The 100 Project: Top 10 Movies of 1981

At the end of every year, professional critics and movie bloggers the world over chime in with their thoughts on that year's batch of films. We collectively decide if it was a good or bad year for movies. Since The 100 Project has brought me to 1981, this is the year I'm going to talk about. It was a bad year. Of course, I make that call based solely on the movies I saw that were released that year - 39 in all. That's not the best total for this type of exercise, but it should yield a decent crop of films to choose from for a top 10. Don't get me wrong, what I did watch isn't totally devoid of quality. There just isn't much depth. I do like all of my top 10. I even love some of them. But, well, you'll see. Other films I just haven't seen since the early 80s. Kinda hard to include them, here. Anyhoo, let's get to it.

My Top 10 Movies of 1981

• As stated, I've seen 39 movies released during this calendar year.
• To the best of my recollection, I saw only 3 of those movies in theaters.
• With 3 films in the top 10 and another as an honorable mention, horror is my big genre for the year.
• Though there is an animated film in the top 10, there still hasn't been a kiddie flick make my top 10 for a year in the 80s.

10. Clash of the Titans

If you've seen it, especially if you've seen it recently, you might be wondering why this is here. The story is a bit clunky, the acting is wooden, and the stop-motion animation is antiquated to say the least. However, it has one thing going for it that the cgi-infused remake could never quite capture - magic.

9. Das Boot

I suspect plenty of bloggers have this much nearer to the top than I. No doubt, I recognize it's greatness. It does a great many things well, including transform a group of WWII-era Germans and make them sympathetic figures. Notice I said German, not Nazi, and the film does address this. I'm sure most who have seen it would rank it much higher on this list. I wouldn't argue with them, however, it's a film I respect more than I actually love.

8. Heavy Metal

This is the first animated movie I watched that was indubitably not for kids. Yet, there I was, all of 12 or 13, fully immersed in a story full of graphic violence and (cartoon) nudity. After that first watch, I must have seen it 20 or 30 times over the next two summers. That was when I was visiting my grandparents while school was out. I stayed up late most nights watching movies they wouldn't give me permission to had they been awake. Somewhere in all those viewings, I got past the juvenile things and came to appreciate the story. Then I got back to that other stuff.

7. Happy Birthday to Me

After reading that entry on Heavy Metal, some of you probably said to yourselves "I saw it and it wasn't that good." While reading this entry you might say "I saw it and it was horrible." And you'd be right. Then why is it here? You may or may not know that I'm a member of the slasher film fandom. Among those of us who travel in those circles, myself included, it's iconically bad, which makes it ironically good. In other words, it's so bad it's awesome and I love every minute of it. (My full review)

6. The Evil Dead

By the time I saw this, I was a slasher film vet with the release of the soon-to-be-classic A Nightmare on Elm Street coming up over the horizon. I'd also seen lots of other types of horror, too. Still, I had never seen anything like The Evil Dead. Over the years, I've seen many films that try to do what this one does. The only ones worthy all have the name Sam Raimi attached.

5. An American Werewolf in London

Yes, a third straight horror flick. This one, however, is much more dark comedy than fright flick. And it works from minute one. I revisited this just recently and it still holds up. I'm especially referring to the practical effects, including that magnificent transformation. Of course, what gets it here is that humor and great acting. Man, this is just a really fun movie. (My full review)

4. Fort Apache, The Bronx  

I've watched this movie at least half a dozen times. The first time, it was exciting, Paul Newman was magnetic, it was about my city, I loved it, but I didn't get it all. It's not that it was terribly deep, it was just a lot to take in. When I revisited it in early adulthood, much more of it clicked into place. Now, I think it's one of the best, and most underrated, gritty cop dramas of its era.

3. Body Heat

Remember those late night movie-watching sessions I mentioned? This movie showed up on way more than one of them. At that time, it was just another excuse to see a naked woman. In this case, that was a young Kathleen Turner, often. I understood it was a mystery, but I had no idea what a noir was, that this was one, or how effective it is. Once again, adulthood came to the rescue. I watched it again years later and was blown away by a lot more than Turner's body.

2. Porky's

Given all that I've said in this post, perhaps it's no surprise this movie shows up here. Sure, there's lots of boobs, some full-frontal as well, the jokes are all juvenile and crass and right up a teenage boy's alley. I got older and, well, I was about to say that I revisited this, but that wouldn't be true. I've been watching this film periodically ever since the first time I saw it. Call me childish, if you must, but I laugh my ass off every time. (The Top 10 Movies About Virginity)

1. Raiders of the Lost Ark

If you have seen this, and if you're reading this blog I'm guessing there's a 90% chance you have, then the theme song might be cranking up in your head. You're definitely picturing Harrison Ford with the hat, bullwhip, and doing something amazing. Perhaps he's running hard as he can while that giant boulder is bearing down on him. Or maybe he's switching out the Golden Idol for a sandbag. Whatever he's doing, it's perfect - even if none of it affects the outcome.


Honorable Mentions: Time Bandits, Arthur, Mommie Dearest, Escape From New York, Friday the 13th Part 2, Sharky's Machine

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