1. Rain Man (dir. Barry Levinson, 1988)
Today, if you want to play some casino games, you need only head over to a reputable internet site like OnlineCasinoHEX Nederland and pick your favorite pastime. Such was not the case in the 1980s, when brick-and-mortar casinos reigned supreme. Rain Man tells the story of Charlie and Raymond Babbitt, two brothers who learn to love each other despite adversity. The movie’s casino sequences are legendary, but it’s the human relationship at the heart of Rain Man that gives it a gravitas it still carries today. Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise put in barnstorming performances as the two leads, too.2. Batman (dir. Tim Burton, 1989)
Though many point to Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man as the beginning of modern superhero blockbuster culture, we’d argue it actually started a little further back with Tim Burton’s excellent Batman. Jack Nicholson is spine-chilling as Batman’s eternal nemesis The Joker; without this performance, there would be no Joaquin Phoenix and no Heath Ledger to define generations of angst-ridden youth. Prince’s soundtrack may be a little incongruous with the dark tone of the movie, but Burton’s artful direction and Michael Keaton’s stoic performance give Batman a timeless quality.3. Raging Bull (dir. Martin Scorsese, 1980)
Robert de Niro is an acting powerhouse in this biographical movie about notorious boxer Jake LaMotta. The performance de Niro gives in Raging Bull is nuanced; the word “sympathetic” doesn’t feel appropriate somehow, but LaMotta’s turmoil and misanthropy are eminently watchable. Scorsese’s direction cemented him as a master of modern cinema - not that movies like Taxi Driver hadn’t already done that - and excellent supporting turns are given by Joe Pesci, Cathy Moriarty, and Nicholas Colasanto. Your personal preference between this and underdog hero story Rocky may vary, but Raging Bull undoubtedly still holds a place in the cultural pantheon.4. Back to the Future (dir. Robert Zemeckis, 1985)
