“Snakes… why’d it have to be snakes?”
— Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
From whip-cracking adventure and lycanthrope terror to prestige dramas, cult creepers, and comedy classics—1981 had range. Browse the posters, then pick your top three and drop them in the comments! ⬇️
- Escape from New York — Snake Plissken has 24 hours to rescue the President from dystopian Manhattan.
- Eye of the Needle — A Nazi spy’s cat-and-mouse on a storm-lashed Scottish isle.
- The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie — A feature-length mix of brand-new wraparounds and classic Looney Tunes.
- Absence of Malice — A reporter’s scoop destroys a man’s life—ethics on the line.
- Escape to Victory — POWs play the match of their lives against the Nazis.
- Stripes — Bill Murray turns basic training into basic chaos.
- History of the World, Part I — Mel Brooks lampoons, well… history.
- Thief — Michael Mann’s neon-noir about a master safecracker’s last big score.
- Ragtime — E.L. Doctorow’s mosaic of America at the turn of the century.
- Reds — Beatty’s sweeping political romance spans revolution and exile.
- The Fox and the Hound — Disney’s sweet friendship tested by nature and nurture.
- The Howling — A retreat turns feral in one of the year’s werewolf greats.
- The Evil Dead — Cabin, ancient book, and Sam Raimi’s gonzo gorefest.
- Clash of the Titans — Perseus vs. Medusa and the Kraken—stop-motion glory.
- On Golden Pond — A tender summer with Hepburn and Fonda facing time and family.
- The Great Muppet Caper — Kermit & co. bounce through a London jewel-heist romp.
- Caveman — Stone-age silliness with Ringo Starr and sight-gag mayhem.
- An American Werewolf in London — Horror and humor collide under a full moon.
- Excalibur — Arthurian legend rendered as mythic, mud-and-steel fantasy.
- Cutter’s Way — A wounded vet and a drifter pursue a coastal conspiracy.
- Halloween II — The night HE came home… to the hospital.
- Taps — Cadets barricade their military school—idealism vs. authority.
- Chariots of Fire — Faith, class, and speed on the path to Olympic glory.
- Lion of the Desert — Epic resistance saga of Omar Mukhtar vs. Imperial Italy.
- Southern Comfort — Weekend warriors provoke a bayou war.
- Arthur — A lovable, very rich man-child stumbles into real love.
- Death Hunt — Bronson & Marvin square off in a Yukon manhunt.
- The Postman Always Rings Twice — Lust and murder scorch a roadside diner.
- Fort Apache, The Bronx — Cops, crime, and community in a raw South Bronx beat.
- Body Heat — Steamy neo-noir: desire, deceit, and arson.
- Blow Out — A sound man records a murder—De Palma’s paranoid thriller.
- Raiders of the Lost Ark — Indy races Nazis for a mythic artifact—pure adventure.
- Dragonslayer — A young sorcerer takes on a terrifying wyrm.
- Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker (aka Night Warning*)* — Twisted, under-seen psycho-horror.
- My Dinner with Andre — Two friends, one table, a universe of ideas.
🙏 Your turn: which three 1981 picks are you queuing up tonight? 🍿✨