1. Commando
   The Karate Kid
2. Moonstruck
   Die Hard

"The Karate Kid" was a huge hit and spawned an awful lot of sequels. Not only that, it got a cartoon adaptation, a remake in the year 2010 and then a spin-off show on Netflix called "Cobra Kai" in 2018.

1. Wargames
   Stripes
2. Field of Dreams
   Ghostbusters

"Ghostbusters" was without a doubt one of the biggest movies of the '80s and is still one of the most popular movies of all time. Eddie Murphy was the first choice to play Winston in the movie but he was busy making "Beverly Hills Cop."

1. 48 Hours
   Stand and Deliver
2. The Untouchables
   Wall Street

Kevin Costner starred in "The Untouchables" as Eliot Ness, taking on Robert DeNiro as Al Capone. As far as gangster movies go, this one was pretty popular.

1. Bachelor Party
   Steel Magnolias
2. Revenge of the Nerds
   First Blood

"Revenge of the Nerds" is a classic college comedy underdog story. It managed to find a way to showcase all the various kinds of geek, weirdo and outcast stereotypes and still make you cheer for them.

1. Aliens
   The Shining
2. Blue Velvet
   Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" was a groundbreaking mix of live action and animation that merged countless classic cartoon characters and also a foul-mouthed baby who smokes cigars.

1. Commando
   Die Hard
2. Poltergeist
   Say Anything

"Die Hard" is the movie that basically made Bruce Willis an action star. Prior to "Die Hard" he was mostly just known as that guy from the TV show "Moonlighting," which you probably never saw unless you were big on comedy-dramas in the mid-'80s.

1. Terminator
   Scarface
2. Dirty Dancing
   Gremlins

"Gremlins" is a Christmas classic that managed to mix a little comedy and a little horror with great results. It also featured a great cute little creature in Gizmo and then a whole army of gross little creeps with the rest of the Gremlins.

1. Big
   Tron
2. Back to the Future
   Lethal Weapon

"Back to the Future" is an iconic '80s sci-fi/comedy that featured Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, a high school kid who for reasons no one ever explains is best friends with a very old man who turned a DeLorean into a time machine.

1. The Terminator
   Moonstruck
2. Steel Magnolias
   Sixteen Candles

"The Terminator" is one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's most iconic roles and he wasn't even the studio's first choice. Schwarzenegger wasn't as big a deal back in the early '80s and the studio wanted O.J. Simpson to play the part.

1. Lethal Weapon
   Predator
2. Sixteen Candles
   The Empire Strikes Back

"Sixteen Candles" was one of John Hughes' classic teen comedies and one of three to feature both Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall in lead roles.

1. The Breakfast Club
   Desperately Seeking Susan
2. Ghostbusters
   The Color Purple

"The Breakfast Club" is a classic high school drama/comedy directed by John Hughes and featuring '80s powerhouses Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Emilio Estevez. It convinced a generation that no matter what clique we're a part of, we're all the same underneath.

1. Mad Max: The Road Warrior
   Raging Bull
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
   Batman

The first "Mad Max" came out in the '70s and was a cult classic, but "Mad Max 2" really made the franchise and also made Mel Gibson a household name. The movie also featured Vernon Wells as a Mohawk-sporting madman, a role which he more or less reprised in the John Hughes movie "Weird Science."

1. Blade Runner
   Stand by Me
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark
   Labyrinth

"Labyrinth" is a family favorite that mixes live-action with Jim Henson Muppet creations and also David Bowie. The baby in the movie, played by Toby Froud, grew up to be a puppet maker.

1. Top Gun
   Flashdance
2. Steel Magnolias
   E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

"E.T." is one of Steven Spielberg's most famous films. If you watch closely you'll notice that for most of the movie, the camera shoots the action from a low-angle, much the way a child would see the world.

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street
   Top Gun
2. Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
   Weekend at Bernie's

"Top Gun" is one of Tom Cruise's most memorable films and features some great dogfighting action in the sky. The cost of using all those fighter jets was extremely high. Fuel was about $7,800 an hour.

1. Trading Places
   Moonstruck
2. Heathers
   Wall Street

"Trading Places" featured Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Lee Curtis in one of the few movies that made playing the stock exchange seem funny.

1. The Goonies
   Poltergeist
2. E.T.
   Adventures in Babysitting

One of the most famous teen comedy movies of the '80s, "The Goonies" is known for its fun ensemble cast. "The Goonies" also had a fairly confusing history for some viewers as depending on where and when you saw the film, you may or may not be aware there's a scene with a giant octopus near the end of the movie. The theatrical release didn't have it, but some TV airings did.

1. Friday the 13th
   Willow
2. Rain Man
   Romancing the Stone

"Friday the 13th" is one of the most enduring franchises in horror history. It has 12 feature-length films and there have been TV and video game adaptations. Over the course of the franchise, Jason has killed over 160 people.

1. Predator
   Rambo
2. Cop and a Half
   Robocop

"Robocop" has endured as one of the best sci-fi films of the '80s, and also a biting satire. Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the original choices for the role of Robocop, but Peter Weller got the role in part because it ensured the Robocop suit wouldn't be too bulky.

1. Rocky III
   Predator
2. Tron
   Dead Poet's Society

The movie "Tron" has become a cult classic over the years. The director of the film, aware of the effect movies have on children, made a choice that there be no guns in the movie, which is why the characters fight with discs.

1. The Fly
   Beverly Hills Cop
2. Working Girl
   Predator

Predator was another of Arnold Schwarzenegger's greatest hits. The iconic, invisible alien was almost not a part of the film. The original alien was a kind of giant insect design, and the actor in the suit was Jean-Claude Van Damme.

1. Caddyshack
   Krush Groove
2. St. Elmo's Fire
   Footloose

Kevin Bacon became famous for his role in "Footloose," about an ultra-conservative town that just couldn't handle his incredible '80s dance moves.

1. Beverly Hills Cop
   Beetlejuice
2. The Color Purple
   Driving Miss Daisy

"Beverly Hills Cop" was the movie that made Eddie Murphy a superstar. Prior to Murphy's involvement, both Mickey Rourke and then Sylvester Stallone were on board to play the lead.

1. Big Trouble in Little China
   Tron
2. Terms of Endearment
   Beverly Hills Cop

Directed by John Carpenter, "Big Trouble in Little China" is one of those curious genre-bending movies that's a little action, a little comedy and maybe a little sci-fi and horror as well. It also features Kurt Russell as one of the most bumbling heroes ever.

1. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
   Near Dark
2. When Harry Met Sally
   Field of Dreams

The second Indiana Jones film after "Raiders of the Lost Ark" cemented Jones as an iconic character. In a famous scene in the third movie, Indiana's father says the dog's name was Indiana. In real life, the name really did come from a dog - it was producer George Lucas' Alaskan Malamute.

1. Stand and Deliver
   Beetlejuice
2. Rainman
   Big

Tim Burton's "Beetlejuice" is a great example of Tim Burton's aesthetic on film. His original choice to play Beetlejuice wasn't Michael Keaton but was actually Sammy Davis Jr.

1. Pretty in Pink
   Big
2. Aliens
   National Lampoon's Vacation

The "Alien" franchise proved that a female action hero can be just as awesome as a male one. Sigourney Weaver made only $35,000 for her part in the first film but got $1 million for the sequel.

1. My Left Foot
   Lethal Weapon
2. Near Dark
   Ferris Bueller's Day Off

"Ferris Bueller's Day Off" was another John Hughes hit and much of its success comes from the chemistry between the lead and his friends. Alan Ruck, who plays Ferris' best friend Cameron, was almost 30 years old when he made the movie.

1. Full Metal Jacket
   Weird Science
2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
   Fast Times at Ridgemont High

"Weird Science" featured Kelly LeBrock as Lisa, the woman that friends Wyatt and Gary made with their home computer because a computer in the '80s could do literally anything.

1. When Harry Met Sally
   Near Dark
2. My Left Foot
   Big

Tom Hanks began his career as a comedic actor before transitioning into drama. "Big" was one of his most popular comedies with a bit of a dramatic flair. Hanks originally turned down the role because of scheduling, and the studio tried to get actors like Kevin Costner and Warren Beatty.

1. The Lost Boys
   Moonstruck
2. Escape from New York
   Scarface

"The Lost Boys" was the first film that featured "the Coreys," Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. The two would go on to make over a half dozen movies together and were '80s teens icons.

1. Lethal Weapon
   Commando
2. Stand and Deliver
   Young Guns

The "Lethal Weapon" franchise has been hugely popular. Four films and a TV show have kept the franchise running and the show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" famously had not one but two episodes about the characters making their own sequels to the films.

1. Rain Man
   Near Dark
2. Terms of Endearment
   Platoon

"Rain Man" paired Tom Cruise with Dustin Hoffman. The movie was extremely popular and went on to become the highest grossing film of 1988.

1. The Color Purple
   Stand By Me
2. The Thing
   Mannequin

"Stand By Me" is a classic coming-of-age movie that featured many actors who would go on to become much bigger stars. It was also adapted from a short story by horror master Stephen King.

1. This is Spinal Tap
   Scarface
2. Raging Bull
   Steel Magnolias

"This is Spinal Tap" is presented entirely as a documentary, even though the film is fiction and stands as one of the best examples of the "mockumentary" style. Even though Spinal Tap was a fictional band in the film, the trio actually recorded and released albums later on, so technically they are a real band.