The Millennials Begin

It was the year Reagan took office, not that that means anything--it's always questionable to tie a film to a politician, and besides, I'm sure these films were mostly planned while Carter was still around.

Anyway, here are Jesse Walkers top ten films from 1981 (1981,https://jessewalker.blogspot.com/2021/12/days-of-punk-and-reagans-ive-reeled-off.html).

1.  The Decline...Of Western Civilization

2.  Coup De Torchon

3.  Blow Out

4.  Lola

5.  Mephisto

6.  Gallipoli

7.  Time Bandits

8.  Polyester

9.  Stations Of The Elevated

10.  The Aviator's Wife

Overall I like the list, though it occurs to me I haven't seen too many of these since the 80s (and I haven't seen 9 or 10 at all).

My main complaint is the inclusion of Blow Out, which I actually saw again last month.  Very stylish, which you'd expect, but I'm still not sure why De Palma fans rate it so highly.

I remember loving Gallipoli back then--and wondering what was wrong with the Academy for giving its top award to Chariots Of Fire, which had certainly similarities, but I didn't like at all.

Here are Jesse's honorable mentions:

11.  Modern Romance

12.  Songs For Swinging Larvae

13.  Ms. 45

14. Vernon, Florida

15.  America Is Waiting

16.  God's Angry Man

17.  Once In A Lifetime

18.  Pixote

19.  Hotel Des Ameriques

20.  Das Boot

My main complaint is 11 isn't top ten, though it almost made it.

12 is a video (I believe), as is 17. 15 is a short. Haven't seen 16, though I'd like to (I saw plenty of Gene Scott when I moved to Los Angeles).

13 is a cult film. It's different, but is it great? 14 is fascinating.  I like 18-20 to various degrees, though haven't seen any of them in decades.

Here are some other films that would have made my top twenty:

An American Werewolf In London

Arthur

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Stripes

I wonder if I should make a special category for Taxi Zum Klo, which was certainly memorable.

Other films of interest (sometimes much interest):

Absence of Malice,  All Night Long, ...All the Marbles, The Amateur, American Pop,  Body Heat, The Cannonball Run, Cattle Annie And Little Britches, Clash Of The Titans, Continental Divide, Cutter's Way, Diva, Dragonslayer, Escape From New York, The Evil Dead, Excalibur, Eye Of The Needle, The French Lieutenant's Woman, Fort Apache The Bronx, The Four Seasons, Ghost Story, The Great Muppet Caper, Heartbeeps, Heavy Metal, History of the World Part I, The Hit, Honky Tonk Freeway, The Howling, The Incredible Shrinking Woman, Ladies And Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains, Lili Marleen, Mad Max 2, Mommie Dearest, My Bloody Valentine, My Dinner with Andre, Neighbors, Nice Dreams, On Golden Pond, Outland, Pennies From Heaven, Prince Of The City, Private Lessons, Puberty Blues, Quest for Fire, Ragtime, Reds, Rich And Famous, S.O.B., Scanners, Sharky's Machine, Shock Treatment, Southern Comfort, They All Laughed, Thief, This Is Elvis, Tragedy of a Ridiculous Man, Wolfen, Zorro The Gay Blade