Bonus Content:

1980's Movies

Top 10 Movies of the 1980's

This section provides additional information on another are of focus within pop culture during the 1980's.


This is a top 10 list of the most successful and influential movies of the decade. As you will see not all movies are ranked solely on their box office success as some less successful films had a greater impact on society and culture during the 1980's.


Throughout this section, you will find the movie titles, a trailer or clip from each film, a film overview, the film's box office earnings, the production company, release date and the director to help identify influential producers and directors throughout the decades.


There are no assigned tasks associated with this section.

#1 - E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Release Date: June 11, 1982 Production Company: Amblin Entertainment / Universal Pictures

Director(s): Steven Spielberg

Earnings: $792,962,972

Overview: After a gentle alien becomes stranded on Earth, the being is discovered and befriended by a young boy named Elliott (Henry Thomas). Bringing the extraterrestrial into his suburban California house, Elliott introduces E.T., as the alien is dubbed, to his brother and his little sister, Gertie (Drew Barrymore), and the children decide to keep its existence a secret. Soon, however, E.T. falls ill, resulting in government intervention and a dire situation for both Elliott and the alien.

#2 - Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Release Date: May 25, 1983 Production Company: Lucasfilms

Director(s): Richard Marquand

Earnings: $475,106,177

Overview: Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) battles horrible Jabba the Hut and cruel Darth Vader to save his comrades in the Rebel Alliance and triumph over the Galactic Empire. Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) reaffirm their love and team with Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), the Ewoks and the androids C-3PO and R2-D2 to aid in the disruption of the Dark Side and the defeat of the evil emperor.

#3 - Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Release Date: May 21, 1980 Production Company: Lucasfilms

Director(s): Irvin Kershner

Earnings: $549,001,242

Overview: The adventure continues in this "Star Wars" sequel. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) face attack by the Imperial forces and its AT-AT walkers on the ice planet Hoth. While Han and Leia escape in the Millennium Falcon, Luke travels to Dagobah in search of Yoda. Only with the Jedi master's help will Luke survive when the dark side of the Force beckons him into the ultimate duel with Darth Vader (David Prowse).

#4 - Batman (1989)

Release Date: June 23, 1989 Production Company: The Guber-Peters Company/ Warner Brothers Pictures

Director(s): Tim Burton

Earnings: $411,348,924

Overview: Having witnessed his parents' brutal murder as a child, millionaire philanthropist Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) fights crime in Gotham City disguised as Batman, a costumed hero who strikes fear into the hearts of villains. But when a deformed madman who calls himself "The Joker" (Jack Nicholson) seizes control of Gotham's criminal underworld, Batman must face his most ruthless nemesis ever while protecting both his identity and his love interest, reporter Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger).

#5 - Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Release Date: June 12, 1981 Production Company: Lucasfilms /Paramount Pictures

Director(s): Steven Spielberg

Earnings: $367,452,079

Overview: Epic tale in which an intrepid archaeologist tries to beat a band of Nazis to a unique religious relic which is central to their plans for world domination. Battling against a snake phobia and a vengeful ex-girlfriend, Indiana Jones is in constant peril, making hair's-breadth escapes at every turn in this celebration of the innocent adventure movies of an earlier era.

#6 - Ghostbusters (1984)

Release Date: June 7, 1984 Production Company: Black Rhino Productions / Columbia Pictures

Director(s): Ivan Reitman

Earnings: $295,211,811

Overview: After the members of a team of scientists (Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray) lose their cushy positions at a university in New York City, they decide to become "ghostbusters" to wage a high-tech battle with the supernatural for money. They stumble upon a gateway to another dimension, a doorway that will release evil upon the city. The Ghostbusters must now save New York from complete destruction.

#7 - Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Release Date: December 5, 1984 Production Company: Eddie Murphy Productions / Paramount Pictures

Director(s): Martin Brest

Earnings: $316,300,000

Overview: After his childhood buddy is murdered while visiting Detroit, rebellious cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) follows the leads to Beverly Hills, Calif., under the auspices of a vacation. He checks in with old friend Jenny Summers (Lisa Eilbacher) and starts to believe her boss, art dealer Victor Maitland (Steven Berkoff), might somehow be involved in the murder. However, Lt. Bogomil (Ronny Cox) of the Beverly Hills Police Department does not trust Foley, and hinders his search for evidence.

#8 - Back to the Future (1985)

Release Date: July 3, 1985 Production Company: Amblin Entertainment / Universal Pictures

Director(s): Robert Zemeckis

Earnings: $385,510,205

Overview: In this 1980s sci-fi classic, small-town California teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is thrown back into the '50s when an experiment by his eccentric scientist friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) goes awry. Traveling through time in a modified DeLorean car, Marty encounters young versions of his parents (Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson), and must make sure that they fall in love or he'll cease to exist. Even more dauntingly, Marty has to return to his own time and save the life of Doc Brown.

#9 - Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

Release Date: May 24, 1989 Production Company: Lucasfilms / Paramount Pictures

Director(s): Steven Spielberg

Earnings: $474,171,806

Overview: The intrepid explorer Indiana Jones sets out to rescue his father, a medievalist who has vanished while searching for the Holy Grail. Following clues in the old man's notebook, Indy arrives in Venice, where he enlists the help of a beautiful academic, but they are not the only ones who are on the trail, and some sinister old enemies soon come out of the woodwork.

#10 - Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)

Release Date: May 8, 1984 Production Company: Lucasfilms / Paramount Pictures

Director(s): Steven Spielberg

Earnings: $333,080,271

Overview: Adventure sequel. Intrepid archaeologist Indiana Jones, on the trail of fortune and glory in Old Shanghai, is ricocheted into a dangerous adventure in India. With his faithful companion Short Round and nightclub singer Willie Scott, Indie goes in search of the magical Sankara stone, and uncovers an ancient evil which threatens all who come into contact with it.

#10 - Top Gun (1986)

Release Date: May 16, 1986 Production Company: Don Simmons / Jerry Bruckheimer Films / Paramount Pictures

Director(s): Tony Scott

Earnings: $357,011,945

Overview: The Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School is where the best of the best train to refine their elite flying skills. When hotshot fighter pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) is sent to the school, his reckless attitude and cocky demeanor put him at odds with the other pilots, especially the cool and collected Iceman (Val Kilmer). But Maverick isn't only competing to be the top fighter pilot, he's also fighting for the attention of his beautiful flight instructor, Charlotte Blackwood (Kelly McGillis).