In the 1980s, audiences around the world were introduced to some beloved and fan-favorite comedies, but many of these movie greats are often overlooked. While the decade was filled with memorable blockbusters like Ghostbusters, agent from Beverly Hills, And Ferris Bueller’s day off, there were many noteworthy comedies that did not receive the praise and recognition they deserved. Many of these farces have become cult classics and have been retroactively acclaimed and finally received their due appreciation.
Comedian extraordinaire Jim Carrey made a splash at the cinema when he starred as a hapless teenager targeted by a powerful female vampire in Once bitten, while Michael Keaton demonstrated his hilarious skills as a performer in Ron Howard’s side-splitting gem Night shift. Let’s take a look at some of the most underrated comedy movies of the ’80s.
9 After hours
The great Martin Scorsese directed the 1985 black comedy After hourswhich centers on mild-mannered word processor Paul Hackett as he finds his night going from bad to worse after an encounter with a beautiful but ailing woman who inadvertently sets off a chaotic chain of events throughout the unlucky night.
For the low-budget independent film, Scorsese embraced a more low-key and underground style of storytelling and won Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. It has received acclaim from critics for its delightfully bizarre elements, sharp wit, and lively performances, and since its release After hours was widely regarded as one underrated Scorsese movie.
8 Something wild
A phenomenal cast led by Melanie Griffith, Jeff Daniels and Ray Liotta, the 1986 action comedy Something wild is one of Jonathan Demme’s often overlooked hits before he made waves with Silence of the lambs And Philadelphia. The film follows the funny and spontaneous Lulu as she falls in love with a straightforward banker; their clandestine affair is complicated when Lulu’s dangerous ex-con husband shows up in hopes of a reconciliation.
Daniels earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance as the reserved yuppie businessman, showing off his comedic chops and his ability to embrace the wacky and strange. The film helped re-popularize the screwball comedy genre in the late ’80s and showcased Griffith’s widespread mass appeal, which led to her landing the lead role. Working girl.
7 Bitten once
The always hilarious Jim Carrey landed one of his first starring roles in the 1985 teen horror comedy Once bitten, in which he portrays a sex-obsessed high school virgin who becomes the target of an ancient vampire (Lauren Hutton) who must drink his blood to stay young and attractive.
The teen finds his life turned upside down when he begins to exhibit strange desires and symptoms that leave him wondering if he’s turning into a vampire himself. While the film failed to make a big impression with critics and audiences alike, it has since become a celebrated cult classic, demonstrating Carrey’s early star power and exceptional range as a comedian.
6 Night of the Creeps
Taking on both the undead and evil alien parasites is a tall order for even the bravest of heroes, a fact two geeky teens learned firsthand in the 1986 sci-fi horror comedy Night of the Creeps. The Frank Dekker film pays homage to the B movies of cinema’s past and fully embraces the slasher genre, with a hearty helping of gore, wacky humor and entertaining characters that have helped make it a charming cult classic become.
The comedy’s main characters are all named after horror movie directors (such as George A. Romero, John Carpenter, and Sam Raimi), and the 1980s jewel noisily chronicles the attempts of two nerdy brotherhood pledges to take on alien invaders who the students on campus and turning them into zombies.
5 Very secret!
Val Kilmer landed his first major acting break when he took on the lead role in the 1984 spy movie spoof Very secret! In the film, he appears as an American rock star who is drawn into a German underground resistance movement and tries to help rescue a brilliant scientist who has been captured by nefarious forces.
The side-splitting farce was directed by ZAZ (Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker), the comedic geniuses who created global hits like Aeroplane! And The naked gunand served as a parody of popular film styles such as war and espionage films. Very secret! helped establish Kilmer as a certified leading actor, showcasing his range as a performer and his ability to tackle any genre.
4 The man with two brains
The ever-delightful Steve Martin had a serious laugh as he portrayed a gifted neurosurgeon whose world was turned upside down after falling for a femme fatale in 1983. The man with two brainsa photo of Carl Reiner starring Kathleen Turner as his scheming wife.
Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr meets a mad scientist at a medical conference in Vienna, and begins to develop romantic feelings for one of the mad scientist’s living brains that he can communicate with telepathically. The man with two brains was a modest box office success, though Martin’s wacky performance as the lovelorn doctor in the outrageous farce earned critical acclaim and demonstrates his phenomenal comedic prowess.
3 Better dead
John Cusack stars as a lovesick high school student determined to take his own life after being dumped by his girlfriend in the 1985 black comedy Better dead, which follows the depressed Lane Meyer’s and his inept crusade to commit suicide after being completely consumed by his misery. After several failed attempts, Lane instead decides to challenge his ex-girlfriend’s new suitor to a dangerous ski race, encouraged by his eccentric buddy and a French exchange student.
Better dead is one of Cusack’s first roles, and it led the actor to play another charming loser, Lloyd Dobler in Cameron Crowe’s beloved 1989 hit Say something… His tense and eccentric portrayal of Lane helped make the comedy a fun and wacky cult classic.
2 Night shift
The talented Michael Keaton skyrocketed to stardom when he headlined Ron Howard’s criminally underrated 1982 comedy Night shift, in which the respected comedian appears alongside Henry Winkler and Shelley Long in his first starring role. The film tells the story of reserved night shift clerk Chuck (Winkler) as he jeopardizes his stress-free existence overlooking a New York City morgue through the wild antics of his feisty co-worker Bill (Keaton).
Naturally, when Bill devises an outrageous plan to turn the morgue into a brothel and become pimps, lavish chaos and hijinks ensue. Night shift was both a critical and commercial success, with Winkler earning a Golden Globe nomination and Keaton becoming an overnight sensation while also receiving critical acclaim.
1 heather
While there’s no denying that the 1989 black comedy heather has become one of the greatest coming-of-age films of all time, the cult classic is still often overlooked for its sharp, dark, and caustic humor and offers a scathing commentary on high school social hierarchy.
Winona Ryder is phenomenal as popular girl Veronica Sawyer, who falls in love with rebellious new student JD, and their relationship causes a stir among her mean-girl clique and results in murder and mayhem. heather was a provocative and groundbreaking film that helped establish the careers of its young leads, and was acclaimed by audiences and critics alike; its lasting legacy spawned both a television adaptation and a musical, with rumors of a possible sequel continuing.