Thursday Thirteen #4

If there is one thing I love almost as much as books, it's movies. And when I logged on to Yahoo this morning, I saw that Bob Clark was killed in a car accident yesterday. For those of you that don't know, Bob Clark was a Hollywood director. His movies included the seasonal favorite A Christmas Story (one of the greatest Christmas movies....EVER!) and the Porky's movies. I was really sad to see this. But it started me thinking of movies....which led me to this week's Thursday Thirteen topic. As a child of the 80's, I watched lots of movies. These movies shaped me into who I am today. And yes, I know almost ever line of each and every one of the following:

Thirteen of the Best Teen Movies of the 80's!




1. Say Anything (1989) - You say, "AGAIN with the John Cusak??" Yep. This is my #1 favorite teen movie! The movie that made me fall in love. If Lloyd Dobler, the underachieving-kickboxer can end up with the beautiful valedictorian Diane Court, anything is possible!! "She's gone. She gave me a pen. I gave her my heart, she gave me a pen."

2. The Breakfast Club (1985) - One Saturday detention, five unhappy teens, and their scramble to prove they're each something more than a brain , an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Could a person ask for anymore teen angst? "But face it. You're a neo maxi zoom dweebie, what would you be doing if you weren't out making yourself a better citizen?"


3. Heathers (1989) - Ok...this one is probably at the opposite end of the happy teen movie spectrum. It's the Anti-John Hughes teen movie! Can you picture Molly Ringwald spiking some's Tab with Drano? But if you ever had dreams about offing a classmate, this is one movie you should see! Christian Slater as J.D and Winona Ryder as Veronica are the coolest kids around. "Dear Diary, my teen-angst bullshit now has a body count."


4. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) - This movie tells you EXACTLY what it's like to be a teen in search of the ultimate: sex, drugs and rock-n-roll! And it launched the careers of so many actors, including Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nicholas Cage, and Forest Whittacre to name just a few. Besides, where would we be without this little tidbit of wisdom: "People on 'ludes should not drive!"


5. Ferris Buehller's Day Off (1986) - Talk about the ultimate slacker movie. This in another John Hughes movie....about a guy on a quest to take it easy and ditch school for the day. What's not to love about this movie? Anyone, Anyone?? The sites of Chicago, singing "Danke Schoen" in a parade and having fun with your best friends. " Not that I condone fascism, or any -ism for that matter. -Ism's in my opinion are not good. A person should not believe in an -ism, he should believe in himself. I quote John Lennon, "I don't believe in The Beatles, I just believe in me." Good point there. After all, he was the walrus. I could be the walrus. I'd still have to bum rides off people."


6. Better Off Dead (1985) - Yes...again with John Cusak. But come on, you have to admit this movie is hilarious! Lane Meyer's is dealing with a lot. His girlfriend dumped him. He didn't make the ski team. His family is nuts. And there is a homicidal paperboy after him! Face it. Lane can't even commit suicide correctly! This movie is filled with some of the best one-liners ever!! "Now that's a real shame when folks be throwin' away a perfectly good white boy like that."


7. Risky Business (1983) - Now, I'm not a Tom Cruise fan...at all. I personally think the man is a loon. But this movie is Pre- Couch-hopping, Scientology-is-the-way craziness. This is good clean fun. Well....as clean as it can be when a high school kid opens a brothel in his house to make enough money to pay for the repairs to his Dad's Porsche that he dumped in Lake Michigan when his parents were out of town. OK....not exactly clean family-fun. But no one will ever forget Tom Cruise in his tidy-whities singing Old Time Rock-n-Roll!! "I don't believe this! I've got a trig midterm tomorrow, and I'm being chased by Guido the killer pimp. "


8. Sixteen Candles (1984) - Molly Ringwald, as Samantha Baker, is just too cute. Her parents forgot her sweet sixteenth, her sister is getting married to a Bo-hunk, her house is invaded with relatives, she gave a geek her undies, and the boy of her dreams doesn't knows she exists. Teenage life at it's worst!! "Donger's here for five hours, and he's got somebody. I live here my whole life, and I'm like a disease."


9. Pretty in Pink Ok...so I was obsessed with John Hughes movies!! Sue me. The underdog always wins and the girl always gets the guy. Total fiction, but it can give you a little hope! Should Andie have chased after rich, repentant Blane, or stayed at the prom with poor, devoted Duckie?? She was in love with the Richie, and she got him. Poor Duckie. I still mist up though when they hold hands and walk into the prom together to face everyone! And wasn't James Spader just the greatest bad guy all dressed up in white?? "I know I'm old enough to be his mother, but when the Duck laid that kiss on me last night, I swear my thighs just went up in flames! He must practice on melons or something"


10. The Lost Boys (1987) - You can't have a list of 80's teen movies and not include at least one movie with the Corey's! I, personally, like bad boy Vampire David (Keifer Suterland). Great movie. Again...what's not to love? It's a teen Vampire movie. Hot teen Vamps. This must be where my obsession started!! "One thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach, all the damn vampires."


11. The Outsiders (1983) - I loved this book!! I loved this movie. Talk about throwing every hot teen star in Hollywood in one film! It was the Greasers Vs. The Socs. Poor little abandoned Johnny gets attacked one night and ends up killing a drunk Socs. He heads out of town with Ponyboy...and they end up being heros. The lines between good and evil are really blurred in this one. Stars just about everyone including Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze and Ralph Macchio. "We gotta win that fight tonight. We gotta get even with those Socs! Let's do it for Johnny, man. We'll do it for Johnny!"


12. Can't Buy Me Love (1987) - Ok...so this one is kind of cheezy. What can I say? That's who I am!! Long before he became Dr. McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey played in this cute movie about a geek trying to fit in with the Popular kids. He tried a new approach. He tried to BUY his way in!! I actually went to see this one with my Grandma. It will always hold a soft spot in my heart because of that. "Nerds, jocks. My side, your side. It's all bullshit. Its hard enough just trying to be yourself. "


13. Adventures in Babysitting (1897) - I saw this when I actually WAS babysitting! Who ever said babysitting was easy never saw this movie!! When Chris Parker takes the kids she is babysitting into Downtown Chicago to find a friend at the bus station, she knew she could get into some trouble. Never in a million years could she guess the kind of trouble it would be!! Fun movie. Nothing more, nothing less. " Nobody leaves this place without singing the blues."


Well....that's it till next time!! Later! Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

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