A+Look+at+the+Decade


 * __A Look at the Decade: '85-'95 __**

__ **The World Around Us** __

> __**1984:**__ Vietnam Veteran Memorial dedicated in Washington D.C. __**1985:**__ **"We are the World"** recorded to aid Africa. Gorbachev becomes leader of Soviet Union. Rock Hudson died of AIDS, bringing conversations about sexuality and AIDS to the forefront. Wreck of the Titanic found __**1986:**__ Challenger Space Shuttle explodes. Chernobyl nuclear accident. __**1987:**__ DNA first used to convict criminal. New York Stock Exchange suffers huge drop on "Black Monday," causes a recession which lasts until the early '90s. __**1988:**__ Human Genome Project funded __**1989:**__ Berlin Wall Falls, a symbolic end to the Cold War (though it officially end until 1992). Exxon Valdez spills millions of gallons of oil in the Alaskan Pacific. Massacre at Tiananmen Square. Bush announces he doesn't like broccoli. __**1990:**__ Hubble Telescope launched into space. Nelson Mandela freed in South Africa. The Americans With Disabilities Act protected people with mental and physical disabilities __**1991:**__ Collapse of the Soviet Union. Operation Desert Storm (beginning the Gulf War). South Africa repeals Apartheid. __**1992:**__ Riots in Los Angeles after the Rodney King verdict __**1993:**__ "Don't ask, don't tell" introduced in the military. Cult Compound in Waco, Texas raided. Use of the internet grows exponentially. World Trade Center bombing. __**1994:**__ The North American Free Trade Agreement hoped to eliminate barriers to trade between neighboring countries, particularly Mexico and Canada. Republicans won the majority in Congress for the first time in 40 years. Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa. O.J. Simpson arrested for double murder. Rwandan genocide. **__1995:__** Oklahoma City bombing **__media type="youtube" key="hTWKbfoikeg?rel=0" height="234" width="288" align="right"Pop Culture:__**
 * Ronald Reagan**(1981-1989)--Charismatic & symbolized patriotism, old Hollywood actor, used movie lines in speeches
 * George H.W. Bush** (1989-1993)--Any impact?
 * William Clinton** (1993-2001)--Big movie fan, many liberal actors were friends
 * **Me****! Me! Me! decade:** Baby Boomers dubbed the "splurge generation," mega-mergers prompted new billionaires (think[[image:donald-trump-275x350.jpg width="79" height="105"]] ), and "Shop til you drop" was the catch phrase. But....
 * American's donated **$115 billion to charity** in 1989.
 * **"Just Say No"** anti-drug campaign continues
 * **Technology Boomed:** Household computers started to sell, and by the end of 1989, 15% of American households had one.
 * Continuing trends from the late '70s, **divorce, unmarried couples living together, and single parent families** climbed in numbers. More **women** were earning college and advance degrees, entering the **workforce** and providing a second income for their families. Because more women were working, they tended to marry and have children at later ages.
 * **Stephen King**, Tom Clancy, and **Danielle Steel** wrote 10 out of the 13 books that sold over 1 million copies in the '80s. Popular writers of the decade were Tom Wolfe, John Grisham, Amy Tam, **Toni Morrison**, Larry McMurtry, James Michener, John Irving, **Michael Crichton**, and **Alice Walker**. Non-fiction and **self-help books** were among the most profitable.
 * **Oprah's Book Club** became popular
 * **Toys and Electronics:** Cabbage Patch Dolls, **camcorder**, Nintendo, Pack Man, **Game Boy**, Barbies (intro of Hispanic, Black, and Asian), **Smurfs**, E.T and Star Wars stuffed animals, Rubrics Cube and Yo-Yos, in-line skates, Beanie Babies, tattoos and **body piercings**
 * **Music:** Rap became popular in the late '80s, and the early '90s with M.C. Hammer, Vanilla Ice, and **L.L. Cool J**. The Grunge movement started on the west coast with bands like **Nirvana**, Stone Temple Pilots, and Pearl Jam.
 * **Madonna** helped (?) the fashion world. **Sneakers**, **hip-hop**, **grunge** and **preppy** looks were popular.



**__Number Ones__**

**1985** //Careless Whisper// by Wham! (song) //Back to the Future// ($210,609,762) (movie) //The Mammoth Hunters// by Jean M. Auel (book) //Hold On// by Wilson Phillips (song) //Ghost// ($505,702,588) (movie) //The Plains of Passage by// Jean M. Auel (book)
 * 1990 **

**1995** //Gangsta's Paradise// by Coolio (song) //Die Hard with a Vengence// ($366,101,666) (movie) //The Rainmaker// by John Grisham (book)



**__Film Industry__**
 * MPAA ratings system revised in 1984 to include **PG-13**
 * Economic **recession** of the **late '80s** and **early '90s** combined with the **VCR** gaining popularity had a **major impact** on film industry.
 * The **Majors** (the big movie companies like MGM, Paramount, Warner Bros., etc) acquired movie theaters and T.V. stations. Continuing the creation of media empires, many Majors were then **sold to conglomerates**s(larger parent companies like Viacom and AOL Time Warner).
 * **Movie attendance increases each year**: **teenagers** and **twenty-somethings** were **dictating** what was released. They wanted “films featuring **well-known performers** in simple stories displaying **humor**, **physical action**, and awesome **special effects**. There should also be **edgy violence** or **profanity**, an aura of **flippant cool**, and throwaway **references** to TV and other movies.” (Thompson and Bordwell, 684)
 * **Megapics become popular:** event movies, must-see films that could be sold globally (//Jurassic Park// did better in foreign markets than it did domestically). These movies centered around a “high concept” or an idea that was simple but intriguing.
 * **MEGAPICS = MEGAPLEXIS = MONEY:** Companies found other ways to incorporate music, figurines, games, etc. The idea was to create one huge marketing package to keep people coming to the theater. For example, you could go to see the //The Lion King//, then eat at McDonalds and get **this** [[image:MCDONALD-S-LIONKING.jpg width="120" height="75"]] then go to Toys R Us and get **this**[[image:B000096QGQ.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg width="97" height="96"]] and **this**[[image:41V0QZTGD3L._SL500_AA300_.jpg width="99" height="163"]].
 * **Rise of the blockbuster film:** sales in the first opening weekend became critical for the overall success of the movie. Megapics- went global, often selling more tickets abroad than in the US. Europe, Asia, and Latin America began adopting the American style and culture.
 * By **1988**, most U.S households had **VCRs (60 million)**, which increased a film's domestic revenue.
 * Rise of the VCR greatly impacted film styles, genres, and cultures. Movie stores were often independently owned--no Blockbuster yet.
 * Because video sales did so well, smaller **independent companies** could afford to **make films** and **distribute** them **via video**; thus, the **“independent film” boom began**.
 * More **screenwriters** and **actors** could **start directing** because of the expansion of production and stars’ bargaining power
 * **Eight important directors**: Steven **Spielberg** & George **Lucas** (really made it big in the ‘70s, but continued to do well in ‘80s and ‘90s), James **Cameron**, Robert **Zemeckis**, Oliver **Stone**, Spike **Lee**, Tim **Burton**, Michael **Mannmedia type="youtube" key="Izttrev1QE8?rel=0" height="234" width="384" align="right"**
 * **Digital cinema**—just started with //TRON// in '82, but began to become more popular in the ‘90s with //Jurassic Park//, //Batman Forever,// and //Toy Story//

**__Form, Style and Genres:__** * Comedy was equally bankable, especially **romantic comedies** with big stars such as **//When Harry Met Sally//** and //**Sleepless in Seattle**.// Female directors such as Nora Ephron and Penny Marshall became widely known for their romantic comedy craft.
 * **1980s** = more rigid storytelling conventions, plot points and character arcs, **“drama of improvement,”** meaning good characters recognize their faults and correct them by the end of the film.
 * Continuing from the ‘70s, **exploitation genres** like**horror**, **science fiction** and **fantasy** remained, but with an upgrade (**sensational violence, sexuality, obscene language).**
 * *** Tee****n** comedies from **John Hughes** and **farces** like the //Naked Gun//drew popularity.
 * * In contrast to the blockbuster, **independent films** also popular. Such films include **//Platoon//**, //**Dirty Dancing**//, and //**Mystic Pizza**// ('88). The independent film eventually became **edgier** and more Avant Garde (i.e //Pulp Fiction).//
 * //*// A new genre of blood-filled action films created. Schwarzenegger and Stallone became popular due to these types of films.
 * *** Neo-noir crime thrillers** (//Silence of the Lambs//, //Se7en//), and **straight on action** (Schwarzenegger and Stallone), action film of h**eroic adventure**, **buddy-cop** pictures.
 * * Animated films **made a comeback** with **Disney.** But Disney also wanted **to go past the G-rated image** and created Touchstone Pictures. Their first big hit was **//Splash!//**
 * **Mixing** of **genres** was popular.

Sources: //American Cultural History// "1980-1989," and "1990-1999," Peggy Whitley, Lone Star College-Kingwood Library, 1999 //A History of Narrative Film,// David A. Cook, Emory University 4th ed., W.W. Norton Co., New York, 2004 //Film History: An Introduction,//Kristin Thompson, David Bordwell, University of Wisconsin 2nd ed., McGraw Hill New York, 2003. //Wikipedia//