Box Office Flashback: 1985

[claws]

DOMESTIC GROSSES #1–20

01. $210,609,762 - Back to the Future
02. $150,415,432 - Rambo: First Blood Part II
03. $127,873,716 - Rocky IV
04. $094,175,854 - The Color Purple
05. $087,071,205 - Out of Africa
06. $076,113,124 - Cocoon
07. $075,973,200 - The Jewel of the Nile
08. $068,706,993 - Witness
09. $061,389,680 - The Goonies
10. $060,088,980 - Spies Like Us

11. $055,600,000 - Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
12. $050,612,888 - Fletch
13. $050,327,960 - A View to a Kill
14. $049,364,621 - European Vacation
15. $048,230,162 - Mask
16. $045,875,171 - The Breakfast Club
17. $042,160,849 - White Nights
18. $041,410,568 - Pale Rider
19. $040,940,662 - Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
20. $040,833,132 - Brewster's Millions

Excellent year, and a great year for Chevy Chase I guess even though I've never seen Fletch.

[Rev. Powell]

As usual, I'm not too impressed with the box office winners (no surprise there).  BACK TO THE FUTURE is a great movie, though, and deserves the #1 spot.  Nice to see PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE in there too.

Where's MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME?    Was it classified as 1986 in the US, or did it really not break the top 20?

Here's my picks from outside the top 20:
AFTER HOURS
BRAZIL
RE-ANIMATOR
RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD
YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES
DAY OF THE DEAD

And for B-movie cheese:
THE ADVENTURES OF HERCULES
BARBARIAN QUEEN
GYMKATA
HELLHOLE
LIFEFORCE
MALIBU EXPRESS

[claws]

Where's MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME?    Was it classified as 1986 in the US, or did it really not break the top 20?

Mad Max didn't make the cut:

#24 $36,230,219 - Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

[JaseSF]

01. $210,609,762 - Back to the Future (Great movie, a lot of fun!)
02. $150,415,432 - Rambo: First Blood Part II (pretty intense, recall it being hugely popular)
03. $127,873,716 - Rocky IV (cheese but I liked it)
04. $094,175,854 - The Color Purple (Haven't seen)
05. $087,071,205 - Out of Africa (Haven't seen)
06. $076,113,124 - Cocoon (I loved it myself)
07. $075,973,200 - The Jewel of the Nile (Haven't seen)
08. $068,706,993 - Witness (Pretty good honestly)
09. $061,389,680 - The Goonies (A lot of fun IMO)
10. $060,088,980 - Spies Like Us (Haven't seen)

11. $055,600,000 - Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (was slightly disappointed by this one but still had some laughs)
12. $050,612,888 - Fletch (Alright but nothing great)
13. $050,327,960 - A View to a Kill (I enjoyed it)
14. $049,364,621 - European Vacation (I think this might be my favourite of the series)
15. $048,230,162 - Mask (Good drama, moving, great performances)
16. $045,875,171 - The Breakfast Club (classic)
17. $042,160,849 - White Nights (Haven't seen)
18. $041,410,568 - Pale Rider (Haven't seen)
19. $040,940,662 - Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (Haven't seen)
20. $040,833,132 - Brewster's Millions (Found this to be tough slugging)

[crackers]

DOMESTIC GROSSES #1–20

01. $210,609,762 - Back to the Future
02. $150,415,432 - Rambo: First Blood Part II
03. $127,873,716 - Rocky IV
04. $094,175,854 - The Color Purple
05. $087,071,205 - Out of Africa
06. $076,113,124 - Cocoon
07. $075,973,200 - The Jewel of the Nile
08. $068,706,993 - Witness
09. $061,389,680 - The Goonies
10. $060,088,980 - Spies Like Us

11. $055,600,000 - Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
12. $050,612,888 - Fletch
13. $050,327,960 - A View to a Kill
14. $049,364,621 - European Vacation
15. $048,230,162 - Mask
16. $045,875,171 - The Breakfast Club
17. $042,160,849 - White Nights
18. $041,410,568 - Pale Rider
19. $040,940,662 - Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
20. $040,833,132 - Brewster's Millions

Excellent year, and a great year for Chevy Chase I guess even though I've never seen Fletch.

Brilliant year! I don'y think i have seen Pale Rider or White Nights though.

[Rev. Powell]

Brilliant year! I don'y think i have seen Pale Rider or White Nights though.

You definitely don't want to see WHITE NIGHTS, unless you like really bad dramas about tap dancing.

[crackers]

Brilliant year! I don'y think i have seen Pale Rider or White Nights though.

You definitely don't want to see WHITE NIGHTS, unless you like really bad dramas about tap dancing.

I think I can live without. 

[ChocolateChipCharlie]

DOMESTIC GROSSES #1–20

01. $210,609,762 - Back to the Future
02. $150,415,432 - Rambo: First Blood Part II
03. $127,873,716 - Rocky IV
04. $094,175,854 - The Color Purple
05. $087,071,205 - Out of Africa
06. $076,113,124 - Cocoon
07. $075,973,200 - The Jewel of the Nile
08. $068,706,993 - Witness
09. $061,389,680 - The Goonies
10. $060,088,980 - Spies Like Us

11. $055,600,000 - Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
12. $050,612,888 - Fletch
13. $050,327,960 - A View to a Kill
14. $049,364,621 - European Vacation
15. $048,230,162 - Mask
16. $045,875,171 - The Breakfast Club
17. $042,160,849 - White Nights
18. $041,410,568 - Pale Rider
19. $040,940,662 - Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
20. $040,833,132 - Brewster's Millions

Excellent year, and a great year for Chevy Chase I guess even though I've never seen Fletch.

Wow, I would never have believed that Spies Like Us outgrossed Fletch and Breakfast Club.  Wow.  I like all three movies, but I had always assumed that Fletch and Breakfast Club were big box office hits.  Must have been Larry Cohen's cameo that put Spies Like Us over the top.   

[Psycho Circus]

Rambo: First Blood: Part II - Best action film of all time!!! 

[ChaosTheory]

PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE!   I just rewatched that the other day; I'd forgotten it was co-written by Phil Hartman.  

I love WITNESS too, best movie Peter Weir ever directed IMO (and features Viggo Mortenson, before anybody knew who Viggo Mortenson was)

I remember JEWEL OF THE NILE - it's the sequel to ROMANCING THE STONE; I didn't realize it did that well,  I guess Michael Douglas was a pretty big deal in the 80s though. Lot of sequels in that list, come to think of it.

[lester1/2jr]

Breakfast CLub was HUGE with me and my friends but this was just as we were entering puberty. I was 10, what can I say I developed early I guess!  I liked it because my older sister did I doubt I really understood it. My guess is they will do a heinous remake of it at some point.

[ChocolateChipCharlie]

Breakfast CLub was HUGE with me and my friends but this was just as we were entering puberty. I was 10, what can I say I developed early I guess!  I liked it because my older sister did I doubt I really understood it. My guess is they will do a heinous remake of it at some point.

I just recently made this point in a "what the hell are they doing making these movies?" discussion the other day.  I'm absolutely shocked that they haven't done this yet.  I would have thought that a Breakfast Club remake and a Ferris Bueller remake would have been higher in the priority chain than the A-Team, Karate Kid, Rambo, etc.

[Flick James]

01. $210,609,762 - Back to the Future (what a freaking classic)
02. $150,415,432 - Rambo: First Blood Part II (myeh)
03. $127,873,716 - Rocky IV (hated it, Stallone was producing almost nothing but propaganda films in the mid-80's)
04. $094,175,854 - The Color Purple (I think it's a fine film and the ONLY time I've ever liked Whoopi Goldberg in ANYTHING)
05. $087,071,205 - Out of Africa (I've never seen it)
06. $076,113,124 - Cocoon (so-so)
07. $075,973,200 - The Jewel of the Nile (decent)
08. $068,706,993 - Witness (Good film)
09. $061,389,680 - The Goonies (classic)
10. $060,088,980 - Spies Like Us (such a bad movie but I still like it)

11. $055,600,000 - Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (I can dig it)
12. $050,612,888 - Fletch (I can dig this also)
13. $050,327,960 - A View to a Kill (yikes, bad)
14. $049,364,621 - European Vacation (good fun)
15. $048,230,162 - Mask (I think it's a good film, but painful to watch)
16. $045,875,171 - The Breakfast Club (the ultimate 80's teen cheese fest)
17. $042,160,849 - White Nights (This is a pretty decent film)
18. $041,410,568 - Pale Rider (One of Clint's finest)
19. $040,940,662 - Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (I love this movie)
20. $040,833,132 - Brewster's Millions (really? This made the top 20?)

I'll agree with claws. What a monster year for Chevy Chase. Three movies in one year all in the top 20, and three that I like even though I'm not a big Chevy fan.

[akiratubo]

01. $210,609,762 - Back to the Future
Just a great movie.

02. $150,415,432 - Rambo: First Blood Part II
It's a toss-up between this and Commando for the title of Best 80s Action Movie.

03. $127,873,716 - Rocky IV
The most pointless entry in the series but you can't argue with Dolph Lundgren.

04. $094,175,854 - The Color Purple
Never saw.

05. $087,071,205 - Out of Africa
Might have seen it, don't remember it.

06. $076,113,124 - Cocoon
I've only seen the last hour or so on TV.

07. $075,973,200 - The Jewel of the Nile
Same formula as Romancing the Stone, not quite as good.

08. $068,706,993 - Witness
Haven't seen though I've always meant to.

09. $061,389,680 - The Goonies
Yet another movie I used to love as a kid but can barely stand as an adult.

10. $060,088,980 - Spies Like Us
Never saw.

11. $055,600,000 - Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
The original Police Academy is the only one anyone needs to see.

12. $050,612,888 - Fletch
Never saw.

13. $050,327,960 - A View to a Kill
The first Bond movie I saw in a theater.  I remember thinking that Grace Jones was scary.

14. $049,364,621 - European Vacation
Not that good.

15. $048,230,162 - Mask
???

16. $045,875,171 - The Breakfast Club
Never cared for it.

17. $042,160,849 - White Nights
???

18. $041,410,568 - Pale Rider
Seen this so many times I'm sick of it.

19. $040,940,662 - Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
Haven't seen it since I was a kid, would be interesting to see what I think of it now.

20. $040,833,132 - Brewster's Millions
???

[bob]

01. $210,609,762 - Back to the Future - wow.......haven't seen this since I was a kid, back then I really enjoyed it
03. $127,873,716 - Rocky IV - definately the strangest of the Rocky films but I liked it
10. $060,088,980 - Spies Like Us - this one still holds up after all these years
16. $045,875,171 - The Breakfast Club - even as a teenager I didn't see what the big deal was about it even though I could relate to some of the characters
20. $040,833,132 - Brewster's Millions - I saw this on TV as a kid and thought it was hilarious