Back To The Future (1985) 10/10

Starring : Michael J Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F Wilson, Claudia Wells
Director : Robert Zemeckis
Running Time : 111 mins

Marty McFly (Fox) is invited to witness his friend Doc Brown (Lloyd) unveil his latest invention – a time machine in the form of a DeLorean car, but when terrorists gun the Doc down, Marty has to jumps into the Doc’s car in order to try and escape. The time circuits are accidentally activated, and Marty finds himself in 1955, trying to make sure that his parents get together, or he may never exist!

This is probably the strongest movie the entire 1980s has to offer. The plot has been painstakingly thought through so as to avoid any possible plot holes, unlike other movies of it’s ilk. Both Fox and Lloyd are brilliant as the main two characters, and the supporting cast are energetic and clearly enjoying themselves throughout.

Dark Star (1974) 7/10

Starring : Brian Narelle, Cal Kuniholm, Dre Pahich, Dan O’Bannon
Director : John Carpenter
Running Time : 83 mins

Four astronauts, charged with the duty of destroying unstable planets in potential colony star systems, find themselves faced with a runaway alien beachball with a mischievous side and a smart bomb that has decided that it is God.

Basically if it wasn’t for this movie there would have been no Alien movies! This showed Dan O’Bannon, writer of the original Alien movie, taking his first stab at making a truly suspenseful space movie. This, due to the low budget, is more of a tongue in cheek homage to 2001 : A Space Odyssey than the horror it would eventually become, but any true fan of the Alien saga should not be without this classic in their collection.

Misery (1990) 8/10

Starring : James Caan, Kathy Bates, Richard Farnsworth, Frances Sternhagen, Lauren Bacall
Director : Rob Reiner
Running Time : 104 mins

Famous novelist Paul Sheldon (Caan) is involved in a life threatening car crash, but thankfully he is rescued by local nurse Annie Wilkes (Bates). He soon discovers that Annie is his biggest fan and has read all of his novels featuring heroine Misery Chastaine. Things are bad enough as Annie keeps Paul medicated and won’t call a doctor or let him leave, but when she discovers his latest novel has killed Misery off, she becomes very upset and demands he write a new book bringing her back from the dead.

One of the best Stephen King adaptations, and in many ways better than the book, this movie is probably one of the best horror / thrillers of the 90’s without having to go too over the top.

Carry On Screaming (1966) 8/10

Starring : Harry H Corbett, Kenneth Williams, Jim Dale, Charles Hawtrey, Fenella Fielding, Angela Douglas
Director : Gerald Thomas
Running Time : 93 mins

Detective Sergeant Sidney Bung (Corbett) is called in to investigate a series of disappearances, all involving young girls. To his horror he discovers that the sinister Dr Watt (Williams) has been using a monster he created to kidnap women and then he transforms them into shop window mannequins! Unfortunately Bung finds himself distracted from the case by Dr Watt’s scary yet attractive sister, Valeria (Fielding).

Even though this doesn’t feature many of the more popular members of the team, such as Sid James and Barbara Windsor, this is possibly the strongest of the Carry On series with the most detailed plot. A lot of the movies that followed pretty much relied on a single central set piece and threw in the odd pun here and there.

National Lampoon's Class Reunion (1982) 8/10

Starring : Gerrit Graham, Fred McCarren, Miriam Flynn, Stephen Furst, Shelley Smith, Michael Lerner, Blackie Dammett
Director : Michael Miller
Running Time : 82 mins

It’s the tenth-year school reunion at Lizzie Borden High for the Class of ‘72, and everything is just as boring as it always was, that is until Walter Baylor (Dammett) escapes from a mental home he’s been in since graduation, when he was driven insane by a prank that went horribly wrong, and gatecrashes the party!

This is without a doubt the silliest of the National Lampoon movies, and it makes me chuckle every time I’ve watched it. Very few of the actors in this are still known today, although Stephen Furst will be familiar to fans of The Dream Team or Babylon Five.

Ghostbusters (1984) 10/10

Starring : Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts
Director : Ivan Reitman
Running Time : 102 mins

Three scientists get kicked out of the university where they work when their grants expire. Playing on a theory concocted by Dr Egon Spengler (Ramis) that they can actually trap a ghost, they go into business as Ghostbusters, offering their services to the public for large sums of money. Things start to look bad, however, when paranormal activity begins to rise in New York City, and they realise that an ancient Sumarian God named Gozer may be trying to find its way into the human world, with the aim of taking over and enslaving mankind.

One of my all time favourite films which stands the test of time, Ghostbusters is an 80s classic that was somewhat of a pioneer in the realms of action comedies, and made overnight successes out of Bill Murray and Rick Moranis, who until then had only really been known through Saturday Night Live and a handful of lesser known movie parts.

The Delicate Delinquent (1957) 8/10

Starring : Jerry Lewis, Darren McGavin
Director : Don McGuire
Running Time : 98 mins

Sydney Pythias (Lewis) is a janitor who is mistaken for a juvenile delinquent by the police. Thinking he’s a gang member, Officer Mike Damon makes it his duty to transform Sydney into a model citizen to prove that delinquents aren’t beyond redemption.

This was Jerry Lewis’s first film following the dissolution of his movie partnership with Dean Martin, and it’s clear to see that he works much better without his erstwhile partner disrupting his performance. Following this classic comic flipside version of Rebel Without A Cause, his movies just went from strength to strength.

A Clockwork Orange (1971) 7/10

Starring : Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri, Miriam Karlin
Director : Stanley Kubrick
Running Time : 131 mins

Alex DeLarge (McDowell) is a juvenile delinquent who gets sent to prison when he accidentally kills a woman. After two years of imprisonment he is asked to take part in an experimental form of rehabilitation, by which his capacity for violent outbursts is suppressed. Unfortunately his notoriety leads him to get involved in potentially dangerous situations.

This film was not at all what I was expecting. Although it did start off very weird, with some extremely disturbing rape and assault scenes, the film eventually meanders into a much more visually acceptable movie which remained intriguing throughout.

The Goonies (1985) 8/10

Starring : Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Martha Plimpton, Ke Huy Quan Director : Richard Donner
Running Time : 115 mins

A group of kids who are having to move from their home town due to it being turned into a golf course find a treasure map in an attic and go off in search of the long lost treasure of renowned pirate One-Eyed Willy. Unfortunately the starting point of their hunt is the hideout of the notorious Fratelli family, one of whom has just broken out of jail!

One of the most famous family movies of the 1980s, and arguably one of the best, The Goonies is also one of my all time favourites. I can’t really put my finger on what is so special about this, but the feeling of being in a teenaged Indiana Jones film has to be high on the list of things that this movie has going for it.

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (1966) 8/10

Starring : Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers, Michael Crawford
Director : Richard Lester
Running Time : 94 mins

Pseudolus (Mostel) has only one wish in life – to buy his freedom and no longer be a slave. When his young master, Hero (Crawford) falls in love with a virgin from the House Of Lycus, Pseudolus sees his opportunity to interfere and gain his freedom by making a deal with the naïve youth.

This movie, based on the hit Broadway musical, is a classic that no-one should miss. One of only a few films to feature Zero Mostel (who, strangely enough, was laso in The Producers), this movie seems to have been imitated a number of times, most noteably with Up Pompeii and, to a lesser degree, Monty Pyhton’s Life Of Brian. And, like the Producers, I suspect it won’t be long before there’s a remake in the offing!

The Blues Brothers (1980) 9/10

Starring : John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Carrie Fisher
Director : John Landis
Running Time : 126 mins

Jake Blues (Belushi) is let out of prison and, when visiting the orphanage he was brought up in with his brother Elwood (Aykroyd), they discover it’s going to be closed down if the nuns can’t raise $5,000 in the next 11 days! Accepting their "mission from God", the brothers hastily attempt to reform their band to hold a concert in order to raise the money, whilst trying to avoid the police and Jake’s bitter ex (Fisher).

If you haven’t seen this, then you’re probably dead inside. Although not the best comedy ever written, it is definitely one of the silliest! The plot is feeble to say the least, but the set pieces are great and the amount of guest singers they managed to dig up is phenomenal!

Idle Hands (1999) 8/10

Starring : Devon Sawa, Seth Green, Elden Henson, Jessica Alba
Director : Rodman Flender
Running Time : 88 mins

Anton Tobias (Sawa) is a complete slacker. Then one morning he wakes up to find that both his parents have been murdered and turned into Halloween decorations! He soon discovers that he killed them, or more accurately his right hand, which has been possessed by the Devil! In a desperate attempt to stop himself from killing again, following the murder of his best friends Mick (Green) and Pnub (Henson) he chops his own hand off, but it runs off on its own, and is after Molly (Alba), the girl at school that Anton loves.

One of the silliest horror films I've ever seen, and therefore one of my favourites, this film is perfect for anyone who enjoyed The Evil Dead or Shaun Of The Dead.

Raging Bull (1980) 9/10

Starring : Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty
Director : Martin Scorsese
Running Time : 124 mins

Robert De Niro plays Jake LaMotta in this biographical movie based on the life of the famous boxer. In this we get to see his life progress from a successful boxer who uses his rage in the ring to consistantly win, to an alcoholic depressive who beats his wife. His rage and paranoia lead him to think that every man he meets is trying to sleep with his wife Vicky (Moriarity), including his brother Joey (Pesci), until he has isolated himself from everyone who ever cared about him.

I'm not a big fan of sports related movies, but this one had something special about it. De Niro is fantastic in the lead role, which won him a deserved Best Actor Oscar, Moriarity is just the right side of slutty for the role, and Pesci is his usual loud obnoxious self.

Neighbours (1981) 7/10

Starring : John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cathy Moriaty, Kathryn Walker
Director : John G Avildsen
Running Time : 92 mins

This is a really silly early 80s classic, in which Belushi and Aykroyd reunite for the last time after their success in The Blues Brothers. Belushi plays Earl Keese, who's evening takes a turn for the worse when he meets his new neighbour Vic (Aykroyd), an extremely obnoxious individual who decides to invade Earl's life. Things grow progressively worse as he accidentally drives his new neighbours car into a swamp, almost kills him, and eventually burns down his house!

People seem to have many disparate opinions about the success of this film. Many compare it to the Blues Brothers and come to the conclusion that it is an awful piece of film history, whilst others think of it as an excellent example of Aykroyd and Belushi's range. In my opinion this is a pretty good film when you watch it as a stand-alone piece and don't try to lump it into any particular group.

First Blood (1982) 7/10

Starring : Sylvester Stallone, Brian Dennehy, Richard Crenna, Chris Mulkey, David Caruso
Director : Ted Kotcheff
Running Time : 92 mins

Whilst hitchhiking through a small town, ex Vietnam veteran John Rambo (Stallone) finds himself getting picked on by local cops, who arrest him for possessing a deadly weapon – his knife. His treatment in jail causes him to have major flashbacks and, when he does escape from confinement, he starts to kill off his pursuers one by one…

A simple idea and a simple plot, this would have been the perfect stand alone movie. Unfortunately Stallone and Hollywood keep insisting on making less and less likely sequels to this otherwise fine and historically accurate movie. Dennehy is especially affective as the main cop out to get him, and Stallone seems generally confused throughout – though I’m not sure how much of that is actual acting.

Weekend At Bernie's (1989) 7/10

Starring : Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Catherine Mary Stewart, Terry Kiser
Director : Ted Kotcheff
Running Time : 95 mins

Richard (Silverman) and Larry (McCarthy) discover that someone has been embezzling money from their company. When they inform their boss, Bernie Lomax (Kiser), he invites then to his beach house for a weekend of fun and leisure and women as a thank you. But once they arrive, they find he's been killed! So that they don't get the blame, the duo set about trying to convince everyone that Bernie is still alive...

This film is so silly, you just have to love it. The sequel is incredibly poor, but this still stands on its own as one of the last great 80s comedies!

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 9/10

Starring : Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, William Redfield
Director : Milos Forman
Running Time : 128 mins

A classic in the truest sense of the word Nicholson plays McMurphy, a prisoner who thinks he can get out of working in prison by pretending to be mad and getting transferred to an institution. Things don't work out well for him when he realises that the nurse in charge will do anything to keep him there, even past the length of his sentence.

Some fantastic performances, not just from the deservedly Oscar winning Nicholson and Fletcher, but the supporting cast, including a very young Brad Douriff, Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito, are equally up to the challenge of playing mental patients.

Licence To Drive (1988) 7/10

Starring : Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, Heather Graham, Carol Kane
Director : Greg Beeman
Running Time : 88 mins

Les (Haim) hasn't passed his driving test yet, but decides to take his grandpa's car out for a drive one night in order to impress Mercedes (Graham), the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, and not strictly speaking through any fault of his own, more and more terrible things start to happen to the car!

In the 80s, a film was considered to be terrible if it had either of the Corey's in it. Like the Lost Boys, this had both! Despite that fact, this was one of my favourite films when I was about twelve, and it's just a shame it took so long to become available on DVD in the UK!

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) 9/10

Starring : Steve Martin, John Candy
Director : John Hughes
Running Time : 89 mins

Steve Martin stars as Neal Page, a businessman who has to travel home to his family for Thanksgiving, but finds that a snow storm has delayed all of his possible flights. On the way he meets Del Griffith (Candy), the worlds most irritating man, who suggests they try an alternative route. From then on chaos ensues.

This is probably John Hughes last great film (possibly with the exception of Uncle Buck) and marked the high point in John Candy's short career. A must see for anyone who likes comedies how they used to be.

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) 8/10

Starring : Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, Reni Santoni, Carl Reiner
Director : Carl Reiner
Running Time : 84 mins

This is definitely Steve Martin at his best. This is in my top five Steve Martin movies of all time along with The Man With Two Brains, Planes Trains & Automobiles, Little Shop Of Horrors and Bowfinger.

Martin plays Rigby Reardon, a private detective who is hired by Juliet Forrest (Ward) to investigate her fathers disappearance. During his investigations, he meets the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Charles Laughton, Bette Davis, Vincent Price, Veronica Lake, Cary Grant, Lana Turner, and many more classic Hollywood stars. Reiner's use of clips and segments from classic Universal movies is done brilliantly.

Clue (1985) 9/10

Starring : Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Khan, Christopher Lloyd, Michael McKean, Martin Mull, Lesley Ann Warren, Colleen Camp
Director : Jonathan Lynn
Running Time : 93 mins

A group of people who have never met before turn up for a dinner party and discover they are all being blackmailed by the host! When the host is then murdered, the group have to figure out which of them is the killer, before the killer tries to kill them too!

This is a much overlooked 80s classic! Based on the boardgame Cluedo, this film even has a choice of three endings, so you have the option of getting a random different ending each time you watch. With a whole group of famous names from the era, this movie is a definite comedy classic and a must watch!

Police Academy (1984) 8/10

Starring : Steve Guttenburg, Kim Cattrall, G W Bailey, Bubba Smith, Donovan Scott, George Gaynes, Andrew Rubin, David Graf, Leslie Easterbrook, Michael Winslow
Director : Hugh Wilson
Running Time : 93 mins

The mayoress of New York decides to relax the rules for allowing candidates into the Police Academy, resulting in a major influx of below average, obese and lazy recruits showing up in the hope of landing a job. Amongst the new recruits is Carey Mahoney (Guttenburg), who has been told that joining the police force is his only option to doing jail time, but he soon discovers that perhaps being a cop isn’t as bad as he first thought when he meets the lovely Karen Thompson(Cattrall).

The first and easily the best of the Police Academy series, this introduced us to a large number of the characters who would be so recognisable throughout the late 80s. The thing that probably made the series fall apart was the fact that the writers started getting a lot sillier after this first installment, although I still enjoyed the majority of the movies.