Piratefly 313 Posted July 29, 2015 Gadge's signiature gave me this idea... Being a child of the 80s and growing up in a sci-fi household we saw just about everything that came out. Many of which I don't remember. Most of which have horrible special effects to today's standard. But the stories were great. So my question is: What are some of your favorite, lesser-known sci-fi from the 1980s? Any format goes; TV, movie, anime, etc. I'll start: The Last Starfighter Captain EO Flight of the Navigator 2 Hawkstrike and Gadge reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VanorDM 11,599 Posted July 29, 2015 The Last Starfighter was a great movie. Although Cheesy, Ice Pirates was fun as well. Flash Gordon had one of the best soundtracks. So did the Transformers movie, the cartoon. Also there was Tron, Star Trek WoK and so many it's hard to remember them all. 2 Hawkstrike and Conandoodle reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Tenzer 301 Posted July 29, 2015 Cocoon Starman Batteries not included Enemy mine Moon 44 2010 Outland - I liked that one quite a bit, as it was basically High Noon; IN SPACE! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VanorDM 11,599 Posted July 29, 2015 Enemy mine That was a great movie. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crabbok 9,869 Posted July 29, 2015 Star Wars. None of you guys said it. Shame on you. Shame. Also Thundercats. I suppose it qualifies as sort of a Fantasy / Sci-Fi Hybrid. 1 Conandoodle reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piratefly 313 Posted July 29, 2015 Enemy mine That was a great movie. I second that. I forgot all about Batteries not Included. I loved it as a kid. It's one of those that I want to see again but I'm worried that my memory of it is better than it actually is. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stilgod 1,686 Posted July 29, 2015 Blade Runner(GOAT) Dune(my namesake) Aliens Predator Terminator Mad Max 2-3 ET Star Trek 2 Akira+dozens of other great anime 80's were arguably Sci-fi's prime. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
drunkensith 104 Posted July 29, 2015 House. I know its more of a horror movie but it had a story line that was more in depth than most movies of the time. The effects do not hold up. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Conandoodle 1,817 Posted July 29, 2015 I watched Flash Gordon last night. I was surprised to learn that it was released AFTER Star Wars. It really highlighted how ahead of its time SW was.Cartoons: Ullysees 31 was a favourite, Mysterious Cities of Gold, Astroboy, G-Force, Voltron, Thundercats, Transformers, Sky Commanders. Also have a give an honourable mention to Thunderbirds.Movies: Never-ending Story, Dark Crystal plus many others already mentioned . 5 Robin Graves, Crabbok, FTS Gecko and 2 others reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Forgottenlore 9,838 Posted July 29, 2015 Little surprised no one has mentioned robotech yet. 4 Trevor Goodchild, Piratefly, Audio Weasel and 1 other reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Space Cadet 170 Posted July 30, 2015 Lost in Space (TV) Flight of the Navigator Alien series Old Doctor Who, (Tom Baker) Battle Star Galactica and STARWARS 1 Gadge reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Tenzer 301 Posted July 30, 2015 Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future - **** gritty for a childrens series Max Headroom - this is with Blade Runner the Trope Codifier for Cyberpunk in visual media in my opinion...! . 3 Robin Graves, Sierra Romeo Charlie and Audio Weasel reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dagonet 7,246 Posted July 30, 2015 (edited) Captain Power Digitization complete! Enemy Mine is one of those under the radar stories that end up being very influential. That story has been copied in so many series, at least every Star Trek since. Wargames is on the verge of being forgotten. I wonder how far it helped inspire Skynet though. Edited July 30, 2015 by Dagonet 2 Audio Weasel and Robin Graves reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wayne Argabright 1,581 Posted July 30, 2015 Star blazers... 1 jackal13 reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jackal13 23 Posted July 30, 2015 Rode my bike home everyday after school to catch Star Blazers, Battle of the Planets, and Speed Racer. Anyone ever see Time Bandits? I don't know if A Clock Work Orange would fall into Sci-fi? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gadge 4,294 Posted July 30, 2015 (edited) Totally flattered to inspire a thread! For me 80s sci fi was largely toy related. Started off with Action Man (uk gi joe) who had a 'space rangers' range (that oddly featured a repackaged 'rom' space knight. Then stuff like micronauts and fisher price adventure team space stuff (with some wierd see thru green aliens i had for christmas one year!) Obviously star wars stuff too. Later on my obsession was with a toy called 'starcom' that was pretty successful in the UK but bombed in the US. I also remember 'britains' making these die cast and plastic modular space ships... the humans had yellow and red ships with gravity ball cockpits and domed helmets, the bad guys had 'kawizaki' green space ships (same components, just different colours) with the same bodies cast in black but with wierd red heads rather than human heads with domes. Anyone else remember them? Film wise i think it was stuff like 'last starfighter', ET, and of course in the UK we all grew up with the amazing DR WHO But we ususally hid behind the sofa for most of it! Oh some of the films mentioned i also watched and loved, particularly terminator , mad max 2. Also less well known films like the gundam live action, robojox etc Edited July 30, 2015 by Gadge Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VanorDM 11,599 Posted July 30, 2015 (edited) Just remembered another in the realms of cheesy but fun, although if I watched it again I'm not sure the fun part would survive. Megaforce. With the main characters name being Ace Hunter it just screams 80's. Edited July 30, 2015 by VanorDM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gadge 4,294 Posted July 30, 2015 Im surprised Ace hunter isnt a new xwing pilot for S&V... after 'talonbane cobra' nothing would surprise me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oubobcat13 3 Posted July 30, 2015 I would add V and V: The Final Battle, there was Battle Beyond the Stars, Ice Pirates was great, Buck Rogers was my personal fave Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
korocite 24 Posted July 31, 2015 Battle of the planets, whilst technically from the 70's I was not watching it until the 80's. It may have been the case that we did not get in Oz until the 80's. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John Tenzer 301 Posted July 31, 2015 There was also MASK ZONE RIDERS and of course SABER RIDER My personal favourites were GALAXY RANGERS (as especially in German the dialogues were written very clever and almost Whedonesque) BRAVESTAR (which was pretty gritty and multilayered for an 80s Cartoon series with a toy franchise) 1 Robin Graves reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Piratefly 313 Posted July 31, 2015 Some great stuff here guys! I'm going to have to start watching all these I've never seen. My wife is going to hate me for the next two months. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Audio Weasel 3,659 Posted August 1, 2015 (edited) Owing to the events of today: They Live. I have to add though, that I am SO gald to see other mentioning Captain Power. It was a show, with gimmicky toys, but they didn't leave it there. They wrote a REAL show, with a serious plot, and I loved it, because it didn't treat us like kids. Edited August 1, 2015 by Audio Weasel 1 John Tenzer reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Radarman5 1,347 Posted August 3, 2015 Gandahar (aka Lightyears) is an awsome french scifi animated movie, by the same guy as Fantastic Planet, but not nearly as tripped out. Iirc Isaac Azamov wrote the intro and worked on the english adaptation. Orin the Legend of Starchaser is, um, interesting. It's an aquired taste. Imagine if Heavy Metal (Metal Hurlant) did Star Wars. It's almost a total rip off, but a lot darker and more adult at points. Every Star Wars fan needs to see it. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (the BBC version) is great and extremely low budget. I think every thing else I like from 80s scifi has already been listed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FTS Gecko 24,135 Posted August 3, 2015 My Stepmother Is An Alien Earth Girls Are Easy Flash Gordon Howard The Duck Critters Spaceballs Weird Science Killer Klowns From Outer Space No, but seriously... Aliens Blade Runner Predator Robocop Terminator Mad Max Brazil Dune Repo Man The Thing Escape from New York 1984 The Philadelphia Experiment Trancers Innerspace Outland The Running Man D.A.R.Y.L. Explorers E Bloody T Tron Short Circuit Steel Dawn Videodrome Scanners Swamp Thing Akira Tetsuo: The Iron Man 2 Robin Graves and Radarman5 reacted to this Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
