Support NeoGAF

[Ignatz Mouse]

I was listening to a retrospective podcast review of The Breakfast Club and that prompted Mrs. Mouse and I to take a look at the year 1985 in movies. Holy cow!

Check this list:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985_in_film

Top Ten BO:
1. Back to the Future Universal Pictures / Amblin Entertainment $210,609,762
2. Rambo: First Blood Part II TriStar Pictures / Carolco $150,415,432
3. Rocky IV United Artists $127,873,716
4. The Color Purple Warner Bros. $94,175,854
5. Out Of Africa Universal Pictures $87,071,205
6. Cocoon 20th Century Fox $85,313,124
7. The Jewel of the Nile 20th Century Fox $75,973,200
8. Witness Paramount Pictures $68,706,993
9. The Goonies Warner Bros. $61,389,680
10. Spies Like Us Warner Bros. $60,088,980

Academy Awards:
Best Picture: Out of Africa - Universal
Best Director: Sydney Pollack - Out of Africa
Best Actor: William Hurt - Kiss of the Spider Woman
Best Actress: Geraldine Page - The Trip to Bountiful
Best Supporting Actor: Don Ameche - Cocoon
Best Supporting Actress: Anjelica Huston - Prizzi's Honor
Best Foreign Language Film: The Official Story (La historia oficial), directed by Luis Puenzo, Argentina

Golden Globes:

Drama:
Best Picture: Out of Africa
Best Actor: Jon Voight - Runaway Train
Best Actress: Whoopi Goldberg - The Color Purple

Musical or comedy:
Best Picture: Prizzi's Honor
Best Actor: Jack Nicholson - Prizzi's Honor
Best Actress: Kathleen Turner - Prizzi's Honor

Other
Best Director: John Huston - Prizzi's Honor
Best Foreign Language Film: The Official Story (La historia oficial), Argentina


Some personal favorites

Plenty of other great movies that year, too. And there are also plenty that I don't like personally, but which are loved by many (The Color Purple, Goonies, Commando).

What's your favorite from 1985?

The only other year that really sticks out for me like this is 1994.

 

[cluxdeluxe]

a

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

I see the classic Death Wish 3 was released.

There are a few dud sequels on the list. Day of the Dead (first Romero misstaep, IMHO), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (fun, but a step down from the first two).

 

[Stinkles]

Too bad it was eclipsed by a single movie in 1986.

The movie that won the academy award for greatest movie of all time.

 

[Shuggananas]

Only saw back to the future and rambo 2 from the top 10 list, the full list is tldr to me.

Didn't even like back to the future.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Room with a View was apparently 1985 in the UK and 1996 in the US. Love that one, too.

 

[subrock]

The fuck is Prizzis Honor and why have I never heard of it?

 

[FlyinJ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4GrHGnFtg4

 

[raindoc]

Too bad it was eclipsed by a single movie in 1986.

The movie that won the academy award for greatest movie of all time.

He's right.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

The fuck is Prizzis Honor and why have I never heard of it?

Pauline Kael wrote:


"This John Huston picture has a ripe and daring comic tone. It revels voluptuously in the murderous finagling of the members of a Brooklyn Mafia family, and rejoices in their scams. It's like The Godfather acted out by The Munsters. Jack Nicholson's average-guyness as Charley, the clan's enforcer, is the film's touchstone: this is a baroque comedy about people who behave in ordinary ways in grotesque circumstances, and it has the juice of everyday family craziness in it."[3]

(I've never seen it)

 

[wenis]

There are a few dud sequels on the list. Day of the Dead (first Romero misstaep, IMHO), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (fun, but a step down from the first two).

Whoa whoa whoa let's not say anything we can't take back now.

 

[Boogalogist]

No mention of Commando, American Ninja, Mad Max 3?

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Whoa whoa whoa let's not say anything we can't take back now.

I had pretty high hopes/standards after Night and Dawn.

 

[FiggyCal]

There are a few dud sequels on the list. Day of the Dead (first Romero misstaep, IMHO), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (fun, but a step down from the first two).

Day of the Dead and Beyond Thunderdome are fantastic movies! Those are not the duds I would have mentioned.

Rocky 4 for example... Does anyone like that movie unironically?

 

[Vagabundo]

The fuck is Prizzis Honor and why have I never heard of it?

Oh its great. I love it.

It's a gangster love story that doesn't take itself too seriously. And Jack Nicholson.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

No mention of Commando, American Ninja, Mad Max 3?

None of those movies are very good, though. American Ninja in particular is a pretty thick slice of turd.

For me, 1985 is a year where the movies are sorta caught in a tweener sort of zone. Like a semi-confident iteration on a successful series of trends, but tiredness is starting to show through. Goonies is screechy and thin. Rocky IV is jingoistic trash silliness, Spies Like Us is the first real signs of Landis' annoying, tone-deaf decline.

Brazil is probably my favorite movie ever, though.

 

[cacildo]

Mnmnmdosent seem to be that great.... i think 1984 was better...

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

No mention of Commando, American Ninja, Mad Max 3?

I've somehow never seen Commando (I should fix that) and I like, but don't love Mad Max 3 the way I do the first two. I almost put it on the poster list.

 

[Scavenger]

_

 

[quesalupa]

Didn't we have this thread last year? Op's gonna have to fight somebody.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Mnmnmdosent seem to be that great.... i think 1984 was better...

No slouch either. Maybe even better, with Amadeus being one of my favorite movies ever.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Tampopo! great call. Love the hell out of that movie.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Whoops, didn't notice this! Another all-time favorite.

 

[xandaca]

One of the worst Bond films though.

 

[SpaceHorror]

None of those movies are very good, though. American Ninja in particular is a pretty thick slice of turd.

For me, 1985 is a year where the movies are sorta caught in a tweener sort of zone. Like a semi-confident iteration on a successful series of trends, but tiredness is starting to show through. Goonies is screechy and thin. Rocky IV is jingoistic trash silliness, Spies Like Us is the first real signs of Landis' annoying, tone-deaf decline.

Brazil is probably my favorite movie ever, though.

Spoiler

Fuck American Ninja, though.

 

[JB1981]

Too bad it was eclipsed by a single movie in 1986.

The movie that won the academy award for greatest movie of all time.

Dune?

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

None of those movies are very good, though. American Ninja in particular is a pretty thick slice of turd.

For me, 1985 is a year where the movies are sorta caught in a tweener sort of zone. Like a semi-confident iteration on a successful series of trends, but tiredness is starting to show through. Goonies is screechy and thin. Rocky IV is jingoistic trash silliness, Spies Like Us is the first real signs of Landis' annoying, tone-deaf decline.

Brazil is probably my favorite movie ever, though.

You aren't wrong, but I think the art-house trend is just getting going and some awesome movies in 85.

I have no love for Goonies at all, never bothered with Rocky IV, and Spies Like Us is a lesser Landis outing. But take a look at the good stuff I pictured. Also, Better Off Dead is 1985.

 

[cajunator]

Cocoon <3

 

[entremet]

Wasn't 101 Dalmatians rereleased in theaters then too?

 

[JMDSO]

Shockingly, I've only seen 6 of that Top 10.

 

[graffix13]

Also, Better Off Dead is 1985.

Lane Myer: Johnny...

Johnny: Four weeks, twenty papers, that's two dollars. Plus tip.

Lane Myer: Gee Johnny, I don't have a dime.

Johnny: Didn't ask for a dime. Two dollars.

Lane Myer: Well... it's funny see... my mom, had to leave early to take my brother to school and my dad to work cuz...

Johnny: ...two dollars... cash.

Lane Myer: See... the problem here is that... my little brother, this morning, got his arm caught in the microwave, and uh... my grandmother dropped acid and she freaked out, and hijacked a school bus full of... penguins, so it's kind of a family crisis... so come back later? Great.

 

[redmetal86]

One of the worst Bond films though.

Something about Grace Jones in that poster reminds me of Aeon Flux. Maybe it's the proportions.

 

[Plasticine]

What's with the American Ninja hate? Michael Dudikoff is a veritable God-king and American Ninja is his masterwork.

Spoiler

Ninja III: The Domination is the best 80s ninja movie

 

[Perspicacity]

Rocky 4 for example... Does anyone like that movie unironically?

It's one of the best superhero movies of all time. Who the fuck likes movies "ironically"

 

[Empty]

i don't think this is a good year for film but it does have mishima a life in four chapters, maybe the best film of the decade, in it. brazil, ran and come and see are good too.

 

[Reverend Funk]

The Goonies is awesome

 

[FiggyCal]

It's one of the best superhero movies of all time. Who the fuck likes movies "ironically"

People that like bad movies because they're bad.

 

[The Beard]

Best year for movies ? Lol it wasn't even top 10.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Oh shit, that's right, Ran came out that year too.

 

[Werewolf Jones]

Romero's last good zombie movie came out in '85 too.

 

[dreamcastmaster]

None of those movies are very good though.

This man does not understand the greatness of Commando.

 

[muntersaur]

Amazing year for horror:

Re-animator
Fright Night
Return of the Living Dead
Demons
Day of the Dead


Bonus:

Return to Oz
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

 

[MrCunningham]

Mnmnmdosent seem to be that great.... i think 1984 was better...

I kind of agree, outside of a few really big hits like Back to the Future, I think 1984 and 1986 were better years.

 

[Tobor]

I was 9 years old in '85 and it was a glorious time to be a kid. '86 is equally amazing by the way.

 

[Currygan]

only BTTF should be considered a classic out of that list. Spies like us in particular is dreadful, heck even Dragnet with Tom Hanks was a better comedy than that

 

[PeskyToaster]

Doesn't seem that great to be honest.

 

[Mr.Swag]

Stallone was on another level

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

only BTTF should be considered a classic out of that list. Spies like us in particular is dreadful, heck even Dragnet with Tom Hanks was a better comedy than that

Brazil, Breakfast Club, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Tampopo are all legitimate classics.

I probably ought to have left off the BO Top Ten, those are never great.

 

[drspeedy]

I kind of agree, outside of a few really big hits like Back to the Future, I think 1984 and 1986 were better years.

1984 is to movies what 1969 is to music. Even the lowliest releases are now classics

 

[Gr8one]

1984 is to movies what 1969 is to music. Even the lowliest releases are now classics

I completely agree, but the best movie in that image UHF, was released in 1989