Films of 1984

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Last Updated: 3/12/25
Total Films: 67
Note: The year of each film is according to IMDb. It sometimes changes without my knowledge. When I become aware, I will make adjustments. Like the Oscars, I select the best for each category: picture, actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, director, cinematography, editing, original screenplay, adapted screenplay, and documentary. This is based on the movies I've actually seen, and miniseries and telefilms are fair game. Each winner is named along with the next four ordered runner-ups (which may be less) and honorable mentions (if any). Any of these categories may be left blank if I feel there's no deserving winner. A ranked list of films is presented afterwards.



Best Picture
The Killing Fields

2. Amadeus
3. This Is Spinal Tap
4. The Terminator
5. A Soldier's Story
Honorable Mentions: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Natural, and The Burning Bed


Best Actor
F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus)

2. Tom Hulce (Amadeus)
3. Christopher Guest and Michael McKean (This Is Spinal Tap)
4. Sam Waterston (The Killing Fields)
5. Prince (Purple Rain)
Honorable Mentions: Michael Biehn (The Terminator), Keith Carradine (Choose Me), Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom), John Hurt (Nineteen Eighty-Four), Paul Le Mat (The Burning Bed), Eddie Murphy (Beverly Hills Cop), Robert Redford (The Natural), Howard E. Rollins, Jr. (A Soldier's Story), and Craig Wasson (Body Double)


Best Actress
Farrah Fawcett (The Burning Bed)

2.
3.
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Supporting Actor
Haing S. Ngor (The Killing Fields)

2. Adolph Caesar (A Soldier's Story)
3. Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator)
4. John Malkovich (The Killing Fields)
5. John Malkovich (Places in the Heart)
Honorable Mentions: George Bailey (Police Academy), Morris Day (Purple Rain), Danny Glover (Places in the Heart), Tony Hendra (This Is Spinal Tap), Jeffrey Jones (Amadeus), and Denzel Washington (A Soldier's Story)


Best Supporting Actress
Grace Zabriskie (The Burning Bed)

2. Geraldine Page (The Pope of Greenwich Village)
3.
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Director
Miloš Forman (Amadeus)

2. Roland Joffé (The Killing Fields)
3. Barry Levinson (The Natural)
4. Norman Jewison (A Soldier's Story)
5. Rob Reiner (This Is Spinal Tap)
Honorable Mentions: James Cameron (The Terminator), Brian De Palma (Body Double), Robert Greenwald (The Burning Bed), Joel Silberg (Breakin'), and Steven Spielberg (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)


Best Cinematography
Caleb Deschanel (The Natural)

2. Miroslav Ondříček (Amadeus)
3. Chris Menges (The Killing Fields)
4. Douglas Slocombe (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
5. John Bailey (Racing with the Moon)
Honorable Mentions: Stephen H. Burum (Body Double) and Vilmos Zsigmond (The River)


Best Editing
Michael Kahn (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)

2. Michael Chandler and Nena Danevic (Amadeus)
3. Gerald B. Greenberg and Bill Pankow (Body Double)
4. Jim Clark (The Killing Fields)
5. Mark Goldblatt (The Terminator)
Honorable Mentions: Kent Beyda and Kim Secrist (This Is Spinal Tap), Stu Linder (The Natural), and Albert Magnoli and Ken Robinson (Purple Rain)


Best Original Screenplay
Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, and Rob Reiner (This Is Spinal Tap)

2. Bruce Robinson (The Killing Fields)
3. Daniel Petrie, Jr. (Beverly Hills Cop)
4. James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator)
5. Alan Rudolph (Choose Me)
Honorable Mentions: Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)


Best Adapted Screenplay
Peter Shaffer (Amadeus)

2. Roger Towne and Phil Dusenberry (The Natural)
3. Charles Fuller (A Soldier's Story)
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Best Documentary
28 Up

2. The Times of Harvey Milk
3.
4.
5.
Honorable Mentions: None


Films Rated '10'
  1. The Killing Fields

  2. Amadeus

  3. This Is Spinal Tap

  4. The Terminator

  5. A Soldier's Story

Films Rated '9'
  1. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

  2. The Natural

  3. The Burning Bed

  4. Choose Me

Films Rated '8'
  1. Purple Rain

  2. Body Double

  3. Bachelor Party

  4. Red Dawn

  5. Places in the Heart

  6. The Cotton Club

  7. Teachers

  8. The Karate Kid

  9. Police Academy

  10. The Flamingo Kid

  11. Nineteen Eighty-Four

Films Rated '7'
  1. Beverly Hills Cop

  2. Starman

  3. Ghostbusters

  4. The Hit

  5. Racing with the Moon

  6. Breakin'

  7. The Lonely Guy

  8. A Nightmare on Elm Street

  9. The Toxic Avenger

Films Rated '6'
  1. Friday the 13th The Final Chapter

  2. Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo

  3. Once Upon a Time in America

Films Rated '5'
  1. Top Secret!

  2. Thief of Hearts

  3. Revenge of the Nerds

  4. Stranger Than Paradise

  5. Roadhouse 66

  6. The River

  7. Making the Grade

  8. 2010: The Year We Make Contact

  9. Paris, Texas

Films Rated '4'
  1. Country

  2. Flashpoint

  3. Sixteen Candles

  4. Firestarter

  5. C.H.U.D.

  6. Tightrope

  7. Silent Night, Deadly Night

Films Rated '3'
  1. Against All Odds

  2. Maria's Lovers

  3. Repo Man

  4. Footloose

  5. Conan the Destroyer

Films Rated '2'
  1. The Razor's Edge

  2. Children of the Corn

  3. Forbrydelsens element

  4. The Hills Have Eyes Part II

  5. Night of the Comet

  6. Blood Simple

  7. The Pope of Greenwich Village

  8. City Heat

  9. Die unendliche Geschichte

  10. Johnny Dangerously

Films Rated '1'
  1. Romancing the Stone

  2. Alphabet City

  3. The Company of Wolves

  4. A Passage to India