13 reasons why 1986 was the best year for movies

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I took Aiden to see Top Gun: Maverick a while back. We enjoyed it (as much as one can enjoy a war movie nowadays). I promise there are no Top Gun: Maverick spoilers in this post. But I do have to say that while this sequel isn’t a rehash of the first installment, the two certainly rhyme.

A lot.

Watching Maverick certainly made me think of when I saw the original Top Gun in the theatre. It was an evening long-remembered because 1.) it was a really fun movie for a 4th grader and 2.) it was the first evening movie that my mom had dropped me off to go see. I’d gone to many matinees on my own before. We lived just a short bike ride away from a theater complex. My summers were full of watching movie matinees with my friends.

But this? This was different. It was a night movie. And it was at a different theater. And my friends and I went to see it. Alone.

I told Aiden about that on the way home. And it got me thinking about all of the movies I saw that summer. And it hit me. 1986 was a pretty amazing year for movies.

In fact…

Here’s 13 reasons why.1986 is the best movie year ever.

Please note:
While I didn’t post anything spoilery about Top Gun” Maverick. That’s because it’s still pretty new. These movies, however, have been around since 1986. You’ve had more than 35 years to watch them. Much like my position on the Original Star Wars Trilogy, if anything I say about these movies is a spoiler, it’s your fault you hadn’t watched that movie by now..

Agreed?

Good.

Top Gun

This shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s the movie that inspired the list, after all.

There’s a great selection of Top Gun inspired T-shirts over at TeePublic. You might want to buy one. Or more. You can also get some really cool Top Gun related memorabilia at HollywoodMemorabilia.com.

You can thank me later.

Oh, and if you still have the need…the need for speed, you can watch Top Gun on Paramount+ right now.

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Iron Eagle

I discovered Iron Eagle on a Saturday afternoon on a local TV station. You know these stations, right? Whenever there wasn’t a regularly-scheduled program or a ballgame they could broadcast, they’d show a movie. I probably stumbled upon this flick in the early ’90s..

I’m not gonna lie. I assumed Iron Eagle was some kind of Top Gun copycat. I mean, if a movie about a rule-breaking F-14 Tomcat pilot was wildly successful, why not piggy-back on its success and make a movie about a rule-breaking pilot who flies an F-16 Fighting Falcon? Hollywood does this type of copycatting all the time.

I was wrong, though.

Iron Eagle didn’t copy Top Gun. They were both released in the same year – 1986. Not only that, but Iron Eagle was released in January. Top Gun wasn’t released until mid-May. You could say that Iron Eagle actually paved the way for Top Gun.

OK. That’s probably going a little too far.

The mere fact that these two fighter plane movies were released in the same year is almost enough reason to name 1986 the greatest year in movies. And that’s really just a small taste of the 1986 greatness.

I didn’t find much Iron Eagle merch. But I did find some Louis Gossett Jr. memorabilia. Enjoy.

You can watch Iron Eagle on Amazon Prime Video.

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Transformers: The Movie

This movie was a blood…er…energonbath. It basically wiped out the entire First Generation Transformers in the first 20 minutes – including Optimus Prime. That was one of those pivotal movie moments for my generation – right up there with the revelation that Luke and Leia were siblings and crossing the streams (a VERY BAD THING)

And when Hot Rod opens the Matrix of Leadership and Stan Bush starts singing “You’ve got the touch. You’ve got the power…”

Oh man. I still get chills.

Oh? You want Transformers T-shirts? And you’re interested in some autographed Transformers memorabilia? I’m glad you asked.

You can stream Transformers: The Movie on Amazon Prime Video.

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Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

OK. This isn’t my favorite of the Star Trek films from the original cast. It depends on what kind of mood I’m in as to which one’s my favorite, but The Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country are pretty much tied for first place. The Voyage Home is a distant third. But that’s enough to add weight to my argument here. Because it was released in 1986.

Star Trek T-shirt designs can be found here. HollywoodMemorabilia.com has a few items from this this installment of the Star Trek film series.

Stream Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home on Paramount+.

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Short Circuit

OK. I’ll be honest. This is probably the weakest entry on the list. It’s been decades since I’ve seen it. I’m pretty sure our family rented it on VHS and watched together. I did, however see Short Circuit 2 in the theater. So the original had to have been decent enough to warrant me going to see its sequel. But…I mean…a robot named Johnny Five has to be good. Right?

I think I’m going to have to re-watch this one and get back to you. Fortunately, I can watch it on Showtime via Amazon Prime Video.

There’s also a lot of autographed Short Circuit items, including scripts and movie posters, available at HollywoodMemorabilia.com.

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Aliens

I did not watch Aliens until more than a decade after its 1986 release. I was in college and we did a marathon of Alien, Aliens, and Aliens 3. After watching Aliens, I remember thinking, “Woah. That was amazing. It was even better than the first one.” And that’s saying something. Because sequels are rarely better than the first.

And who doesn’t want an autographed xenomorph Funko Pop for their shelves at home? That thing’s a beauty.

Aliens is available on Starz via Amazon Prime Video.

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Ferris Beuller’s Day Off

Another movie that I somehow missed until I was in college. But life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss a classic film like this one.

There’s a lot of Bueller…
Bueller…
and Bueller…
collectible items available on HollywoodMemorabilia.com.

Watching Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on Paramount+ just might make you twist and shout in the streets

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Stand By Me

There’s a lot of memorable moments in this classic coming-of-age story, but the one that keeps coming up in my mind is the story about the pie eating contest. I know there’s so much more to the story than that, but that’s probably what I remember most.

A lot of Stand By Me related autographs are available on HollywoodMemorabilia.com.

Stand By Me is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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Highlander

The sequels were not great. And I never watched the series. So, for me…well…

Of course, there’s also Sean Connery. He’s pretty cool.

Highlander is available on Amazon Prime Video.

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Karate Kid part II

I remember being at my friend Matt’s house, getting ready to go watch the aforementioned Transformers: The Movie at Showplace Cinemas. We had to stop and watch this music video on MTV (you know…back when it was primarily music videos). There was an endless debate between some of my friends about how Daniel performs the “Drum Technique” (at 3:23 in this video). Does he use the palm of his hand or a closed fist?

I don’t know if that debate ever ended.

You want Karate Kid memorabilia? Here’s some Karate Kid memorabilia.

Watch Karate Kid part II on AMC+ via Amazon Prime Video.

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Hoosiers

So…back in my preaching days outside of Muncie, Indiana, I shared a message about how we love underdog stories because the story that’s told in Scripture reminds us of how God is on the side of the outcast, the unlovely, and the weak. You know…the underdog.

I opened the message by retelling the story of the best sports movie of all time – how the tiny Hickory Huskers went on a magical run and won the Indiana high school boys’ basketball state championship with a last-second shot. Hoosiers is a great movie that captures the spirit of Indiana basketball.

via GIPHY

I love this movie. I even recreated a famous scene when Aiden and I visited historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.. It’s engrained in who I am.

After I completed the sermon in that small church some 15 years ago, a little old lady came up to me and reminded me that Hoosiers was based on a true story. “Yep,” I smiled. “The Milan Miracle. Right?”

“That’s right. And do you remember who they played in the state championship game?”

It hit me right before she told me. That’s right. Muncie. Freakin’. Central.

“I was there,” she told me. “We don’t like that story around here.” I guess I should have known that I wouldn’t last long there. But Hoosiers is and always will be my favorite sports movie^. It’s one of my favorite movies ever.

There’s some great autographed Hoosiers items over at Hollywood Memorabilia,

You can stream the greatest sports movie ever made on Amazon Prime Video right now.

Don’t get caught watching the paint dry.

I love you guys.

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An American Tail

Somewhere Out There. Need I say more?

Probably. But I won’t.

You can watch Fievel in An American Tail on STARZ via Amazon Prime Video.

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SpaceCamp

What’s better than a Star Wars-obsessed kid becoming friends with a robot (another sentient robot? I’m sensing a trend…) who helps him fly into space? Not much, really. Especially when you’re 10 years old and have been dreaming of becoming an astronaut.

Granted, SpaceCamp was released just a few months after the Challenger disaster (what a marketing nightmare), it’s still a fun movie. I watched it over. And over. And over again when it was on HBO.

The movie’s such a great story, they’re talking about remaking it so an entirely new generation can experience this fanciful story. That’s good, because I can’t find Space Camp on any streaming services.

Oh, hey! Did I just see Commander Mike “Viper” Metcalf from Top Gun in that move. Yes. Yes I did. Hello again, Tom Skerritt.

And hello again, Larry B. Scott, too!

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You can fight me about 1986 if you want

You know, 1984 was a pretty good movie year. So was 1991. ’96 wasn’t too shabby, either. But on a whole, they cannot generate a list that’s better than 1986.

Fight me.

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Endnotes

^ A League of Their Own is a pretty close second. Conveniently enough, both of these films were filmed in Indiana. I’m sure that’s just a coincidence.