Films That Were Huge at the Time But Rarely Mentioned Today

There are some films that seem to exist in a strange sort of time capsule.

You remember them being absolutely everywhere. Everyone was talking about them. They were on posters, in magazine adverts, in the TV listings and eventually on the shelves of every video rental shop in Britain.

Then, somehow, they disappeared.

They’re not necessarily bad films. Quite the opposite. Some were massive box-office successes, had famous actors and became a big part of popular culture for a while.

But ask someone about them today and you might get a blank look followed by:

“Oh yes… I remember that!”

For a generation that grew up with cinemas, VHS, video rental shops and Saturday night films on television, here are some of the movies that once felt enormous but don’t get mentioned nearly as often today.

Crocodile Dundee

In the late 1980s, Crocodile Dundee was everywhere.

Paul Hogan’s Australian adventurer became one of the most recognisable characters of the decade, and the film was a huge hit.

There were catchphrases, merchandise and plenty of people doing their best Australian accent.

Yet mention it today and it feels like something from another era.

Which, to be fair, it is.

Three Men and a Baby

Tom Selleck, Ted Danson and Steve Guttenberg looking after a baby sounded like a simple enough comedy.

It became one of the biggest films of 1987.

It was hugely popular and spawned a sequel, but it’s rarely among the first films people mention when discussing the great comedies of the decade.

For Gen X viewers, though, that title can instantly take you back.

Top Secret!

If you like absurd comedy, you may remember this one very fondly.

Released in 1984 and starring Val Kilmer, Top Secret! was packed with ridiculous jokes, visual gags and deliberately silly moments.

It never quite achieved the lasting cultural status of Airplane!, but plenty of people who saw it at the time still remember it with enormous affection.

The Jewel of the Nile

Romancing the Stone was a big success.

Its follow-up, The Jewel of the Nile, was also a major hit.

Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and Danny DeVito returned for another adventure, and it was a familiar title on video rental shelves during the 1980s.

Today, it seems to have been largely overshadowed by other films from the decade.

Short Circuit

Before AI assistants, smart speakers and talking gadgets became part of everyday life, there was Johnny 5.

Short Circuit arrived in 1986 and became a popular family comedy.

A military robot develops a personality, escapes and ends up being chased around by various people.

It was funny, charming and very much a product of its time.

The Last Starfighter

Imagine being recruited to fight an intergalactic war because you happen to be brilliant at an arcade game.

That was the basic premise of The Last Starfighter.

It was a favourite among many young science-fiction fans in the 1980s, particularly anyone who spent their spare time in arcades.

These days, it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as some of the other big sci-fi films of the era.

Cocktail

Tom Cruise. 1980s New York. Bars. Music. Cocktails.

Cocktail was a major hit in 1988 and became part of the late-80s cultural landscape.

The soundtrack was everywhere, and the film helped turn bartending into something that looked considerably more glamorous than most people probably experienced in real life.

Yet today, it’s rarely mentioned alongside Cruise’s more famous films.

The Bodyguard

This one may still be remembered for Whitney Houston’s soundtrack, but the film itself sometimes gets overlooked.

Kevin Costner and Houston starred in the 1992 romantic thriller, which became a major worldwide success.

The soundtrack became enormous, but the movie has arguably been eclipsed by the music associated with it.

Working Girl

Released in 1988, Working Girl was a huge success, with Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver at the centre of the story.

It was one of those films that seemed to be part of the conversation everywhere at the time.

Today, it’s a film many people remember fondly once you mention the title, but it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as other 1980s favourites.

Batteries Not Included

A group of tiny flying robots arrives to help residents of a New York apartment building.

It sounds strange.

It was also surprisingly charming.

Released in 1987, Batteries Not Included was a popular family film and another familiar title from the VHS era.

It is exactly the sort of film that can trigger a very specific “I haven’t thought about that in years!” reaction.

The Witches

For many British Gen Xers, this one remains particularly memorable.

Based on the Roald Dahl book, the 1990 film brought those terrifying witches to the big screen, with Anjelica Huston delivering a particularly memorable performance.

It was a regular fixture on home video and television, but somehow doesn’t get mentioned as often as many other childhood favourites.

Turner & Hooch

Tom Hanks and an extremely large, extremely slobbery dog.

Released in 1989, Turner & Hooch was a successful comedy and became another familiar VHS title.

The basic premise is still easy to remember, even if the film itself doesn’t get discussed much these days.

Mannequin

A department-store window mannequin comes to life.

Andrew McCarthy and Kim Cattrall.

A soundtrack featuring Starship.

A very 1980s romantic comedy.

Mannequin was a hit and became a familiar part of the decade’s pop culture, but today it rarely gets mentioned unless someone specifically starts talking about forgotten 1980s films.

The Running Man

Arnold Schwarzenegger starring in a dystopian television game show where contestants fight for their lives.

Released in 1987, The Running Man was a major action film and another staple of the video era.

It has gained something of a cult following, but compared with Predator, Terminator and Total Recall, it tends to sit further down the list when people talk about Schwarzenegger’s biggest films.

The Great Outdoors

John Candy and Dan Aykroyd together should be enough to make any Gen X comedy fan pay attention.

Released in 1988, The Great Outdoors was a popular comedy about a family holiday that goes spectacularly wrong.

It never achieved quite the same lasting status as some of the decade’s biggest comedies, but anyone who remembers it will probably have a favourite scene.

Why do we forget these films?

Part of the reason is simple.

There were so many films competing for our attention.

Before streaming, there were only so many opportunities to watch something. You went to the cinema, waited for it to appear on television or rented the VHS.

When a film disappeared from those options, it could effectively disappear from your life too.

Today, there are thousands of films available at the press of a button, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the old favourites stay in the conversation.

The great thing about forgotten films

Perhaps the best thing about these films is what happens when someone mentions one.

Suddenly you remember the video shop.

The VHS case.

The soundtrack.

Who you watched it with.

Where you were when you first saw it.

And before you know it, you’re discussing a film you haven’t thought about for 30 years.

So, which film would you add to the list?

What was absolutely massive when you were growing up, but these days seems to have vanished from the conversation?

There’s a good chance someone else remembers it too.