1980s in film explained

The decade of the 1980s in Western cinema saw the return of studio-driven pictures, coming from the filmmaker-driven New Hollywood era of the 1970s.[1] The period was when the "high concept" picture was established by producer Don Simpson,[2] where films were expected to be easily marketable and understandable. Therefore, they had short cinematic plots that could be summarized in one or two sentences. Since its implementation, this method has become the most popular formula for modern Hollywood blockbusters. At the same time in Eastern cinema, the Hong Kong film industry entered a boom period that significantly elevated its prominence in the international market.

Trends

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.

Content

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, horror, and 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 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.[5]

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.[6] Film critic Kent Jones also shares this opinion.[7] 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.).[8]

Highest-grossing films

See also: Lists of highest-grossing films.

List of worldwide highest-grossing films
RankTitleStudio(s)Worldwide grossYear
1E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialUniversal Pictures$792,942,0691982

[9]

220th Century Fox$538,375,0671980

[10]

3Indiana Jones and the Last CrusadeParamount Pictures$474,171,8061989

[11]

4BatmanWarner Bros.$411,348,9241989
5Back to the FutureUniversal Pictures$381,109,7621985

[12]

620th Century Fox$374,593,0741983

[13]

7Top GunParamount Pictures$357,463,7481986

[14] [15]

8Rain ManMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer$354,825,4351988

[16]

9Raiders of the Lost ArkParamount Pictures$353,988,0251981

[17]

10Indiana Jones and the Temple of DoomParamount Pictures$333,080,271 1984
11Back to the Future Part IIUniversal Pictures$331,950,0021989
12Who Framed Roger RabbitBuena Vista / Touchstone Pictures$329,803,9581988
13Crocodile DundeeParamount Pictures$328,203,5061986
14Fatal AttractionParamount Pictures$320,099,9971987

[18]

15Beverly Hills CopParamount Pictures$316,300,000 1984

[19] [20]

16Carolco Pictures$300,400,0001985

[21] [22]

17Rocky IVMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer$300,373,7161985
18Look Who's TalkingTriStar$296,999,8131989
19GhostbustersColumbia Pictures$296,578,7971984

[23]

20Coming to AmericaParamount Pictures$288,752,3011988
21TootsieColumbia Pictures$241,000,0001982

[24]

22Crocodile Dundee IIParamount Pictures$239,606,2101988
23Dead Poets SocietyBuena Vista / Touchstone Pictures$235,860,1161989
24Lethal Weapon 2Warner Bros.$227,853,9861989
25Honey, I Shrunk the KidsBuena Vista/Disney$222,724,1721989
26TwinsUniversal Pictures$216,614,3881988
27Ghostbusters IIColumbia Pictures$215,394,7381989
28Dirty DancingVestron Pictures$214,600,0001987
29The Gods Must Be CrazyC.A.T. Films$200,000,0001980

[25]

30Rambo IIICarolco$189,015,6111988
31The Little MermaidBuena Vista/Disney$184,155,8631989
32A Fish Called WandaMGM$177,889,0001988
33CocktailBuena Vista / Touchstone Pictures$171,504,7811988
34Three Men and a BabyBuena Vista / Touchstone Pictures$167,780,9601987

[26]

35Born on the Fourth of JulyUniversal Pictures$161,001,6981989
36Beverly Hills Cop IIParamount Pictures$299,965,0361987
37GremlinsWarner Bros.$153,083,1021984
38Big20th Century Fox$151,668,7741988
39Die Hard20th Century Fox$140,767,9561988
40Paramount Pictures$140,000,0001988
41PlatoonOrion Pictures$138,530,5651986
42The Karate KidColumbia Pictures$130,000,0001984

[27]

43The Karate Kid Part IIColumbia Pictures$130,000,0001986
44An Officer and a GentlemanParamount Pictures$129,795,5541982
45GandhiGoldcrest Films / NFDC India$127,767,8891982

[28]

46Rocky IIIMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer$124,146,8971982
47Good Morning, VietnamBuena Vista / Touchstone Pictures$123,922,3701987
48On Golden PondUniversal Pictures$119,285,4321981
49Shaolin TempleChung Yuen Motion Picture Company$111,851,4391982
50Paramount Pictures$109,713,1321986

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.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Ebert, Roger. Bordwell, David. Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert. 2008. The University of Chicago Press. Chicago and London. 978-0226182018. xvii. Paperback. 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..
  2. Book: Fleming, Charles. High concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood culture of excess. 1998. Doubleday. 978-0-385-48694-1. registration.
  3. News: Tango & Cash - Box Office Data . The Numbers. 2011-07-24.
  4. Web site: Always (1989) - IMDb. IMDb.
  5. News: PG-13 remade Hollywood ratings system. Breznican. Anthony. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. August 24, 2004. June 27, 2016.
  6. Web site: Shamsian. Jacob. Here's why Quentin Tarantino isn't worried about the influx of franchise films. Business Insider. 27 June 2016. 24 August 2015. 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]..
  7. Book: Jones. Kent. The Last Great American Picture Show: New Hollywood Cinema in the 1970s: "The Cylinders Were Whispering My Name". Google Books. Amsterdam University Press. 27 June 2016. 2004. 9789053566312. This was the beginning of the 1980s, the worst decade ever for American movies....
  8. Web site: Bordwell. David. Observations on film art : It's the 80s, stupid. David Bordwell's website on cinema. David Bordwell & Kristin Thompson. 28 June 2016. 20 November 2008.
  9. Web site: 1982 Worldwide Gross . . 2018-09-05.
  10. Web site: 1980 Worldwide Gross . . 2018-09-05.
  11. Web site: 1989 Worldwide Gross . . 2018-09-05.
  12. Web site: Back to the Future (1985) . . https://web.archive.org/web/20201001174650/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0088763/?ref_=bo_gr_ti . July 14, 2024. 2020-10-01.
  13. Web site: Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200229141154/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr638341637/ . February 29, 2020 . February 29, 2020 . Box Office Mojo.
  14. Web site: Top 1986 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office. The Numbers.
  15. Web site: 1986 Worldwide Gross . . 2018-09-05.
  16. Web site: 1988 Worldwide Gross . . 2018-09-05.
  17. Web site: 1981 Worldwide Gross . . https://web.archive.org/web/20200823141929/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/year/world/1981/ . 2020-08-23 . 2020-08-23.
  18. Web site: Top 1987 Movies at the Worldwide Box Office. The Numbers.
  19. Web site: Beverly Hills Cop (1984). The Numbers.
  20. Web site: 1984 Worldwide Gross . . 2018-09-05.
  21. https://web.archive.org/web/20200215070326/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3697968641/ Box Office Information for Rambo: First Blood Part II
  22. Web site: 1985 Worldwide Gross . . 2018-09-05.
  23. Web site: Ghostbusters (1984) . . 2024-07-14.
  24. Web site: Tootsie’s Crossdressing Comedy with a Heart of Gold Shouldn’t Have Worked, but It Did. Paste Magazine. December 17, 2022.
  25. News: Gorelik . Boris . 12 July 2014 . Jamie se treffer: Met Uys, ja – die wêreld in . . . dead . 14 July 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714231833/http://www.rapport.co.za/Weekliks/Nuus/Jamie-se-treffer-Met-Uys-ja-die-wereld-in-20140712 . 14 July 2014.
  26. Web site: 1987 Worldwide Gross . . 2018-09-05.
  27. News: Hurlburt . Roger . Martial Arts Flick Loses Kick Third Time Around . https://web.archive.org/web/20190326043118/www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1989-07-03-8902190049-story.html . 27 January 2021 . . 3 July 1989 . 2019-03-26 . 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.
  28. Web site: Gandhi (1982) - Box Office Data, DVD and Blu-ray Sales, Movie News, Cast and Crew Information . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20150407104900/http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Gandhi#tab=summary . 7 April 2015 . 27 January 2015 . The Numbers.