And as far as catching up and watching the nominations, again as a PSA please make use of JustWatch.com and check whether you can find a movie you're unfamiliar with on streaming. It's not always 100% accurate sadly (for instance it doesn't list Return of the Jedi as available on Disney+ but does list it for Empire, weird). And also do also check the free ad-supported streaming services like Crackle, Tubi, or Vudu, which it also doesn't catch usually.
For everyone's convenience I took our list and linked each movie to its Letterboxd page. In addition to seeing the information about the film plus ratings and reviews by critics and fellow film peeps, the sidebar also links you to JustWatch, so this should be a nice way for anybody looking to catch up before voting (click to JW logo to be taken there, the sidebar doesn't list every available source). I've also sorted all the movies alphabetically:
- 48 Hrs. (1982), dir. Walter Hill
- 9 to 5 (1980), dir. Colin Higgins
- 9½ Weeks (1986), dir. Adrian Lyne
- A Better Tomorrow (1986), dir. John Woo
- A Christmas Story (1983), dir. Bob Clark
- A Fish Called Wanda (1988), dir. Charles Crichton
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), dir. Wes Craven
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), dir. Chuck Russell
- After Hours (1985), dir. Martin Scorsese
- Airplane! (1980), dir. David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams
- Akira (1988). dir. Katsuhiro Otomo
- Aliens (1986), dir. James Cameron
- Amadeus (1984), dir. Miloš Forman
- An American Tail (1986), dir. Don Bluth
- An American Werewolf in London (1981), dir. John Landis
- An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), dir. Taylor Hackford
- Angel Heart (1987), dir. Alan Parker
- Au Revoir les Enfants (1987), dir. Louis Malle
- Back to the Future (1985), dir. Robert Zemeckis
- Back to the Future Part II (1989), dir. Robert Zemeckis
- Batman (1989), dir. Tim Burton
- Beetlejuice (1988), dir. Tim Burton
- Better Off Dead (1985), dir. Savage Steve Holland
- Beverly Hills Cop (1984), dir. Martin Brest
- Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), dir. Tony Scott
- Big (1988), dir. Penny Marshall
- Big Trouble in Little China (1986), dir. John Carpenter
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), dir. Stephen Herek
- Blade Runner (1982), dir. Ridley Scott
- Blood Simple (1984), dir. Joel Coen
- Bloodsport (1988), dir. Newt Arnold
- Blow Out (1981), dir. Brian De Palma
- Blue Velvet (1986), dir. David Lynch
- Body Double (1984), dir. Brian De Palma
- Born on the Fourth of July (1989), dir. Oliver Stone
- Brazil (1985), dir. Terry Gilliam
- Broadcast News (1987), dir. James L. Brooks
- Bull Durham (1988), dir. Ron Shelton
- Caddyshack (1980), dir. Harold Ramis
- Castle in the Sky (1986), dir. Hayao Miyazaki
- Children of a Lesser God (1986), dir. Randa Haines
- Child's Play (1988), dir. Tom Holland
- Christine (1983), dir. John Carpenter
- Cinema Paradiso (1988), dir. Giuseppe Tornatore
- Clash of the Titans (1981), dir. Desmond Davies
- Clue (1985), dir. Jonathan Lynn
- Cocoon (1985), dir. Ron Howard
- Come and See (1985), dir. Elem Klimov
- Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982), dir. Robert Altman
- Coming to America (1988), dir. John Landis
- Commando (1985), dir. Mark L. Lester
- Conan the Barbarian (1982), dir. John Milius
- Creepshow (1982), dir. George A. Romero
- Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), dir. Woody Allen
- Das Boot (1981), dir. Wolfgang Petersen
- Dead Poets Society (1989), dir. Peter Weir
- Dead Ringers (1988), dir. David Cronenberg
- Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), dir. Susan Seidelman
- Die Hard (1988), dir. John McTiernan
- Dirty Dancing (1987), dir. Emile Ardolino
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), dir. Frank Oz
- Do the Right Thing (1989), dir. Spike Lee
- Driving Miss Daisy (1989), dir. Bruce Beresford
- Drugstore Cowboy (1989), dir. Gus Van Sant
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), dir. Steven Spielberg
- Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988), dir. James Signorelli
- Escape from New York (1981), dir. John Carpenter
- Evil Dead II (1987), dir. Sam Raimi
- Excalibur (1981), dir. John Boorman
- Fanny and Alexander (1982), dir. Ingmar Bergman
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). dir. Amy Heckerling
- Fatal Attraction (1987), dir. Adrian Lyne
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), dir. John Hughes
- Field of Dreams (1989), dir. Phil Alden Robinson
- First Blood (1982), dir. Ted Kotcheff
- Fitzcarraldo (1982), dir. Werner Herzog
- Flashdance (1983), dir. Adrian Lyne
- Footloose (1984), dir. Herbert Ross
- For Your Eyes Only (1981), dir. John Glen
- Friday the 13th (1980), dir. Sean S. Cunningham
- Full Metal Jacket (1987), dir. Stanley Kubrick
- Funny Farm (1988), dir. George Roy Hill
- Gallipoli (1981), dir. Peter Weir
- Ghostbusters (1984), dir. Ivan Reitman
- Glory (1989), dir. Edward Zwick
- Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), dir. Barry Levinson
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988), dir. Isao Takahata
- Gremlins (1984), dir. Joe Dante
- Hairspray (1988), dir. John Waters
- Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), dir. Woody Allen
- Heathers (1988), dir. Michael Lehmann
- Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), dir. John McNaughton
- Highlander (1986), dir. Russell Mulcahy
- Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), dir. Joe Johnston
- House of Games (1987), dir. David Mamet
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), dir. Steven Spielberg
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), dir. Steven Spielberg
- Innerspace (1987), dir. Joe Dante
- Just One of the Guys (1985), dir. Lisa Gottlieb
- Kickboxer (1989), dir. Mark di Salle and David Worth
- Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), dir. Hayao Miyazaki
- Koyaanisqatsi (1982), dir. Godfrey Reggio
- Labyrinth (1986), dir. Jim Henson
- Ladyhawke (1985), dir. Richard Donner
- Legend (1985), dir. Ridley Scott
- Lethal Weapon (1987), dir. Richard Donner
- Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), dir. Richard Donner
- Little Shop of Horrors (1986), dir. Frank Oz
- Lucas (1986), dir. David Seltzer
- Mad Max 2 (1981), dir. George Miller
- Major League (1989), dir. David S. Ward
- Manhunter (1986), dir. Michael Mann
- Midnight Run (1988), dir. Martin Brest
- Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983), dir. Terry Jones
- Moonstruck (1987), dir. Norman Jewison
- Ms .45 (1981), dir. Abel Ferrara
- My Left Foot (1989), dir. Jim Sheridan
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988), dir. Hayao Miyazaki
- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), dir. Jeremiah S. Chechik
- National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), dir. Harold Ramis
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), dir. Hayao Miyazaki
- Near Dark (1987), dir. Kathryn Bigelow
- Night Shift (1982), dir. Ron Howard
- Nostalghia (1983), dir. Andrei Tarkovsky
- Once Upon a Time in America (1984), dir. Sergio Leone
- Opera (1987), dir. Dario Argento
- Ordinary People (1980), dir. Robert Redford
- Overboard (1987), dir. Garry Marshall
- Pale Rider (1985), dir. Clint Eastwood
- Paris, Texas (1984), dir. Wim Wenders
- Pet Sematary (1989), dir. Mary Lambert
- Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), dir. John Hughes
- Platoon (1986), dir. Oliver Stone
- Police Academy (1984), dir. Hugh Wilson
- Police Story (1985); dir. Jackie Chan
- Poltergeist (1982), dir. Tobe Hooper
- Porky's (1981), dir. Bob Clark
- Possession (1981), dir. Andrzej Zulawski
- Predator (1987), dir. John McTiernan
- Pretty in Pink (1986), dir. Howard Deutch
- Raging Bull (1980), dir. Martin Scorsese
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), dir. Steven Spielberg
- Rain Man (1988), dir. Barry Levinson
- Raising Arizona (1987), dir. Joel Coen
- Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), dir. George P. Cosmatos
- Ran (1985), dir. Akira Kurosawa
- Real Genius (1985), dir. Martha Coolidge
- Re-Animator (1985), dir. Stuart Gordon
- Red Dawn (1984), dir. John Milius
- Return of the Jedi (1983), dir. Richard Marquand
- Revenge of the Nerds (1984), dir. Jeff Kanew
- Risky Business (1983), dir. Paul Brickman
- Robocop (1987), dir. Paul Verhoeven
- Rocky III (1982), dir. Sylvester Stallone
- Rocky IV (1985), dir. Sylvester Stallone
- Romancing the Stone (1984), dir. Robert Zemeckis
- Santa Sangre (1989), dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky
- Say Anything (1989), dir. Cameron Crowe
- Scanners (1981), dir. David Cronenberg
- Scarface (1983), dir. Brian De Palma
- Scrooged (1988), dir. Richard Donner
- See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), dir. Arthur Hiller
- Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989), dir. Steven Soderbergh
- Short Circuit (1986), dir. John Badham
- Sixteen Candles (1984), dir. John Hughes
- Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), dir. Howard Deutch
- Spaceballs (1987), dir. Mel Brooks
- Splash (1984), dir. Ron Howard
- St. Elmo's Fire (1985), dir. Joel Schumacher
- Stand by Me (1986), dir. Rob Reiner
- Steel Magnolias (1989), dir. Herbert Ross
- Stripes (1981), dir. Ivan Reitman
- Sudden Impact (1983), dir. Clint Eastwood
- Summer School (1987), dir. Carl Reiner
- Superman II (1980), dir. Richard Lester
- Taps (1981), dir. Harold Becker
- Teen Wolf (1985), dir. Rod Daniel
- Tenebre (1982), dir. Dario Argento
- Terms of Endearment (1986), dir. James L. Brooks
- The Abyss (1989), dir. James Cameron
- The Bear (1988), dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud
- The Big Chill (1983), dir. Lawrence Kasdan
- The Blob (1988), dir. Chuck Russell
- The Blue Lagoon (1980), dir. Randal Kleiser
- The Blues Brothers (1980), dir. John Landis
- The Breakfast Club (1985), dir. John Hughes
- The 'Burbs (1989), dir. Joe Dante
- The Color Purple (1982), dir. Steven Spielberg
- The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), dir. Peter Greenaway
- The Dark Crystal (1982), dir. Jim Henson and Frank Oz
- The Dead Zone (1983), dir. David Cronenberg
- The Elephant Man (1980), dir. David Lynch
- The Empire Strikes Back (1980), dir. Irvin Kershner
- The Evil Dead (1981), dir. Sam Raimi
- The Fly (1986), dir. David Cronenberg
- The Goonies (1985), dir. Richard Donner
- The Hitcher (1986), dir. Robert Harmon
- The Hunger (1983), dir. Tony Scott
- The Karate Kid (1984), dir. John G. Avildsen
- The Killer (1989), dir. John Woo
- The Killing Fields (1984), dir. Roland Joffé
- The King of Comedy (1982), dir. Martin Scorsese
- The Land Before Time (1988), dir. Don Bluth
- The Last Emperor (1987), dir. Bernardo Bertolucci
- The Last Starfighter (1984), dir. Nick Castle
- The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), dir. Martin Scorsese
- The Last Unicorn (1982). dir. Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass
- The Little Mermaid (1989), dir. Ron Clements and John Musker
- The Lost Boys (1987), dir. Joel Schumacher
- The Naked Gun (1988), dir. David Zucker
- The Name of the Rose (1986), dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud
- The Neverending Story (1984), dir. Wolfgang Peterson
- The Outsiders (1983), dir. Francis Ford Coppola
- The Princess Bride (1987), dir. Rob Reiner
- The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), dir. Woody Allen
- The Running Man (1987), dir. Paul Michael Glaser
- The Secret of NIMH (1982), dir. Don Bluth
- The Seventh Continent (1989), dir. Michael Haneke
- The Shining (1980), dir. Stanley Kubrick
- The Terminator (1984), dir. James Cameron
- The Thing (1982), dir. John Carpenter
- The Toxic Avenger (1984), dir. Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), dir. Philip Kaufman
- The Untouchables (1987), dir. Brian De Palma
- The Vanishing (1988), dir. George Sluizer
- The Verdict (1982), dir. Sidney Lumet
- The Wall (1982), dir. Alan Parker
- The Witches of Eastwick (1987), dir. George Miller
- They Live (1988), dir. John Carpenter
- This is Spinal Tap (1984), dir. Rob Reiner
- Three Amigos (1986), dir. John Landis
- Time Bandits (1981), dir. Terry Gilliam
- To Live and Die in LA (1985), dir. William Friedkin
- Tootsie (1982), dir. Sydney Pollack
- Top Gun (1986), dir. Tony Scott
- Top Secret! (1984), dir. David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams
- Trading Places (1983), dir. John Landis
- Tron (1982), dir. Steven Lisberger
- Turner & Hooch (1989), dir. Roger Spottiswoode
- Twins (1988), dir. Ivan Reitman
- Uncle Buck (1989), dir. John Hughes
- Vagabond (1985), dir. Agnès Varda
- Valley Girl (1983), dir. Martha Coolidge
- Videodrome (1983), dir. David Cronenberg
- Wall Street (1987), dir. Oliver Stone
- Wargames (1983), dir. John Badham
- Weekend at Bernie's (1989), dir. Ted Kotcheff
- Weird Science (1985), dir. John Hughes
- When Harry Met Sally (1989), dir. Rob Reiner
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), dir. Robert Zemeckis
- Willow (1988), dir. Ron Howard
- Wings of Desire (1987), dir. Wim Wenders
- Withnail and I (1987), dir. Bruce Robinson
- Witness (1985), dir. Peter Weir
- Working Girl (1988), dir. Mike Nichols
- Xanadu (1980), dir. Robert Greenwald
I'm far from a film buff to begin with and I don't watch foreign films at all so unless it had a pretty wide release in the US, it's probably never been on my radar.Originally Posted by mae
How is it possible to not have heard of an '80s movie?
Just looking at my list, here's a couple that I've never heard of:
Grave of the Fireflies
Vagabond
Kiki's Delivery Service
Santa Sangre
Au Revoir les Enfants
Koyaanisqatsi
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
There are also quite a few big Hollywood movies that I've definitely heard of but just never got around to watching.
Hearts are tough, she said, most times hearts don't break, and I'm sure that's right . . . but what about then? What about who we were then? What about hearts in Atlantis?
You've never heard of movies like Grave of the Fireflies or Kiki's Delivery Service? How? How is that possible? I am completely shocked! What about Studio Ghibli in general? While it is a Japanese animation studio, their output was a huge cultural touchstone, especially in the 1990s and 2000s when their US rights were held by Disney.
But that's what so great about these tournaments. We strive to nominate what we feel are the best movies given the criteria and that allows others to discover gems they didn't know about before!
Studio Ghibli sounds familiar and looking at their Wiki page I have heard of Spirited Away. Other than that I know almost nothing about Japanese/anime style movies other than what my kids have talked about.
They are very, very into anime. They even dress up in cosplay and go to conventions all the time.
Hearts are tough, she said, most times hearts don't break, and I'm sure that's right . . . but what about then? What about who we were then? What about hearts in Atlantis?
Their movies are not just anime, they’re pure art. I would highly recommend checking them out! So imaginative and beautiful.
Probably never heard of Santa Sangre because it got an NC-17 rating but it was released in the US and is in English. That director's biggest claim to fame is arguably El Topo which became a midnight movie for a while. I love Jodorowsky. His films are definitely not your every day fare.I'm far from a film buff to begin with and I don't watch foreign films at all so unless it had a pretty wide release in the US, it's probably never been on my radar.How is it possible to not have heard of an '80s movie?
Just looking at my list, here's a couple that I've never heard of:
Grave of the Fireflies
Vagabond
Kiki's Delivery Service
Santa Sangre
Au Revoir les Enfants
Koyaanisqatsi
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
There are also quite a few big Hollywood movies that I've definitely heard of but just never got around to watching.
And damnit, just remembered My Dinner with Andre 1981, I have to work from a list next time.
Yes, I find making lists is helpful. Also I’m very OCD so it’s just a thing I do for relaxation. Letterboxd is great for that kinda thing!
Perhaps a chat for another time and a different thread: why are all animated Japanese movies considered anime? Grave of the Fireflies and especially Nausicaa aren't movies I'd consider anime at all. They're just Japanese animated movies (or cartoons, whatever).
I mentioned Nausicaa because it looks more European than Japanese. I'm referring specifically to Jean "Moebius" Giraud and his influence on Nausicaa. I discovered Moebius before Studio Ghibli so when Nausicaa on her flier make their first appearance I had a Wait a minute moment. Check it out, Miyazaki talks about Moebius's influence on Nausicaa:
http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/int..._moebious.html
There's also a video of Miyazaki and Giraud having a conversation about this on YouTube.
Quote from Wikipedia for what it's worth...Perhaps a chat for another time and a different thread: why are all animated Japanese movies considered anime? Grave of the Fireflies and especially Nausicaa aren't movies I'd consider anime at all. They're just Japanese animated movies (or cartoons, whatever).
I mentioned Nausicaa because it looks more European than Japanese. I'm referring specifically to Jean "Moebius" Giraud and his influence on Nausicaa. I discovered Moebius before Studio Ghibli so when Nausicaa on her flier make their first appearance I had a Wait a minute moment. Check it out, Miyazaki talks about Moebius's influence on Nausicaa:
http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/int..._moebious.html
There's also a video of Miyazaki and Giraud having a conversation about this on YouTube.
"The word anime is the Japanese term for animation, which means all forms of animated media..."
I too have never heard of any of the movies listed by Iwritecode, nor have I heard Studio Ghibli (not into Anime).
I have about 44 or so I have never heard of (maybe another half dozen, that just vaguely rang a bell). Think I have only seen in the upper 90's of these, but there is probably another 10-20 that I know I have seen parts of, but cant remember if I saw the whole movie.
I think a lot of my votes will be based on vague recollections of how I felt about the movie as I have forgotten so much about these movies.
Wanted:
'Salem's Lot Portfolio #606
Fairy Tale UK S/L
The tournament takes time, so there is plenty of opportunity to revisit a movie that you maybe have only seen back in the '80s or '90s. The last polls of Round 1 won't be posted until February 7.
Ive seen almost 200 of the films
HELP ME FIND
Insomnia #459
ANY S/L #459
I've seen 208 of these films. Most in the theatre.
Wanted: Human skin edition of The Book of the Dead. Will accept PC copy.
I'm pretty sure I've seen 10 of them at least 20 times each...
I have to agree with ya. Haha me to man
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
HELP ME FIND
Insomnia #459
ANY S/L #459
You really are the shit.
Check out my website: PopCulturedwithMovieMike
Add me on Letterboxd: https://www.letterboxd.com/MovieMike80/
I suck. We suck. I feel like an idiot for not having this film on my list. I don't think I even saw anyone mention it either but it just dawned on me that The Color of Money wasn't nominated.
Check out my website: PopCulturedwithMovieMike
Add me on Letterboxd: https://www.letterboxd.com/MovieMike80/
There is just no way to fit every movie in. We only had 256 spots
I thought the same thing last night. Mae goes out of her for us and I thank her for it.You really are the shit.
Hey hey don't be rude ese.You really are utter shit.
It was on my list, but there was only so much time.
It's arguably Scorsese's worst film of the 80s (lowest rated on IMDB) and not as good as Rossen's The Hustler, just my opinion.
What kills me is that with a quick go through I see about 21 films that are pretty much "schlock." I shouldn't be able to see 10% "schlock." I guess that one man's "schlock" is another mans art.
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