1980s Best Movies

When you think of the 1980s, a few images come to mind: shoulder pads, big hair, and all-cheesy-everything. However, the decade had more to contribute to pop culture than being known as the New Jersey of the 20th century. The 1980s were also an era for incredible classic movies, ones that shifted the film industry as we know it. From John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club to Steven Spielberg’s E.T., the best movies of the 1980s not only shaped its generation but inspired subsequent generations in every way imaginable.

Top Secret! (1984)

This week, Shat The Movies heads behind the Iron Curtain—or at least a Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker version of it—with Top Secret!, the absurdist spy spoof that introduced the world to Val Kilmer as a legitimately charismatic movie star who could also sing, dance, and commit fully to absolute nonsense. Long before Top...

Stakeout (1987)

This week, Shat The Movies parks the surveillance van and cracks open Stakeout, the 1987 buddy-cop hit that proved Richard Dreyfuss could be both wildly neurotic and a believable romantic lead. Gene and Big D revisit this Reagan-era crowd-pleaser to figure out how a movie about police spying on a...

Shoot to Kill (1988)

This week, Shat The Movies heads into the Pacific Northwest wilderness with Shoot to Kill, the late-’80s thriller that blends serial killers, mountain survival, and peak “competent adult movie” energy. Starring Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, and Kirstie Alley, this 1988 sleeper feels like the kind of grown-up studio thriller Hollywood...

Field of Dreams (1989)

This week, Shat The Movies heads to rural Iowa for Field of Dreams, the baseball fantasy that turns whispered voices, cornfields and unresolved daddy issues into cinematic magic. This episode is especially meaningful as it marks the first episode edited by our first-ever intern, Elias, officially ushering in a new era...

The Untouchables (1987)

This week, Shat The Movies heads to Prohibition-era Chicago with Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables, a glossy crime epic that somehow combines operatic violence, moral absolutism, and one of the most iconic staircases in movie history. Featuring Kevin Costner at his most upright, Sean Connery at his most Oscar-winning, and...

Glory (1989)

This week on Shat the Movies, we march into Glory (1989), the powerful Civil War epic telling the true story of the 54th Massachusetts, the first African American volunteer infantry regiment. With unforgettable performances by Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Matthew Broderick, the film tackles courage, sacrifice, and the fight...

Day of the Dead (1985)

This week on Shat the Movies, we’re heading underground with Day of the Dead (1985), the grim and gory finale to George A. Romero’s original zombie trilogy. As scientists and soldiers clash in a bunker full of tension (and entrails), we break down the film’s bleak tone, standout effects, and...

Time Bandits (1981)

This week, Shat The Movies tumbles through the space-time continuum with Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits, a chaotic fantasy adventure filled with Monty Python humor, mischievous dwarves, and a cosmic battle between Good, Evil, and negligent parenting. Commissioned by listener Mark, this 1981 classic follows young Kevin as he’s swept away...