Cult films of the 1980s are more unique than those of nearly every decade before or since. One would assume that the idea of the cult film is pretty finite, and therefore, all cult films are the same. Oddly enough, though, the 1980s provided a very different take on the film industry and the truly diverse movie-going public.
There were films for all audiences, ranging from the silly to the serious. Many movies, it could be argued, were just terrible, doing nothing more than wasting film. But in many respects, it was the amount of gumption and artistic pursuit that made so many films seemingly iconic.
Here are five films that happen to, for better or for worse, be cult classics, but in many respects, it's their lasting qualities that perhaps are what makes them so important to so many:
Top Gun - It was this film that really took the "over-the-top" decade of the 1980s to another level. The aviator glasses give it a slick veneer, it was the fact you tended to forget exactly what the movie was about that made the movie both cringe-worthy & interesting. You also got tremendous action sequences, steamy romances, men in uniform, and, of course, the greatest volleyball showcase on film ever. It's a film that pulls at your nostalgic sensibilities, but you try to fight it because it's so bad. It is a quintessential 80s flick.
Gremlins - If you ever wanted a Christmas movie to for the ages, Gremlins was not the way to go. But for the movie lover who wanted to see more than the traditional holiday movie, Gremlins was the ultimate experience in holiday mayhem. In many ways, this movie is comparable to taking a beautiful, picturesque snow-globe village set during Christmas & throwing it against the wall. The issue, however, is that the inside breaks.
The Goonies - 80s cult classics tended to have some themes, and one of the major themes explored in The Goonies is the "coming of age" story of friends who are there for each other until the end. This movie has everything (treasure maps, monsters, childhood sensibilities, criminals, and adventure), and it's this reason alone that makes it such a blast to watch.
RoboCop - The rise in crime scene during the 1980s caused many movies to imagine a world in which law enforcement had to become militarized in order to combat the lawless masses. RoboCop took this to a new level, choosing to see how technology could help fight the good fight. The movie did something that most of its brethren could not accomplish, and that was taking a robotic central figure and maintaining his humanity. Questions about the philosophy of memories, human nature, and what it means to have a soul are at the forefront.
Ferris Bueller's Day Off - This is the movie that made kids everywhere want to take a sick day from school. In many ways, this film inspired the notion of living life to its fullest simply for one reason --- because you're young.
Cult films, no matter which way you look at them, are a sign of their times. These celluloid classics are forever.
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