The Favourite Childhood Movies of a Guy raised in the 80s
by VeryJamesy | created - 1 month ago | updated - 1 month ago | PublicMovies have always been very important to me. Born in 1975 I started watching them as they were broadcast on the big telly (28" square screen) in the early 80's. My favourites were watched time and time again, especially after I had a portable TV and an ex-rental Ferguson Videostar VHS video recorder in my bedroom around '88. I will limit this list up to 1992, after which I was technically an adult but still a child at heart :)
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1. The Goonies (1985)
PG | 114 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A group of young misfits called The Goonies discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find a legendary pirate's long-lost treasure.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman
Votes: 298,493 | Gross: $61.50M
Probably the film from my childhood that I have watched the most over the years so therefore #1 by default. I was roughly the same age as those kids when it was released and dreamed of having a similar adventure. Particularly fond of the deleted Octopus scene and still can't understand why Mouth spoke fluent Spanish at the start of the movie but could barely translate 'don't sign the contract' at the end.
2. Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988)
PG-13 | 96 min | Comedy, Horror
"Elvira: Mistress of the Dark" is a 1988 comedy, horror movie - upon arriving in a small town where Elvira has inherited a rundown mansion, the famous horror host must battle an evil uncle, and townspeople who want her burned at the stake.
Director: James Signorelli | Stars: Cassandra Peterson, Phil Rubenstein, Larry Flash Jenkins, Damita Jo Freeman
Votes: 20,859 | Gross: $5.60M
Renting this from the video shop as a 15 year old boy in 1990 started my lifelong love of Elvira. I rewound the videotape so many times to watch the finale that I actually created a patch of interference during her tassel twirl (sorry video shop!). I eventually purchased this on VHS, then DVD, then blu-ray, then the 30th anniversary collector's edition!
3. Labyrinth (1986)
PG | 101 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Sixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.
Director: Jim Henson | Stars: David Bowie, Jennifer Connelly, Toby Froud, Shelley Thompson
Votes: 149,630 | Gross: $12.73M
My ultimate kids fantasy film, although I could always happily skip the scene when the fireys take their heads off! I still enjoy it as an adult, and thanks to this film I have always been able to spell the word Labyrinth :)
4. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
PG | 104 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
When a cartoon rabbit is accused of murder, he enlists the help of a burnt out private investigator to prove his innocence.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer
Votes: 216,917 | Gross: $156.45M
One of those films that frequently makes me think 'why don't they make them like this anymore?'. The mix of live action and traditional animation blew me away, and of course my poster-girl Jessica Rabbit :)
5. WarGames (1983)
PG | 114 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A young man finds a back door into a military central computer in which reality is confused with game-playing, possibly starting World War III.
Director: John Badham | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy, John Wood, Dabney Coleman
Votes: 110,792 | Gross: $79.57M
How I longed for a computer that could talk, and to be able to hack into the school system and change my grades. After seeing this movie I did once try to make a free call at a payphone by using a ring pull from a drinks can but it didn't work :(
6. Short Circuit (1986)
PG | 98 min | Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi
Number 5 of a group of experimental robots in a lab is electrocuted, suddenly becomes intelligent, and escapes.
Director: John Badham | Stars: Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens, Austin Pendleton
Votes: 66,360 | Gross: $40.70M
Momentarily believing that Johnny 5 had been killed at the end nearly destroyed me as a child, but thankfully it was a happy ever after. Still one of my favourite feel-good movies.
7. Flight of the Navigator (1986)
PG | 90 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
In 1978, a boy travels eight years into the future and has an adventure with an intelligent, wisecracking alien ship.
Director: Randal Kleiser | Stars: Joey Cramer, Paul Reubens, Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright
Votes: 51,706 | Gross: $18.56M
The visual effects in this still hold up nearly 40 years later. My Sister and I often called each other Weasel! Dork! Butt-face! Scuzz-bucket!
8. Gremlins (1984)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.
Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, John Louie
Votes: 247,867 | Gross: $148.17M
If Die Hard can be a Christmas movie then so can Gremlins :) I think everyone knows the 3 rules for looking after a Mogwai by now.
9. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Horror, Musical
A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.
Director: Frank Oz | Stars: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Levi Stubbs
Votes: 86,417 | Gross: $38.75M
It was only in recent years that I discovered there is an alternative ending to Little Shop of Horrors and I can totally understand why they changed it. It's definitely better with a 'happy ever after' for Seymour and Audrey!
10. Home Alone (1990)
PG | 103 min | Comedy, Family
An eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve.
Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Heard
Votes: 652,960 | Gross: $285.76M
11. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
PG | 115 min | Action, Adventure
In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies
Votes: 1,037,102 | Gross: $248.16M
12. Superman (1978)
PG | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
An alien orphan is sent from his dying planet to Earth, where he grows up to become his adoptive home's first and greatest superhero.
Director: Richard Donner | Stars: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, Marlon Brando
Votes: 187,577 | Gross: $134.22M
The original and best Superman that I'd still rather watch now than any of its modern day counterparts.
13. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
PG | 118 min | Action, Adventure
In 1935, Indiana Jones is tasked by Indian villagers with reclaiming a rock stolen from them by a secret cult beneath the catacombs of an ancient palace.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri
Votes: 535,407 | Gross: $179.87M
14. Death Becomes Her (1992)
PG-13 | 104 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
When a fading actress learns of an immortality treatment, she sees it as a way to outdo her long-time rival.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, Goldie Hawn, Isabella Rossellini
Votes: 131,390 | Gross: $58.42M
The only disappointing thing about Death Becomes Her is that every major special effect from the entire movie was in the trailer. But a superb cast and imaginative story turned this into a timeless classic that keeps me coming back for more.
15. Batman Returns (1992)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Crime, Fantasy
While Batman deals with a deformed man calling himself the Penguin wreaking havoc across Gotham with the help of a cruel businessman, a female employee of the latter becomes the Catwoman with her own vendetta.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Michael Keaton, Danny DeVito, Michelle Pfeiffer, Christopher Walken
Votes: 327,560 | Gross: $162.83M
Possibly the only film where I've put the sequel higher than the original, simply because I love catwoman in this :)
16. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
PG | 120 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
One year after Kevin McCallister was left home alone and had to defeat a pair of bumbling burglars, he accidentally finds himself stranded in New York City - and the same criminals are not far behind.
Director: Chris Columbus | Stars: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, Catherine O'Hara
Votes: 402,620 | Gross: $173.59M
17. Ghostbusters (1984)
PG | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.
Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis
Votes: 450,406 | Gross: $238.63M
18. Back to the Future (1985)
PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
Votes: 1,307,314 | Gross: $210.61M
19. Back to the Future Part II (1989)
PG | 108 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
After visiting 2015, Marty McFly must repeat his visit to 1955 to prevent disastrous changes to 1985...without interfering with his first trip.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Tom Wilson
Votes: 572,769 | Gross: $118.50M
20. Superman II (1980)
PG | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.
Director: Richard Lester | Stars: Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Ned Beatty
Votes: 114,656 | Gross: $108.19M
Sarah Douglas was born to play the villain and her portrayal of Ursa was magnificent. However, the later release of the Richard Donner cut made my whole life feel like a lie.
21. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure
In 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott
Votes: 811,131 | Gross: $197.17M
22. Return to Oz (1985)
PG | 113 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Dorothy, saved from a psychiatric experiment by a mysterious girl, is somehow called back to Oz when a vain witch and the Nome King destroy everything that makes the magical land beautiful.
Director: Walter Murch | Stars: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie
Votes: 30,368
One of the fist movies I was taken to see at the cinema around the age of 10, so it will always have a special place in my heart for that. But there is no denying the film was a little darker than we expected, especially Mombi and her collection of heads!
23. Romancing the Stone (1984)
PG | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A mousy romance novelist sets off for Colombia to ransom her kidnapped sister, and soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous adventure hunting for treasure with a mercenary rogue.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, Zack Norman
Votes: 103,351 | Gross: $76.57M
24. Short Circuit 2 (1988)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Robot Johnny Five comes to the city and gets manipulated by criminals who want him for their own purposes.
Director: Kenneth Johnson | Stars: Fisher Stevens, Michael McKean, Tim Blaney, Cynthia Gibb
Votes: 26,868 | Gross: $21.63M
Sadly missing the wonderful Ally Sheedy but never-the-less I sill love the sequel to one of my childhood favourites.
25. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
PG-13 | 106 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
The Gremlins are back, and this time, they've taken control of a New York City media mogul's high-tech skyscraper.
Directors: Joe Dante, Chuck Jones | Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Howie Mandel, Tony Randall
Votes: 112,873 | Gross: $41.48M
The thing I loved the most about Gremlins 2 is that it REALLY didn't take itself too seriously. And of course if you watched this then you immediately recognised the Stanton twins in Terminator 2.
26. Ghostbusters II (1989)
PG | 108 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
The discovery of a massive river of ectoplasm and a resurgence of spectral activity allows the staff of Ghostbusters to revive the business.
Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis
Votes: 224,894 | Gross: $112.49M
27. Batman (1989)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure
The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl
Votes: 404,363 | Gross: $251.19M
28. Back to the Future Part III (1990)
PG | 118 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Stranded in 1955, Marty McFly learns about the death of Doc Brown in 1885 and must travel back in time to save him. With no fuel readily available for the DeLorean, the two must figure how to escape the Old West before Emmett is murdered.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Tom Wilson
Votes: 480,994 | Gross: $87.73M
29. SpaceCamp (1986)
PG | 107 min | Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
The young attendees of a space camp find themselves in space for real when their shuttle is accidentally launched into orbit.
Director: Harry Winer | Stars: Kate Capshaw, Lea Thompson, Kelly Preston, Larry B. Scott
Votes: 15,856 | Gross: $9.70M
30. *batteries not included (1987)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Aliens help a feisty old New York couple in their battle against the ruthless land developer who's out to evict them.
Director: Matthew Robbins | Stars: Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Frank McRae, Elizabeth Peña
Votes: 37,704 | Gross: $32.95M
31. Supergirl (1984)
PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
After losing a powerful orb, Kara Zor-El, Superman's cousin, comes to Earth to retrieve it and instead finds herself up against a wicked witch.
Director: Jeannot Szwarc | Stars: Helen Slater, Faye Dunaway, Peter O'Toole, Mia Farrow
Votes: 24,031 | Gross: $13.60M
I think I definitely benefited from watching Supergirl at the age of 10 because as a kid I loved it and as an adult I can still love it for the nostalgia. Back then I was too young to understand what a box office flop was, so it was much later in life that I discovered how much everyone else disliked it and hence there was no sequel.
32. The Jewel of the Nile (1985)
PG | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
When Joan Wilder is abducted while on a trip along the Nile, her boyfriend, Jack Colton, and pal Ralph rush to rescue her and retrieve a fabled jewel.
Director: Lewis Teague | Stars: Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, Spyros Fokas
Votes: 62,501 | Gross: $75.97M
33. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
The scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them.
Director: Joe Johnston | Stars: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland
Votes: 166,376 | Gross: $130.72M
34. The Golden Child (1986)
PG-13 | 94 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A private detective specializing in missing children is charged with the task of finding a special child whom dark forces want to eliminate.
Director: Michael Ritchie | Stars: Eddie Murphy, J.L. Reate, Charles Dance, Charlotte Lewis
Votes: 59,392 | Gross: $79.82M
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