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I know I should be putting the finishing (or thereabouts) touches on our "Best of 2018" list but I need a break from that, so let's distract ourselves this afternoon with an afternoon round of
our "Siri Says" series, which we haven't done since before the holidays. So I asked the lady who lives inside of my telephone for a number between 1 and 100 and today's pick is "81" so we will now head to
The Movies of 1981 and pick our five favorites.
One sidenote about this year: 1981 is known far and wide as the prime year for my beloved Slasher Film genre - dozens of them were released in the wake of the enormous success of the original
Friday the 13th the year before, capitalizing on its patented brand of nubile things plus knife tips. There are enough that I could make a list from just those and have plenty left over! Maybe I will sometime. But not today. Today we're being classy. Well, you know, as classy as I get. I still made room for Sam Raimi and exploding heads. I ain't no dummy.
My 5 Favorite Movies of 1981
(dir. Steven Spielberg)
-- released on June 12th 1981 --
(dir. Sam Raimi)
-- released on October 15th 1981 --
(dir. Brian de Palma)
-- released on July 24th 1981 --
(dir. David Cronenberg)
-- released on January 14th 1981 --
(dir. Andrzej Zulawski)
-- released on May 27 1981 --
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Never seen:
Thief (dir. Michael Mann),
Gallipoli (dir. Peter Weir),
My Dinner With Andre (dir. Louis Malle),
Shock Treatment (dir. Jim Sharman),
Taxi Zum Klo (dir. Frank Ripploh),
Endless Love (dir. Shana Feste),
Arthur (dir. Steve Gordon),
Chariots of Fire (dir. Hugh Hudson),
Diva (dir. Jean-Jacques Beineix),
Quartet (dir. James Ivory),
Modern Romance (dir. Albert Brooks),
The Postman Always Rings Twice (dir. Bob Rafelson)
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What are your favorites movies of 1981?
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5 comments:
Interesting choices though not being a horror guy were only going to be sharing one but it’s your number one which would also be mine. Raiders is a tough film to beat for its simple joys in just being all about derring-do and entertainment.
I really liked Blow Out but it wouldn’t make my top 5. I happened to be passing by one day when they were shooting in Philadelphia and ended up as one of the many extras in a crowd scene. I’m not visible on screen but it’s a flashback for me whenever I see the movie.
I didn’t like Possession but Isabelle Adjani was riveting in it.
Love the GIF from American Werewolf (and the film). That David Naughton sure was a cutie in his day.
As to what you haven’t seen Gallipolli is very good but intense and ultimately very sad. Taxi Zum Klo is scattershot and messy, more memorable for its actual sex scenes than the overall film. The Postman Always Rings Twice is trash-stick with the John Garfield/Lana Turner original which exudes much more sexuality than this dry hump version. I was underwhelmed by Diva but worst of all is the dreadful Chariots of Fire!!!! Oh my God they run and they run and they runnnnnnnnnn all with that damn Vangelis music in the background! Ugh!!
My top 5:
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Excalibur
Outland
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
An American Werewolf in London
Runner-ups:
Blow Out
Body Heat
The Chosen
Das Boot
Escape from New York
Gallipolli
The Great Muppet Caper
La pelle
Mommie Dearest
Nighthawks
Ragtime
Taps
Looking over Jason's list of also-rans reminded me once again that the whole sex-is-death dead-teenager movie explosion arrived at about the same time as the Reagan administration. I always thought that was significant, but I was never sure of just what it was that it signified.
joel65913: À chacun son goût. For me, Raiders was certainly the most fun movie of 1981, but it was Diva that I loved best.
Not to tell how to live your life, but you should definitely watch My Dinner with Andre.
blow out
body heat
gallipoli
the great muppet caper
raiders of the lost ark
no order
body heat
gallipoli
raiders
my dinner with andre
outland
who's life is it anyway
an american wearwolf in london
scanners
road warrior
time bandits
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