What if I told you there was a movie written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale — the duo who would go on to create Back to the Future… directed by Steven Spielberg, fresh off the massive success of Jaws and Close Encounters… starring comedy legends John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and John Candy… and scored by the music genius behind Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park — himself, John Williams? You’d expect a guaranteed blockbuster. Instead, what audiences got in 1979 was 1941 — Spielberg’s first spectacular misfire.
Back to the Future Part II (1989) follows Marty, Doc, and Jennifer as they travel to 2015 to save Marty’s kids, but their interference lets Biff steal a sports almanac and create a corrupt alternate 1985. To fix history, Marty and Doc return to 1955, weaving through events of the first film in a fast-paced, layered adventure about greed, fate, and the ripple effects of time travel.
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she seeks the help of brilliant but imprisoned cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter to catch a serial killer known as “Buffalo Bill.” As Clarice navigates Lecter’s mind games, she’s forced to confront her own fears while racing against time to save a kidnapped victim. Blending psychological tension, unforgettable performances, and chilling atmosphere, the film redefined the modern thriller and left an enduring mark on pop culture.
"Pretty Woman" is a 1990 romantic comedy about a wealthy businessman, Edward, who hires a prostitute, Vivian, to be his escort for a week, and their relationship develops into something more. Edward, initially focused on business, finds himself falling for Vivian, a free spirit with a kind heart, despite their different worlds. The film explores themes of class differences and the transformative power of love as they navigate their unconventional relationship.
Sometimes it’s not the acting, the dialogue, or even the cinematography that cements a movie in our memories — it’s the music. I’m talking about those perfect needle drops, the songs that existed long before the film but, once paired with that scene, became forever tied to it. You hear the song, you see the scene. Today, we’re counting down the moments where music and movies fused into pop culture perfection — starting with some all-time classics before we dive into the deep cuts only the real film nerds will remember.
The 1980s were a golden age for comedy—a time when the big screen was overflowing with unforgettable characters, razor-sharp one-liners, and some of the hardest laughs ever caught on film. This week, we're zeroing in on the funniest comedies of the decade. Not necessarily the most critically acclaimed or technically flawless—but the movies that made us laugh the hardest. Let's dive in!
Happy Gilmore 2 is a 2025 American sports comedy film directed by Kyle Newacheck, and written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler. It is a sequel to Happy Gilmore (1996), and stars Sandler alongside Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Benny Safdie, Bad Bunny, and Ben Stiller. Sandler, Bowen, McDonald, Stiller, Dennis Dugan, and Kevin Nealon reprise their roles from the original film, with John Daly, Sunny Sandler, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Ethan Cutkosky, and Haley Joel Osment in supporting roles.The film follows Happy Gilmore (played by Sandler), a widowed alcoholic and ex-golfer who returns to professional golf to help pay for his daughter’s overseas ballet school. Filming for Happy Gilmore 2 took place in New Jersey from September to December of 2024. It was released onto Netflix on July 25, 2025, and received mixed reviews from critics.
When her son falls gravely ill, a timid field mouse named Mrs. Brisby must seek help from a group of highly intelligent rats with a mysterious connection to her late husband. The Secret of NIMH is a dark, beautifully animated tale of courage, science, and survival — and one of Don Bluth’s most iconic films.
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) reunites LAPD detectives Riggs and Murtaugh as they take on South African diplomats using diplomatic immunity to cover a drug-smuggling operation. The case turns personal for Riggs, escalating the action and tension. Joe Pesci joins the cast as fast-talking federal witness Leo Getz, adding comic relief and becoming an unexpected part of the team.
Léon Gaultier (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a soldier in the French Foreign Legion, serving abroad in East Africa. But after his brother is cruelly murdered, Gaultier deserts his assignment and travels to the United States to help his widowed sister-in-law (Lisa Pelikan), who is now struggling to care for her children. But the job market is tough, so Gaultier takes his hand-to-hand combat skills into the brutal world of bare-knuckle fighting, where the paydays are nearly as big as the risks.
In this spoof of "Top Gun," former U.S. Navy pilot Topper Harley (Charlie Sheen) is haunted by an accident in which his father lost control of a fighter jet. When Lt. Cmdr. James Block (Kevin Dunn) asks Topper to come out of retirement and help him complete a classified mission, Topper returns to active duty against the advice of his psychiatrist (Valeria Golino) and soon discovers that he may be a pawn in a devious arms manufacturing conspiracy.
Set across three distinct eras—Viking-era Scandinavia, feudal Japan, and World War II in the skies—the film follows three legendary warriors: Viking Queen Ursa on a brutal vengeance quest alongside her son; samurai brothers Kenji and Kiyoshi torn by honor and betrayal; and U.S. Navy pilot Johnny Torres dogfighting in a Predator-infested Atlantic. Each vignette pits human skill and courage against the alien hunters, culminating in a thrilling convergence on the Predator homeworld, where the trio must unite to survive a gladiatorial showdown. With razor-sharp painterly animation, inventive Predator tech, and a sweeping score, Killer of Killers deepens Predator lore while delivering visceral, globe-spanning sci-fi action.
Neo believes that Morpheus, an elusive figure considered to be the most dangerous man alive, can answer his question -- What is the Matrix? Neo is contacted by Trinity, a beautiful stranger who leads him into an underworld where he meets Morpheus. They fight a brutal battle for their lives against a cadre of viciously intelligent secret agents. It is a truth that could cost Neo something more precious than his life.
Once a first-rate Secret Service agent, Joe Hallenbeck (Bruce Willis) is now a gruff private investigator whose latest gig is protecting a pole dancer (Halle Berry). When she's murdered, he grudgingly teams up with her boyfriend, Jimmy Dix (Damon Wayans), an ex-quarterback with a gambling problem, and the two go after her killers. Before long, they stumble onto a plot by a well-known football magnate (Noble Willingham) to bribe federal legislators into legalizing sports gambling.
When an asteroid threatens to collide with Earth, NASA honcho Dan Truman (Billy Bob Thornton) determines the only way to stop it is to drill into its surface and detonate a nuclear bomb. This leads him to renowned driller Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), who agrees to helm the dangerous space mission provided he can bring along his own hotshot crew. Among them is the cocksure A.J. (Ben Affleck), who Harry thinks isn't good enough for his daughter (Liv Tyler), until the mission proves otherwise.
After avenging the death of his wife and young son at the hands of a vicious gang leader, Max (Mel Gibson) drives the post-apocalyptic highways of the Australian outback, fending off attacks from nomadic tribes that prey on outsiders. Falling into an encampment led by the relatively peaceful Pappagallo (Mike Preston), Max at first schemes to steal their oil, but soon becomes the group's reluctant defender against the hulking Humungus (Kjell Nilsson) and his ruthless marauders.
Raised by his overprotective mother, Helen, Bobby Boucher Jr. is the water boy for a successful college football team coached by Red Beaulieu. When Beaulieu fires Bobby, he takes up the same position for a losing rival team, led by despairing Coach Klein. After witnessing Bobby beat up a player who teased him too much, Klein adds him to the roster as a linebacker. Soon, Klein's players are championship contenders.
Andie Bergstrom (Kate Capshaw), an astronaut eagerly awaiting her first trip to space, runs a summer camp for teenagers with her NASA-employed husband, Zach (Tom Skerritt). One night during an engine test, Andie and four teenage campers are accidentally shot into space. Together, the group -- which includes Kathryn (Lea Thompson), a pilot-in-training, and Tish (Kelly Preston), a ditz with a perfect memory -- must work together to operate the spacecraft and return home.
Fast-paced farce about an unlikely pair who go to extreme lengths to have a child. When an incompetent robber marries a policewoman, they discover that they are infertile. In order to appease his wife's longings for a child, the man steals one of a set of quintuplets, but mayhem ensues when a rabbit-shooting bounty hunter goes after the kidnapper.
When a Chinese diplomat's daughter is kidnapped in Los Angeles, he calls in Hong Kong Detective Inspector Lee (Jackie Chan) to assist the FBI with the case. But the FBI doesn't want anything to do with Lee, and they dump him off on the LAPD, who assign wisecracking Detective James Carter (Chris Tucker) to watch over him. Although Lee and Carter can't stand each other, they choose to work together to solve the case on their own when they figure out they've been ditched by both the FBI and police.
Pattie Phillips-Meyers
Mimi Rogers was first wife
Pattie Phillips-Meyers
You can have Ohio State fans that also love you guys! I am one. Don’t judge me! Sorry about the way some people act!
Pattie Phillips-Meyers
Meshach Taylor also had a long run on Designing Women.
Pattie Phillips-Meyers
Was The Thing an all male cast?
Pattie Phillips-Meyers
My father died last March. This made me think of him because he loved Jo Beth Williams. 💜