1980s in film: Difference between revisions

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{{more citations needed|date=July 2012}}

 

== Trends ==

* '''''[[Animation]]''''': In the 1970s, full-length animated films usually focused on adult fare due to the influence of [[Ralph Bakshi]] films. However, even though they didn't become popular until the late-1990s and 2000s due to public preference of TV animation, some well-known films were made during the 1980s, especially with [[Don Bluth]]. After he left [[Disney]] in 1979, Bluth formed his first [[Sullivan Bluth Studios|animation studio]] and produced the moderately-successful ''[[The Secret of NIMH]]'' (1982). Bluth later teamed up with [[Steven Spielberg]] to produce ''[[An American Tail]]'' (1986) and ''[[The Land Before Time (film)|The Land Before Time]]'' (1988) which both became box-office successes, and proved there was still confidence in animation for theaters. After breaking up with Spielberg, Bluth independently produced ''[[All Dogs Go To Heaven]]'' (1989). Meanwhile, [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|the Disney studio]] was having horrible times and the box-office failure of ''[[The Black Cauldron (film)|The Black Cauldron]]'' (1985) almost put the studio in jeopardy. However, in later years, the modest success of ''[[The Great Mouse Detective]]'' (1986), and their collaboration with Spielberg on the live-action/animated film ''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]'' (1988) directed by [[Robert Zemeckis]], which was a critical and box office hit, gave Disney enough confidence in its feature animation division. A year later in the very last month of the 1980s, [[Ron Clements]] and [[John Musker]] directed ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' (1989), which eventually started an era known as the [[Disney Renaissance]]. Inspired by the success of 1979's ''[[The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie]]'', [[Looney Tunes]] compilation films continued with ''[[The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie]]'' (1981), ''[[Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales]]'' (1982), ''[[Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island]]'' (1983) and ''[[Daffy Duck's Quackbusters]]'' (1988). That decade also saw a brief resurgence of popular-toys-based films. [[Nelvana]]'s ''[[The Care Bears Movie]]'' (1985) was successful enough to warrant two sequels: ''[[Care Bears Movie II: A New Generation]]'' (1986) and ''[[The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland]]'' (1987). Additional well-known popular-work based films include ''[[Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!)]]'' (1980), ''[[Heavy Metal (film)|Heavy Metal]]'' (1981), ''[[The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985 film)|The Adventures of Mark Twain]]'' (1985), ''[[The Secret of the Sword]]'' (1985), ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' (1986), ''[[The Chipmunk Adventure]]'' (1987) and ''[[The BFG (1989 film)|The BFG]]'' (1989); While other well-known original films include ''[[The King and the Mockingbird]]'' (1980), ''[[American Pop]]'' (1981), ''[[The Last Unicorn (film)|The Last Unicorn]]'' (1982), ''[[The Plague Dogs (film)|The Plague Dogs]]'' (1982), ''[[Rock & Rule]]'' (1983), ''[[Fire and Ice (1983 film)|Fire and Ice]]'' (1983), ''[[Starchaser: The Legend of Orin]]'' (1985) and ''[[The Brave Little Toaster]]'' (1987). The '80s also saw a resurgence of [[Anime|Japanese anime films]]: Inspired by the rarely successful release of his first film 1979's ''[[The Castle of Cagliostro]]'', [[Hayao Miyazaki]] went to produce ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film)|Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind]]'' (1984) for [[Topcraft]]. The film's huge success convinced [[Hayao Miyazaki]] to form [[Studio Ghibli]] which would then produce several critically acclaimed films of the decade including ''[[Castle in the Sky]]'' (1986), ''[[My Neighbor Totoro]]'' (1988), ''[[Grave of the Fireflies]]'' (1988) and ''[[Kiki's Delivery Service]]'' (1989). Other well-known anime films of that decade include ''[[Golgo 13: The Professional]]'' (1983), ''[[Macross: Do You Remember Love?]]'' (1984), ''[[Lensman (1984 film)|Lensman]]'' (1984), ''[[Vampire Hunter D (1985 film)|Vampire Hunter D]]'' (1985), ''[[Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise]]'' (1987), ''[[Akira (1988 film)|Akira]]'' (1988) and ''[[Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland]]'' (1989). Additionally, the first-ever theatrical animated franchise: [[List of Doraemon films|the Doraemon film series]] (based on the [[Doraemon|anime and manga series of the same name]]) began in 1980 with the release of ''[[Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur]]'' (1980).

* '''''[[Blockbuster (entertainment)|Blockbusters]]''''': The decade started by continuing the blockbuster boom of the mid-[[1970s in film|1970s]]. The sequel to [[1977 in film|1977's]] ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'', ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'', opened in May [[1980 in film|1980]] becoming the highest-grossing film of the year. It is considered among the greatest films of all time (being the highest rated 1980s film on [[IMDb]]). It was followed by ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983) finishing the ''[[Star Wars original trilogy]]''. ''[[Superman II]]'' was released in Europe and Australia in late 1980, but not distributed in the United States until June 1981. Though now seen as [[Camp (style)|campier]] over the original [[1978 in film|1978]] ''[[Superman (1978 film)|Superman]]'', ''Superman II'' was received with a positive reaction. From the success of ''The Empire Strikes Back'', creator [[George Lucas]] teamed up with director [[Steven Spielberg]] to create one of the most iconic characters in the [[1981 in film|1981]] film ''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]'' starring [[Harrison Ford]], who had also co-starred in ''The Empire Strikes Back''. The story about an archaeologist and adventurer, [[Indiana Jones (character)|Indiana Jones]] (Ford), hired by the U.S. government to go on a quest for the mystical lost [[Ark of the Covenant]], created waves of interest in old 1930s style [[cliffhanger]] serials as well as [[treasure hunting]] adventures like 1984's ''[[Romancing the Stone]]''. It became the highest-grossing film of 1981, leading to sequels all in the top-10 films of the decade. In 1982, Spielberg directed his fairy-tale, sci-fi family blockbuster ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'', which shattered all records, earning 40% more than any Star-Wars film, and double or triple the revenue of 46 of the top 50 films.

* '''''[[Dance in film|Dance]]''''': Many movies during the 80s were centered around dancing. 1983's ''[[Flashdance]]'', 1984's ''[[Footloose (1984 film)|Footloose]]'', and 1987's ''[[Dirty Dancing]]'' were all extremely successful as well as their soundtracks.

* '''''[[Drama (film and television)|Drama]]''''': Among the historical, romantic, and dramatic films, several were well received at the box office, including ''[[Rain Man]]'' (1988), ''[[On Golden Pond (1981 film)|On Golden Pond]]'' (1981), ''[[Terms of Endearment]]'' (1983), ''[[The Color Purple (1985 film)|The Color Purple]]'' (1985) and ''[[Out of Africa (film)|Out of Africa]]'' (1985). Also notable in critical success were ''[[Gandhi (film)|Gandhi]]'' (1982), ''[[Sophie's Choice (film)|Sophie's Choice]]'' (also 1982) and ''[[A Passage to India (film)|A Passage to India]]'' (1984). [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''[[Always (1989 film)|Always]]'' was one of the two last Hollywood films to be released in the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096794/releaseinfo|title=Always (1989) - IMDb|website=[[IMDb]]}}</ref>

* '''''[[Horror film|Horror]]''''': Creativity from [[1970s in film|1970s]] horror films extended throughout the 1980s, except having more gore, with many successful 1980s horror films having numerous sequels as their murderers were themselves unstoppable. [[Stanley Kubrick]] directed his horror film ''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]'' (1980). The creative and violent ''[[The Evil Dead]]'' (1981) with its secluded atmosphere is seen by many as one of the best in its genre, leading to its inevitable sequel ''[[Evil Dead II]]'' in [[1987 in film|1987]]. ''Halloween'' director [[John Carpenter]]'s ''[[The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing]]'' (1982) shocked audiences in its effects, as did [[David Cronenberg]]'s graphic and gory ''[[Scanners]]'' (1981). Sequels to ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'' (1978), ''[[Friday the 13th (1980 film)|Friday the 13th]]'' (1980), and ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' (1984) were the popular face of horror films in the 1980s, unkillable as their antagonists were, a trend reviled by most critics. [[Dan O'Bannon]]'s ''[[The Return of the Living Dead]]'' and [[Stuart Gordon]]'s ''[[Re-Animator]]'' soon followed. In 1986, the [[James Cameron]] film ''[[Aliens (film)|Aliens]]'' was released a few weeks before [[David Cronenberg]]'s remake of ''[[The Fly (1986 film)|The Fly]]''. Films such as ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', [[Joe Dante]]'s ''[[Gremlins]]'' (both 1984) and [[Tim Burton]]'s ''[[Beetlejuice]]'' (1988) started a trend for horror comedies. ''[[Child's Play (1988 film)|Child's Play]]'' (1988) started the popular [[Child's Play (film series)|killer doll franchise]] starring [[Brad Dourif]] as the infamous killer doll [[Chucky (Child's Play)|Chucky]].

* '''''[[James Bond]]''''': The James Bond film series entered its third decade in 1981 with [[Roger Moore]] starring in the more realistic ''[[For Your Eyes Only (film)|For Your Eyes Only]]'' after the outlandish excess of ''[[Moonraker (film)|Moonraker]]'' in 1979. The decade saw the beginning of a new era for Bond since the previous decade's directors originally directed a [[1960s in film|1960s]] Bond; the new director brought to the series, [[John Glen (director)|John Glen]], criticized for a less stylistic and more "workman" style of direction, directed all the [[EON Productions|EON]] Bond films from 1981 to 1989. ''Moonraker'' was the last for regular [[Bernard Lee]] who portrayed Bond's boss [[M (James Bond)|M]]. For the 1980s Bonds, a collection of numerous [[MI6]] superiors would brief Bond on his missions. [[1983 in film|1983]] was a significant year for the series as a non-EON Bond was released, ''[[Never Say Never Again]]'', directed by ''The Empire Strikes Back'' director [[Irvin Kershner]], with [[Sean Connery]] returning to the role for the first time since 1971's ''[[Diamonds Are Forever (film)|Diamonds Are Forever]]''; it was competing with the next EON film, ''[[Octopussy]]'' at the box office with media dubbing the situation "The Battle of the Bonds". Even lesser known in the same year was one-time Bond [[George Lazenby]] appearing in the TV reunion film ''[[The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'' as Bond-like character "JB". ''[[A View to a Kill]]'' (1985) was the last for Roger Moore before [[Timothy Dalton]] was chosen as the new Bond in 1987's ''[[The Living Daylights]]'' and lastly in [[1989 in film|1989's]] ''[[Licence to Kill]]''.

* '''''[[Martial arts film|Martial Arts]]''''': In Hong Kong, most action stars were either already skilled or at least partially trained in [[kung fu]]. Many also worked as fight choreographers with backgrounds in [[stage combat]] such as the comedic trio of [[Jackie Chan]], [[Sammo Hung]], and [[Yuen Biao]] (aka the Three Dragons) who were all part of [[The Seven Little Fortunes]] troupe as children. Though the likes of [[Jet Li]] and [[Yuen Woo-ping]] were more known for being in front of or behind the camera respectively. Not to be left out, female action stars such as [[Michelle Yeoh]], [[Cynthia Rothrock]], [[Yukari Oshima]], [[Moon Lee]], and [[Cynthia Khan]] established the [[girls with guns]] trend during the latter half of the decade, which also heavily showcased [[hand-to-hand combat]] sequences. Meanwhile, Hollywood found its footing in the martial arts subgenre with the likes of [[Chuck Norris]], [[Jean-Claude Van Damme]], and [[Steven Seagal]]. All across-the-board, notable films include ''[[Shaolin Temple (1982 film)|Shaolin Temple]]'', ''[[Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain]]'', ''[[Wheels on Meals]]'', ''[[Big Trouble in Little China]]'', ''[[Dragons Forever]]'', ''[[Bloodsport (film)|Bloodsport]]'', and ''[[Miracles (1989 film)|Miracles]]''.

* '''''[[Rite of passage|Rite-of-Passage]]''''': Beyond just the teenager "coming-of-age" stories, more complex "rite-of-passage" films had older actors changing or transforming through the rituals. So although teenagers were the focus of 1983's ''[[Risky Business]]'', 1984's ''[[The Karate Kid (1984 film)|The Karate Kid]]'' and its sequels (1986, 1989), and 1985's ''[[The Breakfast Club]]'' and ''[[St. Elmo's Fire (film)|St. Elmo's Fire]]'' featuring the [[Brat Pack]], older people with troubled lives were the subjects of ''[[Top Gun]]'' (1986) or ''[[An Officer and a Gentleman]]'' in trying to become a fighter pilot, a female [[welder]] in ''[[Flashdance]]'' transforming into a [[ballet dancer]], and ''[[Cocoon (film)|Cocoon]]'''s (1985) elderly set overcoming old age. Even ''[[The Big Chill (film)|The Big Chill]]'' (1983) reunion was a rite-of-passage that challenged old classmates to redirect their lives after the suicide of a friend. [[The Goonies]] in 1985 and [[Stand by Me (film)|Stand by Me]] in 1986 were both successful at the box office and went on to be considered classics of the decade. They also both featured a number young actors that would see future success both on the big screen and the small screen.

* '''''[[Sequels]]''''': In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a trend emerged toward the release of sequels based on recently successful productions. Among the sequels were ''[[Damien: Omen II]]'', ''[[Revenge of the Pink Panther]]'', ''The Final Conflict'' (aka ''[[Omen III: The Final Conflict]]''), ''[[Grease 2]]'', ''[[Trail of the Pink Panther]]'', ''[[The Great Muppet Caper]]'', ''[[Porky's II: The Next Day]]'' and ''[[Porky's Revenge]]''.

* '''''[[Sports film|Sports]]''''': [[Baseball]] was especially popular on the big screen as evidenced by the releases of ''[[The Natural (film)|The Natural]]'', ''[[Bull Durham]]'', ''[[Major League (film)|Major League]]'', and ''[[Field of Dreams]]''. As well as [[boxing]] with ''[[Raging Bull]]'', ''[[Rocky III]]'', and ''[[Rocky IV]]''. Though other competitions were represented by the likes of ''[[Caddyshack]]'', ''[[Chariots of Fire]]'', ''[[The Color of Money]]'', ''[[Hoosiers (film)|Hoosiers]]'', and ''[[Over the Top (1987 film)|Over the Top]]''.

With the release of 1984's ''[[Red Dawn]]'', the [[PG-13 (Motion Picture Association)|PG-13]] rating was introduced in the U.S. to accommodate films that straddled the line between PG and R. Which was mainly due to the controversies surrounding the violence of the PG films ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]'' and ''[[Gremlins]]'' from earlier that same year.<ref>{{cite news|title=PG-13 remade Hollywood ratings system|last=Breznican|first=Anthony|url=http://www.seattlepi.com/movies/187529_pg13rating24.html|newspaper=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]|date=August 24, 2004|access-date=June 27, 2016}}</ref>

 

 

== Highest-grossing films ==

|''[[Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back]]''

|20th Century Fox

|[[1980 in film|1980]]

|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto7">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1980&p=.htm|title=1980 Worldwide Gross |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=2018-09-05}}</ref></div>

|22

|''[[The Gods Must Be Crazy]]''