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9 movies that redefine classic

wingdaryl5

Updated: Jan 30, 2024





I have a problem with the word classic. I mean, seriously, how many times have you seen Amadeus (1984), Brazil (1985), The Maltese Falcon (1960), or The Third Man (1949)? That’s what I thought. And how many times have you watched Speed (1994) or Terminator 2 (1991)?


Call them guilty pleasures if you wish, but I prefer to call them classics - quickly pulled apart and ridiculed, and yet in their unique way, works of art I’ll never tire of. The Asphalt Jungle (1950) may get rave reviews but stick me in the jungle with Arnie any day of the week.


Therefore, here are nine movies that should be labelled as classics from this moment forward.


1. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)


John Carpenter’s greatest movie introduces us to Jack Burton, a tough-talking, wisecracking truck driver whose hum-drum life on the road takes a sudden supernatural tailspin when his best friend’s fiancée is kidnapped.


What follows is a crazy, full-throttle, action-riddled ride full of inventive set-pieces, explosive action, cracking villains, dreamy romance, and clever one-liners that will forever stand the test of time. And as ol’ Jack always says, Suspiria (1976) is not as exciting as Scream (1996).


2. Adventures in Babysitting (1987)


What teenage dreams were made of, Adventures in Babysitting follows Chris, the forever-gorgeous Elisabeth Shue, a fun-loving girl babysitting when her friend Brenda calls and begs to be rescued from the dangers of a dingy downtown bus station.


Chris's dull evening explodes into life when she decides to take the children with her. She's chased by gangsters, pursued by a hook-handed monster, avoids warring teenage gangs, and gets rescued by Thor, all before singing for their lives in a seedy blues nightclub.


3. Dirty Dancing (1987)


A bored teenager called Baby (Jennifer Grey) is on a family vacation at Kellerman’s holiday resort in the Catskill Mountains when she meets Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), a dance teacher who mesmerises Baby and generations of females with his smooth dance moves.


He teaches Baby how to dance and love, his cousin teaches her how to carry a watermelon, and Dirty Dancing teaches the male audience that it’s okay to like chick flicks. Don’t try ‘the lift’ when you’ve had one too many and never put Baby in the corner. She hates corners – it freaks her right out.


4. The Running Man (1987)


Five years ago, the world economy collapsed. The United States became a military-controlled police state, governing all media output.


Here, criminals have a choice. They can serve their sentences or participate in ‘The Running Man,’ a violent game show where contestants run for freedom – pursued by monstrous celebrities, all in the name of entertainment.


Ben Richards (Arnold Schwarzenegger) – framed for a crime he didn’t commit – is about to change all that, and what follows is one of the greatest action flicks ever to grace our screens.


Forget Arnie’s sublime one-liners, ridiculous fight scenes, and an opening sequence that will forever blow your mind; the highlight is when Killian, the show’s presenter, finally gets his comeuppance. The old lady in the audience is still annoying.


5. Inner Space (1987)


Jack Putter is a hypochondriac who hears Tuck Pendleton's voice (Dennis Quaid) in his head. A hot-shot Navy pilot, Tuck is the subject of a secret miniaturisation project that goes a bit wrong. He's injected into Jack by mistake.


This isn’t good, of course, especially on coupon-day, but Inner Space thrives on a crazy and clever script. With goofy Bond villains, stunts that still impress, a convincing love triangle, and excellent dialogue, Joe Dante proves, yet again, that the eighties was his decade.


6. The Goonies (1985)


It’s that man again. Chris Columbus wrote the script for one of the greatest movies, following a group of small heroes with a mysterious treasure map into an underground realm of twisting passages, outrageous booby-traps, and a long-lost pirate ship.


Introducing us to the most incredible bunch of movie characters ever, The Goonies has everything you could ever wish for in a movie – a loveable monster, creepy villains, booby traps, lame gadgets, pirates, and the truffle shuffle. And how can we forget the delicious chemistry that tastes even better than a Baby Ruth? The Goonies may always mess up, but Richard Donner certainly didn’t.


7. License to Drive (1988)


Les (Corey Haim) is about to take his driver's license exam. He needs to pass because his best friends know only too well that cars mean girls, and Les knows that only a pass will reward him with a hot date with Mercedes (Heather Graham).


He fails, but instead of contemplating suicide, he steals his grandfather's near-vintage, baby-blue caddy, and the girl-hungry teens hit the town. Everything that could go wrong does go wrong, and the film is all the better because of it.


8. Gremlins (1984)


Although widely recognised as a brilliant movie, it’s never been mooted as a classic – until now. Gremlins is one of the greatest stories ever told (written by Columbus, you see) as young Billy Peltzer is given a cuddly new pet for Christmas from his father, a lame inventor, with three straightforward instructions.


Tragic, hilarious, and incredibly delirious, Gremlins is one of the best Christmas movies ever made. It’s up there with Die Hard (1988). Dante does it again, creating one of the most enjoyable roller-coaster rides since movies began. And I haven't even mentioned the adorable Gizmo once.


9. Speed (1994)


“A bomb is made to explode. That’s its meaning. Its purpose. Your life is empty because you spend it trying to stop the bomb from becoming. And for who? For what? You know what a bomb is, Jack, that doesn’t explode? It’s a cheap gold watch.”


Pop quiz, hot-shot. Speed has some of the best dialogue and most incredible set pieces. And it's the film that made us all fall in love with Sandra Bullock. Ignore the bloated finale when our two protagonists ditch the bus for a train and embrace the non-stop thrills as Jack (Keanu Reeves) needs all the balls in the world to stop Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) in his tracks.

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