The Road Warrior, a.k.a. Mad Max 2 (1981)

Still on a high from “Mad Max: Fury Road,” I caught George Miller’s “The Road Warrior” on TV, my first viewing in maybe two decades. Here, the world is spiraling toward the wasteland seen in “Beyond Thunderdome,” and the greatest commodity again is fuel. The only human need is to get the hell out to someplace else. Max –- still Mel Gibson, a remarkable actor of barely hidden rage –- reluctantly joins forces with a ragtag group of survivors who run a makeshift oil rig in the Outback desert, and are under attack from rampaging looters. Max drives the action here, figuratively and literally, as he takes the wheel of car and bus. The ending is too abrupt, as if money ran out, but the action is intense even if paling in comparison to the new film. That’s OK. Tech constraints. Imagine if Miller has today’s digital cameras 34 years ago. A-

The Great Muppet Caper (1981)

“The Muppet Movie” behind him, clearly made for and dedicated to the unbounded imagination of children, literal and those of us north of 39, Jim Henson moved forward with “The Great Muppet Caper” as a 1940s mystery movie that’s honest to God something made for himself, with a wink of genius satire. Once again in the “We’re making a movie” vein, Kermit the Frog (Henson) and Fozzie Bear (Frank Oz) play twin (!) newspaper reporters who get caught up in a diamond heist masterminded by Charles Grodin against his diva sister (Diana Rigg) in London. Along the way, they meet Miss Piggy (also Oz), and end up staying in a hotel populated by other Muppets (Scooter, Animal, etc.), and ride bicycles, drive in a bus, break in into a museum, and skydive. The bike scene blew my 7-year-old mind in 1981, and still does. Henson directs this go-round and it’s just a magical romp that again let’s children be in on the joke, no cynicism. Happiness. Best gag: Kermit teaching a taxi driver (Beauregard) to, well, drive, when the guy does not understand straight from reverse. New films pale. A

Dragonslayer (1981)

How do you know the sorcerer you hired to kill the nasty dragon terrorizing your village sucks? He has a perm haircut, weights 110 pounds and can’t even move a table. Magically or by hand. And he’s played by Peter MacNicol. “Dragonslayer” swaps plot from Beowulf, magic from “Excalibur” and a bit of whiny-ass hero from “Star Wars,” but flames out. The film is saddled with an incoherent start, a villain never explained, and sets and costumes bought wholesale from “Monty Python.” Food for thought: In a village where young virgin women are sacrificed to the cruel dragon, you’d think every teenage girl would fuck any man or boy alive to, you know, not be a virgin. Not so. The smartest girl dresses as a boy, and the rest become BBQ. Are these people worth saving? No. Unintended laughs -– MacNicol on a horse -- abound, making this watchable, but for the wrong reasons. C-

Clash of the Titans (1981 and 2010)

I must have watched 1981’s “Clash of the Titans” a hundred times as a child when it debuted on HBO, back when HBO was a fascinating addition to the phenomenon known as cable. (Yeah, I’m that old.) I still watch and enjoy it, stupid robot owl, eyebrow-raising nudity and all. It has powerful gods and goddesses, a kick-ass hero in Perseus (Harry Hamlin) with a woman (Judi Bowker as Andromeda) to rescue, and other-worldly monsters made by the hands of Ray Harryhausen. I still shudder at Medusa’s glowing green eyes and that strange, ticky groove she has. Glorious bad-on-purpose fun in line with “Flash Gordon.” A-

The 2010 remake trashes all that good badness for ugh badness, providing a Perseus (Sam Worthington) who could care less about women. He wants to kill the gods. He’s as mad as hell, and not going take it anymore! Near-MIA Andromeda barely matters. Director Louis Leterrier prefers CGI that fades from your mind the moment the visual effects fade from screen, and a revenge plot best saved for “The Punisher” or any Steven Segal film. For a film about the heavens, this film is earth bound. Liam Neeson dishes authority as Zeus, but Ralph Fiennes plays Hades as Voldermort’s younger, pouty-lipped brother, the sibling you don’t want to sit next to at Christmas. To bring up another son of god. C+

Chariots of Fire (1981)

I've always been a fan of "Chariots of Fire." I like it, a lot. Now, is it the best of 1981, as the Oscars named it? Not by a long shot. "Raiders of the Lost Ark" has that crown no doubt. But, "Chariots" is good, and it takes on two subjects widely ignored by Hollywood: religion and how one who is religious deals with glory.

Before I go on, let me say that "Chariots" has a huge spot in my heart: The last time I saw either of my grandfathers alive, I kid you not, both men were watching these movies. One in 1983, and the other in 2004. I can't explain it, but it's true.

The film focuses on two Brits competing in the 1924 Olympic track-and-field events, one a devout Scottish Christian named Eric Liddell (Ian Charleson) and the other a devout Jew named Harold Abrahams (Ben Cross). Liddell hails from a missionary family and believes his gift of speed comes from God, and that when he races, he glorifies his Master. Abrahams is the son of a banker and is wealthy for it, but still feels marginalized by the WASP culture of England. Both want gold. The crux of each man: Liddell will not run on the Sabbath, even if it means trashing Oscar glory; Abrahams wants to out run everyone to prove his race is not inferior, but he's not as fast as Liddell.

The film is told in flashbacks within flashbacks and that throws the viewer a curve ball at first, but the framing works. As the film opens, we are at the funeral of Abrahams in the late 1970s and then bounce backward to the 1920s for the famous scene of a few dozen men dressed in white t-shirts and shorts, running on the beach. Vangelis' music in this scene has been played to death, ridiculed and turned cliched, but it works. We then bounce back to 1918, post World War I, to Cambridge college students that include Abrahams and Scottish rurals that include Liddell. We finally work forward to 1924 as Abrahams and Liddell take their separate paths to glory. Whew.

The beauty of this film is in its simplicity, watching two devout men of different religions grapple with their faith and their personal glory is a rare experience. There's no conspiracy nor do terrorists or space aliens appear. The men are devout to family, to God and achieving their best. They are not loons, nor are they greedy or violent. That the film was produced by Muslim Dodi Fayed, who one day would die in a car accident with Princess Di, adds more layers to the film. I also love the editing and build up of the races throughout the film because they seek the viewpoint and memory of what it must be like to be the runner in an Olympian competition. I love the scenes of the man digging with spades to form holes to launch themselves on the track, and of necklaces dangling. Those represent the small details that must stick with an athlete as he goes back over the race in his or her head.

It's a well told tale, but not perfect. I still hate how easily the controversy over Liddell not running on Sunday is solved, and most of the supporting players are ironed flat of personality. Also a few too many guest star spots mean ... nothing. Still, it's a beautiful, well told film. Mind you, it's no "Raiders of the Lost Ark." A-