Posted on by Shawn

Tuesday’s Top 10: Favorite Movies From My Childhood

First of all, you should know: we’re making progress. The tension and conflict has finally become too great for just one blog to handle.  Check out last Friday’s post by Bruce Nuffer over at The House Studio, and see how our Top 10 Candy debate is continuing…ad infinitum…ad nauseum…ad every-latin-word-you-can-think-of-um.

But it’s time to move forward to a new topic, so today I reflect on the good old 1980s (again) and the top 10 movies from my childhood.  They are as follows (in no particular order):

Can’t Buy Me Love – since this list doubles as a virtual “Top 10: Where the Stars Got Their Start”, this is the perfect place to begin.  Do you recognize the now-famous doctor in the glasses?

Annie – one of the first movies I ever saw in a real, live theatre.  The scene at the end, with Anne climbing that train bridge thing, while being chased by Rooster, scared me for weeks.  Okay, I’ll admit it – there are ongoing bed-wetting issues.

The Goonies – quite possibly my favorite childhood movie of all time.  Remember the scene where they are shouting for help up through the well?  For a long time I believed every single well was a portal into a world of adventure, and I never saw a well I didn’t want to climb down into (until I saw The Ring, that is, and now I never see a well without running in the opposite direction as fast as possible).

The Karate Kid – was I the only kid who wanted to sand something, anything, just to practice sand-the-floor? was I the only kid injuring himself while performing crane kicks off the front porch?

Rocky IV – “if I can change, and you can change” . . . go on Stallone, give that tear-jerking “then we all can change” speech one last time.

Space Camp – this 1986 movie launched my Kelly Preston crush.  And I totally forgot the little kid was Joaquin Phoenix

Flight of the Navigator – what if you returned to your house today only to discover that 8 years had passed and you didn’t realize it?  What if I watched this movie again and realized Sarah Jessica Parker was in it?  Both concepts still totally blow my brain.

Back to the Future -Michael J, you’ve never regained your glory from this movie.  But who expected you to?

Top Gun -I definitely watched this on the down low.  There was no way that I would have been allowed to watch Top Gun when it first came out (I was 10), or at any point in the subsequent 6 – 8 years (but I know that at some point I did).

Airplane – surely you’ve seen this one? Surely?

So what did I miss?  And before you say ET…I’ve never seen it.

11 Replies to “Tuesday’s Top 10: Favorite Movies From My Childhood”

  1. I’m sorry Shawn. I think we can no longer be friends. Any list of top movies that doesn’t have at least one of the Star Wars films in the top 5 is questionable. Any list that does not include, at the minimum, an honorable mention shout out to Star Wars, is totally bogus.

    I’m too upset to post my list right now. I have to go take some medication and lay down for a bit…..

    1. sorry Kit. as much as I adore these movies, they were not part of my childhood: i was 6 months old when Star Wars was released, 3 1/2 when The Empire Strikes Back came out, and in first grade when Darth Vader uttered his famous phrase: I am your father.

      hopefully this explanation catches you in time to

      1. “Airplane” came out the same year as “The Empire Strikes Back”. Be that as it may, for the sake of our friendship, and in spite of the fact that you have reminded me that I am OLD, I’ll let it pass.

  3. Flight of the Navigator, yes! A great film indeed!

    I’m also glad you didn’t mention Airplane 2, that movie was funny but shouldn’t have been made. Great list Shawn!

    1. Thanks Scott. I agree with you regarding Airplane 2. In fact I don’t remember much about it except that I groaned a lot more than I laughed.

  4. Since it is now apparent that my childhood ended a little earlier than yours, I’ll take my Metamucil, and then reflect on the good old 1970s/early 80s in no particular order (except for the first one).

    Star Wars (IV, V & VI) – Not enough space to elaborate here…
    Blazing Saddles
    Stir Crazy
    Ghost Busters
    Jaws – scared the crap out of me….
    Raiders of the Lost Ark*
    Back to the Future*
    Rocky II
    Superman
    Airplane*
    Caddyshack

  5. What?! You left off the Never Ending Story!!! And Dirty Dancing… one I should have never seen when it came out.

    Truthfully I like the dude flicks better… though Can’t Buy Me Love could totally be a chick flick. I mean didn’t you buy a girl a dress instead of the telescope you wanted for popularity?

    And what about the Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink and 16 Candles…. Footloose, RoboCop, and Rain Man

    And of course, how could you forget Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure…. DUUUUDE? What were you thinking?

    Humoring myself.

  6. Love the Goonies! Have you watched it recently? I don’t remember all of the bad language. My daughter is 11 and I still won’t let her watch it, I ask my parents all of the time – “what were you thinking letting us watch that?” Still love it though. And the Neverending Story was good. My brother thinks my dog looks like the dog from there so he always calls her Falcor.

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