21.
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)

Switching decade now we come to 1980, but the run of top tier sci-fi continues with the first Star Wars sequel, The Empire Strikes Back. Somehow Lucas and his team managed to improve on the first film. On a raw spectacle and entertainment level Empire boasts several iconic sequences – the rebels battling Imperial Walkers on an ice planet, the Millenium Falcon chased through an asteroid field, and the unbelievably well-crafted duel between Luke and Vader. These scenes are so exhilarating they transcend to the point of high art.

Beyond the spectacle, Empire is one of the most intelligent pieces of philosophy ever put on film. The story presents an overall truth that’s rare in cinema … Sometimes the bad guys win. Sometimes they outsmart us or outgun us. And when it happens we have to survive the experience in whatever way we can, lick our wounds, learn from the experience and prepare so that we can turn the tables later down the line. This movie presented that core lesson in warfare psychology by having the Empire chase the heroes relentlessly for two hours. All the characters are made to suffer, even the co-dependent droids, who are separated from each other for almost the entire movie. Luke Skywalker even attempts suicide immediately after discovering Vader is his Father, hurling himself into a cavernous void only to be saved by being sucked into a ventilation shaft on the way down.

It’s amazing that the film is saturated with so much pain and loss, yet manages to still hold its own as family entertainment. It does this through the devices of anxiety releasing humour, beautiful special effects and action thrills. But the real antidote to all the misery is our introduction to one of the most beautifully written characters in cinema history … Yoda. The film infuses this little Kermit the Frog like puppet with the grace and wisdom of the Buddha. Living a simple, unpretentious, non-egotistic existence in a swamp, Yoda blesses Luke (and us) with his enlightened insights into all things psychological and spiritual.

Empire Strikes Back is one of the most important philosophical narratives ever put on film, as well as being one of the most engaging pieces of entertainment.

22.
THE SHINING (1980)

Also in 1980, neighbouring theatres were scaring the hell out of audiences with Stanley Kubrick’s horror movie The Shining. Largely rejected initially by critics, it slowly went on to become arguably the most talked about horror film of all time, perhaps even surpassing The Exorcist on that level.

The problem for the film upon release is that, while it was undeniably creepy, it was very hard for anyone to explain why it was so creepy. The film lacked the usual ghost story tropes of flickering lights, dark corridors, telekinetic movement of objects, and dusty cobwebs. And instead of showing us clichéd semi-transparent ghosts, The Shining featured a series of “visions” that appeared to be full flesh and blood. The young boy, Danny, is literally strangled by one … apparently.

Kubrick’s complex and meticulously crafted subliminal techniques have gradually surfaced over the years … spatially disorienting impossible architecture, jarring optical illusion designs in the hotel décor, the unusual approach of fully lighting ghosts rather than having them creep about in the dark, and more.

In addition, assorted historical, political and psychological themes have emerged, such as the theme of Native American Genocide. And mysterious, unexplained details such as Jack Nicholson appearing in a 1921 photo in the film’s final moments, have kept audiences guessing as to what the film is really about.

Even if you ignore the subtext, The Shining is still an incredibly entertaining film. The gorgeous mountain shots and vast hotel are beautifully creepy, the key ghost scenes are unusually disturbing, Jack Nicholson is captivating and hilarious in turns, and the musical score is as sinister as you’ll find in the genre.

For those willing to look beyond the surface, check out the ground-breaking studies on the film at my Film Analysis page.

23.
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981)

One year later came another unique and ground-breaking horror film, John Landis’ classic An American Werewolf in London (1981). For some reason this movie doesn’t get much attention today. It’s mostly dropped off radar, but it was massively influential upon release, even serving as the base inspiration for Michael Jackson’s epic Thriller music video (also directed by Landis).

The special effects alone were a milestone in movie horror. The fully lit scene of lead character David transforming from naked man into werewolf was cinema magic to audiences at the time, coming a full year before John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). Even in the age of CGI, it remains the best werewolf transformation ever put on film.

Other incredible scenes include the terrifying attack on the Moors, culminating with David’s friend Jack being torn to shreds. What an opening to a movie! David’s surrealist dream sequences are memorable, especially the one where his family get slaughtered by Nazi werewolves. The ghosts of werewolf victims manifesting to torment David is a brilliant addition to werewolf lore, with incredible make-up effects to boot. A London businessman being chased through a maze of London tubeway halls is equally memorable.

The horror scares are so savage and the underlying  tragedy so melancholic that the film could have actually frightened audiences away. However it has another trick up its sleeve that balances the experience … humour. An American Werewolf in London is an excellent comedy. One of the most striking examples of this is six undead talking to David in the darkness of a movie theatre. The blood drenched faces and hands glisten in the darkness – quite horrifying imagery – as they offer suggestions of ways David can kill himself, while a porn movie plays on the screen they’re watching (within the movie). The film has many unique moments like this. And it’s still the best werewolf movie ever made, by a long shot.

24.
THE ROAD WARRIOR (1981)

Also in 1981, Australian writer / director George Miller gave us The Road Warrior, the first (and still easily the best) sequel to his low-budget movie Mad Max (1979). With a bigger budget and more film making experience, Miller went all out. The result was a grandiose vision of a post-civilization future.

Society has completely collapsed and, from the ashes, terrifying road gangs have spawned. They stalk the Earth raping, killing and scavenging whatever resources they can, especially fuel for their vehicles. Max lost his family in the first film and now he too is a scavenger of the roads, but he gets caught up in the fate of a group of travellers who are trying to build a new society and restore the old sense of civility.

At the mere visual level, Road Warrior achieved wide cultural impact. Its sun-scorched sparse landscapes, moody skyscapes, battered chunky vehicles, and punk / biker infused costumes have been widely imitated. But its narrative has never been matched in the post-apocalyptic genre. Road Warrior, far more effectively than the first film, shows how rapidly human beings can revert to tribalistic, violent and sadistic behaviour if the safeguards of civil society are taken away. There’s great truth in this film.

Additions to the cinematic brew include brutal vehicle to vehicle combat (shot with actual vehicles and real stuntmen, the end truck chase defies belief in terms of the dangers in filming), a pounding yet ominous and grief-soaked musical score, the instant-stardom presence of a very young Mel Gibson, a bold deconstruction of the hero archetype, and a powerful bitter / sweet ending.

25.
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)

The timing is uncanny. The same year that gave us the rugged dirtiness of Road Warrior also gave us the rugged dirtiness of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Whenever I see this, the first (and still easily the best) Indiana Jones adventure, I find myself asking, “How can a movie be THIS entertaining?”

As with any enduring masterpiece, there isn’t a single magic ingredient. The magic comes from a complex and potent mix of ingredients. Obviously, there’s the first-rate action sequences … Jones raiding and escaping a tomb in the opening fifteen minutes, a shoot out in a Nepalese bar, a chase sequence in the backstreets of Cairo, Jones and his sidekick (Marion) destroying a parked fighter plane, and an epic truck chase on par with the one at the end of The Road Warrior. Jones sliding on the ground under a moving truck is my favourite movie stunt of all time.

The fighting is much more savage than in most family action movies, but Lucas and Spielberg cleverly subdued the censors by adding playful humour throughout. So the action has us both on the edge of our seat and laughing out loud in turns.

Beyond the action Raiders takes its audience on a spiritual journey across human history, which includes Nazi pre-occupation with the Occult (this was true in life) and biblical stories linked to ancient Egyptian civilizations. And it has terrific villains.

Then there’s the aesthetic craftsmanship. Yet another unforgettable score by John Williams, punchy sound effects, beautiful cinematography, and precision editing maintain full engagement throughout.

I saw Raiders of the Lost Ark at the cinema when I about nine years old. It was one of greatest cinema experiences of my life. Seeing it again in a rare (and packed out) cinema screening at the FACT centre here in Liverpool in my forties, the magic hadn’t faded in the slightest.

Check out my studies on Raiders of the Lost Ark on my Film Analysis page.

26.
48 HRS (1982)

Now we’re onto my favourite year in film, 1982. The number of great movies released in that one year alone is staggering and several have made this list. The first is Walter Hill’s cop-buddy action movie 48 Hrs. Nick Nolte plays an unhinged cop (Jack Cates), not unlike Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry, who teams up with a convict (Reggie Hammond) played by Eddie Murphy. Their job is to catch a couple of Hammond’s former crime buddies who have been on a spree of murder and robbery. Naturally, they can’t stand each other at first, but gradually a partnership of respect and even friendship kicks in.

This movie was so successful it became the benchmark / template that virtually all other cop buddy movies since have tried to live up to. None of them have succeeded, despite some very good efforts like Mel Gibson’s Lethal Weapon (1987). So what are its secret ingredients?

Firstly, there’s the razor-sharp humour. Insults fly left and right in almost every scene. Writer / director Walter Hill was an incredible dialogue writer. His scripting contributions did wonders for Alien (1978). In 48 Hrs the dialogue was creatively enhanced while shooting (Eddie Murphy was a stand-up comedian anyway, so no doubt he made great contributions). The racial insults between the two leads brought a lot of laughs too, something studios wouldn’t dare do today for fear of critics who love to play the “offense” card in their reviews.

The story structure was also much better than in most action movies. A particularly clever factor is that Walter Hill hits us hard with a hotel shoot-out scene early in the story. This one is played straight. It establishes how out of control the villains are, giving powerful narrative drive to the rest of the movie. It’s after this scene that Eddie Murphy’s character enters the story, triggering an insult war with Nolte’s character.

48 Hrs isn’t the most artistic or philosophical movie on my list here, but it’s packed with memorable scenes and one-liners. It grabs the viewer’s attention from the very first scene and barely gives us a breather until the credits roll.

27.
NIGHT SHIFT (1982)

Another film from 1982 is Ron Howard’s second film Night Shift. This is now a virtually forgotten comedy film and so, most of you reading this list won’t have seen it and many of you have likely never heard of it. But it was very successful in 1982.

Henry Winker (who played The Fonz in the 60’s sitcom Happy Days) works in a New York City morgue. Against his will, he’s put on night shift duty alongside a new colleague played by a very young Michael Keaton. Through a bizarre set of circumstances the two of them end up becoming pimps with hearts of gold – doing it not for the money, but to protect a group of hookers whose previous pimp was murdered.

The subject matter is actually very dark, but it’s played as comedic light entertainment … and it works perfectly! The writing, acting, direction, score and everything else flow together like wine. I’ve no doubt this is partially down to the already established relationships between director Ron Howard, actor Henry Winkler and co-writers Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. All four of them had worked together on the Happy Days TV show and they had teamed up specifically to make this film. Their chemistry and shared vision makes this a very consistent film thematically and in style. The dialogue is snappy and the scenes are tightly constructed … no filler at all this movie.

Night Shift was also the springboard that fired Michael Keaton onto a string of successful roles.

As of 2026 it may be one of the lesser known films on this list, but don’t assume it’s a lesser film. Night Shift is a forgotten masterpiece, waiting patiently for a second lease of life

28.
CREEPSHOW (1982)

Still in the year 1982, but going back to the horror genre we have George A. Romero’s Creepshow which was scripted by Stephen King. This is an anthology horror film consisting of five short stories. The first is about a snobbish family who meet up on the anniversary of their rich relative who’d been murdered by one of them in a rage, but the old guy returns from the grave to take revenge. The second episode has Stephen king himself acting as a hillbilly who finds a crashed meteor in his garden. It’s brought a form of alien plant life to earth that grows on just about anything, including human flesh. Episode three features Leslie Nielsen as a psychopath who kills his wife and her lover only for them to return to life and haunt him. Episode four involves a university lecturer who finds an old archaeological crate under a stairwell. It turns out to contain a prehistoric baboon-like creature that can tear people to shreds. And the fifth episode tells the story of a grumpy rich old man in an expensive penthouse apartment who is tormented by a seemingly supernatural infestation of cockroaches.

The subject matter may sound juvenile, but the execution of these stories is of the highest quality. The script is, for me, some of Stephen King’s best writing, albeit with some significant alterations and improvements while shooting. Three of the stories were written for the screen, rather than being adapted from King’s books.

The aesthetic and technical aspects are far better than anything else in Romero’s filmography. Cinematography and sound effects are excellent throughout. The electronic musical score is surprisingly gothic, in fact just as effective as most orchestral scores. And the film is unique in terms of lighting and editing. The stories are framed as if we’re reading a comic … White panels drawn around the edges of the screen from time to time. Transitions between scenes are sometimes framed as pages flipping over. And key moments of horror revelation involve the sudden appearance of unnatural coloured light intruding on the moment. It sounds like something that would be a visual and conceptual disaster, but it works brilliantly, giving this film a unique visual style of its own.

And then there’s the acting !!! Most horror movies have awful actors, but here we have talent such as Ed Harris, Hal Holbrook, E G Marshall, Leslie Nielsen (who is amazing as a psychopathic killer) and a brilliant performance by Adrienne Barbeau (playing a wife from hell). These actors bring an authenticity to the dialogue delivery that’s rarely seen in horror. Even in scenes that have nothing supernatural going on, the film shines in terms of its engaging and relatable characters.

The first two stories are very good, but the third, fourth and fifth are absolutely top tier film making – so good that each of those three episodes could have easily been expanded into a standalone blockbuster feature film. For me, Creepshow is Romero’s very best film. Yes, even better than his Dead trilogy..

29.
DEATH WISH 2 (1982)

Still going with 1982 we have the best vigilante film ever made, Death Wish 2. Most critics (then and now) HATE this film, but audiences loved it and the film was very successful. The film did also get some critical appraisal in continental Europe. And near enough every person I’ve ever actually met in person who’s seen it liked it.

The story is basic on the surface. Charles Bronson plays Paul Kersey. His daughter and his housemaid are raped and killed by a vicious street gang. So he goes on a vigilante hunt to kill them one by one, prowling the streets night after night. But things are complicated by his relationship with a journalist who strongly believes criminals can be reformed. They’re also complicated by a cop who has followed Kersey from New York to Los Angeles after Kersey’s previous vigilante activities in the first film.

Quite simply this film cut too close to the bone for sheltered critics who lacked familiarity with rough street life or the sadistic glee violent criminals often take in their crimes. It presents violent crime for the ugly thing it is and it shows no sympathy for the perpetrators, just as they show no sympathy for their victims. It even mocks the kinds of doctors and psychiatrists who believe society’s worst criminals can be reformed with a little kindness. And Death Wish 2’s take on the issue still holds up. For every successfully reformed criminal in real life there are others who leave prison and commit similar violent crimes to what they had before. Death Wish 2 is one-sided, but the case it presents is an important one.

Aside from tackling tough issues the film is expertly paced, well-shot, well-acted and has a killer score featuring dirty riffage from the one and only Jimmy Page (of Led Zeppelin fame).

Check out my studies on Death Wish 2 on my Film Analysis page.

30.
THE THING (1982)

Yet another 1982 film now … John Carpenter’s The Thing. The original 1951 movie, The Thing From Another World, was excellent and still has its own special place, but this remake was a colossal leap forward.

Initially rejected by critics for its intense gore and unsettling paranoia, the film was too scary for its own good. It had its hard core fans from the beginning and I was one of them when I first saw it at age nine. Over the following decades, the film’s reputation grew and grew to the point where virtually every paid film critic today has embraced it.

It took time, but once the world became desensitized to the blood and gore, the film’s many other qualities became recognized. There’s a certain beauty to the visual effects akin to watching a nature documentary. The very carefully crafted script and story structure by Bill Lancaster is astounding, leaving multiple mysteries for the viewer to slowly unravel over multiple viewings. Whose shadow did we see when the dog-thing entered a room early in the film? Who sabotaged the blood bank? When was each infected crew member assimilated? What happened to the scientist named Fuches? And, of course, was Childs an imitation in the final scene? These and other mysteries force us to play detective and it makes The Thing one of the most rewatchable films ever made.

Add to that excellent cinematography, music and sound design, perfect editing and one of the most terrifying and unique monsters ever to come forth from the horror genre. The creature itself never gets boring because it has a different appearance and different behaviour every time we see it.

The Thing is cinematic perfection. Check out my studies on the film at my Film Analysis page.