I was 10 in 1985. I really miss that year and that and decade as a whole. Great post.

Yeah it was a great time to be a kid (for most Americans at least). It had enough of the classic kids activities and adventuring and playing outside combined with advances in technology, just not too much to get sucked into it and away from reality. This movie along with so many from this era (lots of great fantasy, adventure, horror, action, and comedy films from the late 70's to early 90's), reminds me of those times.

it was a good time

I can only imagine. I was born in '89 but all my favorite movies and franchises are mostly from the 80's and Steven Spielberg is my favorite filmmaker, wish I had been able to experience what that would have been like for myself.

I was only 5 years old in 1985, but I went to see a lot of movies back then with family. I agree that there were a lot of great & fun movies back then. I loved the 80s for both movies and music.
There were still some great movies into the early-mid 90s as well. Terminator 2 (1991) was one of my favorite movies to see in the theater. I thought there were a few other great movies in the 90s (Titanic, The Fifth Element, etc.), but I suppose 80s movies tended to have more of an adventurous/fun feel.

We have clearance, Clarence.
Roger, Roger. What's our vector, Victor?

What did you do, post this in every message board with movies from the 1980s?

It was a Golden time, although I'd extend it right up to 1990. So many good and magical films From E.T. right up to The first Ninja Turtles film and even beyond that with T2. Batman '89 desevres a mention as well.
Goonies, Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, The Last Starfighter, Stand By Me, Explorers, Back to The Future and Many more.
Just so much to latch on to as a child in the 80's.
I was born in 1977 so I would have been 7 going on 8 in 1985 and already experienced so much in the way of film.
So glad to have it been a part of my childhood!

Took the words right out of my mouth!
(No punt to our 80s meatloaf). Haha
Now or days its horrorable remakes and political correct crap

What a lovely post!

Congrats on becoming a father for the first time! I was 10 in 1986 and my 25 year old cousin, who regularly took me and my sister to the movies, took me and two of our cousins who'd just migrated from Italy to see this film. I was enthralled by the themes of UFOs and time travel being fascinated at that age with UFOs, ghosts, treasure, Kennedy's assassination, etc. I fondly recall how every time I'd visit my relatives I'd sit next to their bookshelf wiling away my time absorbed in reading
The Unexplained: Mysteries of Mind, Space & Time
or
Reader's Digest: Quest for the Unknown
series. I'm sure my interest in all things "unexplained" was encouraged by the movies of the time, most of which you mentioned involved the influence of the great Spielberg, as well as the TV show,
Unsolved Mysteries
, which I loved and miss now. But, it'd mark the beginning of what would turn out to be the best year of my childhood! I'd moved primary schools and made best friends with another boy who was likewise new to the school. And in 1987 our Year 5 teacher, Miss Grindlay, was a young lady with fiery red hair and always seemed to be in a battle with Adam Thornell, our classroom maverick. She unfortunately suffered a breakdown, I think, during the course of the year, but her eccentricities and antics like eating stems of grass while we'd play kickball, gave us the most hilarious stories that became fodder for school gossip each time the recess bell rung! The other Year 5 teacher was an American, Chuck Lotta, who would play his guitar and teach us a variety of American pop songs from the 1950s-1980s. I remember spending many a sleepover throughout the summer holidays at my best friend's house, which I drool at the thought of even now since it was an American style, double story dream home! He had the biggest rumpus room I'd ever seen on the second floor and his backyard was the size of a football field with an above ground swimming pool! I reckon my experiences at this age were extremely formative and explains why I love all things Americana! He even had a video player on which I recall we'd stay up late at night watching the latest movies on BETA, including
Explorers
,
The Last Starfighter
and
Three Amigos
, besides reading his collection of controversial Chick tracts and comic books! Like you said life went at a more slower pace back then, which wasn't something to complain about totally. Mind you I always wanted to see
E.T. the Extraterrestrial
, but had to wait for something like over a decade to finally see it on TV since we didn't get a video player until the 1990s! It's a pity that we ended up going our separate ways since my best friend later moved to another school, but I sometimes wish I could say thanks for the memories as it was truly the most carefree I've ever been! Indeed, like the writer in
Stand By Me
so aptly put it: "I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?" So true for me, but in my case it was when I was 11 (1987). Best. Year. Of. My. Childhood!!!

I turned 9 years old in 1985. I do have some fond memories of watching some 1980s films back in the day, such as:
Flight of the Navigator
Big
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Clue
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
The Great Outdoors
Police Academy
Christmas Vacation
and some others.
We girls wanted to feel so mature, so we watched movies with sexual content at birthday parties (
Dirty Dancing, Down and Out in Beverly Hills,
etc.).
My sisters and I wanted so many of the toys which were marketed to us (
My Little Pony, Care Bears, Cabbage Patch Dolls,
etc.). My mom said "no" to about 99% of what we wanted. I don't blame her. My family would have been bankrupt if she had bought us everything we wanted.
For the most part, I wasn't that impressed with this decade. Lots of tacky clothes, yucky hairdos, and awful awful music. I was glad when this decade ended. For the past 11 years or so, I've mostly been watching movies released before 1970. With the exception of some 1980s movies, I stay away from anything to do with this decade.
~~
JimHutton (1934-79) and ElleryQueen

Congrats on entering into fatherhood! Its a great new world! Amazing post by the way ( 1977 )

You are absolutely right. We are so spoiled these days. And we have the world at our doorstep. Lots of pros, lots of cons.