On This Day in 1987, ’80s Movie Fans Could Watch Six of the Best Movies of the Decade in One Day
On this day 39 years ago, unsuspecting cinema-goers could have accidentally ended up watching six of the decade’s best movies on the same day in the same theatre. While the early ’90s had more great sci-fi movies than many viewers might recall, there is no denying the fact that the ’80s were a uniquely incredible decade for the genre. From the original Star Wars trilogy’s sequels to David Cronenberg’s legendary run of sci-fi body horror movies, to Blade Runner, to James Cameron’s Aliens, the decade’s entire sci-fi output was iconic.
Of course, while the sci-fi genre brought viewers everything from The Back to the Future trilogy to The Terminator in the ’80s, that wasn’t the only genre that was killing it at the box office during the decade. In fact, on one incredible weekend in June 1987, a lucky film fan could conceivably have seen RoboCop, Full Metal Jacket, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Untouchables, Spaceballs, and Predator on the same day. As astounding as it might seem, every one of these cult classics was on wide release on this day 39 years ago, playing on over 1,000 screens across America.
RoboCop, Full Metal Jacket, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Untouchables, Spaceballs, and Predator Were All In Theatres On The Same Weekend
Stanley Kubrick’s inimitable Vietnam drama Full Metal Jacket was released on July 17, while Die Hard director John McTiernan’s original sci-fi horror/action thriller Predator arrived a week earlier on June 12. For anyone searching for something sillier, legendary comedian Mel Brooks’ zany Star Wars spoof Spaceballs was released on June 24, while director Brian De Palma’s crime drama The Untouchables was still going strong after a June 3 release.
The earliest movie in this legendary lineup was Beverly Hills Cop II, a sequel that arguably outdid its predecessor thanks to its bombastic direction from the late, great Tony Scott. Although Beverly Hills Cop II was met with surprisingly mixed reviews on its original release, the Top Gun director’s sequel earned a staggering $300 million at the box office on a budget of only $27 million.
While the same year’s other Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, The Running Man, underperformed with critics and audiences, Predator was a franchise-spawning success for the star, earning $98 million on a budget of under $20 million. The Untouchables, which dramatised the story of how Eliot Ness brought down Al Capone’s criminal empire, was an even bigger hit, making $187 million on a budget of $25 million and turning star Kevin Costner into a major box office draw.
July 24 1987, Wasn’t The Only Historically Iconic Box Office Lineup Of The ‘80s
Although Spaceballs was a relative underperformer within this lineup, making $40 million on a budget of $22 million, Full Metal Jacket’s brutal and unflinching war story didn’t put audiences off going to see Kubrick’s movie in cinemas. The loose adaptation of author Gustav Hasford’s novel The Short Timers earned $120 million on a budget of between $15 and $30 million.
While all of these movies are fondly recalled decades later, there was another weekend in the ’80s that boasted a box office lineup that was arguably even better. Five years earlier, the summer of 1982 was home to The Thing, E.T the Extra-Terrestrial, and Blade Runner, while in June 1984, the theater was home to Ghostbusters, Gremlins, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock simultaneously, as well as May’s earlier release, The Karate Kid.
