Zach’s Favorite Films of the 1980s

1989

  1. DO THE RIGHT THING (Spike Lee, USA)
  2. ELEPHANT (Alan Clarke, UK)
  3. THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUTH (Hal Hartley, USA)
  4. TONGUES UNTIED (Marlon Riggs, USA)
  5. SWEETIE (Jane Campion, Australia)
  6. KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE (Hayao Miyazaki, Japan)
  7. HISTOIRE(S) DU CINÉMA (Jean-Luc Godard, Switzerland/France)
  8. CHAMELEON STREET (Wendell B. Harris Jr., USA)
  9. WATER AND POWER (Pat O'Neill, USA)
  10. HOMEWORK (Abbas Kiarostami, Iran)
  11. BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (Robert Zemeckis, USA)
  12. THE FIRM (Alan Clarke, UK)
  13. IMAGES OF THE WORLD AND THE INSCRIPTION OF WAR (Harun Farocki, Germany)
  14. A GRAND DAY OUT (Nick Park, UK)
  15. SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE (Steven Soderbergh, USA)
  16. BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (Robert Zemeckis, USA)
  17. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... (Rob Reiner, USA)

1988

  1. THE PLEASURE GARDEN (Phil Solomon, USA)
  2. DISTANT VOICES, STILL LIVES (Terence Davies, UK)
  3. MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (Hayao Miyazaki, Japan)
  4. THE THIN BLUE LINE (Errol Morris, USA)
  5. THE NAKED GUN: FROM THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD! (David Zucker, USA)
  6. ALICE (Jan Švankmajer, Czechoslovakia)
  7. DAMNATION (Béla Tarr, Hungary)
  8. JANE B. PAR AGNÈS V. (Agnès Varda, France)
  9. WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (Robert Zemeckis, USA)
  10. THE BLOB (Chuck Russell, USA)
  11. POLICE STORY 2 (Jackie Chan, Hong Kong)
  12. SUPERSTAR: THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY (Todd Haynes, USA)
  13. A DAY ON THE GRAND CANAL (Philip Haas, USA)
  14. WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain)
  15. CROSSING DELANCEY (Joan Micklin Silver, USA)
  16. DIE HARD (John McTiernan, USA)
  17. PUMPKINHEAD (Stan Winston, USA)
  18. THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST (Martin Scorsese, Canada/USA)
  19. COMING TO AMERICA (John Landis, USA)
  20. HAIRSPRAY (John Waters, USA)
  21. THE VANISHING (George Sluizer, Netherlands/France)
  22. MARRIED TO THE MOB (Jonathan Demme, USA)
  • DEAD RINGERS (David Cronenberg, Canada/USA)
  • TIGER ON THE BEAT (Lau Kar-leung, Hong Kong)

1987

  1. THE DANTE QUARTET (Stan Brakhage, USA)
  2. WHERE IS THE FRIEND’S HOUSE? (Abbas Kiarostami, Iran)
  3. LANDSCAPE SUICIDE (James Benning, USA)
  4. MOONSTRUCK (Norman Jewison, USA)
  5. CHRISTINE (Alan Clarke, UK)
  6. ROBOCOP (Paul Verhoeven, USA)
  7. BROADCAST NEWS (James L. Brooks, USA)
  8. MNEMOSYNE MOTHER OF MUSES (Larry Gottheim, USA)
  9. LAW OF DESIRE (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain)
  10. ISHTAR (Elaine May, USA)
  11. FOUR ADVENTURES OF REINETTE AND MIRABELLE (Eric Rohmer, France)
  12. THE DEATH OF EMPEDOCLES (Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet, France/Germany)
  13. DAUGHTER OF THE NILE (Hou Hsiao-hsien, Taiwan)
  14. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS (Chuck Russell, USA)
  15. MAYHEM (Abigail Child, USA)
  16. MATEWAN (John Sayles, USA)
  17. EVIL DEAD II (Sam Raimi, USA)
  18. EMPIRE OF THE SUN (Steven Spielberg, USA)
  • UNDER THE SUN OF SATAN (Maurice Pialat, France)
  • RAISING ARIZONA (Joel and Ethan Coen, USA)
  • WINGS OF DESIRE (Wim Wenders, West Germany/France)
  • THE DEAD (John Huston, Ireland/UK/USA)

1986

  1. THE GREEN RAY (Eric Rohmer, France)
  2. WORKING GIRLS (Lizzie Borden, USA)
  3. MANHUNTER (Michael Mann, USA)
  4. DUST IN THE WIND (Hou Hsiao-hsien, Taiwan)
  5. SLEEPWALK (Sara Driver, USA)
  6. TWO FRIENDS (Jane Campion, Australia)
  7. PICCOLO FILM DECOMPOSTO (Paolo Gioli, Italy)
  8. THE FLY (David Cronenberg, Canada/UK/USA)
  9. RISE AND FALL OF A SMALL FILM COMPANY (Jean-Luc Godard, France/Switzerland)
  10. SOMETHING WILD (Jonathan Demme, USA)
  11. GOLDEN EIGHTIES (Chantal Akerman, Belgium/France/Switzerland)
  12. BLUE VELVET (David Lynch, USA)
  13. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2 (Tobe Hooper, USA)
  14. FAKE FRUIT FACTORY (Chick Strand, USA)
  15. CASTLE IN THE SKY (Hayao Miyazaki, Japan)
  16. DEMONS 2 (Lamberto Bava, Italy)
  17. PEKING OPERA BLUES (Tsui Hark, Hong Kong)
  18. ETHNIC NOTIONS (Marlon Riggs, USA)
  19. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS I AM LIKE (Bill Viola, USA)
  20. FROM BEYOND (Stuart Gordon, USA)
  21. HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (Woody Allen, USA)
  22. BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (John Carpenter, USA)
  • DOWN BY LAW (Jim Jarmusch, USA)
  • STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (Leonard Nimoy, USA)

1985

  1. SHOAH (Claude Lanzmann, France)
  2. HAIL MARY (Jean-Luc Godard, France)
  3. DAY OF THE DEAD (George A. Romero, USA)
  4. DEMONS (Lamberto Bava, Italy)
  5. THE BOOK OF MARY (Anne-Marie Miéville, France)
  6. RAN (Akira Kurosawa, Japan/France)
  7. PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE (Tim Burton, USA)
  8. DIM SUM: A LITTLE BIT OF HEART (Wayne Wang, USA)
  9. CONTACT (Alan Clarke, UK)
  10. THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (Dan O’Bannon, USA)
  11. ORNETTE: MADE IN AMERICA (Shirley Clarke, USA)
  12. POLICE STORY (Jackie Chan, Hong Kong)
  13. ABOUT TAP (George T. Nierenberg, USA)
  14. POLICE (Maurice Pialat, France)
  15. DESERT HEARTS (Donna Dietch, USA)
  16. OPTIC NERVE (Barbara Hammer, USA)
  17. THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO (Woody Allen, USA)
  18. BACK TO THE FUTURE (Robert Zemeckis, USA)
  19. TAMPOPO (Juzo Itami, Japan)
  20. MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (Stephen Frears, UK)
  21. THE COLOR PURPLE (Steven Spielberg, USA)
  22. TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (William Friedkin, USA)
  23. RE-ANIMATOR (Stuart Gordon, USA)
  • BUDDIES (Arthur J. Bressan, Jr., USA)

1984

  1. STOP MAKING SENSE (Jonathan Demme, USA)
  2. CLASS RELATIONS (Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet, France/Germany)
  3. 28 UP (Michael Apted, UK)
  4. THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK (Rob Epstein, USA)
  5. CHOOSE ME (Alan Rudolph, USA)
  6. A GIRL’S OWN STORY (Jane Campion, Australia)
  7. BLOOD SIMPLE (Joel and Ethan Coen, USA)
  8. WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? (Pedro Almodóvar, Spain)
  9. THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI ACROSS THE 8TH DIMENSION (W.D. Richter, USA)
  10. THE 8 DIAGRAM POLE FIGHTER (Liu Chia-Liang, Hong Kong)
  11. STRANGER THAN PARADISE (Jim Jarmusch, USA)
  12. REPO MAN (Alex Cox, USA)
  13. THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (Frank Oz, USA)
  14. FULL MOON IN PARIS (Éric Rohmer, France)
  15. INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (Steven Spielberg, USA)
  16. DUNE (David Lynch, USA)
  17. “SORRY/HEAR US” (Larry Gottheim, USA)
  • BODY DOUBLE (Brian De Palma, USA)
  • ANOTHER COUNTRY (Marek Kanievska, UK)
  • THE KILLING FLOOR (Bill Duke, USA)
  • PARIS, TEXAS (Wim Wenders, France/Germany/USA/UK)
  • NAUSICAÄ OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND (Hayao Miyazaki, Japan)

1983

  1. BLESS THEIR LITTLE HEARTS (Billy Woodberry, USA)
  2. THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA (Shohei Imamura, Japan)
  3. THE STORE (Frederick Wiseman, USA)
  4. L’ARGENT (Robert Bresson, France/Switzerland)
  5. BORN IN FLAMES (Lizzie Borden, USA)
  6. THE MEANING OF LIFE (Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam, UK)
  7. BREATHLESS (Jim McBride, USA)
  8. SEEING RED: STORIES OF AMERICAN COMMUNISTS (Julia Reichert and Jim Klein, USA)
  9. STYLE WARS (Tony Silver, USA)
  10. MEANWHILE (Mike Leigh, UK)
  11. ZELIG (Woody Allen, USA)
  12. VARIETY (Bette Gordon, USA)
  13. SANS SOLEIL (Chris Marker, France)
  14. CHRISTINE (John Carpenter, USA)
  15. PSYCHO II (Richard Franklin, USA)
  16. PAULINE AT THE BEACH (Éric Rohmer, France)
  • NOSTALGIA (Anrei Tarkovsky, Italy)
  • EYES OF FIRE (Avery Crounse, USA)
  • ONE DAY PINA ASKED... (Chantal Akerman, Germany)
  • VIDEODROME (David Cronenberg, Canada)

1982

  1. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (Steven Spielberg, USA)
  2. FANNY AND ALEXANDER (Ingmar Bergman, Sweden)
  3. TOO EARLY/TOO LATE (Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet, France/Egypt)
  4. THE THING (John Carpenter, USA)
  5. TRON (Steven Lisberger, USA)
  6. HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (Tommy Lee Wallace, USA)
  7. CHAN IS MISSING (Wayne Wang, USA)
  8. SAY AMEN, SOMEBODY (George T. Nierenberg, USA)
  9. LOSING GROUND (Kathleen Collins, USA)
  10. CANE RIVER (Horace B. Jenkins, USA)
  11. BLADE RUNNER (Ridley Scott, Hong Kong/UK/USA)
  • THE SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE (Amy Holden Jones, USA)
  • THE KING OF COMEDY (Martin Scorsese, USA)
  • STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (Nicholas Meyer, USA)

1981

  1. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (Steven Spielberg, USA)
  2. SPACY (Takashi Ito, Japan)
  3. THE AVIATOR’S WIFE (Éric Rohmer, France)
  4. LOLA (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, West Germany)
  5. TREE OF KNOWLEDGE (Larry Gottheim, USA)
  6. POLYESTER (John Waters, USA)
  7. MUR MURS (Agnès Varda, France)
  8. ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (John Carpenter, USA)
  9. ROADGAMES (Richard Franklin, Australia)
  10. DEEP WATER (Michel Deville, France)
  11. MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR (George Miller, Australia)
  12. THE DAY AFTER TRINITY (Jon Else, USA)
  13. AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (John Landis, UK/USA)
  14. THE FUNHOUSE (Tobe Hooper, USA)
  15. L’ENVERS DU DÉCOR (Paulin Soumanou Vieyra, Senegal)
  16. THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS (Stan Brakhage, USA)
  17. CUTTER’S WAY (Ivan Passer, USA)
  18. THIEF (Michael Mann, USA)
  19. MODERN ROMANCE (Albert Brooks, USA)
  20. DEAD & BURIED (Gary Sherman, USA)
  21. THE BURNING (Tony Maylam, USA)
  • FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 2 (Steve Miner, USA)
  • THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER (Jim Henson, UK/USA)

1980

  1. MELVIN AND HOWARD (Jonathan Demme, USA)
  2. CRUISING (William Friedkin, Germany/USA)
  3. THE SHINING (Stanley Kubrick, USA/UK)
  4. THE FOG (John Carpenter, USA)
  5. THE POCKETBOOK (Billy Woodberry, USA)
  6. OUT OF THE BLUE (Dennis Hopper, USA)
  7. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (Irvin Kershner, USA)
  8. EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF (Jean-Luc Godard, Austria/France/Germany/Switzerland)
  9. AIRPLANE! (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, USA)
  10. HEAVEN’S GATE (Michael Cimino, USA)
  11. DRESSED TO KILL (Brian De Palma, USA)
  12. POPEYE (Robert Altman, USA)
  • THE ELEPHANT MAN (David Lynch, UK/USA)