Disney Films 1979-1984
These films were made or distributed by Disney during a very transitional period in their history.
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- 23 titles
- DirectorKieth MerrillStarsEdward HerrmannKathleen LloydLorenzo LamasAn unqualified teacher finds himself saddled with coaching duties after a small group of high school seniors form a wrestling team in a last ditch effort to end a 9-year losing streak against a rival school.An independent film Disney acquired and distributed. Pretty dull and tritely written.
- DirectorBruce BilsonStarsEdward HerrmannBarbara HarrisSusan ClarkA new preacher in town joins forces with an unlikely group of crimefighters: six dedicated church ladies who are ready, but not necessarily equipped--to help.Stupid, silly Disney comedy. Some funny moments but a pretty weak film overall.
- DirectorVincent McEveetyStarsTim ConwayDon KnottsTim MathesonThe adventures of two idiotic outlaw wannabees, Amos and Theodore.Silly but mildly entertaining. Conway, Knotts, and attractive western settings make this somewhat fun.
- DirectorRuss MayberryStarsDennis DuganJim DaleRon MoodyAn astronaut and his android double travel back to the time of King Arthur.A solid little comedy with some genuinely funny moments and a pleasant cast.
- DirectorGary NelsonStarsMaximilian SchellAnthony PerkinsRobert ForsterA research vessel finds a missing ship, commanded by a mysterious scientist, on the edge of a black hole.Not a bad sci-fi adventure. Just not as good as Disney would have liked it to have been.
- DirectorsMichael NankinDavid WechterStarsDavid NaughtonDebra ClingerJoel KenneyLeon picks college students to participate in his all night scavenger hunt. Five teams receive clues to solve leading them to the next clue site hidden in the city.Painfully stupid teen comedy but somehow still somewhat diverting.
- DirectorCharles JarrottStarsElliott GouldGeneviève BujoldRicky SchroderWhen a plane carrying various animals makes a forced landing on a desert island, the only chance to escape is to convert the plane into a boat.Mildly entertaining but not very good.
- DirectorVincent McEveetyStarsCharles Martin SmithStephen W. BurnsCloris LeachmanThe adorable little VW helps its owners break up a counterfeiting ring in Mexico.Ugh. One of the worst films Disney ever made. Pretty relentlessly stupid.
- DirectorRobert AltmanStarsRobin WilliamsShelley DuvallRay WalstonThe adventures of the famous sailor man and his friends in the seaside town of Sweethaven.A coproduction between Disney and Paramount. Not to everyone’s taste but still fun and creative.
- DirectorSteven Hilliard SternStarsElliott GouldBill CosbySusan AnspachMax, a dead corrupt businessman, makes a Faustian pact with Satan's henchman to drive three people to Hell in exchange for longer life. Soon Max realizes that there still may be good in him.A pretty bleak “comedy.” Mildly entertaining at times but somewhat unpleasant.
- DirectorVincent McEveetyStarsJenny AgutterBarry NewmanKathleen NolanA woman leaves her husband after the death of her child to teach deaf children how to speak. Her own child was deaf and although she has no formal training she successfully teaches one boy.An underpraised gem. Unambitious human drama. Very moving in spots.
- DirectorMatthew RobbinsStarsPeter MacNicolCaitlin ClarkeRalph RichardsonA young wizarding apprentice is sent to kill a dragon which has been devouring girls from a nearby kingdom.Another coproduction between Disney and Paramount. Great visual effects but not special in any other sense.
- DirectorsTed BermanRichard RichArt StevensStarsMickey RooneyKurt RussellPearl BaileyA fox named Tod and a hound named Copper vow to be best friends forever. But as Copper grows into a hunting dog, their unlikely friendship faces the ultimate test.An underrated Disney classic. A much more serious, thought-provoking film than is generally acknowledged.
- DirectorCharles JarrottStarsMichael CrawfordOliver ReedBarbara CarreraCartoonist Woody becomes the superhero he draws. Using his gadgets he helps a Soviet spy defect to the West.Silly fun but pretty lightweight stuff.
- DirectorsJohn HoughVincent McEveetyStarsBette DavisLynn-Holly JohnsonKyle RichardsWhen a family moves to a country home, the young girls experience strange happenings that have a link to an occult event years past.Atmospheric PG horror! Not a bad film.
- DirectorDelbert MannStarsJohn HurtJane AlexanderDoug McKeonTrue tale about two men planning to escape from communist East Germany in a hot air balloon, but only if they can take their families with them.Solid human drama. Another underpraised gem worthy of reevaluation.
- DirectorSteven LisbergerStarsJeff BridgesBruce BoxleitnerDavid WarnerA computer hacker is abducted into a digital world and forced to participate in gladiatorial games where his only chance of escape is with the help of a heroic security program.Interesting sci-fi ideas. Interesting visuals. Just a little silly, though, and not that good overall.
- DirectorTim HunterStarsMatt DillonJim MetzlerMeg TillyAfter their mother dies and their father leaves them, teenage brothers Tex and Mason McCormick struggle to make it on their own.Maybe the best live-action film Disney made during this period. Serious, affecting teen drama.
- DirectorMichael TuchnerStarsMargot KidderRobert HaysDavid SuchetAn aspiring mystery writer becomes accidently embroiled in an international plot during a two-week stay in Malta.A little forgettable and silly but still somewhat entertaining. Margot Kidder is appealing.
- DirectorJack ClaytonStarsMary Grace CanfieldRichard DavalosJake DengelIn a small American town, a diabolical circus and its demonic proprietor prey on the townsfolk.Ambitious but doesn’t quite work or come together. Individual scenes are brilliant.
- DirectorCarroll BallardStarsCharles Martin SmithBrian DennehyZachary IttimangnaqA government researcher, sent to research the "menace" of wolves in the north, learns about the true beneficial and positive nature of the species.A genuinely good film. Doesn’t feel like a Disney film at all.
- DirectorDonald ShebibStarsRobby BensonPat HingleClaudia CronThe story of Billy Mills, the American Indian who came from obscurity to win the 10,000-meter long-distance foot-race in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.An independent film Disney acquired and distributed. A solid if not particularly memorable historical drama.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsTom HanksDaryl HannahEugene LevyA young man is reunited with a mermaid he briefly encountered as a boy and falls in love with her without knowing her secret.Fun if lightweight fantasy comedy. Beloved by many but maybe a bit overrated.