Blade Runner tops list of best 1980s films
Blade Runner, The Empire Strikes Back and Back to the Future lead polls for the best movies of the 1980s. Spanish cinema and gore also feature.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Blade Runner tops list of best 1980s films
In 1982, a father rented Blade Runner from the video store and was massively disappointed. There were no cute robots, no aliens, nothing to satisfy the infantilized taste of the 80s viewer. Four decades later, that same film is the most cited when asked for the decade's five best. The anecdote, revived in discussion, sums up the paradox: the 80s cinema we now consider peak was misunderstood upon release.
The initial question listed five titles: Die Hard, First Blood, Terminator, Indiana Jones and The Empire Strikes Back. The response was an avalanche. Blade Runner appeared on almost every list, trinc by The Empire Strikes Back, Back to the Future, Once Upon a Time in America and The Shining. Less obvious titles also surfaced: Excalibur, Blue Velvet, The Princess Bride, The Goonies, The NeverEnding Story, Ghostbusters, Conan the Barbarian, The Thing, Aliens, Akira.
Blade Runner: the failure that became a masterpiece
Consensus breaks down when explaining why. One participant recalls that in 1983, E.T. and Gandhi swept the Oscars; Blade Runner won nothing. Another points out that awards serve to make money, not longevity. Cinematography, Vangelis' soundtrack and visual effects are cited as technical reasons for its enduring relevance. The film was shot in 1982, but its recognition came late.
The list of omissions also defines the decade. No one mentioned, in the sample, major period dramas or romantic comedies. Action films, science fiction and fantasy dominate preferences. One message sums it up: "More good movies were made in 1986 than in all of the 21st century so far." The hyperbole is debatable, but highlights a widespread perception: average 80s production had craft.
Spanish cinema of the 80s: from Los santos inocentes to El sustancia ilegal
Spanish representation appears in several lists. Los santos inocentes (Holy Innocents), La vaquilla (The Heifer), Volver a empezar (Begin Again), El bosque animado (The Living Forest) and El sustancia ilegal (The Sustancia ilegal) are the most cited. Truhanes, Se infiel y no mires con quién (Be Faithful But Don't Look at Who You're With), Laberinto de pasiones (Labyrinth of Passion), El caballero del dragón (Knight of the Dragon) and Soldadito español (Little Spanish Soldier) are also mentioned. The mix of costumbrista comedy and social drama portrays a decade of transformation.
The debate drifts toward nostalgia. Someone recalls that in the 80s the hero ended up with the girl, and that gave you a will to live. Against this, more bitter contemporary endings are cited, such as La La Land's. The discussion isn't just about films: it's about a vital tone. The phrase "that cinema won't return" repeats with variations.
Pavor and gore: the cult surviving in flea market DVDs
A current champions 80s pavor and gore cinema. Prince of Darkness, Nekromantik, Evil Dead, Toxic Avenger and Re-Animator head a list. House, Possession, Friday the 13th Part III (in 3D), Christine and A Nightmare on Elm Street are also cited. One participant says they found one of these films at a flea market, sealed DVD, for four euros.
The phenomenon isn't just cinephile. It's economic: video stores and TV channels in the 90s functioned as a second window. Films that failed at the box office recovered in home format. That distribution chain, now extinct, explains why so many 80s titles remain in collective memory.
The business of awards: Gandhi, E.T. and the Oscar that wasn't
The relationship between awards and longevity centers one exchange. It is argued that the 1983 Oscars rewarded E.T. and Gandhi, and that Blade Runner received none. The conclusion drawn is that industrial recognition doesn't predict permanence. Then-box office and current prestige rarely coincide.
The same argument applies to other decades. It is claimed that the best cinema runs from 1960 (Spartacus, El Cid, Psycho) to 1999 (Gladiator, Titanic, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2). Below and above that arc, few titles survive. The thesis is debatable, but has a basis: 80s industrial production combined medium budgets and technical craft.
The final paradox is this: the film that ruined a father's video store afternoon in 1982 is today the most voted. The disappointment then is the canon now. No one has fully explained how this shift occurs, but it happens with a frequency that should make us distrust any box office.
In 1982, a father rented Blade Runner from the video store and was massively disappointed. There were no cute robots, no aliens, nothing to satisfy the infantilized taste of the 80s viewer. Four decades later, that same film is the most cited when asked for the decade's five best. The anecdote, revived in discussion, sums up the paradox: the 80s cinema we now consider peak was misunderstood upon release.
The initial question listed five titles: Die Hard, First Blood, Terminator, Indiana Jones and The Empire Strikes Back. The response was an avalanche. Blade Runner appeared on almost every list, trinc by The Empire Strikes Back, Back to the Future, Once Upon a Time in America and The Shining. Less obvious titles also surfaced: Excalibur, Blue Velvet, The Princess Bride, The Goonies, The NeverEnding Story, Ghostbusters, Conan the Barbarian, The Thing, Aliens, Akira.
Blade Runner: the failure that became a masterpiece
Consensus breaks down when explaining why. One participant recalls that in 1983, E.T. and Gandhi swept the Oscars; Blade Runner won nothing. Another points out that awards serve to make money, not longevity. Cinematography, Vangelis' soundtrack and visual effects are cited as technical reasons for its enduring relevance. The film was shot in 1982, but its recognition came late.
The list of omissions also defines the decade. No one mentioned, in the sample, major period dramas or romantic comedies. Action films, science fiction and fantasy dominate preferences. One message sums it up: "More good movies were made in 1986 than in all of the 21st century so far." The hyperbole is debatable, but highlights a widespread perception: average 80s production had craft.
Spanish cinema of the 80s: from Los santos inocentes to El sustancia ilegal
Spanish representation appears in several lists. Los santos inocentes (Holy Innocents), La vaquilla (The Heifer), Volver a empezar (Begin Again), El bosque animado (The Living Forest) and El sustancia ilegal (The Sustancia ilegal) are the most cited. Truhanes, Se infiel y no mires con quién (Be Faithful But Don't Look at Who You're With), Laberinto de pasiones (Labyrinth of Passion), El caballero del dragón (Knight of the Dragon) and Soldadito español (Little Spanish Soldier) are also mentioned. The mix of costumbrista comedy and social drama portrays a decade of transformation.
The debate drifts toward nostalgia. Someone recalls that in the 80s the hero ended up with the girl, and that gave you a will to live. Against this, more bitter contemporary endings are cited, such as La La Land's. The discussion isn't just about films: it's about a vital tone. The phrase "that cinema won't return" repeats with variations.
Pavor and gore: the cult surviving in flea market DVDs
A current champions 80s pavor and gore cinema. Prince of Darkness, Nekromantik, Evil Dead, Toxic Avenger and Re-Animator head a list. House, Possession, Friday the 13th Part III (in 3D), Christine and A Nightmare on Elm Street are also cited. One participant says they found one of these films at a flea market, sealed DVD, for four euros.
The phenomenon isn't just cinephile. It's economic: video stores and TV channels in the 90s functioned as a second window. Films that failed at the box office recovered in home format. That distribution chain, now extinct, explains why so many 80s titles remain in collective memory.
The business of awards: Gandhi, E.T. and the Oscar that wasn't
The relationship between awards and longevity centers one exchange. It is argued that the 1983 Oscars rewarded E.T. and Gandhi, and that Blade Runner received none. The conclusion drawn is that industrial recognition doesn't predict permanence. Then-box office and current prestige rarely coincide.
The same argument applies to other decades. It is claimed that the best cinema runs from 1960 (Spartacus, El Cid, Psycho) to 1999 (Gladiator, Titanic, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2). Below and above that arc, few titles survive. The thesis is debatable, but has a basis: 80s industrial production combined medium budgets and technical craft.
The final paradox is this: the film that ruined a father's video store afternoon in 1982 is today the most voted. The disappointment then is the canon now. No one has fully explained how this shift occurs, but it happens with a frequency that should make us distrust any box office.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (151 replies).
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