To many looking back, the year 1980 signaled not only the end of the 70’s – a decade that saw Watergate, the end of the Vietnam War, the birth of punk and disco - but also the finish of the turbulent, brilliant creative decade that’s come to be known as The New Hollywood. So the question is: was 1980 the nail in the coffin of possibly the greatest period in Hollywood history – or was it a crossroads, when the movie industry began to split into two distinct but related camps, the Blockbuster and the Independent film? At the quarter century mark, it’s a good time to take a closer look at a watershed year that saw mainstream Hollywood in full force with mega-hit comedies (THE BLUES BROTHERS), horror films (FRIDAY THE 13^th) and a terrific, much-anticipated sequel (THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK) to one of the most successful films of all time. At the other end of the spectrum, 1980 also fostered the nascent American indie film scene in movies such as director John Sayles THE RETURN OF THE SECAUCUS 7 and Jonathan Demme’s wildly offbeat MELVIN AND HOWARD. And before anyone says the creative explosion of the New Hollywood had died out, there’s Martin Scorsese’s towering masterpiece RAGING BULL and David Lynch’s eerie, heartbreaking THE ELEPHANT MAN.

Thursday, April 14 – 8:00 PM

RAGING BULL, 1980, MGM/UA, 128 min. Widely regarded as one of the finest American movies of the past 25 years, director Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece is a stunning b&w portrait of prizefighter Jake La Motta (Robert DeNiro) and his harrowing, destructive bouts in and out of the ring. Winner of Academy Awards for Best Actor (DeNiro) and Editing (Thelma Schoonmaker). With Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci. At 7:30 PM, Boxing Coach Mick E. Jones (former National Golden Gloves Champion) and his very own "Million Dollar Babies" will do a Boxing Demonstration in the Egyptian Theatre Courtyard prior to the film. In collaboration with the Hollywood YMCA.

>> Also playing at the Aero on April 28.

Friday, April 15 – 8:00 PM

>> Also playing at the Aero on April 29.

Saturday, April 16 – 5:30 PM

THE BLUES BROTHERS, 1980, Universal, 132 min. "Rollin’ rollin’ rollin,’ keep those doggies rollin’ … RAWHIDE!!" Jake and Elwood Blues (John Belushi and Dan Akroyd) go on a cross-country "mission from God" that leaves a mighty trail of destruction in their wake and some unforgettable musical numbers courtesy of the great Ray Charles, James Brown and Aretha Franklin. Director John Landis’ wildly funny (and over-the-top) film created a genre all its own: the apocalyptic-musical-comedy-road movie.

An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!

Saturday, April 16 – 8:15 PM

FRIDAY THE 13^TH, 1980, Paramount, 95 min. Director Sean Cunningham synthesized a number of gory elements from earlier 1970’s horror pix such as TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (which he produced) and Bava's TWITCH OF THE DEATH NERVE to concoct this prototype of the slasher-stalks-teens genre, achieving some genuinely creepy frissons and creating box office magic in the process. After a young boy drowns at Camp Crystal Lake in the late 1950’s, a number of teenagers are murdered by an unknown killer. The camp is closed down, then despite local warnings, reopened again years later in 1980. But the murders start anew, perpetrated by a hockey mask wearing, seemingly indestructible maniac. With Betsey Palmer, Adrienne King, Kevin Bacon.

An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!

Sunday, April 17 – 5:00 PM

Double Feature:

MELVIN AND HOWARD, 1980, Universal, 95 min. Director Jonathan Demme created one of his most enduring, rewarding films in this warmly funny sleeper, a hymn to independent dreamers everywhere. Paul LeMat is perfect as Melvin Dummar, a hapless average Joe who unknowingly gives a ride to the elderly Howard Hughes (Jason Robards) in the nocturnal Nevada desert and finds he may be the heir to Hughes’ vast fortune as a consequence. Mary Steenburgen, priceless as Melvin’s lovable, slightly daft spouse, won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Bo Goldman also won an Oscar for Best Screenplay. With a sterling cast that includes Michael J. Pollard, Jack Kehoe, Gloria Grahame.

THE RETURN OF THE SECAUCUS 7, 1980, IFC Films, 110 min. John Sayles’ debut as director also became something of a template for the emerging American indie film scene: a beautifully nuanced ensemble piece about seven friends who revisit their 60’s radical days ten years after the fact. It’s even more bittersweet to look at the film now, given our distance from 1980 when the film was made. The movie was also, famously, the inspiration for THE BIG CHILL. Starring Bruce MacDonald, Maggie Renzie, David Strathairn, Adam Lefevre, John Sayles.

>> MELVIN AND HOWARD also playing at the Aero on a April 30.