"I can climb the highest mountain,cross the wildest sea
I can feel St. Elmo's Fire burning in me," - "St Elmo's Fire"
I was running on the treadmill last night when my Ipod shuffled onto the theme song from that classic 80s flick "St. Elmo's Fire."
It still escapes me just when I loaded this beauty onto the machine, however, it didn't change the fact that I instantly felt like I had been transported into some 80s montage movie scene.
As my legs pumped I felt myself being lifted by the sweet, sweet sounds and the lyrical poetry of this song (insert sarcasm here).
But once this fire inside was extinguished, I began to wonder what would be the best 80s movie to be stuck inside.
"St. Elmo's Fire" is not a bad choice as there is drinking, hanging out, Demi Moore talking about Middle Eastern "gang-bangs" and more, but in the end I just couldn't handle being around Andrew McCarthy for such an extended period of time.
That led me to think that "Wall Street" would be the way to go as I would have loved to be Gordon Gekko. 
Who wouldn't want to slick their hair straight back and wear sharp suits to work every day where you spent your time power-brokering the peons beneath you in the financial industry?
I would also be uttering that line "Greed is good" everywhere I went, and even if the attendent in the men's room would be baffled, he would still hear the liine as a matter of principle.
The problem is that I just couldn't handle the stress and ultimately the jail time needed to inhabit this world.
In the end, I settled on "Weird Science."
My reasoning is simple: Any movie where it's plausible to create Kelly LeBrock out of a doll, drink and smoke in downtown blues clubs when you're fourteen years old AND turn Bill Paxton (phenomenal as Chet) into a giant pile of shit is a universe where I want to live because anything is possible.
That being said, I'm open to other suggestions because this decade was stocked with good choices and I'm sure there are many that I haven't even considered.
Just a little escapism for a Friday morning . . .
-BDS
I... I was a maximum of five years old in the 80s. (Though I've seen a few films from the decade, what with pop media's ongoing obsession with the 80s).
what movie WOULDNT I want to be in from the 80s? Dirty Dancing of course. Molly Ringwald always got the cute boys but she was too kooky for me. Some kind of wonderful- the tomboy best friend. Cocktail- love Elisabeth Shue, ADORED Tom Cruise. Say anything- Jon Cusack is muy caliente. I know there are more :) Oh yes- HEATHERS!- to be a bitch sleeping with Christian Slater!.
For me its a tie between Labyrinth and Monster Squad.
Tha Brynth, as i call it, cause you got the potential Jennifer Connolly will be in a few years, and the God that is David Bowie at the pinnacle of his flamboyancy. Throw in a few headfuck muppets, some obviously subtle righteous drug use and the "Remind me of a Babe," scene, you've got a life worth living.
The M Squad cashes in with the best special effects available, at that time, to a sidewalk magician. Better known for his directorial work with Robocop 3, Fred Dekker pieces a virtually unknown cast together to create the equivalent of both the good Godfathers wrapped in anything new Cameron Crowe ever even thought about. I set a goal to kill Dracula, as a young boy, and being apart of the Monster Squad, would fulfil that epic life-long dream.
The correct answer is actually Stand By Me
god, I feel so old right about now..."Labyrinth" great flick! But my all time fave would probably have to be "Sixteen Candles" Ah Jake....sigh. It gave nerdy girls hope everywhere.
I gotta go with The 3 Amigos. What could be better than defeating the evil El Guapo, hanging out with your friends and making time with hot Mexican chicks.
Weird Science is an awesome pick though, too. You get to chill with Kelly LeBrock pre steven segal so you dont have to worry about his backwash.
mannequin. Kim catrall at her hottest. Although he was kind of a tool.
Anything but The Legend of Billie Jean...Please tell me I'm not the only one who remembers that stupid movie. Damn sister...
I'd have to go with Explorers. Three kids build a space ship out of a Tilt-O-Whirl. Awesome.
Or The Last Starfighter. Is there a theme developing here?
goodness.. I need to watch some 80s films. I was lost reading this post. I didn't know any of these films! *feels dumb*
But yes.. I agree about Dirty Dancing.. :) & i know this is right on the end of 1990, but I wanna mention Edward Scissorhands :)
Julia - This is no excuse as you should immediately go rent Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire. This is the "Brat Pack" trio and a good introduction to the 80s films, which were dubious in quality but entertaining nonetheless.
Anonymous - I've never seen all of Dirty Dancing, but Cocktail is an inspired choice.
Tbone - Labyrinth was under consideration, but the Monster Squad was off my radar and it should have been right at the top. Wolfman's got nards! Indeed. And Stand By Me was excellent, but I don't know if I'd want to live there.
Jlee - I can't tell you the number of times a woman has referenced Jake Ryan in a conversation with me. Needless to say it's quite a few times.
Idig - Three Amigos was good as Chevy Chase was still funny, but Martin Short is kind of tough to put up with. El Guapo - "and we pruned the hedges of many small villages."
Wendy - That would be the best pick for pure adrenaline, and still coming out on top in the end. A classic flick that still holds up today.
Anonymous - That's Andrew McCarthy for you, and I wanted to be in that movie as a kid and I still feel around on the occasional mannequin just to make sure they aren't alive. That's not weird is it?
Samuri - The Explorers would be a good choice, but I never got into Starfighter that much. I might have to go back and check it out again.
Dr - See the first comment, but you have to view these movies with an understanding that many of them are pure cheese, but in a good way. Edward Scissorhands was a very good film, but again, I don't think I'd want to live in that world. A bit sad.
I loved dirty dancing, I wanted to dance like that with Patrick Swayze, although now it's a different story I no longer find him attractive lol.
I loved all the molly ringwald movies, but never watched them in the 80's I only watched them this year in fact.
omg i love the labyrinth too.. i mustve seen that film like a hundred times. i can quote every single line from it ! :|
Carmel - It doesn't matter when you watch them as long as you can appreciate the intricate stories and plausible scenarios.
Jackie - I didn't watch it, but I do remember hearing that and just couldn't believe it. Maybe Seagal just ruined her.
Lastlife - Labryinthe is quality, and it seems to be the most popular choice around here despite some semi-scary images as a kid.
It's all relative - especially in Hollywood.
Bull Durham, hands down. It's summer year round with baseball every night and people are clever enough to have quick wits and romance is alive.
"The world is made for people who aren't cursed with self-awareness."
And hot, furniture-crashing sex with Kevin Costner.
I had a framed Bull Durham poster in my room throughout college, and that is just one of many classic lines in that film.
Great choice.
Love Weird Science.
You better believe you do.