I have another thread here about an 80s prom I'm throwing. I mentioned that our theme was "Enchantment Under The Sea" from Back To The Future and someone mentioned the prom in the movie took place in the 50s.

Sure it did, but it doesn't affect Back To The Future's spot as an iconic 80s movie. Right? 

So, what movies were released in the 80s but took place in another decade?


The first that floats to the tip of my fingers:

Blade Runner.  It was released in 1982, but story takes place in 2019.

I have another thread here about an 80s prom I'm throwing. I mentioned that our theme was "Enchantment Under The Sea" from Back To The Future and someone mentioned the prom in the movie took place in the 50s.

Sure it did, but it doesn't affect Back To The Future's spot as an iconic 80s movie. Right? 

So, what movies were released in the 80s but took place in another decade?


The first that floats to the tip of my fingers:

Blade Runner.  It was released in 1982, but story takes place in 2019.






I said that as a joke.

Good topic. :) One thing I always dug about movies that are set in an earlier time, is that it's usually pretty accurate (from what I know), but there's little touches of the present (when it was made) thrown in there too.

You can probably tell by my screename that I'm a huge BTTF fan, and they really seemed to nail the 1955 scenes. But there was modern stuff too, like when one of Biff's friends was in the cafe picking on George when he noticed Marty's red vest, and said "Check out this guy's life preserver. Dork thinks he's gonna drown!" ;D

There were some movies that took place in the future too, but oddly I think the 80s were more futuristic (for their time) then now is, with computers, microwaves, VCRs and lots of new technology and modern thinking. If they made a movie about "2008" back then, they'd probably have predicted it to be all sci-fi looking. They'd probably guess today was only the mid-late 90s. Sure we've got ipods, Internet, portable tech and DVDs, but that's technological not really futuristic.

P.S. Oh I forgot one, Escape From New York (never seen it though). That was made in the early 80s and I think it took place in a post-apocalyptic Manhattan in "1997". I should watch it so I can compare it to the real year and see how accurate they got it, lol.

Diner (1982) set in 1959

Grease 2 (1982) set in 1962/63

Full Metal Jacket (1987) set in 1968

Hollywood Knights (Tony Danza/Michelle Pfieffer) (1980) set in 1965

Losin' It (Tom Cruise/Shelley Long) (1983) set in 1965

Fandango (1985) set in 1971

Baby It's You (1983) set in 1966

Platoon (1986) set during the Viet Nam War

A Christmas Story (1983) set in the 1940's

La Bamba (1987) set in the 1950s

Streets of Fire (1984) set in a mythical ageless time.


I could keep going but I'm tired now.

Streets of Fire (1984) set in a mythical ageless time.


This was the one I was going to mention.  The movie never states when it was set which is what makes it so awesome.  It's got 80s music, but the look of the 1950s




Hollywood Knights (Tony Danza/Michelle Pfieffer) (1980) set in 1965


I love this movie.  It's sort of like a continuation of 'American Graffiti' with different actors.  I so need to get this on DVD

  The Road Warrior -  the post-apocalyptic future...

What about the Princess Bride (1987)?  Though the main action of the movie takes place in Florin in an unspecified (definitely pre-80s time!), the initial intro to the story does--does it fit in this thread?

"Porky's", 1950's (i think)

Also "Dirty Dancing" (1960s)

^Yeah, Dirty Dancing was 1962 I think, so it still had that innocent '50s/pre-Beatles air to it. I never saw it but American Graffiti was like that too (the early Sixties era).

One that comes to mind is 'The Purple Rose of Cairo' from 1985.  The premise was that the star of a movie (Jeff Daniels) suddenly jumps out of the picture when he falls in love at first sight with a woman in the audience watching the movie.  I can't remember what era it was set in, but I was reminded of the 50s

What about the Princess Bride (1987)?  Though the main action of the movie takes place in Florin in an unspecified (definitely pre-80s time!), the initial intro to the story does--does it fit in this thread?


Oh yeah that's a good one, I forgot about that - seemed like the Middle ages. ;D It seemed like it was a funny, more kids-oriented take on romantic adventure or battle movies. I could've seen it as the plot of a NES game or something.



P.S. Speaking of Blade Runner, I think the video for "Tonight Tonight" by Genesis took alot from that movie (the dark, violent city atmosphere), and the song sounds like its about beating drug addiction.

Losin' It (Tom Cruise/Shelley Long) (1983) set in 1965


And the real star of that movie -- the whorehouse piano player, John Valby.

Valby: KNOCK KNOCK!
Audience: WHO'S THERE?
Valby: TIJUANA!
Audience: TIJUANA WHO?
Valby: TIJUANATakeyourmothertothegangbang...

(The movie only used the more polite veres from that song!)

25 years after his Losin' it cameo as Johnny Hotrocks, John Valby is still recording and performing live, which is more than you can say for Shelley Long's (or even Tom Cruise's, which is hanging by a thread) career.

"When I first heard Chuck Berry playin' Johnny B. Goode,
I knew I'd be a rocker if I only could,
I practiced my piano and I bought a guitar,
A little kid dreamin' bout a rock and roll star,
It never quite worked out the way I planned,
But now I'm Doctor Dirty in a party band!

Go, go!  Go, Johnny go, go go...
(Yeah, Johnny B. Bad!)

Well, I tried to play the game, I did my demos at home,
But when the band broke up, I went out on my own,
Now many people comin' from miles around,
To hear me singin' dirty when the sun goes down,
The radio payola people shut the door,
But f**k you record weasels, I don't need you no more!

Go go!  (Doctor Dirty!)  Go, Johnny, go, go go...
Johnny B. Bad!"
    - John Valby, Johnny B. Bad, ca. 1989.

Heh.  You'll have to click to see the video for Valby for President! (VALBY '08!)

This was the one I was going to mention.  The movie never states when it was set which is what makes it so awesome.  It's got 80s music, but the look of the 1950s



I love this movie.  It's sort of like a continuation of 'American Graffiti' with different actors.  I so need to get this on DVD


Only funnier
And the real star of that movie -- the whorehouse piano player, John Valby.

Valby: KNOCK KNOCK!
Audience: WHO'S THERE?
Valby: TIJUANA!
Audience: TIJUANA WHO?
Valby: TIJUANATakeyourmothertothegangbang...oh yes you do its been a long time since she had a screw, when she was younger and in her prime she used to gangbang all the time.

(The movie only used the more polite veres from that song!)

25 years after his Losin' it cameo as Johnny Hotrocks, John Valby is still recording and performing live, which is more than you can say for Shelley Long's (or even Tom Cruise's, which is hanging by a thread) career.

"When I first heard Chuck Berry playin' Johnny B. Goode,
I knew I'd be a rocker if I only could,
I practiced my piano and I bought a guitar,
A little kid dreamin' bout a rock and roll star,
It never quite worked out the way I planned,
But now I'm Doctor Dirty in a party band!

Go, go!  Go, Johnny go, go go...
(Yeah, Johnny B. Bad!)

Well, I tried to play the game, I did my demos at home,
But when the band broke up, I went out on my own,
Now many people comin' from miles around,
To hear me singin' dirty when the sun goes down,
The radio payola people shut the door,
But f**k you record weasels, I don't need you no more!

Go go!  (Doctor Dirty!)  Go, Johnny, go, go go...
Johnny B. Bad!"
    - John Valby, Johnny B. Bad, ca. 1989.

Heh.  You'll have to click to see the video for Valby for President! (VALBY '08!)
Remeber "the ironbox twins", and whizzing in the punch at the prom? Tastes like it has a little wang in it

stand by me

stand by me


Good one.  To this day, I still cannot watch the pie-eating contest scene!