Listmania!
The Best Films Of 1984
By an Amazon.com customer
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Special Edition)Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Special Edition)
Buy new: $16.49 / Used from: $5.42
The second big-screen adventure of Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr. We all love it. Okay, so it's not exactly the best of all the movies of 1984, but it's undeniably fun. Famous for the most gross-out dinner scene in movie history.
Ghostbusters [VHS]Ghostbusters [VHS]
Buy used from: $1.54
A Phenomenal classic! I just went with the vhs 'coz I prefer to the logo set against a black background as opposed to the green slime.
FootlooseFootloose
Buy used from: $2.29
This is a great, quintessential 80's film that just can't be denied. Always fun to watch Kevin Bacon dance even if it's clearly not him in certain scenes. Awesome, energizing soundtrack!
AmadeusAmadeus
Buy new: $19.97 / Used from: $5.56
A sprawling, epic, and surprisingly enjoyable big-screen biopic of one of the world's greatest classical composers of all time, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. F. Murray Abraham co-stars.
The NaturalThe Natural
Buy used from: $2.68
An inspiring, feel-good drama from director Barry Levinson featuring a tour-de-force performance from Robert Redford as aging but still awesome baseball player Roy Hobbs who just has that magic touch and spark in him. Pure movie magic.
TeachersTeachers
Buy new: $14.98 / Used from: $7.99
Exceptional drama with a star-studded cast led by Nick Nolte set at an urban high school. A great movie with really good, moving performances throughout.
Blame It On RioBlame It On Rio
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $3.24
A very funny and charming romantic comedy featuring the always likeable Michael Caine as a divorcee who ends up becoming romanticaly involved with the 20-something daughter of his best friend while on vacation in Brazil.
Sixteen CandlesSixteen Candles
Buy used from: $7.86
A truly classic and much-loved 80's comedy from beloved director John Hughes. It's wonderfully nostalgic and it makes great use of that 'True' song by Spandau Ballet.
The Karate KidThe Karate Kid
Buy used from: $2.38
Who could forget this one? Ralph Macchio stars as Daniel Laruso, a new kid in town in California who learns how to stand up for and defend himself with the teachings and wisdom of a wise karate master, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita).
Gremlins [VHS]Gremlins [VHS]
Buy used from: $1.75
Another classic 1984 favorite about strange but cute furry creatures that metamorphize into ugly, nasty and dangerous larger creatures called 'gremlins'. Features lovable, good mogwai, Gizmo.
Revenge of the Nerds [VHS]Revenge of the Nerds [VHS]
Buy used from: $1.99
The very first in the Revenge of the Nerds series where the group of misfits and outcasts first go to college and form their own fraternity, Lamda Lamda Lamda.
Hot Dog...The MovieHot Dog...The Movie
Buy used from: $10.35
A surprisingly good, well-done comedy about a group of skiers at an international ski competition in Lake Tahoe. Good 80's soundtrack replete with lots of snow, sex and hijinks!
Up the Creek [VHS]Up the Creek [VHS]
Buy used from: $14.66
Okay, so it's decidely not Oscar-material, but it's good as fun, light 80's entertainment. It works good as a root-for-the-underdog comedy set against the backdrop of an intercollegiate whitewater raft race. Hey, if ROTN and Hot Dog get to be on this list, this one does, too.
DreamscapeDreamscape
Buy new: $9.99 / Used from: $3.49
Pretty cool sci-fi action adventure featuring Dennis Quaid as pyschic who must enter into the nightmare dreamstate of the U.S. president to save his life from a dream assassin. Definitely worth seeing and decent pre-CGI effects. Almost could be thought of as precursor to A Nightmare on Elm Street.
A Nightmare on Elm Street [VHS]A Nightmare on Elm Street [VHS]
Buy used from: $0.74
On that note, here is of course a Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven's shocker that became a cult hit and first introduced the world to the infamous Boogey Man, Freddy Kruger. A good companionpiece to Dreamscape.
The Last Starfighter  (Widescreen Collector's Edition)The Last Starfighter (Widescreen Collector's Edition)
Buy used from: $5.49
A pretty decent, imaginative sci-fi thriller about a young man who's a master of the video arcade game, The Last Starfighter, who ends up getting whisked away by aliens to another galaxy to help them fight their intergalatic campaign. Good, campy fun.
StarmanStarman
Buy used from: $0.97
Jeff Bridges stars here as an alien in human form on Earth with miraculous and astonishing powers of healing and life restoration. Karen Allen co-stars. Well done and enjoyable.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth DimensionThe Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension
Buy new: $11.99 / Used from: $6.72
A pretty fun science-fiction cult classic starring Peter Weller as renowned neurosurgeon/scientist/rock-n-roll musician Dr. Buckaroo Bonzai who must battle a mad scientist and uncover a conspiracy by aliens disguised as humans secretly living among us. Great cast full of lots of memorable characters. Worth checking out!
The Ice PiratesThe Ice Pirates
Buy new: $12.49 / Used from: $3.59
Robert Urich stars here in this rather fun sci-fi feature in the vein of Mad Max as the leader of a bad of pirates in a dilapidated wasteland who are constantly on the move to steal the hottest commodity there is, ice! Enjoyable and not downbeat.
The NeverEnding Story [VHS]The NeverEnding Story [VHS]
Buy used from: $0.41
Who could possibly forget this one! A truly imaginative and much beloved family classic about a fantasy book of an otherworldly realm known as Fantasia. The book continually rewrites itself as its reader is reading it and involving them in the story. Forever a definitive family classic.
Star Trek III - The Search for SpockStar Trek III - The Search for Spock
Buy used from: $11.32
The third entry in the Star Trek motion pictures series where Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise must recover Spock ---- deceased after the previous movie --- reborn on the unstable planet of Genesis while fending off Klingon attackers.
19841984
Buy used from: $20.07
Guess you couldn't very well have a list of the best movies of 1984 for without this one ---- now could you??? George Orwell's classic novel is brought to life in a very interesting cinematic result. Definitely one you'll want to see.
The Terminator (Special Edition)The Terminator (Special Edition)
Buy used from: $4.48
Back before Arnold Schwarzenegger became a living parody of himself, he made a NAME for himself with this role-of-a-lifetime as a murderous cyborg from the future in director James Cameron's sci-fi classic.
Beverly Hills Cop (Special Collector's Edition)Beverly Hills Cop (Special Collector's Edition)
Buy new: $9.49 / Used from: $0.17
Eddie Murphy stars here in another one of his kick-a*s roles as smooth-talking, wisecracking Detroit police detective Axel Folley who's on assignment in the town of Beverly Hills, California. One of the best!
BoleroBolero
Buy used from: $6.00
A sometimes silly but decent drama featuring a smoking hot Bo Derek as a young woman graduated from school on a journey and quest across the globe to lose her unwanted virginity. She shouldn't have to go too far, not even around the block! Replete with lush, beautiful visuals and locations lots of female nudity courtesy of Bo and her galpals.
Breakin'Breakin'
Buy new: $13.49 / Used from: $1.98
Awesome NYC-set drama set against the backdrop of the breakdancing craze with an early role by rapper Ice T. Fun!
Beat StreetBeat Street
Buy new: $11.99 / Used from: $4.45
Very good, well done drama and companionpiece to Breakin about a group of young break dancers who seek to escape to madness and downward spiral of the ghetto and honor a fallen comrade. Great soundtrack and break dancing footage.
Purple RainPurple Rain
Buy new: $5.79 / Used from: $2.20
Last but certainly not least, the awesome musical of 1984 featuring Prince as a phenomenally talented songwriter and musician and his romance of an up-and-coming singer and performer, Apollonia. Outstanding musical soundtrack!