There's something about the 1980s that screams "comfort." The Friday trip to the video rental store, the navigation through the bins, and the selection of the same old rundown VHS tapes that had your favorite films on them. Regardless of how old you were and whether you had had a bad day or not, things got better at that moment. Trips to the movie theater amplified that great feeling; multiplexes were being expanded, and almost every summer, Spielberg cashed in on his new vision.
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'80s movies have a sort of innocent, feel-good, and tangible aspect to their textures and narratives. While there were thrills, even horror represents a comfort zone for many people. This feel-good quality is especially represented by the following movies from the '80s that will automatically improve your bad day.
10 The Goonies (1985) The Goonies PG Release Date June 7, 1985 Director Richard Donner Cast Sean Astin , Josh Brolin , Jeff Cohen , Corey Feldman , Kerri Green , Martha Plimpton Main Genre Adventure
The Goonies follows a group of teenagers getting themselves in trouble for an honorable cause. The gang, who call themselves the Goonies, find a treasure map in Mikey Walsh's attic, and they decide to find the pirate loot that will prevent their homes from being taken by the owners of a country club. What they don't know is that a group of criminals will follow them and try to snatch the pirate treasure from their hands.
✕ Remove Ads Does It Get Any More '80s Than The Goonies?
Produced by Steven Spielberg, The Goonies had all the look and feel of an Amblin movie about exciting adventures without any fantasy or sci-fi elements. Even though there are criminals, the film stays on a very safe path toward the conclusion. Themes of friendship and bonding are very well-represented in this adventure thriller that obviously inspired Netflix juggernaut Stranger Things.
9 Ghostbusters (1984) Ghostbusters (1984) Where to Watch streamrentbuy
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In Ghostbusters, a group of specialists coming from different areas form a research team in 1980s New York City. Their specialty? Hunting ghosts and keeping the city safe. When a portal to another dimension is opened in the heart of Manhattan, Venkman, Ray, Egon and Winston suit up and fight humankind's worst enemy.
✕ Remove Ads The Perfect Supernatural Comedy
Ghostbusters is a beautiful blend of safe horror and comedy with a backdrop of state-of-the-art special effects and the participation of some of the best comedians of its time. It was very, very successful at the box office (although another comedy, Beverly Hills Cop, beat it by $5 million that year), and it has everything you want in a 1980s film: an iconic theme song, practical effects, and raunchy dialogue.
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8 Flight of the Navigator (1986) Flight of the Navigator PG Release Date August 1, 1986 Director Randal Kleiser Cast Joey Cramer , Paul Reubens , Cliff De Young , Veronica Cartwright , Sarah Jessica Parker , Matt Adler Main Genre Sci-Fi ✕ Remove Ads
Flight of the Navigator follows David Freeman, a 12-year-old boy who goes through something unbelievable: he goes missing for eight years, and when he reappears, he hasn't aged one day. When he undergoes experiments, David finds out he was taken by aliens who are now communicating with him through telepathy, and they convince him to board a very cool spaceship.
An Outstanding Cult Film for Kids
The film never addresses the obvious "dark" elephant in the room: David is abducted by aliens, and they do experiments on him. Instead, the Disney-produced sci-fi adventure maintains its air of innocence throughout the entire run, even at the end where the screenwriters solve the issue of abduction masterfully. Flight of the Navigator is a great film for children that doesn't cut back on its '80s vibes and will also appeal to nostalgia-driven adults.
✕ Remove Ads 7 Back to the Future (1985) Back to the Future PG Where to Watch streamrentbuy
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*Availability in US Release Date July 3, 1985 Director Robert Zemeckis Cast Claudia Wells , Christopher Lloyd , James Tolkan , Thomas F. Wilson , Michael J. Fox , Wendie Jo Sperber , Crispin Glover , Marc McClure , Lea Thompson Main Genre Sci-Fi
Marty McFly joins Doc Brown in his latest experiment. While Marty shoots the video, Doc introduces a time machine. But suddenly, terrorists arrive and kill Doc, and Marty is forced to jump into the DeLorean that takes him 30 years back in time. Somehow, Marty will have to find a younger Doc and convince him that his experiment worked, and he has to return to 1985. The problem is that Marty changes the past and, therefore, his own future.
The Quintessential Sci-Fi Adventure Classic
Another production by Steven Spielberg, Back to the Future, was the highest-grossing film of 1985. The film is a nod to everything '80s, with Marty playing the guitar, trying to emulate Eddie Van Halen, and riding his skateboard like everybody wished they could back in 1985. The script backs a marvelous teenager's adventure in which, although he faces some hardships, director Robert Zemeckis never makes you feel as if he isn't going to make it. We guarantee an honest smile on your face for the whole 116 minutes of its running time.
✕ Remove Ads 6 This is Spinal Tap (1984) This is Spinal Tap Where to Watch streamrentbuy
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This is Spinal Tap follows Martin Di Bergi, a filmmaker who's making a documentary about the rise and fall of Spinal Tap, an English heavy metal band that has seen better days. Using a journalistic approach, Martin documents the ridiculous nature of being a rock star in the mid-1980s.
An Extremely Funny Execution of the Mockumentary Concept
Rob Reiner debuts in Hollywood with a very clever mockumentary film written by him and the stars of the movie. It's a gem of the improvisation method seldom used in big Hollywood films, but comedians Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer make it seem authentic. It will make you feel good because laughter is the best medicine, and there's no way you won't find This is Spinal Tap a hilarious piece of '80s non-traditional comedy.
✕ Remove Ads 5 Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) Planes, Trains and Automobiles R Where to Watch streamrentbuy
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*Availability in US Release Date November 26, 1987 Director John Hughes Cast Steve Martin , John Candy , Laila Robins , Michael McKean , Kevin Bacon , Dylan Baker Main Genre Comedy
Neal Page is trying to get to Chicago from New York City two days before Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, he runs late, and just as he tries to catch a cab to the airport, someone else takes it. It's the beginning of his encounter with Del Griffith, an insufferable salesman who always finds a way to interrupt Neal's journey.
The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
One of the few movies by John Hughes that doesnt star teenagers, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is undoubtedly one of the best comedy films ever made. Starring Steve Martin and John Candy, the road trip film is a collection of setbacks that make Neal's ordeal absurd and hysterical. Once again, you won't be able to stop laughing.
✕ Remove Ads 4 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial pg Where to Watch streamrentbuy
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*Availability in US Release Date June 11, 1982 Director Steven Spielberg Cast Drew Barrymore , Henry Thomas , Robert MacNaughton
Elliot is a lonely boy. His parents' divorce is inevitable, and he's going through a difficult age when no one seems to pay attention to him. However, Elliot finds something in the shed in his backyard: a bizarre, wrinkled creature that has magic powers. "E.T.," Elliot calls him, and even though they bond beautifully, Elliot decides to help the alien return home to his distant planet.
OK, You Might Cry, But It's All Worth It
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial has one of the most impressive third acts of the 20th century. Almost no dialogue and a twister of emotions will make you bite your nails, as well as cry while celebrating that E.T. is able to go home. Spielberg proves he's the master of the decade with a film that made almost $800 million at the box office. It's an icon of a movie, and while we all wish E.T. had stayed with Elliot, this mix of emotions is part of the experience that makes one of the most heartwarming films in history.
✕ Remove Ads 3 Airplane! (1980) Airplane! PG Where to Watch streamrentbuy
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*Availability in US Release Date July 2, 1980 Director Jim Abrahams , David Zucker , Jerry Zucker Cast Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Lloyd Bridges , Peter Graves , Julie Hagerty , Robert Hays , Leslie Nielsen
Airplane! is a satirical comedy that follows Ted Striker as he boards a flight from Los Angeles to Chicago in order to win back his girlfriend, Elaine. She's a stewardess on the flight where something tragic happens: the pilots get food poisoning. Ted is forced to save the day while revisiting his past as a fighter pilot.
The Absolute Best of Its Kind
The film is a spoof on the disaster film trend of the 1970s. Airplane! was a groundbreaking success for Paramount Pictures, who had recycled their own movie Zero Hour!, and remade it for modern audiences. The humor, the jokes, and the slapstick elements make it a film apt for viewers of all ages, although the kids won't understand everything.
✕ Remove Ads Related 10 Cheesy Movies from the 1980s That We Actually Miss
Many are quick to dismiss cheesy movies, but these 10 from the '80s are golden.
2 Sixteen Candles (1984) Sixteen Candles PG Where to Watch streamrentbuy
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*Availability in US Release Date May 4, 1984 Director John Hughes Cast Molly Ringwald , Justin Henry , Michael Schoeffling , Haviland Morris , Gedde Watanabe , Anthony Michael Hall Main Genre Comedy
John Hughes' Sixteen Candles tells the story of Sam Baker, a girl turning 16 years old whose family forgets her birthday. Her frustration only gets worse when her high school crush gets wrongly advised about her, and she ends up attracting the wrong dude. It's not a happy "sweet sixteen" for Sam.
✕ Remove Ads John Hughes: a Coming-of-Age Master
The Breakfast Club or Ferris Bueller's Day Off would have been obvious in terms of '80s significance. But those films, both by Hughes, have a dramatic turning point that disrupts their dream-like and extremely happy nature. In Sixteen Candles, there are no obstacles, and the only mishaps are a hangover, a very bad memory, and Sam's teenage tropes. In retrospect, it's a beautiful '80s movie that'll make you smile, and it will fix your bad day with its truly romantic conclusion.
1 Spaceballs (1987) Spaceballs PG Where to Watch streamrentbuy
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*Availability in US Release Date June 24, 1987 Director Mel Brooks Cast Mel Brooks , John Candy , Rick Moranis , Bill Pullman , Daphne Zuniga , Dick Van Patten Main Genre Adventure
Spaceballs is a spoof of the Star Wars universe. Directed by Mel Brooks in one of his best efforts, the film follows mercenaries Lone Starr and Barf as they're hired by King Roland. The king commissions them to retrieve his daughter, who has been kidnapped by Dark Helmet, an evil dude who follows the orders of a president who just wants to find fresh air for his dying home, Planet Spaceball.
✕ Remove Ads The Unforgettable Spoof of Your Favorite Films
While it targets Star Wars and does its best to parody the tropes of George Lucas' franchise, Spaceballs expands towards other realms and works as a parody of the entire sci-fi genre. This one depends on your love for Star Wars, but then again, who doesn't love the original trilogy? Brooks' execution of comedy is often bawdy, but this time, it's balanced enough to give you many laughs and make your day much better.