Who can forget the eighties? Horrible fashions, neon colours, big shoulder pads and crimped, teased hair. And, of course, it was the era dominated by 'The Brat Pack': Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald and Ally Sheedy. Most of their films were written, directed, and/or produced by John Hughes � The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink. The term 'Brat Pack' itself began in 1985 as a result of a cover story in New York Magazine, and it's a play on the Rat Pack of the sixties.

Unlike the majority of the actors in the Brat Pack, who achieved varying degrees of success, John Hughes still writes films today � even if they aren't as good as his triumphant work in the eighties.

Sixteen Candles started the John Hughes/Molly Ringwald association and launched the careers of a few members of the Brat Pack, followed the next year by the John Hughes' films The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, then the year after by Pretty in Pink and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. His movies, almost all set in Chicago, generally depict the typical teenage archetypes, which is the central theme of the greatest Brat Pack film, The Breakfast Club. They mainly focus on teenage issues, with any adults in the film portrayed as ineffective morons or mostly absent.

Most of this genre of eighties movies, including St. Elmo's Fire and About Last Night, have somewhat predictable, happy endings. They're always feel-good films, but somehow no-less enjoyable for their predictability. In fact, one of the things that draws people back to them again and again is the promise of that warm fuzzy feeling by the time the credits roll.

Why did this new trend in movies begin during the eighties? Does it relate to the fact that this was the decade of greed, inflation, and conservative politics under Reagan and Thatcher? Or does it relate more to the new technology of the era � CDs hit the market, MTV was born, and the average household started getting cable TV and VCRs. Pop culture could (and would) spread like never before. Censorship also rose to new heights, but at the opposite end Colombia University � the last all-male Ivy League school � began to admit women in 1983. Did all of this lead to the appeal of John Hughes movies set in the suburbs of Chicago, with mostly white upper-middle class kids, and the feelgood nature of films where true love triumphs as in Dirty Dancing and About Last Night? It's a subject still debated in internet chat rooms and blogs across the world.

Music certainly played an important role in these new films, with Madonna and Michael Jackson dominating the charts. Pop music came into its own and soundtracks became increasingly important to a movie's success. John Hughes even named several of his films after song titles (that were included in the soundtrack) such as Sixteen Candles, Pretty in Pink, and She's Having a Baby. Of course music also helped with the popularity of Dirty Dancing, consistently at the top of many favourite-eighties-movies lists, along with Ferris Bueller's Day Off. How many people who were kids in the eighties can honestly say they don't own at least one of these soundtracks?

Eighties movies will (and should!) continue to be loved in the 21st century. Even if the fashion left a lot to be desired, some of the greatest movies of all time came out in that decade, in addition to the enjoyable teen movies mentioned in this article. It's fascinating to explore why these new trends began, even if we can't fully answer those questions. Plus it's worth remembering and re-visiting those movies whenever we need a little pick-me-up.

Anyone feeling nostalgic for that decade will be pleased to know that a special collection of three of these Brat Pack classics is out on DVD: The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, and About Last Night.

The Brat Pack Collection (certificate 18) is the perfect souvenir for those who were there at the time. But twenty years after these films were first released, this unique set is destined to attract a whole new generation of fans as well!

The Breakfast Club (1985), written and directed by John Hughes, is still a classic, and the speech at the end of the film continues to decorate posters in university dorm rooms throughout America . The entire film takes place during one Saturday afternoon when five very different students get forced to have detention together. Their varying personalities � �the jock, the brain, the princess, the basket case, and the criminal� � bring about a change in each other and improve all of their lives.

St Elmo's Fire (1985), written and directed by Joel Schumacher, focuses on a group of university friends trying to figure out how to handle the real world after school. Ideals change and fade when confronted with reality, and all of them have to learn something about themselves before they can become successful, responsible adults. The film deals with the traditional issues of standing up to one's parents to become one's own person, marriage and faithfulness in relationships, and even unrequited (and some requited) love.

About Last Night (1986), based on the David Mamet play Sexual Perversity in Chicago , explores what happens when a one-night stand actually leads to love and commitment. It stars Demi Moore and Rob Lowe as the main lovers, in spite of the objections of their friends � Elizabeth Perkins and James Belushi. They need to learn about each other and what each one wants, and how to balance their own lives with their life together. It's an interesting look at romance in the eighties, and still relevant for people in their twenties today dealing with serious (living-together) relationships for the first time.