Fun Facts About Your Favorite '80s Movies!

Ah, the '80s. It was a simpler time ...

We can't get enough of how simple it all was back then—the nostalgia is real, guys. And while many of the typical '80s movies are included on our list (Goonies, The Breakfast Club, Top Gun, etc.), there are a few surprises hidden in there.

Here are your favorite movies from the '80s, along with some fun facts thrown in there. Why? Because we can, that's why!

The Princess Bride (1987)

Full of colorful characters, wild adventures, and plenty of quotable lines, The Princess Bride is a movie that only seems to get better and better over time. So there's a reason it's been included on our list of most popular '80s movies. Check out some cool behind-the-scenes facts you may not have known about The Princess Bride:

Remember the Cliffs of Insanity that Westley, Vizzini, and Fezzick climb? Well, they're real. Instead, they're actually called The Cliffs of Moher. Located in Ireland, they're over 700 feet tall and span across eight miles along the coast!
Spawned from author William Goldman's daughters. When asked what story they'd like him to tell before bed, one responded, "A princess," while the other said, "A bride."
Cary Elwes and Mandy Patinkin took fencing lessons for the movie, which included having to learn how to duel with both their left and right hands. But even then, the scene where they switch hands was shot on two mirrored sets. This allowed for the image to be flipped, if need be.
André the Giant had all of his lines recorded so that he was able to memorize them since English was not his first language.

Sixteen Candles (1984)

The first of the "John Hughes era," which brought us classics like The Breakfast Club (1985) and Pretty in Pink (1986), Sixteen Candles focuses on the ups and downs of high school as a soon-to-be 16-year-old tries to navigate them.

John Hughes wrote the entire movie in a single weekend, with the role of Samantha Baker being specifically written for Molly Ringwald—he had her headshot posted on his bulletin board.
During the school dance scene, the temperature got up to 100 degrees due to not having room in the budget for air-conditioning. In fact, Haviland Morris (Caroline) was forced to change dresses between takes due to all the sweat.
Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen almost played the part of Jake Ryan, but ultimately, the role went to Michael Schoeffling because the producer said, "He was so stunning and dreamy that we cast him."
This marks the second of 10 movies (currently) that the Cusacks have appeared in together—John was cast as Bryce and Joan as Geek Girl #1, a.k.a. the girl in the neck brace.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1985)

Speaking of John Hughes ... Ferris Bueller was another film that we just can't seem to get enough of. And we can see why—it's a classic!

There was a prequel television series ... with Jennifer Aniston as Ferris' sister Jeanie! It ended up getting canceled after a mere 13 episodes.
Charlie Sheen got REALLY into character! In order to give him just the right look, he stayed awake for 48 hours. Talk about committing to the role!
During the infamous parade scene, several people in the crowd who were caught dancing were not part of the production. They include the construction worker and window washer, who were merely enjoying the music, and John Hughes liked it so much that he filmed them.
Alan Ruck, who plays Cameron, was supposed to be 18 years old. In real life, however, he was 29. He's said in the past, "Because, really, when I was 18, I sort of looked 12. Maybe it's a genetic imbalance."

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

If I'm being honest, this is probably my favorite '80s movie on this entire list. It's by far, at least in my opinion, the best action-adventure ever! And come on, it stars Harrison Ford in his prime. Who doesn't love this movie?!

Remember that famous scene in which Indy shoots the swordsman? Yeah, it was improvised. Harrison Ford fell ill with food poisoning and could no longer do the choreography for the scene, so he suggested simply "shooting the sucker."
When Indy stares down the cobra, a single sheet of glass separates them. And good thing, too, because the cobra was not in good spirits and even spit venom on the glass.
Nobody else could play the role of Indiana Jones and do it justice. But, prior to Harrison Ford's casting, Steve Martin, Billy Murray, Tom Selleck, Chevy Chase, Jeff Bridges, and Jack Nicholson were all considered at one point.
More than 10,000 snakes covered the set for the descent into the Well of Souls scene. 10,000! Originally, they had about 2,000, but Spielberg was not satisfied, so they raided pet shops across London to get as many as possible. And I think their efforts paid off because that scene still gives me the chills.

The Shining (1980)

We just had to include this famous horror movie! While I'm not a horror movie fan, several of our readers are, so we couldn't say no. Especially since it's based on Colorado's Stanley Hotel in Estes Park.

There's a legend that Jack's "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" manuscript was typed by director Stanley Kubrick. It's 500 pages in length.
Jack Nicholson's "Heeeere's Johnny" line was improvised. In fact, it's also the only line from The Shining to be included in AFI's Top 100 Movie Quotes list. Nicholson got the line from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
Dan Lloyd, who played Danny, had no clue he was filming a horror movie. This was done to protect the then-5-year-old. Lloyd didn't end up watching the film until he was 16.
For the scene of Jack chasing Danny through the snowy maze before he eventually freezes to death, over 900 TONS of salt and crushed Styrofoam were used. And those 900-plus tons were only used for the final scene.