American Cinema of the 1980s: Themes and Variations

During the 1980s, American cinema underwent enormous transformations. Blockbusters like Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., and The Empire Strikes Back grabbed huge revenues for the studios. At the same time, the growth of home video led to new and creative opportunities for independent film production, resulting in many of the decade's best films. Both large- and small-scale filmmakers responded to the social, political, and cultural conditions of the time. The two-term presidency of Ronald Reagan spawned a new Cold War with the Soviet Union, which Hollywood film both embraced and critiqued. Also during this time, Hollywood launched a long-awaited cycle of films about the Vietnam War, exploring its impact both at home and abroad. But science fiction remained the era's most popular genre, ranging from upbeat fantasies to dark, dystopic visions.

Bringing together original essays by ten respected scholars in the field, American Cinema of the 1980s examines the films that marked the decade, including Ordinary People, Body Heat, Blade Runner, Zelig, Platoon, Top Gun, Aliens, Blue Velvet, Robocop, Fatal Attraction, Die Hard, Batman, and sex, lies & videotape.

Author: Stephen Prince
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
Published: 04/25/2007
Pages: 280
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.01lbs
Size: 9.17h x 6.24w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9780813540344

Review Citation(s):
Reference and Research Bk News 11/01/2007 pg. 261

About the Author
STEPHEN PRINCE is a professor of communication at Virginia Polytechnic Institute.