Daily Dirt: Ferris, Harry, Sally and Spicoli anchor our 1980s list

June 19, 2025 | By Steve Eighinger, Muddy River News Minister of Culture and Doctor of Love

A charismatic high school slacker who plays hooky with his best friends in one of their dad's prized Ferrari is all you need to know about Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Daily Dirt for Friday, June 20, 2025

Also, who doesn’t love a woman who loves baseball? … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,319 of The Daily Dirt.

1. For me, it’s not even close.

The best decades for funny movies will likely always be the 1980s and 1990s. There was such a breadth of talent and subject matter involved in that period that any time one of the classics from that specific span pops up, I’m watching. I’m not big on reruns or watching anything twice, but some of those 1980s and 1990s comedies simply demand it, over and over.

I’m breaking those two decades in half, providing my top 10 comic films from the 1980s today and then covering the 1990s on Saturday. Let’s rock:

1980s

1. “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1986): A charismatic high school slacker who plays hooky with his best friends in one of their dad’s prized Ferrari is all you need to know. The film boasts an appealing sense of humor mixed with a heartfelt tone. The movie’s cast, from Matthew Broderick as Ferris to Ben Stein as an economics teacher, was all perfect for their roles.
2. “When Harry Met Sally” (1989): The greatest romantic comedy ever made? “When Harry Met Sally” has enjoyed extended popularity due to its honest portrayal of love springing from unlikely places. In the movie, Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan co-star as two “friends” who spend many years (and many complicated restaurant orders) slowly falling in love. Both deserved Oscar nominations, which never came.
3. “Fast Times At Ridgemont High” (1982): I have watched this movie so many times that I feel like Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn), Stacy Hamilton (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates) and Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold) are part of the Eighinger family. The coming-of-age comedy chronicles a sophomore year in high school like no other film before or afterward.
4. “Bull Durham” (1988): This is thefourth member of 1988’s Mount Rushmore of comedy films. Kevin Costner and Susan Sarandon might be my favorite on-screen couple of all-time. How can you not love a woman who loves baseball?
5. “Major League” (1989):One of the premier ’80s comedies is also one of the greatest sports movies of all-time. Wesley Snipes, Tom Berenger and Charlie Sheen were gold.
6. “Beverly Hills Cop” (1984): Eddie Murphy should have retired from films right after this. It was all downhill afterward.
7. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (1989): By far, the best of those Chevy Chase “Vacation” films. My favorite character will always be Cousin Eddie.
8. “Back To The Future” (1985): Two words: Marty. McFly.
9. “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (1987): The Steve Martin and John Candy film is one of the few holiday movies centered around Thanksgiving.
10 “Porky’s” (1981): If released today, “Porky’s” would be a total flop, but the sophomoric humor back in 1981 was boffo box office.

2. Did you know (Part 401) …

Nepal is the only country with a flag that is not a rectangle. Its flag is composed of two pennons, or triangular shapes, stacked on top of each other.
France has 12 different time zones. Sacre bleu!
Ethiopia follows a calendar that is seven years behind the rest of the world.
The countries with the most Miss Universe winners are the United States (9), Venezuela (7) and Puerto Rico (5).
The leading life expectancy among Asian countries is in Japan at 84.8 years, followed by Singapore (84.7) and South Korea (83.3). Conversely, in the U.S., it is 78.4.