In the spirit of the season, I thought I'd share some of what I feel are "must-see" classics in the genres of horror, science fiction, and fantasy films. Remember, they're MY picks, for one, but for another, they're also all classics, mostly from the 30s-80s. You're not going to see anything like Friday the 13th on here. You already know about those anyway. So just sit back, relax, and let an old movie buff share what he thinks (and hopes) are some films that you'll take it upon yourself to see, because they're well worth it.
P.S. I highlighted some of my personal favorites (though I like all listed), in bold.
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Horror
Frankenstein (1910) - Arguably the first horror film, and a once lost piece of film history. You can find it on YouTube.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) - German expressionism at it's creepy best.
Nosferatu (1922) - Max Shrek is DAMN creepy
The Phantom of the Opera (1925) - Lon Chaney Sr. at his best
Dracula (1931) - Bela Lugosi as THE classic Dracula
Frankenstein (1931) - Boris Karloff, ditto
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) - Fredric March gives the best performance of this tale
The Old Dark House (1932) - The first, and best, "Creepy Mansion" style film.
The Mummy (1932) - Boris Karloff, again, shines as Imhotep, a very dramatic role.
White Zombie (1932) - The first zombie film, voodoo zombies, not "brains" zombies. Bela Lugosi shines again.
The Invisible Man (1933) - Claude Rains does an amazing job with his voice alone
Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - Amazing sequel, Ernest Thesiger is the best as "Dr. Pretorius"
The Wolf Man (1941) - Lon Chaney Jr., every bit as good as his father, in the first iconic werewolf film.
Cat People (1942) - Not quite what you'd think, but a great, and stylish early psychological horror film.
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) - One of A&C's best, along with being a great "Monster Mash"
The Thing From Another World (1951) - First adaptation of "Who Goes There?", great Howard Hawks film.
House of Wax (1953) - Vincent Price in one of his first iconic horror roles.
The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) - A different adaptation of the story, starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.
Night of the Demon (1957) - Another psychological, supernatural thriller, starring Dana Andrews. Great film.
The Blob (1958) - Steve McQueen's first film, and a classy, and classic horror film. The original, the best.
Horror of Dracula (1958) - Peter Cushing and Lee again share the screen, in another different, but classic, adaptation.
House on Haunted Hill (1959) - Another Vincent Price classic, a great, spooky tongue in cheek William Castle film.
Plan 9 From Outer Space (1959) - The ONLY "bad" film on this entire list. It IS bad, but it's endearingly so.
House of Usher (1960) - The first of Roger Corman's "Poe Series", starring Vincent Price.
The Brides of Dracula (1960) - In spite of the title, Dracula himself doesn't actually feature in this movie. However, it DOES feature Peter Cushing's great Van Helsing, and that's enough reason to watch.
Mr. Sardonicus (1961) - Another William Castle classic, this is a more psychological film, but very creepy.
The Day of the Triffids (1962) - A classic British horror film, actually making the idea of "killer plants" creepy.
The Haunting (1963) - A Robert Wise film, and very well directed, one of the most well done "haunted house" films.
The Raven (1963) - Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre, and one of Jack Nicholson's first films. Nuff' said.
The Haunted Palace (1963) - Another Vincent Price starring entry in Roger Corman's Poe series, though this one is actually an adaptation of an HP Lovecraft story, "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward". One of the darker entries in the series, and classic Price.
Kwaidan (1964) - A VERY chilling, very artfully done collection of Japanese ghost stories, from Toho.
The Last Man on Earth (1964) - Another Vincent Price classic, a very dark first adaptation of "I Am Legend".
Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) - A very oddball entry to be sure. The original creator of the Dalek concept, Terry Nation, briefly sold the idea to an outside movie studio, and the result was this delightfully weird (but accurate) re-imagining of the first Daleks story from the Doctor Who show. Now starring Peter Cushing as a (assumedly) very human Dr. Who, with his granddaughters in tow, accidentally visiting the alien planet Skaro, home of the evil Dalek race!
Die, Monster Die! (1965) - One of Karloff's last films, based on HP Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space".
It! (1966) - Underrated actor Roddy McDowell shines in this classic adaptation of the traditional Golem tale.
The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) - A fantastic dark comedy/horror by Roman Polanski.
Night of the Living Dead (1968) - The first real "modern zombie" film, and in my opinion, George Romero's best.
The Legend of Seven Golden Vampires (1974) - Probably the weirdest movie Hammer Films ever produced, it's an oddball mash-up of 70s Hong Kong kung fu action, and Hammer vampire horror. But it stars Peter Cushing in his last go-round as Van Helsing, and it's pretty great.
Young Frankenstein (1974) - Just about my favorite movie of all time, a brilliant collaboration between Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder, a loving send-up to the Universal classics, and one of the funniest, most well done, most well acted films ever made, period. Watch it, you'll be glad you did.
Jaws (1975) - Spielberg's classic, more of a drama film than horror, really, but still an excellent film.
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes (1978) - NOT a true horror film, but a fantastic and comical spoof that needs to be seen.
Halloween (1978) - The ONLY "slasher" flick on this list, but I'm including it because it put creepy over gore, period.
Alien (1979) - In some ways more Sci-Fi than horror, but a genuinely scary and well done Ridley Scott film.
The Shining (1980) - Out of all the films on this list, this one genuinely creeps me out the most. Jack Nicholson, nuff said.
Poltergeist (1982) - Arguably the best "ghost story" film ever made. Just great on every level.
The Thing (1982) - John Carpenter's take on "Who Goes There?", dread and creepiness pervade throughout. Excellent.
The Terminator (1984) - The original cult classic sci-fi thriller, about an unstoppable cyborg who comes to the past to terminate any hope for the future, starring Arnold Schwarzenneger.
Gremlins (1984) - A movie that transcends genres, Gremlins is a mash-up of horror, comedy, and holiday/Christmas film. And it works on all of those levels and more. Directed by the great Joe Dante, and one of the best movies ever made, in my humble opinion.
C.H.U.D. (1984) - A smaller budget horror film, about toxic creatures in the New York sewers, that are the result of negligent government waste management.
Ghostbusters (1984) - Much like Gremlins, Ghostbusters is a mash-up that transcends genres. Most people have seen this perennial 80s classic, but if you haven't, you NEED to see it. It's pure film gold.
Aliens (1986) - The more action-oriented sequel to the '79 thriller, Aliens finds Ellen Ripley, and a pack of goofball Space Marines, going back to planet LV426 to learn more about the alien threat.
Critters (1986) - Gremlins spawned many similar styled films, but of the "knocks offs", this is probably the best. A small mid-west town is terrorized when a pack of aliens with a voracious appetite crash land on a small farm.
The Monster Squad (1987) - A great and overlooked film, think "Goonies", but with classic monsters thrown in. Awesome.
The Gate (1987) - A movie about a boy and his best friend, who accidentally dig up a gateway to hell in their backyard. One of the best 80s horror films, in my opinion.
The 'Burbs (1989) - In my opinion Joe Dante's best film, and that's a tough call considering how good Gremlins is. A story featuring Tom Hanks, as a middle-class American everyman, who begins to grow suspicious of his creepy new neighbors.
Warlock (1989) - Something of a dark fantasy thriller, starring the great Julian Sands as the titular Warlock, "son of the devil", who seeks ultimate power to destroy God and remake the world as his own. A bit of a fantasy twist on Terminator as well, as a warrior from the past follows him to the future to stop him and save the world.
In the Mouth of Madness (1995) - The ONLY 90s film on this list, I just wanted to include it because it is the only example I can think of, of a film that truly portrays the kind of feel and spirit of H.P. Lovecraft's old stories. A psychological thriller, with a touch of supernatural, and a strong dose of questioned sanity. One of John Carpenter's best.
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Science Fiction/Fantasy
A Trip to the Moon (1902) - One of the first films ever, and a piece of film history. You can find it on YouTube.
The Lost World (1925) - A cool adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's story, and a landmark in special effects.
King Kong (1933) - It speaks for itself, the definition of classic. Some say Citizen Kane. I say King Kong.
She (1935) - A classic film about a lost city, and it's mysterious, immortal ruler.
The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936) - A great HG Wells story, and a really great film.
The Thief of Bagdad (1940) - A great Arabian fantasy story, about a prince, Ahmad, and his thief friend, played by classic Hollywood star Sabu, of The Jungle Book fame.
The Man From Planet X (1951) - A really surreal "alien visitor" type of film, very well done.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) - Science fiction, but more philosophy and human condition. One of the best ever.
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953) - One of the first Ray Harryhousen stop motion marvels, based on a short story by his lifelong best friend Ray Bradbury, this classic also served as inspiration for the king of "giant monsters", Godzilla.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) - Fantastic adaption of Verne's novel, starring James Mason and Kirk Douglas.
Gojira (1954) - The original Godzilla (American name) film, as dark and dramatic of a monster movie as you'll ever find. It really says something when many film historians consider this the second best Japanese film of all time, behind Seven Samurai. And beyond becoming THE undisputed king and icon of "giant monster" films, it was also a sobering (and purposeful) allegory as to the horrors suffered by the only country to ever experience a nuclear bomb attack.
Them! (1954) - Another great example of a film that takes a concept, giant ants, and makes it both creepy and a very fleshed out, dramatic affair.
The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) - One of the few Hammer science fiction films, but expertly done.
This Island Earth (1955) - A film with some fantastic sets and cinematography, but also another philosophical one.
1984 (1956) - The rare original, but in my view superior adaptation of the George Orwell story.
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956) - Beyond the cheesy name, lies a great classic with a cool story and great effects.
Forbidden Planet (1956) - In my view, this, along with The Day the Earth Stood Still, is THE best science fiction film ever crafted. Groundbreaking for it's time in budget and special effects, it also set many standards for what future space-based Sci-Fi films would be, influencing everything from Doctor Who to Star Trek. It took science seriously, to the best of it's ability in 1956, and presented a captivating story full of questions about humanity and the human mind. It also happens to be an adaptation of Shakespeare's "The Tempest", and stars a young Leslie Nielson in one of his early, serious leading roles, decades before his comedy career took off with Airplane! Amazing film, do yourself a favor and see it.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) - Yet another Sci-Fi film that reaches beyond the "B movie" stigma, and presents something bigger, deeper, and better. A film that very much explored, in part, the paranoia of the Cold War, but also again took a deep look at society and the human mind, and what it is that makes us, us.
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) - In many ways more of a drama, this film explores how a man might react if he found himself in the incredible circumstance of gradually shrinking down to (eventually) atomic size. A great existential look at life and a man's place in it when everything changes around him, with great acting by Grant Williams.
20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) - Another Harryhousen classic, this one focused on a strange alien lifeform, lost on a strange alien world: Earth.
The 27th Day (1957) - A largely unknown little film, about what would happen if aliens gave people from each major power on earth (American, Britain, China, Russia, etc.), a tiny capsule that was vastly more powerful than an nuclear bomb, with the option to either use the power for their countries to strike at their enemies, or to see if they could keep this from happening, thereby stopping the aliens themselves from invading and taking over Earth. A great character study, and a cool little film.
The Fly (1958) - A great film, co-starring Vincent Price, about a scientist messing with experimental technology that goes horribly wrong. One of the finer done, and classier Sci-Fi films ever made. And again, the original is by far the best.
It! The Terror From Beyond Space (1958) - Another somewhat unknown classic, this movie was the primary influence on the later, better known classic Alien. Similar premise: a space rescue expedition accidentally allows a hostile lifeform aboard on their return trip home.
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) - My personal favorite of the Sinbad films, a Harryhausen masterpiece, full of magic, giant Cyclops', dragons, skeleton warriors and more. Kerwin Mathews is great as Sinbad, and Torin Thatcher is equally great as the villainous sorcerer, Sokurah. Plus, it has a bad ass musical score.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) - In my opinion, the best adaption of this great Jules Verne story, it's epic and classy all at the same time, with great visuals, and great acting by leading man James Mason, who plays Prof. Lindenbrook.
The Three Worlds of Gulliver (1960) - Like most adaptations of this novel, it only really goes over the first couple parts, but it's very well done just the same, and Kerwin Mathews does a great job as Gulliver. An entertaining classic.
Mysterious Island (1961) - Another great Verne adaptation, this time with the stop motion wizardry of Ray Harryhausen.
Jack the Giant Killer (1962) - Another Kerwin Mathews film, based on the fairly tale, with stop-motion effects done by two of Harryhausen's assistants/students. A decent, entertaining fantasy flick.
King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) - The first major "Monster Mash" feature, with the two biggest monster movie icons meeting up for the first (and only) time. Kong certainly looks cheesy in "suitmation" form, instead of stop-motion, but the film itself is very entertaining and fun to watch.
Captain Sindbad (1963) - No Harryhausen for this one, but still a classic and entertaining story of magic and swordplay.
Jason and the Argonauts (1963) - What is there NOT to say about this movie? It's one of Harryhausen's greatest masterpieces, many say his TOP work. It's a great, classic story, amazing special effects, even to this day, and honestly it's quite simply one of the best movies ever made. If you've never seen it, do yourself a favor and do so.
Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964) - The next in the classic (best) 60s Godzilla films, this time pitting G against the earth guardian spirit, Mothra. Plus, this was the first film beyond the original to firmly establish Godzilla as a nearly unstoppable badass.
Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster (1964) - This film introduced Godzilla's greatest enemy, King Ghidorah, a three headed, enormous space-dragon that emits gravity ripping beams of lightning from it's mouths. It was also the first TRUE "Monster Mash" of the giant monster (Kaiju) films, as it had Ghidorah fighting Godzilla, Rodan, AND Mothra.
Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) - A very unique take on the classic Robinson Crusoe story, about an astronaut stranded on Mars. Great dramatic and classy film.
The First Men in the Moon (1964) - Another great Harryhausen showcase, this film is a great adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic story, and it's highly entertaining besides.
Invasion of the Astro Monster aka Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (1965) - My personal all-time favorite Godzilla film, and the only one to really embody the Sci-Fi feel, as far as space travel and whatnot goes. It's the only Godzilla film where Godzilla leaves Earth at all, and overall, to me it's got the best overall plot and action, other than the original.
Gamera (1965) - Another company's attempt at creating their own Godzilla type franchise, Gamera is, as absurd as it sounds, a giant, flying, fire-breathing turtle. But the original is actually pretty good, and an entertaining film.
Fahrenheit 451 (1966) - While it's missing a few key elements of the book, this is still a great adaptation of Ray Bradbury's classic dystopian science fiction novel.
Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster (1966) - This was the first Godzilla movie I ever saw as a kid, and was what made me fall madly in love with the big monster in the first place. Not the greatest of the series, but a very fun romp just the same.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - Arguably Stanley Kubrick's finest film, this was a very unique case in which the novel by Arthur C. Clark and this film were actually being created at the same time, with each the writer and the filmmaker collaborating, and creating their own final products. It was mainly based on Clark's ideas, but Kubrick's genius shines through. It was probably the first major Sci-Fi film, beyond Forbidden Planet, to both take a serious scientific approach, but also to have (for the genre) a fairly large budget. This film was groundbreaking in many ways, and it's an absolute classic, even IF the stupid "Starchild" at the end creeps me out to this day.
Planet of the Apes (1968) - A great film, and Charlton Heston's first real foray into science fiction. A great, serious, and well done film, with some of the most classic and iconic moments in film history. Roddy McDowall does a great job as ape scientist "Dr. Cornelius" as well.
Destroy All Monsters (1968) - One of the best "Monster Mash" movies, for the sheer fact that it features nearly a dozen of Toho's Kaiju creations in one film, and it's a nifty "alien invasion" flick besides. One of the last Godzilla classics.
Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster (1971) - Arguably the most bizarre of the original "Showa Era" Godzilla films, this movie has a distinct environmental message, but it also has one of the most creative and interesting monsters in the series' history. A fun ride, all around.
Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory (1971) - I would be remiss not to mention this film, even though I'm sure many have seen it. The Tim Burton film doesn't hold a candle to this, and Gene Wilder IS Willy Wonka. End of story.
Silent Running (1972) - A sombre, serious, largely unknown film, starring Bruce Derne, about man's bleak future.
Soylent Green (1973) - A film that plays out much more like a film noir than science fiction, it stars Charlton Heston, and deals with a dystopian future in which overpopulation and exhaustion of resources have led to the most dire and sinister of circumstances. A very dark, and but very good film.
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974) - The second of Ray Harryhausen's epic Sinbad adventures, this one features a young Tom Baker right before his role as the infamous Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who, as the villainous sorcerer Koura. It also features, as usual, some awesome monsters, including a six-armed Kali statue. A great fantasy film.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) - Pretty much speaks for itself: Godzilla, Robot Godzilla, duke it out. The last exceptionally good entry in the classic "Showa" series, to me.
Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) - A classic Disney production, about twin kids with psychic powers, on a quest to find their real family. Really a great film, and one of my favorites when I was a kid.
The Land That Time Forgot (1975) - A great adaptation of the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs story, about enemy sailors banding together after finding themselves stranded in a strange land in the arctic, full of prehistoric wonders.
Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) - The very last of the "Showa" era films, and also the very last film that the most famous, and best director/creator of the series, Ishiro Honda (a great director in his own right, along with Akira Kurosawa), ever directed. It's a decent wrap up to the series, but it also makes sense that chronologically speaking, Destroy All Monsters is supposed to be the last (classic) Godzilla film.
Logan's Run (1976) - Another great, dystopian future film, arguably the best, actually. Starring Michael York of Austin Powers fame, and Richard Jordan, who would later feature in the 1984 adaptation of Dune. I'd say this is easily one of the better science fiction films ever made. The show they made afterwards? Not so much. Watch the movie.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) - Naturally, I have to mention this. It's only one of the best Spielberg, and extra-terrestrial based films ever made. A genuine classic, and if you've never seen it....get to it already.
Star Wars (1977) - Again, naturally. When I was a kid, Return of the Jedi was my favorite one, but now the original is. It's just a great, classic, self-contained story, and no matter what people want to try and say about George Lucas now, he is and always will be a genius for this movie alone. One of the greatest sci-fi/fantasy stories ever told.
The Hobbit (1977) - My favorite film of all time, basically tied with Young Frankenstein. This made-for-TV animated movie by Rankin/Bass, is SO much better than the Peter Jackson films that it's not even funny. It features great animation and art, a great soundtrack, incredibly voice acting, you name it. And it's actually accurate to the book, with only a couple elements cut for time. If you want to experience Tolkien at its BEST, at least in my opinion, you MUST watch this film.
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977) - The last of the three Harryhausen Sinbad films, this one deals with a prince who has been transformed into a baboon, and Sinbad's search for the mythical Greek alchemist Melanthius, who happens to be played by another Doctor, the Second Doctor, Patrick Troughton, in a great role.
The Lord of the Rings (1978) - A lesser known adaptation by cult animator Ralph Bakshi, it is a dark but very accurate take on the first more or less two and a half books in the trilogy. The story is sadly unfinished, as he never got to make the sequel, but what's there is bizarre and beautiful, a mix of rotoscoped animation and filtered live action. It's an odd take, but also pretty great.
The Cat From Outer Space (1978) - It's a comedy, but it's a cat, who talks, from space. What more could you want?
The Black Hole (1979) - Probably the darkest "Disney" film ever produced, a great, classic science fiction film, in my opinion one of the best ever made. Maximilian Schell plays a fantastic villain, and great performance by the likes of Anthony Perkins, Ernest Borgnine, and Roddy McDowell as the robot "Vincent". As a matter of fact, another endearing robot character is played by none other than Slim Pickens, as "B.O.B.". Great movie!
Mad Max (1979) - The original and first of a trilogy starring Mel Gibson, this classic is set in a post-nuclear war Australia, where a cop tries to defend his family from a land overrun by gangs. Dark, but good.
The Return of the King (1980) - After Bakshi was unable to make the other half of his LOTR movie, Rankin/Bass swooped back in to more or less tell the rest of the story. There's a bit missing, but they again tell a very faithful version of the final book in the trilogy, minus (for whatever reason) Legolas and Gimli. In a perfect world, Bakshi would have been able to make his sequel, AND Rankin/Bass would have been able to make the entire trilogy themselves also.
Clash of the Titans (1981) - Ray Harryhausen's magnum opus, and the last full film he ever worked on, and in my mind, his finest work, even better than the amazing Sinbad and Jason movies. This is one of my top favorite films of all time, and if you've only ever seen the piss-poor "remake" that just recently came out, you're missing out big time. Do yourself a favor, see the original, and you'll see why it, like Jason and the Argonauts, is one of the best films ever made.
The Last Unicorn (1982) - Another Rankin/Bass film, one of their best works. It tells the (rather dark) story of a bumbling magician, who tries to help the last known Unicorn in existence.
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982) - Nearly everyone has seen this classic, but I would be remiss not to include it.
The Secret of NIMH (1982) - The first solo feature film by the great Don Bluth, and one of my all-time favorites. It tells the tale of a struggling single mother mouse, who to save her family has to get the help of a mysterious group of strangely intelligent rats.
The Dark Crystal (1982) - Another of my favorite all-time films, and in my opinion Jim Henson's masterpiece. A dark fairy tale about a totally alien world, fully realized in puppetry and animatronics. There was nothing like this before, and hasn't been anything like it since. It's a must see film that I think FAR more people need to see.
Space Raiders (1983) - A story about space pirates who accidentally kidnap the son of a corporate higher-up. A Roger Corman produced cult film, that is both endearing yet surprisingly dark.
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai (1984) - A very weird cult classic, bizarre to the max, starring a great collection of characters such as Peter Weller, Christopher Lloyd, John Lithgow, and Jeff Goldblum.
Starman (1984) - Another John Carpenter film, this one starring Jeff Bridges as an alien lifeform who has crash landed on earth, and takes the form of a woman's recently deceased husband to try and find his way to a pick-up point, so he can be rescued.
Conan the Destroyer (1984) - The sequel to Conan the Barbarian, and listed over that movie because I find this one more fun. It is a perfect "Sword and Sorcery" type fantasy/action film, starring Arnold in the titular role.
The Last Starfighter (1984) - A cult classic and childhood favorite, this is a story of a teenage boy from a small town, whose love for an arcade game literally takes him to the stars.
The Ice Pirates (1984) - A comedic take on Star Wars type action/sci fi, it follows the exploits of a crew of galactic outlaws, who deal in the galaxy's most precious commodity: water.
The Ewok Adventure (1984) - A made-for-TV spinoff of the Star Wars universe, about a family who crash-lands on the Endor moon. The children must save their parents, with the aid of a group of Ewoks, including young Wicket.
Red Sonja (1985) - Another movie starring Arnold as basically Conan (but with a different name), this movie focused on the adventures of a young warrior named Sonja, as she fights to avenger her family and save the world.
The Black Cauldron (1985) - Probably the darkest animated film Disney has ever produced, and also one of their least known films. In my opinion one of their greatest works, and an excellent fantasy adventure besides.
Explorers (1985) - A lesser-known Joe Dante film, about a trio of friends who, through telepathic dreams, discover how to build themselves a home-made spaceship, to visit the stars.
Big Trouble in Little China (1986) - A criminally underrated John Carpenter cult classic, this is one of my favorite movies of all time. A genre-bending mix of action, comedy, horror, fantasy, and martial arts, it is, in my humble opinion, one of the best movies ever made. A weird, awesome adventure.
Castle in the Sky (1986) - Directed by the great Hayao Miyazaki, this is a story about a young boy, Patzu, who encounters a girl who falls from the sky, as they both try to uncover the secrets of the lost floating city of Laputa.
Flight of the Navigator (1986) - Another childhood favorite, about a boy who gets abducted by a UFO and taken into the (near) future. Features the voice talent of Paul Reubens (aka Pee Wee Herman).
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) - I'll only list this Star Trek movie, even though I like all six of the original series, because in my opinion it's the best one, and my personal favorite. Captain Kirk and crew, have to travel back in time to the 1980s, to save future Earth.
The Princess Bride (1987) - Another film most people have seen, but a great fairy-tale type fantasy nonetheless, starring a great cast of characters, not the least of which is Andre the Giant!
Robocop (1987) - In the grim-dark near-future of dystopian Detroit (basically now Detroit), a good cop, Alex Murphy, meets a grisly fate at the hands of criminals. But modern technology can make him "reborn", as the first in a line of new cyborg super-police. He is now Robocop, and he is the law!
Willow (1988) - A fantasy classic, starring Warwick Davis and Val Kilmer, about a small would-be sorcerer, who tries to protect a baby who can save the land.
They Live (1988) - Another John Carpenter classic, a paranoia thriller about the hidden world behind the world, starring Roddy Piper and Keith David.
Short Circuit 2 (1988) - People should definitely see the first film, but for my money, this is a rare case where the sequel is better. The sentient robot Johnny 5, winds up having some wacky adventures in New York City.
Back to the Future Part II (1989) - Another film where people should definitely see the first movie (in fact it's really kind of mandatory to understand what's going on), but I think again the sequel is even better, and this is my favorite entry in the series.
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And THAT, my friends, is where I'm cutting it off. I only included films up through the 80s on purpose, as I consider that more of the "classic" era. As far as horror is concerned, I actually mostly consider the "classic" era to have ended in the 60s, but I digress. I've listed more than enough I think. That is one shitload of classic films for people to look at, and while I would personally recommend that you see MOST of the films on this list at some point, I would hope that at least a few catch your eye. I love these films, I love classic films like this in general, and the only thing better than enjoying these films to yourself, like most art, is sharing them with others. So there ya go folks! Enjoy!
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