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The Movies of 1980

Trivia, Word Search, and a Quiz

The year 1980 saw the release of The Empire Strikes Back, which easily became the highest grossing movie for the year. This sequel to the epic Star Wars (1977) actually grossed twice as much as either Dolly Parton's 9 to 5 or Richard Pryor's Stir Crazy, which finished second and third.

Here's some more trivia from the world of cinema in 1980:

  • Actors and actresses born this year include Zooey Deschanel, Jason Segel, Christina Ricci, Charlie Hunnam, Channing Tatum, Jason Schwartzman, and Jessica Simpson.
  • William Hurt and Drew Barrymore both made their big screen debuts in the sci-fi horror movie Altered States, as did Pierce Brosnan in the crime thriller The Long Good Friday, Willem Dafoe in the western Heaven's Gate, Michael J. Fox in the family flick Midnight Madness, Tom Hanks in the slasher He Knows You're Alone, Julie Hagerty and Robert Hayes in the hilarious Airplane!, Linda Hunt in the fun Popeye, Jeremy Irons in the biographical Nijinsky, Juliette Lewis in the comedy-drama Bronco Billy, William H. Macy in the romantic Somewhere In Time, and Cynthia Nixon in the teen drama Little Darlings.
  • Stand-up comedian and actor Richard Pryor accidently sets himself on fire while intoxicated on June 9.
  • The Blues Brothers, released on June 20, becomes the first feature film based on Saturday Night Live characters.
  • Alfred Hitchcock, director of Hollywood classics like Vertigo (1958) and Psycho (1960), dies on April 29 at the age of 80. Also dying this year are Jimmy Durante and Mae West.

1980 Movies Word Search

The movies in the following two word searches were movies released in 1980. Just like all the movies on this page (unless otherwise noted).

The first word search is easy: 20 movie titles hidden in a small 22 × 20 letter grid. The second is more challenging: 36 movie titles in a large 34 × 32 letter grid.

So load your printer with standard 8.5" × 11" paper, download, hit print and start solving. Our PDF files print out beautifully and are always free to download on our site.

[direct link]

More Word Searches

These word search puzzles are on particular movies from 1980. They each have 36 terms hidden in a large 34 × 32 letter grid.

The Empire Strikes Back Stir Crazy The Blues Brothers Nine to Five

10 Question Quiz on 1980 Movies

How well do you know what came out on the Silver Screen in 1980? Take our quiz and find out. There's no time limit and no scoring. Just have fun!

1. What was the name of the fictional hotel in Jack Nicholson's The Shining?

A. Overlook
B. Overpass
C. Redrum
D. Kubrick

2. What sport was depicted in Raging Bull?

A. Wrestling
B. Horse Racing
C. Bullfighting
D. Boxing

3. Which animal antagonized the groundskeeper Carl Spackler, played by Bill Murray, in the golf comedy Caddyshack?

A. Woodchuck
B. Groundhog
C. Gopher
D. Beaver

4. Louis Lane, played by Margot Kidder in the first movie, was played by what actress in the sequel Superman II?

A. Jessica Lange
B. Sigourney Weaver
C. Olivia Newton-John
D. Margot Kidder

5. What continent was The Gods Must Be Crazy filmed on?

A. Africa
B. Australia
C. Asia
D. South America

6. What is the name of the killer in Friday the 13th?

A. Michael Myers
B. Freddy Krueger
C. Jason Voorhees
D. Hannibal Lecter

7. Which actress was NOT in John Carpenter's The Fog?

A. Janet Leigh
B. Jamie Lee Curtis
C. Adrienne Barbeau
D. Jennifer Tilly

8. Which country singer's life is depicted in Coal Miner's Daughter?

A. Sissy Spacek
B. Patsy Kline
C. Reba McEntire
D. Loretta Lynn

9. What was the name of Clint Eastwood's orangutan in Any Which Way You Can?

A. Wyatt
B. Clyde
C. Lloyd
D. Clive

10. All four of the following stars tested and/or auditioned for the musical Fame, but only one was successful in landing a role. Who was this person?

A. Tom Cruise
B. Michelle Pfeiffer
C. Patrick Swayze
D. Debbie Allen

Want more? We have another page on the cinema from 1980

Explore other years in the world of cinema

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