Pre-poll: What was the best movie of 1986?

[Harvey]

I liked JFK alot, but I've never seen NIXON. Is that any good?

I've only gathered the time to see it once (it's quite long), but I liked it.

And Camelopard, I still think you're saying he peaked too early. Although I like Platoon a lot, to the point of considering it a great film, I'd say he peaked with Natural Born Killers in 1994. That's the pinnacle of Stone's style of excess, and his last great film. I like Nixon and W. a lot (and hear I should see his feature-length Castro documentary and U-Turn, which you’ve praised), but I don’t consider them great films, and on top of that, Alexander and Any Given Sunday were just bad, while World Trade Center was mediocre. I see that as far more of a period of decline than 1986-1994, when he was making his best work.

But perhaps our opinions are not as diverse as I'm making them out to be.

 

[Trubinator]

ALIENS ... without a doubt.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Children of a Lesser God
Hannah and Her Sisters : These two were critical darlings. You could not escape them.

The Mission : Forgotten in the ether.


Platoon : Vietnam was a big subject at the time. This movie played well to critics and general audiences.

A Room with a View : See The Mission.

Rotten Tomatoes
Aliens : Cemented Cameron's name. Hugely popular with general audiences and sprang up a cult. I don't know how many times I've seen this movie copied... so badly.

Manhunter : Cult hit. A few critics loved it. It was largely overlooked.
Stand By Me : Huge hit with the gradeschool crowd. I saw this in school and at parties as nauseum.

She's Gotta Have It : Spike Lee. While it was interesting to see this new thing called an "indie movie," it was more impressive that it got made than it's level of quality. Sorry Spike.

The Fly : Shitty remake of a shitty movie. Again a cult film. Largely due to its never ending play on cable.

Little Shop of Horrors : Critical darling and cult hit. It sucked. Spawned a craze that also sucked.

The Color of Money : I think people were impressed that Paul Newman was still alive and willing to share a movie with Tom Cruise.

Salvador : Critics loved it. Message picture. forgotten.

Top Gun : Huge hit. Especialy with twelve year olds. Vacant.

Crocodile Dundee : It's difficult to explain how huge this was. Paul Hogan's old show hit US syndcation and every asshole you knew was saying "shrimp on the barbie." Mildly amusing film at best.

The Karate Kid Part II : Peter Cetera sang the theme song. It sucked.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home : Perhaps the most popular ST movie until this year. It appealed to general audiences and critics looking to recommend fluff for families during Christmas vacation.

Back to School : The prototypical comedian vehicle. Lots of good lines. Pair Dangerfield with a young guy and sey them against a suitably stuffy villain and a suitably jock villain. Kurt Vonnegut did a cameo (Not that anyone cares). Why could Dangerfield make more movies.

Manon of the Spring (Manon des sources)
Jean de Florette : These two were huge if you were into art and foriegn films. Generally speaking, if you don't mind sitting for several hours watching things develop slowly and subtly, these are great. Most people can't stand slow or subtle.

Castle in the Sky (Tenku no shiro Rapyuta) : This was also a big deal. I don't remember it at all.


Upthread, someone mentioned Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I think that's actually it. It's one of Hughes better efforts and it reached a wider audience than any of his other films. It's also surprisingly insightful for a fantasy and teen comedy. I'm also sorry they never did the proposed sequel (Ferris twenty years later.)

 

[Too Much Fun]

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is my favourite. Obviously "Platoon" is a better movie, but it's just not one I'd ever want to watch again. "Bueller" is endlessly re-watchable though. '80s were my favourite era for movies too, even though technically I grew up in the 90s. I was too young in the 80s to appreciate most of the great major movies and cult classics that came out in the period, but over the past ten years I've been discovering and enjoying them consistently.

I just watched "Aliens" for the second time recently, and I really don't think it's held up so well. I used to have trouble deciding which one I liked more between the first two, and now I think the original is far superior. There's nothing really wrong with it per se, I think I've just come to find it has too much action, not enough character for my tastes.

I think the characters were a lot more broadly sketched than in the first one (especially one-dimensional evil corporate asshole Paul Resier, and one-dimensional whiny coward asshole jock Bill Paxton), and the action just isn't as timelessly thrilling as it used to be (unlike in Cameron's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day), although I'm still impressed by the movie's technical merits (it still does have some of the best-directed action committed to film, even if its magic is wearing off on me) and the intensity of Sigourney Weaver's performance.

I just saw "The Fly" for the first time this year and was blown away by it. Amazing special effects that haven't aged a bit and unforgettably loopy, yet somehow plausible twitchy and nuanced man-turning-into-beast performance by Jeff Goldblum...the best performance I've ever seen from him. I'm surprised there isn't more love for "Hannah and Her Sisters" here. I just watched it again and though it's not quite as perfect as "Annie Hall" or "Manhattan", I think it's one of Woody Allen's most philosophically clever and emotionally resonant movies and one of his last truly great ones (not that he hasn't made any excellent ones since). I can't believe how convincingly Michael Caine played a serious role in that movie...I've got so used to just seeing him as comic relief.

 

[The Evil Dead]

Aliens!

 

[Kira Nerys]

I liked TOP GUN

 

[NileQT87]

Nobody else loves Pretty in Pink? Aw. I feel all alone in my Duckie love.

 

[Too Much Fun]

In my memory of John Hughes movies, "Pretty in Pink" is one of the ones kinda lost in the shuffle, like "Sixteen Candles", "The Breakfast Club" and "Some Kind of Wonderful". I do feel it's a lot better than "Sixteen Candles", which seems to generally be more celebrated and well-known. My problem with that movie is I can't stand Anthony Michael Hall's character and everything he does.

I think "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" and "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" are clearly Hughes' masterpieces, and all the others are just okay, but sort of run together for me and aren't as memorable or tightly written (haven't seen "Weird Science").

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Big Trouble in Little China or Aliens were the best

The Mission and Platoon are so blatantly preachy they get irritating at times, though they are well made.

She's Gotta Have It was borderline porno. Spike missed his true calling.

Top Gun set the Tom Cruise formula, which Will Ferrell later adopted for his own. (Arrogant hot shot that's the best at what he does...loses something, falters then makes a come back and finds true love in the process)

Pretty in Pink had two horrible outcomes. Molly Ringwald hooks up with the good preppy (that one is the more forgivable one), and worse Annie Potts sells out and joins "the man", becoming some 80's pod person yuppie.


Back to School was cool. Needed more Sam Kinison, though....ohhh....OHHHH!!

Star Trek IV seems like the most dated move mentioned...even compared to 80's teen dramadies.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

While I think Platoon is the best of the list, I haven't seen any love for Stand By Me yet, so I'll throw that to the top of my top of the list.