Cinema boomed in the 80s with the increase of movie theaters and home video. There were so many iconic hits from the 80s that will stand the test of time and always have a place in our minds. However, there were also tons of fun movies from the decade that you may have forgotten about, or maybe never even heard of, that are still worth checking out. Some of these movies are true quality hidden gems. Others are enjoyable timestamps to the era. But they all entertain, and they all provide endless nostalgia. These films are in no order, so let’s get into it!
We’re kicking this list off in 1989 with a comedic legend when an inept, and bumbling P.I. is unknowingly hired to NOT find a kidnapped heiress, by the person who actually kidnapped her in Paul Flaherty’s Who’s Harry Crumb? starring John Candy, Tim Thomerson, Shawnee Smith, Barry Corbin, and the always comical Annie Potts.
This movie would come during the height of Candy’s popularity, and it would be a box-office failure. I however, contend that this is a charming little comedy that doesn’t get its deserved love. Candy is hilarious as the hapless PI who has a black belt in aikido and is a master of disguise. The supporting cast is fun as well and seeing Candy’s Harry Crumb bumble his way through this case with his unconventional methods and frequent disguises delivers plenty of laughs. Who’s Harry Crumb is a silly movie, but it’s also lined with a strong sense of humor, and it gives Candy plenty of room to work which provides a buffet of comical lines, amusing situations, and moments of slapstick hilarity that all gel together into a forgotten comedic gem that still amuses.
I’m taking us back to 1987 for my next movie. A laugh out loud comedy about an L.A. born American citizen who gets mistaken as a Mexican Illegal, deported, and then must find his way back in Born in East L.A. written by, directed by, and starring Cheech Marin. As well as Daniel Stern, Paul Rodriguez, Jan Michael Vincent, and Kamala Lopez.
Cheech was Sans Chong for this hilarious high-energy comedy but there are still plenty of laughs to be found in all the hijinks and mishaps that Marin’s Ruby Robles encounters on his mission to get back across the border. Not all the humor works, and some of the performances are lacking, but Born in East L.A. keeps a quick pace and the relentless attempts at humor and the lighthearted atmosphere make this movie a great time, and a charming escape. It’s filled with mindless laughs, a few clever jokes, and more than enough energy to keep the plot moving. Marin shines comedically, many of the supporting characters leave their humorous impressions, and when everyone making the movie is clearly having fun you naturally have fun with them.
From light and laughable we’re getting dark and gritty for my next movie also from 1987. It centers on a cop and an FBI Agent who team up to find answers after seemingly common citizens turn into violent criminals and discover what they’re fighting is only human on the outside in Jack Sholder’s The Hidden starring Kyle MacLachlan, Michael Nouri, Claudia Christian, and Ed O’Ross.
I think The Hidden is a very strong movie that does the body swapping alien theme extremely well. It has a gritty and foreboding 80s vibe to it that I really like. I think the blend of storytelling, action, and violence is crisp and it all results in a sci-fi thriller that keeps the pace quick and the engagement level up. MacLachlan and Nouri in the leads, as unassuming as they may be on paper, are perfect for the needs of the plot. You can pretty easily foreshadow the ‘twist’ in this story but the abrasive chemistry between Nouri and MacLachlan has a charm to it that invests you in their mission to find out what is causing normal people to turn into killers. And when all is said and done, The Hidden is a movie that takes itself just seriously enough but knows when to cut loose and deliver the violent gusto of an 80s action thriller.
My next pick is set inside the world of movie making when a special effect man is hired to fake a real-life mob killing for the FBI but instead is set-up and framed for the crime in Robert Mandel’s 1986 action thriller F/X starring Bryan Brown, Brian Dennehy, Diane Venora, Jerry Orbach, and Cliff De Young.
I think this movie is hugely underrated and unnecessarily forgotten. The cast is fantastic with Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy delivering great performances. It’s a fast paced and ever evolving movie and the story is extremely well written. This plot takes plenty of twists and turns, some of which does feel familiar, but much of it is a unique and tension filled adventure with an inviting neo noir atmosphere. It’s certainly nostalgic to go back and see the special effects of the era and how this dynamic is incorporated into the narrative has a charming MacGyver vibe to it that I loved as a kid watching this movie on late night cable. When the action kicks in the chase sequences and shootouts are all well-staged and worked seamlessly into the plot which makes F/X an extremely well-rounded adventure thriller.
We’re heading to the deepest depths of the ocean for my next movie when a group of scientists setting up nuclear missiles discover a cavern holding a long-lost prehistoric monster in 1989’s DeepStar Six from director Sean Cunningham featuring a strong ensemble cast led by Greg Evigan, Nancy Everhard, Miguel Ferrer, Matt McCoy, Taurean Blacque, and my teenage, college, and adult crush, Nia Peeples.
Now this movie does have its flaws. It’s not quite to the level of Leviathan and it’s certainly no Abyss but the ensemble cast here is effective and the suspense and tension inside this confined ship delivers solid close quarter thrills. None of the characters really stand out to command this movie but it doesn’t matter much because when they awaken the alien monster the body count starts to rack up anyway. Now I will admit the conceptual design of this monster is cheesy and it could turn some away by hindering the scare factor. But on the other hand, it’s also a nostalgic look back to practical effects of the era. The budget for this one wasn’t huge but they made the most of it. DeepStar Six is a tension-filled fight for survival on the seafloor with all the delightfully unnerving moments you’d expect.
They don’t get much wilder than my next movie from 1987. In order to save the planet, the humans will make a deal with aliens that will require a womanizing CIA agent to team up with a flaccid office worker and the fate of the world will be in their hands in Real Men starring James Belushi and John Ritter. Written and directed by Dennis Feldman.
Not a film that’s for everyone. I do think Real Men is a great time if you can overlook the ridiculousness of the plot. It’s a dumb film but that’s the point but. It’s also a movie that feels like it’s having fun with itself and that sort of makes the film a mindlessly enjoyable romp of dumb jokes and silly scenarios. John Ritter and James Belushi have decent chemistry. I won’t say they’re a top tier comedic duo, but they work together well enough for the amusement of this film. They have a handful of comical moments together, but each really does shine when doing their own comedic shticks. If you like Ritter and Belushi seeing them doing their thing for the sake of saving the world will deliver laughs and it’s really one of those completely absurd movies they just don’t make anymore but Real Men has its appeal.
We’re going from a comedic duo to a comedic trio for my next movie. When a guy with a gambling problem is set to inherit his elderly uncle’s estate, he hatches a plan to get rid of him by the worst orderlies on Earth, Mark Morales, Darren Robinson, and Damon Wimbley also known as The Fat Boys in 1987’s Disorderlies from director Michael Schultz, also starring Ralph Bellamy, Tony Plana, and Anthony Geary.
The absurdity in this movie is front and center. It’s slapstick humor and it leans heavily into The Fat Boys gimmick with the fat-themed humor. But the energy from the leading trio, their natural chemistry, and their bumbling humor is surprisingly able to outshine their limited acting skills. Disorderlies is just one of those movies having fun, you can feel the actors are having a good time and it translates into the endearing charisma fueling this film. It’s a vehicle to ride the popularity of The Fat Boys, they deliver a couple performances, and keep their foot on the comedic gas. Now there’s no question a lot of the humor lands flat. It’s juvenile, but it’s also mindlessly amusing. The writing isn’t that great, but this movie commits to its ridiculous plot and all these years later it’s a timestamp to the silliness of 80s cinema.
Next up is a highly underrated movie from 1988 directed by Roger Spottiswoode about an FBI Agent who teams up with a skilled tracker to find a killer who has vanished into the wilderness and infiltrated a small group of hikers in Shoot to Kill starring Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, Kirstie Alley, Clancy Brown, and Richard Masur.
I would consider this to be one of the better overall films on this list. The performances from Poitier and Berenger are awesome, and they bring a great realism to their unlikely partnership. The plot, as simple as it is, crafts a compelling game of cat and mouse out in the rugged wilderness that can easily pull you out onto the mountains with these characters. The pace is steady, there are just enough twists and turns and close calls in this tension filled adventure and Shoot to Kill is a movie that starts quick and can quickly sweep you up, capture your imagination, and have you out on the chase with Berenger and Poitier. The characters grow as the story progresses and this movie just takes you on a ride that elevates the suspense smoothly before closing out with a rewarding finale.
We’re stepping back to 1985 for my next hidden gem. A lighthearted family film about a kid who goes to get groceries and comes home with a magical dirt bike that he will use to protect a hot dog stand against a large company to become a hero in The Dirt Bike Kid starring Peter Billingsley, Stuart Pankin, Anne Bloom, and Patrick Collins from director Hoite Caston.
Now admittedly this is a movie you sort of have to be in the mood for and it’s certainly a film that requires more than a stretch of suspension of disbelief. But The Dirt Bike Kid is a charming little childhood wish fulfillment fantasy film and it’s a lot of fun. The cast is filled with just enough charm, the plot is easy for kids to wrap their head around, and it works for the needs of this mindless, emotionally surface level film that follows a lot of cliches but works because of its feel-good atmosphere. The effects are comically bad, but it’s assumed this movie had little to no budget but it’s all part of the charm in a movie that essentially follows the pattern of E.T. but swaps it out with a raggedy old dirt bike that comes to life and helps a group of kids save a hot dog stand from being torn down and replaced with a bank.
The final film in this video is from 1984 but it’s set in the future when robots intended to do the work of humans have actually been programmed to kill us someone must stop the madman who started it all and this someone will be a Tom Selleck in Runaway written and directed by Michael Crichton also starring Cynthia Rhodes, Police Academy’s G.W. Bailey, Kirstie Alley and Kiss frontman Gene Simmons.
Tom Selleck was never really able to thrive as an action star on the big screen, but he has his moments in this nostalgic action thriller. It’s amusing to look back at what, at the time, was considered futuristic robotics but for the needs of this plot these mechanical characters more than serve their purpose. The story keeps a swift pace, the human characters are all admittedly a bit flat, but when the action kicks in this movie is a good time and the finale is satisfying. Selleck is fine here but there’s just something that keeps him from capturing the gravitas of a true action star. Regardless, his chemistry with Rhodes is effective, which helps engagement a bit when this one turns into an on-the-run action romp. The direction is capable, Simmons shines as the cartoonish villain, and overall Runaway is a good time.
Anthony J. Digioia II © 2024 SilverScreen Analysis & Movies Never Say Die!