Hi. My name is Matthew Pejkovic from Matt's Movie Reviews and these are my Top Ten Movies of 1981.
10) GALLIPOLI
Set in 1915 Western Australia, Gallipoli stars Mel Gibson and Mark Lee as rival athletes who form a strong bond whilst travelling to Perth to join the Australian Army in the battle against Turkish forces in Gallipoli. The Peter Weir directed Gallipoli has stood the test of time as the quintessential Australian war movie in which the themes of mateship, bravery, and the horror of war haunt viewers long after its tragic conclusion.
9) BLOW OUT
Blow Out stars John Travolta as Jack Terry, a movie sound effects technician who - during a night of recording - unintentionally captures evidence of a political assassination. Now a marked man, Jack must save the life of a call-girl (played by Nancy Allen) who is also caught in the conspiracy. A reimagining of seminal 1966 classic Blow Up, director Brian De Palma brings all his visual flair to Blow Out without sacrificing the suspense driven storytelling that delves into the themes of corruption, media manipulation, and mistrust of our institutions.
8) BODY HEAT
William Hurt stars in Body Heat as Ned Racine, a low rent lawyer embroiled in a passionate affair with Matty Walker (Kathleen Turner) who is married to a shady businessman (played by Richard Crenna) with whom she has signed a prenuptial agreement. When Matty convinces Ned to kill her husband, an obsessed Ned finds himself caught in a web of murder and seduction. Lawrence Kasdan’s directorial debut, Body Heat is a sweat drenched erotic crime thriller that features terrific lead performances from Hurt and especially Turner who sets the screen afire with her scorching presence.
7) EXCALIBUR
The dark medieval fantasy Excalibur stars Nigel Terry as King Arthur, the son of Uther Pendragon (played by Gabriel Byrne) and wielder of magical sword Excalibur, who under the guidance of sorcerer Merlin (played by Nicol Williamson) unites the Britons at the Round Table of Camelot in defiance against dark forces that threaten to destroy them. Full of style, sex and magic, the John Boorman directed Excalibur is packed with big names such as Liam Neeson, Helen Mirren, and Gabriel Byrne, and even bigger visuals to make for a one-of-a-kind fantasy adventure.
6) THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY
The Long Good Friday stars Bob Hoskins as Harold Shand, the kingpin of London’s criminal network whose plans to redevelop London Docklands is a major part of his strategy to expand his power in the industrial and real estate networks that are set to boom. That is until the IRA make their presence known by targeting Shand’s crime network one violent act at a time. An impressively made British gangster classic of ever reaching influence, The Long Good Friday is a complex yet compelling crime thriller that delves into the incestuous relationship between crime and capitalism.
5) AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
An American Werewolf in London stars David Naughton and Griffin Dunne as travelling American’s lost in the moors of Yorkshire, England, when they are attacked by a werewolf on a full moon night. While Jack is slaughtered and subsequently cursed to roam the world as a rotting corpse, David must deal with his own affliction as a werewolf that terrorises the rain-soaked streets of London. Featuring director John Landis at his creative best, An American Werewolf in London is a howling good horror comedy that continues to be the high standard in creature feature filmmaking, with the now infamous werewolf transformation a hair raising, bone rattling sequence that more than holds its own when compared to the CGI effects of today.
4) THIEF
Set in the rain-soaked street of Chicago, Thief stars James Caan as Frank, an ex-con and professional safe cracker who envisions a life after crime with his girlfriend Jesse (played by Tuesday Weld). When he reluctantly agrees to work for crime boss Leo (played by Robert Prosky) under the pretence of “one last job”, the fiercely independent Frank finds himself in too deep. Michael Mann’s feature film directorial debut, Thief displays a grim authenticity to its work-a-day heist exploits that Mann combines with high-stakes drama. Complementing is Caan’s excellent performance as a criminal whose pursuit of domestic heaven turns into a nightmare.
3) MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR
That rare sequel that leaves its predecessor lying in the dust, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior see’s Mel Gibson reprise his breakthrough role of Max, a former police officer turned cynical loner, who agrees to help an oil-rich commune besieged by homicidal road bandits haul a tanker of fuel to a new location. Set in post-apocalyptic outback Australia, the wide-open landscapes of Australia’s Broken Hill become a playground for all matter of vehicles as motorbikes, supped up V8’s, and dune buggies are transformed into death on wheels, director George Miller capturing all of the vehicular violence and creating an exceptional action movie in the process.
2) DAS BOOT
Based on historic events, director Wolfgang Peterson's ultra-realistic depiction of life inside a German U-Boat during WWII both dazzles and draws his viewers into this claustrophobic world in which a crew of raw recruits led by a cynical captain (played by Jurgen Prochnow) must contend with British naval superiority and the inept command of the Nazi brass. It is indeed a special film that can convince its viewers of pining sympathy upon the fate of a crew of Nazi's submariners. Yet Das Boot does just that, presenting the other side of the WWII conflict without resorting to goose stepping stereotype in the portrayal of its protagonists.
1) RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Introducing everyone’s favourite whip towing, fedora wearing archaeologist Dr. Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), Raiders of the Lost Ark saw director Steven Spielberg hit another level in his filmmaking prowess in this George Lucas conceived adventure where Dr. Jones must find the legendary Ark of the Covenant before it falls into the hands of occult obsessed Nazi’s. When it comes to the many attributes that makes Steven Spielberg such a lauded and popular filmmaker, his ability to create top grade action-adventure movies ranks high. Beginning with an iconic opening sequence and filled with many more memorable moments, Raiders of the Lost Ark also features what many believe to be the ultimate Harrison Ford performance, where his movie star charm, sly humour, no nonsense demeanour, and one hell of an over hand right make for an iconic character.