1981
by AndreValverde85 | created - 11 Jul 2018 | updated - 04 Apr 2023 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Chariots of Fire (1981)
PG | 125 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, are driven to win in the 1924 Olympics as they wrestle with issues of pride and conscience.
Director: Hugh Hudson | Stars: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell, Nigel Havers
Votes: 65,932 | Gross: $58.97M
*[BEST PICTURE]* COSTUME DESIGN -- Milena Canonero MUSIC (Original Score) -- Vangelis BEST PICTURE -- David Puttnam, Producer WRITING (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) -- Colin Welland
2. 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: 1,037,451 | Gross: $248.16M
[BEST PICTURE] *Top Rated Movies * ART DIRECTION -- Art Direction: Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley; Set Decoration: Michael Ford FILM EDITING -- Michael Kahn SOUND -- Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, Roy Charman VISUAL EFFECTS -- Richard Edlund, Kit West, Bruce Nicholson, Joe Johnston SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD (Sound Effects Editing) -- Ben Burtt, Richard L. Anderson
3. On Golden Pond (1981)
PG | 109 min | Drama
Norman is a curmudgeon with an estranged relationship with his daughter Chelsea. At Golden Pond, he and his wife nevertheless agree to care for Billy, the son of Chelsea's new boyfriend, and a most unexpected relationship blooms.
Director: Mark Rydell | Stars: Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda, Doug McKeon
Votes: 34,887 | Gross: $119.29M
[BEST PICTURE] ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE -- Henry Fonda ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE -- Katharine Hepburn WRITING (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) -- Ernest Thompson
4. Reds (1981)
PG | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History
A radical American journalist becomes involved with the Communist revolution in Russia, and hopes to bring its spirit and idealism to the United States.
Director: Warren Beatty | Stars: Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Edward Herrmann, Jerzy Kosinski
Votes: 24,724 | Gross: $40.38M
[BEST PICTURE] ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE -- Maureen Stapleton CINEMATOGRAPHY -- Vittorio Storaro DIRECTING -- Warren Beatty
5. Arthur (1981)
PG | 97 min | Comedy, Romance
Alcoholic billionaire playboy Arthur Bach must marry a woman he does not love, or he will be cut off from his $750,000,000 fortune. But when Arthur falls in love with a poor waitress, he must decide if he wants to choose love or money.
Director: Steve Gordon | Stars: Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald
Votes: 31,120 | Gross: $95.46M
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE -- John Gielgud MUSIC (Original Song) -- "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," Music and Lyric by Burt Bacharach, Carole Bayer Sager, Christopher Cross and Peter Allen
6. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Horror
Two American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.
Director: John Landis | Stars: David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Joe Belcher, Griffin Dunne
Votes: 120,627 | Gross: $30.57M
MAKEUP -- Rick Baker
7. Mephisto (1981)
Unrated | 146 min | Drama
In early-1930s Germany, a passionate stage actor faces a dilemma: renounce his apolitical stance and comply with the Reich's doctrine, or face oblivion. But, Faustian bargains never end well. What is the price of success?
Director: István Szabó | Stars: Klaus Maria Brandauer, Ildikó Bánsági, Krystyna Janda, Rolf Hoppe
Votes: 11,601
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM -- Hungary
8. Close Harmony (1981)
30 min | Documentary, Short, Family
A chorus of 4th- and 5th-graders at the Brooklyn Friends School and a chorus of elderly retirees at a Brooklyn Jewish seniors' center combine to give an annual joint concert. Practicing ... See full summary »
Director: Nigel Noble | Star: Amy Israel
Votes: 55
DOCUMENTARY (Short Subject) -- Nigel Noble, Producer
9.
The Fifth Estate (1975– )
Episode:
Just Another Missing Kid
(1981)
90 min | Documentary, News
On July 10, 1978, Eric Wilson - a 19-year from Ottawa and student at Tufts University - left home to drive to a summer college course in Colorado. When he went missing four days afterward ... See full summary »
Director: John Zaritsky | Stars: Ian Parker, Jim Conway, Raymond Hatch, Marilyn Wilson
Votes: 129
DOCUMENTARY (Feature) -- John Zaritsky, Producer
10. Pennies from Heaven (1981)
R | 108 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
During the Great Depression, a sheet-music salesman seeks to escape his dreary life through popular music and a love affair with an innocent schoolteacher.
Director: Herbert Ross | Stars: Steve Martin, Bernadette Peters, Jessica Harper, Vernel Bagneris
Votes: 6,243 | Gross: $9.18M
Nominated for 3 Oscars.
11. Tango (1981)
8 min | Animation, Short
Subsequent characters appear in a poorly-decorated room, intertwining but never colliding, all possessed by never-ending rituals.
Director: Zbigniew Rybczynski
Votes: 3,039
SHORT FILM (Animated) -- Zbigniew Rybczynski, Producer
12. Quest for Fire (1981)
R | 100 min | Adventure, Drama
This story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.
Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud | Stars: Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nicholas Kadi, Rae Dawn Chong
Votes: 24,140 | Gross: $20.96M
MAKEUP -- Sarah Monzani, Michèle Burke
13. Only When I Laugh (1981)
R | 120 min | Comedy, Drama
A boozy Broadway actress comes out of a 12-week cure to face the problems of her best friends as well as her needy daughter. She tries to balance the terrors of returning to work with the ... See full summary »
Director: Glenn Jordan | Stars: Marsha Mason, Kristy McNichol, Ed Moore, Joan Hackett
Votes: 1,640 | Gross: $25.78M
Nominated for 3 Oscars.
14. The Dollar Bottom (1981)
G | 33 min | Short
Light-hearted tale about an enterprising Edinburgh boarding school boy who sets up an insurance scheme for fellow pupils in 1953 against getting caned, which quickly earns him a small fortune
Director: Roger Christian | Stars: Robert Urquhart, Rikki Fulton, Jonathan McNeil, Angus Kittler Reid
Votes: 47
SHORT FILM (Dramatic Live Action) -- Lloyd Phillips, Producer
15. Ragtime (1981)
PG | 155 min | Drama
A young black pianist becomes embroiled in the lives of an upper-class white family set among the racial tensions, infidelity, violence and other nostalgic events in early 1900s New York City.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: James Cagney, Elizabeth McGovern, Howard E. Rollins Jr., Brad Dourif
Votes: 10,564 | Gross: $21.02M
Nominated for 8 Oscars.
16. Das Boot (1981)
R | 149 min | Drama, War
A German U-boat stalks the frigid waters of the North Atlantic as its young crew experience the sheer terror and claustrophobic life of a submariner in World War II.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch
Votes: 264,488 | Gross: $11.49M
*Top Rated Movies* Nominated for 6 Oscars.
17. The French Lieutenant's Woman (1981)
R | 124 min | Drama, Romance
Anna and Mike portray two characters in a film set in 19th century England who fall in love despite the fact that Mike's character is engaged.
Director: Karel Reisz | Stars: Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Hilton McRae, Emily Morgan
Votes: 15,100 | Gross: $22.60M
Nominated for 5 Oscars.
18. Absence of Malice (1981)
PG | 116 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
When a prosecutor leaks to a Miami reporter that a liquor wholesaler is suspected in the murder of a union head, the man's life begins to unravel.
Director: Sydney Pollack | Stars: Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Melinda Dillon
Votes: 14,767 | Gross: $40.72M
Nominated for 3 Oscars.
19. Dragonslayer (1981)
PG | 109 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A young wizarding apprentice is sent to kill a dragon which has been devouring girls from a nearby kingdom.
Director: Matthew Robbins | Stars: Peter MacNicol, Caitlin Clarke, Ralph Richardson, John Hallam
Votes: 19,988 | Gross: $14.11M
Nominated for 2 Oscars.
20. The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
G | 97 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Kermit the Frog, The Great Gonzo, and Fozzie Bear are reporters who travel to Britain to interview a rich victim of jewel thieves and help her along with her secretary, Miss Piggy.
Director: Jim Henson | Stars: Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Jerry Nelson
Votes: 16,736 | Gross: $31.21M
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
21. The Boat Is Full (1981)
PG | 101 min | Drama, War
During World War II, Switzerland severely limited refugees: "Our boat is full." A train from Germany halts briefly in an isolated corner of Switzerland. Six people jump off seeking asylum: ... See full summary »
Director: Markus Imhoof | Stars: Tina Engel, Hans Diehl, Martin Walz, Curt Bois
Votes: 704
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
22. Endless Love (1981)
R | 116 min | Drama, Romance
Parental disapproval of a passionate romance between two teenagers leads to arguments, circumstance, insanity and tragedy.
Director: Franco Zeffirelli | Stars: Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight, Don Murray
Votes: 9,582 | Gross: $31.18M
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
23. Excalibur (1981)
PG | 140 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Merlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table of Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear it apart.
Director: John Boorman | Stars: Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi
Votes: 67,228 | Gross: $34.97M
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
24. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
PG | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
Secret service agent James Bond is assigned to find a missing British vessel equipped with a weapons encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands.
Director: John Glen | Stars: Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson
Votes: 108,354 | Gross: $62.30M
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
25. Clean Slate (1981)
Not Rated | 128 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A pathetic police chief, humiliated by everyone around him, suddenly wants a clean slate in life - and resorts to drastic means to do so.
Director: Bertrand Tavernier | Stars: Philippe Noiret, Isabelle Huppert, Stéphane Audran, Jean-Pierre Marielle
Votes: 6,719
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
26. Heartbeeps (1981)
PG | 78 min | Comedy, Sci-Fi
Two household robots run away and try to start a family.
Director: Allan Arkush | Stars: Andy Kaufman, Bernadette Peters, Randy Quaid, Kenneth McMillan
Votes: 1,675 | Gross: $2.15M
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
27. One from the Heart (1981)
R | 107 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
A couple has a fight after living together 5 years in Las Vegas. They go out and celebrate 4th of July, each with a new partner. Breakup?
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, Raul Julia, Nastassja Kinski
Votes: 7,247 | Gross: $0.64M
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
28. Man of Iron (1981)
PG | 156 min | Drama, History
A few years after the events of Man of Marble (1977), a journalist investigates Mateusz Birkut's son Maciek Tomczyk, now an activist leading a shipyard strike.
Director: Andrzej Wajda | Stars: Jerzy Radziwilowicz, Krystyna Janda, Marian Opania, Wieslawa Kosmalska
Votes: 3,797
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
29. After the Axe (1981)
56 min | Documentary, Drama
Biff Wilson worked for the fictional company "Universal Foods" in this Oscar-nominated documentary. He is in his 40s and has been fired. He is shattered, he is losing confidence. Will he find work in a similar position?
Director: Sturla Gunnarsson | Stars: James B. Douglas, Janine Manatis, Anne Christison, Randy Solomon
Votes: 62
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
30. Muddy River (1981)
105 min | Drama
In post-War Japan, a boy from a noodle store-owning family befriends a neighboring boy living in poverty.
Director: Kôhei Oguri | Stars: Takahiro Tamura, Mariko Kaga, Nobutaka Asahara, Makiko Shibata
Votes: 1,035
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
31. Sredni Vashtar (I) (1981)
27 min | Short, Fantasy
Young Conradin keeps a sort of pet, a polecat which is hidden from the unpleasant aunt who is his guardian. He also sends prayers to an imaginary deity, Sredni Vashtar, that he be delivered from the aunt - and his prayers are answered.
Director: Andrew Birkin | Stars: Sacha Puttnam, Judy Campbell, Lila Kaye, Patty Hannock
Votes: 86
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
32. Outland (1981)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi
A federal marshal stationed at a mining colony on the Jupiter moon of Io uncovers a drug-smuggling conspiracy. He gets no help from the workers or authorities when he finds himself marked for murder.
Director: Peter Hyams | Stars: Sean Connery, Frances Sternhagen, Peter Boyle, James Sikking
Votes: 32,377 | Gross: $17.37M
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
33. Prince of the City (1981)
R | 167 min | Crime, Drama
A New York City narcotics detective reluctantly agrees to cooperate with a special commission investigating police corruption, and soon realises he's in over his head, and nobody can be trusted.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Treat Williams, Jerry Orbach, Richard Foronjy, Don Billett
Votes: 9,527 | Gross: $8.12M
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
34. Three Brothers (1981)
PG | 113 min | Drama
Three men face their mother's death.
Director: Francesco Rosi | Stars: Philippe Noiret, Michele Placido, Vittorio Mezzogiorno, Andréa Ferréol
Votes: 1,794
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
35. Against Wind and Tide: A Cuban Odyssey (1981)
60 min | Documentary
The film chronicles the Mariel boatlift in 1980 and follows a year in the life of Cuban refugees.
Director: Jim Burroughs | Star: Jim Burroughs
Votes: 33
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
36. Brooklyn Bridge (1981)
TV-G | 58 min | Documentary, History
This documentary chronicles the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. The difficult construction process is described in interesting detail; later parts of the film interview ... See full summary »
Director: Ken Burns | Stars: Paul Roebling, Julie Harris, Arthur Miller, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Votes: 1,012
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
37. Couples and Robbers (1981)
PG | 29 min | Comedy, Short, Crime
Two couples - one with all the riches that dreams are made of, the other with only dreams and schemes - are brought together by the plotting of the poorer couple. A pair of newlyweds wander... See full summary »
Director: Clare Peploe | Stars: Frances Low, Rik Mayall, Peter Eyre, Frank Grimes
Votes: 50
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
38. The Creation (1981)
9 min | Animation, Short
The film is based on a poem by James Weldon Johnson depicting the power of the southern black American preacher's telling of the biblical creation story.
Director: Will Vinton | Star: James Earl Jones
Votes: 119
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
39. Eight Minutes to Midnight: A Portrait of Dr. Helen Caldicott (1980)
60 min | Documentary
Director: Mary Benjamin | Star: Helen Caldicott
Votes: 22
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
40. El Salvador: Another Vietnam (1981)
53 min | Documentary
Examines the origins of the civil war in El Salvador and the US involvement in it, echoing memories of the prior Eastern Asia wars and America involved conflicts in Korea and Vietnam.
Directors: Glenn Silber, Teté Vasconcellos | Stars: Enrique Alvarez, John A. Bushnell, Terence Cooke, Archbishop Rivera y Damas
Votes: 48
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
41. First Winter (1981)
27 min | Short, Drama, History
With the father away, an Irish immigrant family struggle to survive their first winter in the Canadian wild.
Director: John N. Smith | Stars: Kathleen McAuliffe, Sharon O'Niell, Eric Patrick Godfrey, Kevin Kennedy
Votes: 151
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
42. The Day After Trinity (1981)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary, Biography
Scientists and witnesses involved in the creation and testing of the first ever atomic bomb reflect on the Manhattan project and its fascinating leader, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who upon ... See full summary »
Director: Jon Else | Stars: Hans Bethe, Holm Bursom, Haakon Chevalier, Stirling Colgate
Votes: 1,235
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
43. Fall Line (1981)
G | 12 min | Short, Sport
Visually spectacular film about a recent development of extreme skiing, climbing to the top of one the peaks in the Grand Tetons and skiing down the extreme slopes. It follows one skier, Steve Shea, who had a exciting dangerous trip down..
Director: Bob Carmichael
Votes: 30
Top Nominated for 1 Oscar.
44. It's the Same World (1981)
20 min | Documentary, Short
It's the Same World depicts disabled individuals across the globe who seek full participation and equality.
Director: Dick Young | Star: Tom Sullivan
Votes: 16
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
45. The Yellow Star: The Persecution of the Jews in Europe - 1933-1945 (1981)
89 min | Documentary, Drama, History
With a great archive footage coming from 16 countries, this Oscar nominated documentary briefly presents some of the most important facts about the Nazist persecution against Jews in Europe, starting with Hitler's rise to the power.
Director: Dieter Hildebrandt | Stars: Alexander Scourby, Holger Hagen, Helga Mayer-Maynard, Simon Wiesenthal
Votes: 115
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
46. Journey for Survival (1981)
15 min | Documentary, Short
Drought, desert, famine. Half the world's population must daily take a thirsty journey in search of water for survival, a search made even more difficult because the water they do find will almost certainly be contaminated.
Director: Dick Young | Star: Joel Crager
Votes: 19
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
47. See What I Say (1981)
24 min | Documentary, Short
This film features interviews with a number of hearing-impaired women, often in their homes, where the lighting is unusually dark.
Votes: 22
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
48. The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin (1981)
10 min | Animation, Comedy, Short
Cinderella has to stay home while her evil stepsisters go to the ball. You know the rest except everyone here is a penguin (even the mice that become the "horses") and the lost slipper is more like a swimming flipper.
Director: Janet Perlman
Votes: 202
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
49. Urge to Build (1981)
27 min | Documentary, Short
Owner-builders share the experience of building their own homes. The different phases of construction provide a background for the more human issues: stress, confidence, and control of one's own life.
Director: Roland Hallé
Nominated for 1 Oscar.
50. The Evil Dead (1981)
NC-17 | 85 min | Horror
Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.
Director: Sam Raimi | Stars: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker
Votes: 232,543 | Gross: $2.40M
51. 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: 193,941 | Gross: $12.47M
52. 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: 101,770 | Gross: $25.53M
53. The Man Who Saw Tomorrow (1981)
PG | 90 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of Nostradamus and his predictions about the future.
Director: Robert Guenette | Stars: Orson Welles, Philip L. Clarke, Ray Laska, Bob Ruggiero
Votes: 1,244
54. The Howling (1981)
R | 91 min | Horror
After a bizarre and near deadly encounter with a serial killer, a television newswoman is sent to a remote mountain resort whose residents may not be what they seem.
Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Dee Wallace, Patrick Macnee, Dennis Dugan, Christopher Stone
Votes: 40,234 | Gross: $17.99M
55. Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
R | 87 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Five years after the events of the first film, a summer camp next to the infamous Camp Crystal Lake is preparing to open, but the legend of Jason is weighing heavy on the proceedings.
Director: Steve Miner | Stars: Betsy Palmer, Amy Steel, John Furey, Adrienne King
Votes: 77,818 | Gross: $21.72M
56. Porky's (1981)
R | 94 min | Comedy
In 1954, a group of Florida high-school guys try to help their buddy lose his virginity, which leads them to seek revenge on a sleazy nightclub owner and his redneck sheriff brother for harassing them.
Director: Bob Clark | Stars: Dan Monahan, Mark Herrier, Wyatt Knight, Roger Wilson
Votes: 45,771 | Gross: $111.29M
57. Piranha II: The Spawning (1982)
R | 94 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A scuba diving instructor, her biochemist boyfriend, and her police chief ex-husband try to link a series of bizarre deaths to a mutant strain of piranha fish whose lair is a sunken freighter ship off a Caribbean island resort.
Directors: James Cameron, Ovidio G. Assonitis, Miller Drake | Stars: Tricia O'Neil, Steve Marachuk, Lance Henriksen, Ricky Paull Goldin
Votes: 9,920
58. Wolfen (1981)
R | 115 min | Horror, Thriller
A New York cop investigates a series of brutal deaths that resemble animal attacks.
Director: Michael Wadleigh | Stars: Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Edward James Olmos, Gregory Hines
Votes: 11,488 | Gross: $10.63M
59. Time Bandits (1981)
PG | 110 min | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
A young boy accidentally joins a band of time travelling dwarves, as they jump from era to era looking for treasure to steal.
Director: Terry Gilliam | Stars: Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, John Cleese, Katherine Helmond
Votes: 68,401 | Gross: $42.37M
60. Blow Out (1981)
R | 108 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A movie sound recordist accidentally records the evidence that proves that a car accident was actually murder and consequently finds himself in danger.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: John Travolta, Nancy Allen, John Lithgow, Dennis Franz
Votes: 63,394 | Gross: $13.75M
61. Escape from New York (1981)
R | 99 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In 1997, when the U.S. president crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in to rescue him.
Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald Pleasence
Votes: 157,652 | Gross: $25.24M
62. Scanners (1981)
R | 103 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A scientist trains a man with an advanced telepathic ability called "scanning" to stop a dangerous Scanner with extraordinary psychic powers from waging war against non scanners.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane
Votes: 61,805 | Gross: $14.23M
63. Heavy Metal (1981)
R | 86 min | Animation, Adventure, Fantasy
A glowing green orb that embodies ultimate evil terrorizes a young girl with an anthology of bizarre and fantastic stories.
Directors: Gerald Potterton, John Bruno, John Halas, Julian Harris, Jimmy T. Murakami, Barrie Nelson, Paul Sabella, Jack Stokes, Pino Van Lamsweerde, Harold Whitaker | Stars: Richard Romanus, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Don Francks
Votes: 38,197
64. Victory (1981)
PG | 116 min | Drama, Sport, War
As allied P.O.W.s prepare for a soccer game against the German National Team to be played in Nazi-occupied Paris, the French Resistance and British officers are making plans for the team's escape.
Director: John Huston | Stars: Michael Caine, Sylvester Stallone, Pelé, Bobby Moore
Votes: 33,285 | Gross: $10.85M
65. Thief (1981)
R | 123 min | Action, Crime, Drama
An ace safe cracker wants to do one last big heist for the mob before going straight.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: James Caan, Tuesday Weld, Willie Nelson, Jim Belushi
Votes: 39,086 | Gross: $11.49M
66. Possession (1981)
R | 124 min | Drama, Horror
A woman starts exhibiting increasingly disturbing behavior after asking her husband for a divorce. Suspicions of infidelity soon give way to something much more sinister.
Director: Andrzej Zulawski | Stars: Isabelle Adjani, Sam Neill, Margit Carstensen, Heinz Bennent
Votes: 42,952 | Gross: $1.11M
67. Il marchese del Grillo (1981)
135 min | Comedy, History
A mischievous nobleman and his poor doppelganger get into serious troubles when a practical joke endangers the Pope.
Director: Mario Monicelli | Stars: Alberto Sordi, Paolo Stoppa, Caroline Berg, Riccardo Billi
Votes: 3,875
68. My Dinner with Andre (1981)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
Two old friends meet for dinner; as one tells anecdotes detailing his experiences, the other notices their differing worldviews.
Director: Louis Malle | Stars: Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn, Jean Lenauer, Roy Butler
Votes: 25,807 | Gross: $5.25M
69. The Professional (1981)
Not Rated | 108 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Victim of a plot which has resulted in his imprisonment in a Central African jail for two years, a French secret agent arrives in Paris to settle accounts.
Director: Georges Lautner | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Desailly, Cyrielle Clair, Marie-Christine Descouard
Votes: 17,283
70. Bolero (1981)
173 min | Drama, Music
Through fabulous music, this movie tracks three generations of musicians and dancers from Russia, Germany, France and the U.S., from before World War II through the war and the Holocaust, ... See full summary »
Director: Claude Lelouch | Stars: Robert Hossein, Nicole Garcia, Geraldine Chaplin, Daniel Olbrychski
Votes: 2,750
71. Cutting it Short (1981)
93 min | Comedy
An evocation of the childhood memories of Bohumil Hrabal in his provincial town of Nymburk, dominated by the local brewery.
Director: Jirí Menzel | Stars: Magda Vásáryová, Jirí Schmitzer, Jaromír Hanzlík, Rudolf Hrusínský
Votes: 2,718
72. Who Finds a Friend Finds a Treasure (1981)
108 min | Adventure, Comedy, Action
On a small pacific island, Alan and Charlie try to find a war treasure left behind by the Japanese army in World War II.
Director: Sergio Corbucci | Stars: Terence Hill, Bud Spencer, John Fujioka, Louise Bennett
Votes: 12,802
73. Eyewitness (1981)
R | 103 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A janitor who claims he's seen a murder becomes romantically involved with the glamorous TV reporter covering the story.
Director: Peter Yates | Stars: William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer, James Woods
Votes: 5,728 | Gross: $6.40M
74. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)
R | 122 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
The sensuous wife of a roadside diner proprietor and a rootless drifter begin a sordid, steamy affair and conspire to murder her Greek husband.
Director: Bob Rafelson | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Jessica Lange, John Colicos, Michael Lerner
Votes: 25,809 | Gross: $12.38M
75. The Beyond (1981)
R | 87 min | Horror
A young woman inherits an old hotel in Louisiana where, following a series of supernatural "accidents", she learns that the building was built over one of the entrances to Hell.
Director: Lucio Fulci | Stars: Catriona MacColl, David Warbeck, Cinzia Monreale, Antoine Saint-John
Votes: 25,340 | Gross: $0.12M
76. The House by the Cemetery (1981)
Not Rated | 86 min | Horror
A New England home is terrorized by a series of murders, unbeknownst to the guests that a gruesome secret is hiding in the basement.
Director: Lucio Fulci | Stars: Catriona MacColl, Paolo Malco, Ania Pieroni, Giovanni Frezza
Votes: 16,264
77. Mercenaries' Trap (1981)
111 min | Adventure, Drama, War
In 1918 a defeated Austro-Hungarian Baron Colonel Von Görtz returns home to Transylvania which has just been lost to Romania. A vengeful Von Görtz punishes the nearby villagers but Romanian Major Tudor Andrei aids them.
Director: Sergiu Nicolaescu | Stars: Gheorghe Cozorici, Sergiu Nicolaescu, Mircea Albulescu, Ion Besoiu
Votes: 441
78. Duelul (1981)
105 min | Thriller
The Moldovan commissioner has to solve the case of a robbery of the central bank, with the help of Petrescu, a novice partner.
Director: Sergiu Nicolaescu | Stars: Sergiu Nicolaescu, Jean Constantin, Colea Rautu, Ion Ritiu
Votes: 604
79. History of the World: Part I (1981)
R | 92 min | Comedy, History, Musical
Mel Brooks brings his one-of-a-kind comic touch to the history of mankind covering events from the Old Testament to the French Revolution in a series of episodic comedy vignettes.
Director: Mel Brooks | Stars: Mel Brooks, Gregory Hines, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn
Votes: 55,262 | Gross: $31.67M
80. Deprisa, Deprisa (1981)
99 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Angela begins to hang around with Pablo and his gang of young robbers.
Director: Carlos Saura | Stars: Berta Socuéllamos, Jose Antonio Valdelomar González, Jesús Arias, José María Hervás Roldán
Votes: 1,779
81. Blood Wedding (1981)
Not Rated | 67 min | Drama, Music, Romance
A group of dancers puts Lorca's 'Blood Wedding' on stage, the tragic play about a married man who is still in love with his ex-girlfriend, and tries to reunite with her despite her planned wedding.
Director: Carlos Saura | Stars: Antonio Gades, Cristina Hoyos, Juan Antonio Jiménez, Carmen Villena
Votes: 1,960
82. Knightriders (1981)
R | 146 min | Action, Drama
A medieval reenactment troupe struggles to maintain its family-like dynamic amid pressure from local authorities, interest from talent agents, and their "King's" delusions of grandeur.
Director: George A. Romero | Stars: Ed Harris, Gary Lahti, Tom Savini, Amy Ingersoll
Votes: 5,477
83. They All Laughed (1981)
PG | 115 min | Comedy, Romance
A madcap private-eye caper about a team of detectives who are following, and are being followed by, a group of beautiful women.
Director: Peter Bogdanovich | Stars: Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, Patti Hansen, John Ritter
Votes: 3,017
84. Mommie Dearest (1981)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama
The abusive and traumatic adoptive upbringing of Christina Crawford at the hands of her mother, screen queen Joan Crawford, is depicted.
Director: Frank Perry | Stars: Faye Dunaway, Diana Scarwid, Steve Forrest, Howard Da Silva
Votes: 18,366 | Gross: $19.03M
85. Naram Garam (1981)
Not Rated | 122 min | Comedy, Drama
An impoverished employee tries to prevent his superiors and employers from marrying his sweetheart.
Director: Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Stars: Amol Palekar, Swaroop Sampat, Utpal Dutt, A.K. Hangal
Votes: 1,177
86. The Incubus (1981)
R | 93 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A small town's doctor takes matters into his own hands after a series of gruesome and bizarre rape crimes perplex the clueless authorities.
Director: John Hough | Stars: John Cassavetes, John Ireland, Kerrie Keane, Helen Hughes
Votes: 2,957
87. Dead & Buried (1981)
R | 94 min | Horror, Mystery
Sheriff Dan Gillis investigates eerie deaths in a sleepy coastal town.
Director: Gary Sherman | Stars: James Farentino, Melody Anderson, Jack Albertson, Dennis Redfield
Votes: 14,934 | Gross: $0.22M
88. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne (1981)
Not Rated | 91 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
In 19th century London, a sex maniac sneaks into the engagement party of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Miss Fanny Osbourne, turning the event into a nightmarish whirlpool of murder and debauchery.
Director: Walerian Borowczyk | Stars: Udo Kier, Marina Pierro, Patrick Magee, Gérard Zalcberg
Votes: 1,487
89. Teddy Bear (1981)
111 min | Comedy
The main character is the manager of a sport club, nicknamed "Teddy Bear" by his friends and acquaintances. One day he is detained at the border just as his sport team is off to a ... See full summary »
Director: Stanislaw Bareja | Stars: Stanislaw Tym, Barbara Burska, Christine Paul, Krzysztof Kowalewski
Votes: 6,629
90. Death Hunt (1981)
R | 97 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
In 1931 Canada, Yukon trapper Johnson has a feud with a dog owner who later retaliates by publicly accusing Johnson of murder and thus triggering a police manhunt in the wilderness.
Director: Peter R. Hunt | Stars: Charles Bronson, Lee Marvin, Andrew Stevens, Carl Weathers
Votes: 8,353
91. Beau-père (1981)
13+ | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After her mother dies, fourteen-year-old Marion falls in love with her stepfather, Remy.
Director: Bertrand Blier | Stars: Patrick Dewaere, Ariel Besse, Maurice Ronet, Geneviève Mnich
Votes: 3,713
92. Marianne & Juliane (1981)
106 min | Drama
Two sisters both fight for women's rights. Juliane is a journalist and Marianne a terrorist. When Marianne is jailed, Juliane feels obligated to help her despite their differing views on how to live.
Director: Margarethe von Trotta | Stars: Jutta Lampe, Barbara Sukowa, Rüdiger Vogler, Doris Schade
Votes: 2,628
93. The Grilling (1981)
87 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A police inspector, suspecting an attorney of two child sex murders, has him held for a questioning session that goes on for hours.
Director: Claude Miller | Stars: Lino Ventura, Michel Serrault, Romy Schneider, Guy Marchand
Votes: 5,351
94. Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
R | 119 min | Comedy, Drama
Ken Harrison is an artist who makes sculptures. One day he is involved in a car accident, and is paralyzed from his neck down. All he can do is talk, and he wants to die. In hospital he ... See full summary »
Director: John Badham | Stars: Richard Dreyfuss, John Cassavetes, Christine Lahti, Bob Balaban
Votes: 3,552 | Gross: $8.21M
95. Naseeb (1981)
197 min | Action, Musical, Romance
A lottery ticket changes the lives of four friends.
Director: Manmohan Desai | Stars: Amitabh Bachchan, Shatrughan Sinha, Rishi Kapoor, Hema Malini
Votes: 1,908
96. Smash Palace (1981)
Not Rated | 108 min | Drama, Thriller
After the break-up of his marriage, a racing driver sets out to get back his daughter - at any cost.
Director: Roger Donaldson | Stars: Bruno Lawrence, Anna Maria Monticelli, Greer Robson-Kirk, Keith Aberdein
Votes: 1,168
97. Hell Night (1981)
R | 101 min | Horror, Thriller
Four college pledges are forced to spend the night in a deserted old mansion, where they are stalked by the monstrous survivor of a family massacre years earlier.
Director: Tom DeSimone | Stars: Linda Blair, Vincent Van Patten, Peter Barton, Kevin Brophy
Votes: 8,779
98. Nice Dreams (1981)
R | 88 min | Comedy, Crime
Disguised as ice cream vendors, Cheech and Chong make--and subsequently lose--millions of dollars selling a batch of marijuana with an unusual side effect.
Director: Tommy Chong | Stars: Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, Benita Barrie, Sandra Bernhard
Votes: 8,138 | Gross: $33.98M
99. The Fox and the Hound (1981)
G | 83 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
A fox named Tod and a hound named Copper vow to be best friends forever. But as Copper grows into a hunting dog, their unlikely friendship faces the ultimate test.
Directors: Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens, David Hand, Wolfgang Reitherman | Stars: Mickey Rooney, Kurt Russell, Pearl Bailey, Jack Albertson
Votes: 102,021 | Gross: $63.46M
100. Stripes (1981)
R | 106 min | Comedy, War
Two friends who are dissatisfied with their jobs decide to join the army for a bit of fun.
Director: Ivan Reitman | Stars: Bill Murray, John Candy, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates
Votes: 80,062 | Gross: $85.30M
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