The 1980’s was a pretty wild time for film making and for the world in general, and although some of the classic films from the 80’s are now nearly 40 years old, many of them still haven’t lost any of their luster. But it’s hard to determine what exactly turns a film into a classic, and to be honest it doesn’t seem like “classic” status is always determined by actual film quality.
But one thing is for damn sure. There are plenty of movies that are worthy of becoming classics that are unfortunately forgotten as time goes on. The 80’s was a real high point when it comes to science fiction films, with unforgettable classics like Blade Runner and RoboCop coming out, in addition to the continuation of some of the most iconic sci-fi film franchises of all time, like Star Wars and the Aliens series. But instead of looking back at movies everyone knows and loves, let’s take a look at some unfairly forgotten flicks you may have never seen.
Altered States
As anyone might be able to surmise from the actual title of the film, Altered States is a science fiction/horror film about a group of scientists that are extremely interested in the different mental states that human beings can experience.
As these scientists experiment with sensory deprivation and the places that the human mind can go under the influence of mind-altering substances, things take a turn for the insane when their experiments also begin having a physical effect on the subjects. The movie is based on a novel written by Paddy Chayefsky, and marks the film debut of Drew Barrymore and William Hurt.
Scanners
It seems like the 80’s were a time of really interesting and bizarre science fiction films that were based around the capabilities and shortcomings of the human mind, and 1981’s Scanners is one of the best and weirdest entries into this sub-genre.
The titular “scanners” in the film are actually relatively normal people who have intense psychic powers, including telepathy and telekinesis. Once these powers are discovered, inevitably the wrong people try to use them for their own ends, and eventually the scanners face off against one another, with two long lost brothers at the forefront of the battle.
The Dead Zone
The 1980’s was home to a lot of wonderful adaptations of Stephen King novels, but this one is a cut above the rest, so it’s a shame that it’s popular endurance hasn’t matched some of King’s other works. In addition to being an adaptation of the similarly titled The Dead Zone, this movie is directed by body horror icon David Cronenberg, and led by the incomparable and creepy as hell Christopher Walken.
After five years in a coma, a teacher from the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, discovers that he has gained considerable psychic powers, and then discovers all of the horror that can come with his abilities.
Escape From New York
John Carpenter is undoubtedly one of the most beloved horror creators of all time, but one of his less appreciated sci-fi gems is Escape From New York.
In yet another collaboration with actor Kurt Russell, Carpenter tells the story of Snake Plissken, a man living in a dystopian future where the island of Manhattan has become one giant prison. Plissken is a former Special Forces officer who has been arrested after being accused of trying to rob the federal reserve, and when the president of the United States has been abducted, Plissken has been tasked with finding him in the wild west that New York has become.
Videodrome
Okay, so clearly director David Cronenberg is a little over-represented on this list (in addition to directing The Dead Zone, he is also the director of Scanners, and this film, Videodrome), but it’s not our fault that he doesn’t get as much props as he deserves.
And in a laundry list of weird movies that he’s made, it’s very possible that Videodrome is the weirdest. When Max Renn discovers a bizarre TV channel called Videodrome that features nonstop violence and torture, the content of the channel seems to literally infect his mind and body, and it’s hard to know if he’s going insane or if these horrors are really happening to him.
Twilight Zone: The Movie
The Twilight Zone is undeniably one of the greatest science fiction series of all time, so it’s no surprise that it’s film version is pretty amazing as well. Unlike many other Twilight Zone reboots, this film is actually just an anthology of four classic Twilight Zone episodes that have been remade with better special effects and modernized for an 80’s audience.
It’s likely that the on set tragedy of Twilight Zone: The Movie (in which one of the lead actors and two child extras were killed in a helicopter accident) led to this film being forgotten, but it’s still a very solid sci-fi flick.
Dune
The 1980’s is obviously a pretty wild time for film creation, and that is pretty clearly exemplified by the fact that art house director David Lynch actually got the opportunity to direct a big budget sci-fi film when he made Dune.
Unsurprisingly, Lynch didn’t react when when his film vision was under the control of a big corporation, and the final result was a movie that was panned by critics and bombed at the box office. But time has been very kind to Dune, and it has grown into a bit of a cult classic in the years since it’s release.
Nineteen Eighty-Four
As anyone might expect, the film Nineteen Eighty-Four is actually a film adaptation of the iconic dystopian novel by George Orwell, and it really was released in the year 1984. The legendary John Hurt plays the main role of Winston Smith, and the movie follows him as he first deviates further and further away from the mandates of Big Brother, and is then in turn caught for his thoughtcrimes and re-indoctrinated into the beliefs of his government.
The book itself is timeless, and this movie adaptation of it is timeless as well, it still feels as relevant and intriguing today as it did in 1984.
The Abyss
With smash hits like The Terminator, Aliens, and Avatar under his belt, director James Cameron is a veritable icon in the science fiction film world.
But one of his less remembered classics is a movie called The Abyss. The Abyss is about a group of scientists and military officers who are tasked with investigating a sunken submarine, and as anyone might expect, what they find is not at all what they thought they’d find at the start. Apparently the making of the film was absolutely torturous, but the underwater visuals alone make the movie worth a watch.
They Live
For yet another John Carpenter sci-fi/horror film that hasn’t gotten the appreciation it deserves, we have They Live. It should come as a surprise to no one, but apparently Carpenter was a pretty prescient filmmaker, because it seems like this movie may have been the entire basis for many of the more insane conspiracy theories that have a surprising amount of traction today.
An unnamed drifter is the lead character in the film, and he spends most of his days on street corners spouting out conspiracy theories, only to discover that society’s ruling class are actually aliens in disguise who are sending subliminal messages to people through the media.
