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{{Year nav topic5|1980|film|television}}
{{Years in film}}
The decade of the '''1980s''' in [[Western world|Western]] cinema saw the return of studio-driven pictures, coming from the filmmaker-driven [[New Hollywood]] era of the 1970s.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Ebert, Roger|author2=Bordwell, David|title=Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert|date=2008|publisher=The University of Chicago Press|___location=Chicago and London|isbn=978-0226182018|page=xvii|edition=Paperback|quote=In his pluralism, [Roger] Ebert proved a more authentic cinephile than many of his contemporaries. They tied their fortunes to the Film Brats and then suffered the inevitable disappointments of the 1980s return to studio-driven pictures.}}</ref> The period was when the "[[high concept]]" picture was established by producer [[Don Simpson]],<ref>{{Cite book|last=Fleming|first=Charles|title=High concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood culture of excess|year=1998|publisher=Doubleday|isbn=978-0-385-48694-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/highconceptdonsi00flem_0}}</ref> where films were expected to be easily marketable and understandable. Therefore, they had short cinematic [[Plot (narrative)|plots]] that could be summarized in one or two sentences. Since its implementation, this method has become the most popular formula for modern Hollywood [[Blockbuster (entertainment)|blockbusters]]. At the same time in [[Eastern world|Eastern]] cinema, the [[Cinema of Hong Kong|Hong Kong film industry]] entered a boom period that significantly elevated its prominence in the international market.
==
The cinema of the 1980s covered many subgenres, with hybrids crossing between multiple genres. The course strengthened towards creating ever-larger megahit films, which earned more in their opening weeks than most previous movies due in part to scheduling releases when there were less competition for audience interest.
* '''''[[Action films|Action]]''''': In the 1970s, action films usually focused on maverick police officers. However, the genre did not become dominant in Hollywood until the 1980s, when it was popularized by action stars such as [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], [[Sylvester Stallone]], [[Chuck Norris]], and [[Bruce Willis]]. Schwarzenegger built an iconic career out of action classics such as ''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984), ''[[Commando (1985 film)|Commando]]'' (1985), and ''[[Predator (film)|Predator]]'' (1987). Stallone starred in 1982's ''[[First Blood]]'' about a returning [[Vietnam War]] veteran fighting a small town sheriff, as well as its sequels ''[[Rambo: First Blood Part II]]'' and ''[[Rambo III]]''. Previously seen as a taboo in the 1970s, Vietnam War flicks like [[Oliver Stone]]'s ''[[Platoon (film)|Platoon]]'' and [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]'' made the conflict a popular subject in the 1980s. Norris starred in the ''[[Missing in Action (film)|Missing in Action]]'' trilogy (1984, 1985, 1988) about a Vietnam veteran going back to rescue [[POW]]s. The release of ''[[Die Hard]]'' in 1988 was particularly influential on the development of the genre in the subsequent decade. In the film, Willis plays a New York City police detective who inadvertently becomes embroiled in a terrorist take-over of a [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]] office building. Riding the [[buddy cop]] wave that was boosted by the likes of the [[Lethal Weapon (franchise)|''Lethal Weapon'' franchise]], Stallone and [[Kurt Russell]]'s ''[[Tango & Cash]]'' became one of the two last Hollywood films to be released in the 1980s.<ref name=numbers>{{cite news|title= Tango & Cash - Box Office Data |work= The Numbers|url=http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1989/0TNGC.php|access-date=2011-07-24}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Hong Kong action cinema]] was being revolutionized by filmmakers [[Jackie Chan]], [[Tsui Hark]], and [[John Woo]]; garnering increased attention all over the world with the likes of ''[[Project A (film)|Project A]]'' (1983), ''[[Police Story (1985 film)|Police Story]]'' (1985), ''[[A Better Tomorrow]]'' (1986), and ''[[The Killer (1989 film)|The Killer]]'' (1989). Which featured increasingly complex [[Combat in film|martial arts and gunfight choreography]] with generally unsafe and most often uninsured [[stunt]] work. Blazing the trail for newer types of action movies like the [[heroic bloodshed]] subgenre.
* '''''[[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 penultimate month of the 1980s, the studio released ''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]'' (1989), directed by [[Ron Clements]] and [[John Musker]], 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.
* '''''[[Comedy film|Comedy]]''''': The [[disaster film]]s of the past decade were [[spoof film|spoofed]] in the gag comedy ''[[Airplane!]]'', paving the way for more of the same style of humor in such releases as ''[[Airplane II: The Sequel]]'' (1982), ''[[Top Secret!]]'' (1984) and ''[[The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!]]'' (1988). Popular comedy stars in the '80s included [[Leslie Nielsen]], [[John Candy]], [[Steve Martin]], [[Eddie Murphy]], [[Rick Moranis]], [[Bill Murray]], [[Chevy Chase]] and [[Dan Aykroyd]]. Many had come to prominence on the NBC TV series ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', including Bill Murray, Steve Martin and Chevy Chase. Eddie Murphy made a success of comedy-[[action film|action]] films including ''[[48 Hrs.]]'' (1982) and the ''[[Beverly Hills Cop]]'' series (1984–1993). Also in the top-50 films were the romantic comedies ''[["Crocodile" Dundee]]'' (1986), ''[[Crocodile Dundee II]]'' (1988) and ''[[Arthur (1981 film)|Arthur]]'' (1981). Influenced largely by 1978's ''[[National Lampoon's Animal House]]'', the decade also saw the continued rise of [[teen film|teen comedies]] like ''[[Fast Times at Ridgemont High]]'', ''[[Porky's]]'' and ''[[Revenge of the Nerds]]'' (the later two of these had sequels). Also popular were the films of [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]] such as ''[[Ferris Bueller's Day Off]]'' (1986). ''[[Heathers]]'' (1988) provided a [[tongue-in-cheek]] approach to the teenage comedy genre, showcasing the murders (disguised as suicides) of several popular students at a U.S. high school. Other notable comedies of the decade include the gender-swap film ''[[Tootsie]]'' (1982), ''[[Broadcast News (film)|Broadcast News]]'' (1987), and a brief spate of age-reversal films including ''[[Big (film)|Big]]'', ''[[18 Again!]]'', ''[[Vice Versa (1988 film)|Vice Versa]]'' and ''[[Like Father Like Son (1987 film)|Like Father, Like Son]]''. Also notable were the ''[[Police Academy (film series)|Police Academy]]'' series of broad comedies, produced between 1984 and 1993.
* '''''[[Dance in film|Dance]]''''': Many movies during the 80s were centered around dancing and heavily influenced by [[MTV]] [[music videos]]. 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>
* '''''[[Fantasy film|Fantasy]]''''': Fantasies saw a resurgence particularly in [[sword and sorcery]] films. In 1981, ''[[Dragonslayer (1981 film)|Dragonslayer]]'' and ''[[Excalibur (film)|Excalibur]]'' started it off, but it was [[1982 in film|1982's]] ''[[Conan the Barbarian (1982 film)|Conan the Barbarian]]'' which caused the fantasy explosion. The epic starred [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] in his acting breakthrough as he began his ascent to stardom. Loosely based on the original tales by [[Robert E. Howard]], the film was written by the unlikely pairing of [[Oliver Stone]] and [[John Milius]]. Its sequel followed in [[1984 in film|1984]] with the light-weight ''[[Conan the Destroyer]]''. Schwarzenegger returned again to a similar sword-wielding role in [[1985 in film|1985's]] ''[[Red Sonja (1985 film)|Red Sonja]]''. The same year as ''Conan the Barbarian'', similar films followed such as ''[[The Sword and the Sorcerer]]'', ''[[The Beastmaster]]'' and the ''[[Ator]]'' films. Fairy-tale fantasy was also popular with films such as ''[[The NeverEnding Story (film)|The NeverEnding Story]]'' (1984), ''[[Legend (1985 film)|Legend]]'' (1985) and ''[[The Princess Bride (film)|The Princess Bride]]'' (1987). [[Disney]]'s ''[[Return to Oz]]'', a big-budget sequel to 1939's classic ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'', was a major flop, yet became a major success on home video. Jim Henson's ''[[Labyrinth (1986 film)|Labyrinth]]'' (1986) was not an initial success but has since become a major cult classic. Hong Kong's ''[[A Chinese Ghost Story]]'' (1987) blended fantasy with several other genres such as horror, action, comedy, and romance to great effect, becoming an international favorite all over Asia.
* '''''[[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 (Hong Kong actress)|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.
* '''''[[Science fiction film|Science Fiction]]''''': Continuing the 1970s' sci-fi boom was Australian post-apocalyptic ''[[Mad Max 2]]'', with a leather-clad outlaw fighting road barbarians in the futuristic desert wasteland. Another futuristic adventure released the same year, ''[[Escape from New York]]'', also saw an [[anti-hero]] set in a [[dystopian]] future. In [[1982 in film|1982]], yet another film set in a dystopian future, the [[Tech-noir]]ish ''[[Blade Runner]]'' starred Harrison Ford as a detective searching for renegade androids. Sci-fi films aimed at younger audiences included the two ''[[Star Wars]]'' films, ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' and ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', as well as the [[Back to the Future (series)|''Back to the Future'' trilogy]] and [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial|E.T.]]''. The [[Star Trek]] series became a big screen success with four movies being released during the 1980s.
* '''''[[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]]'' ([[golf]]), ''[[Chariots of Fire]]'' ([[track and field#Track|track]]), ''[[The Color of Money]]'' ([[pool (cue sports)|pool]]), ''[[Hoosiers (film)|Hoosiers]]'' ([[basketball]]), and ''[[Over the Top (1987 film)|Over the Top]]'' ([[arm wrestling]]).
* '''''[[Thriller film|Thriller]]''''': The 1980s saw an immense amount of thriller films, many being of an [[erotic thriller|erotic]] nature, including ''[[Body Heat]]'' (1981) and ''[[Fatal Attraction]]'' (1987). Perhaps two of the most influential examples of 1980s thriller films were [[David Lynch]]'s bizarre [[cult classic]] ''[[Blue Velvet (film)|Blue Velvet]]'' (1986), which dealt with the underworld of a seemingly idyllic U.S. suburbia, a subject which has spawned many imitations well into the first decade of the 21st century and [[Stanley Kubrick]]'s horror/thriller ''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]'' (1980).
* '''''[[Western (genre)|Western]]''''': A stylish form of western was evolving, with films such as ''[[Pale Rider]]'', ''[[Silverado (film)|Silverado]]'' (both 1985) and ''[[Young Guns (film)|Young Guns]]'' (1988).
==
The decade saw an increased amount of [[nudity in film]], as well as the increasing emphasis in the American industry on film franchises; especially in the [[science fiction film|science fiction]], [[horror film|horror]], and [[Action films|action]] genres. Much of the reliance on these effects-driven movies was due in part to the ''[[Star Wars]]'' films at the advent of this decade and the new cinematic visuals they helped to pioneer.
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>
Some have considered the 1980s in retrospect as one of the weaker decades for American cinema in terms of the qualities of the films released. Filmmaker [[Quentin Tarantino]] has voiced his own view that the 1980s was one of the worst eras for American films.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Shamsian|first1=Jacob|title=Here's why Quentin Tarantino isn't worried about the influx of franchise films|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/quentin-tarantino-isnt-worried-about-franchise-films-2015-8|website=[[Business Insider]]|access-date=27 June 2016|date=24 August 2015|quote=Back in the ’80s, when movies sucked—I saw more movies then than I'd ever seen in my life, and the Hollywood bottom-line product was the worst it had been since the ’50s—that would have been a great time [for Superhero films].}}</ref> Film critic Kent Jones also shares this opinion.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Jones|first1=Kent|title=The Last Great American Picture Show: New Hollywood Cinema in the 1970s: "The Cylinders Were Whispering My Name"|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p-xgdo_-5XEC&pg=PA165|via=[[Google Books]]|publisher=Amsterdam University Press|access-date=27 June 2016|date=2004|isbn=9789053566312|quote=This was the beginning of the 1980s, the worst decade ever for American movies...}}</ref> However, film theorist [[David Bordwell]] countered this notion, saying that the "megapicture mentality" was already existent in the 1970s, which is evident in the ten highest-grossing films of that decade, as well as with how many of the filmmakers part of New Hollywood were still able to direct many great pictures in the 1980s ([[Martin Scorsese]], [[Brian de Palma]], [[John Carpenter]], etc.).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bordwell|first1=David|title=Observations on film art : It's the 80s, stupid|url=http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/2008/11/20/its-the-80s-stupid/|website=David Bordwell's website on cinema|publisher=David Bordwell & Kristin Thompson|access-date=28 June 2016|date=20 November 2008}}</ref>
== Highest-grossing films ==
{{See also|Lists of highest-grossing films}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto; margin:auto; text-align:center"
|+ List of worldwide highest-grossing films
|-
! Rank
! Title
! Studio(s)
! Worldwide gross
! Year
! class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref|Reference}}
|-
|1
|''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]''
|[[Universal Pictures]]
|$792,942,069
||[[1982 in film|1982]]
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto3">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1982&p=.htm|title=1982 Worldwide Gross |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=2018-09-05}}</ref></div>
|-
|2
|''[[Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back]]''
|20th Century Fox
|$538,375,067
|[[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>
|-
|3
|''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]''
|[[Paramount Pictures]]
|$474,171,806
|1989
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto6">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1989&p=.htm|title=1989 Worldwide Gross |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=2018-09-05}}</ref></div>
|-
|4
|''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]''
|[[Warner Bros.]]
|$411,348,924
|[[1989 in film|1989]]
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto6"/></div>
|-
|5
|''[[Back to the Future]]''
|Universal Pictures
|$381,109,762
|[[1985 in film|1985]]
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0088763/?ref_=bo_gr_ti |title=Back to the Future (1985) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001174650/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0088763/?ref_=bo_gr_ti |access-date=July 14, 2024| archive-date=2020-10-01}}</ref></div>
|-
|6
|''[[Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi]]''
|[[20th Century Fox]]
|$374,593,074
|[[1983 in film|1983]]
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref>{{cite web |title=Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr638341637/ |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229141154/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr638341637/ |archivedate=February 29, 2020 |access-date=February 29, 2020 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref></div>
|-
|7
|''[[Top Gun]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$357,463,748
|[[1986 in film|1986]]
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name=Numbers1986>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-1986| title=Top 1986 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office| work=The Numbers}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1986&p=.htm|title=1986 Worldwide Gross |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=2018-09-05}}</ref></div>
|-
|8
|''[[Rain Man]]''
|[[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]]
|$354,825,435
|[[1988 in film|1988]]
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto4">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1988&p=.htm|title=1988 Worldwide Gross |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=2018-09-05}}</ref></div>
|-
|9
|''[[Raiders of the Lost Ark]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$353,988,025
|[[1981 in film|1981]]
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1981&p=.htm|title=1981 Worldwide Gross |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823141929/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1981/ |access-date=2020-08-23 |archive-date=2020-08-23}}</ref></div>
|-
|10
|''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$333,080,271
|1984
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto8" /></div>
|-
|11
|''[[Back to the Future Part II]]''
|Universal Pictures
|$331,950,002
|1989
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto6"/></div>
|-
|12
|''[[Who Framed Roger Rabbit]]''
|Buena Vista / [[Buena Vista (brand)|Touchstone Pictures]]
|$329,803,958
|1988
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto4"/></div>
|-
|13
|''[[Crocodile Dundee]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$328,203,506
|1986
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name=Numbers1986/></div>
|-
|14
|''[[Fatal Attraction]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$320,099,997
|1987
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref>{{cite web|title=Top 1987 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office| url=https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-records/worldwide/all-movies/cumulative/released-in-1987| work=The Numbers}}</ref></div>
|-
|15
|''[[Beverly Hills Cop]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$316,300,000
|[[1984 in film|1984]]
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref>{{cite web|title=Beverly Hills Cop (1984)| url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Beverly-Hills-Cop#tab=summary| work=The Numbers}}</ref><ref name="auto8">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1984&p=.htm|title=1984 Worldwide Gross |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=2018-09-05}}</ref></div>
|-
|16
|''[[Rambo: First Blood Part II]]''
|[[TriStar Pictures|Carolco Pictures]]
|$300,400,000
|1985
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="mojo">[https://web.archive.org/web/20200215070326/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3697968641/ Box Office Information for Rambo: First Blood Part II] [[Box Office Mojo]] via [[Internet Archive]]. Retrieved February 8, 2023.</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1985&p=.htm|title=1985 Worldwide Gross |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=2018-09-05}}</ref></div>
|-
|17
|''[[Rocky IV]]''
|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
|$300,373,716
|1985
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto1" /></div>
|-
|18
|''[[Look Who's Talking]]''
| [[TriStar Pictures|TriStar]]
|$296,999,813
|1989
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto6"/></div>
|-
|19
|''[[Ghostbusters]]''
|[[Columbia Pictures]]
|$296,578,797
|1984
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0087332/|title=Ghostbusters (1984) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=2024-07-14}}</ref></div>
|-
|20
|''[[Coming to America]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$288,752,301
|1988
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto4"/></div>
|-
|21
|''[[Tootsie]]''
|Columbia Pictures
|$241,000,000
|1982
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/dustin-hoffman/tootsie-crossdressing-comedy-dustin-hoffman| work=Paste Magazine| title=Tootsie’s Crossdressing Comedy with a Heart of Gold Shouldn’t Have Worked, but It Did| date=December 17, 2022}}</ref></div>
|-
|22
|''[[Crocodile Dundee II]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$239,606,210
|1988
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto4"/></div>
|-
|23
|''[[Dead Poets Society]]''
|Buena Vista / Touchstone Pictures
|$235,860,116
|1989
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto6"/></div>
|-
|24
|''[[Lethal Weapon 2]]''
|Warner Bros.
|$227,853,986
|1989
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto6"/></div>
|-
|25
|''[[Honey, I Shrunk the Kids]]''
|Buena Vista/[[Walt Disney Pictures|Disney]]
|$222,724,172
|1989
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto6"/></div>
|-
|26
|''[[Twins (1988 film)|Twins]]''
|Universal Pictures
|$216,614,388
|1988
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto4"/></div>
|-
|27
|''[[Ghostbusters II]]''
|Columbia Pictures
|$215,394,738
|1989
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto6"/></div>
|-
|28
|''[[Dirty Dancing]]''
|Vestron Pictures
|$214,600,000
|[[1987 in film|1987]]
|-
|29
|''[[The Gods Must Be Crazy]]''
|C.A.T. Films
|$200,000,000
|1980
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="Gorelik">{{cite news |last=Gorelik |first=Boris |date=12 July 2014 |title=Jamie se treffer: Met Uys, ja – die wêreld in |work=[[Rapport (newspaper)|Rapport]] |publisher=[[Media24]] |url=http://www.rapport.co.za/Weekliks/Nuus/Jamie-se-treffer-Met-Uys-ja-die-wereld-in-20140712 |url-status=dead |access-date=14 July 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714231833/http://www.rapport.co.za/Weekliks/Nuus/Jamie-se-treffer-Met-Uys-ja-die-wereld-in-20140712 |archive-date=14 July 2014}}</ref></div>
|-
|30
|''[[Rambo III]]''
|[[TriStar Pictures|Carolco]]
|$189,015,611
|1988
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto4" /></div>
|-
|31
|''[[The Little Mermaid (1989 film)|The Little Mermaid]]''
|Buena Vista/Disney
|$184,155,863
|1989
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto6" /></div>
|-
|32
|''[[A Fish Called Wanda]]''
|MGM
|$177,889,000
|1988
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto4" /></div>
|-
|33
|''[[Cocktail (1988 film)|Cocktail]]''
|Buena Vista / Touchstone Pictures
|$171,504,781
|1988
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto4" /></div>
|-
|34
|''[[Three Men and a Baby]]''
|Buena Vista / Touchstone Pictures
|$167,780,960
|[[1987 in film|1987]]
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto5">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1987&p=.htm|title=1987 Worldwide Gross |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=2018-09-05}}</ref></div>
|-
|35
|''[[Born on the Fourth of July (film)|Born on the Fourth of July]]''
|Universal Pictures
|$161,001,698
|1989
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto6" /></div>
|-
|36
|''[[Beverly Hills Cop II]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$299,965,036
|1987
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto5" /></div>
|-
|37
|''[[Gremlins]]''
|Warner Bros.
|$153,083,102
|1984
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto8" /></div>
|-
|38
|''[[Big (film)|Big]]''
|20th Century Fox
|$151,668,774
|1988
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto4" /></div>
|-
|39
|''[[Die Hard]]''
|20th Century Fox
|$140,767,956
|1988
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto4" /></div>
|-
|40
|''[[The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$140,000,000
|1988
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto4" /></div>
|-
|41
|''[[Platoon (film)|Platoon]]''
|[[Orion Pictures]]
|$138,530,565
|1986
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto2" /></div>
|-
|42
|''[[The Karate Kid]]''
|Columbia Pictures
|$130,000,000
|1984
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="worldwide">{{cite news |last1=Hurlburt |first1=Roger |title=Martial Arts Flick Loses Kick Third Time Around |url=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1989-07-03-8902190049-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326043118/www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1989-07-03-8902190049-story.html |access-date=27 January 2021 |work=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |date=3 July 1989 |archive-date=2019-03-26 |quote=The Karate Kid (1984) and the sequel, The Karate Kid Part II, went on to gain critical acclaim and $130 million each at the box office}}</ref></div>
|-
|43
|''[[The Karate Kid Part II]]''
|Columbia Pictures
|$130,000,000
|1986
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="worldwide" /></div>
|-
|44
|''[[An Officer and a Gentleman]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$129,795,554
|1982
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto3" /></div>
|-
|45
|[[Gandhi (film)|''Gandhi'']]
|[[Goldcrest Films]] / [[National Film Development Corporation of India|NFDC India]]
|$127,767,889
|1982
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="Numbers">{{cite web |title=Gandhi (1982) - Box Office Data, DVD and Blu-ray Sales, Movie News, Cast and Crew Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Gandhi#tab=summary |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407104900/http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Gandhi#tab=summary |archive-date=7 April 2015 |access-date=27 January 2015 |publisher=[[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]}}</ref></div>
|-
|46
|''[[Rocky III]]''
|Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
|$124,146,897
|1982
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto3" /></div>
|-
|47
|''[[Good Morning, Vietnam]]''
|Buena Vista / Touchstone Pictures
|$123,922,370
|1987
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto5" /></div>
|-
|48
|''[[On Golden Pond (1981 film)|On Golden Pond]]''
|Universal Pictures
|$119,285,432
|1981
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto" /></div>
|-
|49
|''[[Shaolin Temple (1982 film)|Shaolin Temple]]''
|Chung Yuen Motion Picture Company
|$111,851,439
|1982
|<div style="text-align: center;">{{Efn|See ''{{Section link|Shaolin Temple (1982 film)|Box office}}''}}</div>
|-
|50
|''[[Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|$109,713,132
|1986
|<div style="text-align: center;"><ref name="auto2" /></div>
|}
In the list, where revenues are equal numbers, the newer films are listed lower, due to inflation making the dollar-amount lower compared to earlier years.
== Lists of films ==
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
*[[1980 in film]]
*[[1981 in film]]
*[[1982 in film]]
*
*[[1984 in film]]
*[[1985 in film]]
*[[1986 in film]]
*[[1987 in film]]
*[[1988 in film]]
*[[1989 in film]]
}}
==
* [[Film]], [[History of film]], [[lists of films]]
* Popular culture: [[1980s in music]], [[1980s in television]]
==
{{notelist}}
==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
*[https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?title_type=feature,short&release_date=1980-01-01,1989-12-31&adult=include&sort=num_votes,desc List of 1980s films] at [[IMDb]]
*[https://www.imdb.com/search/name/?death_date=1980-01-01,1989-12-31&adult=include List of 1980s deaths] at [[IMDb]]
* [https://www.imdb.com/search/name/?birth_date=1980-01-01,1989-12-31&adult=include List of 1980s births] at [[IMDb]]
[[Category:1980s in film| ]]
[[Category:Films by decade]]
[[Category:Film by decade]]
| |||