Most quintessential 80's film?
01-28-10, 12:39 PM
#1
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Most quintessential 80's film?
We were having a debate in our SS dept. as to what the most quintessential 80's film was.
The one that embodies exactly what a good 80's movie was all about. The best example of all films made in that decade.
Of course, many of the John Hughes classics were strewn about (The Breakfast Club being a great one), but the two it seemed to come down to was The Flamingo Kid or Red Dawn, which is funny considering both were 1984 releases and 1st ever PG-13 movies.
My pick goes to Red Dawn. Just love everything about it and with the cast, the Cold War paranoia, it epitomizes what the 80's was all about.
So what do you think is the most quinessential 1980's flick?
The one that embodies exactly what a good 80's movie was all about. The best example of all films made in that decade.
Of course, many of the John Hughes classics were strewn about (The Breakfast Club being a great one), but the two it seemed to come down to was The Flamingo Kid or Red Dawn, which is funny considering both were 1984 releases and 1st ever PG-13 movies.
My pick goes to Red Dawn. Just love everything about it and with the cast, the Cold War paranoia, it epitomizes what the 80's was all about.
So what do you think is the most quinessential 1980's flick?
Last edited by OldBoy; 01-28-10 at 04:48 PM.
01-28-10, 12:46 PM
#2
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Re: Most quintessential 80's film?
The Last Dragon
While it was cheese then and cheese now, it plays like an exaggeration of everything 80s. Amazing!
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fFzuxgivmQ8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fFzuxgivmQ8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
While it was cheese then and cheese now, it plays like an exaggeration of everything 80s. Amazing!
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fFzuxgivmQ8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fFzuxgivmQ8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Last edited by RichC2; 01-28-10 at 12:51 PM.
01-28-10, 01:07 PM
#4
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Re: Most quintessential 80's film?
There's no such thing.
But if there were such a thing, I'd either want it to be John Woo's The Killer (or A Better Tomorrow) or Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire.
But if there were such a thing, I'd either want it to be John Woo's The Killer (or A Better Tomorrow) or Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire.
Last edited by wendersfan; 01-28-10 at 01:11 PM.
01-28-10, 01:18 PM
#5
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Most quintessential 80's film?
It would have to be something that features a lot of the best music from the 80's, like Fast Times at Ridgemont High or Last American Virgin.
01-28-10, 01:36 PM
#6
Re: Most quintessential 80's film?
The quintessential '80s movie would not be a good movie, since good movies were so rare in that coke-frenzied era.
It would have to be something like FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, or the one I would nominate as a perfect representation of that horrible period: TOP GUN.
It would have to be something like FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, or the one I would nominate as a perfect representation of that horrible period: TOP GUN.
01-28-10, 01:53 PM
#8
Re: Most quintessential 80's film?
Originally Posted by The Infidel
It would have to be something that features a lot of the best music from the 80's, like Fast Times at Ridgemont High or Last American Virgin.
01-28-10, 02:07 PM
#11
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Most quintessential 80's film?
Originally Posted by scott1598
We were having a debate in our SS dept. as to what the most quintessential 80's film was.
The one that embodies exactly what a good 80's movie was all about. The best example of all films made in that decade.
Of course, many of the John Hughes classics were strewn about, but the two it seemed to come down to was The Flamingo Kid or Red Dawn, which is funny considering both were 1984 releases and 1st ever PG-13 movies.
So what do you think is the most quinessential 1980's flick?
The one that embodies exactly what a good 80's movie was all about. The best example of all films made in that decade.
Of course, many of the John Hughes classics were strewn about, but the two it seemed to come down to was The Flamingo Kid or Red Dawn, which is funny considering both were 1984 releases and 1st ever PG-13 movies.
So what do you think is the most quinessential 1980's flick?
Lethal Weapon
Die Hard
01-28-10, 02:15 PM
#13
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Re: Most quintessential 80's film?
"The Breakfast Club". It had the '80s clothes, slang, music and attitudes. All of that, with its derrogatory portrayal of adults, its heavy dose of teen angst and its use of Brat Pack actors, combine to make "TBC" a great candidate for quintessential '80s film.
01-28-10, 03:50 PM
#16
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Re: Most quintessential 80's film?
Originally Posted by Sylvia7
"The Breakfast Club". It had the '80s clothes, slang, music and attitudes. All of that, with its derrogatory portrayal of adults, its heavy dose of teen angst and its use of Brat Pack actors, combine to make "TBC" a great candidate for quintessential '80s film.
01-28-10, 04:08 PM
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Re: Most quintessential 80's film?
Karate Kid. Case in point, the remake looks like shit.
The Wizard. I don't think you could hide the fact that it's a giant commercial in today's market.
Flight of the Navigator and Explorers...both films cut from the same cloth. Something about them just conjures up growing up in the '80s. I don't think you could replicate those films today.
The Wizard. I don't think you could hide the fact that it's a giant commercial in today's market.
Flight of the Navigator and Explorers...both films cut from the same cloth. Something about them just conjures up growing up in the '80s. I don't think you could replicate those films today.
01-28-10, 04:40 PM
#20
Re: Most quintessential 80's film?
I'd say Mannequin; it has many different 80's elements wrapped into one mediocre package: budding romance, fashion, nerds, shop/mall setting, supernatural elements, intro credits set to cartoon, various regular and high-speed montages set to 80's music, dancing sequence, ending credits with freeze-frame to Starship, good vs. greed, G.W. Bailey reprising a security/cop role, low-bar action sequences, a speedbike, and a car chase.
Last edited by gmanca; 01-28-10 at 04:43 PM.
01-28-10, 04:45 PM
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Re: Most quintessential 80's film?
Originally Posted by Sylvia7
"The Breakfast Club". It had the '80s clothes, slang, music and attitudes. All of that, with its derrogatory portrayal of adults, its heavy dose of teen angst and its use of Brat Pack actors, combine to make "TBC" a great candidate for quintessential '80s film.
