Decades of Cinema - 10 Best of the 1980's

My previous "Decades" lists are as follows: 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's. Here we are in the decade I was born in, the 1980's. These are my ten favorite films released during those ten years.

10. Blade Runner

On the previous list I included a science fiction masterpiece by Ridley Scott, a little film you may have heard of called Alien. Here we are again with the same director and the same description. Ridley is pretty hit or miss with me over the course of his whole career, but he went back to back with Alien and then Blade Runner. For that I will always love him.

9. Back to the Future

Much of my lists for both the 80's and the 90's will be soaked in nostalgia for me, films that I have wonderful memories of watching on repeat growing up. Back to the Future is one of those. Just thinking about this one fills me with joy.

8. Full Metal Jacket

This, however, is not one of those films I am referring to when I mention nostalgia. I saw Full Metal Jacket once when I was a teenager and I don't recall feeling too much in either direction regarding it. As an adult though, things changed and I fell in love. Stanley Kubrick follows the narrative of the source material the film is adapted from (The Short-Timers, by Gustav Hasford) and separates the movie into two halves, the first being the iconic boot camp sequence and the second being a more traditional horrors of war story. As a whole, it is remarkable.

7. Grave of the Fireflies

Oh, was I just talking about war? Well here we go again with more on the subject, the beautiful yet heartbreaking Grave of the Fireflies. I cried so damn much when I watched it. Seriously. One of the finest by Studio Ghibli, but not the finest. More of their brilliance to come...

6. The Shining

The third decade and fifth film overall on these lists by Stanley Kubrick, and it won't be the last either. The Shining is sublime horror, the kind that would keep a younger me up at night.

5. Aliens

My love for the original Alien flourished the older I got, as adult me found much more appreciation in its nuance than kid me ever could have. Aliens, however, this had childhood Scott written all over it. Ripley kicked my young ass on repeat and I literally had nightmares I can still remember today, vivid and intense dreams involving xenomorphs crawling into my room.

4. My Neighbor Totoro

I promised more Ghibli above and I have delivered! My Neighbor Totoro...animation doesn't get much more gorgeous, touching and imaginative than this. A masterpiece that demands to be seen, regardless of your age.

3. Cinema Paradiso

I recently posted my review of the treasure Cinema Paradiso, one of the truly great love letters to cinema the medium has ever produced. This one doesn't just have a beating heart, it is bursting with passion and emotion. If you watch this and don't have a smile on your face during much of the running time, color me surprised.

2. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

A best of 1980's list was never not going to have a Star Wars flavor to it. The holy trilogy pretty much defined my 80's, 90's, hell I still can't quench my thirst for them to this day. So yeah, I bet you can guess how the list will end...

1. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Up until a year or two ago, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back wouldn't merely have been my favorite film from the 1980's, it was my favorite movie period. Now it sits at #2, with my favorite still to come in a future list. The Empire Strikes Back has quite possibly the greatest pacing of any film I have ever seen. Despite it happening during roughly my 100th viewing just a year or so ago, it occurred to me for the first time that somehow, almost impossibly a picture so packed to the brim with iconic scenes, famous quotes and recognizable imagery is only right around two hours in length yet it also never feels even slightly rushed. It just happens, and it does so with perfection. 

Next up will be the 1990's, a decade in which I went from being a 6 year old watching films way too mature for me to a 15 year old who finally started to understand what they meant. One of the movies on that list is represented with the picture above.

Decades of Cinema - 10 Best of the 1970's

If you missed my previous decades lists you can find the 1920's here, the 1930's here, the 1940's here, the 1950's here, and the 1960's here. On we go to the 1970's, here are my ten favorite films from a remarkable decade.

10. Badlands

My man Terrence Malick, who crafted my favorite film of all time makes the list here with his incredible debut Badlands. The story of a teenage girl who gets swept up in a romance with the much older Kit, a man doing his best James Dean impression, and what results when they run away together is a killing spree spread across the badlands in South Dakota. Truly one of the most impressive debuts I have seen.

9. Jaws

How much really needs to be said about Jaws? It is iconic cinema and if the 1970's weren't so loaded with amazing movies, you would find this much higher than 9th considering it resides in my 100 favorite films of all time list. It is the film that made people afraid to go in the water.

8. Autumn Sonata

I only recently watched Autumn Sonata for the very first time and yet here it is, in my top 10 of arguably the finest decade of films ever. It's that great. Yet again Ingmar Bergman finds his way into these lists and with good reason. Brilliantly performed, powerful cinema that is impossible to shake after it ends, Autumn Sonata is simply masterful.

7. The Spirit of the Beehive

Do you see that look on the face of the little girl above? That was me while I watched The Spirit of the Beehive, a lyrical and spellbinding film about a young child who attends a screening in her town of Frankenstein and becomes fascinated with the monster portrayed. The Spirit of the Beehive takes place during the Spanish civil war and the imagination of a child is a form of escape for a mind too young to process the chaos around her. Guillermo del Toro declared this to be one of his all time favorite films and it obviously served as the inspiration for his very own masterpiece Pan's Labyrinth. 

6. Stalker

Stalker infected my brain both during and after I watched it and I couldn't let go of how brilliant and confounding of an experience it is. Seriously, if you have ever wondered why Andrei Tarkovsky is regarded as one of the finest auteurs since the medium of film was created, sit back and just let the oddness and beauty of Stalker totally envelop you. It is artistic, soulful, weird and haunting stuff.

5. Halloween

It's easy to freak people out when inside a world shrouded in darkness and shadows, and John Carpenter utilizes those factors with brilliance as well, but you know what else he does? He makes walking down the street on a bright, normal afternoon terrifying as well. Halloween is an absolutely incredible horror film that reminds us that pure evil not only exists, it can be roaming nearby under any circumstances.

4. Alien

I had the opportunity to see Alien at the beautiful old fashioned Tivoli theater in Downers Grove last year for the films 35th anniversary, a special midnight screening and it was an experience I will never forget. So many excited fathers ready to show their teenage sons what the phrase "In space, no one can hear you scream." really means, the place packed with eager cinema lovers ready to experience the nostalgic glow of one of their favorites on the big screen. Alien is a science fiction horror masterpiece.

3. The Godfather Part II

Some would safely say The Godfather: Part II is the greatest sequel ever made and it is hard to argue (although I would, as my choice for such an award will be on the 1980's list). This is pretty much a perfect film in every way and yet it only gets as high as #3 of its decade. That's because...

2. The Godfather

The Godfather is essentially perfect cinema as well and I will always have an ever so slight preference for it over its sequel. Something about the story of the original and the flow of it all, it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. To some this is safely the greatest movie ever made, and for me it is in fact top ten, but it still can't win the 1970's.

1. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

It's hard to beat Star Wars in my book. Not only is the trilogy packed to the brim with warm wonderful nostalgia for me considering how cherished the films were growing up, but they overflow when revisited as an adult and I realized, my goodness these are just great movies regardless. The start of the saga in 1977 is something glorious to behold, a space opera that builds characters and mythology was ease. Later this year I will be revisiting the entire Star Wars journey (yes, even the prequels) to prepare for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Next I will move into a decade I was actually alive during, the 1980's. Above is a picture from a film that will appear on that list.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Official Teaser #2

I have a seven year old daughter and she is excited to see a brand new Star Wars film with me. I can't express how happy this makes me.

The brand new trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Enjoy.