Glad you asked, Voice Inside My Head…although, considering your source, shouldn’t you technically be able to see my answers? Just saying. Every decade produces its fair share of cinematic treasure, and the ’80s is no different. I mean, even if the decade had given us nothing but dreck beyond Back To The Future, it’s still a success, right? However, I think we spend far too much time ruminating on so-called “classics” like ET (the spaceship leaves a fucking RAINBOW trail when it flies away at the end, people) and Rain Man (took me 4 attempts to get through it) and not enough time searching for the hidden gems. As luck would have it, I have 6 films that may have fallen into the recesses of the cinematic subconscious over the years. I know it’s 2014 and all, but they’re well worth another look. The caveat, of course, is that these films may not be nearly as good as I remember them.

To Live and Die in LA (1985) Just a fascinating film on so many levels. Legendary director John Frankenheimer took a cast of then-nobodies, including William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Turturro and John Pankow, and crafted a gritty, suspenseful thriller about Secret Service Agents chasing a ruthless counterfeiter. It’s interesting to see Secret Service Agents doing something in a movie other than protecting the president, and I love the fact that Petersen’s main character is so amoral – there simply aren’t enough movies with morally ambiguous lead characters. But perhaps the greatest aspect of To Live and Die in LA is that the entire soundtrack is performed by Wang Chung.

The Thing (1982) The other big alien-centric release from 1982, The Thing earned only $340 million less than Spielberg’s opus, which opened a couple of weeks prior. Furthermore, The Thing came out on the same day as Blade Runner, which garnered a big chunk of the sci-fi audience. But…The Thing has Wilford Brimley! The staff at an Antarctic research station is terrorized by a recently-unearthed alien that can assume the shape of any living organism. In his follow-up to cult classic Escape From New York, director John Carpenter pushes all the right buttons here: every scene drips with paranoia and dread, and the scenes where the creature reveals itself are shocking, even upon repeated viewings. Also one of he few films you’ll ever see that is devoid of female characters (which probably didn’t help at the box office). Also featuring a soundtrack composed entirely of Wang Chung songs. Okay, I made that up.

The Sure Thing (1985) To be fair, The Sure Thing was actually a critical and box office success, so it’s not as if I’m highlighting some obscure indie pic here. But when we look at coming-of-age flicks of the ’80s, it seems like all things John Hughes dominate the discussion. The plot isn’t much – immature-but-charming guy (John Cusack) and uptight beauty (Daphne Zuniga) share a cross-country ride to Los Angeles, wackiness ensues, and <SPOILER ALERT> they fall for each other. However, it’s a testament to the winning leads that they make the premise seem fresh (or, at least not so stale). Plus, this is the first John Cusack film where he’s, you know, the John Cusack we’ve come to love. Extra points to director Rob Reiner for casting leads who look like they actually might be college-age. Fun fact: cast members Anthony Edwards and Tim Robbins would be featured the next year in Top Gun. Fun fact B: It’s a little jarring to see Anthony Edwards as a cool frat guy only one year after playing a decidedly uncool frat guy in Revenge of The Nerds.

Running Scared (1986) Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines play unorthodox Chicago cops dreaming of opening a bar in Key West who try to take down a dangerous drug lord (Jimmy Smits). Again, the leads elevate the material; director Peter Hyams wisely lets the chemistry between Crystal and Hines fuel the film. Running Scared is also a nostalgic ride to the days when violence was played for laughs and not subjected to some larger commentary on society. And the theme song by Michael McDonald is just intoxicating. I’ll put it this way: if you want to see a funny Billy Crystal movie, I would recommend this over City Slickers.

 At Close Range (1986) Warning: this film, based on true events surrounding a rural Pennsylvania organized crime family, is unrelentingly grim. It contains scenes of shocking violence and all of the depressing repercussions that accompany a legacy of lawlessness. It also features searing performances by Sean Penn as a teen who morphs from mesmerized to horrified by his sociopathic father (Christopher Walken, royally screwed out of a Best Actor nomination).  If seeing two of the best in the business go head-to-head isn’t your bag, you can occupy yourself with appearances by pre-famous Keifer Sutherland and David Strathairn. While this film isn’t actually underrated in the eyes of critics, (it holds an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) it remains underlooked in the eyes of far too many.

Chances Are (1989) Oh look, another movie starring Mary Stuart Masterson (she’s also in At Close Range)! The show here, though, belongs to Robert Downey Jr. I won’t even try to explain the screwy plot (something about reincarnation), but Downey oozes charisma here; makes me wonder why he doesn’t do more romantic comedies. The supporting players, including Cybil Shepherd and Ryan O’Neal, are also game. This was director Emile Ardolino’s follow-up to Dirty Dancing. Fun fact: Ardolino directed not one, but two terrible sequels: Three Men and a Little Lady and Sister Act 2. Yikes! Luckily, he died before he could make Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights.