This Weekend in Movies in 1984

A friend of mine pointed out this Reddit post and I thought it pretty much summed up the awesomeness of movies in the 80's:

On this weekend 30 years ago, in the summer of 1984, you could stroll into a movie theater and choose between the following films:

• Ghostbusters
  
• Gremlins
  
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
  
• The Karate Kid
  
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
  
• Top Secret!
  
• The Natural
  
• Police Academy
  

Plus, Sixteen Candles and Footloose had just closed the weekend before.

source

I double checked IMDB for US release dates:

Ghostbusters (8 June 1984)
Gremlins (8 June 1984)
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (23 May 1984)
The Karate Kid (22 June 1984)
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1 June 1984)
Top Secret! (8 June 1984)
The Natural (11 May 1984)
Police Academy (23 March 1984)

Quite a summer for movies. I was also curious what the top movies of 1984 were, here's a few highlights:

1. Ghostbusters
2. Terminator
3. Dune
4. The NeverEnding Story
5. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
6. Police Academy
7. A Nightmare on Elm Street
8. Sixteen Candles
9. Gremlins
...
14. Romancing the Stone
15. Beverly Hills Cop
16. Red Dawn
17. This is Spinal Tap
18. 1984
..
21. Conan the Destroyer
22. 2010
23. Splash
24. Children of the Corn
...
32. The Last Starfighter
...
38. The Killing Fields

IMDB - Most Popular Films Released in 1984

I've seen them all. 'Top Secret' was hilarious.

a reply to: skunkape23

It dawns on me that I've seen an inordinately large number of films. I was only 7 in '84 and I've seen all but 3 of the top 50 most popular feature films from 1984. Top Secret! was hilarious but as far as espionage comedy goes, I've got to go with Spies Like Us (1985). My wife hates Chevy Chase with a passion but I've always thought he was funny

a reply to: theantediluvian

Great movies back then.
The mainstream music was meh, but compared to now, FANTASTIC.

Edit: I just had a memory flashback.. I saw Temple Of Doom at the theater. I think I may have been with my grandparents. I can almost remember the entire evening. I know I went with them to see Out Of Africa which bored me to sleep. I was only 6, so it is vague. Thanks for the memory.

a reply to: theantediluvian

What a great time to be a teenager. I miss the 80's. And the music too!

a reply to: theantediluvian

Well that's a good selection of class movies , Top Secret is all time classic

originally posted by: skunkape23
I've seen them all. 'Top Secret' was hilarious.

How could anyone forget skeet surfing?

originally posted by: buster2010

originally posted by: skunkape23
I've seen them all. 'Top Secret' was hilarious.

How could anyone forget skeet surfing?

The cow costume scene is the one that stuck with me.

G'ah. Sorry, I'm an old bastid. Not much there to blow my skirt up. Top Secret was funny but Real Genius a year later was much better.

ETA:

Bwahahahahaha.............

I think it needs to be said that when realizing all the classic movies that came out that year and many of the other 80's movies that were excellent, it really made me notice just how lacking the movies that come out now in a year are.

Sure, there might be one or two decent enough films that come out during a year's time these days, but we haven't seen a string of hits like that in a very long time. What does that say about creativity and Hollywood in this modern world?

People can say they didn't care for some of the movies on the above list, or that their effects were way under par with films of today, but there's no doubt that they were all popular films that are exalted to this day.

a reply to: theantediluvian


Great weekend but an AMAZING year for movies..!!

94 was pretty damn good too


Clerks
The Shawshank Redemption
Pulp Fiction
Forrest Gump
Léon /The Professional
The Lion King
Interview with the Vampire
Ace Ventura
Stargate
The Crow
Natural Born Killers

Plus many more


Also 99 was great

Fight Club
The Matrix
American Beauty
Magnolia
Being John Malkovich
Eyes Wide Shut
Blair Witch Project
Boys Don't Cry
Rushmore
Three Kings
Bringing out the Dead

Plus many more...



I LOVE 80's movies.... there's just something about them that's different from movies these days.
Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe because it's my youth.
The 90's was amazing for movies too

a reply to: gottaknow

What does that say about creativity and Hollywood in this modern world?

When you see basically nothing but remake after remake it just says the writing talent in Hollywood is virtually dead.

a reply to: blupblup

'94 is a year I can get behind. Not only entertaining movies but Academy material as well. I'm a little biased when it comes to the Shawshank Redemption though. I think it's the best American made movie since The Godfather.

ETA: Tom Hanks won his 2nd Oscar IN A ROW for Forrest Gump. Loved it. Only Spencer Tracy won Best Actor back to back. That's rare air. GREAT movie.And Pulp Fiction? Nuff said.

Anything is better than the the last 10 years of Re-makes Hollywood has been pumping out.

Here is a nice list. www.imdb.com...,1984&title_type=feature&sort=moviemeter,asc

80s and 90s films are awesome!! 90s especially, when the new cinema opened by where I live when we were kids we used to pay for one film then spend all day there sneaking into other screenings

Can't believe how time flys

Thanks for the memories,

Funny how 30 years can slip by when you aren't looking!
I was 16 when those movies were released and I still love the 80's it was the world I matured into and the world was unrecognisable from today. No better or worse - just different.

I often wonder when watching older movies how complete story arcs and crises would simply not occur had characters a cellphone or the ability to google stuff.

originally posted by: buster2010
a reply to: gottaknow

What does that say about creativity and Hollywood in this modern world?

When you see basically nothing but remake after remake it just says the writing talent in Hollywood is virtually dead.

Hollywood in general is pretty much dead as far as movies are concerned. It's all TV there now.

Movies are now being made everywhere. The technology has changed everything.

In fact I have an audition [today] for the movie "Bare" being shot here in Tamalewood this summer.

www.imdb.com...

and just had a nice little part in this one wrapped last week.

www.imdb.com...

This isn't a remake....I'm the guy with the beard!

www.youtube.com...

a reply to: theantediluvian

Ah.....movies int he 80's! Just about any time, you could find something good to watch! These days, I can go months and not care if I see the inside of a theater! Seen most you list. Loved most, as well!. Dune, I could have done without, and never cared fro the Freddy movies. Never heard of "This is Spinal Tap", and didn't see 1984. Children of the Corn was too corny. The Killing Fields, not my style.

From the summer list, all but "The Natural", I saw and liked!

originally posted by: LadyGreenEyes
Dune, I could have done without, and never cared fro the Freddy movies. Never heard of "This is Spinal Tap" and didn't see 1984. Children of the Corn was too corny. The Killing Fields, not my style.

a reply to: blupblup

Yes, I am serious; don't recall that title at all. Weird, I guess, since I have seen more movies than I can recall.

Love the pic, though! One of the top movie villains ever! Topped by only one, which was played by Clancy Brown. Can you guess the character?