By Faith McQuinn

There are movies that were made in the 1980s, and then there are eighties movies. Anyone who was a preteen, teenager, or young adult during the eighties understands the difference. It’s hard to define, but you know it when you see it, and you guiltily relish in the pleasure of seeing these campy masterpieces.

Mostly everyone knows the true classics of the decade: FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF, GOONIES, THE BREAKFAST CLUB, and FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH to name a few, but there are some obscure ones out there worth mentioning. These are the movies that populated the theaters during the 1980s, and tried to educate unsuspecting teens everywhere.



1. JUST ONE OF THE GUYS
One of the many role reversal movies of the decade, JUST ONE OF THE GUYS stars Joyce Hyser as Terry Griffiths, a beautiful girl who’s convinced her good looks keep her from being taken seriously as a journalist. When one of her articles doesn’t make it into a journalism contest, she decides to switch schools and go undercover as a boy so she can re-enter her article there.

Unlike Hilary Swank, who was quite convincing as a boy, not even in a heartbeat, would I ever believe Hyser as a guy. But of course, everyone at the new school is sold on the girlie-man Terry, including the over-sexed girl who develops a crush and the guy who becomes the best bud. Yes, yes, we all know how the movie will end, but it’s still great fun just watching all the high jinx that get us there.


2. GIRLS JUST WANT TO HAVE FUN
Helen Hunt, Sarah Jessica Parker, and more dancing than anyone should be asked to handle. This movie is a teen girl’s dream.

GIRLS has everything from Catholic schoolgirl jokes to bad boys from the wrong side of the tracks to punk freaks who crash parties, and even the quintessential redeeming moment between father and daughter happens right on cue. And really, who doesn’t want bad costumes and awesome slow motion dancing in their eighties movie?


3. FOR KEEPS
Molly Ringwald, the unofficial princess of the 1980s, is the star of this movie I’m sure a few people missed. She plays Darcy Elliot, a high school senior who wants to be a journalist and travel the world. Her boyfriend Stan Bobrucz (Randall Batinkoff) is an equally successful student who has dreams of being an architect. Their dreams are dashed when Darcy discovers she’s pregnant. Darcy and Stan love each other, so without his parents’ blessing, they get married.

FOR KEEPS is Ringwald’s serious 80s movie. The film quickly goes from two kids enjoying life on their own to two young parents dealing with paying bills, post-partum depression, and a quickly dimming future. The script isn’t award winning, but if you’re a Molly Ringwald fan, you should check it out.


4. LOVERBOY
The absolutely lovable Patrick Dempsey stars as Randy Bodeck—a college student who’s broke and in a rocky relationship. In the hopes to fix both, Randy decides to work as a pizza delivery boy. Due to some extreme miscommunication, he ends up as a male escort. (You want to see it now, don’t you?) At first, he’s a bit put off by the idea of being with older women, but the money is just too good, and it's all good practice for his girlfriend, right?

Of course things don't go so smoothly for the lover boy. Randy soon finds himself running from some very angry husbands, trying to convince his parents that he’s not gay, and holding onto his girlfriend who's convinced he's cheating (probably because he technically is, but technicalities aren't important in the 1980s, folks.)


5. SHE’S OUT OF CONTROL
Single dad Doug Simpson (Tony Danza) is a radio station producer with two daughters. When Doug returns from a business trip to find his oldest Katie (Ami Dolenz) has gone from a braces-wearing little girl to a smokin’ hot young woman. Of course, this transformation is supposed to be amazing, but every nerd girl in these movies is gorgeous underneath her ponytail and glasses. Boys from every walk of life are banging down his door, and Doug doesn’t know whether to lock Katie in her room or make every new boyfriend his best friend.

Unlike the other teen movies on this list, SHE’S OUT OF CONTROL is more about the parent than the kid, but don’t think this movie skimps on silly teenage drama. The movie comes complete with slapstick humor, awkward dates, and even a prom in the final act.


6. DREAM A LITTLE DREAM
There can be no eighties movie list without at least one Corey/Corey movie. This is probably the most obscure one of all (unless you count their 1990s venture BLOWN AWAY). DREAM is a case of body-switching and role reversal since Feldman plays the lead and Haim plays the wingman.

Feldman is Bobby Keller, a high school student who freakishly looks like Michael Jackson. While taking a short cut through an old man’s (Jason Robard), he collides with a pretty girl named Lanie (Meredith Salenger). Somehow this collision causes Bobby and Lanie to switch bodies with the old man and his wife. Weird dreams and a Michael Jackson dance scene ensue.