Posted in: Movies | Tagged: 1985, back to the future, entertainment, film, The Breakfast Club, wondercon

Celebrating The Classic Films Of 1985 At WonderCon

By Jason Strangis

A Brain, an Athlete, a Basket Case, a Princess, and a Criminal.

Who can ever forget John Hughes' classic teen drama, The Breakfast Club. Often considered the most influential movie about teenagers ever made, that powerful film first premiered 30 years ago in 1985.

Ah, yes, 1985 was indeed a fantastic year when it came to memorable movies. The Class of '85 was honored at WonderCon with media members discussing the best movies of that year.

Besides The Breakfast Club there was also another iconic movie that has stood the test of time: Back to the Future.

"When people talk about greatest screenplays of all time they are now using Back to the Future as a reference," said Scott Mantz of Access Hollywood, who moderated a panel consisting of movie buffs that have a fondness for 1980s pop culture.

As everyone knows Michael J. Fox starred in the original Back to the Future. At that time Fox was a TV sensation for his role as Alex P. Keaton in the 1980s top-rated comedy Family Ties. Panel members pointed out that Fox would work day and night on both his TV show and Back to the Future until filming was complete.

All those on the panel showed a reverence for Back to the Future, with one person calling it an almost perfect film. It also helped Michael J. Fox soar into superstardom in the 1980s.

The Breakfast Club also received high marks from panel members as well as the audience, who cheered when the title of that film was announced. The 1985 classic was written and directed by John Hughes and featured a brilliant ensemble cast. The movie, about five teenagers sharing a Saturday at school in detention, met with critical as well as commercial success.

There's the classic "Don't You Forget About Me" theme song that still resonates to this day. And the final, lasting image of Judd Nelson pumping his fist in the air on the football field. Unforgettable.

Another favorite film of some panel members from the remarkable year of 1985 included Legend.

Some comments included:

"Underrated and under-appreciated."

"It's one of the most beautiful movies you'll ever see."

Other memorable movies from 1985 were Witness (earning Harrison Ford a rare Oscar nomination), Fright Night ("a great blend of horror and comedy"), The Goonies (a movie that drew much applause from the packed audience at WonderCon), and the cult favorite Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

Experts pointed to a standout performance from Tina Turner as one of the highlights of Mad Max.

The panel at WonderCon talked about these movies and more from the class of '85 — truly one of the best classes in cinema history.

Jason Strangis is a longtime comic book collector who loves attending conventions throughout the year. He can be reached at jwstrangis@gmail.com.

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