Photos: '80s movies: What we were watching
Photos: '80s movies: What we were watching
"Top Gun": After this 1986 film, Tom Cruise became the grown-up and bankable box office star we know today. It's about a cocky Navy fighter pilot -- callsign Maverick -- who, yes, gets the girl (an instructor, no less, played by Kelly McGillis). It introduced such unforgettable lines, as "I feel the need, the need for speed" and "It's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." But it was known just as much for its soundtrack, which included Berlin's steamy ballad "Take My Breath Away" and the Kenny Loggins tune "Danger Zone." Click through the gallery for more iconic '80s movies.
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"Ferris Bueller's Day Off": One of the first films to feature a smart-alecky voice-over, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" lifts the minor plot device of playing hooky -- and getting away with it -- to a whole new level. In the title role, Matthew Broderick outwits his school principal while convincing his best friend to take his father's prized 1961 Ferrari for a romp through Chicago that includes appearing on a parade float and lip-synching the Beatles' "Twist and Shout."
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'Raging Bull': Robert De Niro lands a hard-hitting punch in a scene from Martin Scorsese's acclaimed 1980 film "Raging Bull," about real-life world middleweight champion Jake LaMotta.
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'The Shining': "Heeeere's Johnny!" In this 1980 adaptation of Stephen King's novel, Jack Nicholson plays an off-season caretaker of a haunted hotel whose young psychic son, Danny, has the unfortunate ability to see ghosts. Although this was director Stanley Kubrick's first horror film, many consider it among the most terrifying movies of all time. But King is apparently not a fan -- calling it "cold."
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'The Empire Strikes Back': In "Star Wars," Obi Wan Kenobi told Luke Skywalker to "use The Force," so, in this 1980 sequel, Skywalker basically goes to Jedi boot camp. Unfortunately Mark Hamill, who plays Skywalker, got into a car accident before filming and underwent reconstructive surgery on a broken nose and cheekbone. Writer-producer George Lucas is rumored to have tailored specific scenes -- like one where Skywalker gets mauled by a Wampa -- to account for Hamill's change in appearance.
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'The Blue Lagoon': Do two teen cousins + one shipwreck + pretty much zero clothing = cinematic success? Well, the 1980 film did gross nearly $60 million at the box office. The story follows two young people stranded on an island as they learn to survive, fall in love and have a baby. The movie drew controversy for its sexual content, especially because female lead Brooke Shields was only 14 when it was filmed.
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'The Elephant Man': The real Elephant Man, a severely deformed 19th century Englishman named Joseph Merrick, had been legendary for decades before this David Lynch-directed movie based on his life came out in 1980. The film, starring John Hurt, chronicles the sad story of a disfigured person who, forced to work as a freak show attraction, befriends a compassionate doctor who tries to help him. The movie received eight Oscar nominations and won several BAFTA awards, including one for Best Film.
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'Chariots of Fire': This 1981 Oscar-winning drama tells the story of two runners -- portrayed by actors Ben Cross and Ian Charleson -- overcoming barriers imposed by the British class system to compete in the 1924 Paris Olympics. The film's theme song by Greek composer Vangelis has become ubiquitous in pop culture because its melody evokes emotions linked to victory, triumph, joy -- and even defeat.
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'Raiders of the Lost Ark': This is the film that launched a thousand archeology majors. In 1981 we met the dashing professor and adventurer Indiana Jones, played by "Star Wars" heartthrob Harrison Ford, who races the Nazis to Egypt to find the Ark of Covenant, a Biblical artifact said to contain the Ten Commandments. The Indiana Jones franchise, directed by Steven Spielberg, now includes four films, with a fifth on the way in 2019.
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'Gandhi': For this 1982 film, Ben Kingsley played Mohandas K. "Mahatma" Gandhi, the Indian activist who led a nonviolent movement to help his nation win independence from Great Britain. A Brit himself, Kingsley might have initially seemed an ironic choice for the Oscar-winning role. But in fact his father's family was Indian and came from the same village in Gujarat as Gandhi. The actor told The New York Times that he was initially daunted by the role. "It's an awesome responsibility, and the weight of it sort of lands between your shoulder blades and bends you."
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'Poltergeist': "They're heeeere." In this Spielberg-produced 1982 horror classic, ghosts terrorize the Freeman family and abduct their daughter, Carol Anne. Actress Heather O'Rourke -- pictured here -- who played the young girl, died at age 12 from an illness shortly after filming the third "Poltergeist" installment. It's her death, along with a few other movie-related oddities and tragedies involving cast members, that have led some to suggest there was a "Poltergeist" curse.
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'E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial': Before "Poltergeist," Steven Spielberg developed a script for something called "Night Skies" — basically "Poltergeist" with aliens terrorizing a family instead of ghosts. He scrapped that idea in favor of "E.T.," a tale about a lonely boy named Elliot who finds friendship with a benevolent creature from another planet. So many people showed up to watch Elliot and his siblings help E.T. get home that the movie became the highest-grossing film of the decade.
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'Annie': From Cabbage Patch Kids to "Punky Brewster," the '80s saw its fair share of orphan/adoption storylines. So perhaps a movie version of "Annie" was inevitable. Originally a popular Broadway musical, "Annie" follows the journey of an orphan played by Aileen Quinn, who's taken in by a billionaire. According to The New York Times, the 1982 film was considered very expensive at the time: Screen rights to the musical alone cost $9.5 million.
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'Tootsie': Dustin Hoffman starred in this 1982 comedy about an unemployed actor so desperate for work that he disguises himself as a woman to land a female role on a TV soap opera. It made audiences laugh while forcing some to re-think their views about gender and society. Hoffman recently explained in an emotional, viral video clip his "epiphany" during the process of transforming into "Tootsie."
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'The Outsiders': This 1983 Francis Ford Coppola-directed film -- based on the incredible coming-of-age novel by S. E. Hinton -- introduced the world to a new generation of Hollywood hotties: Emilio Estevez (from left), as Two-Bit Matthews, Rob Lowe as Sodapop Curtis, C. Thomas Howell as Ponyboy Curtis, Patrick Swayze as Darrel Curtis and Tom Cruise as Steve Randle.
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'Scarface': In 1983, Al Pacino's "Scarface" remade a 1930s gangster flick and turned it into a colorful bloodfest chronicling the rise and fall of Tony Montana -- a "political refugee from Cuba" who becomes a Miami drug lord. A lot of lines from the script -- written by Oliver Stone by the way -- have become part of pop culture. Need proof? Many who've never even seen "Scarface" know the famous line Montana screams as he opens fire: "Say hello to my little friend!"
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'Yentl': Barbra Streisand, right, is shown in this 1984 film playing a Jewish woman who disguises herself as a man to be allowed to learn the Talmud -- the traditional book of Jewish law. Streisand not only took on the lead role, but she also co-produced and directed the film -- becoming the first woman to win a Golden Globe for directing.
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'The Killing Fields': In 1984, this film introduced many Americans to the Khmer Rouge's reign of terror in Cambodia through the story of photojournalist Dith Pran and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Sydney Schanberg. Schanberg is played by Sam Waterston, shown here, who later went on to star in TV's long-running series "Law & Order."
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'Footloose': Kevin Bacon became a household name in 1984 when this film hit it big about a fleet-footed high school kid from the city who moves to a tiny, uptight town where dancing is banned. Bacon has fun playing chicken with farm vehicles, making friends with Chris Penn and making out with Lori Singer. Finally the whole school wins the right to boogie down at a big dance. Let's hear it for the boy!
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'Sixteen Candles': John Hughes' first movie introduced us to Molly Ringwald, who plays Samantha Baker. But what sets this film apart is the character of Jake Ryan -- Samantha's high school crush. Ryan -- played by Michael Schoeffling -- kind of became a poster boy for the perfect crush among countless teens in the '80s who watched this film. Ryan seals the deal when he takes Samantha home, brings out a candlelit birthday cake and reveals he has a big crush on Samantha too.
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'The Natural': Also released in 1984, "The Natural" stars Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs, a late-blooming baseball phenom who thrills fans with a bat named "Wonderboy" and his seemingly divine powers on the diamond. Directed by Barry Levinson, the movie's many artfully shot scenes include a dramatic slow motion home run when Hobbs hits the ball into the lights. And what a cast! Kim Basinger, Robert Duvall, Barbara Hershey and Glenn Close.
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'Ghostbusters': Fighting off a sudden plague of supernatural activity around New York City, "Saturday Night Live" alums Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray lead an all-star comedy cast in this 1984 pop culture phenomenon. When the smoke clears at the end of this mind blowing comedy, we understand the dangers of "ectoplasmic residue," "protonic reversal," and the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. An all-female remake is set for release in 2016.
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'The Karate Kid': In this 1984 film, Daniel is a new kid in high school who's getting pushed around by a bunch of bullies. But things begin to improve when Pat Morita -- as the wise old Mr. Miyagi -- teaches Daniel, played by Ralph Macchio, how to "wax on, wax off," and the ancient fighting skills of the martial arts. Suddenly an '80s classic is born.
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'Purple Rain': Prince's shockingly unexpected death has reminded us in the worst way what an endearing movie this was when it debuted in 1984. By then he was already a musical wunderkind with a handful of albums under his belt. The film baptized a wider mainstream audience to his lustful soul-rock style.
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"Terminator": Today, a story about a computer cyborg passing as a human who's really an evil time traveler from 2029 seems pretty old hat. But back in 1984 when this Arnold Schwarzenegger film came out, Americans had never seen anything like it. The film has the distinction of introducing the seminal one-liner "I'll be back" (said with requisite faux Austrian accent) into popular culture.
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"The Color Purple": Two words -- or make that four: Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. But not as you would see them today on daytime television. Goldberg and Winfrey starred in this 1985 Steven Spielberg adaptation of an Alice Walker novel about an uneducated woman named Celie who, after enduring unspeakable abuse, yearns to be loved and love in return. Although it won no Oscars, the film earned 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Goldberg and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Winfrey.
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"The Breakfast Club" What '80s star wasn't in this film? Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez and Anthony Michael Hall -- aka "The Breakfast Club" -- defined teen angst and cemented director John Hughes' reputation. The group begins a Saturday of detention as five people with little or nothing in common, except for some silly high school infraction, only to find at day's end that they're far more united than they thought.
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"Goonies": This lovable 1985 film was one of the first to celebrate nerd-dom. It launched the careers of kid actors like Josh Brolin, Corey Feldman and Martha Plimpton. With a Cyndi Lauper soundtrack, and a madcap plot about a band of young misfits searching for pirate's treasure in order to fend off foreclosure, the movie is a delightful ode to childhood gone by, as the teens and pre-teens embark on a day full of adventures including brushes with Mafia-like criminals, dead bodies and booby traps with few responsible adults in sight.
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"Back to the Future": In 1985's "Back to the Future," Michael J. Fox plays Marty McFly, who is hurled back to 1955 in a time-traveling DeLorean where he begins to unwittingly change history -- his own personal history -- by attracting the romantic attention of his mother. The (largely comical) perils of time travel are depicted through disappearing images of a family photo Marty has taken along with him. Most of the film, the year's top-grossing pic, pivots on Marty and a mad professor friend, played by Christopher Lloyd, devising a way to ride the DeLorean back to the future (ahem).
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"Stand By Me": A seminal coming-of-age film that for Americans of a certain age defines a tender moment in the often poignant process of growing up. Based on a short story by Stephen King (yes, Stephen King), the movie follows four boys in small-town Oregon circa 1959 who set out one summer day to find a dead body. At the end of the movie, directed by Rob Reiner, viewers learned the fates of the characters when they age off-screen into adulthood -- a motif that would unwittingly capture the brief essence of the lives of some of the film's young stars. River Phoenix, whose character Chris is said to die while trying to defuse an argument between two men, would succumb to a drug overdose in 1993 at age 23.
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"Crocodile Dundee": This film, about a rough-around-the-edges Australian from the Outback (back before that word was attached to steaks), took America by storm in 1986 and introduced Yankees to the Down-Under charms of actor Paul Hogan (he would also show up hawking Foster's beer in TV commercials). The movie even ushered in an era of acceptance for all-things-Australian that extended to wine. The movie follows the crocodile-hunter as he embarks on a trip to America where he subdues animals and charms New York's steely aristocrats with his signature greeting, "G'day Mate."
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"Good Morning Vietnam": There's a plot in here somewhere, but really the 1987 film was a star vehicle for Robin Williams who transformed the true story of an Army disc jockey into a laugh-out-loud showcase for his one-of-a-kind sense of humor. Williams played Adrian Cronauer, a real-life soldier who was transferred to Saigon during the Vietnam War with the assignment of bringing some color to Armed Forces Radio. Oh he did that, and more, with Williams winning a Best Actor nomination. The film, directed by Barry Levinson, is one of several '80s pictures to tackle the legacy of Vietnam. Some of Williams' best routines as the irreverent Cronauer took aim at the government's logic in pursuing the war, but the line most recalled from the film comes when the star leans into the microphone and shouts, "Good morning Vietnam!"
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"Die Hard": Yippie-ki-yay! Bruce Willis' "Die Hard" franchise was hailed by more than one collegiate film program for actor Alan Rickman (who passed away earlier this year). The first "Die Hard" film tells the story -- as if it matters -- of NYPD officer John McClane who in the course of attending a company function with his wife in Los Angeles has to save everyone from German terrorists including Rickman in a career-defining role. Think reality-defying brushes with bombs, guns and gravity. The key to the 1988 movie is the unlikely and life-saving rapport that develops between McClane and a local beat cop played by Reginald VelJohnson. VelJohnson would later play the father on TV's "Family Matters," the sit-com that introduced us to "Urkel."
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"Lean On Me": A star turn for actor Morgan Freeman, "Lean On Me" was one of a series of late-'80s films, including "Stand and Deliver," that aimed to shine a spotlight on the crumbling schools in some of America's most impoverished neighborhoods. Freeman plays a radical teacher-turned-school-principal who is determined to turn things around and prove something both to the naysayers and the doubting students who've been told they can't achieve. He notably padlocks the school's doors to shut down truancy, wields a baseball bat and uses a bullhorn to command the students' attention.
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"Do the Right Thing": This career-defining film for director Spike Lee tells the story of Mookie, a pizza-delivery guy (played by Lee) who begins a hot summer day in New York with no knowledge that the events of the day -- including a fire and the death of his friend at the hands of the police -- will change his neighborhood forever. From the casting (which included seminal African-American actors Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, in addition to Lee, himself, Danny Aiello and a young John Turturro) to the cinematography (superbly executed by Ernest Dickerson) to the tense themes of race and police brutality and the unforgettable opening scene in which Rosie Perez dances free-form to Public Enemy's "Fight The Power," the film is one where Lee can do no wrong.
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"Born on the Fourth of July": A flick where Tom Cruise is not attractive? Where he's confined to a wheel chair for the most of the film and a horny drunk to boot? Yeah, that film exists and it's "Born on the Fourth of July" -- directed by Oliver Stone and based on the autobiography of real-life Vietnam vet Ron Kovic. A Marine who returned home a paraplegic, Kovic became one of the most visible -- and credible -- figures in the anti-war movement. The 1989 film is remembered for depicting paralysis and physical therapy in unusual detail, including emotionally difficult scenes in which Kovic and a fellow vet rampage drunk and wheel-chair bound, with nowhere to unload their sense of rage and impotence.
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Washington (CNN)Actor Tom Cruise prompted a good-natured Twitter spat between the US Air Force and Navy on Thursday after posting a photo celebrating the planned sequel to the iconic 1986 film 'Top Gun.'
The two military branches squared off over a picture that shows Cruise in character as Navy pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell looking at his aircraft -- which appears to be an F/A-18 Hornet -- with the words "Feel The Need" superimposed over the image.
The caption reads "#Day1."
In a clear dig aimed at its friendly rivals, the Air Force's official account posted Cruise's photo with a caption that mocks Maverick's Navy jet -- itself an upgrade over the F-14 Tomcat he pilots in the original film -- as inferior to its own F-15 Strike Eagle.
"If Maverick really had a need for speed, he could hop into one of our F-15E Strike Eagles! #DYK: They have a top speed of 1,875 miles per hour," it said, touting the Air Force's own 1980s-era jet that has long been hailed as the most successful dog-fighting aircraft in US history -- tallying more than 100 aerial combat victories, according to Boeing, the plane's primary contractor and developer.
The Navy responded by simply tweeting, "Remember, boys, no points for second place" -- an ode to one of the movie's more memorable quotes.
Not to be outdone, the Air Force again leaned on the F-15's dog-fighting prowess with a reference to the aircraft's undefeated air-to-air combat record: "The F-15 knows nothing about this "second place" thing you speak of. Check the scoreboard! #Undefeated."
Cruise's post and the light-hearted feud between the Air Force and Navy has revived the buzz around production of a 'Top Gun' sequel -- a project that David Ellison, chief executive officer of the Skydance production company, confirmed was in the works three years ago.
The original film centered on pilots attending the Navy's Fighter Weapons School at the former Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar in San Diego and the Navy said it is providing access to one of its facilities to support the sequel's production.
"This week, specifically 30-31 May, the Navy provided Paramount Pictures access to Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, CA, to support the Production of 'Top Gun': Maverick,' Navy spokesman Lt. Cdr. Dan Day told CNN.
"Further Navy support of the production is still being determined," he added.
The plot has largely been a secret but indications are that the film is expected to be set nearly 30 years after the original -- though it appears Cruise's character has only reached the rank of Navy Captain despite serving as a Lieutenant in the first film.
Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said she had not yet read the movie's script but told reporters that "we will work very closely to ensure that it depicts our aviators in a realistic way."
Navy recruitment saw a major boost in the 1980s and into the 1990s after the original film's release. Production of the sequel comes as the Navy -- as well as the Marine Corps and Air Force -- are all facing a shortfall of fighter pilots, according to a report released last month by the Government Accountability Office.
"Service officials attributed these gaps to aircraft readiness challenges, reduced training opportunities, and increased attrition of fighter pilots due to career dissatisfaction," the report said. "To help increase fighter pilot numbers, the military services are taking actions, including increasing the amounts of financial incentives to retain pilots."