1981 in film
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The following is an overview of events in 1981 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.
Highest-grossing films (U.S.)[]
The top ten films released in 1981 by box office gross in North America are as follows:
Rank | Title | Distributor | Box-office gross |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | Paramount | $212,222,025 |
2 | On Golden Pond | Universal | $119,285,432 |
3 | Superman II | Warner Bros. | $108,185,706 |
4 | Arthur | $95,461,682 | |
5 | Stripes | Columbia | $85,297,000 |
6 | The Cannonball Run | Fox | $72,179,579 |
7 | Chariots of Fire | Warner Bros. | $58,972,904 |
8 | For Your Eyes Only | United Artists | $54,812,802 |
9 | The Four Seasons | Universal | $50,427,646 |
10 | Time Bandits | Embassy | $42,365,581 |
Events[]
- May 16 – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it.
- March 30 - The 53rd Academy Awards are postponed due to the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan earlier that day. They are held the following day with a message from the President recorded for the ceremony prior to the assassination attempt.
- June 8 - Marvin Davis acquires 20th Century Fox for $720 million.
- June 12 – Raiders of the Lost Ark is released by Paramount Pictures. It became Paramount's highest-grossing film of all time and set a major standard for many action-adventure movies to date and spawned three sequels.
- August 21 – An American Werewolf in London is released and becomes a landmark in Visual Effects and Makeup.
- November 1 - United International Pictures is created to handle international distribution of films for United Artists, MGM, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures to replace Cinema International Corporation following MGM's acquisition of UA.
- November 25 - Norman Lear and his partner Jerry Perenchio agree to buy Avco Embassy for $25 million.
- November 29 – Actress Natalie Wood drowns in a boating accident off Santa Catalina Island.
Awards[]
Category/Organization | 39th Golden Globe Awards January 30, 1982 |
35th BAFTA Awards March 18, 1982 |
54th Academy Awards March 29, 1982 | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Drama | Musical or Comedy | |||
Best Film | On Golden Pond | Arthur | Chariots of Fire | |
Best Director | Warren Beatty Reds |
Louis Malle Atlantic City |
Warren Beatty Reds | |
Best Actor | Henry Fonda On Golden Pond |
Dudley Moore Arthur |
Burt Lancaster Atlantic City |
Henry Fonda On Golden Pond |
Best Actress | Meryl Streep The French Lieutenant's Woman |
Bernadette Peters Pennies from Heaven |
Meryl Streep The French Lieutenant's Woman |
Katharine Hepburn On Golden Pond |
Best Supporting Actor | John Gielgud Arthur |
Ian Holm Chariots of Fire |
John Gielgud Arthur | |
Best Supporting Actress | Joan Hackett Only When I Laugh |
N/A | Maureen Stapleton Reds | |
Best Screenplay, Adapted | Ernest Thompson On Golden Pond |
Bill Forsyth Gregory's Girl |
Ernest Thompson On Golden Pond | |
Best Screenplay, Original | Colin Welland Chariots of Fire | |||
Best Original Score | N/A | Carl Davis The French Lieutenant's Woman |
Vangelis Chariots of Fire | |
Best Original Song | "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" Arthur |
N/A | "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" Arthur | |
Best Foreign Language Film | Chariots of Fire | N/A | Mephisto |
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
- Man of Iron (Człowiek z żelaza), directed by Andrzej Wajda, Poland
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
- Marianne and Juliane (Die Bleierne Zeit), directed by Margarethe von Trotta, W. Germany
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
- Faster, Faster (Deprisa, deprisa / Vivre vite), directed by Carlos Saura, Spain / France
Notable films released in 1981[]
United States unless stated
A[]
- Absence of Malice, directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Melinda Dillon
- All Night Long, starring Barbra Streisand, Gene Hackman, Diane Ladd, Dennis Quaid
- ...All the Marbles, starring Peter Falk, Vicki Frederick and Laurene Landon
- The Amateur, starring John Savage, Christopher Plummer, Marthe Keller
- American Pop, an animated rotoscope musical by Ralph Bakshi and starring Ron Thompson
- An American Werewolf in London, directed by John Landis, starring David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter – (US/UK)
- Amy, starring Jenny Agutter and Barry Newman
- Arthur, starring Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Stephen Elliott, Jill Eikenberry
- The Aviator's Wife (La femme de l'aviateur), directed by Éric Rohmer – (France)
B[]
- Back Roads, directed by Martin Ritt, starring Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones
- Beau-père, directed by Bertrand Blier – (France)
- Die Berührte, directed by Helma Sanders-Brahms – (West Germany)
- Betrayal (Løperjenten) – (Norway)
- Bianco, rosso e Verdone – (Italy)
- Blind Chance (Przypadek) – (Poland)
- The Blood of Hussain – (Pakistan)
- Blood Wedding (Bodas de sangre), directed by Carlos Saura – (Spain)
- Blow Out, directed by Brian De Palma, starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen, Dennis Franz, John Lithgow
- The Boat Is Full (Das Boot ist voll) – (Switzerland)
- Body and Soul, starring Jayne Kennedy, Leon Isaac Kennedy, Michael V. Gazzo
- Body Heat, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Ted Danson, Richard Crenna, J. A. Preston, Mickey Rourke
- Das Boot (Released in the U.S. in 1982), directed by Wolfgang Petersen, starring Jürgen Prochnow – (West Germany)
- Buddy Buddy, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau
- Buriki no kunsho – (Japan)
- The Burning, starring Brian Matthews – (United States/Canada)
- The Bushido Blade
- Bustin' Loose, starring Richard Pryor and Cicely Tyson
C[]
- The Cannonball Run, directed by Hal Needham, starring Burt Reynolds, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Adrienne Barbeau
- Carbon Copy, starring George Segal, Denzel Washington, Susan Saint James, Jack Warden
- Cattle Annie and Little Britches, starring Burt Lancaster, Rod Steiger, John Savage, Diane Lane, Amanda Plummer
- Caveman, directed by Carl Gottlieb, starring Ringo Starr, Dennis Quaid, Shelley Long
- Chariots of Fire, directed by Hugh Hudson, starring Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nigel Havers, Ian Holm – (U.K.)
- Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen, starring Peter Ustinov, Lee Grant, Angie Dickinson
- Charlotte – (Netherlands)
- The Chosen, starring Robby Benson, Barry Miller, Maximilian Schell, Rod Steiger
- Christiane F. – We Children from Bahnhof Zoo, directed by Uli Edel, starring Natja Brunckhorst – (West Germany)
- Chu Chu and the Philly Flash, directed by David Lowell Rich, starring Carol Burnett and Alan Arkin
- Circle of Deceit (Die Fälschung), directed by Volker Schlöndorff, starring Bruno Ganz, Hanna Schygulla and Jerzy Skolimowski – (West Germany)
- Clash of the Titans, starring Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress – (US/UK)
- Condorman, starring Michael Crawford, Oliver Reed, Barbara Carrera – (U.K.)
- Le confort et l'indifférence (Comfort and Indifference) – (Canada)
- Continental Divide, starring John Belushi, Blair Brown, Allen Garfield
- Coup de torchon, directed by Bertrand Tavernier, starring Philippe Noiret and Isabelle Huppert – (France)
- Cutter's Way, starring Jeff Bridges, Lisa Eichhorn, John Heard
D[]
- Dance Craze, concert documentary featuring Madness, The Beat, The Specials and others – (U.K.)
- Dark Night of the Scarecrow
- Dead & Buried, starring James Farentino
- Deadly Blessing. starring Sharon Stone and Ernest Borgnine
- Death Hunt, starring Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Andrew Stevens, Carl Weathers, Angie Dickinson
- The Decline of Western Civilization, a documentary film
- Deprisa, Deprisa (Hurry, Hurry!), directed by Carlos Saura – (Spain) – Golden Bear winner
- The Devil and Max Devlin, starring Elliott Gould and Bill Cosby
- Diva, directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix – (France)
- Docteur Jekyll et les femmes, directed by Walerian Borowczyk and starring Udo Kier and Marina Pierro – (France)
- Do You Remember Dolly Bell? (Sjecas li se Doli Bel?) – (Yugoslavia)
- Dragonslayer, starring Peter MacNicol
- Dreszcze (Shivers) – (Poland)
E[]
- Eijanaika (Why Not?), directed by Shohei Imamura – (Japan)
- Ek Duuje Ke Liye (Made for Each Other) – (India)
- Endless Love, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt
- The Entity, starring Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, Margaret Blye
- Escape from New York, directed by John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau
- Escape to Victory (aka Victory), directed by John Huston, starring Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone, Max von Sydow, Pelé
- The Evil Dead, directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell
- Excalibur, directed by John Boorman, starring Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicol Williamson, Nicholas Clay, Liam Neeson
- An Eye for an Eye, starring Chuck Norris
- Eye of the Needle, starring Donald Sutherland and Kate Nelligan – (U.K.)
- Eyewitness, directed by Peter Yates, starring William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer, James Woods
F[]
- The Fan, directed by Edward Bianchi, starring Lauren Bacall, James Garner, Maureen Stapleton and Michael Biehn
- Fear No Evil, directed by Frank LaLoggia
- Fever (Gorączka), directed by Agnieszka Holland – (Poland)
- First Monday in October, starring Walter Matthau and Jill Clayburgh
- For Your Eyes Only, starring Roger Moore (as James Bond), with Carole Bouquet, Lynn-Holly Johnson – (U.K.)
- Fort Apache, The Bronx, directed by Daniel Petrie, starring Paul Newman, Ed Asner, Ken Wahl
- Four Friends, directed by Arthur Penn, starring Craig Wasson and Jodi Thelen
- The Four Seasons, directed by and starring Alan Alda, with Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, Sandy Dennis, Len Cariou, Jack Weston
- The Fox and the Hound, with the voices of Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey
- The French Lieutenant's Woman, directed by Karel Reisz, starring Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons – (U.K.)
- Friday the 13th Part II, directed by Steve Miner, starring Amy Steel, John Furey and Adrienne King
- Full Moon High, starring Adam Arkin
- The Funhouse, directed by Tobe Hooper
G[]
- Gallipoli, directed by Peter Weir, starring Mel Gibson – (Australia)
- Gangster Wars, starring Michael Nouri, Joe Penny, Brian Benben, Madeleine Stowe
- Garde à Vue, starring Romy Schneider and Michel Serrault – (France)
- Gas, starring Susan Anspach, Sterling Hayden, Helen Shaver – (Canada)
- Ghost Story, starring Fred Astaire, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman
- The Girl with the Red Hair (Het meisje met het rode haar) – (Netherlands)
- Going Ape!, starring Tony Danza, Stacey Nelkin, Jessica Walter, Danny DeVito
- Goodbye Pork Pie – (New Zealand)
- Graduation Day, starring Christopher George
- The Great Muppet Caper, directed by Jim Henson – (US/UK)
- Gregory's Girl, directed by Bill Forsyth – (U.K.)
- Grendel Grendel Grendel, starring Peter Ustinov – (Australia)
H[]
- Halloween II, directed by Rick Rosenthal, starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence
- The Hand, directed by Oliver Stone, starring Michael Caine
- Hands Up!, (Ręce do góry), directed by Jerzy Skolimowski – (Poland) – originally made in 1967 but withheld
- Happy Birthday to Me, starring Melissa Sue Anderson and Glenn Ford – (Canada)
- Hard Country, starring Jan-Michael Vincent and Kim Basinger
- Hardly Working, directed by and starring Jerry Lewis
- Harry's War, starring Edward Herrmann
- Heartbeeps, directed by Allan Arkush, starring Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters
- Heavy Metal, starring John Candy – (Canada)
- Hell Night, starring Linda Blair
- History of the World, Part I, directed by and starring Mel Brooks, with Gregory Hines, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman
- Honky Tonk Freeway, starring William Devane, Beau Bridges, Teri Garr, Beverly D'Angelo, Howard Hesseman, Jessica Tandy
- The Hound of the Baskervilles (Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sobaka Baskerviley) – (U.S.S.R.)
- The Howling, directed by Joe Dante, starring Dee Wallace and Patrick Macnee
I[]
- I Love You (Eu Te Amo), starring Sônia Braga – (Brazil)
- The Incredible Shrinking Woman, starring Lily Tomlin, Charles Grodin and Ned Beatty
- Inseminoid, starring Judy Geeson, Stephanie Beacham, Victoria Tennant – (U.K.)
- The Inventor (Der Erfinder) – (Switzerland/West Germany)
J[]
- Just Another Missing Kid, winner of Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature – (Canada)
K[]
- Killing Heat (Gräset Sjunger), starring Karen Black – (Sweden/Zambia)
- The Killing of Angel Street – (Australia)
- Knightriders, starring Ed Harris
- Kranti (Revolution), starring Dilip Kumar, Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor – (India)
L[]
- Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains, starring Diane Lane and Laura Dern
- Lady Chatterley's Lover, starring Sylvia Kristel and Nicholas Clay
- The Land of Hunger (Aakali Rajyam) – (India)
- The Last Chase, starring Lee Majors
- Lawaaris, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Zeenat Aman – (India)
- The Legend of the Lone Ranger, starring Klinton Spilsbury, winner of a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor
- Light Years Away (Les Années lumière), starring Trevor Howard – (France)
- Lili Marleen, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hanna Schygulla – (West Germany)
- Lion of the Desert, starring Anthony Quinn – (Libya)
- The Little Fox (Vuk) – (Hungary)
- Lola, a German film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Barbara Sukowa and Armin Mueller-Stahl – (West Germany)
- Looker, directed by Michael Crichton, starring Albert Finney, James Coburn, Susan Dey
- Looks and Smiles, directed by Ken Loach – (U.K.)
- The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie
- Loophole, starring Albert Finney and Martin Sheen
M[]
- Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, starring Mel Gibson – (Australia)
- Man of Iron (Człowiek z żelaza), directed by Andrzej Wajda – (Poland) – Palme d'Or winner
- Mandala – (South Korea)
- Marianne and Juliane (Die bleierne Zeit), directed by Margarethe von Trotta, starring Barbara Sukowa - Golden Lion winner – (West Germany)
- Il Marchese del Grillo, directed by Mario Monicelli, starring Alberto Sordi – (Italy)
- Masada, TV miniseries, starring Peter O'Toole, Peter Strauss, Barbara Carrera, David Warner
- The Melody Haunts My Memory (Samo jednom se ljubi) – (Yugoslavia)
- Mephisto, directed by István Szabó, starring Klaus Maria Brandauer – (Hungary/West Germany/Austria)
- Il minestrone, starring Roberto Benigni – (Italy)
- Modern Romance, directed by and starring Albert Brooks, with Kathryn Harrold and Bruno Kirby
- Moment of Weakness, starring Salah Zulfikar, Nelly and Hussein Fahmy (Egypt)
- Mommie Dearest, starring Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest – winner of five Golden Raspberry Awards including Worst Picture and Worst Actress (Dunaway)
- Montenegro, starring Susan Anspach and Erland Josephson – (Sweden)
- Ms. 45, directed by Abel Ferrara
- Muzhiki! – (U.S.S.R.)
- My Bloody Valentine – (Canada)
- My Dinner with Andre, starring Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory
- The Mysterious Castle in the Carpathians (Tajemství hradu v Karpatech) – (Czechoslovakia)
- The Mystery of the Third Planet (Tayna tretyey planety) – (U.S.S.R.)
N[]
- Naseeb (Destiny), starring Amitabh Bachchan – (India)
- National Heritage (Patrimonio nacional), directed by Luis García Berlanga – (Spain)
- Neighbors, starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd
- The Nesting, starring Bill Rowley, Gloria Grahame
- Nice Dreams, a Cheech & Chong film
- Nighthawks, starring Sylvester Stallone, Rutger Hauer, Billy Dee Williams, Lindsay Wagner, Persis Khambatta, Nigel Davenport
- The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, starring Kristy McNichol, Dennis Quaid, Mark Hamill
- Nobody's Perfekt, starring Gabe Kaplan, Alex Karras, Robert Klein
O[]
- The Oil, the Baby and the Transylvanians (Pruncul, petrolul şi ardelenii) – (Romania)
- Omen III: The Final Conflict, starring Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi – (US/UK)
- On Golden Pond, directed by Mark Rydell, starring Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda
- On the Right Track, starring Gary Coleman
- Only When I Laugh, starring Marsha Mason, Kristy McNichol, James Coco, Joan Hackett
- Outland, directed by Peter Hyams, starring Sean Connery and Peter Boyle – (U.K.)
P[]
- Passion of Love (Passione d'amore), directed by Ettore Scola – (Italy)
- Paternity, directed by David Steinberg, starring Burt Reynolds and Beverly D'Angelo
- La Pelle (The Skin), directed by Liliana Cavani, starring Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale – (Italy)
- Pennies from Heaven, starring Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Jessica Harper, Christopher Walken – based on the TV series by Dennis Potter
- Pixote, directed by Héctor Babenco – (Brazil)
- Polyester, directed by John Waters, starring Divine
- Le Pont du Nord, directed by Jacques Rivette – (France)
- Porky's, directed by Bob Clark, starring Dan Monahan, Wyatt Knight, Kim Cattrall, Boyd Gaines, Alex Karras, Susan Clark
- Possession, starring Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill – (France/West Germany)
- The Postman Always Rings Twice, directed by Bob Rafelson, starring Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange
- Priest of Love, starring Ian McKellen, Janet Suzman, Ava Gardner – (UK)
- Prince of the City, directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Treat Williams and Jerry Orbach
- Private Lessons, starring Sylvia Kristel, Howard Hesseman, Ed Begley Jr.
- The Prodigal Son (Bai ga jai), directed by and starring Sammo Hung – (Hong Kong)
- The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper, starring Treat Williams, Robert Duvall, Kathryn Harrold
Q[]
- Quartet, directed by James Ivory, starring Alan Bates, Maggie Smith, Isabelle Adjani – (U.K.)
- Quest for Fire (aka La Guerre du feu), directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud – (Canada/France/United States)
R[]
- Race for the Yankee Zephyr, starring Ken Wahl, Lesley Ann Warren, George Peppard – (New Zealand)
- Raggedy Man, starring Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek
- Ragtime, directed by Miloš Forman, starring James Cagney, Howard E. Rollins Jr., Elizabeth McGovern, Mandy Patinkin, Mary Steenburgen, Brad Dourif
- Raiders of the Lost Ark, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Harrison Ford and Karen Allen
- Reds, directed by and starring Warren Beatty, with Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Maureen Stapleton, Gene Hackman, Paul Sorvino
- Rich and Famous, directed by George Cukor, starring Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen
- Roar, directed by Noel Marshall, starring Tippi Hedren and Melanie Griffith
- Ritam zločina – (Yugoslavia)
- Roadgames, directed by Richard Franklin, starring Stacy Keach and Jamie Lee Curtis – (Australia)
- Rollover, directed by Alan J. Pakula, starring Jane Fonda and Kris Kristofferson
- Ruckus, starring Dirk Benedict, Linda Blair, Richard Farnsworth
S[]
- S.O.B., directed by Blake Edwards, starring Julie Andrews, William Holden, Robert Preston, Richard Mulligan
- The Salamander, starring Anthony Quinn, Franco Nero, Eli Wallach, Claudia Cardinale
- Saturday the 14th, starring Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin
- Scanners, directed by David Cronenberg – (Canada)
- Sharky's Machine, directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, with Rachel Ward, Henry Silva, Vittorio Gassman, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman
- Shaukeen, starring Ashok Kumar – (India)
- Shikake-nin Baian – (Japan)
- Shock Treatment, starring Jessica Harper and Cliff DeYoung
- Short Working Day, directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski – (Poland)
- Shaolin and Wu Tang (Shao Lin yu Wu Dang), Directed by Liu Chia-Hui, starring Adam Cheng, Gordon Liu and Wang Lung-wei – (Hong Kong)
- Silence of the North, directed by Allan King, Tom Skerritt, Gordon Pinsent and Ellen Burstyn – (Canada)
- The Simple-Minded Murderer (Den Enfaldige Mördaren), starring Stellan Skarsgård – (Sweden)
- The Sixth (Shestoy) – (U.S.S.R.)
- Smash Palace, directed by Roger Donaldson – (New Zealand)
- Sogni d'oro (Golden Dreams), directed by and starring Nanni Moretti – (Italy)
- Southern Comfort, directed by Walter Hill, starring Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe and Fred Ward
- Sphinx, starring Lesley-Anne Down and Frank Langella
- Station (Eki Station) – (Japan)
- Strange Affair (Une étrange affaire), starring Michel Piccoli – (France)
- Strange Behavior, starring Michael Murphy and Louise Fletcher – (New Zealand)
- Stripes, directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, John Larroquette, John Candy
- Student Bodies
- Suddenly at Midnight (Gipeun bam, gapjagi) – (South Korea)
T[]
- Take This Job and Shove It, starring Robert Hays, Barbara Hershey, Art Carney
- Tales of Ordinary Madness (Storie di ordinaria follia), starring Ben Gazzara and Ornella Muti – (Italy/France)
- Taps, directed by Harold Becker, starring Timothy Hutton, George C. Scott, Ronny Cox, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise
- Tarzan, the Ape Man, starring Bo Derek and Richard Harris
- Tattoo, starring Bruce Dern and Maud Adams
- Taxi zum Klo (Taxi to the Toilet) – (West Germany)
- Teheran 43, starring Alain Delon – (U.S.S.R./France/Switzerland)
- They All Laughed, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Audrey Hepburn and Ben Gazzara
- Thief aka Violent Streets, directed by Michael Mann, starring James Caan, Tuesday Weld, James Belushi, Robert Prosky
- This Is Elvis, a documentary
- Three Brothers (Tre fratelli), directed by Francesco Rosi – (Italy)
- Threshold, directed by Richard Pearce, starring Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum, Mare Winningham – (Canada)
- Ticket to Heaven, starring Nick Mancuso, Saul Rubinek, Meg Foster – (Canada)
- Time Bandits, directed by Terry Gilliam, starring John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall – (U.K.)
- Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man (La tragedia di un uomo ridicolo), directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Ugo Tognazzi and Anouk Aimée – (Italy)
- Tree of Knowledge (Kundskabens træ) – (Denmark)
- True Confessions, directed by Ulu Grosbard, starring Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Charles Durning, Burgess Meredith, Kenneth McMillan
- The True Story of Ah Q (Ā Q zhèng zhuàn) – (China)
- Tuck Everlasting
U[]
- Under the Rainbow, starring Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher and Billy Barty
- Les Uns et les Autres, directed by Claude Lelouch – (France)
- Útlaginn (Outlaw: The Saga of Gisli) – (Iceland)
V[]
- Variola Vera – (Yugoslavia)
- Vernon, Florida, a documentary
W[]
- Whose Life Is It Anyway?, directed by John Badham, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Bob Balaban, Christine Lahti, John Cassavetes
- Will, starring Robert Conrad
- Winter of Our Dreams, directed by John Duigan, starring Judy Davis, Brian Brown, and Baz Luhrmann – (Australia)
- Wolfen, starring Albert Finney, Diane Venora and Gregory Hines
- The Woman Next Door (La Femme d'à côté), directed by François Truffaut, starring Gérard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant – (France)
- Woman Who Exposes Herself (Misetagaru onna) – (Japan)
Z[]
- Zoot Suit, starring Edward James Olmos
- Zorro, The Gay Blade, starring George Hamilton, Lauren Hutton, Brenda Vaccaro, Ron Leibman
1981 Wide-release movies[]
January–March[]
Opening | Title | Studio | Cast and crew | Genre | Medium | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
J A N U A R Y |
7 | Scream | Cal-Com | Byron Quisenberry (director/screenplay); Pepper Martin, Hank Worden, Ethan Wayne, Alvy Moore, Bobby Diamond, Woody Strode, Ann Bronston, Julie Marine, Nancy St. Marie, Joseph Alvarado, John Nowak, Joe Allaine, Cynthia Faria, Bella Bluck, Dee Cooper, Bob Macgonigal, Gino Difirelli, Gregg Palmer | Slasher | Live action |
14 | Scanners | AVCO Embassy Pictures | David Cronenberg (director/screenplay); Stephen Lack, Jennifer O'Neill, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane, Michael Ironside, Robert Silverman, Mavor Moore, Anthony Sherwood, Fred Doederlein, Victor Désy, Louis Del Grande, Alex Stevens, William Hope, Christopher Britton, Leon Herbert, Neil Affleck | Sci-Fi, Horror | Live action | |
28 | Blood Beach | Compass International Pictures / The Jerry Gross Organization | Jeffrey Bloom (director/screenplay); David Huffman, Marianna Hill, Burt Young, John Saxon, Stefan Gierasch, Harriet Medin, Otis Young, Darrell Fetty, Lena Pousette, Mickey Fox, Marleta Giles, Pamela McMyler, Eleanor Zee, Laura Burkett, Jacqueline Randall | Horror | Live action | |
Zombi 2 | Variety Film / The Jerry Gross Organization | Lucio Fulci (director); Elisa Briganti, Dardano Sacchetti (screenplay); Tisa Farrow, Ian McCulloch, Richard Johnson, Al Cliver, Auretta Gay, Stefania D'Amario, Olga Karlatos | Zombie | Live action | ||
30 | Earthbound | Taft International Pictures | James L. Conway (director); Michael Fisher (screenplay); Burl Ives, Todd Porter, Christopher Connelly, Meredith MacRae, Joseph Campanella, Marc Gilpin, John Schuck, Joey Forman, Stuart Pankin, H.M. Wynant, Doodles Weaver, Anne Lockhart, Mindy Dow, Elissa Leeds, Peter Isacksen, Jesse Bennett, Cindy Bertagnolli, Allen Tatomer, Scottie Anderson | Comedy, Sci-Fi | Live action | |
The Incredible Shrinking Woman | Universal Pictures | Joel Schumacher (director); Jane Wagner (screenplay); Lily Tomlin, Charles Grodin, Ned Beatty, Henry Gibson, Elizabeth Wilson, Mark Blankfield, Maria Smith, Pamela Bellwood, John Glover, Nicholas Hormann, James McMullan, Shelby Balik, Justin Dana, Rick Baker, Frank Welker, Mike Douglas, Dick Wilson, Sally Kirkland, Pat Ast, Marneen Fields | Sci-Fi, Comedy | Live action | ||
F E B R U A R Y |
6 | Fort Apache, The Bronx | 20th Century Fox / Producers Circle / Time-Life Films | Daniel Petrie (director); Heywood Gould (screenplay); Paul Newman, Ed Asner, Ken Wahl, Danny Aiello, Rachel Ticotin, Pam Grier, Kathleen Beller, Tito Goya, Miguel Piñero, Jaime Tirelli, Clifford David, Sully Boyar, Dominic Chianese, Michael Higgins, Paul Gleason, Randy Jurgensen, Gilbert Lewis, Cleavant Derricks, Reynaldo Medina, Norman Matlock | Crime, Drama | Live action |
11 | My Bloody Valentine | Paramount Pictures / Canadian Film Development Corporation / Secret Film Company | George Mihalka (director); John Beaird (screenplay); Paul Kelman, Lori Hallier, Neil Affleck, Don Francks, Cynthia Dale, Alf Humphreys, Keith Knight, Patricia Hamilton, Terry Waterland, Thomas Kovacs, Helene Udy, Rob Stein, Gina Dick, Larry Reynolds, Jim Murchison, Carl Marotte, Jack Van Evera, Peter Cowper | Slasher | Live action | |
Sphinx | Orion Pictures / Warner Bros. | Franklin J. Schaffner (director); John Byrum (screenplay); Lesley-Anne Down, Frank Langella, Maurice Ronet, John Gielgud, Vic Tablian, Martin Benson, John Rhys-Davies, Nadim Sawalha, Tutte Lemkow, Saeed Jaffrey, Eileen Way, William Hootkins, James Cossins, Victoria Tennant, Behrouz Vossoughi | Adventure | Live action | ||
13 | American Pop | Columbia Pictures / Bakshi Productions | Ralph Bakshi (director); Ronni Kern (screenplay); Ron Thompson, Lisa Jane Persky, Jeffrey Lippa, Marya Small, Beatrice Colen, Frank Dekova, Roz Kelly, Richard Moll, Joey Camen, Elsa Raven, Vincent Schiavelli, Leonard Stone, Eric Taslitz, Lynda Wiesmeier, Elya Baskin, Lee Ving, Ralph Bakshi, Richard Singer, Jerry Holland, Hilary Beane, Robert Beecher, Gene Borkan, Ben Frommer, Amy Levitt | Musical, Drama | Adult animation | |
Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen | American Cinema Productions / Jerry Sherlock Productions | Clive Donner (director); Stan Burns, David Axelrod (screenplay); Peter Ustinov, Lee Grant, Angie Dickinson, Richard Hatch, Brian Keith, Roddy McDowall, Rachel Roberts, Michelle Pfeiffer, Paul Ryan, Johnny Sekka | Comedy, Mystery | Live action | ||
Eyewitness | 20th Century Fox | Peter Yates (director); Steve Tesich (screenplay); William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer, James Woods, Irene Worth, Kenneth McMillan, Pamela Reed, Steven Hill, Morgan Freeman, Alice Drummond, Keone Young | Neo-Noir, Thriller | Live action | ||
M A R C H |
6 | All Night Long | Universal Pictures | Jean-Claude Tramont (director); W.D. Richter (screenplay); Gene Hackman, Barbra Streisand, Dennis Quaid, Diane Ladd, Kevin Dobson, William Daniels, Hamilton Camp, Terry Kiser, Charles Siebert, Vernee Watson, Annie Girardot, Ann Doran, Raleigh Bond, Jim Nolan, Judy Kerr, Marlyn Gates | Romance, Comedy | Live action |
The Devil and Max Devlin | Buena Vista Distribution / Walt Disney Productions | Steven Hilliard Stern (director); Mary Rodgers (screenplay); Elliott Gould, Bill Cosby, Susan Anspach, Adam Rich, Julie Budd, Sonny Shroyer, David Knell, Chuck Shamata, Ronnie Schell, Reggie Nalder | Fantasy, Comedy | Live action | ||
Maniac | Analysis Film Releasing Corporation / Magnum Motion Pictures Inc. | William Lustig (director); C.A. Rosenberg, Joe Spinell (screenplay); Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro, Gail Lawrence, Tom Savini, Sharon Mitchell, William Lustig, Kelly Piper, Rita Montone, Hyla Marrow, James Brewster, Linda Lee Walter, Tracie Evans, Carol Henry, Neila Bacmeister, Louis Jawitz, Denise Spagnuolo, Billy Spagnuolo, Frank Pesce | Slasher | Live action | ||
On the Right Track | 20th Century Fox | Lee Philips (director); Avery Buddy, Richard Moses, Tina Pine (screenplay); Gary Coleman, Maureen Stapleton, Norman Fell, Michael Lembeck, Lisa Eilbacher, Bill Russell, Herb Edelman, Nathan Davis, Fern Persons, Mike Genovese, Harry Gorsuch, Page Hannah, Jami Gertz, Chelcie Ross, Mike Bacarella, Jack Wasserman, Arthur Smith, Corin Rogers, George Barrow, David Selburg | Comedy | Live action | ||
13 | Back Roads | Warner Bros. / CBS Theatrical Films | Martin Ritt (director); Gary DeVore (screenplay); Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, David Keith, Michael V. Gazzo, Barbara Babcock, Miriam Colon, M. Emmet Walsh | Romance, Comedy | Live action | |
The Funhouse | Universal Pictures / Mace Neufeld Productions | Tobe Hooper (director); Larry Block (screenplay); Elizabeth Berridge, Cooper Huckabee, Largo Woodruff, Miles Chapin, Kevin Conway, Sylvia Miles, William Finley, Wayne Doba, Shawn Carson, Rebuka Hoye, Jack McDermott, Jeanne Austin | Slasher | Live action | ||
Modern Romance | Columbia Pictures | Albert Brooks (director/screenplay); Monica Johnson (screenplay); Albert Brooks, Kathryn Harrold, Bruno Kirby, James L. Brooks, George Kennedy, Albert Henderson | Comedy, Romance | Live action | ||
20 | Amy | Buena Vista Distribution / Walt Disney Productions | Vincent McEveety (director); Noreen Stone (screenplay); Jenny Agutter, Barry Newman, Kathleen Nolan, Chris Robinson, Lou Fant, Margaret O'Brien, Nanette Fabray, Lance LeGault, Lucille Benson, Jonathan Daly, Lonny Chapman, Norman Burton, Ronnie Scribner, Seamon Glass, Brian Frishman, Jane Daly, Dawn Jeffory, Peggy McCay, Len Wayland, Virginia Vincent, Otto Rechenberg, David Hollander, Cory 'Bumper' Yothers, Alban Branton, Michelle Downey, Carson Sipes, Diana Boyd, Flavia Fleischer, David Jacob Weiss, Oscar Arturo Aguilar, Kevin van Wieringen, Nancy Jeris, Randy Morton, Lance Gordon, John Arndt, Rick Foster, Elisha Rapson | Drama | Live action | |
Cutter's Way | United Artists | Ivan Passer (director); Jeffrey Alan Fiskin (screenplay); Jeff Bridges, John Heard, Lisa Eichhorn, Ann Dusenberry, Stephen Elliott, , Francis X. McCarthy, Nina van Pallandt, Julia Duffy, Billy Drago, Jonathan Terry, Ted White, Patricia Donahue, Paul Thomas | Neo noir, Thriller | Live action | ||
Omen III: The Final Conflict | 20th Century Fox / Mace Neufeld Productions | Graham Baker (director); Andrew Birkin (screenplay); Sam Neill, Rossano Brazzi, Don Gordon, Lisa Harrow, Barnaby Holm, Leueen Willoughby, Marc Boyle, Milos Kirek, Tommy Duggan, Louis Mahoney, Richard Oldfield, Tony Vogel, Hugh Moxey, Mason Adams, Robert Arden, Ruby Wax, Hazel Court | Horror | Live action | ||
The Postman Always Rings Twice | Paramount Pictures / Lorimar Productions / Northstar International | Bob Rafelson (director); David Mamet (screenplay); Jack Nicholson, Jessica Lange, John Colicos, Michael Lerner, John P. Ryan, Anjelica Huston, William Traylor, Ron Flagge, William Newman, Chuck Liddell, Albert Henderson, Christopher Lloyd | Neo-Noir, Thriller | Live action | ||
23 | Inseminoid (UK) | Butcher's Film Service / Jupiter Film Productions | Norman J. Warren (director); Nick Maley, Gloria Maley (screenplay); Judy Geeson, Robin Clarke, Jennifer Ashley, Stephanie Beacham, Steven Grives, Barrie Houghton, Rosalind Lloyd, Victoria Tennant, Trevor Thomas, Heather Wright, David Baxt, Dominic Jephcott, John Segal, Kevin O'Shea, Robert Pugh | Sci-Fi, Horror | Live action | |
27 | Eyes of a Stranger | Warner Bros. / Georgetown Productions Inc. | Ken Wiederhorn (director); Mark Jackson (screenplay); Lauren Tewes, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Luke Halpin, John DiSanti, Peter DuPre, Gwen Lewis, Kitty Lunn, Timothy Hawkins, Ted Richert, Toni Crabtree, Bob Small, Stella Rivera, Dan Fitzgerald, José Bahamande, Rhonda Flynn | Slasher | Live action | |
Thief | United Artists | Michael Mann (director/screenplay); James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Robert Prosky, Willie Nelson, Jim Belushi, Dennis Farina, William Petersen, Gavin MacFadyen, Chuck Adamson, Tom Signorelli, Nick Nickeas, W.R. Bill Brown, Norm Tobin, John Santucci, Sam Cirone, Spero Anast, Hal Frank, Patti Ross | Neo-Noir, Action, Thriller | Live action |
April–June[]
Opening | Title | Studio | Cast and crew | Genre | Medium | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A P R I L |
3 | Alice in Wonderland (re-release) | Walt Disney Productions / RKO Radio Pictures | Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske (directors); Aldous Huxley (screenplay); Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway, Jerry Colonna, Verna Felton, J. Pat O'Malley, Bill Thompson, Heather Angel, Joseph Kearns, Larry Grey, Queenie Leonard, Dink Trout, Doris Lloyd, James MacDonald, The Mellomen, Don Barclay, Lucille Bliss, Pinto Colvig, Tommy Luske, Marni Nixon, Norma Zimmer | Musical, Fantasy, Adventure | Animation |
Atlantic City | Paramount Pictures / Selta Films / ICC / Cine-Neighbor / Famous Players Ltd. / Canadian Film Development Corporation | Louis Malle (director); John Guare (screenplay); Burt Lancaster, Susan Sarandon, Kate Reid, Robert Joy, Hollis McLaren, Michel Piccoli, Al Waxman, Sean Sullivan, Angus MacInnes, Moses Znaimer, Wallace Shawn, Harvey Atkin, Norma Dell'Agnese, Louis Del Grande, Cec Linder, Sean McCann, Robert Goulet | Romance, Crime | Live action | ||
Hardly Working | 20th Century Fox | Jerry Lewis (director/screenplay); Michael Janover (screenplay); Jerry Lewis, Susan Oliver, Roger C. Carmel, Deanna Lund, Harold J. Stone, Steve Franken, Buddy Lester, Leonard Stone | Comedy | Live action | ||
4 | This Is Elvis | Warner Bros. | Malcolm Leo, Andrew Solt (directors/screenplay); Priscilla Presley, Vernon Presley, Gladys Presley, Joe Esposito, Linda Thompson, Ral Donner | Documentary | Live action | |
Nighthawks | Universal Pictures / Martin Poll Productions / The Production Company | Bruce Malmuth (director); David Shaber (screenplay); Sylvester Stallone, Billy Dee Williams, Lindsay Wagner, Persis Khambatta, Nigel Davenport, Rutger Hauer, Hilary Thompson, Joe Spinell, Walter Mathews | Neo-Noir, Action, Thriller | Live action | ||
10 | Excalibur | Orion Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures | John Boorman (director/screenplay); Rospo Pallenberg (screenplay); Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi, Paul Geoffrey, Nicol Williamson, Corin Redgrave, Patrick Stewart, Keith Buckley, Clive Swift, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Robert Addie, Charley Boorman, Katrine Boorman, Ciarán Hinds, Niall O'Brien, Kay McLaren, Barbara Byrne | Epic, Fantasy | Live action | |
Going Ape! | Paramount Pictures | Jeremy Joe Kronsberg (director/screenplay); Tony Danza, Stacey Nelkin, Jessica Walter, Danny DeVito, Art Metrano, Frank Sivero, Rick Hurst, Howard Mann, Joseph Maher | Comedy | Live action | ||
The Howling | Embassy Pictures | Joe Dante (director); John Sayles, Terence H. Winkless (screenplay); Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone, Belinda Balaski, Kevin McCarthy, John Carradine, Slim Pickens, Elisabeth Brooks, Robert Picardo, Noble Willingham, Jim McKrell, Kenneth Tobey, Dick Miller, Meshach Taylor, Margie Impert, James Murtaugh, Don McLeod | Horror | Live action | ||
Knightriders | United Film Distribution Company / Laurel Entertainment | George A. Romero (director/screenplay); Ed Harris, John Amplas, Gary Lahti, Tom Savini, Amy Ingersoll, Patricia Tallman, Brother Blue, Ken Foree, Scott Reiniger, Martin Ferrero, Michael P. Moran, Donald Rubinstein, Stephen King, Warner Shook, Randy Kovitz, Harold Wayne Jones, Albert Amerson, Christine Forrest, Greg Besnak, Gary Davis | Drama | Live action | ||
Star Wars (re-release) | 20th Century Fox / Lucasfilm | George Lucas (director/screenplay); Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, and James Earl Jones | Live action | |||
17 | Caveman | United Artists / Turman-Foster Company | Carl Gottlieb (director/screenplay); Rudy De Luca (screenplay); Ringo Starr, Barbara Bach, Dennis Quaid, Shelley Long, Jack Gilford, Cork Hubbert, Evan C. Kim, Carl Lumbly, John Matuszak, Avery Schreiber, Richard Moll, Mark King, Paco Morayta, Ed Greenberg, Jack Scalici, Anaís de Melo, Miguel Ángel Fuentes, Gerardo Zepeda, Hector Moreno | Slapstick, Comedy | Live action | |
Lion of the Desert | United Film Distribution Company / Falcon International Productions | Moustapha Akkad (director); Hal Craig (screenplay); Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed, Rod Steiger, Raf Vallone, Irene Papas, John Gielgud, Andrew Keir, Gastone Moschin, Sky du Mont, Robert Brown, Luciano Bartoli, Franco Fantasia, Stefano Patrizi, Adolfo Lastretti, Takis Emmanuel, Rodolfo Bigotti, Eleonora Stathopoulou, Claudio Goro, Giordano Falzoni, Ihab Werfaly | Historical, Epic, War | Live action | ||
24 | Cattle Annie and Little Britches | Universal Pictures / Hemdale Film Corporation | Lamont Johnson (director); David Eyre, Robert Ward (screenplay); Burt Lancaster, John Savage, Rod Steiger, Amanda Plummer, Diane Lane, Scott Glenn, Redmond Gleeson, William Russ, Ken Call, Buck Taylor, Roger Cudney Jr., Michael Conrad, John Quade, Perry Lang, Steven Ford, Chad Hastings, Yvette Sweetman | Drama, Western | Live action | |
The Hand | Orion Pictures / Warner Bros. | Oliver Stone (director/screenplay); Michael Caine, Andrea Marcovicci, Annie McEnroe, Bruce McGill, Viveca Lindfors, Rosemary Murphy, Mara Hobel, Pat Corley, Charles Fleischer | Horror | Live action | ||
Ms. 45 | Rochelle Films / Navaron Films | Abel Ferrara (director); Nicholas St. John (screenplay); Zöë Tamerlis, Steve Singer, Jack Thibeau, Peter Yellen, Abel Ferrara, Editta Sherman, Albert Sinkys, Darlene Stuto, Helen McGara, Nike Zachmanoglou, Vincent Gruppi, James Albanese | Thriller | Live action | ||
Night School | Paramount Pictures / Lorimar / Resource Productions | Ken Hughes (director); Ruth Avergon (screenplay); Leonard Mann, Rachel Ward, Drew Snyder, Joseph R. Sicari, Nicholas Cairis, Karen MacDonald, Annette Miller, Bill McCann, Margo Skinner, Kevin Fennessy, Elizabeth Barnitz, Holly Hardman, Meb Boden, Leonard Corman, Belle McDonald, Ed Higgins | Thriller, Slasher | Live action | ||
Take This Job and Shove It | Avco Embassy Pictures / Cinema Group Ventures | Gus Trikonis (director); Barry Schneider (screenplay); Robert Hays, Art Carney, Barbara Hershey, David Keith, Tim Thomerson, Martin Mull, Eddie Albert, Penelope Milford, David Allan Coe, Lacy J. Dalton, Royal Dano, Virgil Frye, James Karen, Len Lesser, Suzanne Kent, Joan Prather, George Lindsey, Johnny Paycheck, Charlie Rich, Fran Ryan, Stephan Meyers, Bob Chandler | Comedy | Live action | ||
M A Y |
1 | Friday the 13th Part 2 | Paramount Pictures / Georgetown Productions | Steve Miner (director); Ron Kurz (screenplay); Amy Steel, John Furey, Adrienne King, Steve Daskewisz, Stu Charno, Lauren-Marie Taylor, Marta Kober, Tom McBride, Bill Randolph, Kirsten Baker, Russell Todd, Walt Gorney, Betsy Palmer, Jack Marks, Cliff Cudney, Warrington Gillette | Slasher | Live action |
Graduation Day | IFI/Scope III | Herb Freed (director/screenplay); Anne Marisse (screenplay); Christopher George, Patch Mackenzie, Michael Pataki, E. Danny Murphy, E. J. Peaker, Linnea Quigley, Denise Cheshire, Billy Hufsey, Tom Hintnaus, Vanna White, Karen Abbott, Linda Shayne, Carmen Argenziano, Virgil Frye, Richard Balin, Carl Rey, Erica Hope, Beverly Dixon, Hal Bokar | Slasher | Live action | ||
King of the Mountain | Universal Pictures / PolyGram Pictures | Noel Nosseck (director); Leigh Chapman, H.R. Christian (screenplay); Harry Hamlin, Joseph Bottoms, Deborah Van Valkenburgh, Richard Cox, Seymour Cassel, Dennis Hopper | Drama | Live action | ||
3 | ||||||
8 | The Burning | Filmways Pictures / Cropsy Venture / Miramax Films | Tony Maylam (director); Bob Weinstein, Peter Lawrence (screenplay); Brian Matthews, Lou David, Leah Ayres, Brian Backer, Larry Joshua, Jason Alexander, Ned Eisenberg, Fisher Stevens, Holly Hunter, Willie Reale, Carrick Glenn, Carolyn Houlihan, Shelley Bruce, Sarah Chodoff, Bonnie Deroski, Kevi Kendall, J.R. McKechnie, George Parry, Ame Segull, Bruce Kluger, John Roach, James Van Verth | Slasher | Live action | |
Lady Chatterley's Lover | Cannon Films / Columbia Pictures | Just Jaeckin (director/screenplay); Marc Behm, Christopher Wicking (screenplay); Sylvia Kristel, Nicholas Clay, Shane Briant, Ann Mitchell, Elizabeth Spriggs, , Peter Bennett, Anthony Head, Frank Moorey, Bessie Love, , , , , | Romance, Drama | Live action | ||
15 | The Fan | Paramount Pictures | Edward Bianchi (director); Priscilla Chapman, John Hartwell (screenplay); Lauren Bacall, James Garner, Maureen Stapleton, Michael Biehn, Héctor Elizondo, Anna Maria Horsford, Reed Jones, Dana Delany, Dwight Schultz, Griffin Dunne, Liz Smith, Kurt Johnson, Feiga Martinez, Kaiulani Lee | Thriller | Live action | |
Happy Birthday to Me | Columbia Pictures / Canadian Film Development Corporation / Famous Players / The Birthday Film Company | J. Lee Thompson (director); Timothy Bond, Peter Jobin, John Saxton (screenplay); Melissa Sue Anderson, Glenn Ford, Lawrence Dane, Sharon Acker, Frances Hyland, Tracey E. Bregman, Lisa Langlois, Jack Blum, Matt Craven, Lenore Zann, David Eisner, Lesleh Donaldson, Michel-René Labelle, Richard Rebiere | Slasher | Live action | ||
21 | Death Hunt | 20th Century Fox / Golden Harvest | Peter R. Hunt (director); Michael Grais, Mark Victor (screenplay); Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Andrew Stevens, Carl Weathers, Ed Lauter, Angie Dickinson, Scott Hylands, Henry Beckman, William Sanderson, Jon Cedar, James O'Connell, Len Lesser, Maury Chaykin, August Schellenberg, Dick Davalos | Western, Action | Live action | |
22 | Bustin' Loose | Universal Pictures / Omar Productions / Northwest Film and Television Consultants / Universal Clearances | Oz Scott (director); Lonne Elder III, Richard Pryor, Roger L. Simon (screenplay); Richard Pryor, Cicely Tyson, Robert Christian, George Coe, Earl Billings, Bill Quinn, Fred Carney, Peggy McCay, Roy Jenson, Angel Ramirez, Nick Dimitri, Gary Goetzman, Paul Mooney, Vern Taylor, Alphonso Alexander, Kia Cooper, Edwin de Leon, Jimmy Hughes, Edwin Kinter, Tami Luchow, Janet Wong, Morgan Roberts, Inez Pedroza | Comedy, Drama | Live action | |
The Four Seasons | Universal Pictures | Alan Alda (director/screenplay); Alan Alda, Carol Burnett, Len Cariou, Sandy Dennis, Rita Moreno, Jack Weston, Bess Armstrong, Elizabeth Alda, Beatrice Alda | Romance, Comedy | Live action | ||
The Legend of the Lone Ranger | Universal Pictures / Associated Film Distribution / Eaves Movie Ranch / ITC Entertainment / Wrather Productions | William A. Fraker (director); Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts, William Roberts, Michael Kane, Gerald B. Derloshon (screenplay); Klinton Spilsbury, Michael Horse, Christopher Lloyd, Matt Clark, Juanin Clay, Jason Robards, John Bennett Perry, John Hart, Richard Farnsworth, Ted Flicker, Buck Taylor, Tom Laughlin, Merle Haggard, Lincoln Tate, James Keach | Western | Live action | ||
Outland | Warner Bros. / The Ladd Company | Peter Hyams (director/screenplay); Sean Connery, Peter Boyle, Frances Sternhagen, James B. Sikking, Kika Markham, Nicholas Barnes, Clarke Peters, Steven Berkoff, John Ratzenberger, Manning Redwood, Angus MacInnes, Eugene Lipinski, Sharon Duce, P.H. Moriarty, Angelique Rockas, Doug Robinson | Sci-Fi, Thriller | Live action | ||
29 | Dead & Buried | AVCO Embassy Pictures | Gary Sherman (director); Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon (screenplay); James Farentino, Melody Anderson, Jack Albertson, Dennis Redfield, Nancy Locke, Lisa Blount, Robert Englund, Bill Quinn, Michael Currie, Christopher Allport, Macon McCalman, Barry Corbin, Michael Pataki, Lisa Marie, Joseph G. Medalis, Estelle Omens | Slasher | Live action | |
The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia | AVCO Embassy Pictures | Ronald F. Maxwell (director); Bob Bonney (screenplay); Kristy McNichol, Dennis Quaid, Mark Hamill, Sunny Johnson, Don Stroud, Barry Corbin, Arlen Dean Snyder, Ellen Saland | Musical, Drama | Live action | ||
Polyester | New Line Cinema / Dreamland / Michael White Productions | John Waters (director/screenplay); Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey, Mink Stole, Stiv Bators, Susan Lowe, Cookie Mueller, Mary Vivian Pearce, Jean Hill, George Figgs, David Samson, Ken King, Mary Garlington, Joni Ruth White, Hans Kramm, Rick Breitenfeld, George Hulse, Marina Melin | Comedy | Live action | ||
J U N E |
5 | Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams | Columbia Pictures / C & C Brown Production | Tommy Chong (director); Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Stacy Keach, Paul Reubens, Evelyn Guerrero, Peter Jason, Tim Rossovich, Timothy Leary, Sandra Bernhard, Tony Cox, Michael Winslow, Cheryl Smith, Linnea Quigley | Action, Adventure, Comedy | Live action |
Final Exam | Motion Picture Marketing | Jimmy Huston (director/screenplay); Cecile Bagdadi, Joel S. Rice, DeAnna Robbins, Sherry Willis-Burch, Timothy L. Raynor, Jerry Rushing, Ralph Brown, John Fallon, Terry W. Farren, Sam Kilman, Don Hepner, Mary Ellen Withers, R.C. Nanney | Slasher | Live action | ||
Tuck Everlasting | One Pass Media | Frederick King Keller (director/screenplay); Fred A. Keller (screenplay); Margaret Chamberlain, Paul Fleesa, Fred A. Keller, James McGuire, Sonia Raimi, Marvin Macnow, Bruce D'Auria, Joel Chaney | Live action | |||
12 | Clash of the Titans | United Artists | Desmond Davis (director); Beverley Cross (screenplay); Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Judi Bowker, Maggie Smith, Burgess Meredith, Ursula Andress, Siân Phillips, Claire Bloom, Pat Roach, Susan Fleetwood, Tim Pigott-Smith, Jack Gwillim, Neil McCarthy, Vida Taylor, Donald Houston, Flora Robson, Anna Manahan, Freda Jackson | Fantasy, Monster, Adventure | Live action | |
Freaky Friday (re-release) | Walt Disney Productions / Buena Vista Distribution | Gary Nelson (director); Mary Rodgers (screenplay); Jodie Foster, Barbara Harris, John Astin, Patsy Kelly, Dick Van Patten, Vicki Schreck, Sorrell Booke, Alan Oppenheimer, Ruth Buzzi, Kaye Ballard, Sparky Marcus, Marc McClure, Charlene Tilton, Al Molinaro, Jack Sheldon, Laurie Main, Dermott Downs, James Van Patten | Fantasy, Comedy | Live action | ||
Herbie Goes Bananas (re-release) | Walt Disney Productions / Buena Vista Distribution | Vincent McEveety (director); Don Tait (screenplay); Cloris Leachman, Harvey Korman, Charles Martin Smith, Stephan W. Burns, John Vernon, Elyssa Davalos, Joaquin Garay III, Richard Jaeckel, Alex Rocco, Fritz Feld, Vito Scotti, Jose Gonzales-Gonzales, Allan Hunt, Iris Adrian, Jack Perkins, Alma Beltran, Don Diamond, Buddy Joe Hooker, Steve Boyum | Comedy, Adventure | Live action | ||
Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (re-release) | Walt Disney Productions / Buena Vista Distribution | Vincent McEveety (director); Arthur Alsberg, Don Nelson (screenplay); Dean Jones, Don Knotts, Julie Sommars, Jacques Marin, Roy Kinnear, Bernard Fox, Eric Braeden, Xavier Saint-Macary, Alan Caillou, Laurie Main, Johnny Haymer, Gérard Jugnot, Richard Warlock, Carey Loftin, Katia Tchenko, Josiane Balasko, François Lalande, Mike Kulcsar | Comedy, Adventure | Live action | ||
History of the World, Part I | 20th Century Fox / Brooksfilms | Mel Brooks (director/screenplay); Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Ron Carey, Gregory Hines, Pamela Stephenson, Shecky Greene, Sid Caesar, Mary-Margaret Humes, Orson Welles, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, Charlie Callas, Paul Mazursky, Henny Youngman, Hugh Hefner, Barry Levinson, John Myhers, John Hurt, Bea Arthur, Ronny Graham, Pat McCormick, Andreas Voutsinas, Spike Milligan, John Hillerman, Andrew Sachs, Fiona Richmond, Nigel Hawthorne, Bella Emberg | Comedy | Live action | ||
Raiders of the Lost Ark | Paramount Pictures / Lucasfilm Ltd. | Steven Spielberg (director); Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay); Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, Ronald Lacey, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott, Wolf Kahler, Anthony Higgins, Don Fellows, William Hootkins, George Harris, Fred Sorenson, Frank Marshall, Pat Roach, Vic Tablian, Alfred Molina, Terry Richards | Action, Adventure | Live action | ||
19 | The Cannonball Run | 20th Century Fox / Golden Harvest | Hal Needham (director); Brock Yates (screenplay); Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Adrienne Barbeau, Tara Buckman, Jamie Farr, Terry Bradshaw, Mel Tillis, Jackie Chan, Michael Hui, George Furth, Peter Fonda, Bert Convy, Jack Elam, Rick Aviles, Alfie Wise, John Fiedler, Molly Picon, Lois Hamilton, Johnny Yune, Bianca Jagger, Valerie Perrine, Robert Tessier, Warren Berlinger, Jimmy "The Greek" Snyder, Joe Klecko, Brock Yates, Hal Needham, Ken Squier, June Foray | Action, Comedy | Live action | |
Herbie Rides Again (re-release) | Walt Disney Productions / Buena Vista Distribution | Robert Stevenson (director); Bill Walsh (screenplay); Helen Hayes, Ken Berry, Stefanie Powers, Keenan Wynn, John McIntire, Huntz Hall, Ivor Barry, Vito Scotti, Liam Dunn, Elaine Devry, Chuck McCann, Richard X. Slattery, Don Pedro Colley, Larry J. Blake, Iggie Wolfington, Jack Manning, Hal Baylor, Herb Vigran, Norm Grabowski, Burt Mustin, John Myhers, John Stephenson, Robert Carson, Raymond Bailey, Arthur Space, John Hubbard, Fritz Feld, Alvy Moore, John Zaremba, Alan Carney, Ken Sansom, Hal Williams | Comedy | Live action | ||
Superman II | Warner Bros. / Dovemead Ltd. / International Film Production | Richard Lester (director); Mario Puzo (screenplay); Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Sarah Douglas, Margot Kidder, Jack O'Halloran, Valerie Perrine, Susannah York, Clifton James, E.G. Marshall, Marc McClure, Terence Stamp | Superhero | Live action | ||
Swiss Family Robinson (re-release) | Walt Disney Productions / Buena Vista Distribution | John McKimson, Ken Annakin (directors); Lowell S. Hawley (screenplay); John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James MacArthur, Janet Munro, Sessue Hayakawa, Tommy Kirk, Kevin Corcoran, Cecil Parker, Andy Ho, Milton Reid, Larry Taylor | Adventure | Live action | ||
26 | Dragonslayer | Paramount Pictures / Walt Disney Productions | Matthew Robbins (director/screenplay); Hal Barwood (screenplay); Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson, John Hallam, Peter Eyre, Sydney Bromley, Chloe Salaman, Ian McDiarmid, Albert Salmi, Norman Rodway, Emrys James, Roger Kemp | Fantasy | Live action | |
For Your Eyes Only | United Artists / Eon Productions | John Glen (director); Richard Maibaum, Michael G. Wilson (screenplay); Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Julian Glover, Michael Gothard, Cassandra Harris, John Wyman, Desmond Llewelyn, Jill Bennett, Jack Hedley, Lois Maxwell, Geoffrey Keen, James Villiers, John Moreno, Walter Gotell, Toby Robins, Jack Klaff, Stefan Kalipha, Charles Dance, Eva Reuber-Staier, Janet Brown, John Hollis, Robert Rietti, Bob Simmons | Spy | Live action | ||
The Great Muppet Caper | Universal Pictures / Associated Film Distribution / ITC Films / Henson Associates | Jim Henson (director); Tom Patchett, Jay Tarses, Jerry Juhl, Jack Rose (screenplay); Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, Kathryn Mullen, Caroll Spinney, Charles Grodin, Diana Rigg, John Cleese, Peter Ustinov, Jack Warden, Peter Falk, Robert Morley, Joan Sanderson, Michael Robbins, Peter Hughes, Peggy Aitchison, Tommy Godfrey, Erica Creer, Kate Howard, Della Finch | Musical, Heist, Comedy | Live action | ||
Roadgames | AVCO Embassy Pictures / GUO Film Distributors / Essaness Pictures / Australian Film Commission / Victorian Film Corporation / Western Australian Film Council / Quest Films | Richard Franklin (director/screenplay); Everett De Roche (screenplay); Stacy Keach, Jamie Lee Curtis, Marion Edward, Grant Page | Thriller | Live action | ||
Stripes | Columbia Pictures | Ivan Reitman (director); Dan Goldberg, Harold Ramis (screenplay); Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P.J. Soles, Sean Young, John Candy, John Larroquette, Roberta Leighton, John Voldstad, John Diehl, Lance LeGault, Conrad Dunn, Judge Reinhold, Joe Flaherty, Dave Thomas, Timothy Busfield, Robert J. Wilke, Bill Paxton, Antone Pagán | War, Comedy | Live action |
July–September[]
Opening | Title | Studio | Cast and crew | Genre | Medium | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
J U L Y |
1 | S.O.B. | Paramount Pictures / Lorimar Productions | Blake Edwards (director/screenplay); Julie Andrews, William Holden, Richard Mulligan, Stuart Margolin, Larry Hagman, Robert Vaughn, Marisa Berenson, Robert Webber, Shelley Winters, Robert Preston, Loretta Swit, Craig Stevens, Robert Loggia, Jennifer Edwards, Rosanna Arquette, John Lawlor, John Pleshette, Ken Swofford, Hamilton Camp, Paul Stewart, Benson Fong, Larry Storch, Virginia Gregg, Joe Penny, Erica Yohn, Colleen Brennan, Charles Lampkin, Gene Nelson, Mimi Davis, David Young, Byron Kane, Herb Tanney, Bert Rosario | Comedy | Live action |
10 | Escape from New York | AVCO Embassy Pictures / International Film Investors / Goldcrest Films International / City Films | John Carpenter (director/screenplay); Nick Castle (screenplay); Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence, Isaac Hayes, Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins, Season Hubley, Charles Cyphers, Frank Doubleday, John Strobel, Nancy Stephens, George Buck Flower, Ox Baker, Jamie Lee Curtis | Sci-Fi, Action | Live action | |
The Fox and the Hound | Walt Disney Productions / Buena Vista Distribution | Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens (directors); Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey, Jack Albertson, Sandy Duncan, Jeanette Nolan, Pat Buttram, John Fiedler, John McIntire, Dick Bakalyan, Paul Winchell, Keith Mitchell, Corey Feldman | Musical, Buddy, Drama | Animation | ||
17 | Arthur | Orion Pictures / Warner Bros. | Steve Gordon (director/screenplay); Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Jill Eikenberry, Stephen Elliott, Thomas Barbour, Ted Ross, Barney Martin, Paul Gleason, Phyllis Somerville, Lou Jacobi, Justine Johnston, Lawrence Tierney, Mark Margolis, Irving Metzman, Anne De Salvo, Gordon Press | Comedy | Live action | |
Endless Love | Universal Pictures / PolyGram Pictures | Franco Zeffirelli (director); Judith Rascoe (screenplay); Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight, Don Murray, Richard Kiley, Penelope Milford, Beatrice Straight, James Spader, Tom Cruise, Ian Ziering, Jami Gertz, Jeff Marcus, Walt Gorney | Romance, Drama | Live action | ||
Zorro, The Gay Blade | 20th Century Fox | Peter Medak (director); Johnston McCulley, Hal Dresner, Greg Alt, Don Moriarty (screenplay); George Hamilton, Lauren Hutton, Ron Leibman, Brenda Vaccaro, Donovan Scott, James Booth, Helen Burns, Clive Revill, Carolyn Seymour, Eduardo Noriega, Pilar Pellicer, Frank Welker, Jorge Russek, Eduardo Alcaraz, Carlos Bravo y Fernández, Roberto Dumont, Jorge Bolio | Swashbuckler, Comedy | Live action | ||
24 | Blow Out | Filmways Pictures / Viscount Associates | Brian De Palma (director/screenplay); John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz, John McMartin, Robin Sherwood, Michael Tearson, Peter Boyden, Curt May, John Aquino | Neo-Noir, Thriller | Live action | |
Eye of the Needle | United Artists / Kings Road Entertainment | Richard Marquand (director); Stanley Mann (screenplay); Donald Sutherland, Kate Nelligan, Ian Bannen, Christopher Cazenove, , Philip Martin Brown, George Belbin, Faith Brook, Barbara Graley, Arthur Lovegrove, Barbara Ewing, Patrick Connor, David Hayman, Alex McCrindle, John Bennett, Sam Kydd, John Paul, Bill Nighy, Jonathan and Nicholas Haley (twins), Allan Surtees, Rik Mayall | Spy | Live action | ||
Wolfen | Orion Pictures / Warner Bros. | Michael Wadleigh (director/screenplay); David M. Eyre, Jr. (screenplay); Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Edward James Olmos, Gregory Hines, Tom Noonan, Dick O'Neill, Dehl Berti, Peter Michael Goetz, Reginald VelJohnson, James Tolkan, Donald Symington, Tom Waits | Crime, Horror | Live action | ||
31 | Escape to Victory | Paramount Pictures / Lorimar | John Huston (director); Evan Jones, Yabo Yablonsky, Djordje Milićević, Jeff Maguire (screenplay); Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Carole Laure, Benoît Ferreux, Clive Merrison, Maurice Roëves, Michael Cochrane, Zoltán Gera, Tim Pigott-Smith, Daniel Massey, Jean-François Stévenin, Julian Curry, Pelé, Bobby Moore, John Wark, Osvaldo Ardiles, Kazimierz Deyna, Søren Lindsted, Paul Van Himst, Mike Summerbee, Hallvar Thoresen, Russell Osman, Kevin O'Callaghan, Co Prins, Amidou, George Mikell, Gary Waldhorn, Werner Roth, Laurie Sivell, Arthur Brauss, Michael Wolf, David Shawyer | Sports, War | Live action | |
Under the Rainbow | Orion Pictures / Warner Bros. | Steve Rash (director); Pat McCormick, Harry Hurwitz, Martin Smith, Fred Bauer, Pat Bradley (screenplay); Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher, Eve Arden, Joseph Maher, Robert Donner, Billy Barty, Mako, Cork Hubbert, Pat McCormick, Adam Arkin, Zelda Rubinstein, Jerry Maren, Peter Issacksen, Tony Cox, Phil Fondacaro, Debbie Lee Carrington | Comedy | Live action | ||
A U G U S T |
7 | Condorman | Walt Disney Productions / Buena Vista Distribution | Charles Jarrott (director); Mickey Rose, Marc Stirdivant (screenplay); Michael Crawford, Oliver Reed, Barbara Carrera, James Hampton, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Dana Elcar, Vernon Dobtcheff, Robert Arden | Adventure, Comedy, Superhero | Live action |
Gallipoli | Roadshow Film Distributors / Paramount Pictures / Associated R&R Films | Peter Weir (director/screenplay); David Williamson (screenplay); Mark Lee, Mel Gibson, Bill Kerr, Harold Hopkins, Charles Yunupingu, Ron Graham, Gerda Nicolson, Robert Grubb | War, Drama | Live action | ||
Heavy Metal | Columbia Pictures / Guardian Trust Company / Canadian Film Development Corporation / Famous Players / Potterton Productions | Gerald Potterton (director); Daniel Goldberg, Len Blum (screenplay); Rodger Bumpass, Jackie Burroughs, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Don Francks, Martin Lavut, Marilyn Lightstone, Eugene Levy, Alice Playten, Harold Ramis, Susan Roman, Richard Romanus, August Schellenberg, John Vernon, Zal Yanovsky, Percy Rodriguez, Harvey Atkin, Al Waxman, Douglas Kenney, , Warren Munson, Thor Bishopric, Mavor Moore, Cedric Smith, Vlasta Vrána | Sci-Fi, Fantasy | Adult animation | ||
Student Bodies | Paramount Pictures | Mickey Rose (director/screenplay); Kristen Riter, Matt Goldsby, Cullen Chambers, Richard Belzer, Joe Flood, Joe Talarowski, Mimi Weddell, Dario Jones, Carl Jacobs, Peggy Cooper, Janice E. O'Malley, Kevin Mannis, Sara Eckhardt, Oscar James, Kay Ogden, Patrick "The Stick" Boone Varnell, Brian Batytis, Joan Browning Jacobs, Angela Bressler, Keith Singleton | Parody, Slasher | Live action | ||
Tarzan, the Ape Man | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / United Artists | John Derek (director); Tom Rowe, Gary Goddard (screenplay); Bo Derek, Richard Harris, John Phillip Law, Miles O'Keeffe, Steve Strong, Maxime Philoe, Leonard Bailey | Adventure | Live action | ||
8 | Galaxy Express | New World Pictures | Roger Corman (director); (screenplay); B.J. Ward, Fay McKay, Corey Burton | Action, Adventure | Anime | |
14 | Deadly Blessing | United Artists / PolyGram Pictures / Inter Planetary | Wes Craven (director/screenplay); Glenn M. Benest, Matthew Barr (screenplay); Maren Jensen, Lisa Hartman, Sharon Stone, Susan Buckner, Jeff East, Colleen Riley, Douglas Barr, Lois Nettleton, Ernest Borgnine, Michael Berryman, Kevin Cooney | Slasher | Live action | |
An Eye for an Eye | Embassy Pictures / Adams Apple Production Company / South Street Films / Westcom Barber International | Steve Carver (director); James Bruner, William Gray (screenplay); Chuck Norris, Christopher Lee, Richard Roundtree, Matt Clark, Mako, Maggie Cooper, Rosalind Chao, Professor Toru Tanaka, Stuart Pankin, Terry Kiser, Mel Novak, Nigel Davenport, J.E. Freeman, Robert Behling, Harry Wong, Sam Hiona, Earl Nichols | Action, Neo-Noir, Crime | Live action | ||
They All Laughed | PSO / Moon Pictures / Time-Life Films | Peter Bogdanovich (director/screenplay); Blaine Novak (screenplay); Ben Gazzara, Audrey Hepburn, John Ritter, Colleen Camp, Patti Hansen, Dorothy Stratten, George Morfogen, Blaine Novak, Sean Ferrer, Linda MacEwen | Romance, Comedy | Live action | ||
21 | An American Werewolf in London | Universal Pictures / PolyGram Pictures / The Guber-Peters Company | John Landis (director/screenplay); David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Griffin Dunne, John Woodvine, Brian Glover, Lila Kaye, David Schofield, Paul Kember, Frank Oz, Don McKillop, Rik Mayall, Sean Baker, Sydney Bromley, Frank Singuineau, Will Leighton, Michael Carter, Anne-Marie Davies, Albert Moses, Alan Ford, Christine Hargreaves, Linzi Drew, Nina Carter, Vic Armstrong, John Landis | Horror, Comedy | Live action | |
First Monday in October | Paramount Pictures | Ronald Neame (director); Jerome Lawrence, Robert Edwin Lee (screenplay); Walter Matthau, Jill Clayburgh, Barnard Hughes, Jan Sterling, James Stephens, Joshua Bryant, Wiley Harker, Charles Lampkin, F.J. O'Neil, Lew Palter, Richard McMurray, Herb Vigran | Comedy, Drama | Live action | ||
Honky Tonk Freeway | Universal Pictures / Associated Film Distribution / EMI Films / Honky Tonk Freeway Company / Kendon Films | John Schlesinger (director); (screenplay); Howard Hesseman, Teri Garr, Peter Billingsley, Beau Bridges, Beverly D'Angelo, Daniel Stern, Celia Weston, Deborah Rush, Geraldine Page, George Dzundza, Joe Grifasi, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Frances Lee McCain, William Devane, Jerry Hardin, John Ashton, Frances Bay, Anne Ramsey | Comedy | Live action | ||
Prince of the City | Orion Pictures / Warner Bros. | Sidney Lumet (director/screenplay); Jay Presson Allen (screenplay); Treat Williams, Jerry Orbach, Richard Foronjy, Lindsay Crouse, Bob Balaban, Kenny Marino, Carmine Caridi, Paul Roebling, James Tolkan, Steve Inwood, Matthew Laurance, Ron Karabatsos, Robert Christian, Lee Richardson, Lane Smith, Cosmo Allegretti, Bobby Alto, Conrad Fowkes, Peter Friedman, Peter Michael Goetz, Lance Henriksen, Eddie Jones, Cynthia Nixon, Ron Perkins, Walter Brooke, Alan King, Bruce Willis, Don Billett, Tony Page, Norman Parker, Tony Turco, Ron Maccone, Tony DiBenedetto, Tony Munafo, Michael Beckett, Burton Collins, Henry Ferrentino, Carmine Foresta, Don Leslie, Dana Lorge, Harry Madsen, E.D. Miller, Lionel Pina, José Angel Santana, Ilana Rapp | Neo-Noir, Crime, Drama | Live action | ||
28 | Body Heat | Warner Bros. / The Ladd Company | Lawrence Kasdan (director/screenplay); William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson, J.A. Preston, Mickey Rourke, Kim Zimmer, Jane Hallaren, Lanna Saunders, Carola McGuinness, Michael Ryan | Neo-Noir, Erotic Thriller | Live action | |
Chu Chu and the Philly Flash | 20th Century Fox / Melvin Simon Productions | David Lowell Rich (director); Barbara Dana (screenplay); Alan Arkin, Carol Burnett, Jack Warden, Ruth Buzzi, Adam Arkin, Danny Aiello, Danny Glover, Sid Haig, Vincent Schiavelli, Vito Scotti, Lou Jacobi | Comedy | Live action | ||
Hell Night | Compass International Pictures | Tom DeSimone (director); Randy Feldman (screenplay); Linda Blair, Vincent Van Patten, Peter Barton, Kevin Brophy, Suki Goodwin, Jimmy Sturtevant, Jenny Neumann | Slasher | Live action | ||
Private Lessons | Jensen Farley Pictures / Cinema Epoch | Alan Myerson (director); Dan Greenburg (screenplay); Sylvia Kristel, Howard Hesseman, Eric Brown, Patrick Piccininni, Ed Begley Jr., Pamela Bryant, Meridith Baer, Ron Foster, Peter Elbling, Dan Greenburg, Dan Barrows, Marian Gibson, Judy Helden | Comedy | Live action | ||
S E P T E M B E R |
18 | Continental Divide | Universal Pictures / Amblin Entertainment | Michael Apted (director); Lawrence Kasdan (screenplay); John Belushi, Blair Brown, Allen Garfield, Carlin Glynn, Tony Ganios, Bruce Jarchow | Romance, Comedy | Live action |
Das Boot | Constantin Film / Columbia Pictures / Bavaria Film / Radiant Film / Westdeutscher Rundfunk / SWR Fernsehen | Wolfgang Petersen (director/screenplay); Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch, Martin Semmelrogge, Bernd Tauber, Erwin Leder, Martin May, Heinz Hoenig, Uwe Ochsenknecht, Claude-Oliver Rudolph, Jan Fedder, Ralf Richter, Oliver Stritzel, Jean-Claude Hoffmann, Lutz Schnell, Konrad Becker, Otto Sander, Günter Lamprecht, Sky du Mont | War | Live action | ||
The French Lieutenant's Woman | United Artists | Karel Reisz (director); Harold Pinter (screenplay); Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, David Warner, Hilton McRae, Emily Morgan, Charlotte Mitchell, Lynsey Baxter, Peter Vaughan, Colin Jeavons, Liz Smith, Patience Collier, John Barrett, Leo McKern, Penelope Wilton, Alun Armstrong, Gérard Falconetti, Jean Faulds | Romance, Drama | Live action | ||
Mommie Dearest | Paramount Pictures | Frank Perry (director/screenplay); Robert Getchell, Tracy Hotchne, Frank Yablans (screenplay); Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest, Howard Da Silva, Mara Hobel, Rutanya Alda, Harry Goz, Michael Edwards, Jocelyn Brando, Priscilla Pointer, Xander Berkeley, Belita Moreno, Alice Nunn, Jeremy Scott Reinbolt, Carolyn Coates, Margaret Fairchild | Biography, Drama | Live action | ||
Raggedy Man | Universal Pictures | Jack Fisk (director); William D. Wittliff (screenplay); Sissy Spacek, Eric Roberts, Sam Shepard, R.G. Armstrong, William Sanderson, Henry Thomas, Tracey Walter, Carey Hollis | Drama | Live action | ||
23 | Only When I Laugh | Columbia Pictures / Rastar | Glenn Jordan (director); Neil Simon (screenplay); Marsha Mason, Kristy McNichol, James Coco, Joan Hackett, David Dukes, John Bennett Perry, Guy Boyd, Ed Moore, Peter Coffield, Mark Schubb, Venida Evans, John Vargas, Dan Monahan, Jane Atkins, Kevin Bacon, Phillip Lindsay | Comedy, Drama | Live action | |
Rich and Famous | United Artists / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | George Cukor (director); Gerald Ayres (screenplay); Jacqueline Bisset, Candice Bergen, David Selby, Hart Bochner, Steven Hill, Michael Brandon, Meg Ryan, Nicole Eggert, Matt Lattanzi, Daniel Faraldo, Fay Kanin, Nina Foch, Dick Cavett, Ray Bradbury, Merv Griffin, Marsha Hunt, Christopher Isherwood, Gavin Lambert, Roger Vadim, Paul Morrissey, Frank De Felitta, Frances Bergen, Alan Berliner, Randal Kleiser | Drama | Live action | ||
25 | The Boogens | Jensen Farley Pictures / Taft International Pictures | James L. Conway (director); David O'Malley, Bob Hunt (screenplay); Rebecca Balding, Fred McCarren, Anne-Marie Martin, Jeff Harlan, John Crawford, Med Flory, Jon Lormer, Scott Wilkinson | Monster | Live action | |
Carbon Copy | AVCO Embassy Pictures / Hemdale Film Corporation / RKO Pictures / First City | Michael Schultz (director); Stanley Shapiro (screenplay); George Segal, Denzel Washington, Susan Saint James, Jack Warden, Dick Martin, Paul Winfield, Macon McCalman, Vicky Dawson | Comedy, Drama | Live action | ||
So Fine | Warner Bros. | Andrew Bergman (director/screenplay); Ryan O'Neal, Jack Warden, Mariangela Melato, Richard Kiel, Fred Gwynne, Mike Kellin, David Rounds, Tony Sirico, Michael Lombard, Jessica James, Michael LaGuardia, Angela Pietropinto, Judith Cohen | Comedy | Live action | ||
True Confessions | United Artists | Ulu Grosbard (director); Joan Didion, John Gregory Dunne (screenplay); Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Burgess Meredith, Charles Durning, Ed Flanders, Cyril Cusack, Kenneth McMillan, Ed Flanders, Dan Hedaya, Rose Gregorio, Jeanette Nolan | Neo-Noir, Crime | Live action |
October–December[]
Opening | Title | Studio | Cast and crew | Genre | Medium | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
O C T O B E R |
2 | Enter the Ninja | The Cannon Group / Golan-Globus Productions | Menahem Golan (director); Dick Desmond (screenplay); Franco Nero, Susan George, Sho Kosugi, Christopher George, Alex Courtney, Will Hare, Zachi Noy, Constantine Gregory, Dale Ishimoto, Joonee Gamboa, Leo Martinez, Ken Metcalfe, Subas Herrero, Alan Amiel, Doug Ivan | Martial Arts | Live action |
Paternity | Paramount Pictures | David Steinberg (director); Charlie Peters (screenplay); Burt Reynolds, Beverly D'Angelo, Lauren Hutton, Norman Fell, Paul Dooley, Elizabeth Ashley, Juanita Moore, Peter Billingsley, Susanna Dalton | Comedy | Live action | ||
Zoot Suit | Universal Pictures | Luis Valdez (director/screenplay); Daniel Valdez, Edward James Olmos, Rose Portillo, Charles Aidman, Tyne Daly, John Anderson, Abel Franco, Bernadette Colognne, Mike Gomez, Alma Martinez, Frank McCarthy, Lupe Ontiveros, Marco Rodríguez, Kelly Ward, Kurtwood Smith, Dennis Stewart, Robert Beltran | Drama, Musical | Live action | ||
9 | Full Moon High | Filmways Pictures / Larco Productions | Larry Cohen (director/screenplay); Adam Arkin, Ed McMahon, Roz Kelly, Joanne Nail, Bill Kirchenbauer, Kenneth Mars, Elizabeth Hartman, Alan Arkin, Louis Nye, Demond Wilson, Cheryl Lockett Alexander, Jim J. Bullock, Tom Aldredge, Tom Clancy, Laurene Landon, John Blyth Barrymore, Bob Saget, Pat Morita, Julius Harris, Armando G. Fernandez | Comedy, Horror | Live action | |
Tattoo | 20th Century Fox | Bob Brooks (director); Joyce Buñuel (screenplay); Bruce Dern, Maud Adams, Leonard Frey, John Getz, Cynthia Nixon, Patricia Roe, John Snyder, Rikke Borge, Peter Iacangelo, Alan Leach, Trish Doolan, Anthony Mannino, Lex Monson, Jane Hoffman, Robert Burr | Erotic Thriller | Live action | ||
The Watcher in the Woods | Walt Disney Productions / Buena Vista Distribution | John Hough (director); Brian Clemens, Harry Spalding, Rosemary Anne Sisson (screenplay); Bette Davis, Carroll Baker, David McCallum, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Kyle Richards, Ian Bannen, Richard Pasco, Frances Cuka, Benedict Taylor, Eleanor Summerfield, Georgina Hale, Katharine Levy | Horror | Live action | ||
11 | My Dinner with Andre | New Yorker Films | Louis Malle (director); Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn (screenplay); Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn | Comedy, Drama | Live action | |
14 | Just Before Dawn | Picturmedia / Oakland Productions | Jeff Lieberman (director/screenplay); Mark Arywitz, Jonas Middleton (screenplay); George Kennedy, Chris Lemmon, Gregg Henry, Jamie Rose, Mike Kellin, Deborah Benson, Ralph Seymour, John Hunsaker, Katie Powell, Charles Bartlett, Hap Oslund, Barbara Spencer | Slasher | Live action | |
15 | The Evil Dead | New Line Cinema / Renaissance Pictures | Sam Raimi (director/screenplay); Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly, Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, Bob Dorian | Horror | Live action | |
16 | All the Marbles | United Artists | Robert Aldrich (director); Rich Eustis, Mel Frohman (screenplay); Peter Falk, Vicki Frederick, Laurene Landon, Richard Jaeckel, Burt Young, John Hancock, Faith Minton, Chick Hearn | Comedy, Drama | Live action | |
23 | Galaxy of Terror | United Artists / New World Pictures | Bruce D. Clark (director/screenplay); Marc Siegler (screenplay); Edward Albert, Erin Moran, Ray Walston, Taaffe O'Connell, Bernard Behrens, Zalman King, Robert Englund, Sid Haig, Grace Zabriskie | Horror, Sci-Fi | Live action | |
Nightmare | 21st Century Film Corporation | Romano Scavolini (director/screenplay); Baird Stafford, Sharon Smith, C.J. Cooke, Mike Cribben, Danny Ronan, Tammy Patterson, Kim Patterson, Kathleen Ferguson | Slasher | Live action | ||
The Pit (Canada) | Amulet Pictures / Ambassador Film Distributors / New World Pictures / Embassy Home Entertainment | Lew Lehman (director); Ian A. Stuart (screenplay); Sammy Snyders, Jeannie Elias, Sonja Smits, Laura Hollingsworth, Richard Alden, John Auten, Laura Press, Paul Grisham, Wendy Schmidt, Allison Tye | Horror | Live action | ||
Silence of the North | Universal Pictures | Allan King (director); Patricia Louisianna Knop (screenplay); Ellen Burstyn, Tom Skerritt, Gordon Pinsent, Colin Fox, David Fox, Frank C. Turner, Thomas Hauff, Robert Clothier, Murray Westgate, Kay Hawtrey, Booth Savage, Sean Sullivan, Chapelle Jaffe, Janet Amos, Sean McCann, Jennifer McKinney, Donna Dobrijevic, Jeff Banks, Richard Farrell, Larry Reynolds, Freddie Lang, Dennis Robinson, Leah Marie Hopkins, Kenneth Pogue, Frank Adamson, Lynn Mason Green | Biography | Live action | ||
30 | Halloween II | Universal Pictures / Dino De Laurentiis Corporation | Rick Rosenthal (director); John Carpenter, Debra Hill (screenplay); Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers, Lance Guest, Pamela Susan Shoop, Hunter von Leer, Tawny Moyer, Ana Alicia, Nancy Stephens, Gloria Gifford, Leo Rossi, Ford Rainey, Dick Warlock, Nick Castle, Tony Moran, Jeffrey Kramer, Cliff Emmich, John Zenda, Anne Bruner, Lucille Benson, Catherine Bergstrom, Anne-Marie Martin, Dana Carvey, Billy Warlock, Nancy Loomis, Kyle Richards, Brian Andrews, Jonathan Prince, Jack Verbois, Nichole Drucker, Adam Gunn | Slasher | Live action | |
Looker | Warner Bros. / The Ladd Company | Michael Crichton (director/screenplay); Albert Finney, James Coburn, Susan Dey, Leigh Taylor-Young, Dorian Harewood, Darryl Hickman, Terri Welles, Terry Kiser | Sci-Fi, Thriller, Horror | Live action | ||
Shock Treatment | 20th Century Fox | Jim Sharman (director/screenplay); Richard O'Brien (screenplay); Jessica Harper, Cliff De Young, Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, Ruby Wax, Rik Mayall, Charles Gray, Barry Humphries, Barry Dennen, Betsy Brantley, Chris Malcolm, Eugene Lipinski, Gary Shail, Gary Martin, Sinitta Renet, Sal Piro, Jeremy Newson, Wendy Raebeck, Darlene Johnson, Manning Redwood, Claire Toeman, Donald Waugh, David John | Musical, Comedy | Live action | ||
N O V E M B E R |
1 | Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story | NBC / Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution / Wilcox Productions / MGM Television | Gabrielle Beaumont (director); Donald E. Stewart (screenplay); Jamie Lee Curtis, Bruce Weitz, Robert Reed, Mitchell Ryan, Bibi Besch, Tracy Reed, Gloria Gifford, Hugh Gillin, Luca Bercovici, Kale Browne, Mark Withers, Robert Clotworthy | Biopic, Drama | Live action |
6 | The Prowler | Sandhurst / Graduation Films | Joseph Zito (director); Neal Barbera, Glenn Leopold (screenplay); Vicky Dawson, Christopher Goutman, Cindy Weintraub, Farley Granger, Lawrence Tierney, Thom Bray, Carleton Carpenter, Lisa Dunsheath, David Sederholm, Diane Rode, Bryan Englund, Donna Davis, Joy Glaccum, Timothy Wahrer, John Seitz, Bill Hugh Collins, Dan Lounsbery, Douglas Stevenson, Susan Monts, Bill Nunnery | Slasher | Live action | |
Fantasies | John Derek (director/screenplay); Bo Derek, Peter Hooten, Phaedon Georgitsis, Anna Alexiadis, Nikos Pashalidis, Kostas Baladimas, Therese Bohlin, Boucci Simis, Viennoula Koussathana | Drama | Live action | |||
Time Bandits | AVCO Embassy Pictures / HandMade Films / Janus Films | Terry Gilliam (director/screenplay); Michael Palin (screenplay); John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Ralph Richardson, Peter Vaughan, David Warner, David Rappaport, Kenny Baker, Jack Purvis, Mike Edmonds, Tiny Ross, Craig Warnock, Jim Broadbent, Malcolm Dixon, Derek Deadman, Jerold Wells, David Daker, Sheila Fearn, Tony Jay, Terence Bayler, Preston Lockwood, Derrick O'Connor, Neil McCarthy, Frank Converse, Myrtle Devenish, Ian Muir | Fantasy, Adventure | Live action | ||
13 | Porky's | 20th Century Fox / Astral Films | Bob Clark (director/screenplay); Kim Cattrall, Scott Colomby, Kaki Hunter, Nancy Parsons, Alex Karras, Susan Clark, Dan Monahan, Mark Herrier, Wyatt Knight, Roger Wilson, Cyril O'Reilly, Tony Ganios, Boyd Gaines, Doug McGrath, Art Hindle, Wayne Maunder, Chuck Mitchell, Eric Christmas, Jack Mulcahy, Will Knickerbocker, Bill Hindman | Teen, Comedy | Live action | |
The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper | Universal Pictures / PolyGram Filmed Entertainment | Roger Spottiswoode (director); Jeffrey Alan Fiskin (screenplay); Robert Duvall, Treat Williams, Kathryn Harrold, Ed Flanders, Paul Gleason, R.G. Armstrong, Dorothy Fielding, Nicolas Coster, Cooper Huckabee, Howard K. Smith, Christopher Curry | Crime, Thriller | Live action | ||
20 | The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie | Warner Bros. | Friz Freleng (director/screenplay); Mel Blanc, June Foray, Frank Welker, Bea Benaderet, Stan Freberg, Ralph James, Frank Nelson | Package | Animation | |
Ragtime | Paramount Pictures | Miloš Forman (director); Michael Weller (screenplay); James Cagney, Howard E. Rollins, Jr., Brad Dourif, Elizabeth McGovern, Moses Gunn, Mary Steenburgen, James Olson, Kenneth McMillan, Pat O'Brien, Mandy Patinkin, Donald O'Connor, Fran Drescher, Richard Griffiths, Norman Mailer, Robert Joy, Jeff Daniels, Debbie Allen, Jeffrey DeMunn, Edwin Cooper, Frankie Faison, Alan Gifford, Richard Oldfield, George Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Jeter, Andreas Katsulas, Joe Praml, Calvin Levels, Bessie Love, Christopher Malcolm, Stuart Milligan, John Ratzenberger, Zack Norman, Ethan Phillips, Barry Dennen, Jack Nicholson | Drama | Live action | ||
Whose Life Is It Anyway? | United Artists / Cinema International Corporation / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | John Badham (director); Brian Clark, Reginald Rose (screenplay); Richard Dreyfuss, John Cassavetes, Christine Lahti, Bob Balaban, Thomas Carter, Kaki Hunter, Kenneth McMillan, Janet Eilber | Drama | Live action | ||
D E C E M B E R |
4 | On Golden Pond | Universal Pictures / Associated Film Distribution / IPC Films / ITC Entertainment | Mark Rydell (director); Ernest Thompson (screenplay); Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Doug McKeon, Dabney Coleman, William Lanteau, Chris Rydell | Drama | Live action |
Reds | Paramount Pictures / Barclays Mercantile / Industrial Finance / JRS Productions | Warren Beatty (director/screenplay); Trevor Griffiths (screenplay); Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Edward Herrmann, Jerzy Kosinski, Jack Nicholson, Gene Hackman, Paul Sorvino, Maureen Stapleton, Nicolas Coster, William Daniels, M. Emmet Walsh, Ian Wolfe, Bessie Love, Max Wright, George Plimpton, Kathryn Grody, Dolph Sweet, Dave King, Roger Sloman, Jan Triska, Harry Ditson, Leigh Curran, Nancy Duiguid, Stuart Richman, Oleg Kerensky, John J. Hooker | Epic, Historical, Drama | Live action | ||
11 | Buddy Buddy | United Artists | Billy Wilder (director/screenplay); I.A.L. Diamond (screenplay); Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Paula Prentiss, Klaus Kinski, Dana Elcar, Miles Chapin, Ed Begley Jr., Michael Ensign, Joan Shawlee, Ben Lessy, John Schubeck, Myrna Dell, Fil Formicola, C.J. Hunt, Bette Raya, Ronnie Sperling, Suzie Galler, Frank Farmer, Tom Kindle, Biff Manard | Comedy | Live action | |
Dawn of the Mummy | Harmony Gold USA / Goldfrab Distribution | Frank Agrama (director/screenplay); Ronald Dobrin, Daria Price (screenplay); Ahmed Rateb, Brenda King, Barry Sattels, George Peck, John Salvo, Ibrahim Khan, Joan Levy, Ellen Faison, Dianne Beatty, Ali Gohar, Bahar Saied, Ali Azab, Ahamed Labab, Laila Nasr, Kandarp Raval | Horror | Live action | ||
Four Friends | Filmways Pictures | Arthur Penn (director); Steve Tesich (screenplay); Craig Wasson, Jodi Thelen, Michael Huddleston, Jim Metzler, Miklos Simon, Elizabeth Lawrence, Julia Murray, Reed Birney, James Leo Herlihy, Lois Smith, Glenne Headly | Comedy, Drama | Live action | ||
Pennies from Heaven | United Artists | Herbert Ross (director); Dennis Potter (screenplay); Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Christopher Walken, Jessica Harper, Vernel Bagneris, John McMartin, John Karlen, Jay Garner, Tommy Rall, Nancy Parsons, Duke Stroud, Will Hare, Robert Fitch, Eliska Krupka, Raleigh Bond | Musical, Romance, Drama | Live action | ||
Rollover | Warner Bros. | Alan J. Pakula (director); David Shaber (screenplay); Jane Fonda, Kris Kristofferson, Hume Cronyn, Josef Sommer, Bob Gunton | Thriller | Live action | ||
18 | Absence of Malice | Columbia Pictures / Mirage Enterprises | Sydney Pollack (director); Kurt Luedtke (screenplay); Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Melinda Dillon, Luther Adler, Barry Primus, Josef Sommer, Wilford Brimley, Don Hood | Drama, Neo-Noir, Thriller | Live action | |
Cinderella (re-release) | Walt Disney Productions / RKO Radio Pictures | Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Wilfred Jackson (directors); Ken Anderson, Perce Pearce, Winston Hibler, Bill Peet, Ted Sears, Maurice Rapf, Homer Brightman, Erdman Penner, Harry Reeves, Joe Rinaldi (screenplay); Ilene Woods, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Rhoda Williams, Lucille Bliss, William Phipps, Jimmy MacDonald, Luis van Rooten, Don Barclay, June Foray, Mike Douglas, Betty Lou Gerson | Animation, Musical, Fantasy | Animation | ||
Ghost Story | Universal Pictures | John Irvin (director); Lawrence D. Cohen (screenplay); Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., John Houseman, Craig Wasson, Patricia Neal, Alice Krige, Jacqueline Brookes, Miguel Fernandes, Lance Holcomb, Brad Sullivan, Michael O'Neill, Guy Boyd, Robin Curtis, James Greene, Tim Choate, Mark Chamberlin, Ken Olin, Kurt Johnson | Horror | Live action | ||
Neighbors | Columbia Pictures | John G. Avildsen (director); Larry Gelbart (screenplay); John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cathy Moriarty, Kathryn Walker, Tim Kazurinsky, Tino Insana, Henry Judd Baker, Lauren-Marie Taylor, Bernie Friedman, Igors Gavon, Dru-Ann Chuckran, P.L. Brown, Sherman G. Lloyd, Bert Kittel, J.B. Friend | Black Comedy | Live action | ||
Sharky's Machine | Orion Pictures / Deliverance Productions | Burt Reynolds (director); Gerald Di Pego (screenplay); Burt Reynolds, Vittorio Gassman, Brian Keith, Charles Durning, Earl Holliman, Bernie Casey, Henry Silva, Darryl Hickman, Richard Libertini, Rachel Ward, John Fiedler, Hari Rhodes, Joseph Mascolo, Carol Locatell, Tony King, Suzee Pai, Val Avery, Dar Robinson, James O'Connell, Aarika Wells | Neo-Noir, Action, Thriller | Live action | ||
20 | Chariots of Fire | Warner Bros. / The Ladd Company / Allied Stars Ltd / Goldcrest Films / Enigma Productions | Hugh Hudson (director); Colin Welland (screenplay); Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nigel Havers, Cheryl Campbell, Alice Krige, Lindsay Anderson, Dennis Christopher, Nigel Davenport, Brad Davis, Peter Egan, John Gielgud, Ian Holm, Patrick Magee, Nicholas Farrell, Struan Rodger, David Yelland, Daniel Gerroll, Richard Griffiths | Historical, Drama | Live action | |
Taps | 20th Century Fox | Harold Becker (director); Robert Mark Kamen, James Lineberger, Darryl Ponicsan (screenplay); George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, Ronny Cox, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, Brendan Ward, Evan Handler, John P. Navin Jr., Billy Van Zandt, Giancarlo Esposito | Drama | Live action | ||
25 | Modern Problems | 20th Century Fox | Ken Shapiro (director/screenplay); Tom Sherohman, Arthur Sellers (screenplay); Chevy Chase, Patti D'Arbanville, Mary Kay Place, Brian Doyle-Murray, Nell Carter, Dabney Coleman, Mitch Kreindel | Fantasy, Comedy | Live action |
Births[]
- January 6
- Rinko Kikuchi, Japanese actress and director
- Jérémie Renier, Belgian actor
- January 8 – Genevieve Cortese, American actress
- January 17 – Diogo Morgado, Portuguese actor
- January 20 – Daniel Cudmore, Canadian actor
- January 21 – Izabella Miko, Polish actress and dancer
- January 22
- O. T. Fagbenle, British actor, writer and director
- Willa Ford, American singer, songwriter, model, television personality and actress
- Beverley Mitchell, American actress
- January 23 - Julia Jones, American actress
- January 24 – Carrie Coon, American actress
- January 25 - Charlie Bewley, English actor and producer
- January 28
- Gen Hoshino, Japanese actor and singer
- Elijah Wood, American actor
- January 30 – Chieko Higuchi, Japanese voice actress
- January 31 – Justin Timberlake, American singer and actor
- February 5
- Lee Eon, South Korean actor and model (d. 2008)
- Nora Zehetner, American actress
- Sara Foster, American actress
- February 8 – Jim Parrack, American actor
- February 9 – Tom Hiddleston, English actor
- February 10 - Stephanie Beatriz, Argentine actress
- February 11 – Kelly Rowland, American singer and actress
- February 12
- Jesse Hutch, Canadian actor
- Lauri Lagle, Estonian actor, director and screenwriter
- February 17 –
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt, American actor
- Paris Hilton, American media personality, singer and actress
- February 19 – Beth Ditto, American singer-songwriter
- February 22 – Elodie Yung, French actress
- February 23
- Josh Gad, American actor and comedian
- Mai Nakahara, Japanese voice actress[2]
- March 2 – Bryce Dallas Howard, American actress
- March 6 – Ellen Muth, American actress
- March 11 – David Anders, American actor
- March 22 - Tiffany Dupont, American actress
- March 28 – Julia Stiles, American actress
- March 29
- Alexander Fehling, German actor
- Alain Moussi, Canadian/Gabonese actor and stuntman
- March 30 - Katy Mixon, American actress
- March 31 – Ryōko Shintani, Japanese voice actress
- April 10
- Laura Bell Bundy, American actress
- Michael Pitt, American actor
- April 13 – Courtney Peldon, American actress
- April 19
- Hayden Christensen, Canadian actor
- Catalina Sandino Moreno, Colombian actress
- April 26 - Luke Ford, Canadian-Australian actor
- April 28 – Jessica Alba, American actress
- April 30 – Kunal Nayyar, British actor
- May 2 – Rina Satō, Japanese voice actress
- May 3 – Natalie Tong, Hong Kong actress and model
- May 5
- Danielle Fishel, American actress
- Farid Kamil, Malaysian actor and film director
- May 11
- JP Karliak, American actor, voice actor and comedian
- Austin O'Brien, American actor
- May 12 – Rami Malek, American actor
- May 15 – Jamie-Lynn Sigler, American actress
- May 28 – Laura Bailey, American voice actress
- May 29 - Justin Chon, American actor, director and YouTube personality
- June 1 – Amy Schumer, American actress and comedian
- June 4 – T.J. Miller, American actor, stand-up comedian, producer and writer
- June 7 – Larisa Oleynik, American actress
- June 9 – Natalie Portman, Israeli-American actress
- June 10 – Jonathan Bennett, American actor
- June 13 – Chris Evans, American actor
- June 14 – Chauncey Leopardi, American actor
- June 20 – Alisan Porter, American former actress
- June 26 - Jimmy Ray Bennett, American actor
- June 30 - Anna Slotky, American former actress
- July 1 - Amanda Lucas (fighter), American retired professional mixed martial artist and actress
- July 5 - Ryan Hansen, American actor and comedian
- July 13 - Fran Kranz, American actor and director
- July 21 – Davide Perino, Italian actor and voice actor
- July 24 – Summer Glau, American actress
- July 30
- Brandon Scott, American actor
- Lisa Wilhoit, American actress
- August 1 – Taylor Fry, American former child actress
- August 3 – Travis Willingham, American voice actor
- August 4
- Marques Houston, American singer and actor
- Meghan Markle, American actress and model
- Abigail Spencer, American actress
- August 6 – Leslie Odom Jr., American actor
- August 8 – Meagan Good, American actress
- August 20 – Ben Barnes, English actor
- August 24 – Chad Michael Murray, American actor
- August 25 – Rachel Bilson, American actress
- August 27 – Patrick J. Adams, Canadian actor
- September 4 – Beyoncé Knowles, American singer and actress
- September 8 – Jonathan Taylor Thomas, American actor
- September 12 – Jennifer Hudson, American singer and actress
- September 15 - Ben Schwartz, American actor, voice actor, comedian, improviser, writer, director and producer
- September 16 – Alexis Bledel, American actress
- September 18 - Jennifer Tisdale, American actress and singer
- September 23 – Misti Traya, American actress
- September 26 – Christina Milian, American singer and actress
- September 29 – Shay Astar, American singer and actress
- September 30 – Ashleigh Aston Moore, American-Canadian former child actress (d. 2007)
- October 1 – Rupert Friend, English actor
- October 3 – Seth Gabel, American actor
- October 9 – Zachery Ty Bryan, American actor
- October 12 – Tom Guiry, American actor
- October 18 – Graham Moore, American screenwriter
- October 22 – Michael Fishman, American actor
- October 23 - Jackie Long, American actor, writer, musician, director and producer
- November 1 - Matt Jones, American actor, voice artist, comedian, rapper and singer
- November 2 - Katharine Isabelle, Canadian actress
- November 9 – Scottie Thompson, American actress
- November 10 – Perla Liberatori, Italian voice actress
- November 16 – Caitlin Glass, American voice actress
- November 18 – Nasim Pedrad, Iranian-American actress and comedian
- November 20 – Andrea Riseborough, English actress
- December 2 – Britney Spears, American singer and actress
- December 3 – Liza Lapira, American actress
- December 8 - Dov Tiefenbach, Canadian actor and musician
- December 13 – Amy Lee, American singer-songwriter (Evanescence)
- December 15 - Brendan Fletcher, Canadian actor, screenwriter and producer
- December 16 – Krysten Ritter, American actress
- December 27 – Emilie de Ravin, Australian actress
- December 28 – Sienna Miller, English actress
Deaths[]
Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
January | 10 | Katharine Alexander | 82 | US | Actress |
|
10 | Richard Boone | 63 | US | Actor |
| |
11 | Beulah Bondi | 91 | US | Actress |
| |
12 | Isobel Elsom | 87 | UK | Actress |
| |
16 | Bernard Lee | 73 | UK | Actor |
| |
February | 1 | Wanda Hendrix | 52 | US | Actress |
|
2 | Louise Lorraine | 76 | US | Actress |
| |
4 | Mario Camerini | 85 | Italy | Director, Screenwriter |
| |
11 | Ketti Frings | 71 | US | Screenwriter |
| |
12 | Jean Dixon | 84 | US | Actress |
| |
21 | Ron Grainer | 58 | Australia | Composer |
| |
22 | Curtis Bernhardt | 81 | Germany | Director |
| |
28 | Virginia Huston | 55 | US | Actress |
| |
March | 4 | Torin Thatcher | 76 | UK | Actor |
|
5 | Brenda de Banzie | 71 | UK | Actress |
| |
14 | Eleanor Perry | 66 | US | Screenwriter |
| |
15 | René Clair | 82 | France | Director, Screenwriter |
| |
17 | Dorothy Dwan | 74 | US | Actress |
| |
April | 7 | Norman Taurog | 82 | US | Director, Screenwriter |
|
14 | Sergio Amidei | 76 | Italy | Screenwriter |
| |
26 | Madge Evans | 71 | US | Actress |
| |
26 | Jim Davis | 71 | US | Actor |
| |
26 | Herb Voland | 62 | US | Actor |
| |
May | 9 | Margaret Lindsay | 70 | US | Actress | |
18 | Richard Hale | 88 | US | Actor |
| |
18 | Arthur O'Connell | 73 | US | Actor |
| |
22 | Boris Sagal | 57 | Russia | Director |
| |
23 | George Jessel | 83 | US | Producer, Actor |
| |
June | 5 | Miguel Torres | 81 | Mexico | Director |
|
9 | Russell Hayden | 68 | US | Actor |
| |
12 | Eleanor Hunt | 71 | US | Actress |
| |
12 | Evalyn Knapp | 74 | US | Actress |
| |
19 | Alfred Santell | 85 | US | Director |
| |
22 | Lola Lane | 75 | US | Actress |
| |
23 | Zarah Leander | 74 | Sweden | Actress |
| |
July | 1 | George Voskovec | 76 | Czech Republic | Actor |
|
2 | Edward Killy | 78 | US | Director |
| |
3 | Ross Martin | 61 | Poland | Actor |
| |
25 | Gerardo de Leon | 67 | Philippines | Director, Actor |
| |
27 | William Wyler | 79 | Germany | Director, Producer |
| |
August | 1 | Paddy Chayefsky | 58 | US | Screenwriter |
|
4 | Melvyn Douglas | 80 | US | Actor |
| |
12 | Shirley Grey | 79 | US | Actress |
| |
18 | Anita Loos | 93 | US | Screenwriter |
| |
19 | Jessie Matthews | 74 | UK | Actress, Singer |
| |
30 | Vera-Ellen | 60 | US | Actress, Dancer |
| |
September | 1 | Ann Harding | 79 | US | Actress |
|
6 | Maria Palmer | 64 | Austria | Actress |
| |
11 | Frank McHugh | 83 | US | Actor |
| |
15 | Sara Haden | 81 | US | Actress |
| |
23 | Chief Dan George | 82 | Canada | Actor |
| |
24 | Patsy Kelly | 71 | US | Actress |
| |
27 | Robert Montgomery | 77 | US | Actor, Director |
| |
October | 4 | Dorothy Dare | 70 | US | Actress |
|
5 | Gloria Grahame | 54 | US | Actress |
| |
19 | Nils Asther | 84 | Denmark | Actor |
| |
24 | Edith Head | 83 | US | Costume Designer |
| |
26 | Glenn Anders | 92 | US | Actor |
| |
November | 3 | Jean Eustache | 42 | France | Director |
|
12 | William Holden | 63 | US | Actor |
| |
16 | Morgan Conway | 78 | US | Actor |
| |
21 | Ejner Federspiel | 85 | Denmark | Actor | ||
21 | Harry von Zell | 75 | US | Actor |
| |
25 | Jack Albertson | 74 | US | Actor |
| |
27 | Lotte Lenya | 83 | Austria | Actress |
| |
29 | Natalie Wood | 43 | US | Actress |
| |
December | 5 | Charles Barton | 79 | US | Director |
|
17 | Ada Kramm | 82 | Norway | Actress |
| |
27 | Hoagy Carmichael | 82 | US | Actor, Composer |
| |
28 | Allan Dwan | 96 | Canada | Director |
|
Film debuts[]
- Ben Affleck – The Dark End of the Street
- Jason Alexander – The Burning
- Christina Applegate – Jaws of Satan
- Kim Basinger – Hard Country
- Bart the Bear – Windwalker
- Xander Berkeley – Mommie Dearest
- Kenneth Branagh – Chariots of Fire
- Robert John Burke - The Chosen
- Gabriel Byrne – Excalibur
- James Cameron (director) – Piranha II: The Spawning
- Dana Carvey – Halloween II
- Kevin Costner – Malibu Hot Summer
- Tom Cruise – Endless Love
- Jeff Daniels – Ragtime
- Loretta Devine – Will
- Dennis Farina – Thief
- Stephen Fry – Chariots of Fire
- Jami Gertz – Endless Love
- Bob Gunton – Rollover
- Glenne Headly – Four Friends
- Holly Hunter – The Burning
- Ciarán Hinds – Excalibur
- Jennifer Jason Leigh – Eyes of a Stranger
- Peter MacNicol – Dragonslayer
- Steve Miner (director) – Friday the 13th Part 2
- Alfred Molina – Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Demi Moore – Choices
- Bill Nighy – Eye of the Needle
- Chris Noth – Waitress!
- Sean Penn – Taps
- Ron Perlman – Quest for Fire
- Amanda Plummer – Cattle Annie and Little Britches
- Geoffrey Rush – Hoodwink
- Meg Ryan – Rich and Famous
- Vinessa Shaw – Home Sweet Home
- Mindy Sterling – The Devil and Max Devlin
- Fisher Stevens – The Burning
- Madeleine Stowe – Gangster Wars
- Henry Thomas – Raggedy Man
- Kathleen Turner – Body Heat
- Diane Venora – Wolfen
- Denzel Washington - Carbon Copy
- Hugo Weaving – ...Maybe This Time
See also[]
- List of American films of 1981
- British films of 1981
- French films of 1981
- List of German films: 1980s
- List of Egyptian films of 1981
- Bollywood films of 1981
- Italian films of 1981
- Japanese films of 1981
- Swedish films of the 1980s
Notes[]
References[]
- ^ "1981 Domestic Grosses". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
- ^ Japan Voice Producer Directory 2004. 1. Shogakukan. April 2004. p. 219. ISBN 978-4095263014.
Categories:
- 1981 in film
- Film by year