And here we go!
This is the nominations thread for the third portion of The Great Movie Tournament (third of ten) where we'll nominate and second our favorite movies for the decade of the 1980s (from 1980 to 1989). For our purposes, an eligible film must be a feature narrative film (no short films or documentaries) and its first release date must be between January 1, 1980 and December 31, 1989 according to IMDb (sometimes films will premiere at festivals one year but have a wide release the following year; we'll use the IMDb and Wikipedia convention of the year of initial exhibition).
Participation is very much encouraged and extremely welcomed, but please do follow these guidelines for this nomination process (subject to adjustment):
- You can nominate one film per post, and you can nominate another film after five other members have made their nominations.
- You can second one film per post, and you can second another film after two other members have made their seconds.
- If possible, please include a trailer and/or a scene from the film using Spoiler tags (this version and delete the s in https for YouTube links when embedding a video, making sure to use the full URL from the address bar, not the sharing link).
- Nominations can also be optionally accompanied by year of release and director.
Once 256 nominated films have been seconded, the tournament will begin, following the structure shown below (an overall event overview thread is posted with links to all the polls so members can easily navigate during the tournament). Each poll will be open for 7 days and any tiebreaker polls will be open for 4 days.
- Round 1: 32 groups of 8 titles - top 6 move on
- Round 2: 32 groups of 6 titles - top 4 move on
- Round 3: 32 groups of 4 titles - top 2 move on
- Round 4: 16 groups of 4 titles - top 2 move on
- Round 5: 16 groups of 2 titles - top 1 moves on
- Octofinals: 8 groups of 2 titles - top 1 moves on
- Quarterfinals: 4 groups of 2 titles - top 1 moves on
- Semifinals: 2 groups of 2 titles - top 1 moves on
- Final: 1 group of 2 titles - top 1 is the winner
This post will be updated with the list of nominated and seconded titles as they come in. You can also keep up to date with this handy Google Sheet.
Enjoy and have fun!
List of seconded films:
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988), dir. Isao Takahata
- The Terminator (1984), dir. James Cameron
- Do the Right Thing (1989), dir. Spike Lee
- Spaceballs (1987), dir. Mel Brooks
- Blade Runner (1982), dir. Ridley Scott
- Amadeus (1984), dir. Miloš Forman
- Heathers (1988), dir. Michael Lehmann
- The Shining (1980), dir. Stanley Kubrick
- Ran (1985), dir. Akira Kurosawa
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), dir. Steven Spielberg
- The Killer (1989), dir. John Woo
- Wings of Desire (1987), dir. Wim Wenders
- The Thing (1982), dir. John Carpenter
- Aliens (1986), dir. James Cameron
- Die Hard (1988), dir. John McTiernan
- Full Metal Jacket (1987), dir. Stanley Kubrick
- The Empire Strikes Back (1980), dir. Irvin Kershner
- Beetlejuice (1988), dir. Tim Burton
- Ordinary People (1980), dir. Robert Redford
- Ghostbusters (1984), dir. Ivan Reitman
- Back to the Future (1985), dir. Robert Zemeckis
- Stand by Me (1986), dir. Rob Reiner
- The Untouchables (1987), dir. Brian De Palma
- Vagabond (1985), dir. Agnès Varda
- The Breakfast Club (1985), dir. John Hughes
- Raging Bull (1980), dir. Martin Scorsese
- Das Boot (1981), dir. Wolfgang Petersen
- After Hours (1985), dir. Martin Scorsese
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). dir. Amy Heckerling
- The Princess Bride (1987), dir. Rob Reiner
- The Fly (1986), dir. David Cronenberg
- Labyrinth (1986), dir. Jim Henson
- Dead Poets Society (1989), dir. Peter Weir
- E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), dir. Steven Spielberg
- A Christmas Story (1983), dir. Bob Clark
- Blue Velvet (1986), dir. David Lynch
- Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), dir. Hayao Miyazaki
- Lethal Weapon (1987), dir. Richard Donner
- Santa Sangre (1989), dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky
- Scarface (1983), dir. Brian De Palma
- The Abyss (1989), dir. James Cameron
- Wall Street (1987), dir. Oliver Stone
- Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), dir. Steven Spielberg
- An American Werewolf in London (1981), dir. John Landis
- Beverly Hills Cop (1984), dir. Martin Brest
- The Goonies (1985), dir. Richard Donner
- Superman II (1980), dir. Richard Lester
- Au Revoir les Enfants (1987), dir. Louis Malle
- A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), dir. Wes Craven
- Return of the Jedi (1983), dir. Richard Marquand
- Raising Arizona (1987), dir. Joel Coen
- Robocop (1987), dir. Paul Verhoeven
- Top Gun (1986), dir. Tony Scott
- Field of Dreams (1989), dir. Phil Alden Robinson
- Airplane! (1980), dir. David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams
- Koyaanisqatsi (1982), dir. Godfrey Reggio
- Dirty Dancing (1987), dir. Emile Ardolino
- The Elephant Man (1980), dir. David Lynch
- Mad Max 2 (1981), dir. George Miller
- Evil Dead II (1987), dir. Sam Raimi
- The Lost Boys (1987), dir. Joel Schumacher
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), dir. Steven Spielberg
- This is Spinal Tap (1984), dir. Rob Reiner
- Platoon (1986), dir. Oliver Stone
- Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), dir. Woody Allen
- Batman (1989), dir. Tim Burton
- National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), dir. Harold Ramis
- Come and See (1985), dir. Elem Klimov
- Gremlins (1984), dir. Joe Dante
- Rain Man (1988), dir. Barry Levinson
- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), dir. Jeremiah S. Chechik
- The Wall (1982), dir. Alan Parker
- Predator (1987), dir. John McTiernan
- Opera (1987), dir. Dario Argento
- Cinema Paradiso (1988), dir. Giuseppe Tornatore
- Child's Play (1988), dir. Tom Holland
- Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), dir. Robert Zemeckis
- Commando (1985), dir. Mark L. Lester
- The Evil Dead (1981), dir. Sam Raimi
- Brazil (1985), dir. Terry Gilliam
- Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987), dir. John Hughes
- Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), dir. John Hughes
- The Karate Kid (1984), dir. John G. Avildsen
- The Color Purple (1982), dir. Steven Spielberg
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), dir. Stephen Herek
- Tootsie (1982), dir. Sydney Pollack
- Ms .45 (1981), dir. Abel Ferrara
- Big (1988), dir. Penny Marshall
- The Vanishing (1988), dir. George Sluizer
- Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), dir. Hayao Miyazaki
- Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), dir. Howard Deutch
- Wargames (1983), dir. John Badham
- Legend (1985), dir. Ridley Scott
- The Seventh Continent (1989), dir. Michael Haneke
- Caddyshack (1980), dir. Harold Ramis
- Pale Rider (1985), dir. Clint Eastwood
- Coming to America (1988), dir. John Landis
- Poltergeist (1982), dir. Tobe Hooper
- The Neverending Story (1984), dir. Wolfgang Peterson
- Glory (1989), dir. Edward Zwick
- The Blues Brothers (1980), dir. John Landis
- Teen Wolf (1985), dir. Rod Daniel
- Rocky IV (1985), dir. Sylvester Stallone
- Clue (1985), dir. Jonathan Lynn
- The King of Comedy (1982), dir. Martin Scorsese
- Big Trouble in Little China (1986), dir. John Carpenter
- Escape from New York (1981), dir. John Carpenter
- Once Upon a Time in America (1984), dir. Sergio Leone
- My Neighbor Totoro (1988), dir. Hayao Miyazaki
- When Harry Met Sally (1989), dir. Rob Reiner
- Funny Farm (1988), dir. George Roy Hill
- Weird Science (1985), dir. John Hughes
- Back to the Future Part II (1989), dir. Robert Zemeckis
- Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), dir. Susan Seidelman
- They Live (1988), dir. John Carpenter
- The Naked Gun (1988), dir. David Zucker
- Angel Heart (1987), dir. Alan Parker
- Trading Places (1983), dir. John Landis
- The 'Burbs (1989), dir. Joe Dante
- Pretty in Pink (1986), dir. Howard Deutch
- Short Circuit (1986), dir. John Badham
- A Fish Called Wanda (1988), dir. Charles Crichton
- See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), dir. Arthur Hiller
- The Running Man (1987), dir. Paul Michael Glaser
- The Dead Zone (1983), dir. David Cronenberg
- Porky's (1981), dir. Bob Clark
- Videodrome (1983), dir. David Cronenberg
- Three Amigos (1986), dir. John Landis
- Red Dawn (1984), dir. John Milius
- Steel Magnolias (1989), dir. Herbert Ross
- Creepshow (1982), dir. George A. Romero
- Tenebre (1982), dir. Dario Argento
- Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982), dir. Robert Altman
- Fanny and Alexander (1982), dir. Ingmar Bergman
- The Little Mermaid (1989), dir. Ron Clements and John Musker
- Lucas (1986), dir. David Seltzer
- To Live and Die in LA (1985), dir. William Friedkin
- Uncle Buck (1989), dir. John Hughes
- Willow (1988), dir. Ron Howard
- Akira (1988). dir. Katsuhiro Otomo
- Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), dir. George P. Cosmatos
- Possession (1981), dir. Andrzej Żuławski
- Risky Business (1983), dir. Paul Brickman
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), dir. Chuck Russell
- Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), dir. Woody Allen
- Summer School (1987), dir. Carl Reiner
- First Blood (1982), dir. Ted Kotcheff
- The Last Starfighter (1984), dir. Nick Castle
- Midnight Run (1988), dir. Martin Brest
- Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), dir. Barry Levinson
- Just One of the Guys (1985), dir. Lisa Gottlieb
- Conan the Barbarian (1982), dir. John Milius
- Terms of Endearment (1986), dir. James L. Brooks
- Flashdance (1983), dir. Adrian Lyne
- The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989), dir. Peter Greenaway
- The Bear (1988), dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud
- Born on the Fourth of July (1989), dir. Oliver Stone
- Re-Animator (1985), dir. Stuart Gordon
- Broadcast News (1987), dir. James L. Brooks
- Clash of the Titans (1981), dir. Desmond Davies
- St. Elmo's Fire (1985), dir. Joel Schumacher
- Rocky III (1982), dir. Sylvester Stallone
- Time Bandits (1981), dir. Terry Gilliam
- Scrooged (1988), dir. Richard Donner
- The Secret of NIMH (1982), dir. Don Bluth
- 9½ Weeks (1986), dir. Adrian Lyne
- The Name of the Rose (1986), dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud
- Christine (1983), dir. John Carpenter
- Scanners (1981), dir. David Cronenberg
- Splash (1984), dir. Ron Howard
- Overboard (1987), dir. Garry Marshall
- Valley Girl (1983), dir. Martha Coolidge
- Nostalghia (1983), dir. Andrei Tarkovsky
- Twins (1988), dir. Ivan Reitman
- Sixteen Candles (1984), dir. John Hughes
- Drugstore Cowboy (1989), dir. Gus Van Sant
- The Dark Crystal (1982), dir. Jim Henson and Frank Oz
- Excalibur (1981), dir. John Boorman
- Little Shop of Horrors (1986), dir. Frank Oz
- An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), dir. Taylor Hackford
- Fatal Attraction (1987), dir. Adrian Lyne
- The Outsiders (1983), dir. Francis Ford Coppola
- The Last Unicorn (1982). dir. Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass
- Better Off Dead (1985), dir. Savage Steve Holland
- The Big Chill (1983), dir. Lawrence Kasdan
- The Verdict (1982), dir. Sidney Lumet
- The Blob (1988), dir. Chuck Russell
- Bull Durham (1988), dir. Ron Shelton
- Sudden Impact (1983), dir. Clint Eastwood
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988), dir. Philip Kaufman
- The Hunger (1983), dir. Tony Scott
- Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989), dir. Steven Soderbergh
- For Your Eyes Only (1981), dir. John Glen
- Romancing the Stone (1984), dir. Robert Zemeckis
- Body Double (1984), dir. Brian De Palma
- Police Academy (1984), dir. Hugh Wilson
- Footloose (1984), dir. Herbert Ross
- Moonstruck (1987), dir. Norman Jewison
- Friday the 13th (1980), dir. Sean S. Cunningham
- My Left Foot (1989), dir. Jim Sheridan
- The Killing Fields (1984), dir. Roland Joffé
- An American Tail (1986), dir. Don Bluth
- Bloodsport (1988), dir. Newt Arnold
- Fitzcarraldo (1982), dir. Werner Herzog
- Innerspace (1987), dir. Joe Dante
- Highlander (1986), dir. Russell Mulcahy
- Blood Simple (1984), dir. Joel Coen
- A Better Tomorrow (1986), dir. John Woo
- House of Games (1987), dir. David Mamet
- The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), dir. Woody Allen
- Withnail and I (1987), dir. Bruce Robinson
- Paris, Texas (1984), dir. Wim Wenders
- The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), dir. Martin Scorsese
- The Blue Lagoon (1980), dir. Randal Kleiser
- Weekend at Bernie's (1989), dir. Ted Kotcheff
- Say Anything (1989), dir. Cameron Crowe
- Castle in the Sky (1986), dir. Hayao Miyazaki
- Pet Sematary (1989), dir. Mary Lambert
- Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), dir. Richard Donner
- Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), dir. Tony Scott
- Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), dir. Joe Johnston
- The Hitcher (1986), dir. Robert Harmon
- Children of a Lesser God (1986), dir. Randa Haines
- Taps (1981), dir. Harold Becker
- Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983), dir. Terry Jones
- The Land Before Time (1988), dir. Don Bluth
- Top Secret! (1984), dir. David and Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams
- Gallipoli (1981), dir. Peter Weir
- Major League (1989), dir. David S. Ward
- The Witches of Eastwick (1987), dir. George Miller
- Blow Out (1981), dir. Brian De Palma
- Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988), dir. James Signorelli
- Xanadu (1980), dir. Robert Greenwald
- Dead Ringers (1988), dir. David Cronenberg
- 9 to 5 (1980), dir. Colin Higgins
- Ladyhawke (1985), dir. Richard Donner
- 48 Hrs. (1982), dir. Walter Hill
- Real Genius (1985), dir. Martha Coolidge
- Hairspray (1988), dir. John Waters
- Revenge of the Nerds (1984), dir. Jeff Kanew
- Police Story (1985); dir. Jackie Chan
- Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), dir. Frank Oz
- Witness (1985), dir. Peter Weir
- Driving Miss Daisy (1989), dir. Bruce Beresford
- Working Girl (1988), dir. Mike Nichols
- Stripes (1981), dir. Ivan Reitman
- The Last Emperor (1987), dir. Bernardo Bertolucci
- Near Dark (1987), dir. Kathryn Bigelow
- Tron (1982), dir. Steven Lisberger
- Manhunter (1986), dir. Michael Mann
- Night Shift (1982), dir. Ron Howard
- Kickboxer (1989), dir. Mark di Salle and David Worth
- Cocoon (1985), dir. Ron Howard
- Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986), dir. John McNaughton
- The Toxic Avenger (1984), dir. Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman
- Turner & Hooch (1989), dir. Roger Spottiswoode
List of films not seconded:
- The Fourth Man (1983), dir. Paul Verhoeven
- Local Hero (1983), dir. Bill Forsyth
- The Fox and the Hound (1981), dir. Ted Berman, Richard Rich and Art Stevens
- The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), dir. W. D. Richter
- Desert Hearts (1985), dir. Donna Deitch
- UHF (1989), dir. Jay Levey
- Suburbia (1983), dir. Penelope Spheeris
- Something Wild (1986), dir. Jonathan Demme
- Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), dir. Héctor Babenco
- No Holds Barred (1989), dir. Thomas J. Wright
- Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), dir. Pedro Almodóvar
- Atlantic City (1980), dir. Louis Malle
- The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), dir. Frank Oz
- Down by Law (1986), dir. Jim Jarmusch
- A Passage to India (1984), dir. David Lean
- Yentl (1983), dir. Barbra Streisand
- The Secret of My Success (1987), dir. Herbert Ross
- Cat People (1982), dir. Paul Schrader
- Diner (1982), dir. Barry Levinson
- American Gigolo (1980), dir. Paul Schrader
- Bad Timing (1980), dir. Nicolas Roeg
- Summer Rental (1985), dir. Carl Reiner
- Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), dir. Tim Burton
- Dragonslayer (1981), dir. Matthew Robbins
- Quest for Fire (1981), dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud
- Threads (1984), dir. Mick Jackson
- Victor/Victoria (1982), dir. Blake Edwards
- Fame (1980), dir. Alan Parker
- The Quiet Earth (1985), dir. Geoff Murphy
- Blue Thunder (1983), dir. John Badham
- Three Men and a Baby (1987), dir. Leonard Nimoy
- Diva (1981), dir. Jean-Jacques Beineix
- Moscow on the Hudson (1984), dir. Paul Mazursky
- Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989), dir. Shinya Tsukamoto
- Alien Nation (1988), dir. Graham Baker
- Ragtime (1981), dir. Miloš Forman
- The Big Blue (1988), dir. Luc Besson
- Savage Streets (1984), dir. Danny Steinmann
- Mask (1985), dir. Peter Bogdanovich
- Monster Squad (1987), dir. Fred Dekker
- The Transformers: The Movie (1986), dir. Nelson Shin
- Pixote (1980), dir. Héctor Babenco
- The Year of Living Dangerously (1982), dir. Peter Weir
- Purple Rain (1984), dir. Albert Magnoli
- Short Circuit 2 (1988), dir. Kenneth Johnson
- Mystic Pizza (1988), dir. Donald Petrie
- Barefoot Gen (1983), dir. Mori Masaki
- A Room with a View (1985), dir. James Ivory
- Maximum Overdrive (1986), dir. Stephen King