I gave this list some thought last night, and here are the best films of the 80s, in my humble opinion of course:

1. Do The Right Thing
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
3. The Shining
4. The Verdict
5. The Terminator
6. Body Heat
7. Thief
8. The King of Comedy
9. Blood Simple
10. To Live And Die in LA

Honorable Mentions: Full Metal Jacket, Blade Runner, Platoon, The Dead Zone, Once Upon A Time in America, Die Hard, Dead Ringers, The Fly, Talk Radio, Broadcast News, The Thing, Witness


Thoughts?

Re: 10 Best Films of the 80s
 

1. The Shining.
2. Raging Bull
3. Mississippi Burning
4. Blade Runner
5. Full Metal Jacket
6. Paris, Texas
7. Cinema Paradiso
8. Angst
9. Casualties of War
10. Spoorloos

Close but no cigar: Grave of the Fireflies & Back to the Future

10. The Fly (David Cronenberg, 1986)

09. The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)

08. Love Streams (John Cassavetes, 1982)

07. Back to the Future (Robert Zemeckis, 1985)

06. The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)

05. The 'Burbs (Joe Dante, 1989)

04. Streetwise (Martin Bell, 1984)

03. Vagabond (Agnes Varda, 1985)

02. The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese, 1982)

01. The Elephant Man (David Lynch, 1980)

Re: 10 Best Films of the 80s
 

Damn, I love The Burbs.

Along with My Cousin Vinny it's one of my go to films when i'm sick or feeling down or whatever, both just give me the best feeling. Arrested Development would be before both of them in that sense though.

Yeah I get you. Mine are:

The Burbs
The Sure Thing
Arlington Road
The Lost Boys
License to Drive

Totally get The Lost Boys as that sort of film, it's incredibly nostalgic for me. Arlington Road is so dumb and corny but it's awesome anyway, the twist is probably still the one that got me the most when i first saw it as a kid. Haven't watched The Sure Thing or License To Drive.

License to Drive is a terrible film. I love it.

The Sure Thing is underrated in terms of comedy, there are some really funny moments, if you like that sort of silly comedy. John Cusack is great in it.

Re: 10 Best Films of the 80s
 

Never seen The Burbs.

It's a really silly dark comedy. It's set in this incredibly bizarre neighbourhood, it feels like another planet before it even gets into the potential supernatural stuff. So good.

I checked. I actually feel like I have seen it, but I was so young that it doesn't really count. One day I'll give it a look.

Re: 10 Best Films of the 80s
 

I'm useless at these but I'll do what I can. This is going roughly by IMDB ratings.
1. The Shining
2. Love Streams
3. Possession
4. Stranger Than Paradise
5. Betty Blue
6. Pink Floyd: The Wall
7. Under the Volcano
8. Scarface
9. Come and See
10. Ms. 45


Honourable mentions to:1 Rocky IV, Airplane, Interrogation, Evil Dead and Terminator.

10.) Scarface (1983)
9.) The Untouchables (1987)
8.) Manhunter (1986)
7.) To Live and Die in LA (1985)
6.) Thief (1981)
5.) Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
4.) Aliens (1986)
3.) The Shining (1980)
2.) Blade Runner (1982)
1.) The Long Good Friday (1980)

Very pleased to see The Verdict and The King of Comedy on your list and very pleased to see Talk Radio in your honorable mentions.

Re: 10 Best Films of the 80s
 

Just 10? ;)
1 The Terminator
2 Raiders of the Lost Ark
3 Ghostbusters
4 Aliens
5 Lethal Weapon
6 For Your Eyes Only
7 Back to the Future 2
8 A Nightmare on Elm Street
9 Splash
10 Gremlins

Honestly, after the first 3 or 4 there are dozens that could fit in the rest of the list...

Re: 10 Best Films of the 80s
 

Paris, Texas
Full Metal Jacket
Die Hard
The Fly
Back to the Future
Videodrome
Blue Velvet
The King of Comedy
Robocop
Do the Right Thing

Some very good films during this decade, but also a ton of campy stuff. According to my IMDb list, I have watched more than 250 films that came out in the 80s so this isn't an easy choice.

10. The Terminator
9. Back to the Future
8. Das Boot
7. The Breakfast Club
6. The Blues Brothers
5. Idi i Smotri
4. Dead Poets Society
3. Aliens
2. Platoon
1. Scarface

Honorable Mentions: After Hours, Raging Bull, First Blood, Wrath of Khan, Rain Man, The Name of the Rose, Full Metal Jacket, The Karate Kid, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Ghostbusters, Blood Simple, The Killing Fields, Evil Dead II, The King of Comedy, Paris Texas, The Shining, Highlander, The Thing, Escape from New York, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Stand by Me, Gandhi, Blade Runner, Die Hard

Damn that was a lot of mentions...

Re: 10 Best Films of the 80s
 

Top ten of the Eighties
Blade Runner Scott
Paris Texas Wenders
Wings of Desire Wenders
Cinema Paradiso
Blue Velvet Lynch
Hanna and Her Sisters Allen
Purple Rose of Cairo Allen
Raging Bull Scorcese
The Wall Parker
The Verdict