40 Years of Movies: 1981

 


2021 is the year I turn 40. As part of my celebration, I'm looking back at 40 years of movies, picking my favorite film from each year I've been around! To learn more about the criteria for this process, check this introduction. Each post will feature my pick, plus three runner's up. So check back over the next 40 weeks of this journey!

1981:

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Starring: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Denholm Elliott, and John Rhys-Davies
About: This classic from Steven Spielberg was my pick for 1981. It is a fun film, but also one that earned award recognition and has endured as a classic. This was the first Indiana Jones tale, but wouldn't be the last. Still, I think it's the best. Ford is great in this role, and the adventure is a lot of fun as they look for the Ark of the Covenant. There's action, some jokes, a bit of romance and of course Indiana Jones besting the Nazis. This collaboration between Spielberg and George Lucas is a film that I've seen many times over the years, and it felt fitting that this tops the list in my first year of this adventure.

Other Considerations:

Taps
Starring: Timothy Hutton, George C. Scott, Sean Penn, and Tom Cruise
About: This classic is about a military academy that is threatened with closure when developers want the land. The students inside decide to fight for their school, literally. This is a film that I've always found fascinating, not least of which because of the great young cast. It's an early starring performance for Hutton, Penn and Cruise, and all are great in the roles.

Superman II
Starring: Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, and Terence Stamp
About: This follow up to the 1978 original sees things between Clark (Reeve) and Lois (Kidder) heat up before General Zod (Stamp) shows up to threaten the world. Richard Donner hits the director's chair here again and delivers what I consider to be the best of the Reeve Superman films. I enjoy the humor and story here, and the action sequences are great too. This is one of my favorite Superman films.

Evil Dead
Starring: Bruce Campbell
About: Sam Raimi delivers a low-budget but iconic horror film starring his friend Campbell, who has become a fun, ultimate B-movie kind of star. This isn't my favorite of the franchise, but the creativity and filmmaking here is endearing, and this is the one that spawned a film franchise, a re-make and even a premium cable series. I have long enjoyed horror films, and this is one that I found unique and compelling.

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