80s Movies That Made Me Love (And Want To Visit) America

1. National Lampoon's Vacation & The Lost Boys

The only real thing that grinds my gears about Americans is their seemingly inability to realize how freakin' awesome they have it over there when it comes to entertainment. I highlight this in a previous article about the WWE and the misconceptions of the current product. Quite honestly people, you are spoilt beyond belief in ALL things entertainment. From music to movies, comics to wrestling, sports to television, you have it all. But I ain't even talkin' 'bout that Willis (ha, reference).

Theme Parks, waterslides, rodeos, hell you even have Disneyland. If anything living in the "Outback" taught me was appreciation for what you get. Which you Yanks could use a lesson in. And although there are literally a 100 examples, I think my point can be described by the settings of both these iconic 80's classics in every sense of the word.

For anyone who has led a sheltered life and has never had the privilege of watching this REAL vampire movie, stop reading and go watch it now cause if you haven't seen it yet, there is no point even acknowledging your existence. This film is set on a "boardwalk," in which there seems to be an abundance of in the United States if these type of movies were any guide to go buy. Let me explain to you the Australian version of a boardwalk.

Now let's look at the setting of the Lost Boys shall we?

Oh, and let's not forget all about Vacation, one of the all-time great comedies starring Chevy Chase as the bumbling Clark Griswald transporting his beloved family cross country in the infamous family "truckster" to partake in the fun that is Wally World. Okay, let's forget the fact that I just mentioned possibly one of the coolest theme parks I have ever seen committed to celluloid and its contemporary equivalent, Six Flags (mentioned in so many films from that era and beyond there no hope for me to bother counting).

There would be nothing more amazing an experience for me to pull off a car trip across America and see every single State, experience every single delight your wonderful nation has to offer and yes, even though my morals beg to differ as you may of read from previous articles, like to go shoot off a few rounds at a gun range. From the Grand Canyon to even that huge ball of twine that John Travolta talks about in Malcolm - I want to see it all.

So there you have it. Although I do have to stress is that these represent a mere fraction of what I would if given the opportunity to travel to the mighty USA. So before you question my motives behind my articles or any of my own political rhetoric I can assure you of two things. One: whatever supposedly negative opinions you may think I have of America, I will once again hold my left hand over my heart and right hand up in the air and say that I apologize if I cause any offence.

And two: my political opinions are my own. All I use when I come to my conclusions to anything I may discuss are the morals and ethical references that were taught not only by family but by the very ideals that these films can represent. The American ideal that is evident in all of my examples. That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.