Eighties Movies

18 July 2008

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The seventies may have seen the birth of the blockbuster but the eighties is where they really dominated the box office with the likes of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg leading the way.

The studios were now seeing the financial rewards of the big budget picture and the franchise was born as studios packaged up their movies and released them along with a merchandising campaign that secured the film's success.

The most financially successful movies of the decade proved to be the blockbusters as Lucas produced two more Star Wars movies: The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 and Return of the Jedi three years later, both of which grossed in excess of $200 million at the global box office.

And while Harrison Ford was having fun playing Han Solo it was his second franchise of the decade that made him, and his character a cinematic icon.

Churning out three movies in nine years Indiana Jones, part time teacher and adventurer dominated the box office as all three films: Raider of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and The Last Crusade feature in the top ten grossing films of the eighties.

Other franchises that were kicked off this decade were action series Rambo, buddy cop films Lethal Weapon and science fiction favourite Back to the Future.

Cinema go-ers also saw the continuation of Rocky, Star Trek and Superman franchises, that all began in the seventies.

The drama movie also did well at the box office as there were a string of Oscar nominated pictures, including Gandhi, Rain Man, Terms of Endearment and On Golden Pond, that found success striking a chord with film fans.

The films tackled sensitive, yet everyday subjects, such as family rifts, mental illness and terminal cancer.

The popularity of seventies horror movies spilled over into the following decade as some of the genre's most iconic movies and characters were brought to the big screen for the first time as the era of Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger and Friday the 13th began.

The eighties also saw the rise of teen movies, popular in the fifties with the likes of Rebel Without A Cause, this era proved to be the golden age for this genre as big named directors came on board when John Hughes and Cameron Crowe made The Breakfast Club and Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

The decade wasn't without it's controversies though and that came in the form of the thriller with many having an erotic nature as nudity on film increased.

Erotic drama nine and a half weeks raised eyebrows in 1986 amidst rumours that many scenes were cut as they were deemed to be too "psychologically damaging". Blue Velvet, which was also released in 1986 was criticised for its 'vulgar approach to sexuality and violence'.

However it was 1987's Fatal Attraction that caused the biggest stir when it was released, but went on to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Top Five Pictures of the Eighties

1. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark

Set in 1936 Dr. Jones is a respected archaeologist and professor at a college in New England. But Jones is pitted against the Nazis as they try to discover the location of the ark of the Covenant, which is believed to contain the Ten Commandments, in a bid to make their army invincible.

Raiders was the biggest grossing film of 1981 and was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture but lost out to Chariots of Fire.

2. E.T.

An extra-terrestrial is accidentally left behind on Earth and is befriended by a young boy and his brother and sister.

As Elliot attempts to help his extra-terrestrial companion contact his home planet so that he might be rescued, the children must elude scientists and government agents determined to apprehend the alien for their own purposes...which results in an adventure greater than any of them could have imagined.

E.T. was a timeless story of friendship and, along with Return of the Jedi was the biggest grossing movie of the decade, but lost out to Gandhi for best Picture at the Oscars.

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