-
The Master of Suspense Dies
The famous British director and "Master of Suspense" Alfred Hitchcock died at the age of 80. -
An Actor is Elected President
Ronald Reagan was elected as the 40th president of the United States. Before being elected president, Reagan apeared in films such as Kings Row and Bedtime for Bonzo. -
The Golden Raspberry Awards was Founded
The organization to present Golden Raspberry Awards also known as the Razzies was founded to honor the worst in film. Mimicking the Academy Awards. Many of the first Razzies included Worst Picture of the year, which Can't Stop the Music won. Neil Diamond won Worst Actor for The Jazz Singer, and Brooke Shields was awarded Worst Actress for The Blue Lagoon. -
The Best Makeup Category was added to the Academy Awards
It was the first time in history that the Academy Awards had a competitive Oscar category for Best Makeup. Rick Baker won for An American Werewolf in London. -
E.T. Breaks The Box Office
Director Steven Spielberg's E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial was releasedand was a smashing sucess. It was the highest-grossing film up to its time earning $359 million at the box office. -
Coca-Cola buys Columbia Pictures
The soft-drink giant Coca Cola Company bought Columbia Pictures in a $750 million transaction. Columbia Pictures' film Gandhi goes on to win best picture the same year. -
THX Was Developed
George Lucas' THX sound system technology was developed with the main goal of recreating film sound in film theaters as the filmmakers had intended. The first film to be shown in a THX-certified theatre was Return of the Jedi - the final film in the Star Wars original trilogy. -
First PG-13 Flim is Released in the USA
Red Dawn is the first film to have a PG-13 rating released in the United States. -
The First Blockbuster Opens
The first Bockbuster opens in Dallas, Texas. -
Apple Buys PIxar
The computer graphics division of Lucasfil launched in 1979 is purchased by Apple's co-founder Steve Jobs for $10 million on. He established it as an independent company naming it Pixar. -
The Color Purple Goes 0 and 11
Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985) was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and won zero Oscars - tying a record held by the flim Turning Point. -
Half of US homes receive cable television.
Half of US homes receive cable television. -
The WGA Goes on Strike
the WGA (Writer's Guild of America) goes on strike against producers and networks that lasted 22 weeks. The costly and crippling strike delayed the start of the fall television schedule. -
Waner Communications and Time Inc Merge
Warner Communications merge with Time, Inc. to form the largest media company in the world, Time Warner. -
Sony buys Columbia Pictures
Sony Corporation purchased Columbia Pictures and Tri-Star Pictures from Coca-Cola for $3.4 billion, naming itself Sony Pictures Entertainment.
