Funny Movies of the 80s...a look back
Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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Call me a loser, but I still haven't finished with movies and music of the 80s. As bad as some of the fashion was (MC Hammer's pants) and as bad as some of the movies were (Red Sonja), those were some great times. Garbage Pail Kids, believing wrestling was real, Axl and Slash getting along, heavy metal ballads, U2 actually making good music, NWA scaring the hell out of Californians, the Marino-Montana-Elway-Cunningham years and, of course, an NHL that was actually exciting.
Some comedies that I loved then, love now, and my favourite moments from the movies.
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1.
Board Game: Chase
[Average Rating:6.78 Overall Rank:1759]
Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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Fletch (1985) starring Chevy Chase
What a great movie. Let's be honest here - Chevy Chase was on top of the world in the late 70s and early 80s. His comedic genius was surpassed only by the size of his forehead.
Favourite part:
Fletch: You know, what tipped it for me was something your wife said while we were in bed together.
Alan Stanwyck: Oh? And what was that?
Fletch: Curiously, she said we had roughly the same build. From the waist up, I imagine.
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2.
Board Game: Chase
[Average Rating:6.78 Overall Rank:1759]
Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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Fletch Lives (1989) starring, again, Chevy Chase.
Come on - was the sequel really, really that bad? I still enjoy it, although he was nearing the end of his run here. It might have been over, actually.
Favourite part:
Ben Dover: Take your pants off.
Fletch: I don't even know your name.
Ben Dover: Bend over.
Fletch: Ben? Nice to meet you, Victor Hugo.
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Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) starring, of course, Chevy Chase
I love this film and consider it to be more entertaining than it's more popular cousin, the Christmas Vacation flick. Randy Quaid is appropriately annoying and Eugene Levy and John Candy make excellent appearances. Plus any movies with a Ramone's song in it is good in my books.
Favourite part:
I still bust my gut laughing when Clark W. Griswald (Chase) dances with his sandwich to impress Christie Brinkley...until he hears the dog peed on the picnic basket.
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Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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Pretty In Pink (1986) starring Molly Ringwald and Andrew McCarthy
With the best soundtrack of any movie ever, Pretty In Pink was stylish, funny, moving and most importantly, had a great song by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. That's right - OMD. Give it a listen. Jon Cryer was great, James Spader was creepy and Andrew Dice Clay added some...um...well, some star power, I guess.
Favourite part:
Watch the scene where Blane (McCarthy) takes Andie (Ringwald) to the party. Spader's character (Steff) leaves the room and gives a hilarious hand signal to Blane. McCarthy starts to crack up and says in a later interview that it was improvised. Man, I need a life.
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Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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Back to the Future (1985) starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd
I've seen this film maybe 30 or 40 times and never tire of it. Michael J. Fox was absolutely perfect for the role. I can't imagine what this movie would have been like if Eric Stoltz had not been replaced! Crispin Glover was also fantastic as George McFly.
Favourite part:
There are so, so many. How can I choose just one? There were so many subtle things that made the movie close to perfect, like Marty not being able to open his bottle of Coke because twist tops hadn't been invented yet. I also love the "Gimme a milk...chocolate..." scene!
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Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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Breakfast Club (1985) starring Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy
Sure, an easy pick, but seriously - what kid born in the 70s doesn't love this movie? Yes, it's riddled with cliches and yes, the characters are such cardboard cut-outs, but what a movie, what a title track (Simple Minds' "Don't You Forget About Me") and what a great script. Watch it, love it, watch it again. If you're in North America, this movie is on TBS about once every 7 hours.
Favourite part:
Anything involving John Kapelos, the janitor.
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Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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This Is Spinal Tap (1984) starring Christopher Guest and Michael McKean.
I didn't get this movie when it first came out. I'll be honest, I thought it was stupid, but I've come to appreciate it more with each viewing. I think we need a sequel, no?
Favourite part:
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Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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The Princess Bride (1987) starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon and Christopher Guest.
To be truthful, the two people who really, really make this movie great are Andre the Giant and Wallace Shawn, who is single-handedly responsible for half my friend's jokes. And sadly, those jokes only had one word - Inconceivable!
Favourite part:
Inigo Montoya: That Vizzini, he can *fuss*.
Fezzik: Fuss, fuss... I think he like to scream at *us*.
Inigo Montoya: Probably he means no *harm*.
Fezzik: He's really very short on *charm*.
Inigo Montoya: You have a great gift for rhyme.
Fezzik: Yes, yes, some of the time.
Vizzini: Enough of that.
Inigo Montoya: Fezzik, are there rocks ahead?
Fezzik: If there are, we all be dead.
Vizzini: No more rhymes now, I mean it.
Fezzik: Anybody want a peanut?
Vizzini: DYEEAAHHHHHH.
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Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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Three Amigos (1986) starring Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Martin Short
I know this movie was universally panned and mocked, but I am willing to bet I've seen this movie more times than anyone. And that is sad, I know. Anyway, I love it because it's brainless, absolutely ridiculous, and I like to imagine what the three stars must have been thinking as they filmed this. I would imagine all three fired their agents immediately after the first scene.
Favourite part:
Lucky Day: Reading telegram: "Three Amigos, Hollywood, California. You are very great. 100,000 pesos. Come to Santa Poco put on show, stop. The In-famous El Guapo."
Dusty Bottoms: What does that mean, in-famous?
Ned Nederlander: Oh, Dusty. In-famous is when you're MORE than famous. This man El Guapo, he's not just famous, he's IN-famous.
Lucky Day: 100,000 pesos to perform with this El Guapo, who's probably the biggest actor to come out of Mexico!
Dusty Bottoms: Wow, in-famous? In-famous?
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Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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Ferrie Bueller's Day Off (1986) starring Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck and Mia Sara
I'll admit that I'm not a big fan of this movie, but I will acknowledge it's place in the pantheon of 80s comedies. Mia Sara alone made it watchable.
Favourite part:
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Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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Adventures in Babysitting (1987) starring Elizabeth Shue
Blame TBS once again for my love of this movie (it was on every single week at one point a few years ago), but I enjoy this silly film about a babysitter and her charges going out for an evening of trouble.
Favourite part:
Umm...maybe the fact that Jodie Foster and Justine Bateman turned the role down?
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12.
Board Game: Gremlins
[Average Rating:3.83 Unranked]
Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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Gremlins (1984) starring Phoebe Cates...who cares who else was in the film?
I'm somewhat offended by the ridiculous Asian mysticism thrown into the movie, but it was an entertaining movie with cute (even the evil ones!) puppets.
Favourite part:
Phoebe Cates
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Dennis Ku
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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The Lost Boys (1987) starring Corey Haim and Corey Feldman
Was this really a comedy? Who cares! It was stylish, funny and even threw in some action. And a good soundtrack too! Corey Haim - dude, what the hell happened to you? Not his only good movie - Lucas is an under-appreciated gem. And don't forget everyone's favourite drunk, Kiefer Sutherland! He's in here too!
Favourite part:
Any scene with those goofy Frog brothers.
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Michael B.
Canada
Stratford
Ontario
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Du-de, you missed some...
Caddyshack (1980)
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Michael B.
Canada
Stratford
Ontario
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Stripes (1981)
John Winger:
We're all very different people. We're not Watusi, we're not Spartans, we're Americans. With a capital "A", huh? And you know what that means? Do you? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We're the underdog. We're mutts.
Nice quote from a Canadian actor 
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16.
Board Game: Cockpit
[Average Rating:6.14 Unranked]
Michael B.
Canada
Stratford
Ontario
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Airplane! (1980)
Captain Oveur: You ever been in a cockpit before?
Joey: No sir, I've never been up in a plane before.
Captain Oveur: You ever seen a grown man naked?
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Michael Pennisi
United States
Carpentersville
Illinois
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What about "One Crazy Summer" with the under-appreciated John Cusak and the smokin' hot (at the time) Demi Moore?
Chili-dog!
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Michael B.
Canada
Stratford
Ontario
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Spaceballs (1987)
Dark Helmet: Before you die there is something you should know about us, Lone Star.
Lone Starr: What?
Dark Helmet: I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate.
Lone Starr: What's that make us?
Dark Helmet: Absolutely nothing! Which is what you are about to become.
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Justin Green
United States
Des Moines
Iowa
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Being teenager through the heart of the '80s, it's tough to pick what my favorite was. No it's not:
Better off Dead(1985)
"Dying when you're not really sick is really sick, you know. Really!"
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Michael B.
Canada
Stratford
Ontario
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Take a guess. The last time Sean Penn was funny.
Mr. Hand: Mr. Spicoli, what's your reason for your truancy?
Jeff Spicoli: I just couldn't make it on time.
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Christian Rankin
United States
Panorma City
California
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How could anyone forget Ghostbusters (1984)?
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June King
United States
Unspecified
Bring me her heart in this box.
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You left out my favorite 80's movie, The Sure Thing. Rob Reiner directed this 1985 road trip/screwball/college comedy, which starred John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga.
Favorite Lines:
"I'm talkin' to ya cordless!"
"Spontaneity has its time and place."
"Yeah, Nick. Nick's a real name. Nick's your buddy. Nick's the kind of guy you can trust, the kind of guy you can drink a beer with, the kind of guy who doesn't mind if you puke in his car, Nick."
"I flunk English, I'm outta here. I gotta get a job, and you know what that means. That's right, they start me at the drive-up window and I gradually work my way up from shakes to burgers, and then one day my lucky break comes: the french fry guy dies and they offer me the job. But the day I'm supposed to start some men come by in a black Lincoln Continental and tell me I can make a quick 300 just for driving a van back from Mexico. When I get out of jail I'm 36 years old. Living in a flop house. No job. No home. No upward mobility. Very few teeth. And then one day they find me, face down in the gutter, clutching a bottle of paint thinner and why? Because you wouldn't help me in English."
"Oh. It's not easy getting rides. Do you know what I mean? I mean most people are real afraid to pick up hitchhikers. I mean you never know who you might pick up. I mean I could be some crazed slime ball. I mean a real derranged, violent, psycho. You know what I mean? I mean a guy who would rip out your heart and eat it just for pleaaasure. I'm talking about a total maniac. You know what I mean. You know what I mean."
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Marc B.
United States
Palm Bay
Florida
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Weekend at Bernie's!
What kind of a host invites you to his house for the weekend and dies on you?
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24.
Board Game: Planes & Trains
[Average Rating:7.18 Unranked]
[Average Rating:7.18 Unranked]
Firestone
United States
Northern
Colorado
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Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (1987)
For a long time this was my favorite comedy. So many great parts:
Neal: Del... Why did you kiss my ear?
Del: Why are you holding my hand?
Neal: [frowns] Where's your other hand?
Del: Between two pillows...
Neal: Those aren't pillows!
Neal: He says we're going the wrong way...
Del: Oh, he's drunk. How would he know where we're going?
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How could everyone forget "Big Trouble in Little China"? One of the greatest movies ever made!
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