Eyes of a Stranger (1981)
[5] Lauren Tewes (The Love Boat) stars as a TV journalist who takes it upon herself to investigate a series of rapes and murders when she suspects the culprit may live in her vicinity. Eyes of a Stranger is a…
S.O.B. (1981)
[6] Julie Andrews, William Holden, Richard Mulligan, Robert Preston, and Robert Webber star in Blake Edwards' (Breakfast at Tiffany's, Thoroughly Modern Millie) ensemble comedy about a film producer who goes suicidal after his latest G-rated family film turns out to…
Tarzan the Ape Man (1981)
[3] Bo Derek plays Jane to Miles O'Keefe's mute Tarzan in Tarzan the Ape Man, a cheesy, wannabe-erotic adventure that suffers from poor craftsmanship and a confused tone. The film is directed by Bo's husband John Derek, who is clearly…
Wolfen (1981)
[5] Albert Finney, Gregory Hines, Edward James Olmos, and Diane Venora star in this thriller about ancient shapeshifters lashing out at New York land developers for encroaching on their sacred ground. The wolf attacks are depicted with steadicam point-of-view shots…
The Howling (1981)
[7] Dee Wallace plays a TV reporter who escapes to the country after a traumatic experience. Unfortunately, the country turns out to be filled with werewolves! The Howling is a well-made horror flick from director Joe Dante (Gremlins), who likes…
Heavy Metal (1981)
[7] Producer Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters) wrangled together animation companies from around the world to assemble Heavy Metal, a string of six animated shorts based on the popular adult fantasy magazine. The stories are tied together by a loose framing device…
The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981)
[4] Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons star in dual roles, as Victorian lovers and the actors portraying them in a film production. The parallel storylines are a tedious gimmick. We're told half way through the movie that in one story,…
Clash of the Titans (1981)
[8] Special effects maestro Ray Harryhausen brings Greek myths to life in Clash of the Titans. The story centers on heroic Perseus, favored son of Zeus, who must accomplish several deadly chores in order to save his beloved Andromeda from…
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
[5] After the unbridled silliness of Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only makes an effort to dial down the franchise's more comic-book qualities. After an unceremonious pre-title demise of long-time supervillain Blofeld, For Your Eyes Only achieves that goal, but it…
The Fox and the Hound (1981)
[7] Disney's The Fox and the Hound opens with a young fox being chased by a hunting dog. It scrambles through the woods and finds a hiding place to ditch the baby fox it's carrying in its mouth. Then it…