Movies that exemplify the 80’s aesthetic? *

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by Arthur Pewty, Dec 17, 2019.

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  1. Combination

    Combination Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Orleans

    It is kinda weird that Bob Seger and Tangerine Dream shared time in the same film!
     
  2. tkl7

    tkl7 Agent Provocateur

    Location:
    Lewis Center, OH
    Mad Max beyond Thunderdome is pretty 80s, despite the fact that it depicts the future.
     
  3. Brenald79

    Brenald79 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    The Bonfire Of The Vanities.
     
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  4. googlymoogly

    googlymoogly Forum Resident

    The teen sex comedy genre it embodied is very much of its time period, despite its chronological setting. By dint of its remarkable (and unlikely) success, it is a certain kind of '80s landmark. It may be of dubious quality, but that kind of box office can't help but influence the pop culture of its period. Hell, "Dragonslayer" screams '80s to me, and it's certainly not in a setting contemporary with its release year. See also "Conan", "Beastmaster", and the like.
     
  5. Timeless Classics

    Timeless Classics Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Most definitely!

    [​IMG]
     
  6. Mechanical Man

    Mechanical Man I Am Just a Mops

    Location:
    Oakland, CA, USA
    I just watched Gigolo for the first time this month and arrived at the same conclusion you did. I can only imagine its visual style and overall aesthetic had a huge impact on what followed.

    Thief is a good call as well, but I really think American Gigolo is where the 80s as we know/remember them first appeared.
     
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  7. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    There are definitely "period" movies that don't try hard to replicate their period.

    Haven't seen "Porky's" in years, but IIRC, I thought it did a pretty good job of depicting 1954 - it wasn't like the later years of "Happy Days" where everyone had circa 1980 haircuts! :D
     
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  8. Paul_s

    Paul_s Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Robocop (1987)
    Secret Admirer (1985)
    Remote Control (1988) <<<< this obscure little film has some great scenes from old video stores.
    Breakin' (1984)
    Breakin' 2 (1984)
    Liquid Sky (1982)
    Death Spa (1988)
    Miami Connection (1987)
    Short Circuit (1986)
    Short Circuit 2 (1988)
    Wargames (1983)
    Weird Science (1985)
    Uncle Buck (1989)

    to name a few

    this is a short from Death Spa (1988). I've been trying to get my local gym to do a similar colour scheme/design but they are having none of it.

    If you don't understand the joke between BETA and VHS then you're too young :D

     
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  9. googlymoogly

    googlymoogly Forum Resident

    Or films like the first “Godfather” or the Robert Redford “Gatsby”: Set in the ‘40s and ‘20s respectively, but both showing the ‘70s costume design aesthetic of their time period.
     
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  10. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    I wondered the same thing about Streets of Fire. I love everything about the movie, but nothing about it reminds me of the eighties.

    It reminds me more of the late 50's.
     
  11. cyclistsb

    cyclistsb Forum Resident

    Don't think it's come up yet but Ghostbusters is pretty darn 80's. gremlins gets an honorable mention too.

    Insert Anything directed by John Hughes here

    And American Psycho along with Wall Street...greed is good!
     
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  12. Rufus McDufus

    Rufus McDufus Forum Resident

    Location:
    London
    Ferris Bueller's Day Off? That's actually quite a weird one because there's a bit of a retro 50s vibe in some of the clothing too. From memory though the girl is certainly more 80s.
     
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  13. Tim Lookingbill

    Tim Lookingbill Alfalfa Male

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    New Braunfels, TX
    Similarly to Linklater nailing a time period in a movie I'm reminded of the 2015 horror movie "It Follows".

    Even the aging condition of old suburbs and streets with eroded curbs and cracked asphalt reminded me of the '80's in a lot of small towns in Texas.
     
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  14. Raylinds

    Raylinds Resident Lake Surfer

    Pretty much all the John Hughes films, but especially Pretty in Pink. Andrew Dice Clay, Molly Ringwald, Psychedelic Furs, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark....
     
  15. Jerk The Handle

    Jerk The Handle Electrician

    Location:
    Moonbeam levels
    Urgh! A Music War

    The second act, Toyah Wilcox, sets the mood perfectly :cool:

    [​IMG]
     
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  16. Kyle B

    Kyle B Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago
    The “Bishop of Battle” segment from “Nightmares”.
     
  17. GregM

    GregM The expanding man

    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Despite its attempts to be more timeless, I thought Highlander reeked of the '80s. Heavy use of Queen in the soundtrack.

    [​IMG]
     
  18. LilacTeardrop

    LilacTeardrop "Roll It Over My Soul...and Leave Me Here"

    Location:
    U.S.
  19. Tim S

    Tim S Senior Member

    Location:
    East Tennessee
    Definitely my first choice.
     
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  20. LilacTeardrop

    LilacTeardrop "Roll It Over My Soul...and Leave Me Here"

    Location:
    U.S.
    Bright Lights, Big City - Michael J. Fox

    [​IMG]

    The cast, music, hair, clubs & cocaine

     
  21. LilacTeardrop

    LilacTeardrop "Roll It Over My Soul...and Leave Me Here"

    Location:
    U.S.
    Brenald79 likes this.
  22. LilacTeardrop

    LilacTeardrop "Roll It Over My Soul...and Leave Me Here"

    Location:
    U.S.
    Showcasing what can erupt in a "workaholic's" life when things go awry:

    Into The Night cast including David Bowie
    Blind Date a Michael Jackson "moon walk" by John Laroquette
    [​IMG] [​IMG]



    Blind Date (1987) - Trailer
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2019
  23. rebellovw

    rebellovw Forum Resident

    Location:
    hell
    Body Double. Dressed to Kill.
     
  24. Awful movie, great soundtrack. Everything about the 80’s that was bad and good in one film.
     
  25. Dressed To Kill-derivative but clever. Body Double derivative but predictable. The two De Palma’s.
     
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