Wrapping Up the 1980s
September 03, 2009After spending more than a half-year wading through memories, recollections, and movies from the period of 1980 through 1989, I have had an opportunity to take a new look at an old decade. Personally, it represented my coming of age - I grew up during the '70s but transitioned from childhood to adulthood during the'80s. Politically, it represented a shift from the Cold War to the New Hope. Cinematically, it represented an era of rising blockbusters and summer popcorn movies.
I was never much of a movie-goer during the '80s. I fell into the same category as most teenagers - films were diversions, opportunities for occasional weekend entertainment and socializing. I went primarily to stuff I wanted to see. The VCR changed things for everyone. With the new option of watching movies at home, viewing increased for everyone, from adults who had abandoned multiplexes to kids who couldn't get enough of them. It's a little odd to look back a mere 25 years and see how different things were. Video has been the great game-changer of the last half-century.
Here then is a linked list of all the '80s material written for the series - ReelThoughts and Video Reviews. I have also added links to other reviews of '80s movies that were written before the series began (they are identified by asterisks). This entry will have a permanent place on the Video Views page sidebar so it can be easily located for anyone desirous of re-visiting the decade. Thanks for reading.
1980s Yearly Commentaries:
Introduction (Feb. 7, 2009)
1980 (Feb. 10, 2009)
1981 (Feb. 27, 2009)
1982 (Mar. 9, 2009)
1983 (Mar. 29, 2009)
1984 (May 3, 2009)
1985 (May 20, 2009)
1986 (June 9, 2009)
1987 (July 3, 2009)
1988 (July 20, 2009)
1989 (Aug. 12, 2009)
Reviews - 1980s movies
1980:
Airplane *
Friday the 13th
Ordinary People
Shining, The
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back *
Xanadu *
1981:
Body Heat
Clash of the Titans
Halloween 2 *
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior *
Raiders of the Lost Ark *
Superman II *
Time Bandits *
1982:
Blade Runner *
Conan the Barbarian *
E.T. *
Evil Dead, The *
Fast Times at Ridgemont High *
First Blood
Last American Virgin, The *
Sophie's Choice
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan *
Tootsie
1983:
Christmas Story, A *
Flashdance
Risky Business
Scarface
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi *
Sudden Impact
WarGames
1984:
Amadeus *
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom *
Natural, The *
Nightmare on Elm Street, A *
Sixteen Candles
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock *
Stop Making Sense *
Terminator, The
This Is Spinal Tap *
1985:
Back to the Future
Black Cauldron, The *
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome *
Out of Africa
Sure Thing, The
Witness *
1986:
About Last Night…
Aliens *
Blue Velvet *
Color of Money, The
Crocodile Dundee *
Fly, The *
Hoosiers *
Jean de Florette *
Little Shop of Horrors *
Manon des Sources *
Mission, The
Platoon *
Stand By Me
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home *
1987:
Evil Dead II, The *
Lethal Weapon
Planes, Trains and Automobiles *
Princess Bride, The *
Robocop
Untouchables, The *
Wall Street
1988:
Big
Bull Durham
Dangerous Liaisons
Gorillas in the Mist
Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers
1989:
Abyss, The
Batman *
Born on the Fourth of July
Do the Right Thing *
Glory *
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade *
Little Mermaid, The *
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation *
War of the Roses
When Harry Met Sally *
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