Movies: 2833

Gallipoli (1981) is an Australian war drama film directed by Peter Weir and produced by Patricia Lovell and Robert Stigwood. Set in Western Australia during May 1915, the story follows Archy Hamilton, an 18-year-old stockman and aspiring sprinter who yearns to join the Australian Imperial Force (AIF). Under the guidance of his uncle Jack, Archy trains hard and looks up to world champion Harry Lasalles. During an important race against the farmhand Les McCann, Archy runs barefoot while Les rides his horse without a saddle. ...

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) is an Australian post-apocalyptic dystopian action film directed by George Miller. Following a global war that resulted in oil shortages and ecocide, society crumbled and gave way to chaos. Now, Max Rockatansky, a former policeman haunted by the loss of his family, navigates the desert of Australia in his supercharged black V-8 Pursuit Special with his faithful Australian Cattle Dog. He cleverly outmaneuvers a group of marauders led by the deranged biker Wez using his driving skills and a sawed-off shotgun. In need of fuel, he takes some from the wrecked vehicles of one of his ...

Private Lessons (1981) is an American sex comedy film based on the novel Philly by Dan Greenburg, who also wrote the screenplay. Greenburg himself makes an appearance as the manager of a motel in the movie. 15-year-old Philip Fillmore, known as ‘Philly’, is left in the care of Nicole Mallow, a French housekeeper, and Lester Lewis, his family’s chauffeur, while his father is away on a summer trip. Nicole playfully teases Philly and he often uses his binoculars to spy on her through windows or deliberately crosses paths with her at the pool or ...

Taps (1981), an American thriller starring George C. Scott, features Cadet Brian Moreland dining privately with General Harlan Bache at Bunker Hill Military Academy. During their meeting, Moreland is promoted to the highest cadet rank of Cadet Major by Bache. The following day, it’s announced that the school will be sold to real estate developers, but will remain open for one more year to allow seniors to graduate and underclassmen to find new schools. Bache and the cadets are hopeful that this decision will save their beloved academy. After commencement, a dance is held at the academy, during which local ...

In the suburbs of Chicago, an American romantic drama film by Franco Zeffirelli, titled Endless Love (1981), tells the story of 15 year old Jade Butterfield and 17 year old David Axelrod. After being introduced by Jade’s older brother Keith, the two fall deeply in love and share a passionate relationship. The intensity of their connection is not unnoticed by Ann, who seems to live vicariously through them. However, David’s presence in Jade’s life creates tension with her husband Hugh, who becomes increasingly jealous and insists that David stay away from Jade. To make matters worse, even Jade’s ...

Victory (1981), a film directed by John Huston, follows a group of Allied POWs as they agree to participate in a football match against a German team. Led by English Captain John Colby, who played professionally for West Ham United before the war, the prisoners soon realize they are being used for German propaganda. As their captain and de facto manager, Colby handpicks his team members. However, Robert Hatch, an American serving with the Canadian Army, is initially left out but eventually convinces Colby to bring him on as the team’s trainer in order to facilitate his escape plans.

Nighthawks (1981) is an American neo-noir action crime thriller film directed by Bruce Malmuth. An undercover NYPD Detective Sergeant Deke DaSilva of the Street Crimes Unit thwarts three armed attackers, with the help of his partner, Detective Sergeant Matthew Fox. DaSilva chases and subdues one of the assailants in a subway station before heading to London where a department store bombing takes place. Upon returning to New York City, DaSilva and Fox execute a high-risk warrant in the Bronx, uncovering corrupt police officers among drug dealers. After successfully making arrests, DaSilva expresses his love for his ...

Neighbors (1981) is a film adaptation of Thomas Berger’s novel, featuring the story of Earl Keese, a mild-mannered middle-class suburbanite. His uneventful routine is disrupted when a young couple, Vic and Ramona Zeck, become his new neighbors. As soon as they move in, they begin imposing on the Keese household. Earl becomes increasingly frustrated with Vic’s loud and enthusiastic personality, while Ramona attempts to seduce him multiple times. Despite Earl’s efforts, he cannot prove that the Zecks are intentionally causing trouble. To make matters worse, his wife Enid and daughter Elaine are not much ...

Choice of Arms (1981) is a French crime film directed by Alain Corneau. Noël, a former gangster now breeding horses on his large estate outside Paris with his beautiful wife Nicole, has his tranquil life turned upside down when two wanted crooks arrive in a stolen car. One is an old accomplice known as Serge, who is fatally shot, while the other is a young psychotic named Mickey. Upon Serge’s death, Noël performs a burial for him. However, Mickey soon makes his way to Noël’s house and confronts two police detectives, Bonnardot and Sarlat. After threatening them, he flees to the city and takes refuge with ...

Blow Out (1981), an American neo-noir mystery thriller film, follows Philadelphia sound technician Jack Terry, who is working on the low-budget slasher film Co-ed Frenzy. His producer Sam tasks him with finding more realistic sound effects for the film, leading Jack to visit a local park. There, he witnesses a car swerve off the road and into a creek. While Jack is able to save a young woman named Sally Bedina and takes her to the hospital, the male driver dies. As Jack is questioned by a detective about the accident, he becomes interested in Sally and asks her out for a drink. He soon learns that Governor George McRyan, who was running for president, was driving the ...

Knightriders (1981), an American action drama film by George A. Romero, follows the story of Billy and his traveling motorcycle jousting troupe. As their leader, Billy takes on the persona of ‘King William’ and strives to uphold Arthurian ideals within the group. However, with the demands of modern life and financial struggles, tensions have started to rise among the troupe. Billy’s recurring dream of a black bird adds to his personal turmoil. To make matters worse, a promoter named Bontempi arrives and further complicates things. Despite being injured, Billy continues to push himself, causing even ...

Directed by Abel Ferrara, Ms.45 (1981) is an American exploitation thriller film about a mute seamstress named Thana living in New York City’s Garment District. On her way home from work, she is sexually assaulted at gunpoint by an unknown assailant in an alley. In self-defense, Thana strikes the attacker with a small glass apple and then uses an iron to fatally beat him. Following the traumatic incident, Thana goes into shock the next day when her boss, Albert, aggressively rips a shirt off of a mannequin. This behavior worries her co-workers and she is sent home for the day. Alone at home, Thana dismembers the ...

Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) is an American slasher film, produced and directed by Steve Miner in his directorial debut, and written by Ron Kurz. Two months after surviving a massacre at Camp Crystal Lake, Alice Hardy is recovering from her traumatic experience. However, she meets an untimely demise in her own apartment when an unknown intruder attacks her with an ice pick while she is feeding her cat. Five years later, Paul Holt opens a school for camp counselors on the same grounds. Among the trainees are Sandra, Jeff, Scott, Terry, Mark, Vickie, Ted, and Ginny – ...

Halloween II (1981) is an American slasher film directed by Rick Rosenthal. It marks his first time as a director and was written and produced by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. On October 31, 1978, Michael Myers is shot and falls off a balcony by his psychiatrist Dr. Sam Loomis. Despite his injuries, he manages to flee into the night. While wandering through alleys, he comes across an elderly couple from whom he steals a kitchen knife. He then proceeds to murder a teenage girl next door. Meanwhile, Laurie Strode, who ...

The British spy film Eye of the Needle (1981), directed by Richard Marquand, follows Henry Faber, a German sleeper agent nicknamed ‘the Needle’ for his preferred method of killing with a stiletto. While in England, he obtains crucial information about the Allies’ plans to invade Normandy instead of Pas de Calais as expected by Nazi Germany High Command. However, due to circumstances beyond his control, he is unable to transmit this information. MI5 is aware that Faber’s knowledge could jeopardize D-Day and closely monitors his actions. In an attempt to rendezvous with a U-boat in Scotland, Faber ...

For Your Eyes Only (1981), a spy film produced by Albert R. Broccoli and directed by John Glen (in his feature directorial debut), is the twelfth installment in the James Bond franchise from Eon Productions. The script, written by Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson, is adapted from two Ian Fleming short stories – For Your Eyes Only and Risico. The British Ministry of Defence’s ...

In the action-adventure film Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Lawrence Kasdan (based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman), American archaeologist Indiana Jones retrieves a Golden Idol from a booby-trapped Peruvian temple. However, rival archaeologist René Belloq steals the idol, forcing Jones to escape in a waiting float plane. Upon his return to the US, Jones is briefed by two Army Intelligence agents ...

The American epic space opera film, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), was directed by Irvin Kershner and written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas.Three years after the destruction of the Death Star, Darth Vader and the Imperial fleet send out probe droids to find the Rebel Alliance. The probe locates their base on Hoth, an ice planet. Luke Skywalker falls into the clutches of a wampa, but he uses the Force to ...

Starring Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke, Bronco Billy (1980) is an American Western comedy-drama film. He works as a stuntman in his troupe’s traveling circus, known as ‘Bronco Billy’s Wild West Show’, which bears resemblance to Buffalo Bill’s Wild West. As the owner and operator of the show, Bronco Billy performs in front of a small audience. His finale involves shooting balloons around his assistant on a rotating disc while blindfolded, followed by throwing a knife at the final balloon. However, due to the assistant’s accidental ...

Any Which Way You Can (1980), directed by Buddy Van Horn, is an American action comedy film. Philo Beddoe, who previously threw a fight with Tank Murdock, continues to participate in underground bare-knuckle boxing matches two years later. He resides with his family and orangutan Clyde, and ultimately decides to retire from fighting when he realizes he has grown to enjoy the pain. One night at his favorite bar, Philo reunites with his ex-girlfriend Lynn Halsey-Taylor, a country-western singer who apologizes for their past issues. The two rekindle their relationship and move in together. The Black Widows biker gang, who ...