Monday, June 8, 2009

Monday Movie Meme - Awesome dude!



This week's Monday Movie Meme from the Bumbles is all about that unforgettable decade of the '80's. Perhaps some would rather forget this period of time ever existed, but for me, this was what defined my youth! I had the big hair, the skin tight Jordache jeans, and a pair of jelly shoes in every color.

When it comes to the movies from this decade, there were plenty of respectable films...Ordinary People, Out of Africa, Platoon, Driving Miss Daisy. But in my mind, this is not the spirit of this week's topic. What we need to talk about are the movies that DEFINED the 80's...the attitudes, the fashion, the sound bytes. Interestingly, once my husband and I started talking about these movies, we quickly determined a common theme...these movies must have kept plenty of parents up at night. My list is the perfect example of teenagers behaving badly. Here they are, in no particular order:

1. The Breakfast Club - The "Brat Pack" at its finest. The soundtrack was pretty cool, too.

2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - Oooooh yeaaaaah!

3. Risky Business - Sunglasses and underwear has never looked so good. Tom Cruise had it all going on back then, before he lost his mojo.

4. Flashdance - My recent attempt at recreating this look for an '80's party was pretty pathetic. My one lingering question is, did Jennifer Beals have a bun-double for that dancing scene? Whose buns really look like that anyway?

5. Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Sean Penn must be horrified at his break-through role at this stage in his career.

6. Footloose - I remember I originally saw this movie with my friends in my business class AND with our teacher Ms. Bantz, who was pretty cool. We were so jacked up after the movie, we went out in search of a high school dance where we could blow off steam. We never found one...

7. Dirty Dancing - Is there any girl on earth that didn't want to be Baby?

8. St. Elmo's Fire - More Brat Pack running amuck.

9. An Officer and a Gentleman - No this didn't necessarily define the decade, and the characters in the movie are consenting adults, but I would be negligent if I didn't list one of the few movies I've seen several dozen times and can recite most of the lines by heart.

10. When Harry Met Sally - This is the other movie I've seen more times than I care to admit, and possibly has one of the best lines from a movie, ever. You know which one I'm talking about!

There are several dozen more, I know. But these were the ones that rushed immediately to mind? What were some of the '80's movies that were your favorites? Don't be shy. We won't judge!

20 comments:

Carleen said...

I never realized how many of my favorite movies came from the 80's until I did this meme! Dirty Dancing is on my list, too. :)

The Bumbles said...

Ah Ferris - how could I forget a movie about skipping school in part to watch baseball?!

Amy Reads Good Books said...

That's a great list! I think I saw every one of those films at one slumber party or another!

Melissa said...

I love Footloose and Dirty Dancing. I can't even tell you how many times I've seen them, especially Footloose. I've seen Ferris many, many times too. Good picks!

Frances said...

Bueller? Bueller? I can tell you had a lot of fun with this one! And coincidental timing for me. Tomorrow is 80s day at my son's school for spirit week and we are off the purchase a mullet wig. Don't ask. The 8 year from another planet.

Sandy Nawrot said...

Carleen - And they are all high school-ish movies. I suppose that has something to do with the fact that I was in high school when I first watched them!

Bumbles - yes, I was actually surprised you didn't have that one on your list!

Amy - I know! These movies were bigger than life back then. They just consumed us, and defined our lives!

Melissa - I know, I grumble at my kids who watch movies 20 times in a row, but then remember that I did it too!

Frances - OMG. You have to take pictures.

Sherrie said...

Hi!
Love all your movies. My favorite from your list would be Footloose. Have a great day!!

Sherrie
Just Books
http://sherriesbooks.blogspot.com/2009/06/monday-movie-meme.html

Literary Feline said...

I just watched the Breakfast Club this afternoon! Haha The end of it anyway. :-) I think your list is spot on, Sandy. All of those movies were definitely definers of the decade. My husband wants to add Wall Street to the list though. :-)

Kim said...

Five out of ten of my favourites are on your list, too. You reminded me just how yummy Richard Gere was in An Officer and A Gentleman! Thank you.

Sandy Nawrot said...

Sherrie - I just watched Footloose recently for the first time in a long time. It is still awesome! Makes me want to dance!

Wendy - Wall Street is an excellent movie. It wasn't so much on my radar until I got older though. Too cerebral for my little teenage mind at that time!

Kim - I had a serious Richard Gere thing going on in HS. Even as recently as a few years ago, when I was still working, I had fantasies of him coming into one of my innane business meetings and carrying me out, with my colleagues screaming "way to go Sandy! way to go!".

Beth F said...

Fabulous list. I loved Dirty Dancing. Be still my heart. . . .

Jess said...

Great list -- I love all of these movies!

Unknown said...

I saw this little video that is perfect for your movie list. A bunch of 20 somethings in Brooklyn made it to say goodbye to one of the friends. Basically, the recreated a bunch of the more famous dance moves from various Brat Pack 80's movies.

See you many movie moves you can spot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1ywFh2AZLg

It's totally safe for kids to see and I liked the song so much I bought it.

Sandy Nawrot said...

Beth - What girl did not transport herself into that movie? That is Swayze at his finest!

Jess - Thanks!

James - what a cool video! All I could see in there was a bunch of Breakfast Club! My daughter was sitting here when I was watching it and of course she thinks I'm nuts. What other movies are in there?

Iliana said...

Ah, memories :)

Footloose was definitely a favorite but you left one off that I loved, Pretty In Pink. Geez, now I want to watch one of these movies! haha...

ds said...

Oh, the 80's: With you on Brat Packs, Ferris Bueller & Flashdance, Harry & Sally.It's a great list, but I'm adding The Big Chill--we wore out the soundtrack, if not the video...this was fun!

Anonymous said...

#4 and 9 are certainly imprinted in my head.

Those leg-warmers and the catchy tune from Flash dance, and my gosh, Richard Gere is soooo cute in An Officer and gentleman.

Unknown said...

There's lots of Breakfast Club in the little video. There are a two or three other movies, but I don't know them. There's a link to the "original" mash-up video on Youtube which shows a bunch of 80's brat pack dance scenes with the same song. One with Andrew McCarthy and one with Molly Ringwald and John Cryer (I think.)

christina said...

Thanks for the blast! I love the movies from the 80's.

Anonymous said...

I love The Breakfast Club. I must ahve watched twenty times over the years.