The Lost Boys, 1987
by Jeffrey A. Garoutte Corey Haim and Corey Feldman worked together for the first time in one of the greatest modern day teenage vampire movies of all time . . . The Lost Boys. These were the days before vampires could leave the lair during the day, and they certainly didn’t sparkle in the sunlight. Instead, they were scary, motorcycle-riding, night-terrorizing, day-sleeping-upside-down-by-horrific-toenails gangs of very bad...
Valley Girl, 1983
This is THE teen movie of the 80s and it stands firmly in the #1 slot at Like Totally 80s. It stands out in part because it was not done by John Hughes and therefore has a completely different feel and a refreshingly different cast from the other brat pack movies of the time. In fact, Valley Girl is the first starring role for Nicolas Cage (Randy) (reason enough to watch and enjoy this movie). His co-star, Deborah Foreman, plays Julie...
The Karate Kid, 1984
Wax On, Wax Off In the 80s, The Karate Kid did for martial arts what Flashdance did for leg warmers. Girls loved the movie for heartthrob Ralph Maccio and guys loved it because – well because it was the ultimate kid meets bully, kid gets beat by bully, kid beats the you-know-what out of bully in the end. It all starts when Daniel LaRusso, the Karate Kid (played by Ralph Maccio) moves to California, where he quickly makes some...
Who You Gonna Call? Ghostbusters!
If you grew up in the 80s, you know exactly who you need to call in if you run into a spectral being or two. The kids of today call on the likes of Jason and Grant from the Ghost Hunters or that odd English team from Most Haunted. Forget that! We didn’t “hunt” or “talk” to ghosts. In the 80s we had pros who “busted” them. I’m talking about the Ghostbusters of course! If you don’t know who the Ghostbusters are, then you definitely...
Pretty in Pink, 1986
This movie had it all. It may, in fact, be the best example of the genre. A John Hughes film, starring Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, James Spader and Jon Cryer, 1986’s film Pretty in Pink is a must see for anyone interested in 80s movies or just interested in a good story, well done. Somewhat reminiscent of the classic Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet, the movie is a teen love story about two people who want to be together but...
Flashdance, 1983
Out of all of the movies released in 1983, Flashdance was probably the hottest. The movie’s plot revolves around Alexandra, a character played by Jennifer Beals. Alexandra leads somewhat of a double life. During the day, she works at a steel mill – at night she’s an exotic dancer. Of course exotic dancing isn’t what she wants to be doing with her life. Alex’s dream is to get a place at an elite dance school in Pittsburgh. It seems as...
The Empire Strikes Back, 1980
The Empire Strikes Back is one of the few movies ever filmed that needs no introduction. Even though The Empire Strikes Back was shown back in 1980, kids born in 2000 know exactly what the movie is and who the main characters are. There probably isn’t any other movie on Earth (or in space) that can lay claim to that fact. In 1980 it was referred to as The Empire Strikes Back; today it’s sometimes referred to as Star Wars Episode V...
The Breakfast Club, 1985
Do you remember The Breakfast Club? No, not a group of old men meeting at Hardees for breakfast. I’m talking about the 1985 movie, The Breakfast Club. For those of us who recognize the Brat Pack names Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez and Anthony Michael Hall, The Breakfast Club is a movie we’ll never forget. It begins with glass shattering to reveal the setting, Shermer High School, Saturday March 24th, 1984....
Back to the Future, 1985
Back to the Future – it was one of the most popular movies of the 80s, and rightfully so! Michael J. Fox was at his best (and at his hottest) and the movie’s plot held all of us captive. After all, what’s not exciting about riding in the coolest car ever and taking a trip back in time to when your parents were your age? Unless of course you manage to ruin your parents’ chances of meeting – thereby nullifying your very own existence....
Purple Rain or Purple Pain?
If you saw Purple Rain there’s on thing you have to agree with – the movie was written entirely around Prince. No, maybe it wasn’t an entirely accurate account of Prince’s life, but the movie was a bit of a self-portrait. Talented musician struggling with emotional issues . . . Gee, wonder who that could be about? Prince plays “The Kid” who is an up-and-coming musical talent with some severe emotional issues. While Prince’s character...
Sixteen Candles, 1984
“Auto – mo – beeeel” – Gotta love the Donger. Teen flicks were as popular in the 80s as they are today, perhaps even more so. One such decade-defining film, Sixteen Candles set into motion the careers of Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, and John and Joan Cusack. These stars would later come to dominate the teen movie scene throughout the decade. Written and directed by John Hughes, this coming of age...
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, 1982
On June 11, 1982 the world was introduced to one of the most heartwarming movies of the decade. Directed by Steven Spielberg, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was and still is the quintessential family film. Often tagged “The Movie that Touched the World”, the film is about a ten-year old boy named Elliot who discovers and befriends an alien botanist stranded on planet Earth. After sneaking E.T. into his house, Elliot, his older...
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it,” Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) informed teens everywhere in the 1986 hit movie Ferris Buellers’s Day Off. Considered one of the 80’s funniest films, the movie follows the adventures of fictional high school senior Ferris Bueller when he decides to play hooky. In an award-worthy performance, Bueller convinces his parents that he so...
Just One of the Guys, 1985
It is a story that had been done before and one that has certainly been done since (see Amanda Bynes’s recent vehicle, She’s The Man). But, 1985’s Just One of the Guys stands out as among the best of the type, a great movie by any standards and a totally fab example of the 80s teen movie genre. It has a slightly low budget feel, but manages to pull off the story with good performances and some really funny lines (example: great...
