My Top 25 Films of the 80s
They're all pushing everyone to do this over at Movie Forums so I'm deciding to do it, and share here the first draft.
1. Koyaanisqatsi -- recently I dubbed this my #1, but I forget that sometimes and give ongoing praise for an early Werner Schroeter film.
[media=https://youtu.be/eWp8D5s6Sc0]
2. The Last Theft -- a few short films need to be here, and the best I've seen from this decade is perfectly spooky, directed by Jiri Barta, a director fans of Jan Svankmajer need to know about.
[media=https://youtu.be/4Aew_Naz3cY]
3. The Last of England -- Derek Jarman's angriest film which for me is like drinking a powerful energy drink, I love the pathos in it, and how accurately it captures despair.
4. Berlin Alexanderplatz -- Fassbinder loved the book by Alfred Doblin which is seen as the German Ullyses, and he makes a staggering work of it.
5. Dekalog -- another miniseries from Poland is quite simply the best work of auteur cinema that aired on television, I put it below RWF's similar medium bursting opus because that one sticks with me more, but Kieslowski's Dekalog is imo objectively better.
[media=https://youtu.be/OYg5zswGG8Y]
6. Tales from the Gimli Hospital -- Guy Maddin's debut feature has sequences very dear to my heart which has bleak humor.
[media=https://youtu.be/KcO5KHfy55k]
7. Fanny and Alexander Ingmar Bergman's swan song is truly a gift to film lovers, and what I love most about it is how he makes it entertaining in how the kids must be saved from a sadistic Lutheran minister. There's magic involved!!
8. This Is Spinal Tap -- if this list was a film festival, people would be glad that this is here for the comedy genius on display, a rock mockumentary for the ages!! I often think of 2 songs here Flower People and Gimme Some Money, and when they have little dinky stonehedges in a live performance.
[media=https://youtu.be/O0MGZTdcgx8]
9. Vagabond -- my fave from Agnes Varda, imo it's perfect, and hypnotic, and a neat way to tell a story about a homeless lady's last few days.
[media=https://youtu.be/GvBQ596Zsqk]
10. Paris, Texas -- a wonderful character study, and moving story, well done Wim Wenders, not many European or other non-english directors can make a masterpiece in English. Fassbinder couldn't do it for sure.
[media=https://youtu.be/3j8ypqxfiT4]
11. Veronika Voss -- I must fit in another Fassbinder because he is my favorite director and his short but very prolific career ended just a couple years into the 80s, of the BRD trilogy, I love them all, but VV is imo the best in it. The tale of a film star has been and a journalist who gets to know her to write about her.
[media=https://youtu.be/zPgjmynpZSU]
12. Akira -- An Anime highlight, it's truly remarkable!!
[media=https://youtu.be/nA8KmHC2Z-g]
13. Caravaggio -- Derek Jarman returns here with a mighty good biopic of the famous painter, this is my favorite of his narrative films, he made 2 kinds, experimental, and narrative. He captures something special that all true artists must go through, a terrible sensation of isolation.
[media=https://youtu.be/w5RsX8nbR7k]
14. Ran -- a late masterpiece of the great Akira Kurosawa is often cited as the best film adaptation of King Lear, powerful performances and regal directing.
[media=https://youtu.be/p2b60AwAOeA]
15. The Sacrifice -- Andrei Tarkovsky's last film is a superb meditation, his long takes are immaculate, and you get to see Erland Josephson, a plus for Bergman fans.
16. Come and See -- a most devastating war movie from Russia, it takes you to the edge it sure does!!
[media=https://youtu.be/zjIiApN6cfg]
17. Blue Velvet -- David Lynch gives a really special experience, the first half is like a light hearted tv show, 2nd half turns much darker.
[media=https://youtu.be/70wBYONp_5Q]
18. The Terence Davies Trilogy -- in 3 short films it tells a cohesive tale and the ending is one of the most haunting i've ever seen, Terence Davies is a eloquent director, and this was how his filmmaking career began!!
[media=https://youtu.be/AmK73K1g260]
19. The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer -- The Brothers Quay give a lovely ode to the master of surreal arthouse, what I like best here is how it's showing how a student learns how to see artistically. And the image of an open book as going inside the head of these figures is imo a powerful metaphor.
[media=https://youtu.be/ehfRYQ0K-vM]
20. Damnation -- my #1 from Bela Tarr is just the right amount of meditative and great music, the scene where there's dance music, that music is so sweet to me!!
[media=https://youtu.be/jf8E2pWkzYE]
21. Down By Law -- I love this Jim Jarmusch film for being skillful enough to have meant something to my dad, a memory I treasure, and the chemistry between these guys is phenomenal!!
22. A Nos Amours -- Maurice Pialat's unflinching family drama, mean parents and siblings, slapping each other, but great drama pulls no punches.
23. The Return of the Living Dead -- the 80s was the best decade for fun horror romps and this I officially here single out as being my fave, it is just so bonkers and unrelenting.
[media=https://youtu.be/I9npL6x8oFQ]
24. The Deadly Spawn -- low budget horror goodness.
[media=https://youtu.be/sWJcTXzd8mA]
25. Dawn of an Evil Millennium -- this short film is made as a 20 minute movie trailer and it gets pretty wild!!
[media=https://youtu.be/4faToZ9n1Jg]
1. Koyaanisqatsi -- recently I dubbed this my #1, but I forget that sometimes and give ongoing praise for an early Werner Schroeter film.
[media=https://youtu.be/eWp8D5s6Sc0]
2. The Last Theft -- a few short films need to be here, and the best I've seen from this decade is perfectly spooky, directed by Jiri Barta, a director fans of Jan Svankmajer need to know about.
[media=https://youtu.be/4Aew_Naz3cY]
3. The Last of England -- Derek Jarman's angriest film which for me is like drinking a powerful energy drink, I love the pathos in it, and how accurately it captures despair.
4. Berlin Alexanderplatz -- Fassbinder loved the book by Alfred Doblin which is seen as the German Ullyses, and he makes a staggering work of it.
5. Dekalog -- another miniseries from Poland is quite simply the best work of auteur cinema that aired on television, I put it below RWF's similar medium bursting opus because that one sticks with me more, but Kieslowski's Dekalog is imo objectively better.
[media=https://youtu.be/OYg5zswGG8Y]
6. Tales from the Gimli Hospital -- Guy Maddin's debut feature has sequences very dear to my heart which has bleak humor.
[media=https://youtu.be/KcO5KHfy55k]
7. Fanny and Alexander Ingmar Bergman's swan song is truly a gift to film lovers, and what I love most about it is how he makes it entertaining in how the kids must be saved from a sadistic Lutheran minister. There's magic involved!!
8. This Is Spinal Tap -- if this list was a film festival, people would be glad that this is here for the comedy genius on display, a rock mockumentary for the ages!! I often think of 2 songs here Flower People and Gimme Some Money, and when they have little dinky stonehedges in a live performance.
[media=https://youtu.be/O0MGZTdcgx8]
9. Vagabond -- my fave from Agnes Varda, imo it's perfect, and hypnotic, and a neat way to tell a story about a homeless lady's last few days.
[media=https://youtu.be/GvBQ596Zsqk]
10. Paris, Texas -- a wonderful character study, and moving story, well done Wim Wenders, not many European or other non-english directors can make a masterpiece in English. Fassbinder couldn't do it for sure.
[media=https://youtu.be/3j8ypqxfiT4]
11. Veronika Voss -- I must fit in another Fassbinder because he is my favorite director and his short but very prolific career ended just a couple years into the 80s, of the BRD trilogy, I love them all, but VV is imo the best in it. The tale of a film star has been and a journalist who gets to know her to write about her.
[media=https://youtu.be/zPgjmynpZSU]
12. Akira -- An Anime highlight, it's truly remarkable!!
[media=https://youtu.be/nA8KmHC2Z-g]
13. Caravaggio -- Derek Jarman returns here with a mighty good biopic of the famous painter, this is my favorite of his narrative films, he made 2 kinds, experimental, and narrative. He captures something special that all true artists must go through, a terrible sensation of isolation.
[media=https://youtu.be/w5RsX8nbR7k]
14. Ran -- a late masterpiece of the great Akira Kurosawa is often cited as the best film adaptation of King Lear, powerful performances and regal directing.
[media=https://youtu.be/p2b60AwAOeA]
15. The Sacrifice -- Andrei Tarkovsky's last film is a superb meditation, his long takes are immaculate, and you get to see Erland Josephson, a plus for Bergman fans.
16. Come and See -- a most devastating war movie from Russia, it takes you to the edge it sure does!!
[media=https://youtu.be/zjIiApN6cfg]
17. Blue Velvet -- David Lynch gives a really special experience, the first half is like a light hearted tv show, 2nd half turns much darker.
[media=https://youtu.be/70wBYONp_5Q]
18. The Terence Davies Trilogy -- in 3 short films it tells a cohesive tale and the ending is one of the most haunting i've ever seen, Terence Davies is a eloquent director, and this was how his filmmaking career began!!
[media=https://youtu.be/AmK73K1g260]
19. The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer -- The Brothers Quay give a lovely ode to the master of surreal arthouse, what I like best here is how it's showing how a student learns how to see artistically. And the image of an open book as going inside the head of these figures is imo a powerful metaphor.
[media=https://youtu.be/ehfRYQ0K-vM]
20. Damnation -- my #1 from Bela Tarr is just the right amount of meditative and great music, the scene where there's dance music, that music is so sweet to me!!
[media=https://youtu.be/jf8E2pWkzYE]
21. Down By Law -- I love this Jim Jarmusch film for being skillful enough to have meant something to my dad, a memory I treasure, and the chemistry between these guys is phenomenal!!
22. A Nos Amours -- Maurice Pialat's unflinching family drama, mean parents and siblings, slapping each other, but great drama pulls no punches.
23. The Return of the Living Dead -- the 80s was the best decade for fun horror romps and this I officially here single out as being my fave, it is just so bonkers and unrelenting.
[media=https://youtu.be/I9npL6x8oFQ]
24. The Deadly Spawn -- low budget horror goodness.
[media=https://youtu.be/sWJcTXzd8mA]
25. Dawn of an Evil Millennium -- this short film is made as a 20 minute movie trailer and it gets pretty wild!!
[media=https://youtu.be/4faToZ9n1Jg]
46-50, M
