Top Movies Of 1981

From Wolfgang Petersen, starring Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch
Rated R

The Boat is a 1981 German comedy-drama directed and co-written by Wolfgang Petersen. It tells the story of a German family in the 1920s who decide to flee the city and build a boat to sail to their new home in the countryside. The story follows the family as they go through the process of building the boat, facing many obstacles along the way, and eventually setting sail on their journey. Throughout the movie, the family must come together to face their struggles, and the audience is ultimately left with a sense of optimism. The family’s determination and courage ultimately triumph over the odds and they manage to reach their destination safely.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies
Rated PG

Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark is an action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford as the titular hero. The film follows the adventures of archaeologist Dr. Indiana Jones as he battles the Nazis for the recovery of the lost Ark of the Covenant. The film follows Indy as he travels to Nepal, Egypt, and finally to a remote island in the Aegean Sea. Along the way, he is confronted by rivals and villains, including the Nazi leader Arnold Toht and the occultist René Belloq. In the end, Indy recovers the Ark, though not without considerable cost. The movie is memorable for its thrilling action sequences and its iconic score by John Williams.

From Louis Malle, starring Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn, Jean Lenauer, Roy Butler
Rated PG

My Dinner with Andre is a 1981 French-American comedy-drama film directed by Louis Malle. The film follows two old friends, the actor-director Wallace Shawn and the director-producer Andre Gregory. They reunite for dinner in a restaurant in Manhattan and discuss their lives, their views on life, and their past experiences. The film is entirely composed of this conversation, which ranges from the mundane to the metaphysical. Through the course of the conversation, the two men reflect on their lives and the way they have chosen to live them.

From Mark Rydell, starring Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Doug McKeon
Rated PG

On Golden Pond is a 1981 American drama film directed by Mark Rydell and starring Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, and Jane Fonda. The story focuses on Norman and Ethel Thayer, an elderly couple who have been married for many years and are now facing their twilight years together. They return to their summer home on Golden Pond for the forty-eighth year and are visited by their daughter Chelsea and her fiancé, Bill. The film highlights the relationship between the elderly couple, their daughter and her fiancé, as well as the Thayers' relationship with the local community. In the end, the Thayers honor and cherish the memories of their life together as they look forward to their future.

From George Miller, starring Mel Gibson, Bruce Spence, Michael Preston, Max Phipps
Rated R

The Road Warrior is an Australian post-apocalyptic action film from 1981 directed by George Miller. The film stars Mel Gibson as “Mad” Max Rockatansky, a warrior and loner who travels the Australian outback in search of gasoline and other resources. He soon becomes embroiled in a battle between a small group of survivors and a band of savage marauders led by the ruthless Lord Humungus. With his superior driving and fighting skills, Max helps the survivors fend off their attackers and protect their camp. In the process, Max comes to learn more about himself and discovers redemption in the face of an unforgiving landscape. The Road Warrior is widely considered to be the best of the Mad Max trilogy, and is considered one of the most influential action films of all time.

From John Landis, starring David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Joe Belcher, Griffin Dunne
Rated R

An American Werewolf in London is a 1981 horror comedy film directed by John Landis. The film tells the story of two American college students, David Kessler (David Naughton) and Jack Goodman (Griffin Dunne), who are attacked by a werewolf while backpacking in England. David survives and is taken to a London hospital, but Jack is killed. After being released from the hospital, David begins to experience increasingly disturbing nightmares of his dead friend, who warns him of the werewolf's sinister intentions. As David's transformation into a werewolf becomes increasingly inevitable, he is aided by a mysterious doctor (John Woodvine) who reveals the werewolf folklore that governs his transformation, while the police and villagers attempt to track him down and destroy him.

From Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker
Rated NC-17

From Michael Mann, starring James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson, Jim Belushi
Rated R

From Lawrence Kasdan, starring William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson
Rated R

From Peter Weir, starring Mel Gibson, Mark Lee, Bill Kerr, Harold Hopkins
Rated PG

From Brian De Palma, starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz
Rated R

From Jean-Jacques Annaud, starring Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nicholas Kadi, Rae Dawn Chong
Rated R

From Directors: Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, David Hand, Wolfgang Reitherman, starring Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey, Jack Albertson
Rated G

From Richard Marquand, starring Donald Sutherland, Kate Nelligan, Stephen MacKenna, Philip Martin Brown
Rated R

From Hugh Hudson, starring Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell, Nigel Havers
Rated PG

From John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence
Rated R

From Sydney Pollack, starring Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Melinda Dillon
Rated PG

From Terry Gilliam, starring Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, John Cleese, Katherine Helmond
Rated PG

From Karel Reisz, starring Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Hilton McRae, Emily Morgan
Rated R

From David Cronenberg, starring Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane
Rated R

From Daniel Petrie, starring Paul Newman, Edward Asner, Ken Wahl, Danny Aiello
Rated R

From Bob Rafelson, starring Jack Nicholson, Jessica Lange, John Colicos, Michael Lerner
Rated R

From John Huston, starring Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone, Pelé, Bobby Moore
Rated PG

From Peter Hyams, starring Sean Connery, Frances Sternhagen, Peter Boyle, James Sikking
Rated R

From Gary Sherman, starring James Farentino, Melody Anderson, Jack Albertson, Dennis Redfield
Rated R