kind of more of the same, but with a new 80's heartthrob. If you asked me now what it was about, I couldn't tell you much beyond a teenage boy who turns into a wolf.

Does anyone remember that conspiracy about the ghost boy who was seen in Three Men and A Baby? That's about the only thing I remember about the film in 2023.

So many times I watched Three O'Clock High. Another cult classic from the 80's that everyone should see. I don't buy movies, but if I did, this one would be in my collection, regardless of the cost.

I was too young to appreciate the cast that was Throw Mama From the Train. I really want to see this one again so that I can take it in from an adult perspective.

The Untouchables is a film I had to see a few times to appreciate. Once I finally got what the hype was, it became a favorite.

I don't know if I've seen Who's That Girl. I get Madonna movies confused.

Okay, you have to admit, if you've been reading the posts leading up to 1987, that I did far better with this year than prior. It makes me hopeful that 1988 will be even more profitable. I look forward to finding out next week!

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