Poll

What are your favorites of these comedies?

Ferris Bueller's Day Off
13 (4.7%)
Weird Science
5 (1.8%)
Vacation
10 (3.6%)
Christmas Vacation
13 (4.7%)
The Naked Gun
19 (6.9%)
Coming to America
14 (5.1%)
Fletch
10 (3.6%)
A Fish Called Wanda
10 (3.6%)
Major League
9 (3.3%)
Spaceballs
16 (5.8%)
Caddyshack
9 (3.3%)
The Blues Brothers
11 (4%)
Airplane
22 (8%)
Beverly Hills Cop
16 (5.8%)
Stripes
7 (2.6%)
This Is Spinal Tap
15 (5.5%)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
15 (5.5%)
Weekend at Bernie's
5 (1.8%)
Tootsie
1 (0.4%)
Ghostbusters
21 (7.7%)
Police Academy
6 (2.2%)
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
2 (0.7%)
When Harry Met Sally
4 (1.5%)
Uncle Buck
11 (4%)
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
10 (3.6%)

Total Members Voted: 43

Voting closed: January 05, 2024, 07:15:32 AM

Author Topic: Favorite comedies from the 80's  (Read 1946 times)

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Offline KevShmev

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Favorite comedies from the 80's
« on: March 25, 2018, 08:15:32 AM »
You can vote for up to 7.

I tried to go for strict comedies (which is why I left off stuff like Back to the Future and The Breakfast Club, which feel more like dramas with a lot of comedy).

I am sure other omissions will be pointed out quickly. :lol :lol

I went with:

Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Caddyshack
The Naked Gun
Fletch
A Fish Called Wanda
Christmas Vacation

Offline Podaar

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2018, 08:20:41 AM »
Fletch
A Fish Called Wanda
Spaceballs
Beverly Hills Cop
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Ghostbusters
Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Not listed:
Monty Python's - The Meaning of Life
Throw Momma from the Train
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Offline ganpondorodf

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2018, 08:36:26 AM »
I've only actually seen five of those so I voted for all of them...

Offline Big Hath

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2018, 09:09:33 AM »
From these options I went with:

The Blues Brothers (my favorite movie of all time)
Fast Times
Christmas Vacation
Coming to America
Planes Trains
Fletch
Caddyshack


Options I might have voted for instead:

Trading Places
Spies Like Us
Mr Mom
Back to School
Raising Arizona
The Great Outdoors
Winger would be better!

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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2018, 05:45:53 PM »
Damn that is a good list, brings back memories.

My number 1 all time favorite comedy will always be Airplane! (Kev, you forgot the !). Everyone else can get in line. The tops of that line would be the below three, as I feel I could watch those any time, and still enjoy them just as much as I did 30 years ago.

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (you messed up this title too ;))
Ghostbusters
Major League - one of my top 3 most quoted movies.

Most everything else on the list I would say I enjoyed at the time, but don't know if I would like them nearly as much were I to watch them now.
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Offline El Barto

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2018, 06:39:28 PM »
Weird Science
Vacation
Fletch
Beverly Hill Cop
Fish called Wanda
Airplane!

Meaning of Life and Trading Places are obvious omissions, and I'd have included Porky's, as well (the highest grossing Canadian film of all time!).
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Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2018, 06:47:25 PM »
Dang I would have sworn Porky's was from the late 70s. "Please can we call it a tallywhacker?"

I also liked how Fletch managed to weave in a fairly compelling mystery to the story. Not something you would normally get with an 80s comedy.

Not as funny as most of these, and not something I'd watch now, but as a boy growing up in the 80s, I feel compelled to at least mention Revenge of the Nerds. Ironically for scenes in the movie that had nothing to do with comedy.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2018, 06:54:04 PM by Cool Chris »
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Offline The Walrus

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2018, 07:47:06 PM »
Christmas Vacation
Coming to America
Airplane
This Is Spinal Tap
Uncle Buck
Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Coming to America and Uncle Buck are two of my all-time favorite comedies. They have a lot of character.
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Offline Adami

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2018, 07:59:02 PM »
This was super hard. I'm pretty sure I've seen every one of those movies and love most of them.

Here's my list, but honestly could be very different depending on the day.

Coming to America
Major League
Spaceballs
Airplane!
Fast Times as Ridgemont High
Ghostbusters
When Harry Met Sally
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #9 on: March 25, 2018, 08:02:12 PM »
Porky's was one I hated leaving off, but I figured it would be one many thought didn't age well.  The scene in the principal's office is still arguably the funniest scene ever...and was one long take!!  "Have you seen this prick?" :rollin :rollin :rollin :rollin

Trading Places is great, but I guess I viewed that as more of a drama than a comedy.  I could be wrong.


Offline El Barto

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2018, 11:25:24 PM »
Porky's was one I hated leaving off, but I figured it would be one many thought didn't age well. 
As opposed to Weird Science? Or Weekend at Bernie's?  :lol

Weird Science isn't unlike Porky's in that most of the running time is pure shit for both of them. Porky's has the seen in the principal's office which is great enough to make the movie. WS has 2 or 3 of those. When Lisa berates Gary's Dad before pulling out Dirty Harry's hand-cannon on him was hysterical. The seen in the dive bar and the "eight grade bitch with the big big titties" that kneed him in the nuts.  When the biker mutants crashed the party. All of those are great, but then you've got Chet pushing it completely over the edge, popping up every 15 minutes in one of Paxton's best rolls. Whole lot of great stuff going on during the stupidity.

I can certainly see your point about Trading Places. Eddie Murphey was in several films that blurred the hell out of genres. I figure if you include BHC you include 48Hrs, as well, but it definitely is a lot darker than the others.
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Offline New World Rushman

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #11 on: March 26, 2018, 06:30:11 AM »
This was extremely difficult.
I wound up going with all the movies that get quoted the most to this day when I get together with my old high school friends for poker games.
With Fast Times being way in the lead when it comes to quotables with my buds (Animal House is the next one, but that was '78).

Vacation
Caddyshack
The Blues Brothers
Airplane!
Stripes
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Weekend at Bernie's

Offline The Walrus

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #12 on: March 26, 2018, 07:21:00 AM »
FYI, Beverly Hills Cop isn't a comedy, it's a tragedy.
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Offline ProfessorPeart

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #13 on: March 26, 2018, 07:49:21 AM »
The Naked Gun
Major League
Spaceballs
Airplane
Stripes
Ghostbusters
Police Academy
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Offline Dream Team

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #14 on: March 26, 2018, 08:03:13 AM »
Naked Gun (prob my fav comedy)
Planes Trains
Beverly
Spaceballs
Uncle Buck
Harry Sally
Weekend

3 John Candy ones, hmmm . . .

Offline DragonAttack

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #15 on: March 26, 2018, 10:02:29 AM »
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Vacation – saw it at a drive in of all places, and did have a ‘Wally’s World’ tee shirt
Christmas Vacation -  annual tradition
The Naked Gun – saw all three at theaters
Major League – annual tradition, just watched it yesterday
Airplane! – surely, this has to be on the list ;)
This Is Spinal Tap

Two that would replace 'Naked Gun' and 'This Is Spinal Tap' for me are 'Sixteen Candles' and 'History of the World, Part 1'
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #16 on: March 26, 2018, 06:55:15 PM »
Porky's was one I hated leaving off, but I figured it would be one many thought didn't age well. 
As opposed to Weird Science? Or Weekend at Bernie's?  :lol

Weird Science isn't unlike Porky's in that most of the running time is pure shit for both of them. Porky's has the seen in the principal's office which is great enough to make the movie. WS has 2 or 3 of those. When Lisa berates Gary's Dad before pulling out Dirty Harry's hand-cannon on him was hysterical. The seen in the dive bar and the "eight grade bitch with the big big titties" that kneed him in the nuts.  When the biker mutants crashed the party. All of those are great, but then you've got Chet pushing it completely over the edge, popping up every 15 minutes in one of Paxton's best rolls. Whole lot of great stuff going on during the stupidity.

I can certainly see your point about Trading Places. Eddie Murphey was in several films that blurred the hell out of genres. I figure if you include BHC you include 48Hrs, as well, but it definitely is a lot darker than the others.

Weird Science definitely has some weak spots (the actor who played Wyatt was laughably bad, kind of like the gal that played Jennifer in Blame It on Rio), but like you said, has so much stuff that was hilarious, and holds up (mostly) well. 

I think Weekend at Bernie's is still really funny, although not as much so as most of the flicks on this list, except for Stripes, which has to be the most overrated comedy ever...by a wide distance.

The Princess Bride is another that could have made the list, but I think of that as more of a fantasy adventure flick with lots of laughs.  There are few movies I quote as much as that one.

Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #17 on: March 26, 2018, 07:41:09 PM »
I never cared for Stripes. It has a cool premise, and isn't particularly bad. But I never found it very funny, especially when lined up against other Murray and/or Ramis pictures from that era.

Looking at the list, a few of these I would consider entertaining while not being particularly laugh out loud funny: Ferris Bueller, Caddyshack, Blues Brothers, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and When Harry Met Sally,.
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Offline jingle.boy

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #18 on: March 27, 2018, 05:33:06 AM »
Tootsie?!?!?!  Tootsie makes this list?  And shockingly it's the only one without a vote.

Personally, I always preferred Top Secret as my go-to parody movie.

I went with

Planes Trains
Uncle Buck
Xmas Vacation
Bueller
Naked Gun
Fletch
Airplane!

Hard to leave out Caddyshack and Ghostbusters

Some omissions that should've made the cut:
Back to the Future
Back to School
Bill and Ted
¡Three Amigos!
Meaning of Life
Cannonball Run
Adventures in Babysitting (ok, maybe not, but I loved that, and had a huge teenage crush on Elizabeth Shue)
Big Trouble in Little China
Good Morning Vietnam
The Great Outdoors
Look Who's Talking
A Christmas Story
That's a word salad - and take it from me, I know word salad
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Offline The Walrus

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #19 on: March 27, 2018, 07:46:33 AM »
Great Outdoors and Christmas Story would've been picks for me, definitely.

I had to watch Uncle Buck for the ten millionth time last night. There's a quality to the film itself, the way it looks, that I really, really dig. It has that 80s vibe but since it's an '89 flick it simply looks better. I've talked about it a lot at MP's forum but the way those late 80s, early 90s films look is my favorite. It's not hyper realistic or super vivid like films today, it's got a slightly washed out, more authentic quality. Also the lack of Internet or cell phones makes it easier to watch for me. I think the only time anybody is even watching a television in that film is when Buck is talking to the dog and putting beer in his dish late at night. "Want a pretzel?"  :lol
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Offline Nekov

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #20 on: March 27, 2018, 07:58:21 AM »
Went with:

The Naked Gun
A Fish Called Wanda
Spaceballs
Airplane
Beverly Hills Cop
Ghostbusters
Police Academy
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Offline El Barto

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #21 on: March 27, 2018, 08:33:21 AM »
Weird Science definitely has some weak spots (the actor who played Wyatt was laughably bad, kind of like the gal that played Jennifer in Blame It on Rio), but like you said, has so much stuff that was hilarious, and holds up (mostly) well. 

I think Weekend at Bernie's is still really funny, although not as much so as most of the flicks on this list, except for Stripes, which has to be the most overrated comedy ever...by a wide distance.

The Princess Bride is another that could have made the list, but I think of that as more of a fantasy adventure flick with lots of laughs.  There are few movies I quote as much as that one.

The best thing about Stripes is Elmer Bernstein. Without his score it'd be entirely forgettable. It also had a ton of gratuitous T&A, which is always nice. Something I miss about the 80s. Still, it was overrated at the time and aged poorly.

And I don't remember Wyatt being all that bad. It's not like they were trying to pull of Hamlet or anything. He just struck me as the awkward dipshit that he was portraying. It was RDJ and his buddy that were truly awful.
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Offline Harmony

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #22 on: March 27, 2018, 10:13:01 AM »
Bill Paxton in Weird Science is literally one of my favorite things.

I was going to mention Animal House and Foul Play with Chevy Chase but then I remembered I'm REALLY old because those movies were made in the 70s.   :'(
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Offline Harmony

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #23 on: March 27, 2018, 10:14:41 AM »
I choose Sixteen Candles with honorable mention to The Breakfast Club.  ;)
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Offline pg1067

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #24 on: March 27, 2018, 10:46:11 AM »
Damnit.  As I was reading the list, I misread Major League as A League of Their Own.  As a result, I voted for:

Ferris
Naked Gun
Airplane
Spinal Tap
Fast Times
Ghostbusters
Police Academy

If I hadn't misread it, I'd have included Major League over Ghostbusters.
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Offline pg1067

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #25 on: March 27, 2018, 11:00:43 AM »
I'd have included Porky's, as well (the highest grossing Canadian film of all time!).

Porky's was the first movie I saw with actual boobage.  I was barely 14 at a time and I think my friend and I bought tickets for something else and snuck into the theater showing Porky's.  I recall being terribly concerned we were going to get found out and our parents called.


Two that would replace 'Naked Gun' and 'This Is Spinal Tap' for me are 'Sixteen Candles' and 'History of the World, Part 1'

History of the World was great for about the first half, but the second half sucked.  I remember being very sad when I found out there wasn't going to be a sequel.


Some omissions that should've made the cut:
...
Bill and Ted
...

YES!  Possibly the greatest comedy ever made.
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Offline Harmony

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #26 on: March 27, 2018, 03:30:38 PM »
I take my votes back.  I'm going with this one.  Final answer. 
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Offline Podaar

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #27 on: March 27, 2018, 04:55:46 PM »
Holy shit, how could I have forgot about Arthur! Good call, Harmony.

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Offline DragonAttack

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #28 on: April 01, 2018, 11:47:44 AM »
For Easter week, this snippet from 'History of the World Pt 1'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA1sx-vyWVk

(and yes, the movie slows down in the second half, but there are still enough great moments in the French Revolution to make it worth while)
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Offline Accelerando

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Re: Favorite comedies from the 80's
« Reply #29 on: April 01, 2018, 05:59:47 PM »
Great topic! My choices were

Coming To America
Ghostbusters
Beverly Hills Cop
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Planes Trains and Automobiles
Spaceballs
Major League


Other ones not mentioned:

Pee Wee's Big Adventure
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Three Men And A Baby
Turner and Hootch
Risky Business
Big