BCB's Top Films of the '80s poll (FULL RESULTS).

[GoogaMooga]

Got mine sent off, a very conservative, predictable list, I might add. Only one Danish title which will never make it to the BCB poll list.

[algroth]

Finished my list but can't remember if we need to include the director and year of release.

Not obligatory but it would be of great help!

Funny decade for film from the perspective of 2012.
Pretty strong early on but quickly moves to largely frivolous and strictly entertainment around 84 or so. The decade's later attempts at serious/artistic cinema seem overly earnest and...lacking.
Can't for the life of me imagine suffering through say Platoon or Do The Right Thing today.
It's like film makers in the '80s, consciously or not, refuted, other than a few exceptions, the more substantial cinema of the 70s. (Although you can also argue that began once the Jaws, Star Wars type blockbusters arrived on scene mid decade.)

Most of my choices are from the second half of the 80s. Perhaps it has more to do with the matter that most of the films in my list are not American.

Still, even for USA I don't think it was barren territory. There are still films like Matewan, Full Metal Jacket, Love Streams and Manhunter which are all of a more serious branch of cinema and succeed with flying colours at it. In terms of blockbuster fare there are also films like Robocop and Aliens which are excellent.

Other thoughts on '80s movies:
Having looked through several lists this morning to refresh my memory, I'm surprised at how...uneventful the '80s were movie wise. Plenty of stories, blockbusters and all for sure, but few truly worthwhile films. Was surprised to see how many movies I liked at the time but have me wondering what the world I was thinking now.

Perhaps we differ in that for me there's a lot outside USA which is very much worthwhile, but I do agree to an extent that the scene somewhat slumped from the 70s. I think the 90s were much worse overall, though, and that with the 00s we recovered greatly (so I disagree with you there as well).

All the same, I had no problem coming up with 25 movies, had to trim a bit actually. There are plenty of '80s films I like, both then and now, but few I'd rank truly great.
Which is to say, light weight popcorn fare makes up the bulk of my list, a few exceptions aside.

Hope to see your list soon!

[whodathunkit]

Only one Danish title which will never make it to the BCB poll list.

"Babettes Feast" perhaps? I'm considering it.

[algroth]

Only one Danish title which will never make it to the BCB poll list.

"Babettes Feast" perhaps? I'm considering it.

That's one of my mum's favorites.

[meetthesonics]

Algroth wrote:
[img]Still, even for USA I don't think it was barren territory. There are still films like Matewan, Full Metal Jacket, Love Streams and Manhunter which are all of a more serious branch of cinema and succeed with flying colours at it. In terms of blockbuster fare there are also films like Robocop and Aliens which are excellent.
[/img]

Hey! One of those is on my list.

And he also wrote:

Perhaps we differ in that for me there's a lot outside USA which is very much worthwhile, but I do agree to an extent that the scene somewhat slumped from the 70s. I think the 90s were much worse overall, though, and that with the 00s we recovered greatly (so I disagree with you there as well).

Oh good stuff for sure, but fewer and farther between it seems to me.

[algroth]

And he also wrote:

Perhaps we differ in that for me there's a lot outside USA which is very much worthwhile, but I do agree to an extent that the scene somewhat slumped from the 70s. I think the 90s were much worse overall, though, and that with the 00s we recovered greatly (so I disagree with you there as well).

Oh good stuff for sure, but fewer and farther between it seems to me.

I disagree.

Really, I'm looking at my longlist right now and I have to say I'm surprised at how good and extended it is. The decade might have been a fashion atrocity but cinema had its good deal of gems, and then some more.

[meetthesonics]

Might be an age thing with me or the fact I rarely go to the movies nowadays. Last time was True Grit, remake not the John Wayne one
Used to be though I'd look through those summer/Christmas whatever movie preview lists and see tons of stuff I wanted to see.
Lately, several years actually, my reaction is mainly, aw bullshit. That and the fact that, despite numerous multiplexes in Fort Worth, the few films I'm interested in only play Dallas 99% of the time.
Which was the case somewhat back in the '80s and whatnot, but not to the same degree.
Several theaters here, most long gone, played foreign, art house etc. fare. Used to drive to Dallas regularly to catch a movie but just never in the mood anymore. (Plus you have to be in Dallas, never a good thing.)
And, to me at least, even the pure entertainment popcorn movies were, usually, a bit better back then.
There have been good movies these last 10 or so years. Guess I just miss the days when mainstream..uh, pop cinema meant Breakfast Club, Beverly Hills Cop and Ghostbusters instead of Twilight or Johnny Depp the Pirate and Saw part XXXIV.

[the masked man]

I have to say, I'm finding this hard. Aside from around ten nailed-on favourites, I can't think of enough films I like from this decade. I'm even considering including one film which I regard as flawed but interesting, though I know it would have stood no chance of making my 90s or 00s list. And another of my choices is so obscure no-one else with include it. But I will submit some sort of list, tomorrow if I get round to it.

[beenieman]

I have to say, I'm finding this hard. Aside from around ten nailed-on favourites, I can't think of enough films I like from this decade. I'm even considering including one film which I regard as flawed but interesting, though I know it would have stood no chance of making my 90s or 00s list. And another of my choices is so obscure no-one else with include it. But I will submit some sort of list, tomorrow if I get round to it.

You have till 4 August.

[algroth]

And, to me at least, even the pure entertainment popcorn movies were, usually, a bit better back then.
There have been good movies these last 10 or so years. Guess I just miss the days when mainstream..uh, pop cinema meant Breakfast Club, Beverly Hills Cop and Ghostbusters instead of Twilight or Johnny Depp the Pirate and Saw part XXXIV.

I'm gonna go ahead and say that for me all three examples your mentioned of the 80s are exemplary 80s popcorn entertainment, while all 00s examples you've mentioned are nadirs of its respective decade. One could just as easily use examples like Nine 1/2 Weeks, Cobra and the endless Jaws and Rocky sequels and ripoffs. Not the most balanced comparisons, really.

It's a shame that you can't get any proper releases over where you live. I've been hearing this comment a lot from Americans particularly, so I guess it's really a big problem over where you live. In Argentina most multiplexes saw the release of films like Le Havre and A Separation, as well as other Argentinian works, but it's likely because we have certain laws and regulations due to the Law of Film Fomentation which ensure a certain yearly screen quota is dedicated to Argentinian and non-American films. It's partly required in our country because otherwise our films would barely recieve screentime whatsoever, but USA doesn't have that problem so I reckon no laws are implemented regarding this matter (as far as I know - I don't really know American law so correct me if I'm wrong). What's more, it often seems like USA's policy to try as get as close to absolute monopoly as it can so if anything the desire is not to foment but to suffocate. I might be talking bullshit here, though.

[GoogaMooga]

Only one Danish title which will never make it to the BCB poll list.

"Babettes Feast" perhaps? I'm considering it.

Good choice, but I nominate "Tree of Knowledge", a sweet coming of age film by Nils Malmros, the "Truffaut of Denmark". One of the best Danish films of any decade.

[The Write Profile]

Perhaps we differ in that for me there's a lot outside USA which is very much worthwhile, but I do agree to an extent that the scene somewhat slumped from the 70s. I think the 90s were much worse overall, though, and that with the 00s we recovered greatly (so I disagree with you there as well).

I reckon the 1990s, for a number of reasons, both good and bad, was a pretty strong decade for American cinema. I do have to hand it to Miramax and Sundance, even if the influence of that studio and that festival probably did more harm than good in the long run. But there seems to be less of interest from other countries- particularly France, Germany and Asia- in the 1990s, than in the 1980s, for me at least. The 1980s were a curious decade, cinema-wise, I'm pretty sure it would be one of the few decades where films like Robocop and A Short Film About Killing would sit side-by-side so easily on a best-of.

Anyway, this is the first of the lots that I've had to go backwards on, in the sense that all of them were released either before I was born (1984), or long after I got into films, so there is the distance thing at play.

[penk]

http://www.theyshootpictures.com/recommended_year1980s.htm

Are we allowed to vote for Dekalog? When I did the BCB top 50 films thing a couple of years ago I decided not to allow it as I considered it a TV series rather than a film...

[meetthesonics]

List just in.

[meetthesonics]

Can someone refresh my memory on the previous film polls?
An overall favorite films poll, one for the '90s, one for the '00s and not sure of any others so far.

[meetthesonics]

Obviously we already know the sure fire winner of this poll.

[beenieman]

I'm guessing these will all have good showings. Any guesses for what they have in common?

Raging Bull 1980
The Elephant Man 1980
Stardust Memories 1980
Forbidden Zone 1980
Zelig 1981
Chan Is Missing 1982
Veronika Voss 1982
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid 1982
The Prefab People 1982
The State of Things 1982
The Last Revenge 1982
Le Dernier Combat 1983
Caligari's Cure 1983
The Gold Diggers 1983
Confidentially Yours 1983
Rumble Fish 1983
Broadway Danny Rose 1984
Boy Meets Girl 1984
Calamari Union 1984
The Element of Crime 1984
Stranger Than Paradise 1984
Mala Noche 1985
The Angelic Conversation 1985
Down by Law 1986
She's Gotta Have It 1986
Under the Cherry Moon 1986
Noir et Blanc 1986
Border Radio 1987
A Hungarian Fairy Tale 1987
My Best Friend's Birthday 1987
Epidemic 1987
Wings of Desire 1987
Tales from the Gimli Hospital 1988
The Virgin Machine 1988
Heart of a Dog 1988
Damnation 1988
Tetsuo: The Iron Man 1989
Sidewalk Stories 1989
My 20th Century 1989
The Asthenic Syndrome 1989
The Plot Against Harry 1989
Roadkill 1989
Black Rain 1989

[algroth]

Only one Danish title which will never make it to the BCB poll list.

"Babettes Feast" perhaps? I'm considering it.

Good choice, but I nominate "Tree of Knowledge", a sweet coming of age film by Nils Malmros, the "Truffaut of Denmark". One of the best Danish films of any decade.

I'll be watching it this month.

[algroth]

I'm guessing these will all have good showings. Any guesses for what they have in common?

Raging Bull 1980
The Elephant Man 1980
Stardust Memories 1980
Forbidden Zone 1980
Zelig 1981
Chan Is Missing 1982
Veronika Voss 1982
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid 1982
The Prefab People 1982
The State of Things 1982
The Last Revenge 1982
Le Dernier Combat 1983
Caligari's Cure 1983
The Gold Diggers 1983
Confidentially Yours 1983
Rumble Fish 1983
Broadway Danny Rose 1984
Boy Meets Girl 1984
Calamari Union 1984
The Element of Crime 1984
Stranger Than Paradise 1984
Mala Noche 1985
The Angelic Conversation 1985
Down by Law 1986
She's Gotta Have It 1986
Under the Cherry Moon 1986
Noir et Blanc 1986
Border Radio 1987
A Hungarian Fairy Tale 1987
My Best Friend's Birthday 1987
Epidemic 1987
Wings of Desire 1987
Tales from the Gimli Hospital 1988
The Virgin Machine 1988
Heart of a Dog 1988
Damnation 1988
Tetsuo: The Iron Man 1989
Sidewalk Stories 1989
My 20th Century 1989
The Asthenic Syndrome 1989
The Plot Against Harry 1989
Roadkill 1989
Black Rain 1989

All filmed in black and white, or at least partly?

This applies only if the last Black Rain is Shohei Imamura's (that is, the proper Black Rain and one of the top 5 finest films of all time) and not Ridley Scott's.

Regarding your prediction, good deal of them made my longlist.

[algroth]

http://www.theyshootpictures.com/recommended_year1980s.htm

Are we allowed to vote for Dekalog? When I did the BCB top 50 films thing a couple of years ago I decided not to allow it as I considered it a TV series rather than a film...

I'd consider it a TV series as well. Some sites are weird like that, though, making exceptions for certain works that are often seen as the height of a filmmaker's career. This, Twin Peaks and Berlin Alexanderplatz I've seen often quoted among the best films ever made.

In any case, I don't allow it for this poll.