Known for simple but totally awesome plot lines, charismatic main characters, and occasional, but still endearing, bad acting, there's nothing better than an iconic movie from the 1980s. Taking us back to a simpler time, you can't help but feel nostalgic when you watch a 1980s film, even if you weren't born yet. In the absence of green screens and modern day movie special effects, films made during the '80s had to capture their viewers by relying on compelling storytelling and minimal effects.
Bringing us unforgettable classics like Sixteen Candles, E.T., and Back to the Future, the genre delivered films that were unlike any other in movie-making history. The recognizable aesthetic of these movies brought us bold music, bolder hair, cheetah print pants, and floating skateboards. Void of constraints, 1980s films could be wacky, outlandish, and just plain fun. With the freedom to create films that had one goal: to make the audience laugh - here are ten of the best parody movies from the 1980s. Did we mention the bad acting?
10 This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Arguably one of the best parody films of all time, the almost entirely improvised This Is Spinal Tap,directed by Rob Reiner, is a timeless piece of cinematic and comedic genius. The iconic 1984 film was a trailblazer in the "mockumentary" genre, gaining a cult following in the years after its release. The movie follows the fictitious band Spinal Tap's attempts to get back on the charts, back to their former glory, and back into their cheetah print pants as they experience a series of events that are as unfortunate as they are hilarious.
Finally, some good news for Spinal Tap: the band is getting back together. The sequel to This Is Spinal Tap,starring the original cast, will debut on March 19, 2024, in conjunction with the film's 40th anniversary.
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9 Spaceballs (1987)
Spaceballs
- Release Date
- June 24, 1987
- Director
- Mel Brooks
- Cast
- Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman, Daphne Zuniga, Dick Van Patten
- Rating
- PG
- Runtime
- 96
- Main Genre
- Adventure
Directed by Mel Brooks, Spaceballs is a parody of other iconic films set in space - the Star Wars trilogy, Planet of The Apes, and Transformers, to name a few. Spaceballs was the final film shot at MGM Studios' historic backlot in Culver City. Brooks initially wanted to call the film Planet Moron, but abandoned the original title after the release of a film called Morons From Outer Space.He chose the title after deciding to put the word "space" in the name, armed with the knowledge it would be one of his signature "screwball" comedies.
Spaceballs was the first film directed by Mel Brooks after a six-year hiatus. In a stroke of incredible genius, he hired Lucasfilm to do all the post-production work. Brooks later received a note from George Lucas saying how much he enjoyed the movie. As with many other parody films of the 1980s, the box office release proved to be anti-climactic, but the film has since become a popular cult classic.
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8 Airplane! (1980)
Airplane
- Release Date
- July 2, 1980
- Director
- Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
- Cast
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Julie Hagerty, Robert Hays, Leslie Nielsen
- Rating
- PG
- Runtime
- 88
- Main Genre
- Comedy
Airplane! was inspired by the 1957 film Zero Hour!The two films share very similar plots - including passengers in both movies falling ill with food poisoning - however, Airplane! is a hilarious spoof version of the aforementioned film. The film is known for using slapstick comedy, dark humor, and running gags.
Despite being labeled a parody film, most of the actors did not have a comedic background, including Leslie Nielsen and Lloyd Bridges, whose careers catapulted after their performances. The character of Dr. Rumack, played by Nielson, was originally pitched to Christopher Lee, who later regretted turning down the role.
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7 Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)
Airplane II: The Sequel was released on December 10, 1982. Written and directed by Ken Finkleman in his directorial debut, the film had no involvement from the team that wrote and directed the original Airplane!Heroic pilot Ted Striker overcomes combat memories and agrees to return to the cockpit of The Mayflower, America's first commercial spacecraft. Hilarity ensues as The Mayflower is thrown off course and Ted has to navigate the ship.
Airplane II has a significant place in film history as it marks the only time the USS Enterprise from The Original Series has ever been seen on the big screen. Leslie Nielsen was offered a returing role as Dr. Rumack but declined due to his role in Police Squad! The trio of directors from the original film purportedly were unhappy a sequel was being made without them and as a result have never watched the film, even to this day.
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6 The Meaning of Life (1983)
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life takes the viewer on a journey through the stages of life: birth, growing up, war, middle age, and death, with three unrelated skits placed at the beginning, middle, and end. It was the last feature film to star all six Monty Python members before Graham Chapman's death in 1989.
Despite its reception not being as acclaimed as other Monty Python films, The Meaning of Life, it was still a minor box office success. The film appears on a list of the top 20 cult films published by The Boston Globe released in 2010. During filming, the children were prohibited from hearing adult language, which was later changed in editing. John Cleese's "sex tutorial" was filmed without the children on set.
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5 UHF (1989)
UHF
- Release Date
- July 21, 1989
- Director
- Jay Levey
- Cast
- 'Weird Al' Yankovic, Victoria Jackson, kevin mccarthy, Michael Richards, David Bowe, Stanley Brock
- Rating
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 97
- Main Genre
- Comedy
Despite an all-star cast featuring David Bowie. Fran Drescher and "Weird Al" Yankovic, UHF made a less than stellar impression at the box office, making an exit from theaters within a month of its release. The poor response to the film left Yankovic in a three-year-long creative slump, ending only when Nirvana began topping the charts, inspiring him to write his infamous parody songs and complete his album "Off the Deep End." UHF has since become a cult classic.
Despite considering a sequel, "Weird Al" Yankovie has decided against it, stating the type of comedy in the film predated the Internet and viral videos, as well as several of the plot lines now being dated. As a result of the film reaching cult status after going out of print, the movie's value increased exponentially, with copies being sold for upwards of a hundred dollars or more.
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4 Teen Wolf (1985)
teen wolf
- Release Date
- August 23, 1985
- Director
- Rod Daniel
- Cast
- Michael J. Fox, James Hampton, Susan Ursitti, Jerry Levine, Matt Adler, Lorie Griffin
- Rating
- PG
- Runtime
- 91
- Main Genre
- Comedy
With a plot line only a true coming-of-age 1980s comedy film can get away with, Teen Wolf introduces us to Scott McCall, a high school student that discovers his body hair isn't because he's going through puberty - it's because he's a werewolf. If the movie was made in another genre or decade, the hero might be shunned for being an outcast. In this 1985 masterpiece, he becomes the most popular guy in school.
Despite a mediocre box office reception largely due to being released one month after Michael J. Fox's Back To The Future, Teen Wolf has become a cult classic. The film's popularity gave rise to a television series adaptation, garnering a whole new generation of fans. Fun fact: Michael J. Fox's home inTeen Wolf and the flashback scenes in Back to the Future were filmed on the exact same street.
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3 Three Amigos! (1986)
Three Amigos!
- Release Date
- December 12, 1986
- Director
- John Landis
- Cast
- Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short, Alfonso Arau, Tony Plana, Patrice Martinez
- Rating
- PG
- Runtime
- 104
- Main Genre
- Adventure
Three Amigos features the holy grail of funny actors with their comedic casting trifecta of Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and Martin Short as Western movie stars who are fired when their film flops. In an effort to help save their careers, Carmen hires them for a handsomely paid gig in her village. The trio expects to do their typical act, but Carmen hired them with an ulterior motive - she actually needs the actors to save her small Mexican village from resident villain, El Guapo.
A master of many talents, Steve Martin learned the rope tricks he performed in the movie while working at Disneyland as a teenager. Named one of the top 100 comedies by Bravo, Three Amigos is a cherished collaboration between some of the best comedic actors of all time. The film is also iconic because it was Martin Short's first movie role - and Paul Newman's first and only movie role as a bush.
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2 Johnny Dangerously (1984)
Directed by Amy Heckerling, Johnny Dangerously is a 1980s parody of 1930s gangster films. Starring Michael Keaton, the film depicts the story of a man who turns to crime to help pay his mother's medical bills. The film is known for its frequent use of malapropisms by many characters, adding to its humorous appeal.
Michael Keaton's character is partly an homage and partly a parody of James. Cagney's performances from the bygone days of old Hollywood gangster movies. The film even includes an element of foreshadowing: crime boss Moroni shares his name with a crime boss in Batman, which Keaton would film just five years later. Johnny Dangerously proves to audiences that gangster movies never really go out of style.
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1 Throw Momma From The Train (1987)
Starring the dynamic duo of Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal, Throw Momma From The Train is a crime comedy featuring DeVito in his theatrical directorial debut. The 1987 movie was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 Strangers on a Train.Audiences are introduced to novelist Larry Donner, who struggles with writer's block and a deep resentment for his ex-wife. He accepts a teaching job, where he meets Larry, a middle-aged man still living with his overbearing mother. The duo hatches a plan and agrees to get rid of the women who are troubling them. What could go wrong?
Although Anne Ramsey had already made a name for herself as an actress, she stunned audiences by doing her own stunts in Throw Momma From The Train - like in the scene when Momma was thrown from the train. She was also undergoing treatment for throat cancer during filming but never asked for any time off from the production.
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