A2P Cinema's
200 Favorite Films of the 1980s

American films of the late 1960s through the 1970s were defined by its counter of traditional old fashioned Hollywood filmmaking and all the myths of the lifestyle and culture of those times. Well, the 1980s American films seem a direct counter to the 1970s, as a modern return of the myths. In the 1980s, genre filmmaking made a triumphant and mainstream return, now in a culture of a whole new technology - one in which speed and thrills were at the center.

The emergence of the "blockbuster", sequels, computer technology, Dolby surround sound, and videos and video rental. Like the arrival of TV in the 1950s and 60s, video would play a critical role in films and the opportunities audiences had to see films as well as the way production companies could market their films.

Look over the list ... I would be very interested in you sending your choices or sharing feedback (did I miss anything?).
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DUST IN THE WIND (1986)
Directed by: Hou Hsiao-Hsien (1st of 5 films on list)
Taiwan

FANNY AND ALEXANDER (1982)
Directed by: Ingmar Bergman (1st of 1 films on list)
Sweden / France / West Germany

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THE THING (1982)
Directed by: John Carpenter (1st of 8 films on list)
United States

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SWEETIE (1989)
Directed by: Jane Campion (1st of 1 films on list)
Australia

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EL SUR (1983)
Directed by: Víctor Erice (1st of 1 films on list)
Spain / France

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THE DECALOGUE (1987)
Directed by: Krzysztof Kieslowski (1st of 4 films on list)
Poland / West Germany

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PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE (1985)
Directed by: Tim Burton (1st of 3 films on list)
United States

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TENDER MERCIES (1983)
Directed by: Bruce Beresford (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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THE SHINING (1980)
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick (1st of 2 films on list)
United Kingdom / United States

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THE SACRIFICE (1986)
Directed by: Andrei Tarkovsky (1st of 2 films on list)
Sweden / France / United Kingdom

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A TIME TO LIVE AND A TIME TO DIE (1985)
Directed by: Hou Hsiao-Hsien (2nd of 5 films on list)
Taiwan

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RAISING ARIZONA (1987)
Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

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E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
Directed by: Steven Spielberg (1st of 3 films on list)
United States

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DO THE RIGHT THING (1989)
Directed by: Spike Lee (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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MELVIN AND HOWARD (1980)
Directed by: Jonathan Demme (1st of 5 films on list)
United States

HOUSE OF GAMES (1987)
Directed by: David Mamet (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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DEAD RINGERS (1988)
Directed by: David Cronenberg (1st of 5 films on list)
Canada / United States

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ORDINARY PEOPLE (1980)
Directed by: Robert Redford (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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PARIS, TEXAS (1984)
Directed by: Wim Wenders (1st of 2 films on list)
West Germany / France / United Kingdom / United States

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ALIENS (1986)
Directed by: James Cameron (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

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TENEBRE (1982)
Directed by: Dario Argento (1st of 3 films on list)
Italy

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L'ARGENT (1983)
Directed by: Robert Bresson (1st of 1 films on list)
France / Switzerland

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BLOOD SIMPLE (1984)
Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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LOVE STREAMS (1984)
Directed by: John Cassavetes (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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HANNAH AND HER SISTERS (1986)
Directed by: Woody Allen (1st of 5 films on list)
United States

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BEETLEJUICE (1988)
Directed by: Tim Burton (2nd of 3 films on list)
United States

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MODERN ROMANCE (1981)
Directed by: Albert Brooks (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

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TAMPOPO (1985)
Directed by: Jûzô Itami (1st of 3 films on list)
Japan

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VAGABOND (1985)
Directed by: Agnès Varda (1st of 1 films on list)
France

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DIE HARD (1988)
Directed by: John McTiernan (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

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THE EVIL DEAD (1981)
Directed by: Sam Raimi (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

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RAN (1985)
Directed by: Akira Kurosawa (1st of 2 films on list)
Japan / France

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A DISTANT CRY FROM SPRING (1980)
Directed by: Yôji Yamada (1st of 1 films on list)
Japan

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BLOW OUT (1981)
Directed by: Brian De Palma (1st of 4 films on list)
United States

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NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND (1984)
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki (1st of 4 films on list)
Japan

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WHY HAS BODHI-DHARMA LEFT FOR THE EAST? (1989)
Directed by: Bae Yong-Kyun (1st of 1 films on list)
South Korea

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ALICE (1988)
Directed by: Jan Svankmajer (1st of 1 films on list)
Czechoslovakia / Switzerland / United Kingdom / West Germany

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MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (1988)
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki (2nd of 4 films on list)
Japan

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THE BIG RED ONE (1980)
Directed by: Samuel Fuller (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

THE VANISHING (1988)
Directed by: George Sluizer (1st of 1 films on list)
Netherlands / France / West Germany

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THEY LIVE (1988)
Directed by: John Carpenter (2nd of 8 films on list)
United States

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WINGS OF DESIRE (1987)
Directed by: Wim Wenders (2nd of 2 films on list)
West Germany / France

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THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO (1985)
Directed by: Woody Allen (2nd of 5 films on list)
United States

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LOST IN AMERICA (1985)
Directed by: Albert Brooks (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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EMPIRE OF THE SUN (1987)
Directed by: Steven Spielberg (2nd of 3 films on list)
United States

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A SUMMER AT GRANDPA'S (1984)
Directed by: Hou Hsiao-Hsien (3rd of 5 films on list)
Taiwan

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AFTER HOURS (1985)
Directed by: Martin Scorsese (1st of 3 films on list)
United States

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ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981)
Directed by: John Carpenter (3rd of 8 films on list)
United States

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SANS SOLEIL (1983)
Directed by: Chris Marker (1st of 1 films on list)
France

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BLIND CHANCE (1987)
Directed by: Krzysztof Kieslowski (2nd of 4 films on list)
Poland

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VIDEODROME (1983)
Directed by: David Cronenberg (2nd of 5 films on list)
Canada

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COME BACK TO THE 5 AND DIME JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN (1982)
Directed by: Robert Altman (1st of 5 films on list)
United States

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A CITY OF SADNESS (1989)
Directed by: Hou Hsiao-Hsien (4th of 5 films on list)
Taiwan / Hong Kong

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GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES (1988)
Directed by: Isao Takahata (1st of 1 films on list)
Japan

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WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis (1st of 3 films on list)
United States

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FITZCARRALDO (1982)
Directed by: Werner Herzog (1st of 2 films on list)
West Germany / Peru / South Africa

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THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR (1981)
Directed by: François Truffaut (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

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SAY ANYTHING... (1989)
Directed by: Cameron Crowe (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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A SHORT FILM ABOUT LOVE (1988)
Directed by: Krzysztof Kieslowski (3rd of 4 films on list)
Poland

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THE BOYS OF FENGKUEI (1983)
Directed by: Hou Hsiao-Hsien (5th of 5 films on list)
Taiwan

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RAGING BULL (1980)
Directed by: Martin Scorsese (2nd of 3 films on list)
United States

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SOMETHING WILD (1986)
Directed by: Jonathan Demme (2nd of 5 films on list)
United States

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DRESSED TO KILL (1980)
Directed by: Brian De Palma (2nd of 3 films on list)
United States

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NOSTALGHIA (1983)
Directed by: Andrei Tarkovsky (2nd of 2 films on list)
Italy / Soviet Union

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BLACK RAIN (1989)
Directed by: Shôhei Imamura (1st of 2 films on list)
Japan

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OVERBOARD (1987)
Directed by: Garry Marshall (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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SUPERSTAR: THE KAREN CARPENTER STORY (1988)
Directed by: Todd Haynes (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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FULL METAL JACKET (1987)
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick (2nd of 2 films on list)
United Kingdom / United States

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NEAR DARK (1987)
Directed by: Kathryn Bigelow (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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BATMAN (1989)
Directed by: Tim Burton (3rd of 3 films on list)
United States / United Kingdom

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THE CHURCH (1989)
Directed by: Michele Soavi (1st of 1 films on list)
Italy

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TAIPEI STORY (1985)
Directed by: Edward Yang (1st of 2 films on list)
Taiwan

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DAY OF THE DEAD (1985)
Directed by: George A. Romero (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

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THE BALLAD OF NARAYAMA (1983)
Directed by: Shôhei Imamura (2nd of 2 films on list)
Japan

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A TAXING WOMAN (1987)
Directed by: Jûzô Itami (2nd of 3 films on list)
Japan

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THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)
Directed by: Rob Reiner (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

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THE FUNERAL (1984)
Directed by: Jûzô Itami (3rd of 3 films on list)
Japan

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THE STONE BOY (1984)
Directed by: Christopher Cain (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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BURDEN OF DREAMS (1982)
Directed by: Les Blank (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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YEELEN (1987)
Directed by: Souleymane Cissé (1st of 1 films on list)
Mali / France / West Germany / Japan

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THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980)
Directed by: David Lynch (1st of 2 films on list)
United States / United Kingdom

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PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987)
Directed by: John Carpenter (4th of 8 films on list)
United States

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SHOAH (1985)
Directed by: Claude Lanzmann (1st of 1 films on list)
France / United Kingdom

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HOPE AND GLORY (1987)
Directed by: John Boorman (1st of 1 films on list)
United Kingdom / United States

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KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989)
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki (3rd of 5 films on list)
Japan

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LUCAS (1986)
Directed by: David Seltzer (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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VERONIKA VOSS (1982)
Directed by: Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1st of 2 films on list)
West Germany

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DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN (1985)
Directed by: Susan Seidelman (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986)
Directed by: John Carptenter (5th of 8 films on list)
United States

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GREMLINS (1984)
Directed by: Joe Dante (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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BROADWAY DANNY ROSE (1984)
Directed by: Woody Allen (3rd of 5 films on list)
United States

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BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis (2nd of 3 films on list)
United States

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OPERA (1987)
Directed by: Dario Argento (2nd of 3 films on list)
Italy

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GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)
Directed by: Ivan Reitman (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

AMADEUS (1984)
Directed by: Milos Forman (2nd of 3 films on list)
United States / France / Czechoslovakia

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THE ROAD WARRIOR (1981)
Directed by: George Miller (1st of 1 films on list)
Australia

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BETTER OFF DEAD (1985)
Directed by: Savage Steve Holland (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

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BODY DOUBLE (1984)
Directed by: Brian De Palma (3rd of 4 films on list)
United States

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ROXANNE (1987)
Directed by: Fred Schepisi (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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POLTERGEIST (1982)
Directed by: Tobe Hooper (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

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THE FLY (1986)
Directed by: David Cronenberg (3rd of 5 films on list)
United States / United Kingdom / Canada

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MANDALA (1981)
Directed by: Im Kwon-taek (1st of 1 films on list)
South Korea

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PAULINE AT THE BEACH (1983)
Directed by: Éric Rohmer (1st of 2 films on list)
France

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ANTONIO GAUDI (1984)
Directed by: Hiroshi Teshigahara (1st of 1 films on list)
Japan

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STARMAN (1984)
Directed by: John Carpenter (6th of 8 films on list)
United States

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BIRD (1988)
Directed by: Clint Eastwood (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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MYSTERY TRAIN (1989)
Directed by: Jim Jarmusch (1st of 2 films on list)
United States / Japan

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DRUGSTORE COWBOY (1989)
Directed by: Gus Van Sant (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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ONE CRAZY SUMMER (1986)
Directed by: Savage Steve Holland (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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TREE WITHOUT LEAVES (1986)
Directed by: Kaneto Shindô (1st of 1 films on list)
Japan

DARK HABITS (1983)
Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar (1st of 1 films on list)
Spain

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MATEWAN (1987)
Directed by: John Sayles (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

CONFIDENTIALLY YOURS (1983)
Directed by: François Truffaut (2nd of 2 films on list)
France

LAPUTA: CASTLE IN THE SKY (1986)
Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki (4th of 4 films on list)
Japan

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SWING SHIFT (1986)
Directed by: Jonathan Demme (3rd of 5 films on list)
United States

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WHERE IS THE FRIEND'S HOME? (1987)
Directed by: Abbas Kiarostami (1st of 1 films on list)
Iran

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THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS (1989)
Directed by: Steve Kloves (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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HAIRSPRAY (1988)
Directed by: John Waters (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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AU REVOIR LES ENFANTS (1987)
Directed by: Louis Malle (1st of 3 films on list)
France / West Germany / Italy

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STAND BY ME (1986)
Directed by: Ron Reiner (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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THE SURROGATE WOMAN (1987)
Directed by: Im Kwon-taek (2nd of 2 films on list)
Japan

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THE KILLER (1989)
Directed by: John Woo (1st of 1 films on list)
Hong Kong

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TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA (1985)
Directed by: William Friedkin (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE (1989)
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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PREDATOR (1987)
Directed by: John McTiernan (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984)
Directed by: Steven Spielberg (3rd of 3 films on list)
United States

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MANIAC (1980)
Directed by: William Lustig (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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THIEF (1981)
Directed by: Michael Mann (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES (1987)
Directed by: John Hughes (1st of 3 films on list)
United States

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THE CYCLIST (1989)
Directed by: Mohsen Makhmalbaf (1st of 1 films on list)
Iran

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CRIMEWAVE (1985)
Directed by: Sam Raimi (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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STAR WARS: EPISODE V - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)
Directed by: Irvin Kershner (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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AIRPLANE! (1980)
Directed by: Jim Abrahams / David & Jerry Zucker (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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THE FUNHOUSE (1981)
Directed by: Tobe Hooper (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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STOP MAKING SENSE (1984)
Directed by: Jonathan Demme (4th of 5 films on list)
United States

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CHRISTINE (1983)
Directed by: John Carpenter (7th of 8 films on list)
United States

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THE TERMINATOR (1984)
Directed by: James Cameron (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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THE FOX AND THE HOUND (1981)
Directed by: T. Berman / R. Rich / A. Stevens (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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AS TEARS GO BY (1988)
Directed by: Wong Kar-Wai (1st of 1 films on list)
Hong Kong

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COLORS (1988)
Directed by: Dennis Hopper (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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DAMNATION (1988)
Directed by: Béla Tarr (1st of 2 films on list)
Hungary

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USED CARS (1980)
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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THE FOG (1980)
Directed by: John Carpenter (8th of 8 films on list)
United States

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RE-ANIMATOR (1985)
Directed by: Stuart Gordon (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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WHEN FATHER WAS AWAY ON BUSINESS (1985)
Directed by: Emir Kusturica (1st of 1 films on list)
Yugoslavia

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CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (1989)
Directed by: Woody Allen (5th of 5 films on list)
United States

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NO END (1985)
Directed by: Krzysztof Kieslowski (4th of 4 films on list)
Poland / West Germany

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ROBOCOP (1987)
Directed by: Paul Verhoeven (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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ROGER & ME (1989)
Directed by: Michael Moore (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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POPEYE (1980)
Directed by: Robert Altman (2nd of 5 films on list)
United States

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STRANGER THAN PARADISE (1984)
Directed by: Jim Jarmusch (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States / West Germany

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SILKWOOD (1983)
Directed by: Mike Nichols(1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983)
Directed by: Bob Clark (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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SCARFACE (1983)
Directed by: Brian De Palma (4th of 4 films on list)
United States

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A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
Directed by: Wes Craven (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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STARDUST MEMORIES (1980)
Directed by: Woody Allen (4th of 5 films on list)
United States

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MARRIED TO THE MOB (1988)
Directed by: Jonathan Demme (5th of 5 films on list)
United States

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PIXOTE (1981)
Directed by: Hector Babenco (1st of 1 films on list)
Brazil

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A ROOM WITH A VIEW (1985)
Directed by: James Ivory (1st of 1 films on list)
United Kingdom

COMING TO AMERICA (1988)
Directed by: John Landis (1st of 2 films on list)
United States

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TANNER '88 (1988)
Directed by: Robert Altman (3rd of 5 films on list)
United States

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THE KING OF COMEDY (1982)
Directed by: Martin Scorsese (3rd of 3 films on list)
United States

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GLORY (1989)
Directed by: Edward Zwick (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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VIOLENT COP (1989)
Directed by: Takeshi Kitano (1st of 1 films on list)
Japan

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THE DEAD ZONE (1983)
Directed by: David Cronenberg (4th of 5 films on list)
United States / Canada

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FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980)
Directed by: Sean S. Cunningham (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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MONA LISA (1986)
Directed by: Neil Jordan (1st of 2 films on list)
United Kingdom

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SILVER BULLET (1984)
Directed by: Daniel Attias (1st of 1 films on list)
United States / Netherlands

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PARENTHOOD (1989)
Directed by: Ron Howard (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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SECRET HONOR (1984)
Directed by: Robert Altman (4th of 5 films on list)
United States

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THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984)
Directed by: Wolfgang Petersen (1st of 1 films on list)
West Germany / United States

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TRADING PLACES (1983)
Directed by: John Landis (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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THE KARATE KID (1984)
Directed by: John G. Avildsen (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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MISSING (1982)
Directed by: Costa-Gavras (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

COBRA VERDE (1987)
Directed by: Werner Herzog (2nd of 2 films on list)
West Germany / Ghana

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DETECTIVE (1985)
Directed by: Jean-Luc Godard (1st of 1 films on list)
France / Switzerland

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MY DINNER WITH ANDRE (1981)
Directed by: Louis Malle (2nd of 3 films on list)
United States

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THE PREFAB PEOPLE (1997)
Directed by: Béla Tarr (2nd of 2 films on list)
Hungary

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LOLA (1981)
Directed by: Rainer Werner Fassbinder (2nd of 2 films on list)
West Germany

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INFERNO (1980)
Directed by: Dario Argento (3rd of 3 films on list)
Italy

COME AND SEE (1985)
Directed by: Elem Klimov (1st of 1 films on list)
Soviet Union

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BLUE VELVET (1986)
Directed by: David Lynch (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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THE HITCHER (1986)
Directed by: Robert Harmon (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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UNCLE BUCK (1989)
Directed by: John Hughes (2nd of 3 films on list)
United States

FOOL FOR LOVE (1985)
Directed by: Robert Altman (5th of 5 films on list)
United States

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THE THIN BLUE LINE (1988)
Directed by: Errol Morris (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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SCANNERS (1981)
Directed by: David Cronenberg (5th of 5 films on list)
Canada

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THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985)
Directed by: John Hughes (3rd of 3 films on list)
United States

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CREEPSHOW (1982)
Directed by: George A. Romero (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989)
Directed by: Ron Clements / John Musker (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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CUJO (1983)
Directed by: Lewis Teague (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (1984)
Directed by: Sergio Leone (1st of 1 films on list)
Italy / United States

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MY LEFT FOOT (1989)
Directed by: Jim Sheridan (1st of 1 films on list)
Ireland / United Kingdom

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BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY (1989)
Directed by: Oliver Stone (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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THE CHANGELING (1980)
Directed by: Peter Medak (1st of 1 films on list)
Canada

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MANON OF THE SPRING (1986)
Directed by: Claude Berri (1st of 1 films on list)
Switzerland / Italy / France

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ATLANTIC CITY (1980)
Directed by: Louis Malle (3rd of 3 films on list)
France / Canada

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SUMMER (1986)
Directed by: Éric Rohmer (2nd of 2 films on list)
France

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TRUE CONFESSIONS (1981)
Directed by: Ulu Grosbard (1st of 1 films on list)
United States

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THE NAKED GUN: FROM THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD! (1988)
Directed by: David Zucker (2nd of 2 films on list)
United States

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