# '80s cult movies appreciation thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 20, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877 "2007-09-20T16:55:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/21 "2007-09-20T23:56:07Z")
[_The Blue Iguana_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094768/) is a personal favourite of mine. No connection to the later film _Dancing at the Blue Iguana_. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/22 "2007-09-21T01:58:55Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Man, how many of you have me on ignore anyway? :mad: šŸ˜‰ See the middle of [post 10.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=8998685) So I guess \*\*Johnny \*\* could go for a 4th. Does a movie like Buckaroo Bonzai count? It has a cult following and was not really a big hit at the time. I think I saw it 3 times when it came out. Jim [/QUOTE] Hell yes, Buckaroo Banzai counts. And sorry about missing post 10ā€¦ you know we love you! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/23 "2007-09-21T02:18:15Z")
Thereā€™s _Videodrome_, which I believe was a fairly mainstream release but I think it jumped to cult status rather quickly. Itā€™s funny to think back on it, the idea of a quaint 80s bulgy video monitor seems decidedly unmenacing these days. Ooooooh, my TV is sinister! But it did have Debbie Harry, who embodied ā€œedgyā€ in the early 80s. My favorite underappreciated movie from the 80s was _Dogs In Space_, which I would argue had a cult following, if you consider teenage INXS fangirls to be a cult. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/24 "2007-09-21T02:18:36Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] [Yes.](http://www.amazon.com/Cafe-Flesh-Starring-Nichols-Classic/dp/B000Q3XTRW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-7378375-4489240?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1190327757&sr=8-1) Apparently thereā€™s a [sequel,](http://www.amazon.com/Cafe-Flesh-Starring-Nichols-Classic/dp/B000Q3XTRW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-7378375-4489240?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1190327757&sr=8-1) too, but Iā€™d rather not know anything more about it. [/QUOTE] Sweet, thanks, **BrainGlutton**. Not sure if Iā€™m going to shell out twenty big ones for a used copy, but maybe if I can get a bunch of people together, Mystery Science Theatre styleā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/25 "2007-09-21T02:37:01Z")
[QUOTE=delphica] Thereā€™s _Videodrome_, which I believe was a fairly mainstream release but I think it jumped to cult status rather quickly. Itā€™s funny to think back on it, the idea of a quaint 80s bulgy video monitor seems decidedly unmenacing these days. Ooooooh, my TV is sinister! But it did have Debbie Harry, who embodied ā€œedgyā€ in the early 80s. My favorite underappreciated movie from the 80s was _Dogs In Space_, which I would argue had a cult following, if you consider teenage INXS fangirls to be a cult. [/QUOTE] Was it Scanners or BrainStorm that had Natalie Woods and exploding heads? Maybe I am mixing up all three films. I always paired it with Videodrome for some reason. Some Cult or small movies that reflected small portions of the 80s culture in America included Valley Girl, Purple Rain and [Body Double](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086984/) that included the one hit wonder Frankie Goes to Hollywood performing Relax. RoboCop was a bit of a cult movie. Especially the too often heard quote ā€œIā€™d buy that for a dollar!ā€ Jim ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/26 "2007-09-21T03:15:51Z")
[QUOTE=delphica] Thereā€™s _Videodrome_, which I believe was a fairly mainstream release but I think it jumped to cult status rather quickly. Itā€™s funny to think back on it, the idea of a quaint 80s bulgy video monitor seems decidedly unmenacing these days. Ooooooh, my TV is sinister! But it did have Debbie Harry, who embodied ā€œedgyā€ in the early 80s. [/QUOTE] Anything pre-The Fly with David Cronenbergā€™s name on it automatically qualifies as a cult film. To What Exit- BrainStorm had Natalie Wood, I donā€™t know about exploding heads- though Scanners had that a-plenty, but no Natalie Wood. ---
**Author:** ![Tool\_of\_the\_Conspiracy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@Tool\_of\_the\_Conspiracy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tool_of_the_Conspiracy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/27 "2007-09-21T03:18:22Z")
From the late '80s, thereā€™s _Cherry 2000_ with Melanie Griffith and _Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death_ with Bill Maher. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/28 "2007-09-21T03:25:02Z")
_Lethal Weapon_! I watched it SO many times in the lobby of various guesthouses on Khao San Road here in Bangkok, big bottle or three of Singha beer in front of me. Guesthouses still show movies today to attract customers, and about 1988, for some reason every one of them was showing _Lethal Weapon_. Some good memories. Edit: The wife has come to love it, too, and we watch it every year in December as one of our Christmas movies. (You forgot the Christmas theme in it, Iā€™ll bet.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/29 "2007-09-21T03:46:30Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Was it Scanners or BrainStorm that had Natalie Woods and exploding heads? Maybe I am mixing up all three films. I always paired it with Videodrome for some reason. [/quote] [_Scanners_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanners) had exploding heads. [_Brainstorm_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainstorm_%281983_film%29) had Natalie Wood. [_Videodrome_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videodrome) had neither but there were . . . other things. [QUOTE=What Exit?] RoboCop was a bit of a cult movie. Especially the too often heard quote ā€œIā€™d buy that for a dollar!ā€ [/QUOTE] Inspired, Iā€™m sure, by the cliche-line ā€œWould you buy that for a quarter?!ā€ from the 1951 dysgenic-pressure SF short story [ā€œThe Marching Morons,ā€](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Marching_Morons) by Cyril Kornbluth. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/30 "2007-09-21T04:13:30Z")
Almost all of my favorites have been mentioned already, so Iā€™ll just add: [Humanoids From the Deep](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080904/) and [Xtro](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086610/) and [The Hidden](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093185/) in the category of Sci-Fi/Horror, and [Bagdad Cafe](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095801/) in the category of quirky character movie. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/31 "2007-09-21T04:22:44Z")
Some that havenā€™t been mentioned: Akira (1988) Better Off Dead (1985) Bill & Tedā€™s Excellent Adventure (1989) Blade Runner (1982) Blood Simple (1985) Blue Velvet (1986) Brazil (1985) The Company of Wolves (1984) Excalibur (1981) Gates of Heaven (1980) Hairspray (1988) Henry - Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) House of Games (1987) The Killer (1989) The King of Comedy (1983) Koyaanisqatsi (1983) Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (1981) Local Hero (1983) Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) Manhunter (1986) Meet the Feebles (1989) Mommie Dearest (1981) Ms. 45 (1981) My Best Friendā€™s Birthday (1987) Near Dark (1987) Pee-Weeā€™s Big Adventure (1985) Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982) Raising Arizona (1987) Real Genius (1985) Re-Animator (1985) Return of the Secaucus 7 (1980) Scarface (1983) Sid and Nancy (1986) Stardust Memories (1980) Stranger Than Paradise (1984) Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987) This Is Spinal Tap (1984) The Toxic Avenger (1985) UHF (1989) Weird Science (1985) Withnail and I (1987) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/32 "2007-09-21T04:28:17Z")
[Basket Case](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083624/) ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/33 "2007-09-21T05:55:58Z")
I think I opened a thread on this a while back which was D.O.A., but has ANYONE but me seen Dead Beat (made in 1994, granted)? ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/34 "2007-09-21T12:17:11Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] Some that havenā€™t been mentioned: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (1981) [/QUOTE] Damn you! I was almost to the end of this thread and was happy to be the one to post this movie. Why did you have to ruin my fun? Ha! I have a [link](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082639/)! Anyway, I watched this movie every time it was on USAā€™s _Night Flight_. Every time I see Diane Lane in any other movie, I still associate her with this one. Iā€™ve got another one that I still feel compelled to watch when itā€™s on. [_Night of the Comet_](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087799/) As a teenage girl, my favorite part was when they were at the mall and had it all to themselves. Was that movie ever MST3Kā€™d? It would seem to be a good candidate. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/35 "2007-09-21T13:22:36Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] _Lethal Weapon_! I watched it SO many times in the lobby of various guesthouses on Khao San Road here in Bangkok, big bottle or three of Singha beer in front of me. Guesthouses still show movies today to attract customers, and about 1988, for some reason every one of them was showing _Lethal Weapon_. Some good memories. Edit: The wife has come to love it, too, and we watch it every year in December as one of our Christmas movies. (You forgot the Christmas theme in it, Iā€™ll bet.) [/QUOTE] Lethal Weapon was a huge mainstream hit in the US. Not a cult film at all here. As far as the Christmas theme, my brother and I have joked for years, that it is the second best Christmas film after Die Hard. I even saw a national comic strip run the same basic joke 5 or 6 years back. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/36 "2007-09-21T13:26:14Z")
[QUOTE=Nutty Bunny] Damn you! I was almost to the end of this thread and was happy to be the one to post this movie. Why did you have to ruin my fun? [/QUOTE] Damn you, I was going to rail on Little Nemo for ruining my fun, and you ruined it! Why is L&G, TFS not out on DVD? WHY?! ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/37 "2007-09-21T13:33:11Z")
[QUOTE=Push You Down] Return of the Living Dead is a classic. [/QUOTE] Yes, good God, I watch that movie every month. In factā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/38 "2007-09-21T13:50:39Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] ā€¦Does a movie like Buckaroo Bonzai count? It has a cult following and was not really a big hit at the time. I think I saw it 3 times when it came out. Jim [/QUOTE] As several others have repliedā€“Of Course! Remember those [80ā€™s fashions](http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/b/bukbanzi.jpg)? (Isnā€™t it about time for skinny ties to come back in style?) A personal favorite: [Starstruck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starstruck_%281982_film%29)ā€“an Australian film made in 1982 & just now available here on DVD. Silly (but not bad) New Wave styles, music & dancing. Will the young folks win that talent prize & save the family pub? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/39 "2007-09-21T14:52:19Z")
[_Naked Lunch,_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naked_Lunch_%28film%29) should count, though made in 1991. Perhaps the last of the '80s cult movies (in this case, adapted from a '50s cult novel). Why donā€™t they make movies like these any more?! ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877/40 "2007-09-21T16:37:48Z")
[QUOTE=Zoggie] Sweet, thanks, **BrainGlutton**. Not sure if Iā€™m going to shell out twenty big ones for a used copy, but maybe if I can get a bunch of people together, Mystery Science Theatre styleā€¦ [/QUOTE] If you go to (1) an adult-video store or (2) a cult-video store, you **might** be able to **rent** it. Not as artistically successful, but much more pornographically successful and just as '80s-cultish: [_New Wave Hookers._](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Wave_Hookers) (Finding an unexpurgated original cut might be problematic; it had the underage Traci Lords in it.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-cult-movies-appreciation-thread/419877.md?page=3)