1980s media
by auskooper | created - 3 months ago | updated - 2 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Superman II (1980)
PG | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Superman agrees to sacrifice his powers to start a relationship with Lois Lane, unaware that three Kryptonian criminals he inadvertently released are conquering Earth.
Director: Richard Lester | Stars: Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Ned Beatty
Votes: 114,634 | Gross: $108.19M
2. Superman III (1983)
PG | 125 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Synthetic kryptonite laced with tar splits Superman in two: good Clark Kent and bad Man of Steel.
Director: Richard Lester | Stars: Christopher Reeve, Richard Pryor, Margot Kidder, Jackie Cooper
Votes: 74,773 | Gross: $59.95M
3. Batman (1989)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure
The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Robert Wuhl
Votes: 404,249 | Gross: $251.19M
4. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
TV-PG | 45 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.
Stars: Patrick Stewart, Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton
Votes: 135,978
5. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
After the Rebel Alliance are overpowered by the Empire, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett.
Director: Irvin Kershner | Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
Votes: 1,379,717 | Gross: $290.48M
6. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
PG | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
After rescuing Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt, the Rebel Alliance attempt to destroy the second Death Star, while Luke struggles to help Darth Vader back from the dark side.
Director: Richard Marquand | Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
Votes: 1,121,404 | Gross: $309.13M
7. Halloween II (1981)
R | 92 min | Horror
While Dr. Loomis hunts for Michael Myers, a traumatized Laurie is rushed to Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, and The Shape is not far behind her.
Director: Rick Rosenthal | Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Charles Cyphers, Jeffrey Kramer
Votes: 101,698 | Gross: $25.53M
8. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
R | 91 min | Horror
Teenager Nancy Thompson must uncover the dark truth concealed by her parents after she and her friends become targets of the spirit of a serial killer with a bladed glove in their dreams, in which if they die, it kills them in real life.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Heather Langenkamp, Johnny Depp, Robert Englund, John Saxon
Votes: 262,496 | Gross: $25.50M
9. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge (1985)
R | 87 min | Horror
A teenage boy is haunted in his dreams by deceased child murderer Freddy Krueger, who is out to possess him in order to continue his reign of terror in the real world.
Director: Jack Sholder | Stars: Robert Englund, Mark Patton, Kim Myers, Robert Rusler
Votes: 77,422 | Gross: $30.00M
10. A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
R | 96 min | Fantasy, Horror
A psychiatrist familiar with knife-wielding dream demon Freddy Krueger helps teens at a mental hospital battle the killer who is invading their dreams.
Director: Chuck Russell | Stars: Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Craig Wasson, Patricia Arquette
Votes: 90,303 | Gross: $44.79M
11. A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
R | 93 min | Horror
Freddy Krueger returns once again to terrorize the dreams of the remaining Dream Warriors, as well as those of a young woman who may be able to defeat him for good.
Director: Renny Harlin | Stars: Robert Englund, Rodney Eastman, John Beckman, Kisha Brackel
Votes: 61,641 | Gross: $49.37M
12. Mr. Mom (1983)
PG | 91 min | Comedy, Drama
After he's suddenly laid off, a husband switches roles with his wife. She returns to the workforce, and he becomes a stay-at-home dad, and he has to take care of three young children, a job he has no clue how to do.
Director: Stan Dragoti | Stars: Michael Keaton, Teri Garr, Frederick Koehler, Taliesin Jaffe
Votes: 27,823 | Gross: $64.80M
13. The Little Mermaid (1989)
G | 83 min | Animation, Adventure, Family
A mermaid princess makes a Faustian bargain in an attempt to become human and win a prince's love.
Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker | Stars: Jodi Benson, Samuel E. Wright, Rene Auberjonois, Christopher Daniel Barnes
Votes: 290,968 | Gross: $111.54M
14. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
PG | 118 min | Action, Adventure
In 1935, Indiana Jones is tasked by Indian villagers with reclaiming a rock stolen from them by a secret cult beneath the catacombs of an ancient palace.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Amrish Puri
Votes: 535,277 | Gross: $179.87M
15. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure
In 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Alison Doody, Denholm Elliott
Votes: 810,952 | Gross: $197.17M
16. The Simpsons (1989– )
TV-14 | 22 min | Animation, Comedy
The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Nancy Cartwright, Harry Shearer, Julie Kavner
Votes: 435,871
17. The Simpsons: Family Portrait (1988 TV Short)
PG | 3 min | Animation, Comedy, Short
Homer has trouble taking a normal family portrait. Every time they are close to a good picture, the family sabotages the shot.
Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 661
18. The Simpsons: Family Therapy (1989 TV Short)
PG | 3 min | Animation, Comedy, Short
A family trip to a therapist doesn't go as planned.
Stars: Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 520
19. Howard the Duck (1986)
PG | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A sarcastic humanoid duck is pulled from his homeworld to Earth where he must stop an alien invasion with the help of a nerdy scientist and a struggling female rock singer.
Director: Willard Huyck | Stars: Lea Thompson, Jeffrey Jones, Tim Robbins, Ed Gale
Votes: 50,745 | Gross: $16.30M
20. The Punisher (1989)
R | 89 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
When Frank Castle's family is murdered by criminals, he wages war on crime as a vigilante assassin known only as The Punisher.
Director: Mark Goldblatt | Stars: Dolph Lundgren, Louis Gossett Jr., Jeroen Krabbé, Kim Miyori
Votes: 25,794
21. Red's Dream (1987)
G | 4 min | Animation, Short, Family
With a sale tag hanging from his seat, propped up in the corner of a bicycle store on a rainy night, Red the unicycle dreams about a better place.
Director: John Lasseter
Votes: 7,867
22. Luxo Jr. (1986)
G | 2 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A larger lamp watches while a smaller, younger lamp plays exuberantly with a ball but doesn't pick up the knack of correct handling.
Director: John Lasseter
Votes: 15,517
23. Tin Toy (1988)
G | 5 min | Animation, Short, Family
A one-man-band tin toy tries to escape a destructive baby.
Director: John Lasseter
Votes: 11,680
24. André and Wally B. (1984)
G | 2 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A brainless android wakes up to be taunted by a large bee.
Director: Alvy Ray Smith
Votes: 6,226
25. Knick Knack (1989)
G | 4 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A snow globe snowman wants to join the other travel souvenirs in a hot party, but the glass dome that surrounds him gets in his way, despite all his efforts.
Director: John Lasseter
Votes: 15,277
26. RoboCop (1987)
R | 102 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi
In a dystopic and crime-ridden Detroit, a terminally wounded cop returns to the force as a powerful cyborg haunted by submerged memories.
Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Ronny Cox
Votes: 283,109 | Gross: $53.42M
27. E.T. (1982)
PG | 115 min | Adventure, Family, Sci-Fi
A troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Peter Coyote, Dee Wallace
Votes: 437,503 | Gross: $435.11M
28. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987–1996)
TV-Y7 | 23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The pizza-loving, shell-busting mutant turtles Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, with the guidance of their Sensei Master Splinter, face fierce enemies, save humanity from extinction and battle against life-altering mutations.
Stars: Cam Clarke, Barry Gordon, Rob Paulsen, Townsend Coleman
Votes: 37,744
29. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
PG | 115 min | Action, Adventure
In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies
Votes: 1,036,868 | Gross: $248.16M
30. Gremlins (1984)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.
Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, John Louie
Votes: 247,791 | Gross: $148.17M
31. Ghostbusters (1984)
PG | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers.
Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis
Votes: 450,187 | Gross: $238.63M
32. The Smurfs (1981–1989)
TV-Y | 30 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
The Smurfs are tiny blue creatures that live in mushroom houses in a peaceful forest. They repeatedly try to outwit Gargamel, an evil sorcerer, his apprentice, Scruple, and his mangy cat, Azrael.
Stars: Don Messick, Danny Goldman, Lucille Bliss, Michael Bell
Votes: 21,035
33. The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (1976)
G | 89 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
A villain named McCreep steals the Smurfs' magic flute, an instrument that makes people dance wildly, and uses it to rob them. The Smurf King sends out Peewit to track down the thief and retrieve the flute.
Director: Peyo | Stars: Georges Atlas, Jacques Balutin, Angelo Bardi, Jacques Ciron
Votes: 1,465 | Gross: $11.23M
34. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981)
R | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline-rich community escape a horde of bandits.
Director: George Miller | Stars: Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Michael Preston, Max Phipps
Votes: 193,702 | Gross: $12.47M
35. Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
PG-13 | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After being exiled from the most advanced town in post apocalyptic Australia, a drifter travels with a group of abandoned children to rebel against the town's queen.
Directors: George Miller, George Ogilvie | Stars: Mel Gibson, Tina Turner, Bruce Spence, Adam Cockburn
Votes: 147,640 | Gross: $36.20M
36. Spider-Man (1981–1982)
TV-Y7 | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
The web slinging superhero battles crime in New York City.
Stars: Jack Angel, Lynn Johnson, Lewis Bailey, Morgan Lofting
Votes: 1,879
37. Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981–1986)
TV-Y7 | 22 min | Animation, Action, Comedy
Spider-Man battles crime in New York City with the help of Iceman and Firestar.
Stars: Hans Conried, Sally Julian, Jerry Dexter, Anne Lockhart
Votes: 4,042
38. Mandela (1987 TV Movie)
TV-14 | 135 min | Drama
Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) become South Africa's first Black President, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in negotiating a bloodless revolution in that country.
Director: Philip Saville | Stars: Danny Glover, Tam Mpofu, Priscilla Mundawarara, Mike Davey
Votes: 263
39. Glory (1989)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, History
Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army, and the Confederates.
Director: Edward Zwick | Stars: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman
Votes: 144,435 | Gross: $26.83M
40. Gandhi (1982)
PG | 191 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life of the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British rule through his philosophy of nonviolent protest.
Director: Richard Attenborough | Stars: Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Rohini Hattangadi, Roshan Seth
Votes: 240,198 | Gross: $52.77M
41. DuckTales (1987–1990)
TV-G | 23 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Huey, Dewey, and Louie are in for an epic surprise when they meet their wealthy but reclusive uncle, Scrooge McDuck. The family embark on globe-trotting adventures and treasure hunts, uncover family secrets, and face dangerous enemies.
Stars: Alan Young, Russi Taylor, Terence McGovern, Chuck McCann
Votes: 35,012
42. Inspector Gadget (1983–2023)
TV-Y7 | 30 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Outfitted with high-tech gizmos, a bumbling inspector clashes with the fiendish Dr Claw. Although his enthusiasm for the law never fails, Gadget's gadgets often do. Luckily, Gadget is backed by his clever niece Penny and her faithful dog.
Stars: Don Adams, Holly Berger, Frank Welker, Luc Durand
Votes: 23,312
43. The Amazing Adventures of Inspector Gadget (1986 Video)
63 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Penny is caught and almost turned into a boy forever so that she will not be able to stop Doctor Claw.
Stars: Don Adams, Holly Berger, Frank Welker, Louis Nye
Votes: 86
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