Wall Street might be the #1 80s movie. The look, the tech....I feel like the Karate Kid could be in any decade.
I mean, generally speaking, almost all these movies could be set in any decade. War Games could be set in 2026, especially with all the recent AI advances. What made the plot of the original Wall Street so unique to the 1980's? Nothing that I can really remember. I don't remember much about the movie, except that Charlie Sheen was insider trading and pretty much got busted, and then flipped on his boss/mentor Gordon Gecko.
To me, The Karate Kid is so thoroughly totally 80's. First off, back then Karate and martial arts were huge. I guess maybe we have UFC and that type of thing, but do you know anybody actually doing karate and the many similar martial arts? Back then we did. I'm not tuned into that scene, but are there hoards of kids doing karate, kung fu, and related sports?
Secondly, the family moved to California in search of a better life. I knew several people back in the 1980's that did the same thing. This was before, to my memory and knowledge, that California turned into some kind of alt-state where things are so vastly different than the rest of the country. I don't even remember there being a rivalry between California and the rest of the USA. Everybody just knew they were cool, and lots of people moved there. They had it all. Technology, surfing, aerospace, TV, movies, and Hollywood. Don't misunderstand me. I'm not saying that I'm trying to pit the California lifestyle/culture against the rest of the USA. But back in the 80's it really just seemed so much more "like us, only cooler".
Now, you have more people looking to leave California in search of a better life. Indeed, the remake (yuck!) featured an American kid moving to China or something. Totally different than the premise of the original.
Here is my "soft list" of criteria for a movie being the better 1980's flick:
- Staying power - Is it still watched, referenced, and known 40+ years later?
- Quotability - Do people still repeat lines from it?
- Memorability / iconic scenes - Images or moments people instantly recognize.
- Pure “80s-ness” - Does it look and feel like the decade?
- Fashion / hair / style - Clothes, Ray-Bans, leg warmers, Members Only, big hair, etc.
- Music / soundtrack - Especially songs that became inseparable from the movie or decade.
- Technology / cars / stuff - Arcades, Walkmans, BMX bikes, computers, DeLoreans, malls, etc.
- Cultural impact - Did it influence slang, fashion, music, other movies, or popular culture?
- Characters - Did it create characters that became cultural icons?
- Transcends generations - Would someone born well after the ’80s still know it?
- Actually represents life/culture of the ’80s - high school, suburbs, malls, Cold War, workplace culture, teenage independence, consumerism, etc.
- Rewatchability - Is it something people still willingly watch rather than merely acknowledge as important?
And the overriding rule was:
We are NOT asking which is the best movie. We’re asking which is the most ’80s movie.
So with all that in mind, how often do you see the OG Wall Street being played on TV? What are some memorable quotes and lines from the movie, other than "Greed is Good". How often do you find yourself quoting Mr Miaygi (Wax on, Wax off, Daniel San-Whole life about balance).
I really wish I had seeded these differently because even though Wall Street is a terrific movie, I don't think it's the better '80's movie.
