Join us in our decade-based film retrospective, as we delve backwards all the way from 2009 to 1910. Most decade-based best movie lists grant you a whooping 50-100 entries, which makes perfect sense given all the years you have to take into consideration. But what if you were defining a decade in just ten films? Which movies would you recommend to somebody who might only watch a handful from a given decade? This week, we look back at the Eighties.
For pure, unabashed entertainment, look no further than the eighties. This is, after all, the decade that granted us the ammunition for thousands upon thousands of pop cultural references that are still doing the rounds today. Here’s where Arnie thrived, where the Ghostbusters arrived, where Star Wars and Indiana Jones ruled the screen, where pulp, cheese, sex and violence overtook the mainstream cineplexes.
Yes, the eighties will always be remembered as an era that took pleasure in simply giving you a good time, assuring it is as the most plainly fun decade to have ever emerged in motion picture history. But there were works of artistry, too, with several directors moving into the great periods of their career. Of course, you’ll certainly have your own list of favourites, but here’s our pick for the 10 best movies of the eighties.