1980s Classic Cult Film Favorites
The Monster Squad, Howard the Duck, Bloodsport and More 80s Faves
A synopsis of the most beloved cult films of the 1980s.
The Monster Squad (1987) - Written and directed by Fred Dekker, The Monster Squad took over a decade to gain cult status, but today is one of the die-hard cult favorites of the 80s. The Monster Squad was ahead of its time, it was like The Goonies, but with classic monsters like Dracula and Wolf Man. The Monster Squad made a disappointing box office run, earning only $3.8 million. Over the last decade, with the internet becoming more and more the center of our universe, the love of The Monster Squad has spread to a wide variety of people. Those who saw the movie as a kid, loved it, and rediscovered it, and kids and adults alike who were just discovering this diamond in the rough. Finally, after several petitions, in 2007 The Monster Squad was released on DVD, and has remained one of the top-selling movies since its release.
Howard The Duck (1986) - This movie is based on the Marvel Comics series featuring a wise-cracking, smooth-talking, duck. The movie is not loyal to the comic books in anyway and goes in a complete different direction. When the movie hit theaters, it bombed big-time. The reviews were horrible, with several critics naming it one of the worst movies ever made. But these horrible reviews and box-office failure have certainly appeared to add to this movie's cult appeal. Howard The Duck has still not been released on DVD in the U.S. and fans are pushing for a Howard The Duck DVD in the U.S. in the near future.
Bloodsport (1988) - Bloodsport was Jean-Claude Van-Damme's first starring role and probably his best cinema performance. Martial-Artists and fans alike swear by this film, and rank it alongside Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon, and even credit it with helping begin the mixed-fighting sport, known as Mixed-Martial-Arts today. Van-Damme has a cult following all on his own, loved by many, despised by some, but Bloodsport reaches an even further cult position than some of his other films. Although many people do not respect Van-Damme's acting ability and the fact that he never fully had U.S. box-office smash appeal, his athletic ability and martial-arts skill are unquestionable in this movie. Bloodsport was loosely based on American Frank Dux, becoming the first Westerner to win the deadly tournament. The tournament-style fighting featured several martial-arts forms including Kung-Fu and Muay Thai.
Big Trouble in Little China (1986) - This film featured a young Kim Catrall, Kurt Russell kicking butt, and was the inspiration for a Mortal Kombat character. What's not to love? This movie did not even come close to reaching its projected box-office numbers, but has gained cult-status due to its home video sales, and classic characters. Fans of this movie pronounce this movie as the best of both Kurt Russell and legendary director and writer, John Carpenter's careers.
The Return of the Living Dead (1985) - "Return" came about due to a disagreement between George A. Romero and John Russo, the creators of Night of the Living Dead. This film ran with the basic idea of the original, but put a comic twist on it, and updated the zombies. Super-fans of this movie claim it is better than the original and anything Romero has done since (Day of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead.) The Return of the Living Dead was released on DVD in 2005 and later re-released with additional special features to keep cult fans satisfied.
