Movies that take you back.

[Dark Jezter]

Everybody has movies that they loved when they were younger, and watching them nowadays causes them to recall fond memories associated with those movies. This thread is so that people can list such films.

I'm currently 24 years old, and these are a few movies that cause nostalgia-trips in me:

The Goonies: Is there a kid who grew up in the 80s who didn't like this movie?

The Neverending Story: I used to love the doglike dragon in this movie, and nowadays I still occasionally find myself humming the theme song.

Willow: George Lucas' failed attempt to create a grand fantasy epic is still enjoyable to me. Besides, Val Kilmer's character, Madmartigan, inspired many a D&D PC.

Red Dawn: Who could forget the chilling opening scenes where the Soviet paratroopers land on the high school football field? My cousin still occasionally has nightmares about it.

Labyrinth: This was a very 1980s fantasy film, as evidenced by David Bowie as the evil Goblin King.

War Games: All the old computers in this movie remind me of the days of Commodore 64s and arcade classics like Galaga.

First Blood Part II: After seeing this movie, I spent many summer days using my little green army men to re-enact American soldiers rescuing POWs from Vietnam.

Back to the Future: To this day, I can't listen to the song "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News without thinking of Marty McFly's adventures in 1950s California.

Back to the Future Part II: After this movie came out, everybody wanted a hoverboard. Soon after, I recall rumors started circulating about hoverboards actually being invented, but they were all quickly revealed to be hoaxes.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off: I first saw this movie during a sleep-over at a friend's house when I was about 9 years old. I remember thinking about how I wanted to be just like Ferris Bueller when I was in high school.

The Wizard: Nowadays, I realize that the movie was nothing more than a 90 minute long Nintendo commercial. However, when you're a 10-year-old kid who eats, breathes, and sleeps Nintendo, its cool just to see all your favorite games in an actual movie.

Transformers: The Movie: Not only was this a great animated movie, but the soundtrack for it absolutely rocks!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The live-action TMNT movie is awful by today's standards, but when I was a ninja-obsessed third-grader it didn't seem so bad.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure: Before Harold & Kumar, before Harry & Lloyd, before Wayne & Garth, there was Bill & Ted. Plus, the scene where Ghengis Khan goes ballistic in a sporting good store is priceless.

Ghostbusters: Hilarious dialogue, impressive (for the time) special effects, and great comedic talent make this movie a timeless classic.

 

[ddvmor]

Transformers the Movie. One of the greatest movies ever made!

Back to the Future - he he - not only is it a great movie, but in the context of this thread, it's also a great pun!

My wife forced me to buy and watch the Goonies on VHS a couple of years ago. It was horrible. Seeing Sam Gamgee scream his way through the movie. Makes me shudder just thinking about it! She also forced Labyrinth on me. Urgh (is Jennifer Conelly the most irritating girl in movie history?).

Now, Ghostbusters. That's the movie to beat all movies! There's not a bad thing to be said about it. Even the awful special effects (by todays standards) are great. Although I have to say that the commentary on the dvd was probably even better then the movie!

Robocop... 'nuff said.

Finally - for some reason, I can't explain why - Predator 2. Erm. Can't defend it. I just like it, ok!

 

[Dark Jezter]

Now, Ghostbusters. That's the movie to beat all movies! theer's not a bad thing to be said about it. Even the awful special effects (by todays standards) are great. Although I have to say that the commentary on the dvd was probably even better then the movie!

Oh man! I can't believe I forgot to include Ghostbusters on my list. Adding it now.

In fact, maybe I'll go back and edit my list to include explainations as you did.

 

[johnsemlak]

As soon as I saw this list I immediately thought of Wargames, man that movie makes you remember how computers have changed. But I think the main ideas of that movie are still pretty current though.

Here's one I'd add:

The Blues Brothers Anyone familiar with Chicago (and Milwaukee) then and now can appreciate how this film takes you back. Like that unfinished bridge in Milwaukee that sat unfinished for about 10 years or so.

 

[Hand of Evil]

STAR WARS: A New Hope - everything changed.

Fast Times at Ridgmont High - Brings back thoughts of highs school, dating and fun times had.

JAWS and Greese

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

32 years old

Star Wars (it wasn't called A New Hope back then, and it was my life)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (saw it at the drive in theater on Cape Cod in a thunderstorm)
Ghostbusters (We came, we saw, we kicked it's a$$!)
Goonies (I wanted to move to Oregon to go climbing around in the coastal caves and find a pirate ship)
Pee Wee's Big Adventure (What can I say? I laughed out loud then, and still laugh out loud now)
Singles (the beginning of my college years, and all I wore were flannel shirts, ratty jeans, & my 10 hole purple Doc Martins)

 

[Felix]

24 years old.

Shawshank Redemption: It might not be that old, but it summons visions of freshman year college.

Big: "I get to sleep on top!" and my buddy's 7-year-old birthday party.

Conan the Barbarian: "Grant me REVENGE! And if you do not listen, then the HELL with you!" This is when I started thinking "swords are cool".

Batman: "Ever dance with the Devil in the pale moonlight?"

Dead Poets Society: "O Captain, my Captain!"

(I actually saw Batman and Dead Poets Society with my parents in the theater on a double-flick. Talk about two good movies back to back!)

What About Bob: "I want, I want, I need, I need, I need!" Saw this in theater with my brother when he got back from college.

Dumb and Dumber: "Pretty bird, pretty bird..." I almost fell out of my seat seeing this with my brother. He was keeping his sides from splitting.

Die Hard: "Ho-ho-ho! Now I have a machine gun." A couple of friends back in high school used to watch this on a regular basis.

 

[Joshua Randall]

Dudes, Jennifer Connelly is hot. And yes, I thought that even when she was 14 or however old she was in Labyrinth.

I'm trying to think of some films to add to this list that haven't already been mentioned.

Time Bandits - you're not a Real Geek (tm) if you haven't seen this movie. It's got everything: dwarves, Napoleon, Satan, and Sean Connery.

The Dark Crystal - incredibly cheesy, but my sister and I must've watched it a dozen times (on our oh-so-illegal bootleg videocasette). One of my friends would always crack my up by doing a perfect immitation of the Skeksi sound.

Star Trek II - Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! ('nuff said) I own this on videocasette (legally), and wouldn't trade it for any new-fangled DVD.

 

[CrusaderX]

Great list, Jezter! I'll add another:

Clash of the Titans - magic, monsters, mythology, this was D&D brought to life.

 

[Pants]

Wow, nearly all of the listed movies do that for me.

I'm 21 and here are some of my addendums to the list:

Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home

All of Star Wars

All of Indiana Jones