The 80s were a great time for movies, and for comedies in particular. So many of the classic movies that studios revisit in reboots or nostalgic nods have their roots back in the decade in which the Cold War ended and The Simpsons started.
But for as many great films fans know inside out and quote endlessly in trivia contests, there are just as many that have fallen through the cracks of time. Great, funny comedies from the 80s deserve some extra attention, so here are ten forgotten but excellent 80s comedies ranked.
Moving Violations
A classic set-up in a lot of 80s comedies is having to go back to school. Police Academy probably got the most out of this, but Moving Violations is an unearthed gem that features one of the great sight gags of the decade. An assortment of characters all have to go back through a driver's ed course to get their licenses back after racking up violations and of course, hilarity ensues. The 1985 comedy features a great bit where actress Wendy Jo Sperber drinking a lot of Crisco oil after misunderstanding some advice. Really misunderstanding.
Brewster's Millions
Brewster's Millions is one of a great run of Richard Pryor comedies in the late 70s and early 80s. Pryor plays Monty Brewster, a Minor-League pitcher for the Hackensack Bulls (!) who gets the offer of a lifetime. His rich uncle passes away and offers to leave him his entire $300 million fortune, but only if Brewster can spend $30 million in thirty days. Anybody alive right now could win that challenge before the close of business on day one, but for Brewster, it's a real, hysterical challenge as he tries to navigate the insane rules (he can't just give it all away) while holding on to who he is.
Moving
Another Richard Pryor comedy overlooked from the 80s is Moving. Pryor plays Arlo Pear, a man moving his family across the United States. Along the way, things naturally go sideways. He encounters an outstanding ensemble of comedy greats in various and often kooky roles. Dana Carvey turns in the best performance as a person with multiple personalities. Somehow, he ends up as Pryor's driver and the experience is epic, to say the least. Also along for the ride are Randy Quaid, Rodney Dangerfield, and Morris Day.
Some Kind of Wonderful
Few artists have the creative track record of John Hughes in the 1980s, but not all of the films he was associated with are remembered as much as others. Case in point: Some Kind Of Wonderful.
Hughes wrote the screenplay for this 1987 comedy, in which a couple of teenagers on the outskirts of social acceptance at their high school try to improve their lot. It's a little edgier than the other Hughes films but retains the same brand of humor and insight into the 80s teenager.
The Ice Pirates
It's not entirely clear The Ice Pirates was meant to be a comedy, but it sure turned out that way. Resolutely 80s stars Robert Ulrich and Mary Crosby headline a cast that includes an early performance by Ron Perlman. The Ice Pirates is a very Star Wars-y concept that absolutely falls down in execution but makes up for its shoddy effects and uncertain tone with lots of laughs. In a nutshell, in the future water is scarce and pirates have to steal ice. And then they go back in time.
True Stories
True Stories is the brainchild and passion project of David Byrne, former frontman of The Talking Heads and legendary rock icon. The movie is a strange detour with music and comedy, essentially a series of vignettes following Byrne's cowboy-esque character as he travels to a small town in Texas about to celebrate the anniversary of Texan independence. The kookiness of the story, characters (with performances by John Goodman, Spalding Gray, and others), and Byrne is the real fun here.
Bachelor Party
Bachelor Party comes from Neal Israel, also responsible for Moving Violations. Featuring an early starring role for Tom Hanks, the setup is pretty simple: a guy is getting married, his friends throw him a debauched party, chaos ensues. Hanks is marrying Tawny Kitaen, she of the infamous Whitesnake 80s music videos, so you'd think that be enough. It was for David Cloverdale! Nevertheless, Tom Hanks is uncertain about his marital future. A trashed hotel room, raid by the police, and attempted suicide put him straight.
UHF
A cult favorite to be sure, UHF still doesn't get its proper due. UHF stars Weird Al Yankovic in a slightly plotless, super-silly story where he works at a local UHF station but keeps falling asleep.
His dreams cast him in various movies and television shows that run on the channel, including a hulked-up Rambo-like hero that recalls another great 80s movie, Hot Shots! Part Deux. Yankovic's character George comes up with lots of crazy new programs for the channel which have to be seen to be believed.
Top Secret!
An absolute classic Top Secret! is a spoof film in the vein of Airplane!, which makes sense as it comes from the same creative minds Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker. Val Kilmer marks his first lead role in style, effortlessly willing the audience along through an endless parody of World War II films and bad Elvis Presley films as well (there are lots of songs). Perhaps the best bet is a German jeep which explodes after barely touching the bumper of another car.
The Money Pit
Tom Hanks has been in a lot of great movies and nearly all of them are well-recognized. This one deserves some more love. Hanks and his wife, played by Shelley Long, buy a giant house that is, to say the least, a fixer-upper. It's so much worse than that, and they lose all their money and their minds as the bathtub crashes through the floor, a raccoon sets up shop in the walls, and the stove turns into a cannon and launches a turkey from one wing of the house to another. An absolute riot.