Top Ten Films: 1985

I was born in 1985, and some of the greatest films were released. Coincidence? I think not!! But then the question "becomes where to begin?" This is probably one of the toughest Top Ten lists that I've attempted to put together, because honestly there were so many wonderful movies released in 1985. But, nevertheless I did what I could and put together my list of ten. So let's begin at the end.

Number 10: Year of the Dragon starring Mickey Rourke

Young Joey Tai becomes the head of the Chinese Mafia in New York through unprecedented levels of violence and through his violence is the undisputed leader of the Chinese community.

Stanley White (Mickey), a highly decorated New York police officer and Vietnam vet, put in charge of keeping law and order in Chinatown.

Both met meet in an unavoidable and bloody conflict as they both are prone to breaking rules as well as standing firm to their belief of no compromises.

Number 9: Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment starring Steve Guttenberg

Recent graduates from the original Police Academy (1984), Mahoney, Jones, Tackleberry, Hightower, Hooks and Fackler are ready to pursue real criminals. Assigned to a precinct with the highest crime rate in the city. The assignment of lowering crime is tasked to the hijinks laced team, and they believe it will be lowered by stopping the local gang and their leader, Zed.

Focusing on slapstick comedy instead of nightsticks, Police Academy is always something that I go back to when I'm looking for a good classic comedy.

Number 8: Rocky IV starring Sylvester Stallone

Apollo Creed defeated and killed by the merciless Drago, a Russian boxer scientifically trained using equipment that enhances his fighting power. Rocky, feeling responsible for Apollo's death, as he had been Apollo's trainer for the match, promises revenge against Drago.

Hiring Apollo's old trainer, Duke, he begins to train for his Christmas Day fight against the "Siberian Express" that is Ivan Drago.

Number 7: Teen Wolf starring Michael J. Fox

Say hello to Scott Howard, a high school student struggling through his day with problems, boy does he have problems! - Playing on a struggling basketball team for a lame duck coach, isn't noticed by the prettiest girl in the school... For a high school student, those are big problems.

After going to a party, he discovers that he is a human-wolf hybrid. Trying to keep his secret turns out to be difficult as it is revealed during a basketball game, but turns out to make him incredibly popular.

Number 6: Commando starring Arnold Schwarzenegger

It's Aahrnold!

John Matrix (Arnold), a retired special agent of an elite unit chooses to leave the armed forces to life in seclusion with his daughter (Alyssa Milano). One by one his former team is being killed off. His daughter is kidnapped in an effort to force John to assassinate a political leader, a warlord previously stopped by John's team who wishes to lead a coup in his country.

Number 5: Spies Like Us starring Chevy Chase & Dan Aykroyd

Incompetent recruits, Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chevy) and Austin Millbarge (Dan), are sent into Pakistan winding up in Afghanistan after being chased by Russians, where they learn that they are decoys to draw out the Russians. Finding all sorts of humor and hijinks throughout the film, the two recruits must rely on each other if they are to stop World War 3.

Number 4: Weird Science starring Anthony Michael Hall, Kelly LeBrock & Ilan Mitchell-Smith

Two best friends Gary (Anthony) and Wyatt (Ilan) fail at pretty much all the social aspects of life. Their desperation to be accepted and liked, leads them to 'create' a woman via their computer.

Their creation, Lisa, who only wants to boost their self-confidence puts them in situations which require the boys to act like men. On the path to acceptance they encounter many obstacles but in the long run discover what life is actually about.

Number 3: The Breakfast Club starring Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson & Molly Ringwald

Five high school students, stereotypes in their own rights, meet in detention where they pour their hearts into each other and discover that when it all breaks down, they are a lot more alike than they could have imagined.

They share fears, secrets, emotions and problems leading them to find friendship and connections that couldn't be found on the surface.

Number 2: Real Genius starring Val Kilmer

Two Genius' are partnered together on a project to develop a high-powered laser, at their college. Mitch a straight laced student learns from Chris (Val), the prodigal genius about how he can still be a genius but live life outside the confines of a lab. Chris also learns from Mitch about responsibility and working towards something with a team that he can trust.

Number 1: Back to the Future starring Michael J. Fox & Christopher Lloyd

A kid (Michael) accidentally gets sent back in time 30 years with the help of a time traveling DeLorean invented by his friend Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher). Tasked with getting his parents to fall in love, he finds that if he doesn't he will cease to exist.

Now before you jump on me for excluding: The Goonies, National Lampoons: European Vacation, Mad Max: Thunderdome, Rambo: First Blood Part 2 The second coming Redux (or whatever it was actually called)...

None of those films captured my attention the way my top ten list did.