Movies of the eighties

The movies of the eighties perhaps best personify what the eighties were all about. They mirrored what was present in the minds of the public, both in popular culture and important events of the day. They show the sensibility of the time.

The teen movies of the day were heavily impacted by the films of one man, John Hughes. He directed "Sixteen Candles", "The Breakfast Club", and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off".

This lighter style of movie-making would later develop into a much more nineties theme with "Heathers," a film still about teens learning life lessons, but now they are teens of whom any intelligent person would be terrified.

But the movies of the eighties weren't just about teen angst. Many reflected stories of good versus evil. The cold war was still going strong and with Reagan referring to the Soviet Union as "the evil empire," one would expect some Star Wars connections. However, "The Empire Strikes Back" was not the only movie built made with this theme.

Sly Stallone starred in "Rambo" to fight for the good name of the United States

and the "Karate Kid" learned to defend himself with honor and spirit against his adversaries.

The first Indiana Jones movie opened with Indy fighting that greatest of all evils, the Nazis.

The movies also started to reflect a fascination with technology and where it might lead us. The first cyberpunk science fiction movie "Bladerunner" opened, based on the Philip K. Dick book, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

On a lighter note, "Back to the Future" showed us what situations can be gotten into when one has access to a Delorean time machine. I still like to go 88mph.

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