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
sex, lies & videotape
.