1980s Best Movies

Summer School (1987)

Apathetic gym teacher Freddy Shoop (Mark Harmon) is ready to take the summer off in Hawaii, but he’s forced to either teach summer-school English or risk losing his tenure. Now he’s stuck teaching a group of unmotivated students as disappointed to be stuck in school over the summer as he is. But with the help of a friendly history teacher (Kirstie Alley), Shoop is at least learning how to act the part of supportive mentor and perhaps even learning something about himself as well.

The Abyss (1989)

Ed Harris and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio are formerly married petroleum engineers who still have some issues to work out. They are drafted to assist a gung-ho Navy SEAL (Michael Biehn) with a top-secret recovery operation: a nuclear sub has been ambushed and sunk, under mysterious circumstances, in some of the deepest waters on Earth.

After Hours (1985)

In this episode, Big D and a very high Gene Lyons break down After Hours’ absurd twists, New York’s bygone grit, and whether Griffin Dunne is the last true everyman leading man. Along the way, they debate Paul’s romantic prospects, the dangers of pre-cell phone nightlife, and whether David Lynch is...

The Delta Force (1986)

Five years after Maj. Scott McCoy (Chuck Norris) resigned from the U.S. Delta Force due to bureaucracy issues, he returns with Col. Alexander (Lee Marvin) to take down Lebanese terrorists who have hijacked a Boeing 707. Terrorist leader Abdul Rifi (Robert Forster) takes the crew and passengers hostage as he reroutes the plane to Beirut. When McCoy and Alexander attempt to save the hostages once the plane lands, they are forced to battle a terrorist group that’s larger than expected.

Class of Nuke ‘Em High (1986)

Class of Nuke ‘Em High (1986) is a cult horror-comedy set in a high school located near a nuclear power plant, where a radioactive spill turns both teachers and students into grotesque mutants. The ensuing chaos leads to over-the-top, violent mayhem and absurd scenarios that satirize the effects of nuclear contamination and teenage rebellion. Blending outrageous humor, campy special effects, and Troma-style exploitation, the film offers a wild, offbeat critique of modern society’s nuclear anxieties and educational failures.

Thief (1981)

  This week on “Shat the Movies,” we’re diving into Thief (1981), Michael Mann’s gritty, neon-lit crime drama starring James Caan. Join us as we explore the world of Frank, a professional thief with a plan, as he navigates loyalty, betrayal, and the high cost of trust. We’ll discuss the...

Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)

  This week on “Shat the Movies,” we’re revisiting Some Kind of Wonderful (1987), a teen romance that’s all about love, friendship, and the search for identity. Join us as we dive into the love triangle between Keith, Watts, and Amanda, and explore how this John Hughes classic flips the...

Outland (1981)

  This week, Rob Will Taylor fills in for Dick Ebert to join Gene Lyons in breaking down the 1981 sci-fi thriller Outland, starring Sean Connery. Often described as “High Noon in space,” this overlooked gem takes us to Jupiter’s moon Io, where a hard-nosed marshal uncovers corruption, drug smuggling,...