1980s: Film and Theater

Special effects had begun to play a larger role in films in the 1970s, but it was in the 1980s that special effects began to be used to make a wide range of movies more exciting, spectacular, and, usually, violent. Although E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) used special effects to tell the gentle story of an alien who wished to go home, it was the exception to the rule. Most of the time, special effects were used to depict on-screen violence and action. Two sequels to the popular 1977 film Star Wars—The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983)—set the standard for space movies. Four Star Trek movies in the decade followed suit. Films like The Terminator (1984) and Robocop (1987) used special effects to tell their violent science-fiction stories.

President Ronald Reagan's (1911–) crusade against communism during the 1980s was helped along by a high number of patriotic films. In Red Dawn (1984) and Invasion U.S.A. (1985), resourceful action heroes fight off Soviet invaders. Missing in Action (1984) and Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) sent action heroes to Vietnam to win victories that American forces could not win in the real war. And lighter movies like Top Gun (1986) made fighting for America seem so glamorous and fun that the military used the movie for recruiting. Not all films shared this rosy vision of the American military, however. The films The Killing Fields (1984), Full Metal Jacket (1987), and Born on the Fourth of July (1989) all presented serious and heartfelt criticisms of war.

Horror films grew in popularity during the decade, dominated by the "slasher" film Friday the 13th (1980) and its many sequels, Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), and by sequels to the 1978 film Halloween. Many of these films centered around a psychotic male killer stalking and killing women, which feminists said revealed many Americans' hostility to women's achievements.

Comedies released during the decade showed Hollywood's lighter side. Stars like Eddie Murphy (1961–), Bette Midler (1945–), Steve Martin (1945–), Whoopi Goldberg (1955–), and Robin Williams (1952–) all starred in popular comedies. Some of the most notable comedies of the decade were "dumb comedies" like Airplane! (1980), Caddyshack (1980), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), and Naked Gun (1988). Unlike mainstream comedies, which relied on witty wordplay and quick timing between actors, the dumb comedies featured seemingly stupid characters and lots of physical humor.

Theater enjoyed a boom during the 1980s as well, thanks in large part to big productions that were launched on Broadway and then toured around the world. Big budget shows like Cats (which opened in New York in 1982), Les Miserables (1987), and The Phantom of the Opera (1988) ran for years and were promoted with original cast albums and merchandise. The New York theater scene was also helped by the fact that many Hollywood stars returned to the stage in this decade for limited—and very popular—performances.