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The decade of the 1980s in Western cinema saw the return of studio-driven pictures, coming from the filmmaker-driven New Hollywood era of the 1970s.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The period was when the "high concept" picture was established by producer Don Simpson,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> where films were expected to be easily marketable and understandable. Therefore, they had short cinematic plots that could be summarized in one or two sentences. Since its implementation, this method has become the most popular formula for modern Hollywood blockbusters. At the same time in Eastern cinema, the Hong Kong film industry entered a boom period that significantly elevated its prominence in the international market.

TrendsEdit

The cinema of the 1980s covered many subgenres, with hybrids crossing between multiple genres. The course strengthened towards creating ever-larger megahit films, which earned more in their opening weeks than most previous movies due in part to scheduling releases when there were less competition for audience interest.

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The decade saw an increased amount of nudity in film, as well as the increasing emphasis in the American industry on film franchises; especially in the science fiction, horror, and action genres. Much of the reliance on these effects-driven movies was due in part to the Star Wars films at the advent of this decade and the new cinematic visuals they helped to pioneer.

With the release of 1984's Red Dawn, the PG-13 rating was introduced in the U.S. to accommodate films that straddled the line between PG and R. Which was mainly due to the controversies surrounding the violence of the PG films Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Gremlins from earlier that same year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Some have considered the 1980s in retrospect as one of the weaker decades for American cinema in terms of the qualities of the films released. Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has voiced his own view that the 1980s was one of the worst eras for American films.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Film critic Kent Jones also shares this opinion.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> However, film theorist David Bordwell countered this notion, saying that the "megapicture mentality" was already existent in the 1970s, which is evident in the ten highest-grossing films of that decade, as well as with how many of the filmmakers part of New Hollywood were still able to direct many great pictures in the 1980s (Martin Scorsese, Brian de Palma, John Carpenter, etc.).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Highest-grossing filmsEdit

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List of worldwide highest-grossing films
Rank Title Studio(s) Worldwide gross Year Template:Abbr
1 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Universal Pictures $792,942,069 1982 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2 Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back 20th Century Fox $538,375,067 1980 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
3 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Paramount Pictures $474,171,806 1989 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
4 Batman Warner Bros. $411,348,924 1989
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5 Back to the Future Universal Pictures $381,109,762 1985 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
6 Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi 20th Century Fox $374,593,074 1983 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
7 Top Gun Paramount Pictures $357,463,748 1986 citation CitationClass=web

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8 Rain Man Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer $354,825,435 1988 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
9 Raiders of the Lost Ark Paramount Pictures $353,988,025 1981 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
10 Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Paramount Pictures $333,080,271 1984
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11 Back to the Future Part II Universal Pictures $331,950,002 1989
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12 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Buena Vista / Touchstone Pictures $329,803,958 1988
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13 Crocodile Dundee Paramount Pictures $328,203,506 1986
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14 Fatal Attraction Paramount Pictures $320,099,997 1987 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
15 Beverly Hills Cop Paramount Pictures $316,300,000 1984 citation CitationClass=web

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16 Rambo: First Blood Part II Carolco Pictures $300,400,000 1985
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17 Rocky IV Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer $300,373,716 1985
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18 Look Who's Talking TriStar $296,999,813 1989
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19 Ghostbusters Columbia Pictures $296,578,797 1984 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
20 Coming to America Paramount Pictures $288,752,301 1988
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21 Tootsie Columbia Pictures $241,000,000 1982 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
22 Crocodile Dundee II Paramount Pictures $239,606,210 1988
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23 Dead Poets Society Buena Vista / Touchstone Pictures $235,860,116 1989
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24 Lethal Weapon 2 Warner Bros. $227,853,986 1989
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25 Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Buena Vista/Disney $222,724,172 1989
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26 Twins Universal Pictures $216,614,388 1988
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27 Ghostbusters II Columbia Pictures $215,394,738 1989
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28 Dirty Dancing Vestron Pictures $214,600,000 1987
29 The Gods Must Be Crazy C.A.T. Films $200,000,000 1980
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30 Rambo III Carolco $189,015,611 1988
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31 The Little Mermaid Buena Vista/Disney $184,155,863 1989
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32 A Fish Called Wanda MGM $177,889,000 1988
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33 Cocktail Buena Vista / Touchstone Pictures $171,504,781 1988
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34 Three Men and a Baby Buena Vista / Touchstone Pictures $167,780,960 1987 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
35 Born on the Fourth of July Universal Pictures $161,001,698 1989
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36 Beverly Hills Cop II Paramount Pictures $299,965,036 1987
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37 Gremlins Warner Bros. $153,083,102 1984
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38 Big 20th Century Fox $151,668,774 1988
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39 Die Hard 20th Century Fox $140,767,956 1988
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40 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Paramount Pictures $140,000,000 1988
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41 Platoon Orion Pictures $138,530,565 1986
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42 The Karate Kid Columbia Pictures $130,000,000 1984
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43 The Karate Kid Part II Columbia Pictures $130,000,000 1986
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44 An Officer and a Gentleman Paramount Pictures $129,795,554 1982
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45 Gandhi Goldcrest Films / NFDC India $127,767,889 1982 citation CitationClass=web }}</ref>
46 Rocky III Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer $124,146,897 1982
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47 Good Morning, Vietnam Buena Vista / Touchstone Pictures $123,922,370 1987
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48 On Golden Pond Universal Pictures $119,285,432 1981
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49 Shaolin Temple Chung Yuen Motion Picture Company $111,851,439 1982
50 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Paramount Pictures $109,713,132 1986
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In the list, where revenues are equal numbers, the newer films are listed lower, due to inflation making the dollar-amount lower compared to earlier years.

Lists of filmsEdit

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See alsoEdit

NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit