1980's Film History and Sequels

Sequels
Sequels generally in my opinion are always worse...


Transformers 2007
Transformers 2 2009 Michael Bay


However if the story was written before and the move was designed from the start to have a sequel then it is almost always as good if not better.


The Bourne Trilogy 2000, 2004, 2007. directed by Doug Liman, Paul Greengrass
Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises 2005, 2008, 2012 directed by Christopher Nolan

Hollywood Blockbuster


1980's Introduced "High concept" films
Easily Categorized characters
Familiar plots
High and stylish productions
Aimed at mass appeal
Fast food promotional


Prototypes from 1970's: Jaws, Star wars, Alien.


Don Simpson, Jerry Bruckheimer: Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun


Teenage comedy.
Porkys, Revenge of the Nerds


John Hughes
Sixteen Candles, The breakfast club, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off.


Sequels...
Many sequels were made which were mainly the same story.
Revenge of the Nerds, Revenge of the Nerds 2, Revenge of the Nerds 3, Revenge of the Nerds 4.


Horror also became very popular.


Action sequels
First blood (4)
Rocky (6)
Terminator (5)
Indiana Jones (4)
Die hard (5)
Lethal weapon (4)


Spoof films
Naked Gun
Aeroplane
Spaceballs
This is Spinal Tap


Animation
Tron 1982 used computer graphics with live action.
Who framed Rodger rabbit 1988


Science fiction
Blade runner 1982
E.T. 1982
Robo cop 1987


Drama
Field of Dreams
Cocoon
Dead poets society


War Films
Gallipoli
Platoon
Born on the fourth of July


Dance films
Dirty Dancing
Flashdancer
Footloose


Adventure
The Goonies
The Never Ending Story
Labyrinth


Howard The Duck 1986
Regarded as one of the worst and least successful big budget films.


Batman 1989
Made $411m and $750m from merchandise.




MTV played a big part in the rise of cable television in homes, but while it started it had many repeats as the reservoir of music videos was very small, Singles such as Billie Jean and Beat It from Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1982) not only showcased the strengths of the music video format but proved that exposure on MTV could propel artists to superstardom.

By the mid-1990s, the majority of MTV’s daily schedule was devoted to programming that was not related to music. Its sister station VH1 had been broadcasting adult-oriented rock videos since 1985, and the documentary series Behind the Music. MTV Networks launched MTV2 in 1996, with the intention of recapturing the spirit embodied by their “I want my MTV” advertisting campaign in the 1980s.