Ranking the best movies of the 1980's

[@lionshistoryandgeography]

I think the two remaining movies are Heathers and Blade Runner

[@vthextra]

Yep!

[@steveclarke6257]

I actually remember watching Blade Runner in a double header with a film called Outlander ...with Sean Connery that was a High Noon in space

[@weepingscorpion8739]

@@steveclarke6257 Wow, Blade Runner and Outland on the same night? That's a great lineup!

[@Mr.PoliticallyIncorrect]

I've seen Scarface like 20 times, but ive noticed it's a movie that you either love or hate. Absolutely love it personally

[@hwamez1651]

You switched EST and ROJ, makes sense as they are rather small pictures

[@sickzappybeef9209]

It’s not a big deal, but it annoyed me so much lol

[@davidius74]

I was going to say the same thing

[@robertstrommer2778]

The thing is widely considered the best horror movie of all time to so many different critics As a crazy big horror fan seeing you put it in no thanks made me laugh! Lol I love it but if you don’t like horror that makes sense

[@steelepartridge6954]

It’s an amazing film

[@MrRezRising]

I had a feeling it wasn't going to do well here. 🙂 Top five best films of all time for me, and best horror overall.

[@ahhculdee]

The Thing is a great psychological horror movie. Kurt Russell kills it

[@kingedwardthe3rd]

Personally, some movies I'd add to this tier list are 'Planes, Trains, and Automobiles', 'Witness', 'When Harry Met Sally', 'Amadeus', 'Tootsie', and 'Dangerous Liaisons' I'm not much of a horror fan, either, but I really enjoyed 'The Thing'. Worth watching again if you haven't seen it since the 80s

[@Tasukeoftheflame]

You mentioned that Aliens kicked off a franchise. It may seem knit-picky, but I just wanted to point out that Aliens is the sequel to the 1977 classic Alien.

[@thiagots85]

"Trading places", "Trains , planes and automobiles", "The running man", "Child's Play" and some others were really missing in this list

[@lew115]

Trains , planes and automobiles?

[@NatoBro]

@@lew115 great movie!

[@franzferdinand5810]

Completely agree the best star wars movie is Rogue One! Great taste. I find it really hard to find people who agree. I just love the gritty reality while still feeling like the OT. Same goes for the new Andor show, absolutely loved it.

[@vthextra]

I'm watching Andor now. Really good too.

[@MrRezRising]

Best sw movie since Empire. Great war flick, basically.

[@jenniferpajor5365]

I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks Rogue One is the best Star Wars movie.

[@raymondbennett4351]

Would love for you to keep doing these types of videos!!

[@jenniferpajor5365]

I agree, mostly. For me, Breakfast Club is watch every time, as is Sixteen Candles though I realize how problematic it is looking through a 2023 lens. The Princess Bride is another that I will watch every time. Those three go back to when I was in college and had only a few DVDs (this was also pre-Netflix) so I just watched the same few over and over. I have never seen Die Hard, but it’s one I’ve been meaning to watch. Most of the movies on your No Thanks tier are movies I haven’t seen (the exception being Who Framed Roger Rabbit), but I don’t think I would like them anyway.

[@Thaymes]

Love the VTH extra videos

[@gamelandmaster3680]

I don't quite understand why Amadeus (1984) isn't on the list considering it was the best picture for 1984 (and defeated Places of the Heart) but alright, no hard feelings, I'll just cry in a corner now. If it was on the list what would you rank it? I would probably put it at the top.

[@weepingscorpion8739]

Chris as a history guy might deduct a few points from it.

[@AMERICANNERD76]

I'm surprised you don't like Who Framed Roger Rabbit because it's got a great story, great characters, and mind-blowing effects that still hold up today! It's also a pretty subtle allegory on racism when you do a deep-dive into it. Also, I that the first Rambo movie is the nest out of that franchise solely for Stallone's monolog at the end, where he, as Rambo, just lets out all of his pain and suffering from the war and coming back home. That scene was Oscar worthy, in my opinion

[@drewhunkins7192]

My list of the best movies of the 1980s, in no particular order: 1.) Baby, It's You 2.) Drugstore Cowboy 3.) Melvin and Howard 4.) Atlantic City 5.) Raging Bull 6.) Reds 7.) Roger & Me 8.) Blade Runner 9.) Full Metal Jacket 10.) Last Exit to Brooklyn 11.) Repo Man 12.) Raiders of the Lost Ark 13.) Empire Strikes Back 14.) River's Edge 15.) Risky Business

[@itsaUSBline]

The Shining (the film) is really more of a Stanley Kubrick story than a Stephen King story. It's very different from the novel and really only borrows the setting and general premise of it. Incredibly work of art if you're interested in the art of filmmaking, but I can understand that if thrillers really aren't your vibe, and you aren't super into the techniques on display in terms of the filmmaking, that it might not be the most appealing for you.

[@ChristianSirianni]

NIIIIICE:):):):) Also, do the ranking of your favorite 80s songs:):):):)

[@bloyear]

Curious if you've seen Amadeus from 1984 and where'd you put it in on this tier list. Personally it's one of my favorites and it would go into watch every time it's on tier. Except it's never on tv! so i have to put it on Amazon Prime. Seen it close to a thousand times in the last 15 years lol. Love the channel and of course love the OG VTH channel.

[@stephenparker6362]

Hi, Chris. I would put Airplane in the top tier, even though I've seen it many times it still makes me laugh. My two favourite 80s movies aren't in the list. Trading Places was best 80s film, all that for a bet of 1 dollar and War Games was my second favourite, the thought of a computer learning by playing noughts and crosses was so good.

[@nonyabusiness2913]

Aw man. I thought I was going to be the one to get this channel to 10k! Regardless, love these off topic videos, please make more.

[@ttaayylloorrmmtt]

Finally! The content I want a history expert to really delve into!

[@weepingscorpion8739]

6:00 The best line is another of Sean Connery's: "She talks in her sleep." Gets me every time. :D But yes, best Indiana Jones movie for sure. 8:00 The Goonies was directed by Superman and Lethal Weapon (actual best Christmas movie!) director, Richard Donner. 9:45 The Terminator mid tier? No way, that's a watch every time. And yes, it is better than the sequel. I'll die on that hill. 17:30 I mean OK, I get it from your standpoint as a non-horror, non-thriller guy, but c'mon, sure it's at least a good movie. That said, I do find the original movie from 1979 to be better. (I'm living life dangerously by liking T1 and Alien better than T2 and Aliens, yes, I know I am, fight me!) 18:55 Yes! Ghostbusters is a watch every time. 20:30 What? First Blood is a watch every time, c'mon. But OK, if you prefer the action, then I get it, Rambo First Blood Part II or even Rambo III is for you then. And Blade Runner is also a watch every time.

[@vthextra]

That's why I corrected myself about Goonies and said Chris Columbus was a writer for that one.

[@weepingscorpion8739]

@@vthextra My bad. I must have missed that.

[@anitatereszczuk3967]

Me: Alright, I will respectfully listen to your opinion Also me: WHAT DO YOU MEAN GREMLINS IS JUST GOOD MOVIE?! This is honestly my favourite Christmas movie. Watch it every year while doing the Christmas preparations 😂

[@vodyanoy2]

Putting The Thing any lower than S tier is absolute sacrilege.

[@alanbilton2547]

Blade runner and heathers. Both great movies. Plus big trouble in little China disappeared off the list as you can see it quite clearly on the thumb nail.

[@papaquonis]

I never understood what the big deal with Scarface was. You ranked it higher than I would have.

[@sonofhawaii4227]

Breakfast Club is a definite rewatch EVERY single time! That movie was a big part of my childhood!

[@robdixon7732]

Totally agree with Ghostbusters. I've probably seen that more than any other movie. Also Airplane is a must watch for me every time.

[@thefailedartist6344]

Damn I love horror movies. But I’m glad you are clear about your bias

[@6blockproblemsolver]

I didn't know you had this channel W video 💯

[@tokutexascosplay5066]

I haven't seen these yet but i really hope Back To The Future, Jaws and Top Gun are top tier

[@vthextra]

Jaws was 1975.

[@chinahepcat]

I agree about Rogue One but acknowledge that without the other Star Wars films, it would be hard to call it great. Agree about Die Hard, Raiders 1 and 3, Stand by Me, Ghostbusters,....... Bladerunner, Princess Bride, Caddyshack, Back to the Future, ET are S tier for me.

[@chronogamer7901]

This is an excellent list. Mine is nearly identical to yours, but I would just put Back to the Future and Aliens higher :) I'm glad someone recognizes the superiority of Return of the Jedi and Last Crusade. The final dual between Luke and Vader in Jedi with the emperor's theme swelling in the background is one of my favorite scenes in film. Last Crusade has the best lines a humor in that series, and the thank chase is great.

[@tylerlucas3752]

Absolutely Stand By Me is 100% re-watch every time. Probably my favorite movie. Every time it is on, I watch it. Same with Ghostbusters. Classic movies.

[@Jason-35D]

Spinal Tap, I didn’t watch it when it came out, but it started Christopher Guest’s mockumentary series that I love now. His mockumentaries are incredibly funny, and maybe a bit too crass.

[@alexschusch7906]

E.T is basically THE childhood trauma of one of my uncles. He was 5 years old when it came out and E.T scared the s*it out of him that he started crying in the theater everytime he was full on screen.

[@davidius74]

Glad you put all the horror movies at the bottom. I don't like them either and they all basically have the same premise when it comes down to it. As for the rest of the list I agree with most of it though I would move Big, Breakfast club and 16 candles up and also untouchables (despite it being loose with history) but move A Christmas Story (never seen it), Rambo (not a fan of Sly), Nightmare on Elm Street down.

[@patricklynch6771]

Would have liked to have seen on the list: Glory, Gandhi, Rain Man, Chariots of Fire, The Natural, Field of Dreams, Out Africa, Ordinary People. It seemed that the selection steered away from sports films, which is odd. Thoughts?!

[@Attackz]

Rogue one is a great shout for best Star Wars film. Great movie.

[@adrianbryan6103]

I swear the opening ark scene in Raiders of the Loat Ark was the best gory deaths in all of the franchise for me. Dietrich, Toht, and Belloq deaths are still shockingly epic to me. 🙂

[@Khajiitslayer]

Gotta disagree on the Rambo. I thought first blood was the best one, something about how some soldiers were treated after coming back from Vietnam and PTSD hit me. Others ones were good too just different, hoping for some more lists in the future

[@charlesschwartz6952]

Hi Chris, Comment out of the blue here, but thought it might be a fun subject to explore. Can you do a video on animals that served in the US armed forces? Animals like Cher Ami who saved the lost battalion in WW I and SGT Reckless who hauled rounds in Korea would be interesting and appealing topics to recount. Thanks for all the countless hours we have spent learning history together (even if you were there in the form of a prerecorded video). I’ve learned a lot and rediscovered my love for history because of you. All the best, Charlie

[@stevealharris6669]

Need to do a tier list of U.S & Non American War films too.

[@goranurengard]

I remember when one of my class mates, who was called The Moose¨¨, brought Evil Dead to school and we watched it in class. I almost got lynched when I could'nt stop laughing during the movie. I thought it was hilarious.

[@alexamerling79]

Das Boot and Full Metal Jacket are my favorite 80s movies.

[@c71score]

The Untouchables is my all-time favorite movie, but I 100% get where you're coming from on the accuracy.

[@instantbadass]

Im surprised that list didnt include Batman or Spaceballs.

[@ahhculdee]

Gotta disagree with you on the horror classics man

[@titansfan4215]

I fully agree with your Raging Bull assessment. I try to find the greatness in it over the years and just can’t. Jake LaMotta was a very angry man with a lot of problems. He’s always angry, abusive, and violent. What is there to really enjoy?

[@brandonlovelady8659]

We see eye-to-eye on the Last Crusade! Such an underrated film compared to its predecessors imho.

[@robnjake]

C'mon now, Cate Blanchett is in Kindom of the Crystal Skull..?

[@stuarttaylor1799]

Talking of early Tom Hanks films. Have you seen Mazes & Monsters?

[@adamzagotti1637]

I have only seen 12 of those films and I was born in the 80’s! Wow

[@ecp7239]

The one you skipped on was blade runner. Really good ridley scott movie definitely recommend you give it a try.

[@martintaylor9962]

Batman, Flight of the Navigator, The Accused...

[@Thaymes]

You should do a 90s version

[@cadengeer7961]

Regardless of everything else said in this, it's wonderful to know that you are of the (correct) opinion that Last Crusade is the best IJ movie.

[@Shifty69569]

Absolutly agree with Rogue 1. My freind group and I fight about it a lot but Rogue 1 is one of the only new ones I can stand.

[@stevealharris6669]

I remember having to beg my Mum to let me watch the Evil dead (it being an 18 certificate here in the UK) After the poor woman & the tree bit I went to bed - never could get into it. What is scary is how many I've got on 4K,Blu ray & DVD. Don't think Stephen King likes the film of the Shining much either.

[@achimidler8015]

Missed Blade Runner with Harrison Ford. My favorite movie of all time.

[@nicholasramezzano8346]

how about a Ralph Macchio movie from 1986 called Crossroads about Robert Johnson's supposed "lost tracks"?

[@theanii_waffles3343]

No Naked Gun? d i s a p p o i n t e d

[@CharlieJ69]

My favorite movie of not just the 80s but all time is missing from the list: Excalibur Great movie, introduced me to Arthurian legend Plus had some a few soon, or later, to be big names: Gabriel Bryne (Uther Pendragon), Patrick Stewart (Leodegrance), Helen Mirren (Morganna Le Fey, and Liam Neeson (Sir Gawain)

[@kieranfrancke790]

Totally agree with Die Hard. But any Star Wars is in the top tier except for Episode I. Chris Columbus directed the first two Harry Potter movies too.c

[@Palasdin]

Not gonna lie one movie I will always stop channel surfing for is Bloodsport.

[@glory2christcmj702]

10:40 for me, The Shining is the most disturbing and scary movie I've ever seen 😂

[@Letterman0412]

Wow, I strongly disagree on so many movies. Just goes to show how different tastes can be.

[@MrRezRising]

Gremlins invented PG13. Stephen King's best book for me was Different Seasons, all non horror, incliding Shawshank and Stand by Me. Btw, the book First Blood is VERY good.

[@big8dog887]

I'm a little surprised that Dirty Dancing wasn't in that list. Women absolutely loved that movie. Speaking as a guy, it was watchable, really good soundtrack. As far as that genre, It was better than Flashdance, not as good as Footloose.

[@bababooey8330]

Love the list and agree with most of it but where are the rocky movies?? Rocky 4 is an east watch every time for me

[@DB2-3]

I’m sorry Chris but Scarface is easily S+++ tier 😂😂

[@Shifty69569]

Could you do 90’s too? I feel like that would be nostalgic for at least some of us born 10 years later haha

[@Pringlec4n09]

i would’ve put back to the future at the very top tier. for me, you can’t beat it

[@ImCaptainCabbage]

The only one I disagree with strongly enough to make a comment about it, for me Karate Kid is top tier. But that just might be it’s the movie that got me into martial arts, something I’m still into today.

[@generalismoGrosMichel]

The newest Christmas Story movie was actually pretty good.

[@claregale9011]

Breakfast club , St Elmos fire , pretty in pink . All fab films , evening from Kent, England 🖐

[@alanbilton2547]

Also weird science and trading places disappeared too. Weird

[@beckycaughel7557]

Well I’ve always known that my teeth were different than the majority. But this really shows it lol! Because almost everyone of them was no thanks or meh. Yes I’m weird I know!

[@ryanberkowitz5399]

Big Bang Theory has actually ruined raiders of the lost ark for me. If you haven’t seen the episode I won’t say anything other than there’s one big plot hole in the story and I don’t wanna tarnish my memories of the movie 😭😭

[@First-Name--Last-Name]

I personally love the Thing

[@homersimpson5821]

Gary Marshall almost cast Robert De Niro in Big in Tom Hanks Role.

[@foodpoisoning2]

As a horror fan, this list killed me 😂

[@doylesgirl73]

The Princess Bride is on my Watch Every Time list. I saw all 3 Back to the Future movies n the theater. I remember having Empire Strikes Back spoiled for me and not beliving the twist was true. I have watched most of these movies but there are some, like Caddy Shack I have skipped. And I never got into A Christmas Story. It would be on my no thanks list. But hey, we all have different tastes in movies. I would have put The Thing in the Good Movie rank.

[@viggowiin]

Good stuff

[@JebusMatoi]

Just goes to show how great Nightmare on Elm Street is when a non-horror fan puts it in "good".

[@karrenbrown8453]

16 Candles & Poltergeist need to be up at least 2 tiers!! StarWars & sand by me down 1 tier. Die Hard IS the best Christmas movie!! The list is missing - Body Heat/The Big Chill/

[@XaviRonaldo0]

The only Die Hard I've seen is With a Vengeance. Sammy J made that movie

[@bertmustin]

Completely disagree on The Thing. Besides that, I mostly agree with your rankings.

[@Rhymethyme33]

BTTF I would watch every day if I could

[@williamwallaceoftheus8033]

Batman 89 not on the list. Thoughts?

[@Jammyjammyjammyjammyjammy]

And The Wall, I know that isn't too popular, but it still did win an award for best movie soundtrack

[@williampennjr.4448]

Empire Strikes Back is the best movies of the 80's.

[@dannyg6939]

Love the movie content

[@alexschusch7906]

I had 5 on the vth bingo, did somebody had more?

[@yergesc]

How Trading Places, Coming to America, Planes Trains and Automobiles is not on this list… tiermaker needs their heads checked

[@starwarsgenius1679]

Rogue One is the best Star Wars movie that Disny has made (and will probably ever make). But it is not the best Star Wars movie ever made. That title, in my opnion, goes to Return of the Jedi. Indiana Jones and the Last Cusade is a great film, all of the first three Indiana Jones movies are. Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a dud. The poster for the new one looks very traditional, I hope the movie is good too. I enjoyed watching the Breakfast Club. E.T. is also a good movie. I loved A Christmas Story

[@jeffredfern3744]

Raging Bull is the best film of the decade.

[@elijahshumate3909]

Nice mustache good sir

[@benjaminroe311ify]

The Princess Bride is one of the most rewatchable of all movies of ALL TIME. I'm not obsessed with it. But I definitely keep watching it if I catch it on lol. "Good Movie" heh!

[@jameslars7391]

I have to disagree with you on who framed Roger rabbit I do love that movie and I still think it’s one of the best examples of combining live action and animation.

[@ImCaptainCabbage]

The worst 80s movie is better than the best movies of any other eras!!!!!!