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- Aug 20, 2000
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Here's my subjective opinion: 1986 was singularly the best year for movies in America, period. It was the one year when there was always something to go see.
I have subjectively curated lists of the best movies from each year, leaving out a lot that you may think should be in there, but these are my lists. So feel free to make your own and convince me I'm wrong.
1980
Empire Strikes Back
The Shining
Raging Bull
Friday the 13th
Airplane
The Elephant Man
Blues Brothers
Caddy Shack
Flash Gordon
Altered States
Inferno
1981
Raiders of the Lost Ark
An American Werewolf in London
Stripes
Evil Deal
Escape from New York
Time Bandits
History of the World Part I
Heavy Metal
Scanners
Mad Max 2
Clash of the Titans
1982
Blade Runner
Poltergeist
The Thing
Conan the Barbarian
Rocky III
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Creep Show
Swamp Thing
Tron
E.T. (kind of had to include this because of the times)
1983
Risky Business
Return of the Jedi
War Games
Scarface
Trading Places
The Dead Zone
Videodrome
A Christmas Story
The Hunger (because David Bowie)
Christine
Monty Python and the Meaning of Life
Krull
Lone Wolf McQuaid
The Man with Two Brains
1984
Terminator
Gremlins
Karate Kid
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Beverly Hills Cop
Nightmare on Elm Street
Revenge of the Nerds
Red Dawn
Police Academy
Conan the Destroyer
Amadeus
Repo Man
The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai
Children of the Corn
Dune
C.H.U.D.
1985
Back to the Future
Goonies
Rambo First Blood Part II
Weird Science
Rocky 4
Teen Wolf
Commando
True Genius
Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome
Peewee's Big Adventure
Reanimator
Brazil
Day of the Dead
Red Sonya
1986
Big Trouble In Little China
Platoon
Top Gun
Ferris Bueler's Day Off
Aliens
The Fly
Highlander
Labyrinth
Critters
Blue Velvet
Crocodile Dundee
Manhunter
Howard the Duck
Back To School
Karate Kid 2
Three Amigos
The Wraith
Cobra
The Golden Child
Delta Force
F/X
Compared to following years, it's clear that 1986 had volume and quality over other years
1987
Predator
Lethal Weapon
Evil Dead 2
Robocop
Lost Boys
Untouchables
Running Man
Raising Arizona
Full Metal Jacket
Hellraiser
Wall Street
Space Balls
1988
Die Hard
The Naked Gun
They Live
Beetlejuice
Coming to America
Willow
Childs Play
Red Heat
Bloodsport
1989
Batman
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Abyss
Ghostbusters II
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
Roadhouse
Glory
Weekend at Bernies
Uncle Buck
1984 could win a best year in American film just for pure quality, but the balance of quality and quantity is 1986. Yet from 1986 to 1989 the list of movies that I would want to see in the theater diminished, and I wasn't even trying to leave stuff each the lists each year. I put Abyss on there only because I did see it in the theater - but truth be told, I didn't really want to.
It appears, for me, that while each of the years in the 1980s had some strong movies that I love, 1986 was where production peaked. Like 1996 in arcade games.
2018: lots of forgettable movies that won't be socially relevant in a few years I guess. As much as I like Mandy, that's it. I can't imagine looking back on 2018 in a few years and saying, man, I could really watch Deadpool 2 again, or Black Panther, or Infinity Wars, or Aquaman (which I haven't seen so I shouldn't mention it, but it does look like crap).
I have subjectively curated lists of the best movies from each year, leaving out a lot that you may think should be in there, but these are my lists. So feel free to make your own and convince me I'm wrong.
1980
Empire Strikes Back
The Shining
Raging Bull
Friday the 13th
Airplane
The Elephant Man
Blues Brothers
Caddy Shack
Flash Gordon
Altered States
Inferno
1981
Raiders of the Lost Ark
An American Werewolf in London
Stripes
Evil Deal
Escape from New York
Time Bandits
History of the World Part I
Heavy Metal
Scanners
Mad Max 2
Clash of the Titans
1982
Blade Runner
Poltergeist
The Thing
Conan the Barbarian
Rocky III
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Creep Show
Swamp Thing
Tron
E.T. (kind of had to include this because of the times)
1983
Risky Business
Return of the Jedi
War Games
Scarface
Trading Places
The Dead Zone
Videodrome
A Christmas Story
The Hunger (because David Bowie)
Christine
Monty Python and the Meaning of Life
Krull
Lone Wolf McQuaid
The Man with Two Brains
1984
Terminator
Gremlins
Karate Kid
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Beverly Hills Cop
Nightmare on Elm Street
Revenge of the Nerds
Red Dawn
Police Academy
Conan the Destroyer
Amadeus
Repo Man
The Adventures of Buckaroo Bonzai
Children of the Corn
Dune
C.H.U.D.
1985
Back to the Future
Goonies
Rambo First Blood Part II
Weird Science
Rocky 4
Teen Wolf
Commando
True Genius
Mad Max Beyond the Thunderdome
Peewee's Big Adventure
Reanimator
Brazil
Day of the Dead
Red Sonya
1986
Big Trouble In Little China
Platoon
Top Gun
Ferris Bueler's Day Off
Aliens
The Fly
Highlander
Labyrinth
Critters
Blue Velvet
Crocodile Dundee
Manhunter
Howard the Duck
Back To School
Karate Kid 2
Three Amigos
The Wraith
Cobra
The Golden Child
Delta Force
F/X
Compared to following years, it's clear that 1986 had volume and quality over other years
1987
Predator
Lethal Weapon
Evil Dead 2
Robocop
Lost Boys
Untouchables
Running Man
Raising Arizona
Full Metal Jacket
Hellraiser
Wall Street
Space Balls
1988
Die Hard
The Naked Gun
They Live
Beetlejuice
Coming to America
Willow
Childs Play
Red Heat
Bloodsport
1989
Batman
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Abyss
Ghostbusters II
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
Roadhouse
Glory
Weekend at Bernies
Uncle Buck
1984 could win a best year in American film just for pure quality, but the balance of quality and quantity is 1986. Yet from 1986 to 1989 the list of movies that I would want to see in the theater diminished, and I wasn't even trying to leave stuff each the lists each year. I put Abyss on there only because I did see it in the theater - but truth be told, I didn't really want to.
It appears, for me, that while each of the years in the 1980s had some strong movies that I love, 1986 was where production peaked. Like 1996 in arcade games.
2018: lots of forgettable movies that won't be socially relevant in a few years I guess. As much as I like Mandy, that's it. I can't imagine looking back on 2018 in a few years and saying, man, I could really watch Deadpool 2 again, or Black Panther, or Infinity Wars, or Aquaman (which I haven't seen so I shouldn't mention it, but it does look like crap).