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We all know the ‘80s were a great time to be a kid: great toys, great cartoons, great music and of course, great movies. After many debates, which included near fits of hysterical crying and the threat of fistfights, we were able to whittle it down to what we feel are the top ten movies of our childhood, movies that it’s just plain un-American not to have seen at least 50 times. We wanted to make a top ten movies list so we pooled together our resources and vast knowledge of the ‘80s and input from various friends and family and here we give you the result.

#10 “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982)

“E.T.” is about an alien with one glowing finger that lands in a boy named Elliot’s backyard. Elliot makes friends with E.T. and after some wacky adventures, which include E.T. getting drunk and cross-dressing, some FBI men in HazMat suits come to take E.T. away. Elliot and E.T. run off on his flying bicycle and E.T. goes home.

Why “E.T.” made our list:

“E.T.” is a classic story about friendship and subversity. As Carol Kassis, a 22-year-old student at Clark University said, “This movie has unprecedented achievements…it's a children’s movie that shows you to hate the government. That’s a plus in my book.”

# 9 “The NeverEnding Story” (1984)

“The NeverEnding Story” is a tale of imagination, courage and rock biting. Bastian pioneered playing hooky for our generation even before Ferris Bueller did (we’ll get to him later in our list). Bastian, while sitting in his school’s attic, follows Atreyu’s journey to find the childlike empress a real name, which we … NEVER FIND OUT!!!

Why “The NeverEnding Story” made our list:

This is one of those movies that once you saw it as a kid, you would forever be attached to it. You would always want to wear the childlike empress’ pearl crown, always be scared to death of the talking wolf with the frightening green eyes and the all consuming “nothing” and you would always cry when Artex gives into The Swamps of Sadness and sinks in the quicksand. We must admit there was some difficulty deciding whether this film or “Labyrinth” would make the final cut but it was Vinny Moschetta, a 19-year-old student from Seton Hall University, who decided for us when he said, “David Bowie versus the childlike empress? Come on, no contest!”

#8 “Dirty Dancing” (1987)

Optimistic Baby (real name: Frances) wants to save the world but instead she settles for saving a dancer’s career and disappointing her daddy, the doctor, when she falls for the stereotypical guy from the wrong side of the tracks.

Why “Dirty Dancing” made our list:

Because “nobody puts Baby in a corner.” And we’re not about to try.

#7 “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986)

Taken from the roll call scene of the film (you know the part that follows “Bueller… Bueller… Bueller…”): “My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with a girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it’s pretty serious.” So serious in fact, that he spends the day gallivanting with his girlfriend, Sloane and his best friend, Cameron while thwarting Principle Rooney’s attempts to catch him.

Why “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” made our list:

Well, when you know the movie word for word, backwards and forwards and every other way… it would be stupid not to put it on the list. Maybe it’s wrong to generalize but everyone has seen this movie at least once… a week. Seriously, it’s always on! And by now, you too should have it committed to memory!

#6 The Indiana Jones Trilogy (1981, 1984, 1989)

“Raiders of the Lost Ark” is Indy’s first excellent adventure where he saves the Ark of the Covenant from Nazis, runs from snakes and manages to inspire a Disney attraction. In “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” Indy saves the children of an Indian village from slavery, which is enforced by a bloodthirsty cult that has taken the village’s magic stones. “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” features Indy and his father (played by the oh, so wonderful Sir Sean Connery) in a race against the Nazis (again) to find the Holy Grail, the chalice that Christ used during the Last Supper.

Why Indy made our list:

First of all as Kassis points out, “This was the first movie to show how cool archeology is.” Secondly, it has a great score by John Williams. Third and finally, one of the best movie lines ever can be found in the third film, “I named the dog Indiana.” Who knew the famous movie adventurer adopted his name from the family pet?

#5 “Back to the Future” (1985)

Marty McFly, in an attempt to escape the Libyans at the mall, accidentally goes back through time in Doc Brown’s DeLorean, only to learn that his father is a peeping-tom, comic book nerd and his mother has an affinity for purple underwear. In a most disturbing twist, his mother ends up having a crush on him in 1955.

Why this “Back to the Future” made our list:

Unlike the Indy trilogy, where the writing remained strong throughout all three films, only this first “Back to the Future” flick featured a quality story line that held up over time. As Kelly Detrick, a 22-year-old student at The College of New Jersey, said, “It speaks for itself.” It’s just a classic ‘80s film… that happens to take place in the ‘50s.

#4 “The Breakfast Club” (1985)

Five kids in Saturday detention discover that “…each of us is a brain, an athlete, a basketcase, a princess and a criminal.”

Why “The Breakfast Club” made our list:

Because in a strangely profound way it’s all true.

#3 “Spaceballs” (1987)

Mel Brooks meets “Star Wars.” Throw in Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman and John Candy and you’ve got a movie moving at Ludicrous Speed.

Why “Spaceballs” made our list:

Since we couldn’t legally fit the entire original “Star Wars” trilogy on this list (“Star Wars: A New Hope” was made in 1977), we elected to use its satire instead. “That’s the best movie… ‘Keep firing, assholes’… I mean, it doesn’t get any better than that,” said Melissa Steiger, a 21-year-old student at TCNJ. And she’s right. With quotes like “They’ve gone plaid!” and “I’m a mog - half man, half dog. I’m my own best friend,” this is Mel Brooks at his finest.

#2 “The Goonies” (1985)

A group of kid-outcasts search for One-Eyed Willie’s treasure in an attempt to save their town from becoming a country club. And, as if Willie’s “booby traps” weren’t enough, our young heroes are chased by the infamous Fratelli brothers and their crazed mother.

Why “The Goonies” made our list:

Classic ‘80s at its best. Who didn’t want to be friends with Mikey, Data, Mouth and Chunk? “Honestly, who could forget Chunk doing the truffle shuffle or Data crashing through the screen door in ‘The Goonies.’ Or when Chunk revealed his life story to the guys because otherwise they would stick his hand in a blender,” said Steiger. Or
classic lines like “Hey Mike, gotta go to the bathroom?” while Mouth taunts his friend.
And last but certainly not least as Kassis remembers, “Goonies never say die.”

#1 “The Princess Bride” (1987)

As the back of William Goldman’s book that inspired the film said, “What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince in the world -- and he turns out to be a son of a bitch.” If you don’t know then you must have been living in a box since 1987. And, as penalty for your crime, you’ve just been sentenced to a lifetime in the Fire Swamp or the Pit of Despair, your choice. Say “hi” to the ROUS’s for us.

Why “The Princess Bride” made our list and scored the top position:

Let’s face it, this movie has it all – a fantastic fairy tale story (complete with endless great quotes), pirates, monstrous creatures, evil Counts, giants, witches, swashbuckling heroes, and most of all true love. As Ashley Shouse, a 21-year-old student from Kentucky, observes, “To not include it in the list would be simply INCONCEIVABLE!”

We’re sure we left off some of your favorites. We left off some of ours too. Bottom line, these were very difficult decisions to make and we picked what we felt were the finest films of the decade. Some honorable mentions should go to “Labyrinth”, “Footloose”, “Ghostbusters”, “Adventures in Babysitting”, “When Harry Met Sally”, “Beetlejuice”, “Rain Man”, “Lethal Weapon”, “A Christmas Story” (“You’ll shoot your eye out kid!”), “Mannequin” and FINALLY for the LAST TIME-“Star Wars”. As mentioned before “Star Wars” we felt we had to disqualify since the first film was made in 1977 and like “Indiana Jones” we would have wanted to count the original trilogy as a whole since its one big story.

Feel free to rant and rave and make your own list on unbound’s message board.