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Movies => Good Movies => Topic started by: claws on June 14, 2012, 04:15:59 AM



Title: Box Office Horror Flashback: 1980
Post by: claws on June 14, 2012, 04:15:59 AM
Similar to my other Flashback threads, but with focus on the horror genre, or movies that sort of lean in that direction.

1980:

01 - $44,017,374 - The Shining (Adjusted for Ticket Price Inflation: $129,597,600)
02 - $39,754,601 - Friday the 13th ($117,047,000)
03 - $31,899,000 - Dressed to Kill ($93,918,200)
04 - $21,378,361 - The Fog ($62,943,000)
05 - $19,853,892 - Altered States ($58,454,600)
06 - $15,716,828 - The Island ($46,274,100)
07 - $14,796,236 - Prom Night ($43,563,600)
08 - $09,000,000 - Saturn 3 ($26,498,100)
09 - $08,415,112 - The Awakening ($24,776,100)
10 - $06,342,668 - Motel Hell

11 - $04,875,436 - He Knows You're Alone
12 - $04,028,735 - Jaws 2 (1980 re-issue)
13 - $02,128,395 - Windows ($6,266,500)
14 - $01,262,052 - When a Stranger Calls (Re-issue)
15 - $00,059,167 - Phobia


Title: Re: Box Office Horror Flashback: 1980
Post by: fulci420 on June 14, 2012, 12:42:05 PM
What a great year for the genre! Havent heard of a couple of these (The Awakening, Saturn, Windows etc...) But the ones i have seen i think are among the highlights of their genres. In fact among the horror movies that i have viewed recently i see a couple on this list that were among my favs.
Friday The 13th-Holds up today this changed the genre but few could match the tension and atmosphere of the first 2 f13 movies.

Dressed To Kill-Saw this for the first time recently and was impressed by Depalma's mastery of the genre. Also i found this surprisingly similar to Dario Argento's style, does anyone know if Depalma acknowledges this?

Altered States-Dont know if you'd see a movie this challenging getting put on screens today. Goes apes**t at the end but there is some thought provoking material and striking images throughout.

As for the winner, (The Shining) I never really warmed to this film. I have no specific problems with it but generally is not a a movie i would reach for but i can see why it was such a big hit.

For further context one only needs to look at the budgets of the top 3 to see which one was the true biggest success.

The Shining-22 Million, Friday The 13th 550,000 (wow!) Dressed To kill 6.5 Million. Its clear from those budgets that while The Shining was the biggest grossing film, it would be F13 that got studios excited and eager to push out sequels. 


Title: Re: Box Office Horror Flashback: 1980
Post by: bob on June 15, 2012, 01:27:46 AM
I watched Altered States once......it's very strange.
And of course The Shining is fantastic.


Title: Re: Box Office Horror Flashback: 1980
Post by: RCMerchant on June 15, 2012, 04:43:51 AM
I was 18 years old.  :smile:

I saw-at the theater-
.The SHINING-in Kalamazoo,Michigan. My freind Nick,his sister Daphne,and her freind Tina. When Jack stuck an axe in Halloran,Tina jumped out of her seat and went running up the aisle to the lobby. She stayed there the rest of the movie  :thumbup:. Good times.
.ALTERED STATES-also saw in Kalamazoo with Nick and Daphane-no Tina this time-her freind Terry came this time-she laughed all through the movie-we all did!
.WHEN A STRANGER CALLS-seen this one in Queens NYC.With my brother Glenn and my Ma! Ma loved scary movies-he would yell at the screen! I saw this in-1979,though....pretty sure...

I seen all the others as well-but on cable tv or vhs.
Except WINDOWS-never heard of that one...or PHOBIA. Hmm-will have to investigate...


Title: Re: Box Office Horror Flashback: 1980
Post by: claws on June 15, 2012, 05:18:42 AM

Except WINDOWS-never heard of that one...or PHOBIA. Hmm-will have to investigate...

Critics and audiences hated Windows and Phobia. Both are quite awful indeed.

Windows: Talia Shire is playing some basket case/rape victim stalked by a psychotic lesbian. Could've been fun over-the-top "Fatal Attraction" type exploitation but they went the serious route, with dull results. I watched this for the first time on YouTube some time ago, no idea if its still available there.

Phobia: John Houston's attempt at a psychological slasher turned out to be a disaster. Again, very dull and boring with a few neat kills.


Title: Re: Box Office Horror Flashback: 1980
Post by: JaseSF on June 15, 2012, 09:45:38 PM
I've seen most of the films in the top 10 (aside from The Awakening and The Island). Pretty solid year with a surprising amount of range. I recall when I was only a little kid, The Shining being hugely popular. One of the earliest horror films I recall being exposed to with some pretty startling stuff at the time. The ending is particularly gripping and suspenseful.

Friday the 13th in second place, seems a bit too high nowadays but hey the slasher genre was still relatively new and the film did have a neat twist ending. Surprised to see stuff like Saturn 3 and Motel Hell on a Top 10 list but hey, shows B-movies still had some popularity at the time. Interestingly I own 8 of these films on DVD today and probably would like to have another few from it.


Title: Re: Box Office Horror Flashback: 1980
Post by: tracy on June 18, 2012, 04:18:26 PM
I saw The Shining and Friday the 13th....definitely prefered The Shining.