Superhits like The Lion King, Aladdin, or Beauty and the Beast soon followed in the early- to mid-1990s. Similarly, Disney began its “Renaissance” of animated features at the tail end of the 1980s, with The Little Mermaid in 1989. Many early masterpieces from legendary Studio Ghibli also released during the eighties: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind in 1984, Castle in the Sky in 1986, Grave of the Fireflies and My Neighbor Totoro (both 1988), and lastly, Kiki’s Delivery Service in 1989. The Z storyline of Dragon Ball, the blueprint of modern fighting anime, debuted in 1988. Mecha anime Gundam made it big in the 1980s and is now part of everyday life in Japan.
#80S NOSTALGIA TV#
Same for Cyberpunk: this variant of science-fiction storytelling is deeply rooted in the 1980s, established on the big screen by Blade Runner in 1982, and continued, for example, by anime TV shows and movies, such as Bubblegum Crisis (1987) or Akira (1988). Gundam and Macross hit the mainstream in the early- to mid-1980s, redefining sci-fi and mecha anime. There was also the rise of Japanese anime. Influential superstars emerged from the wave, like actors Jackie Chan and Andy Lau, or action directors John Woo and Ringo Lam. Lots of movies from all kinds of genres came out on a seemingly monthly basis. In addition to many franchises starting in the 1980s, there are also some bigger, long-lasting trends that can be traced back to the decade.įor example, Hongkong cinema experienced a peak in the 1980s. Larger Trends of the 1980s: Ghibli, Disney, John Woo Other media properties from the 80s that are still part of the cultural consciousness include: And It: Chapter Two is the sequel to the second film version of Stephen King’s 1986 book.īumblebee wears the 1980s on its sleeve, there’s even a special retro style trailer for it.
#80S NOSTALGIA MOVIE#
Child’s Play (2019) is a reboot of the original movie from 1988. Bumblebee (2018) is a spin-off to the live-action adaptation of the original Transformers cartoon. Terminator: Dark Fate and Rambo: Last Blood, both from 2019, are direct follow-ups to the respective main series. And that is the reason why the eighties are immortal in today’s cultural discourse.įor starters, consider this list of media franchises from the 1980s:Īll of them have had new chapters released in the last couple of years. In fact, scores of important visual media properties took shape during these years. They started long-lasting, influential franchises. What do these films have in common? They are highly original and classics in their genre. It’s a question I’ve grappled with for a long time: why is 80s nostalgia so strong, still to this day? I may have found the answer.īack to the Future.