For this week's Ranked!, we compiled the twenty-five greatest movies from twenty-five years ago, 1987. Tell us what you think when you get down to #1. And let us know if you would've ordered them differently.
Here are numbers 6-10:
10. The Untouchables
It seems like a travesty even to say this, but I think Sean Connery's greatest role was not, in fact, James Bond, but instead was Jim Malone. And if you've seen The Untouchables you have to at least pause to consider it. He makes you forget the block of wood cast as Elliott Ness and has you cheering for his unorthodox methods (he memorably interrogates a dead man) and adherence to "the Chicago way." ("Isn't that just like a wop. Bring a knife to a gunfight.") But as utterly transcendent as Connery is, The Untouchables is so much more: a tour de force of gangster-era action and larger-than-life set pieces. The thrilling menace of De Niro's baseball speech is iconic, and there's a scene in the train station with a mob informant and a baby carriage that is a masterpiece of pulse-pounding, slow-motion suspense. It's a master class on how to evoke an era and seamlessly meld hard-edged period realism with modern action storytelling. Thus endeth the lesson.--CroutonBoy
9. Predator
Who would have thought back then that Predator would star two future governors: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura? It's Schwarzenegger doing what he does best: not talking and shooting things. In this case, a seven-foot alien with dreadlocks. Arnold, the smart one of the group, finally figures out that the Predator senses body heat and covers himself with mud. Raise your hand if as a kid you mimicked this move while playing outside the day after it rained... I guess that was just me. And does this mean that Carl Weathers will soon be running for office?--Robin
8. Dirty Dancing
All right, sentimental throwback time. When I was 13 and living with my mom and grandparents during a very difficult year in a new town, I had one friend, Emily, who was continually by my side. She was the best girl friend who would sit on the phone with me until three in the morning talking about everything and nothing for hours. Late one Saturday night, she exclaimed "Oh! Dirty Dancing is on!" When I didn't know what she was talking about, she demanded I watch and promptly got off the phone so I could devote my full attention. I did what I was told, and wound up watching it all three times the channel played it that weekend. Talk about love at first sight!Now, the sad part is that Emily passed away a few years ago. We had lost touch once we moved to different towns and on with our lives, so it was heartbreaking to realize how great of a friend I had lost. Because I knew her though, I had to find a way to celebrate this girl's life, instead of mourning it sadly in a way she would have hated. The answer? Watch Dirty Dancing: sing along with every single song, sigh at all the right moments, and cry the moment Johnny is accepted by the father. It's a timeless movie for all of these reasons and more, able to reach through generations. I went to the showing of this at the movie theatre for the 25th anniversary and it was packed, with all ages and types sitting throughout the seats, taking in and reacting perfectly to every moment. There's no doubt that this is very deserving of its place amongst the best of '87.--J-Hawke
7. Good Morning, Vietnam
Hell yes this Robin Williams classic belongs in our Top 10. In this movie, Williams received an Academy Award Nomination for his portrayal of rebellious disc jockey Adrian Cronauer. Adrian decides to shake things up at the Armed Forces Radio Service in Saigon and mix his slapstick style of news delivery with some pure rock n' roll. Although his superiors and some fellow DJs hate Adrian's style and disregard for the rules, many grow to love him. Things get pretty serious, though, when a building he was in explodes from a planted bomb, killing two American G.I.s. Although he is told not to report it, Adrian locks himself in the studio and hits the airwaves with his recount of the tragedy. It's here when Adrian realizes what his role really is: to help raise the spirits of young soldiers fighting a bloody and difficult war through entertainment and laughter.--Jay Noel
