So what is it about these 80's and in one case 70's movies I like?

This is going to be short (PS3 buffer!). I have fairly varied tastes in movies, bit there are a few (probably had to buy them from the US) older movies that I particular like for some obscure reason.

These "gems" include "Dark Star" (the only 70's one) a John Carpenter movie. "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" (count the stars!), "Night of the Comet", "Killer Klowns From Outer Space" (just plain bizarre), "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone", "The Ice Pirates" (it was a comedy Sci Fi movie and had its moments) and a possibly more mainstream movie "Big Trouble in Little China".

I am surprise to find Peter (Robocop" Weller, Chrstopher (Back to the Future) Lloyd, John Lithgow (currently in Dexter) and Jeff (Jurassic Park) Goldblum appearing in Buckaroo Banzai. Ellen Barkin is also a "bigger name" from the past and in that movie.

I suppose the appeal is that the movies are differnent from your normal mainstream movie. Most seem to be available in the UK... now!

The SFX were grittier, and therefore, cooler?

It was probably the offbeat story in most cases. Night of the Comet is a farily "normal" post apocalyptic story (everyone who witnessed the Comet either turned to dust or became a Flesh-Eating Zombie... OK... offbeat)!

I think I managed to see all the movies on the TV initially and had a difficult job of getting hold of them on DVD (or at least VHS videos initially in some cases). Inevitably it was down to the Americans to release the DVD first... being American movies I suppose that helped!

Because big trouble in little china is the greatest film ever made

I have the American 2 disk special edition of "Big Trouble in Little China" definitely one of my favourite movies.

CAn't remember if i have the special edition of that one or not, the edited out scenes sounded interesting but the ending was fine as it was.