This has been really hard for me to narrow down my 10 favorite films. I made the list based on movies that have stayed with me, ones I can watch and never get tired of. Most of these are films I used to rent over and over with my brother, others are just ones I love. I would like to thank Eric for letting me share with you the movies I love. So here we go.
10 - Can’t Hardly Wait
Going through high school in the early 90’s, this movie shows exactly how school was. The cliques, the girl you never had the guts to ask out, staying true to friends who stick with you, and learning to be happy with who you are. 
This film is the perfect 90’s film with some of the best actors like Seth Green, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, and Peter Facinelli. Let’s not forget the song by the Replacements Can’t Hardly Wait. Everyone has known someone in this movie at some point of their school years. That’s what makes this movie so timeless. This film shows how complicated love, and friendships, and insecurities can be for a teenager. Remember this line, “Damn, she’s gonna think I got that premature evacuation.” Classic movie.
9 - Ninja 3 The Domination
There were so many martial arts films in the 80’s. I fell in love with ninjas and Sho Kosugi was my hero. I rented this movie so many times it’s pitiful. It mixes everything together in a crazy martial arts movie. You have possession, revenge, aerobic classes, typical cops, and drinking V-8 in a special way. Sho Kosugi was so rad in this film, the dude did jumps over fences, broke out of a police car, and fought possessed monks. I wanted all the weapons he used in this movie. Hell, I even had a ninja suit. When Shout Factory released it on Blu-ray, I was so excited. I had to have it. It’s a perfect reminder of how rad the 80’s were.
Any movie that focuses on the spirit of a ninja possessing a woman, making her go crazy, has awesome all over it. You know you want to have the belt buckle throwing star for yourself.
8 - The Search For Animal Chin
I skated, and of course the Bones Brigade were the best. My first pro board was a Mcgill board. These guys made skateboarding fun, and they were the guys you skated with. You had street, vert, freestyle. Animal Chin is about going out and finding this lost skater, and traveling cross country to all of these awesome skate spots. The Bones Brigade will probably go down as the best skaters of all time. You can see how much they loved skating, and how much fun it was making this movie. They made me want to try new tricks, try vert, just go out and ride your board.
Tony Hawk, Steve Caballero, Mike Mcgill, Lance Mountain, and Tommy Guerrero. The best skate movie of all time! So much fun!
7 - Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2
This is the movie that started my love for horror. I love Bill Moseley - Chop Top is one of the greatest horror icons ever! My brother rented this one weekend, and my young mind soaked it up like a sponge. A crazy cannibalistic family that makes chili out of its victims, while being hunted by a cop driven by vengeance, while a young radio DJ gets caught in the middle. The kills were so unique, and I never looked at chili the same. Caroline Williams was so rad in this film as Stretch, you know you loved her too. I liked how the Sawyer family was back together, with newly added brother Chop Top. Let’s not forget L.G. Any dude that can make a fry log cabin is cool to me. That guy took a beating. We even got to see a cameo of Franklin from part 1. Thank you Bill Moseley for bringing this iconic character to life. You showed me that the bad guys are sometimes more awesome than the good guys. Bill Johnson, you will always be my favorite Leatherface!
6 - Trick Or Treat
Sammi Curr is one of my idols! This movie could only come out in the 80’s. I know every metal head saw, and probably owns a copy of this movie. My brother and I rented this movie every other weekend. It’s all about a guy who is a misfit at his high school, turns to the music of his idol Sammi Curr, for a release from all his torture. After the death of Curr, Ragman gets his hands on a very rare record of the late Sammi Curr. Strange things start to happen to Ragman when the record sends him messages on how to get back at his enemies. Soon he realizes Curr wants out to create his own havoc, and destroy anyone in his way. This movie has one of the best soundtracks ever. Fastway was perfect for this movie. Don’t forget Gene Simmons and Ozzy Osbourne starred in this film. I am hoping for a Blu-ray release soon. Everytime I watch this it reminds me of going to Harley Video and renting it. Good times for us.
5 - Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back
What do I need to say about this one. It changed everything in the trilogy. Everything bad happened in Empire. The rebel alliance being hunted down by the empire, Luke starting to train with Yoda to be a Jedi, finding out that Darth Vader is Luke’s father. My mind was blown. Two very rad characters appear in this film, Boba Fett the bounty hunter, and Lando Calrissian the space pimp. This movie you feel how dark the time is, how everything is falling apart. I think this film changed everything for science fiction and storytelling. As a young child I was thrown for a loop, I asked myself, What else can go wrong? Awesome planets, the special effects were way ahead of their time. I can remember going to see this with my dad and just all of the aliens, and visual effects were so brilliant. This will always be one of my top 5 films of all time.
4 - The Goonies
A group of friends go on an adventure to find treasure to save their homes from being demolished. How could you not love it? I wanted to be a Goonie. This is one of those films people will love forever. It taps into the innocence of childhood. We all tried to go on adventures with our friends, not as wild as this one, but in our mind it was just as huge as their journey. My two favorites are Data the kid who invented crazy gadgets, and Chunk, the kid who was hefty and loved to exaggerate his stories. Sloth was one one the bravest, and strongest dudes ever! Chasing after pirate treasure, running from the Fratellies, and creating all kinds of mayhem everywhere they go. So many young actors starred in this, Corey Feldman, Sean Astin, Josh Brolin. Cyndi Lauper did the theme song. I can only hope one day my kids will love it as much as I do.
3 - Friday The 13th Part 4 The Final Chapter
I have probably watched this movie more times than any other movie. This is one of the best Friday films. The return of Jason, the introduction of Tommy Jarvis, and some of the most brutal kills of their time. Corey Feldman plays young Tommy Jarvis, a kid who loves playing video games and making monster masks. The Jarvis family live near the lake and are soon joined by some wild friends renting a cabin beside their home. Who will ever forget Crispin Glover’s dance skills? So many awesome kills in this movie: the dude that gets the harpoon to the balls, the shower scene skull crush, the hitchhiker death is pretty rad. What about Rob yelling out, “He’s killing me, he’s killing me”. Ted White made Jason seem so unstoppable. That man busted through everything. Tommy was so cool, that kid jumping around in bed watching the girl getting undressed is one of the best scenes of the film. I think that’s how every boy that age would act if they saw a girl getting undressed. I hated Ted, that dude was a douche. I’m so glad he died. Tommy took it to Jason at the end, leading us to two more Tommy’s in the Friday franchise. This was supposed to be the final friday, I’m so glad it’s not.
2 - DUNE
I LOVE DUNE! This movie has always been an adventure to me. The movie is so perfect - the locations, the music, the cast, the effects, perfect. David Lynch made these characters’ struggles come to life. The story of Paul Atreides becoming a leader and taking a stand against the people who destroyed everything his father built. Defying a emperor who lies, eventually becoming a universal super being, Paul leads the desert warriors called the fremen into battle riding enormous sand worms. This is my favorite science fiction film of all time! The cast is full of huge stars, Kyle MacLachlan, Max von Sydow, Patrick Stewart, Brad Dourif, Sting, and on and on. I remember watching this in the 80’s and wishing I could be Paul. You get so lost in the story, it’s a visual journey you will never forget. Just like the poster said, A Place Beyond Your Dreams, A Movie Beyond Your Imagination.
1 - Friday The 13th Part 6 Jason Lives
All time favorite movie! I never get tired of watching it. Tom McLoughlin brought Jason back to life, and brought Tommy Jarvis back with him. This is the only Friday with campers at camp.
My favorite Jason, played by CJ Graham, and Thom Mathews as Tommy. Alice Cooper providing music for the film, perfect horror movie of the 80’s. Tommy is hellbent on destroying Jason’s body, he accidently revives Jason, sending the maniac back on his killing spree. Crystal Lake is now Forest Green, but to Jason it will always be Crystal Lake. The RV scene is one of those that you will always go crazy over and the sheriff being bent backwards is one of the sickest kills. This is the Friday film that made Friday the 13th my favorite horror franchise and also made Jason my favorite slasher. I rented it so many times we finally bought it. I think I rented it every weekend for 3 months. I remember walking into the video store and seeing the poster for Jason Lives and telling my brother, we got to see that! Classic 80’s slasher, brutal kills, everything you could ask for.
So that’s it for my top 10 movies. Thanks again to Eric for letting me share my favorites with all of you. If you enjoyed it, go check out my blog video-carnage.com.
My name is Andy Champion. I run a blog called video-carnage. I love movies, games, collecting toys and VHS. I live in South Carolina with my wife and two kids, and our cat and dog.
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