1981 FILM BALLOT

the point of this exercise isn't merely to stand in contrast to industry awards shows but to shine light on other works/achievements/performances that might've not gotten enough consideration during their initial releases 

Another one of my old "Best in Film" ballots. 
Other year-end ballots posted at The Wandering Image:   1980, 1981,
 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991,1992,
 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

 
Also, if you wish to view my favorite 30 films of 1981, go here

Note: "Animated Short" and "Animated Feature" categories have been merged into one Animation category, regardless of runtime length. Also "Sound Editing" and "Sound Mixing" have been combined into one "Sound Design" category. Focusing on both overall mix and sound creation. I also had to drop the "Non-animated short" category, due to not having seen that many shorts pre 1983.

1981

*BLOW OUT
POSSESSION
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
THE EVIL DEAD

THIEF

MANIAC!
CUTTER'S WAY
TIME BANDITS

THE HOWLING

MS. 45

INDIA SONG

PIXOTE

REDS

THE AVIATOR'S WIFE

LOLA

FEHÉRLÓFIA

EXCALIBUR

LE PONT DU NORD

POLYESTER

actual best picture oscar nominees:
ATLANTIC CITY
CHARIOTS OF FIRE (won)
ON GOLDEN POND
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
REDS

actual foreign language oscar nominees:
THE BOAT IS FULL
MAN OF IRON
MEPHISTO (won)
MUDDY RIVER
THREE BROTHERS

1981

*Brian De Palma 

                    for BLOW OUT 
Andrzej Żuławski for POSSESSION
Steven Spielberg for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

Michael Mann for THIEF

Sam Raimi for EVIL DEAD

actual oscar nominees:
Louis Malle for ATLANTIC CITY
Hugh Hudson for CHARIOTS OF FIRE
Mark Rydell for ON GOLDEN POND
Spielberg for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Warren Beatty for REDS (won)

1981

*Isabelle Adjani in POSSESSION
Meryl Streep in THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN
Faye Dunaway in MOMMIE DEAREST
Diane Keaton in REDS
Susan Sarandon in ATLANTIC CITY

actual oscar nominees:
Katharine Hepburn in ON GOLDEN POND (won)
Diane Keaton in REDS
Marsha Mason in ONLY WHEN I LAUGH
Susan Sarandon in ATLANTIC CITY
Meryl Streep in THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN

1981

*John Heard in CUTTER'S WAY

Joe Spinell in MANIAC

Burt Lancaster in ATLANTIC CITY
Warren Beatty in REDS
John Travolta in BLOW OUT

actual oscar nominees:
Warren Beatty in REDS
Henry Fonda in ON GOLDEN POND (won)
Burt Lancaster in ATLANTIC CITY
Dudley Moore in ARTHUR
Paul Newman in ABSENCE OF MALICE

1981

*Maureen Stapleton in REDS
Karen Allen in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Melinda Dillon in ABSENCE OF MALICE
Nancy Allen in BLOW OUT
Jenny Agutter in AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON

actual oscar nominees:
Melinda Dillon in ABSENCE OF MALICE   
Jane Fonda in ON GOLDEN POND   
Joan Hackett in ONLY WHEN I LAUGH   
Elizabeth McGovern in RAGTIME   
Maureen Stapleton in REDS (won)

1981

*David Rappaport 

                       in TIME BANDITS

John Gielgud in ARTHUR
Howard E. Rollins, Jr. in RAGTIME
Jack Nicholson in REDS
John Rhys-Davies in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Ian Holm in TIME BANDITS

actual oscar nominees:
James Coco in ONLY WHEN I LAUGH   
John Gielgud in ARTHUR (won)
Ian Holm in CHARIOTS OF FIRE
Jack Nicholson in REDS
Howard E. Rollins, Jr. in RAGTIME

1981

*REDS 

    - Warren Beatty, Trevor Griffiths
ATLANTIC CITY - John Guare
MY DINNER WITH ANDRE - Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn
THE HOWLING - John Sayles

ROAD GAMES - Everett De Roche; Richard Franklin
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK - L.Kasdan, Philip Kaufman

MODERN ROMANCE - Albert Brooks

actual oscar nominees:
ABSENCE OF MALICE
ARTHUR
ATLANTIC CITY
CHARIOTS OF FIRE (won)
REDS

1981

*THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN - Harold Pinter
PENNIES FROM HEAVEN - Dennis Potter
CUTTER'S WAY - Jeffrey Alan Fiskin
GREAT MUPPET CAPER - Tom Patchett, Jay Tarses, Jerry Juhl, Jack Rose
PRINCE OF THE CITY - Sidney Lumet 

actual oscar nominees:
THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN
ON GOLDEN POND (won)
PENNIES FROM HEAVEN
PRINCE OF THE CITY
RAGTIME

1981

*VERNON, FLORIDA
THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
EL SALVADOR: ANOTHER VIETNAM
CLIPPERTON

actual oscar nominees: 
AGAINST THE WIND AND TIDE
BROOKLYN BRIDGE
EIGHT MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT: PORTRAIT OF DR. HELEN CALDICOTT
EL SALVADOR: ANOTHER VIETNAM
GENOCIDE (won)

1981

*FEHÉRLÓFIA

AMERICAN POP
HABFÜRDÖ

CRAC

THE FOX AND THE HOUND

HEAVY METAL
EINMART
CHIE THE BRAT

Will Vinton's THE CREATION

actual oscar nominees animated short:
CRAC (won)
THE CREATION
THE TENDER TALE OF CINDERELLA PENGUIN

1981

*RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK 

                     - John Williams >
THIEF - Tangerine Dream >

SOUTHERN COMFORT - Ry Cooder >

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK - John Carpenter >

CHARIOTS OF FIRE - Vangelis >

RAGTIME - Randy Newman >

actual oscar nominees:
CHARIOTS OF FIRE (won)
DRAGONSLAYER
ON GOLDEN POND
RAGTIME
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

 

categories below this point are

↓for you technical craft lovers↓

1981

*REDS - Vittorio Storaro, AIC, ASC
HEAVEN'S GATE - Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, HSC
EXCALIBUR - Alex Thomson, BSC
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK - Douglas Slocombe, ASC
THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN - Freddie Francis, BSC

actual oscar nominees:
EXCALIBUR
ON GOLDEN POND
RAGTIME
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
REDS (won)

1981

*BLOW OUT - Paul Hirsch
REDS - Dede Allen, Craig McKay
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK - Michael Kahn
THIEF - Dov Hoenig
POSSESSION - Suzanne Lang-Willar, Marie-Sophie Dubus

actual oscar nominees:
CHARIOTS OF FIRE
THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN
ON GOLDEN POND
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (won)
REDS

1981- production design + set decor

*HEAVEN'S GATE 

          - Tambi Larsen; Jim Berkey
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK 

                          - Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley; Michael Ford
REDS - Richard Sylbert; Michael Seirton
TIME BANDITS - Milly Burns
THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN 

                                    - Assheton Gorton; Ann Mollo

actual oscar nominees:
THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN
HEAVEN'S GATE
RAGTIME
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (won)
REDS 

1981

*HEAVEN'S GATE - Allen Highfill
EXCALIBUR - Bob Ringwood
PENNIES FROM HEAVEN - Bob Mackie
THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN - Tom Rand
TIME BANDITS - Jim Acheson

actual oscar nominees:
CHARIOTS OF FIRE (won)
THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN
PENNIES FROM HEAVEN
RAGTIME
REDS 

1981

*AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON - Rick Baker
THE HOWLING - Rob Bottin
HEARTBEEPS - Stan Winston
SCANNERS - Dick Smith, Gary Zeller
DEAD & BURIED - Stan Winston

actual oscar nominees:
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (won)
HEARTBEEPS

1981

*RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
DRAGONSLAYER
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN PARIS
OUTLAND

THE HOWLING
POSSESSION

SCANNERS

CLASH OF THE TITANS

actual oscar nominees: 
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (won)
DRAGONSLAYER

1981

*RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
BLOW OUT
OUTLAND
PENNIES FROM HEAVEN

actual oscar nominees sound edit:
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (won)

actual oscar nominees sound mix:
ON GOLDEN POND
OUTLAND
PENNIES FROM HEAVEN
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK  (won)
REDS

↓additional categories courtesy of Muriel:

 

1981

*1) Jack is too late - BLOW OUT
2) Old testament wrath. Nazis open the ark 

------------------------------------------ RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
3) Anna's extended demonic convulsing in subway 

-------------------------------------------------- POSSESSION
4) the Halloween party massacre - Ms. 45
5) Stop-motion deadites splattering & melting 

------------------------------------------------ THE EVIL DEAD
6) Snake lands glider craft on World Trade tower 

---------------------------------------------- ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK 
7) First full moon transformation 

--------------------------------- AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON
8) Host's head explodes during demonstration - SCANNERS
9) Gunther's Frankenstein mask is removed 

--------------------------------------------- THE FUNHOUSE
10) Excalibur is thrown back to the Lady of Lake. 

**finale** ------------------------------------------ EXCALIBUR

-tie- sudden massacre of rafting campers - THE BURNING

11) Terri doesn’t notice a werewolf has entered the room 

----------------------------------------------- THE HOWLING
12) Accidentally trips every booby-trap in Peruvian temple 

----------------------------------------------- RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
13) the final wave from the trenches. **Archy’s fate** 

--------------------------------------------------- GALLIPOLI
14) Dealing sequence in the punk club. "Pretty Vacant" 

------------------------------------------------ AMERICAN POP
15) portal in Kevin’s bedroom wall + Evil’s floating head 

------------------------------------------------ TIME BANDITS

-tie- first showdown w/dragon within its layer 

---------------------------------------------- DRAGONSLAYER

also this:

Mel Brooks presents The Inquisition

  

1981

*REDS
HEAVEN'S GATE
TIME BANDITS
SOUTHERN COMFORT
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK








Other year-end ballots posted at The Wandering Image:   1980, 1981,
 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991,1992,
 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,
 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014