1980s Cult Classic Movies
The 1980s was the "Me generation," a time of corporate greed, cocaine buffets, and a ton of great cult classic movies.
This list of nine cult classic movies from the 1980s will give any movie fan a basic education in cult classic films of the 80s. Adding these movies to your film library will ensure that you always have the perfect movie for your next 80s party.
Caddyshack (1980)
Sometimes movies that are popular can also be cult classic movies. Caddyshack, for instance, is one movie from the 80s that anyone into comedy movies probably owns a copy of somewhere in their house. At the same time, Caddyshack is endlessly quotable and has a cult-like following among golfers, stoners, and Rodney Dangerfield fans alike. Caddyshack is full of awful late 70s/early 80s fashion, terrible early 80s music, and one-liners that people are still quoting to this day. This movie is a perfect example of a surprise hit--the original script focused mainly on the lives of the caddies themselves rather than the funnier adult characters, but during filming it became clear that something brilliant was happening. Thankfully, the director changed the scope of the movie, and for his efforts we have Caddyshack, a perfect example of an 80s cult classic movie.
The Evil Dead / Evil Dead II (1981 / 1987)
Cult movie classics need three things: a funny or amazingly bad script, really great or really awful acting, and a memorable or bizarre plot. The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II have all of these things. At times brilliant and at times so bad it's laughable, The Evil Dead is also brutally gory, and made on such a shoestring budget, you can often see the work of the "special effects team." You've never seen so much obviously fake blood in your life. There are parties that revolve around little more than a keg of beer and a viewing of one or both of the Evil Dead movies--the very definition of a cult classic.
Porky's (1982)
Americans in the 1980s were obsessed with the 1950s, and Porky's is another piece of that obsession. Set in the 1950s in Florida, Porky's finds a group of high school age virgins trying to partake of the services of a local house of ill repute, only to be scorned by the club's owner on whom they exact their own brand of revenge. Revenge stories make instant cult hits, and with plenty of stupid laughs and hilariously bad 50s costumes, Porky's is the perfect 80s cult comedy.
Strange Brew (1983)
SCTV was a cult hit TV series in the 80s, somewhat obscure due to it being available to only a limited number of American viewers. Strange Brew puts two of the most popular SCTV characters on the big screen with hilarious results. Strange Brew is sort of a retelling of Hamlet, with Bob and Doug in the roles of two minor Hamlet characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. But forget about all the brainy stuff--this is a movie full of fart jokes and totally immature comedy. Strange Brew is as quotable as Caddyshack, but hardly anyone has seen it. Who knew Canadians could make such good cult comedy?
Repo Man (1984)
Repo Man was not supposed to be a hit, and it isn't as well-remembered today as people in 1984 thought it would be. Considered one of the best movies of the 80s (and voted "Best Movie Set in Los Angeles" by writers of the LA Times), Repo Men stars Emilio Estevez as an ex-punk rocker who lands a sweet job as a repo man. When he learns of a huge bounty placed on a car located somewhere in LA, the movie really gets rolling. A critical darling but overlooked by audiences, Repo Man hasn't really held up over time. Look for bad 80s fashion and slang, but this is one hell of a movie, fast-paced and well-made.
The Toxic Avenger (1984)
Surprisingly good special effects and stunts for the year 1984 (and for the producers, Troma), The Toxic Avenger is your basic "boy gets dumped in toxic waste, boy becomes super hero" story with a pretty funny script and a totally engaging plot. Corrupt mayors and corporations were a huge target of movie heroes in the 80s--unlike the actual 80s, when corrupt politicians and corporations did whatever they wanted, pretty much unchecked by any real life superheroes.
Krush Groove (1985)
This is one cult classic I hadn't bothered to watch until recently, and I was totally blown away. Krush Groove tells the story of the early days of Def Jam records, called Krush Groove records in the film. The coolest thing about this movie is all the cameos--Sheila E., LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, New Edition, the Fat Boys, Chaka Khan, Debbie Harry, and The Gap Band all have parts in this film. For a nostalgic look at the early days of rap, add Krush Groove to your collection, and prepare to be blown away by how good this movie actually is.
Labyrinth (1986)
Put David Bowie in a fantasy movie made by Jim Henson and you've got an instant cult classic. Labyrinth has a plot--some vague story about a girl moving her way through a maze to rescue her little brother, but the real star here is Bowie and Henson's vision for a weird fantasy world second to nothing else in the 80s. Labyrinth is the cult classic version of the more popular (but far lamer) Never-ending Story. Labyrinth was a box office flop, earning only about half of its $25 million budget back in ticket sales. Still, there's a cult-like following for this movie, with mostly nostalgic adults making up the viewing audience. Every year, there's even a festival for Labyrinth fans in Los Angeles, where people dress up in costumes inspired by the movie and participate in other Labyrinth-themed events.
The 1980s gave us lots of great cult classic movies--the nine movies on this list are the best of the best. As the years go by, there will be more cult classics from the 80s that pop up. Given a little bit of time, more box office failures from the decade of the end of the Cold War and President Reagan will attain cult movie status.