10 Fantastic Yet Underrated Sci-fi Movies From The VHS Era Of ’80s!

[@RodgerRamjet]

here's some more of the best 80's... "They Live.."......... "The Last Starfighter ".... Killer Klowns from Outer Space".... The Blob "....... "Deadzone"......"Short Circuit"........"Critters"......"The Final Countdown".......

[@davemeads859]

Nice list of absolute classics

[@______IV]

The Last Starfighter had me working REALLY hard to beat video games and hoping for an alien encounter. It can still happen, and no one can convince me otherwise! (Edit): Oh, and I know it wasn’t underrated necessarily, but Batteries Not Included was another awesome 80s sci-fi treasure.

[@thedarkknight1971]

Another long forgotten but, underrated film (Australian low budget B movie) 1987 'Bad Taste' 😏👌 😎🇬🇧

[@______IV]

@@thedarkknight1971 : Bad taste is a kiwi film, not an Aussie film…but is it really underrated?

[@robert4123]

Your list is perfect

[@maccurtis730]

0:54 Looker 2:52 The Ice Pirates 4:09 Dead End Dive-In 5:47 Spacehunter: Adventures In The Forbidden Zone 7:28 Explorers 9:38 The Philadelphia Experiment 11:25 Altered States 13:16 Miracle Mine 15:09 The Quiet Earth 16:57 Liquid Sky

[@dansv1]

The name of the movie is Miracle Mile, not Miracle Mine.

[@cgdimension]

@@dansv1 its crazy the mistake gets repeated, its so obvious and pretty well known movie ;p

[@irina1296]

Other underrated Sci-Fi films of the 80's - Contamination (1980), Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), Hangar 18 (1980), Malevil (1981), Android (1982), Endangered Species (1982), BrainWaves (1982), Turkey Shoot (1982), Anna to the Infinite Power (1983), Space Raiders (1983), The Prize of Peril (1983), Wavelength (1983), The Brother from Another Planet (1984), Runaway (1984), Night of the Comet (1984), DARYL (1985), My Science Project (1985), Radioactive Dreams (1985), Warning Sign (1985), Starcrossed (1985), The Manhattan Project (1986), TerrorVision (1986), Hands of Steel (1986), Bad Taste (1987), Cherry 2000 (1987), The Hidden (1987), Timestalkers (1987), Steel Dawn (1987), Pulse (1988), Alien from L.A. (1988), Bunker Palace Hotel (1988), The Blood of Heroes (1989), DeepStar Six (1989), Crime Zone (1989), Millennium (1989).

[@erikramaekers63]

Because my local multiplex cinema in Belgium had 7 screens but not enough A movies,i saw most of the pictures on your list in the cinema.

[@tonyneedsjesuschrist]

EPIC

[@silvervalleystudios2486]

@@erikramaekers63 Were the films screened in Dutch/French or in English?

[@thetxaggie6575]

Wavelength was a favorite when I was little

[@craigfresch575]

Bad taste is hilarious.... Peter Jacksons best :) you forgot liquid sky....

[@irina1296]

Guys, you're really amazing! You hear our recommendations and add them in other videos. That's what I call real professionals! Thanks so much for adding Spacehunter, Liquid Sky, The Quiet Earth, Dead End Drive-In, Miracle Mile, Altered States, Looker, The Philadelphia Experiment. I can re-watch these films over and over again. Very unique films

[@BrandonHex]

Star Hunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone is an all-time favorite.

[@laustcawz2089]

Can't be much of a favorite if you don't even know the name-- it's "Spacehunter: Adventures in The Forbidden Zone".

[@rayjohnson2387]

I hate when they have missing limbs

[@rayjohnson2387]

@@laustcawz2089 🤣

[@mikekollross8810]

I like her. I like her for the maze!

[@WilliamTheMovieFan]

The Quiet Earth is New Zealand’s first fully produced sci-fi film. It is really good!

[@kristinaF54]

I seen it on dvd. You have to be in a mellow mood to stick with it as the pace is very slow.

[@WilliamTheMovieFan]

@@kristinaF54 watching the main character lose his mind is great! It’s not an action movie, it’s more of a character study film

[@gold76]

The villain in Looker has a Ron Burgundy like appearance.. The hidden is another underrated 80's gem

[@aquariandawn4750]

The Hidden rocked from the beginning and all the way through

[@Becka_Harper]

The Philadelphia Experiment is an all time favorite of mine. Nancy Allen is just divine which helps.

[@70mustang302]

Excellent!!

[@terminaldeity]

Altered States is one of my all-time favorite movies. I've seen it at least a dozen times over the years, and it gets better every time I watch it. Very well written, thought-provoking, and a visual treat.

[@eyeseer1]

Look at Altered States for the blink-or-miss uncredited appearance of Drew Barrymore before she was in Firestarter and E.T.

[@MasterJediDude]

"Looker" was waaaaaaay ahead of its time. The plot is completely feasible now, with CGI models replacing real models and subliminal commands built into the TV commercials. And the development of the "light guns" was pretty awesome too. I wish that I had one, so I could stun my enemies and knock them around while they are frozen in place. Albert Finny was fantastic in everything he did back then.

[@miles6910]

loved that movie as a kid, but kind of comical how the plot was based on the idea that you could create photo-real digital actors, but still had to shoot real cars.

[@kiefb8841]

What a great list! Way to stand out from all the other channels by sharing legit underappreciated gems like this. Miracle Mile, Liquid Sky and Ice Pirates were definitely a couple of my favorite 80s flicks growing up!

[@Codename-B]

William Hurt is an absolute actoral unit on Altered States. Unparalleled performance.

[@thekurtopian]

Spacehunter was one of my favorites as a kid. Used to rent it from the video store all the time!

[@screamingblue7]

You had me at Explorers. Awesome to see Miracle Mile get some love. We recommended it at the video store way back when. Quiet Earth and Philadelphia Experiment, classics!

[@KiwiHelpgeek]

I loved Altered States and was very happy to see The Quiet Earth, one of my absolute favourite movies, listed. I worked as a bus driver during New Zealand Covid level 4 lockdown and kept on thinking how the empty streets reminded me of The Quiet Earth.

[@the80sguy80]

Looker was a great film. R.I.P. Albert Finney

[@mattsparling9843]

The Quiet Earth is by far the most thought provoking, "hard Sci Fi" film on this list.

[@stephenbaldassarre2289]

Great and subtlety complex movie that does a lot with a very limited budget.

[@justinmillikan2258]

Enemy Mine (1985)

[@winsomehax]

As always... lists full of useful info. It's a long time since I heard of many of these, and lots that I hadn't known about. Good stuff.

[@monkeymanbob]

Another good video with very worthy titles that sci-fi fans new and old should check out or re-visit. Marvelous Videos did some good research for this one. However....Galaga, never heard it pronounced that way before. Get your boy down the arcade, stat.

[@thedarkknight1971]

Another long forgotten but, underrated film (Australian low budget B movie) 1987 'Bad Taste' 😏👌 😎🇬🇧

[@shallendor]

Ice Pirates is just pure fun!

[@whylie74]

it did itroduce the world to Space Herpes after all.

[@MrMicklethal]

That was a favorite in my house! My kids watched it a zillion times.

[@leecroft1983]

Haven't heard of it before, looks like a lot of fun.

[@thetxaggie6575]

When I was little, I was so scared of the castration scene lol

[@thrashpondopons2776]

It was great! A fun throw-back to "Space Swashbuckler' Sci/Fi!

[@CuzCutz]

Altered States was not only the big screen debut of William Hurt, it was also the debut of Drew Barrymore.

[@conflictmagazine]

The years that it took to get a home video copy of these films....many classic films in this video that have never been given their due...thanks for this one (-:

[@ThePlatinum18]

Miracle Mile gave me nightmares at 8 years old but I also loved it because of the realistic take on mass panic of a city finding out all to late that there's about to be a nuclear apocalypse. The phone call and diner scene are wonderful. How do you get strangers to believe something horrible is about to happen them.

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

That movie was so dramatic and dumb how do you make a nuclear apocalypse BORING anyway

[@discovertube1]

You had me at Looker! Man the music in that one!

[@GérannGerberChannel]

Great video MV, I really enjoyed this!!

[@thebrownlizard3988]

love your video great movies !!! ill try to watch them all keep on the amazing work those movies are amazing 80s cult gems that will never be made again in that style or attetion to details !!! gotta love the 80s !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@sweetwilliam2511]

Liquid Sky! Oh, yeah! Great film. Great list.

[@StevenSmyth]

OK, just so you know what Explorers is trying to do besides hearken back to "pulp Sci fi" - Ethan Hawk's character Ben is kind of obsessed by the film This Island Earth (1955) which is about aliens giving the main character (a nuclear scientist) the plans for a device called an interocitor, which arrives in his lab in kit form. It's a test given by the aliens in the movie to see if the person receiving the kit is smart enough to build it. The plot for Explorers is very similar; Wak and Neek send out psychic messages to Ben regarding the circuit board, and he and Wolfgang and Darren figure out how to build the space ship. So it's This Island Earth with kids.

[@MrMicklethal]

The impact that VHS had on society was ENORMOUS. For the 1st time in film history you could actually own a film. However VHS also destroyed a part of Americana. When films like _The Wizard Of Oz_ were aired it was a family event...like Rudolph & Frosty. The entire country was gathered with their families for these events & the younger ones amongst us will never have an event like these.

[@deepzone31]

Mandalorian begs to differ. We sit down as a family for this weekly.

[@MrMicklethal]

@@deepzone31 That's awesome for you but I'm sticking with my original statement.

[@krashd]

I also fail to understand why videos can't be a family event, some of my fondest childhood memories were the four of us watching a rental every friday night.

[@MrMicklethal]

@@krashd Consider it what you want Mr.Fraser. I'm not going to try to take that away from you. BUT..the only event we have now that comes close to those in the early days of TV is the Superbowl. It's not only a family event, it's a cultural event. Your little bubble is sharing that event with millions of other bubbles. You bonded with Americana! Now everyone is in their own little corner glued to their phones along with a myriad of others. Even when we're together we're apart. We're not evolving as a society anymore. We're too busy inventing things that drive us apart.

[@jimyarbrough9935]

It didn't change that much since VHS movies cost $90 or more back in the day. If anything it was the rise of cable tv where we went from a handful of channels to 100's.

[@tanguman2]

How DARE you forget METAL STORM: The Destruction of Jaryd Sinn

[@MarvelousVideos]

Intentionally. We recommended it in our other lists. :)

[@MrMicklethal]

Wow I haven't thought of that movie in years! I thought it was awesome how they hunted down an actor with a missing arm for the villain.

[@tibedog5629]

@@MarvelousVideos Late to the party but it's Miracle Mile. Not Miracle Mine.

[@thetxaggie6575]

I watch Explorers all the time. The Quiet Earth is probably one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, I have it downloaded to my tablet, absolutely love it

[@vonVile]

Fun Fact: Spacehunter was originally supposed to be a sequel to The Road Warrior. You can now see how much this movie and Fury Road's plot points are alike. You forgot the movies: - "Repo Man" (1984) starring Emilio Estevez as a punk rocker car repo man hunting for a vehicle with an alien body in the trunk. - "Electric Dreams" (1984) where a guy is in a love triangle between his upstairs neighbor and his AI computer.

[@everythingispose-able2543]

I was just referencing Electric Dreams two days ago to a friend. LOL weird synchronicity. Was always one of my favorites. Comment was in reference to how hot Virginia Madsen was back then. We had just seen Freaky and I was saying that Blumhouse has been casting lead heroines with that "look". Big eyebrow blondes.

[@caronstout354]

​@@everythingispose-able2543"Electric Dreams" has a great 80's era soundtract.

[@ivorbiggun710]

I remember Ice Pirates. Very funny. Would definitely recommend.

[@thepayne7862]

I watched it 3 weekend ago love every minute of it.

[@ReiverBlue1971]

Explorers (1985): I've been looking for this film on and off since the 80's! I was starting to think it didn't exist, many thanks ;)

[@badredfinn2982]

Explorers had a great start, and a terrible ending that sucked the like out of the premise. Spacehunter was just cool. The Ice Pirates was awesome.

[@antonnym214]

Typo at 13:30. You meant Miracle Mile, not Miracle Mine. ALSO, you meant "nuclear", pronounced like "new"+"clear" instead of "nuke-ya-ler". Otherwise, very nice vid!

[@peffken8834]

I really miss "Lifeforce". Such a so well done movie in many aspects, like story, cast, editing and effects. Unfortunately, hardly anyone knows this movie - an absolute recommendation!!!

[@gold76]

It was on netflix a while back, naked vampire girl, great music and a hammy patrick stewart!

[@worsethanhitlerpt.2539]

Uh, the chick who was naked for the entire movie was a real plus

[@caronstout354]

A true "Doctor Who" level of British sci-fi filmmaking...

[@davidbonk1672]

I remember that one. As I recall the vampiress was retrieved by a spacecraft that visited Haley's Comet.

[@tombrunila2695]

Looker from 1981, I had totally forgotten it. It was great. Much better than many made today!

[@eyeseer1]

Michael Crichton of Jurassic Park and Twister was miles ahead of his time in storytelling. Looker remains clever.

[@satyrosphilbrucato9140]

I LOVE Liquid Sky. Saw it a million times in the 80s, own it on DVD, and rewatched it a few years ago. It's low-budget and painfully 80s but that just makes it more fascinating.

[@iloveblue7920]

Good video, still on, so far just one I don't know but wanna see Dead end Drive-in. Wonder how many of these are available to buy?

[@cathyharvey4]

This channel is awesome. I grew up watching this stuff

[@notfooled.]

Don't care what others think, VHS era was just more "fun" than DVD, with more freedom of choice, and titles that would never be released on disc. The same applies to Vinyl over Compact Disc, and the original PlayStation over each subsequent model released, upto and including PS5

[@BIG_AL_ONE]

It's pronounced, "Gal-A-Ga," not 'Ga-log-a'! You really murdered it

[@PTQ4Q4Q4Q4]

Wow thank you for reminding me of explorers, brings back memories. Awesomeness

[@Xaxtarr_Neonraven]

Add in Starman, weird Science, Android, enemy mine, the Lathe of Heaven, lifeforce, outland, à

[@jonathanlee5907]

Thank you! I’ve been trying to remember the name of The Quiet Earth for years after catching it on TV one night in the 90s after clubbing. It’s left disturbing impression ever since.

[@kevinmeyers7821]

The Explorers was always one of my favorites when I was a kid.

[@rodsagredo]

THANK YOU! Greetings from Chile.

[@theunspokentruth5987]

They live was a great film .still is 😊

[@aquariandawn4750]

Documentary... Keep your glasses on

[@standepain]

7:48 Did he just say GALOGA?

[@brandonbruce3407]

I thought I was the only one who heard that 🤣 "GAHLAHGA"

[@nomofomo3995]

Nerd badge revoked.

[@wadethesladewilson6753]

Was just to about to make a similar comment.

[@Rendezman562]

OMG!!! loved the ice pirates!!!!

[@SodaTasteTester]

"playing guh-la-guh" XD that made me laugh but great video none the less!!

[@WhoWantsToKnow81]

I remember watching the Philadelphia Experiment when I was a teen. It was a fun watch!

[@Darthhooktu]

Being an old bastard, I remember almost all these movies. Good job overall with the content but hilarious with some pronunciation and factual issues.

[@w4shep]

Referring to the pronunciation of "Galaga"? That one hurt my ears.

[@MdLanguage]

Great list! Thank you!

[@fransiscusyogibramono296]

Could be more informative if there's a list of the movies in the description

[@bobbressi5414]

Saw most of these and loved them!

[@coolnegative]

"SPACE HERPES!!!" Space Hunter was one of several movies in the 80s that attempted to bring back 1950s style 3D anaglyph movies back.

[@dreimann]

The Space Herpe was in Ice Pirates.

[@coolnegative]

@@dreimann yup. I just didn't phrase my comment right. The space herpes quote is separate from the Space Hunter comment.

[@augustusdiablues2843]

Everybody forget: Time Walker (1982)

[@johntracy72]

Battle Beyond the Stars should be on this list.

[@BreandanOCiarrai]

if for no other reason than the Space Truckin' Texan :D

[@caronstout354]

Classic Roger Corman low-budget sci-fi movie!

[@gamesdog9067]

Finally some recognition for Space Hunter! 'OverDog' was the best!

[@bombyouup62]

"And has a California love story." Last thing i need to hear. Holllywood literally turns every movie to California.

[@cillian3]

Very interesting. I haven’t seen any of these films. I would be interested in Explorers. By the way, where does the creature/animal with many eyes (seen on the miniature picture of the video) come from ??

[@cafe6010]

LOL Space Hunter, I love that move, Ice Pirates too

[@bb21again.67]

Altered States was also the first movie for Drew Barrymore.

[@markeidemiller3105]

The movie is called MIRACLE MILE in everything I have seen of it. It's a great movie with both a romantic and depressing end to it.

[@coolnegative]

You are right. It's called Miracle Mile. Great intense thriller with romance and a depressing end.

[@hunsbergermatt]

How could you possibly not catch that glaring error...common

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

Its a depressing movie.

[@coolnegative]

@@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812 I can respect where you're coming from. I feel like its underrated as an exciting film and ahead of its time for endings that make you feel like everything you go through was worthless, like Cloverfield, etc. With all of that said, It's not something I would watch very often as this world is depressing enough as it is. And each year it feels a little worse. So I tend to watch happy, funny and satirical movies like Space Balls or Austin Powers, that sort of thing. Blessings, have a good life.

[@8BitNaptime]

Max Headroom: 20 Minutes into the Future, the made for TV movie...

[@caronstout354]

Recommended: the entire Max Headroom short-lived tv series, what was a sci-fi series is now a prescient documentary.

[@DrayoDraxGaming]

What was the movie on the beginning that wasn't mentioned in the list? The one with the crystal, it could be probably the one with some sand aliens but can't recall the name and looking too possibly rewatch it.

[@FanboyMarkJabroni]

Rewatching this, so I can look up some of these movies!

[@smitty8663]

I totally love Ice Pirates. Cheesy yet funny...

[@rickhibdon11]

I loved it too

[@christopherwelford8401]

Absolutely love Spacehunter......you said you'd let me go ......."I lied" 😅

[@rockero1313]

I will never forget the first time I saw "Spacehunter" in a theater. There was a scene with some spaceship landing or crashing (can't remember which one it was) that clearly showed it was miniatures, because of the original aspect ratio you could see real cars and a city (probably filmed outside) on a corner of the screen while the rest was the miniatures. it was so funny to watch, everyone in the theater was laughing. sadly I haven't seen that scene again anywhere, most likely fixed in later releases.

[@stevendimmock4791]

I remember seeing 'The Ice Pirates' in a small cinema in Newport Pagnell, England. Six months later the cinema closed down. I do not blame the movie.

[@antonkovalenko364]

The Ice Pirates is a longtime favorite of mine. RIP Robert Urich. I enjoy most of the SW knockoffs, tbh.

[@spacepiratescoundrel667]

Super Sweet! 👍🏻👍🏻

[@MrChupacabra555]

Ah, "Looker"....some of us old timers remember this movie for another reason: "Is that Laurie Partridge (Susan Dey) from the "Partridge Family"....getting Nekkid?!?! ^_^ Until I saw this, I had forgotten all about that movie, and suddenly the theme song for it, that was somehow lodged deep within some forgotten neurons, came flooding back ^_^

[@WilliamBKeck]

The name of that movie was Miracle Mile. Not Miracle Mine. It's one of my favorites I used to have the soundtrack by Tangerine Dream on CD.

[@WINTERMUTE_AI]

That movie is called MIRACLE MILE, not MIRACLE MINE, great movie!

[@Styms137]

Does anyone know the name of the song they are playing in the background through the length of the video? I know I've heard it before but I can't remember.

[@HisAssholiness]

great little list there

[@fearlessjoebanzai]

I remember renting out Ice Pirates a few times, we watched it at home and with friends at stay overs (I don't know which came first), this was always how we shared and discovered new videos!

[@ThisGuyFrritz]

Most of these movies I've seen back in the day (on TV or VHS), or wanna see again, or haven't seen 'em yet. Some are on my list of DVD / Blu-rays to buy. They're among my movies to enjoy... again!

[@k.c.3567]

"Nemesis" - 1991, starring Olivier Gruner.

[@SonicfanTheNightfury5099]

Explorers is a movie that I've seen as a kid but I couldn't remember the name of it, but Thanks to this video I found the movie

[@MrMicklethal]

I was fortunate enough to see Spacehunter at the theater...in 3-D! They used polarized 3-D glasses which are much better than the red/blue type that's normally used. Still one of my favorite films. (OVERDOG was a KILLER VILLAIN)

[@Frantheman-ub5np]

What is the name of the movie in the beginning of this vid?

[@williams.vincent4235]

I'm 62 and saw most of these and I especially liked The Philadelphia Experiment and Altered States. Another good one was Dead Zone directed by Canadian David Cronenburg starring Christopher Walken and Brooke Adams

[@thePrisoner1000]

If you liked Altered States, read up on John C Lilly where the movie is somewhat based on his experiments using various psychoactive drugs and the isolation tank(which he invented, among other things). I read his autobiography in the 1970s "The Scientist" very fascinating.

[@fearanarchy]

I got Space Hunter in a combo pack with Krull... One of the best deals I've had in my lifetime.

[@ihalloway]

ice pirates was my cake when i saw it on tv ONCE and yet never forgot :D

[@Y0uKnowMyName]

Oh man, i remeber the explorers. I dont remmeber much but looking back i didnt know that was ethan hawke. Huh.

[@ronin47-ThorstenFrank]

Excellent choices and list! However I would add 1989´s Hard to be a God and The Noah´s Ark Principle (Roland Emmerich´s first work) to the list and eventually Emmerich´s Moon44 (technically it´s already 1990´s but has a strong eighties vibe to it).

[@johnemsley2893]

Explorers is one of my favourite childhood films. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen it.

[@garytheprogressivelibertar560]

Haha!!! I probably watched explorers a half a dozen times when I was a kid . I pretty sure it would hold up in a adult viewing .

[@AmityvilleFan]

Miracle Miles is referenced in one of William Gibson's novels (the guy who wrote Neuromancer). Title: Virtual Light

[@eyeseer1]

Tangerine Dream soundtrack of this movie still exists.

[@ivorybow]

Ice Pirates! Yeaaa! Gave us a new monster...space herpes. Quiet Earth is a masterpiece. I have watched it so many times, and yet, it's always a mystery.

[@caronstout354]

Where is Buckaroo Banzai? It belongs on this list...

[@suavemsuavemente]

Liquid Sky also has a book written by the actress who played the dual role. She added a lot of details that were missing in the movie, making the story much more cohesieve.

[@shaner743]

I rewatched Looker on TUBI sometime back. Always kind of enjoyed that one, Susan Dey was underused and a bit dated but still fun to watch.