Movies: 2833

Ivan Reitman directed the American supernatural comedy film Ghostbusters (1984), which was written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. After their first encounter with a ghost at the New York Public Library, Columbia University parapsychology professors Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, and Egon Spengler are fired by the university dean due to the lack of credibility in their paranormal research. Undeterred, the trio establishes ‘Ghostbusters’, a service for investigating and eliminating paranormal activity from an ...

Johnny Dangerously (1984) is an American crime comedy that cleverly mocks the popular gangster movies of the 1930s. In the film, a pet shop owner catches a young boy stealing a puppy in 1935. Wanting to steer the child away from a life of crime, he recounts a tale through a flashback to 1910. This story follows Johnny Kelly, a poor but righteous newspaper boy in New York City, who is desperately trying to raise enough money for his mother’s surgery. Unfortunately, their family has fallen on hard times since Johnny’s father was put to death and his mother has resorted to doing laundry for others to support her sons. While Johnny’s younger brother ...

In the movie Footloose (1984), directed by Herbert Ross, Chicago native Ren McCormack and his mother Ethel move to the small town of Bomont to stay with Ren’s aunt and uncle. At church, he meets Reverend Shaw Moore, his wife Vi, and their daughter Ariel, who is known for her rebellious nature. While at school, Ren becomes friends with Willard Hewitt and discovers that dancing and rock music are banned within the town limits by the town council. Despite this restriction, Ren falls for Ariel, much to the dismay of her boyfriend Chuck Cranston. In an attempt to impress Ariel and prove his worthiness, Ren challenges ...

The film, The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), follows the American science fiction comedy genre and was created by W.D. Richter, directed by Earl Mac Rauch. Banzai and Dr. Tohichi Hikita perfect the ‘oscillation overthruster’: a device that allows an object to pass through solid matter. Banzai decides to test the machine himself and successfully drives his Jet Car through a mountain, ending up in another dimension. Upon returning, he discovers that an alien organism has attached itself to his car. Meanwhile, inmate Dr. Emilio ...

2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984) is a United States-produced science fiction film written, shot and directed by Peter Hyams. Acting as a sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s famous 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey and based on Arthur C. Clarke’s novel 2010: Odyssey Two (published in 1982), the movie follows a joint American-Soviet team sent to Jupiter to uncover the reason for the failure of the previous Discovery One mission. In this timeline, nine years have passed since the five crew members, ...

The American martial arts drama film, The Karate Kid (1984), follows the story of 17-year-old Daniel LaRusso and his mother Lucille as they move from Newark, New Jersey to Reseda, Los Angeles. Their apartment’s handyman is a humble Okinawan immigrant named Mr. Miyagi, who quickly becomes a friend to Daniel. At a beach party the next day, Daniel befriends Ali Mills, a high school cheerleader. However, Ali’s ex-boyfriend and top student at the Cobra Kai dojo, Johnny Lawrence, becomes jealous and repeatedly bullies Daniel with the help of his gang members Bobby Brown, Tommy, Jimmy, and Dutch. On Halloween night after a retaliation from Daniel involving water ...

Fort Saganne (1984) is a French war film directed by Alain Corneau and starring Gérard Depardieu. Set in 1911, it follows the story of Charles Saganne, a determined man from peasant stock who enthusiastically enlists in the military. Assigned to the Sahara Desert under Colonel Dubreuilh, Saganne catches the eye of Madeleine, daughter of the regional administrator. As he earns the admiration of Arab warrior Amajan, Saganne also embarks on a passionate affair with a journalist while on a diplomatic mission to Paris. However, his focus ultimately returns to Africa where he ...

Body Double (1984) is an American neo-noir erotic thriller film directed, co-written, and produced by Brian De Palma. Struggling actor Jake Scully has recently lost his role as a vampire in a low-budget horror film after his claustrophobia thwarts shooting. Following this unfortunate event, Scully finds himself homeless after breaking up with his cheating girlfriend, who owns their shared residence. At a method acting class, Scully confides in fellow student Sam Bouchard about his fears and the root cause of his claustrophobia during childhood. Their conversation leads to an invitation for Scully to house-sit for ...

Frankenweenie (1984) is an American featurette boasting elements of science fiction, comedy, and horror. Tim Burton directs and co-writes the film with Leonard Ripps. The story follows young Victor Frankenstein, who enjoys making movies with his pet Bull Terrier Sparky. Tragically, Sparky is hit by a car and passes away. However, while learning about electrical impulses in muscles at school, Victor is inspired to use his scientific knowledge to bring his beloved pet back to life. He sets up an intricate lab in his attic and uses lightning to reanimate Sparky. Though ...

The American musical crime drama film, The Cotton Club (1984), was co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It was based on James Haskins’ book of the same name. Protagonist Dixie Dwyer, a musician, collaborates with mobsters to advance his career but his plans are disrupted when he falls for Vera Cicero, the girlfriend of gangland kingpin Dutch Schultz. Brothers Sandman and Dixie from the neighborhood join The Cotton Club, a jazz club known for its predominantly black performers and white clientele. Mobster Owney Madden is the owner of the club, which he ...

Broadway Danny Rose (1984) is an American black-and-white comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. The story centers on Danny Rose, a hardworking talent agent who represents a variety of unconventional and overlooked entertainers. During a lunch at New York’s Carnegie Deli, fellow comedians reminisce about Danny’s dedicated approach to his clients, including the struggling lounge singer Lou Canova. Despite his willingness to take on challenging acts, Danny always goes above and beyond to meet their personal and professional needs. However, as soon as any of his acts achieve success, they inevitably ...

Directed by James Cameron, The Terminator (1984) is an American science fiction action film. It features Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular character, a cybernetic assassin sent back in time from 2029 to kill Sarah Connor. A cyborg disguised as a human male, this Terminator was programmed to carry out its mission of hunting and eliminating a woman named Sarah Connor in Los Angeles. Alongside the Terminator’s arrival, a human soldier known as Kyle Reese also appears with the intention of stopping it. In their pursuit, they both acquire ammunition and clothing ...

Fear City (1984) is an American neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Abel Ferrara about best friends Matt Rossi and Nicky Parzeno. They run a management company for Manhattan’s top exotic dancers and handle their bookings at various clubs throughout the borough. Rossi and their top client, Loretta, used to be in a relationship until their breakup due to Rossi’s emotional state caused by accidentally killing an opponent during his time as a professional boxer. Loretta has since moved on to a new relationship with Leila, one of the dancers they represent. However, one night, another dancer is brutally attacked ...

Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), an American slasher film directed by Joseph Zito and produced by Frank Mancuso Jr., follows the aftermath of Jason Voorhees’ apparent death. As police clean up and take his body to the morgue, the unexpected occurs – Jason revives and murders two people before escaping. The next day, a group of teenagers, including Paul, Sam, Sara, Doug, Jimmy, and Ted, embark on a weekend trip to Crystal Lake. On their way, they encounter Pamela Voorhees’ tombstone and later pick up a hitchhiker who soon meets her demise at the ...

An American supernatural slasher film, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), was written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. After waking from a terrifying nightmare in which she is attacked by a disfigured man with a blade-fixed glove in a boiler room, teenager Tina Gray discovers mysterious slashes on her nightgown. The next day, her best friend Nancy Thompson and Nancy’s boyfriend, Glen Lantz, offer comfort as they reveal their own nightmares from the previous night. While staying at Tina’s house when her mother is away, Nancy also admits ...

A Soldier’s Story (1984) is an American mystery drama film directed and produced by Norman Jewison. The screenplay was written by Charles Fuller, based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name. Set during World War II in 1944, the film follows the events surrounding the death of Master Sergeant Vernon Waters, a Black soldier at Fort Neal in Louisiana. While many believe he was killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan due to his race, others are skeptical. Captain Richard Davenport, a Black officer from the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, is tasked with investigating the case, despite objections from ...

The British epic historical drama film, The Bounty (1984), directed by Roger Donaldson, portrays the story of Commanding Lieutenant William Bligh and the loss of HMS Bounty to mutineers led by his friend Fletcher Christian. Admiral Hood presides over the court of inquiry as flashbacks take viewers on a journey from Portsmouth, England on 23 December 1787 to an expedition in Tahiti to gather breadfruit pods for transplantation in the Caribbean. Despite harsh weather making it impossible to round Cape Horn after 31 days, Bligh persists and chooses to sail the ship west instead. Along the way, he replaces Fryer with ...

Romancing the Stone (1984), a romantic comedy-adventure film, was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Diane Thomas. The film stars Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito. Joan Wilder, a successful yet lonely romance novelist in New York City, sets out to meet her editor, Gloria, after completing her latest novel. On her way, she is given a letter from Mrs. Irwin, her neighbor and the sister-in-law of Eduardo ...

The American spy drama film, The Little Drummer Girl (1984), directed by George Roy Hill and adapted from John le Carré’s novel of the same name, takes place in Europe and the Middle East. It follows the Mossad’s covert mission to expose a PLO bomber known as Khalil. In order to eliminate Khalil, they initially abduct (and ultimately execute) his brother, who is delivering speeches in a ski mask about the suffering and losses of Palestine under military control. Charlie, an American actress in London with anti-Zionist views, is lured to Greece under false ...

The American action-adventure film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) was directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. In 1935, Indiana Jones, an American archeologist, narrowly escapes a murder attempt from Shanghai crime boss Lao Che, who had hired him to retrieve the remains of Nurhaci. Accompanied by young orphan Short Round and nightclub singer Willie Scott, Indy flees the city without knowing that ...