For 80s Month, we thought it would be bodacious to compile the official Flickfeast’s best films of the 8os. 19 Flickfeast contributors stepped up to the task of naming their personal top ten films of the decade, a task that, incidentally, proved much harder than first thought. These picks were fed into the office Sinclair ZX Spectrum and, along with a few fairly inaudible beeps, the official top 25 films were magically revealed.

You’ll probably be unsurprised to find a few Kubricks, Spielbergs and Zemeckis on the list, but possibly will be surprised to only find a single John Hughes film included. It was a real tussle for the top spot as well, with 1st and 2nd place alternating with each new vote towards the end.

Joint #23 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Terminator and Commando (Now that’s a film mash-up that we’d like to see!)

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

The timeless tale of a loner kid befriending a lost alien, and, between them, harnessing their inner MacGyver to fashion a device to allow the little fella to ‘phone home’. Rightly considered one of the greatest sci-fi films ever made, on release it surpassed Star Wars to become the highest-grossing film of all time, a record it held until it was finally surpassed, some ten years later, by another Spielberg classic, Jurassic Park. The point-of-view style adopted by the cinematic Maestro fully immerses you in the co-conspirators’ world allowing you to truly share their experiences, human and alien. And who could fail to not love flying BMXs? Robin Yacoubian

Terminator (1984)

A cyborg assassin is sent back to the 80s from a future world where machines have taken control to kill the mother of the man who will eventually lead humanity out of enslavement. James Cameron harnessed Schwarzenegger’s supposed weaknesses and handed him, arguably, his most iconic role as the Terminator and, in doing so, catapulted Arnie into Hollywood’s elite and ensuring that it was never in doubt that he’d be back. An action flick with brains, and for its time, cutting-edge effects. Sure, the effects feel somewhat dated now, especially when the Terminator goes all Harryhausen towards the end. However, it is still a thrilling roller coaster ride that is as deliciously exciting and relentlessly stylish as the eponymous killer’s instincts. Robin Yacoubian

Commando (1985)

Big Arnie is pushed into a corner when his daughter (a very young Alyssa Milano) is whisked away. He ends up taking on many, many bad guys in the quest for his little girl, causing the maximum destruction possible wherever he goes. As I’ve said before, it’s like giving The Hulk a LEGO set. Which is just as enjoyable as it sounds. Kevin Matthews

#22 Amadeus (1984)

Whether a fan of Mozart’s music or not, Amadeus is essential viewing for everyone. Not only is it one of the greatest films ever made, but it’s wonderfully accessible. It’s just shy of three hours but the time flies by with the characters realised by a brilliant cast. F Murray Abraham is astonishing playing both the senile Salieri and his younger self who holds a grudge against Mozart and his extraordinary talents and it goes without saying that the music is wonderful. Don’t be put off by the subject matter – Amadeus is a cinematic masterpiece and well worth your time. Alice Sutherland-Hawes

#21 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

John Hughes did several good teen dramas in the 80s, of a sort that don’t really get made anymore: sensitive and timeless and suitable for all audiences, unlike most of the awful high school movies we’ve had to suffer through in recent years. The peak of Hughes’ production has to be Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, an irreverent comedy about a guy who is cool, popular and admirable for all the right reasons; one of cinema’s only true anti-outcasts, socially successful and with a contagiously ebullient personality. Charismatic Matthew Broderick is seminal as the truant high schooler who fools all the adults in order to have a raucously good time on a particularly sunny day in Chicago. Impossible not to love. Tue Sorensen

Joint #19 Back to the Future II (1989) & When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Back to the Future II (1989)

Initially considered inferior to the first movie, Back to the Future Part II has in time come to be seen as a full equal, being crammed with brilliantly structured action, taking place both in 2015 and in the 1955 background of the first movie. The effects and scene recreations are mindblowingly perfect, and the drama overwhelmingly effective. The point of the story is to prevent a horrible future for Marty’s family, and the high-stakes action remains thoroughly engaging at all times. There is no getting around this prodigious sequel as one of the absolute cinematic highlights of the decade. Tue Sorensen

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

In its quest to determine whether men and women can just be friends, When Harry Met Sally is a classic example of a good (nay, great) romantic comedy, as both the comedic and sentimental scenes bring a tear to the eye for all the right reasons. With the wit from the late Nora Ephron and the dulcet tones of Harry Connick, Jr in the background, Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal give the performance of the lives as the eponymous friends. Touching yet totally relatable, everything about When Harry Met Sally is quite perfect. Katie Wong

#18 Running on Empty (1988)

Running on Empty is important because it provided River Phoenix with one of his most touching roles as the sensitive, talented elder son of a family not unlike the one he himself grew up in. His were nearly penniless members of a religious cult often on the move. Here his parents are radicals on the run for years because they bombed a lab that made napalm. Danny (Phoenix) explains to his little brother that they had to do it because “they didn’t stop when we asked them nicely,” a statement that defines his detached, sophisticated passion in the film. The crisis comes for Danny when his pianistic talent becomes so evident that not seriously studying music would be wrong, and at the same time he meets a girl, his actual girlfriend Martha Plimpton. When he died, Sidney Poitier described him as “luminous.” Twenty years later we still weep for him. Chris Knipp

#17 The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

New episodes in the Star Wars saga may come and go, but for purists there will only ever be three films which count – and of the original trio it was the middle one which stood out. Star Wars (1977) introduced us to a universe beyond our wildest dreams, whilst Return of the Jedi (1983) tied up the loose ends – at least at that time. However it was in The Empire Strikes Back where Luke, Han and Leia discovered themselves, as well as the real reason why fate had thrown them together. This fact, along with one of the best snowbound battle sequences ever committed to celluloid, made what has become the fifth film in the series, one of cinema’s best ‘coming of age’ stories as well as the ultimate visualisation of futuristic friendship and camaraderie. Cleaver Patterson

#16 This is Spinal Tap (1984)

Fully deserving of its place on this list and for me not only the best comedy of the 1980s, but of all time. The legendary rockumentary following England’s finest rock act on a beleaguered US tour is a consistently funny ad-libbed delight from start to finish. Practically every line is a quotable comic gem and the film manages to combine genuine wit with unabashed silliness. The cast all bounce off each other perfectly and as a little tip, may I suggest you watch the film again, this time with the DVD commentary on as the central trio provide it all in-character. It’s like a second film almost as funny as the brilliant original. Rob Keeling

Joint #14 – The Princess Bride (1987) & Full Metal Jacket (1987)

The Princess Bride (1987)

A key life moment occurred in 2010 – in a film convention Q&A, I told Cary Elwes that The Princess Bride rules. Three years on and this sentiment still stands, as it is regarded as a real ‘film fans’ film – if they hold The Princess Bride close to their heart, it’s likely you are talking to a fellow film geek. This comedy fantasy adventure may be seen as a cult movie but it is legendary in its cast and comedic value, while retelling the simple story of a girl and a farm-boy. Quirky, funny and endlessly quoteable, The Princess Bride never fails to raise a smile. Katie Wong

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

Few men can use the English language as effectively as R. Lee Ermey as Gny. Sgt. Hartman in Stanley Kubrick’s challenging 1987 war film, Full Metal Jacket. The film rattled me to my bones when I first saw it as a youth at Boy Scout camp (that’s a story for another time), but it made me a lifelong fan of both Ermey and Kubrick. While some may argue that the first half is superior to the second, there is no denying that Kubrick’s vision of boot camp and the Vietnam war is not only powerful, but endlessly quotable. J. Nelson Smith

#13 Brazil (1985)

Brazil is the story of how one small mistake in a nightmarish Orwellian society of rigid bureaucracy makes the life of an underdog dreamer spiral unstoppably out of control. Originally titled “1985”, Brazil is conceived as an outright thematic sequel to “1984”, with director Terry Gilliam’s absurdist humour providing an entertainment value that is rather less present in the original novel’s unbearable bleakness. Brazil remains Gilliam’s best work, and is one of the most notable movies of the 1980s. Tue Sorensen

#12 The Goonies (1985)

The Goonies: Kids hunt for pirate treasure, that’s all you need to know. I just don’t know where to begin in my praise for the antics of this movie. The vibrant, memorable opening sequence? The booby-traps that kids of all ages will be thrilled by? The memorable appearance of Sloth? The confession scene that always has me in tears of laughter? The Truffle Shuffle? Goonies never say die, and Goonies fans never let their love of the film die. Kevin Matthews

#11 Die Hard (1988)

Action cinema at its finest. You can gauge just how good Die Hard is by the volume of imitators which followed in its wake. The premise may be relatively simple, one man takes down an army of bad guys in a confined single location, but for every ‘Die Hard on a boat/train/plane’ that followed, it only serves to remind you just why the original remains the best. Bruce Willis smirks, grimaces and wise-cracks his way through proceedings as the legendary John McClane, while Alan Rickman creates one of cinema’s greatest ever villains with the snarling yet debonair Hans Gruber. The action sequences remains as explosive as ever and even after 24 years, the whole film plays out as one big bullet ridden adrenalin rush. Rob Keeling

#10 Labyrinth (1986)

Having wished away her baby brother to the Goblin King (a tightly leather-clad David Bowie), Sarah (Jennifer Connelly) must navigate the titular labyrinth to get to the Goblin castle to rescue him.

Aside from Jennifer Connelly’s dodgy English accent, Labyrinth is simply magical. David Bowie shines as the, pouch bulging, Goblin King. The time-honoured Henson puppetry, great dark humour pushing the scare boundaries for its U rating and the enchanting soundtrack have made this fantasy film an enduring classic – a true Sunday afternoon favourite! Rachel Wright

#9 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

In the eyes of many, Raiders is the quintessential action adventure film. With Harrison Ford in arguably his most famous starring role, the brainchild of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg – two of the biggest filmmakers at the time – is almost too easy to love. Right from the opening chase scene to the horrifying face-melting climax, Raiders hosts some of the most memorable scenes in film history that have been repeatedly replicated but never bettered, all set to John Williams’ classic score. Funny, exciting and brilliant – Raiders of the Lost Ark is essential viewing and the best of the series. Katie Wong

#8 Gremlins (1984)

There is something about stories involving cute, furry creatures, which are perfectly suited to the festive season. It helps if the film of the said tale has the unmistakable touch of Steven Spielberg – which Gremlins does, even if he was only executive producer. From the outset, with its idealised picture of the perfect American suburb visited upon by a force outside of normal human understanding, Gremlins followed a pattern the Wizard of Hollywood would successfully use again and again. However it’s the angelic Gizmo and his demonic offspring who of course steal the show. Though a happy ending is never really in doubt, it’s touch and go for the loveable Mogwai and his human friends Billy (Zach Galligan) and girlfriend Kate (Phoebe Cates) as they confront the evil chainsaw wielding creatures in a final apocalyptic battle, which is just what you need to spice up Christmas. Cleaver Patterson

Joint #6 Ghostbusters (1984) & Raging Bull (1980)

Ghostbusters (1984)

One of my favourite movies of all time and I can’t really think of anything worthwhile to convince you to see it if you haven’t already done so. There’s that great theme song, a script absolutely packed with great lines in every scene, the pace and editing are both pretty perfect, every single main character is memorable for a different reason and it features the best use of marshmallow I’ve ever seen outside the world of adult entertainment (don’t ask!). Kevin Matthews

Raging Bull (1980)

Beauty and Boxing

Most would construe the title of this piece as slightly oxymoronic. There’s nothing spectacularly beautiful or moving about 2 grown men (or women) pounding each other to within inches of consciousness. Yet filmmakers are consistently fascinated by it. Kubrick spent most of his formative years photographing and filming it (see his first short “day of the fight”) and Scorsese’s 1980 film makes a mockery of the suggestion that beauty and boxing cannot be intertwined.

Raging bull explores the raw and punishing nature of a boxer’s life, through mouth watering black and white, slow paced tracking shots of Jake LaMotta (De Niro) boxing that envelope your senses. The home life is explored to and Jake fights out of the ring as much as in it. With his wife, his brother and himself.

Raging bull sounds like it would be a fast paced Rocky-esque action flick, in fact it is anything but. Raging Bull takes the ugly and barbaric and turns it into something beautiful in a decade that was doing the opposite. Scorsese should’ve got his Oscar here. Lawrence Deakins

#5 Heathers (1988)

Heather no. 1, 2 and 3 are the three most popular and ruthless girls in their high school. Veronica Sawyer is on the fast track to join their clique, but her conscience (and a new, fascinating boy whose soul is as black as his clothes) gets the better of her and instead they become mortal enemies. Blood, sex and wild fantasies abound in this movie, which is on the short list of most uproarious black comedies of all time. There is something both cartoony and futuristic about the colourful outfits worn by the three Heathers and Veronica Sawyer, evoking the sadly false impression that the movie is based on some sharp-witted comic book. The main characters, fleshed out by Winona Ryder and Christian Slater with singular aplomb, are enduring, bordering on the iconic, and not soon forgotten. Is Heathers the best and most shocking teen movie of all time? Could be. Tue Sorensen

#4 The Shining (1980)

Before I knew the names Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick, I knew the name Jack Torrance. I wasn’t exposed to many horror films as a child, but somehow The Shining made its way through, and there I was, watching a man who would become one of my favourite actors attempt to murder his family with an axe in the most disturbing haunted house film I’ve ever seen. Like most of Kubrick’s films, The Shining tells a simple story while being infinitely complex. Few horror films reward multiple viewings as much as this one. J. Nelson Smith

#3 Blue Velvet (1986)

I first encountered David Lynch’s 1986 noir vision of the “American Dream” and white picket fence suburbanality almost upon accident and the gauzy, dreamy vocals of The Clover’s 1955 “Blue Velvet” juxtaposed with the dirt and the mud, the ear, in its opening, all resonated fiercely with me, in the pit of my stomach where disturbing things lie.

Lynch is a master at these examples of cognitive dissonance- combining the familiar, the comforting with something deeply twisted and threatening. The naïve ingénue Sandy (Laura Dern) and the femme fatale Dorothy (Isabella Rossellini) both capture the heart of sweet Jeffrey (Kyle MacLachlan) and get mixed up with the seedy underbelly world of unbridled sadist Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). Yes, good and evil co-exist side by side in Blue Velvet so closely together that the lines blur and who is good and who isn’t become just as vague as in reality- leaving you with the unsettling feeling akin to awakening from a vivid nightmare. Katie Driscoll

#2 Back to the Future (1985)

It’s the ultimate daydream fantasy: your inventor friend turned a mega-cool sports car into a time machine, and you go adventuring in it, backed up by the wildest Alan Silvestri score ever. You are pushed into panicky action by events going instantly wrong, and soon you are caught up in the timestream, frantically trying to undo the paradox you’ve just created. What drama! What thrills! What a ride! Michael J. Fox defined his career with the amazing character of Marty McFly, a jovial screw-up with too much ego and pride, flanked by Christopher Lloyd’s equally riveting and wild-eyed Doc Brown, combining to make up an unforgettable time-travel jaunt of unparalleled imagination. Back to the Future is not merely one of the best sci-fi comedies of all time, but one of the best movies of all time, period. Tue Sorensen

#1 Blade Runner (1982)

Ridley Scott’s seminal Sci-Fi remains a truly stunning and undeniably ambitious piece of work. From that incredible opening shot of a flame-drenched dystopian cityscape, to the much talked about ambiguous ending, Ridley Scott’s future-noir masterpiece thrusts you into a dark and rain drenched world and immerses you into its grimy underbelly like few other movies can. Cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth also deserves a lot of credit for the film’s incredible look and Vangelis likewise for the film’s unique synth-laden score, both of which contribute greatly to Blade Runner’s timeless aesthetic. There are several versions of the movie to enjoy, a ranking of which would take up for too much space to do justice here. However, if you get a chance to watch the Ridley Scott Final Cut on Blu-Ray, then do so immediately as it is quite simply a feast for the eyes. Rob Keeling

For the curious, you can see all of our contributors’ votes here.