The1980s (pronounced "nineteen-eighties", shortened to "the '80s" or "the Eighties") was the decade that began on January 1, 1980, and ended on December 31, 1989.
The decade saw a dominance ofconservatism andfree market economics, and a socioeconomic change due to advances in technology and a worldwide move away fromplanned economies and towardslaissez-faire capitalism compared to the 1970s. As economic deconstruction increased in the developed world, multiplemultinational corporations associated with the manufacturing industry relocated intoThailand, Mexico,South Korea,Taiwan, and China. Japan andWest Germany saw large economic growth during this decade. TheAIDS epidemic became recognized in the 1980s and has since killed an estimated 40.4 million people (as of 2022[update]).Global warming theory began to spread within the scientific and political community in the 1980s.
The United Kingdom and the United States moved closer tosupply-side economic policies, beginning a trend towards global instability of international trade that would pick up more steam in thefollowing decade as the fall of the USSR maderight-wing economic policy more powerful.
Thefinal decade of the Cold War opened with the US-Soviet confrontation continuing largely without any interruption. Superpower tensions escalated rapidly as President Reagan scrapped the policy of détente and adopted a new, much more aggressive stance on the Soviet Union. The world came perilously close to nuclear war for the first time since theCuban Missile Crisis in 1962, butthe second half of the decade saw a dramatic easing of superpower tensions and ultimately the total collapse of Soviet communism.
Developing countries across the world faced economic and social difficulties as they suffered from multiple debt crises in the 1980s, requiring many of these countries to apply for financial assistance from theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF) and theWorld Bank.Ethiopia witnessedwidespread famine in the mid-1980s during the corrupt rule ofMengistu Haile Mariam, resulting in the country having to depend on foreign aid to provide food to its population and worldwide efforts to address and raise money to help Ethiopians, such as theLive Aid concert in 1985.
By 1986, nationalism was making a comeback in the Eastern Bloc, and the desire for democracy insocialist states, combined with economic recession, resulted inMikhail Gorbachev'sglasnost andperestroika, which reduced Communist Party power, legalized dissent and sanctioned limited forms of capitalism such asjoint ventures with companies fromcapitalist countries. After tension for most of the decade, by 1988 relations between the communist and capitalist blocs had improved significantly and the Soviet Union was increasingly unwilling to defend its governments in satellite states.
The 1980s was an era of tremendous population growth around the world, surpassing the 1970s and 1990s, and arguably being the largest in human history. During the 1980s, the world population grew from 4.4 to 5.3 billion people. There were approximately 1.33 billion births and 480 million deaths. Population growth was particularly rapid in a number of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian countries during this decade, with rates of natural increase close to or exceeding 4% annually. The 1980s saw the advent of the ongoing practice ofsex-selective abortion in China and India asultrasound technology permitted parents to selectively abort baby girls.
The 1980s saw great advances in genetic and digital technology. After years of animal experimentation since 1985, the first genetic modification of 10 adult human beings took place in May 1989, agene tagging experiment which led to the first true gene therapy implementation in September 1990. The first "designer babies", a pair of female twins, were created in a laboratory in late 1989 and born in July 1990 after being sex-selected via the controversialassisted reproductive technology procedurepreimplantation genetic diagnosis.Gestational surrogacy was first performed in 1985 with the first birth in 1986, making it possible for a woman to become a biological mother without experiencing pregnancy for the first time in history.
The globalinternet took shape in academia by the second half of the 1980s, as well as many othercomputer networks of both academic and commercial use such asUSENET,Fidonet, and thebulletin board system. By 1989, the Internet and the networks linked to it were a global system with extensive transoceanic satellite links and nodes in mostdeveloped countries. Based on earlier work, from 1980 onwardsTim Berners-Lee formalized the concept of theWorld Wide Web by 1989.Television viewing became commonplace in theThird World, with the number of TV sets in China and India increasing by 15 and 10 times respectively.
Themoonwalk, orbackslide, is apoppingdance move in which the performerglides backwards but their body actions suggest forward motion. It became popular around the world when American singerMichael Jackson performed the move during the performance of "Billie Jean" onMotown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever, which was broadcast in 1983; he later incorporated it in tours and live performances. Jackson has been credited as renaming the "backslide" to the moonwalk and it became his signature move. (Full article...)
... that it took almost as long to renovate New York City'sBorough Hall station in the 1980s as it did to construct the original subway line?
... thatAnne Bayley's clinical research in Zambia showed that, contrary to widespread opinion in the early 1980s,HIV could be spread through heterosexual sex?
... that in the 1980s, "Sherman Bonner, The Human Thermometer" presented the weather onan Arkansas TV station?
... that, during the 2012Weezer Cruise, band members oversaw wedding vow renewals, a shuffleboard contest, a midnight movie screening, and a 1980s-themed prom?
... thatShanghai Trolleybus Route 20 was so popular in the 1980s that it required 65 buses to run as little as 30 seconds apart?
... that theFighting Vanguard waged a guerrilla war against the Syrian government in the 1970s and 1980s?
DuringWorld War II, theAnglo-Soviet invasion of Iran forced the abdication of Reza Shah and succession of Mohammad Reza Shah. During his reign, theBritish-owned oil industry wasnationalized by the prime ministerMohammad Mosaddegh, who had support from Iran's national parliament to do so; however, Mosaddegh was overthrown in the1953 Iranian coup d'état, which was carried out by the Iranian military under the aegis of the United Kingdom and the United States. Subsequently, the Iranian government centralized power under the Shah and brought foreign oil companies back into the country's industry through theConsortium Agreement of 1954. (Full article...)
Image 13The world map of military alliances in 1980:NATO & Western allies,Warsaw Pact & other Soviet allies, Non-aligned countries, China and Albania (communist countries, but not aligned with USSR),××× Armed resistance (fromPortal:1980s/General images)
Image 18Stage view of theLive Aid concert atPhiladelphia'sJFK Stadium in the United States in 1985. The concert was a major global international effort by musicians and activists to sponsor action to send aid to the people ofEthiopia who were suffering from a majorfamine. (fromPortal:1980s/General images)
Image 21TheGrateful Dead in 1980. Left to right: Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh. Not pictured: Brent Mydland. (fromPortal:1980s/General images)
The plot revolves around Adam and Barbara Maitland, a recently deceased couple. Asghosts, they are not allowed to leave their house. They contact Betelgeuse, a sleazy "bio-exorcist", to scare the house's new inhabitants away. The film prominently features music fromHarry Belafonte's albumsCalypso andJump Up Calypso. (Full article...)
ProducerDavid De Silva conceived the premise in 1976, partially inspired by the musicalA Chorus Line. He commissioned playwright Gore to write the script, originally titledHot Lunch, before selling it toMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). After he was hired to direct the film, Parker rewrote the script with Gore, aiming for a darker and more dramatic tone. The script's subject matter received criticism by the New York Board of Education, which prevented the production from filming in the actual High School of Performing Arts. The film was shot on location in New York City, withprincipal photography beginning in July 1979 and concluding after 91 days. Parker encountered a difficult filming process, which included conflicts withU.S. labor unions over various aspects of the film's production. (Full article...)
Roar is a 1981 Americanadventure comedy film written and directed byNoel Marshall. Its plot follows Hank, a naturalist who lives on a nature preserve in Africa with lions, tigers, and other big cats. When his family visits him, they are instead confronted by the group of animals. The film stars Marshall as Hank, his real-life wifeTippi Hedren as his wife Madeleine, with Hedren's daughterMelanie Griffith and Marshall's sons John and Jerry Marshall in supporting roles.
In 1969, while Hedren was filmingSatan's Harvest inMozambique, she and Marshall had occasion to observe a pride of lions move into a recently vacated house, driven by increased poaching. They decided to make a film centered around that theme, with production starting when the first script was completed in 1970. They began bringing rescued big cats into their homes in California and living with them. Filming began in 1976; it was finished after five years. The film was fully completed after11 years in production. (Full article...)
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Shiva (also speltSiva) is a 1989 IndianTelugu-languagecrime action film directed byRam Gopal Varma in his directoral debut and the film is produced by Akkineni Venkat and Yarlagadda Surendra underAnnapurna Studios and SS Creations. The film, which marks the directorial debut of Ram Gopal Varma, explores the concepts of student exploitation byanti-social elements and the impact ofcrowd psychology.
Hughes wrote the screenplay in less than a week. Filming began in September 1985 and finished in November, featuringmany Chicago landmarks including theSears Tower,Wrigley Field, and theArt Institute of Chicago. The film was Hughes's love letter to Chicago: "I really wanted to capture as much of Chicago as I could. Not just in the architecture and landscape, but the spirit." (Full article...)
Ideas for the film began when Reiner andPenny Marshall divorced. An interview Ephron conducted with Reiner provided the basis for Harry; Sally was based on Ephron and some of her friends. Crystal came on board and made his own contributions to the screenplay. Ephron supplied the structure of the film with much of the dialogue based on the real-life friendship between Reiner and Crystal. The soundtrack consists of standards fromHarry Connick Jr., with abig band and orchestra arranged byMarc Shaiman. For his work on the soundtrack, Connick won his firstGrammy Award forBest Jazz Male Vocal Performance. (Full article...)
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Jaws 3-D (titledJaws III in its 2-D form) is a 1983 Americanhorror film directed byJoe Alves and starringDennis Quaid,Bess Armstrong,Simon MacCorkindale andLouis Gossett Jr. As the secondsequel toSteven Spielberg'sJaws it was the third installment in theJaws franchise. The film follows the Brody children from the previous films toSeaWorld, a Florida marine park with underwater tunnels and lagoons. As the park prepares for opening, a younggreat white shark infiltrates the park from the sea, seemingly attacking and killing the park's employees. Once the shark is captured, it becomes apparent that a second, much larger shark also entered the park and was the real culprit.
The film made use of3D during the revived interest in the technology in the 1980s, amongst other horror films such asFriday the 13th Part III andAmityville 3-D. Cinema audiences could wear disposable cardboardpolarized 3D glasses to create the illusion that elements penetrate the screen. Several shots and sequences were designed to use the effect, such as the shark's destruction. Since 3D was ineffective in home viewing until the advent of3D televisions in the late 2000s, the alternative titleJaws III is used for television broadcasts and home media. (Full article...)
The film's development began when Ratnam began writing ashort story titled "Divya" with no cinematic plans until he finished it. Since production on his directorial debutPallavi Anu Pallavi (1983) was delayed, he took a break for a month and developed "Divya" into a film script, which would eventually be renamedMouna Ragam. Although Ratnam began work on the script duringPallavi Anu Pallavi, it languished indevelopment hell and ended up becoming his fifth film.Mouna Ragam was the first film produced by Venkateswaran'sSujatha Films, and was shot primarily inMadras, with additional filming taking place inDelhi andAgra. The music was composed byIlaiyaraaja, with lyrics byVaali.P. C. Sreeram was the cinematographer, and the art director wasThota Tharani. The film was edited byB. Lenin andV. T. Vijayan. (Full article...)
Scrooged was filmed on a $32 million budget over three months inNew York City andHollywood from December 1987 to March 1988. Murray returned to acting for the film after taking a four-year hiatus following the success ofGhostbusters, which he found overwhelming, although he had a minor role inLittle Shop of Horrors. Murray worked with Glazer and O'Donoghue on reworking the script before agreeing to join the project. The production was tumultuous, as Murray and Donner had different visions for the film. Murray described his time on the film as "misery", while Donner called Murray "superbly creative but occasionally difficult". Along with Murray's three brothers,Brian, John andJoel,Scrooged features numerous celebrity cameos. (Full article...)
Meena Panchu Arunachalam producedGuru Sishyan under the production company P. A. Art Productions. The screenplay was written by her husbandPanchu Arunachalam. The cinematography was handled by T. S. Vinayagam, the editing was by R. Vittal and C. Lancy, and the art direction was by B. Chalam. The film is Gautami's debut role inTamil cinema, and the first film in which Rajinikanth and Prabhu co-starred. Filming took place primarily inMysore andChennai, and was completed in 25 days. (Full article...)
Inchon's plot includes both military action and human drama. Characters face danger and are involved in various personal and dramatic situations. The film concludes with the American victory over North Korean forces in the Battle of Inchon, which is considered to have saved South Korea. Produced on $46 million with filming taking place in South Korea,California,Italy,Ireland andJapan, it encountered many problems during production, including a typhoon and the death of cast memberDavid Janssen. Both the Unification movement and the United States military provided personnel as extras during the filming. (Full article...)
Payanangal Mudivathillai is Sundarrajan's directorial debut and the inaugural venture ofKovaithambi's Motherland Pictures. The film was produced by R. Elanchelian, Pollachi M. V. Rathinam and P. Muthusamy.Ilaiyaraaja composed the music andS. P. Balasubrahmanyam andS. Janaki performed the songs. Cinematography was handled by Kasthuri and the editing by R. Bhaskaran. (Full article...)
ProducerMartin Bregman acquired the film rights to the book in 1976 and hired Stone, also aVietnam veteran, to co-write the screenplay with Kovic, who would be played byAl Pacino. When Stoneoptioned the book in 1978, the film adaptation became mired indevelopment hell after Pacino and Bregman left, which resulted in him and Kovic putting the film on hold. After the release ofPlatoon, the project was revived atUniversal Pictures, with Stone attached to direct. Shot on locations in thePhilippines,Texas andInglewood, California, principal photography took place from October to December 1988, lasting 65 days of filming. The film went over its initial $14 million production budget and ended up costing $17.8 million after reshoots. (Full article...)
Cameron devised the premise of the film from afever dream he experienced during the release of his first film,Piranha II: The Spawning (1982), in Rome and developed the concept in collaboration with Wisher. He sold the rights to the project to fellowNew World Pictures alumna Hurd on the condition that she would produce the film only if he were to direct it; Hurd eventually secured a distribution deal withOrion Pictures, while executive producersJohn Daly and Derek Gibson ofHemdale Film Corporation were instrumental in setting up the film's financing and production. Originally approached by Orion for the role of Reese, Schwarzenegger agreed to play the title character after befriending Cameron. Filming, which took place mostly at night on location in Los Angeles, was delayed because of Schwarzenegger's commitments toConan the Destroyer (1984), during which Cameron found time to work on the scripts forRambo: First Blood Part II (1985) andAliens (1986). The film's special effects, which includedminiatures andstop-motion animation, were created by a team of artists led byStan Winston andGene Warren Jr. (Full article...)
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