1. 1980’s
Film History Decade Project
Melissa Blinkoff, Vanessa Griffith, Pierre Rousseau, John
Brooks, Joe Walker, James Grant

2. Politics
 Ronald Reagan – President from 1981-1989
 Prior to being President and Governor,
he was an actor.
- Appeared in over 19 films
First screen performance was in 1937

3. Technology
- The original Apple computer:
- Macintosh 128k
- Designed to create high quality graphics.

4. Technology continued..
“The Graphics Group”
- Started out as 1/3rd of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm in 1979.
- About 45 researchers developed the foundations of CGI.
- In 1982 they began working with Industrial Light & Magic
- In 1986 Steve Jobs purchased the group for 5 Million Dollars & started Pixar.

5. Prominent Event
 In September 1985, explorer Robert Ballard found the Titanic
after 8 years of searching
- The 1985 discovery of the Titanic was photographed &
documented by National Geographic

6. Economy and Business
 Films with cinematic plots were easily marketable and
understandable.
 films in the 80s were less experimental and original, but more
formulaic, although there was a burst of films eager to capitalize
on new special effects techniques.
 The average ticket price at the beginning of the decade was about
$3, and over $4 by the end of the decade, while the average film
budget was over $18 million.

7. Economy and Business continued..
 Big Business Entertainment:
 Big business increasingly took control of the movies and the way
was opened for the foreign (mostly Japanese) ownership of
Hollywood properties.
 To save money, many more films were being made in non-US
locations by mid-decade.
 A number of the studios were taken over by multi-national
conglomerates

8. Economy and Business continued..
 20th (or Twentieth) Century Fox was taken over by oil tycoon
Marvin Davis in 1981 and then entered into a 50% shared ownership
with Australian publisher Robert Murdoch in 1985, becoming part of
Fox, Inc.
 Columbia Pictures was purchased by the Coca-Cola Company in
1982
 Walt Disney Productions remained as one of the few studio-era
survivors, with Michael Eisner as chairman and CEO beginning in
1984
 Warner Communications merged with Time, Inc

9. Art and Literature
 After the innovations of the 70s, films in the 80s were less
experimental and original, but more formulaic, although there was
a burst of films eager to capitalize on new special effects (CGI)
techniques
 Many science fiction movies in the 80s were great success:
 There were many creative movies made during that time
 Computer animation played a great role in helping science fiction
movies for special effects

10. Art and Literature continued..
 Spielberg's and George Lucas' names have often been associated
with the term "blockbuster" during the 1980s
 Spielberg's and George Lucas’ film:
 The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
 Return of the Jedi (1983)
 E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
 Back to the Future (1985)
 Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

11. Global and International
 The 80’s started with the search for the next “blockbuster”
film.
 Film trends from the 70’s extended into the 80’s.
 Films of the 80’s wanted to capitalize on the technical
advances of the 70’s.
 Production costs soared while ticket prices declined, which
frightened the industry

12. Global and International continued..
 One of the highest rated films of all time came at the turn of the decade.
 Star Wars: Episode V- The Empire Strikes Back
 Budget: $18,000,000 (Estimated)
 Opening Weekend: $6,415,804 (USA)
 US Box Office sales to date: $290,475,067
 Worldwide Box Office sales to date: $538,375,067
 American films are more popular in foreign countries than foreign films
are popular in the US.
 For example Star Wars Episode V made almost $250million worldwide
 This has a lot to do with the large social influence America has on many
foreign countries

13. Laws and Regulations
 In the US, the PG-13 rating was introduced in 1984, to
accommodate films that straddled the line between PG and
R.
 FILMS ACT of 1985 An Act to repeal the Films Acts 1960 to
1980; to make further provision with respect to the financing
of films; and for connected purposes.
 This Act pulled together by legislation to spread through a
number of Acts concerning cinema licensing, including
compliance with health and safety regulations.

14. Censorship
 Cannibal Holocaust 1980-84
 Italian film banned in several countries
 Singapore, Norway, Morocco, Ireland, Iceland, Greece, Sw
eden, Sri Lanka, Turkey, South Africa, New Zealand, Italy
 Banned because of extreme violence and animal cruelty
 South Africa: Given XX rating so it couldn’t be sold in the
country; it’s now rated 18 for a cut version
 Uncut version is still banned

15. Censorship continued..
 The Last Temptation of Christ 1988
 Martin Scorsese
 Banned in Israel because it could offend Christian believers
in the Holy Land.

16. Other films were banned mostly due to
violence, gore, and religious themes

17. Important Individuals
Producer Don Simpson
 Credited with the creation of the high-concept
picture of the Modern Hollywood Blockbuster
 Most popular film format in the 1980s

18. Important Individuals, cont.
Director John Huges
 Brat Pack films
 Teen-oriented films
 The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink, Sixteen
Candles

19. Important Individuals, cont.
 A few more…
 Arnold Schwarzenegger
 Bruce Willis
 Eddie Murphy
 Mel Gibson
 Sylvester Stallone

20. Important Corporations
United Artists 1981
 Bought & merged with MGM to form MGM/UA
 Film literature was bought by Ted Turner in 1986
 Twentieth Century Fox became part of Fox, Inc.
 Renamed Fox Film Corporation in 1989 and then became
Fox

21. Important Corporations, cont
Walt Disney Productions
 Set up Touchstone Pictures in 1984
 Made feature films that appealed to adult
audiences
 Pretty Woman (1990)

22. Fashion Trends
Neon color and MC Hammer pants
Shoulder pads and leg warmers

23. Pop Culture continued..
 In August of 81’ the birth of MTV
 Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” became the largest selling record
ever
 In 1983 the compact disc are released
 Run DMC became the first rap group ever to go certified gold
 The Nintendo gaming system is introduced in 85’
 AIDS was discovered

24. • These were some of the most popular movies of the 80’s
• Movies like this influenced fashion, attitude, and swag of the 80’s

25. Demographics
The U.s Census Bureau determined
the population had increased 11.4 percent
from the previous decade.