8 of the best 80’s movie montages


Movie montages may be a silly narrative crutch for pushing events forward rapidly without the need for dialogue, but as someone who has filmed a handful of his own montages I can tell you they’re also time-consuming hard work. If done right, however, they are an absolute highlight of whatever project they are made for. If there was any decade where movie montages reigned supreme, it was the 1980’s.

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Did I miss any? If so, please feel free to curse me out in the comments.

8 ‘The Karate Kid’

Great pump up song, great montage. You’re the best around, Karate Kid!

7 ‘The Naked Gun’

Honestly, I can probably just look at Leslie Neilson and laugh, but that doesn’t discount the inherent greatness of this movie’s dating montage.

6 ‘Bloodsport’

This montage has one excellent training sequence after another, showing great progression of the warrior within as JCVD gets his ass kicked, and then ends up killing it with perfect form and poise.

5 ‘Ghostbusters’

Goddamn you Ray Parker, Jr., you were the best 80’s musician in existence. Your fine Ghostbusters urban jazz stylings made this awesome ghostbusting session even better.

4 ‘Revenge of the Nerds’

Nowadays, nerds are considered cool…or at least society’s fashionable version of what they depict nerds to be. But back then, nerds were practically rallied against like they were an unfairly maligned racial group. So it’s awesome that at their rock bottom moment, when they have nowhere to live, these nerds take a dilapidated house and renovate that bitch until it’s livable. Go nerds!

3 ‘Scarface’

Scarface’s rise to power is the stuff of poster-on-a-college-kid’s-wall legend. This rags-to-riches ascent features a ton of great visuals and is pure crime drama entertainment.

2 ‘The Breakfast Club’

What a perfect 80’s movie. The Breakfast Club was a blur of turtle necks, jeans, blouses, sneakers and boots, with lots of 80’s dance moves and a great sense of humor. Classic high school movie, classic montage.

1 ‘Rocky III & IV’

What can be said about Rocky montages except that they are pure perfection? They encapsulate everything that is great about American heroism, steadfast determination and kick-ass unconventional workout routines. Mr. T and Ivan Drago never stood a chance.