Temporal Top Ten – 1981

Number of movies seen from this year – 81
Number of movies reviewed – 69 (including 6 Encore Reviews)

 

My list for 1981 includes a very eclectic group of movies which range from comedy cult classics to Blockbuster action/adventure to strong dramas to a bunch of movies that I’d be surprised if most of you have heard of or even seen.

My #1 and #2 were easy choices because of the fact that they are both unbelievable movies in their respective genres and both would gave been worthy enough to win that year.

#3, #5-#6 are the movies I mentioned earlier about being amazing but quite obscure. I am actually trying to find copies of them in order to rewatch and review them properly. I suspect #6 will be very difficult to find, but I haven’t given up hope yet.

#4 is a powerful movie that shows the amazing talent of 3 young up and coming actors who would help change Hollywood elitism, 1 won an Oscar the previous year, another would go on to win 2 Oscars and the 3rd is still seeking his first win despite numerous nominations and being known as a superstar

#7 and #10 are both cult classic comedies that continue to be funny no matter how many times one views them.

#8 is a great police thriller with an all-star cast

And finally #9 is the eventual Oscar Best Picture Winner of the year. It does have a great epic feel to it, but I’m still a bit baffled as to how it won being that there were much stronger candidates that year.

Update 1 Feb 2021 – S.O.B. is now #7, pushing all subsequent films down one slot.

My Top Ten

Honorable Mention – Stripes

10. Chariots of Fire

9. Fort Apache: The Bronx

8. History of the World Part I
7. S.O.B.

6. Skokie

5. Masada

4. Taps

3. The Wave

2. On Golden Pond

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark

Here’s a complete list of movies that I’ve seen from 1981

 

1. Absence of Malice
2. American Werewolf in London, An
3. Arthur
4. Berlin Tunnel 21
5. Bill
6. Blow Out
7. Body Heat
8. Brady Girls Get Married, The
9. Buddy Buddy
10. Bustin’ Loose
11. Cannonball Run, The
12. Carbon Copy
13. Chariots of Fire  Encore Review
14. Chosen, The
15. Clash of the Titans
16. Condorman
17. Continental Divide
18. Cutter’s Way
19. Das Boot
20. Death Hunt
21. Devil and Max Devlin, The
22. Dragonslayer
23. Escape from New York
24. Escape to Victory (aka Victory)
25. Evil Dead, The
26. Excalibur
27. Eye for an Eye, An
28. Eye of the Needle
29. Eyewitness
30. First Monday in October
31. For Your Eyes Only
32. Fort Apache, The Bronx
33. Four Seasons, The
34. Fox and the Hound, The
35. French Lieutenant’s Woman, The
36. Friday the 13th Part II
37. Going Ape!
38. Great Muppet Caper, The
39. Hard Country
40. Harlem Globetrotters on Gilligan’s Island, The
41. Harry’s War
42. History of the World, Part I
43. Honky Tonk Freeway
44. Howling, The
45. Inchon
46. Incredible Shrinking Woman, The
47. Just Before Dawn
48. Legend of the Lone Ranger, The
49. Loveless, The
50. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
51. Man Who Saw Tomorrow, The
52. Masada
53. Modern Romance
54. Mommie Dearest
55. Neighbors
56. Nighthawks
57. Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, The
58. On Golden Pond      Encore Review
59. Only When I Laugh
60. Outland
61. Pennies from Heaven
62. Piranha II: The Spawning
63. Prince of the City
64. Pursuit of D. B. Cooper, The
65. Raggedy Man
66. Ragtime
67. Raiders of the Lost Ark   Encore Review Encore Review 2  Encore Review 3
68. Reds
69. S.O.B.
70. Saturday the 14th
71. Sharky’s Machine
72. Skokie
73. Southern Comfort
74. Stripes
75. Taps
76. Thief
77. Threshold
78. Time Bandits       Encore Review
79. Under the Rainbow
80. Wave, The
81. Whose Life Is It Anyway?