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Contemporary Fiction > 1981
Contemporary Fiction Movies Released in 1981
This list shows all Contemporary Fiction films released in 1981, including films that went direct-to-video, or only got an international theatrical release. For each film, we use the first date on which it was made available to the public, which might include international theatrical or domestic video releases that were a few days, or sometimes more, earlier than the domestic (US/Canada) theatrical release.
The revenue listed is the worldwide box office combined with the domestic home market revenue to date.
Domestic Analysis for Contemporary Fiction Movies for 1981
Release
Date | Movie | Genre | Release
Type | Revenue
to Date | Trailer |
|---|
| January, 1981 |
| January 1 |
My Dinner with Andre |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$15,063 |
|
|
Scream |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| 1981 TBD |
Roar |
Adventure |
Theatrical |
$2,809,357 |
|
| |
| January 23 |
Le notti del terrore |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| February, 1981 |
| February 1 |
Subway Riders |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| February 6 |
Goodbye Pork Pie |
Action |
Theatrical |
$394 |
|
| |
| February 11 |
My Bloody Valentine |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
Sphinx |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$11,400,000 |
|
| |
| February 13 |
The Dogs of War |
Action |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| |
| Feb, 1981 TBD |
Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dra… |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| March, 1981 |
| March 1 |
Baekugido bame uneunga |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$1,756 |
|
| |
| March 4 |
Madhouse |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| March 6 |
All Night Long |
Romantic Comedy |
Theatrical |
$7,800,000 |
|
| |
| March 13 |
Back Roads |
Romantic Comedy |
Theatrical |
$11,809,387 |
|
|
Loophole |
Adventure |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
Modern Romance |
Romantic Comedy |
Theatrical |
$29,137 |
|
| |
| March 20 |
The Postman Always Rings Twice |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$44,200,000 |
|
| |
| March 21 |
Si wang ta (死亡塔) |
Action |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| March 27 |
Eyes of a Stranger |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$546,724 |
|
|
Thief |
Action |
Theatrical |
$5,066,732 |
|
| April, 1981 |
| April 10 |
Knightriders |
Action |
Theatrical |
$57,424 |
|
|
Nighthawks |
Action |
Theatrical |
$19,600,000 |
|
| |
| April 18 |
Subzero Point '81 |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$10,421 |
|
| |
| April 24 |
Cannibal ferox |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$176,339 |
|
|
Ms. 45 |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| April 30 |
Friday the 13th Part 2 |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$21,722,776 |
|
| |
| Apr, 1981 TBD |
Bedtime for Bonzo |
Comedy |
Video |
$0 |
|
| May, 1981 |
| May 1 |
Graduation Day |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$23,894,000 |
|
|
King of the Mountain |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$958,637 |
|
| |
| May 8 |
The Burning |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
Loulou |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$1,343 |
|
| |
| May 15 |
The Fan |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
Happy Birthday To Me |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$10,609,514 |
|
| |
| May 22 |
Bustin' Loose |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$31,261,000 |
|
|
The Four Seasons |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$42,488,161 |
|
| |
| May 29 |
Polyester |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| June, 1981 |
| June 5 |
Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$37,000,000 |
|
| |
| June 19 |
The Cannonball Run |
Action |
Theatrical |
$57,498,710 |
|
| |
| June 26 |
For Your Eyes Only |
Action |
Theatrical |
$195,300,000 |
|
|
Stripes |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$85,300,000 |
|
| July, 1981 |
| July 1 |
S.O.B. |
Black Comedy |
Theatrical |
$14,867,086 |
|
| |
| July 10 |
Vecinos |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| July 17 |
Arthur |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$81,464,486 |
|
|
Endless Love |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$33,000,000 |
|
| |
| July 24 |
Blow Out |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$13,747,988 |
|
| August, 1981 |
| August 7 |
Condorman |
Action |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
An Eye for an Eye |
Action |
Theatrical |
$7,496,681 |
|
|
Hell Night |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$2,300,000 |
|
|
Student Bodies |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$1,582,148 |
|
| |
| August 14 |
Quella villa accanto al cimitero |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| August 19 |
Prince of the City |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$9,000,000 |
|
| |
| August 21 |
An American Werewolf in London |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$61,968,388 |
|
|
Honky Tonk Freeway |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$939,423 |
|
| |
| August 28 |
Body Heat |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$24,058,000 |
|
|
Private Lessons |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$18,066,774 |
|
| September, 1981 |
| September 18 |
Continental Divide |
Romantic Comedy |
Theatrical |
$15,578,000 |
|
| |
| September 25 |
Aus dem Leben der Marionetten |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$4,289 |
|
|
Carbon Copy |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$8,431,768 |
|
|
Southern Comfort |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$3,562,862 |
|
| October, 1981 |
| October 9 |
Tattoo |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$860,472 |
|
| |
| October 21 |
The Professional |
Action |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| October 23 |
Enter the Ninja |
Action |
Theatrical |
$92,327 |
|
|
Nightmare |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| October 24 |
Aengmusae Momeulo Uleossda |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$1,415 |
|
| |
| October 30 |
Halloween II |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$25,533,818 |
|
| |
| October 31 |
Shock Treatment |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| November, 1981 |
| November 13 |
The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper |
Adventure |
Theatrical |
$2,104,164 |
|
| |
| November 19 |
Absence of Malice |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$33,312,129 |
|
|
Roadgames |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| November 27 |
Just Before Dawn |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| |
| November 30 |
La Cripta |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
| December, 1981 |
| December 2 |
Whose Life is it Anyway? |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$6,100,000 |
|
| |
| December 4 |
On Golden Pond |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$119,892,825 |
|
| |
| December 9 |
La Chèvre |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$0 |
|
|
Taps |
Drama |
Theatrical |
$35,856,053 |
|
| |
| December 11 |
Buddy Buddy |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$5,299,037 |
|
|
Rollover |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$10,217,873 |
|
| |
| December 18 |
Ghost Story |
Horror |
Theatrical |
$16,202,210 |
|
|
Neighbors |
Black Comedy |
Theatrical |
$29,952,397 |
|
|
Sharky's Machine |
Thriller/Suspense |
Theatrical |
$33,057,673 |
|
| |
| December 25 |
Modern Problems |
Comedy |
Theatrical |
$24,474,312 |
|
