Middle of the Road 80s Films

[monkfromhavana]

the first thing that sprang to mind

Owned it on VHS

[checkoutgirl]

early example of CGI in film, so too notable

That's the bit that aged badly as it looks bad now.

[phantom_power]

Desperately Seeking Susan
King Solomon's Mines
Cloak and Dagger

[lipsink]

Mate! For Brion James' British accent alone, it's a belter.

Plus Jack Palance doing Jack Palance: "If it isn't Tango it's CASH. Tango and CASH. Cash and TANGO!!!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMmzoNyaNpU

[Gulftastic]

1990, but I suggest 'Taking Care Of Business', or 'Filofax' as it was called in the UK when I saw it.

[Helvetica Scenario]

The Money Pit

Always enjoyed this as a shouty Tom Hanks Mk I vehicle but very much MOR and seemed to constantly be on TV.

Oh, and Moving (see above but Richard Pryor).

[Famous Mortimer]

Places In The Heart

The Flamingo Kid

Protocol

Unfaithfully Yours

Just The Way You Are

[Shaky]

Moon Over Parador
High Spirits
The Great Outdoors
The Couch Trip

[Good Hank]

Private Benjamin
Overboard
Wiseguys
Adventures in Babysitting

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

The Police Academy films, apart from anything post Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach, when the series goes from middle of the road to "shit".

Actually, anything from the 80's starring Steve Guttenberg probably qualifies.

[beanheadmcginty]

Baby Boom

[checkoutgirl]

Moon Over Parador
High Spirits
The Great Outdoors
The Couch Trip

Moon Over Parador, yes middling.
High Spirits, that's a head scratcher, it could be middling or shite.
The Great Outdoors, no, it's got John Candy.
Coach Trip, dunno.

[Mr Banlon]

Caddyshack 2? I think that might be absolute fucking dogshit rather than MoR

[Mr Banlon]

The one where Karate Kid has to battle Satan at guitaring

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Haven't seen this in years, but remember it being a cut above the usual Chevy Chase 80s stuff (aside from the original Vacation of course). Based on a novel, weirdly, by the same guy who wrote the books that the films Let it Ride (with Richard Dreyfuss) and Quick Change (Bill Murray) were based on (and fuck my hat, there was an earlier version of Quick Change in 1985 called Hold Up).

I would also have suggested The 'Burbs, but I am glad to see it's almost become the proper cult classic it deserves to be.

I've just remembered him in Fletch, which was, I think, from 1985, and was quite entertaining.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Caddyshack 2? I think that might be absolute fucking dogshit rather than MoR

The first one's mildly funny, if you're in the mood for something VERY broad.  Chevy Chase is in that one, too, playing the most low-key but still funny part.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Any Which Way But Loose. The name along screams mediocrity.

Clint Eastwood travels with a chimp; there's a scene in which a row of motorcyclists, standing one beside the others on their bikes, all fall over after one on the end falls and knocks the other who knocks the other and so forth, in the style of a row of dominoes stood on their sides; there's a scene where Eastwood's squaring up to a much larger man for a fight.  That's about my limit of knowledge on this one

[Johnboy]

'

[checkoutgirl]

The one where Karate Kid has to battle Satan at guitaring

Crossroads? Good call.

[checkoutgirl]

Clint Eastwood travels with a chimp

Nah I fucked it, it's 1978. Any Which Way You Can is 1980 but is probably a terrible film rather than middling.

Fletch Lives might be a good contender. Not as good a Fletch but not terrible either. Contains a scene where Fletch gets out of a sticky situation with some tough bikers by pretending he's the actual Harley Davidson who invented all them there motorbikes. Proper 80s mediocrity. Metacritic give it 40/100 and release comes in just under the wire in 1989.

[Sebastian Cobb]

If you're adding lacklustre sequels then Short Circuit 2 probably applies.

The golden Johnny 5 flying over the river on a crane where Bonnie Tyler plays is ace though tbf.

[DJ Bob Hoskins]

The Secret of My Success
Dreamscape
The January Man

[Brundle-Fly]

This thread is now just a list of American films from the 1980s. Aloha!

[checkoutgirl]

Mystic Pizza was shite so thanks for that one. The type of film 4 teenage girls rent for a sleepover while they eat pizza and talk about boys.

Also downloaded Crossing Delancy, Runaway Train, Running on Empty and The Allnighter. So plenty of fun in store no doubt.

[jobotic]

Desperately Seeking Susan
King Solomon's Mines
Cloak and Dagger

Desperately Seeking Susan seems important in the story of Madonna, if nothing else. Who's That Girl though...

[kaprisky]

Outland (1981) - Sean Connery is a space sheriff, in space, in a version of High Noon, in space.

Watched this on 5Action (it's on again today). Features Cliff and Cliff's mom from Cheers and someone who I thought looked a little bit like Gary Olsen. Then the credits confirm it was Gary Olsen after all.

The follow-up to King Solomon's Mines, Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold, was on Saturday on TPTV. Recorded but not yet watched.

Another nomination is White Water Summer (1987). Kevin Bacon bosses kids about in the American wilderness, then tragedy strikes and they have to fend for themselves. Involves a canoe or two. Predictable.

[checkoutgirl]

Outland is basically a drugs bust criminal conspiracy film but set on a space station. Must be that early 80s thing of capitalising on the popularity of Alien and Star Wars

Even though it has Sean Connery and is set in space it's quite middling.

[monkfromhavana]

Outland is basically a drugs bust criminal conspiracy film but set on a space station. Must be that early 80s thing of capitalising on the popularity of Alien and Star Wars

Even though it has Sean Connery and is set in space it's quite middling.

I do like Outland, but mainly for the way it looks rather than the story. I don't think I've ever seen a gloomier film, which is good as I expected deep-space mining platforms ran by greedy corporations would be gloomy. It also doesn't make so much sense. Connery's character knows there's a conspiracy going on, knows that his men have been bribed and that hitmen are on the way....but he has a secure internet connection, so why doesn't he just report back to his superiors, journalists etc etc and let them know?

[checkoutgirl]

why doesn't he just report back to his superiors, journalists etc etc and let them know?

I think it's because he can't trust anyone. There's some way he can sort it but he he doesn't know who's in on the conspiracy for sure and that's the whole plot. Isn't it?

I know what you mean by being fond of a film just for the setting. Like something set in a big spooky mansion at night during a thunderstorm or what have you.

[superthunderstingcar]

This thread is now just a list of American films from the 1980s. Aloha!

It's turned into a game of 'Name an American film from the 1980s that hasn't been named in the thread yet, but without checking the year it was made before you post so that some will turn out to be late-70s and some early-90s'

Only needs a snappy title and we can market it.