As a child of the 1980's I was spoilt for choice when it came to Fantasy films, no sooner had I come home from the cinema; my head filled with notions of becoming a Star Fighter Pilot, than the next movie would be released, forcing me to reconsider my career plans.

Yes, sure the 1960's had One Million years BC and Raquel Welch wearing next to nothing. The 1970's had the phenomenon that was Superman and the beginning of the biggest movie franchise in film history; Star Wars, but in the 1980's we had....Mac and Me.

Ok, that's quite a simplistic view, each decade had good and bad fantasy films, but the point was that there were many other genres to choose from. The 1980's really was the decade of Fantasy films; throw a stone in your local video store and chances are you would hit a Fantasy Film title the section was so big.

With the thawing of the cold war and the economic prosperity of the 1980's, the baby-boomers had unprecedented leisure time with which to relax in comfort with their children, who comparatively had little to worry about.
Many producers catered to this and provided feel-good family orientated films, often tying in merchandise to the film (namely Ghostbusters, E.T. and Gremlins) in a cynical attempt to make money shame on them.

However, there were some genuinely classic Fantasy films during this decade, regardless of the rationale for making them. If I may be so bold, here are my top five favourites.

5. Ghostbusters (1984)

"I ain't afraid of no ghost" or so the tag line went. Ghostbusters tells the tale of three down on their luck parapsychologists, who turn their hands to Ghost hunting when New York becomes infested with a proliferation of ghouls.
The infestation is caused by the awakening of Gozer, a Mesopotamian Demi-God from 6000BC (naturally) who chooses the apartment of the female lead, with which to enter earth's realm.
Harnessing the exceptional comic talent of Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd along with Harold Ramis, the bumbling trio enlist the help of the only level headed member of the team, played by Winston Zeddmore, to stop Gozer opening a gate into earth.

The special effects used to show ghosts driving taxis, centuries old spectres walking a round libraries and a 50 foot marshmallow man were way ahead of their time and truly exhilarating.

The undoubted star of the show however, was 'slimer', a seemingly well-meaning green apparition with no legs, long thin arms and a voracious appetite who generally

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