1985 in film

The following is an overview of events in 1985 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths.

Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1985 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:

Events

 * June 5 - The Chicago Cubs play the Atlanta Braves in a baseball game at Wrigley Field. Excerpts from the broadcast later pin this date as the day featured in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
 * December 3 - Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.

Awards
Academy Awards:


 * Best Picture: Out of Africa - Universal
 * Best Director: Sydney Pollack - Out of Africa
 * Best Actor: William Hurt - Kiss of the Spider Woman
 * Best Actress: Geraldine Page - The Trip to Bountiful
 * Best Supporting Actor: Don Ameche - Cocoon
 * Best Supporting Actress: Anjelica Huston - Prizzi's Honor
 * Best Foreign Language Film: The Official Story (La historia oficial), directed by Luis Puenzo, Argentina
 * Honorary Award for Lifetime Achievement: Paul Newman and Alex North

Golden Globe Awards:


 * Drama:
 * Best Picture: Out of Africa
 * Best Actor: Jon Voight - Runaway Train
 * Best Actress: Whoopi Goldberg - The Color Purple


 * Comedy or Musical:
 * Best Picture: Prizzi's Honor
 * Best Actor: Jack Nicholson - Prizzi's Honor
 * Best Actress: Kathleen Turner - Prizzi's Honor


 * Other
 * Best Supporting Actor: Klaus Maria Brandauer - Out of Africa
 * Best Supporting Actress: Meg Tilly - Agnes of God
 * Best Director: John Huston - Prizzi's Honor
 * Best Foreign Language Film: The Official Story (La historia oficial), Argentina

Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
 * When Father Was Away on Business (Otac na službenom putu), directed by Emir Kusturica, Yugoslavia

Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
 * Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi), directed by Agnès Varda, France / U.K.

Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
 * Die Frau und der Fremde (The Woman and the Stranger), directed by Rainer Simon, East Germany
 * Wetherby, directed by David Hare, United Kingdom

Golden Raspberry Awards:
 * Worst Picture: Rambo: First Blood Part II
 * Worst Director: Sylvester Stallone - Rocky IV
 * Worst Actor: Sylvester Stallone - Rambo: First Blood Part II & Rocky IV
 * Worst Actress: Linda Blair - Night Patrol, Savage Island & Savage Streets
 * Worst Supporting Actor: Rob Lowe - St. Elmo's Fire
 * Worst Supporting Actress: Brigitte Nielsen - Rocky IV
 * Worst Screenplay: Sylvester Stallone & James Cameron - Rambo: First Blood Part II
 * Worst New Star: Brigitte Nielsen - Red Sonja & Rocky IV

Australian Film Institute Awards
 * Best Film: Bliss

Notable films released in 1985
U.S.A. unless stated

#
 * 28 Up, a documentary film - (U.K.)

A
 * Adieu Bonaparte, directed by Youssef Chahine, starring Michel Piccoli - (France/Egypt)
 * The Adventures of Mark Twain, starring James Whitmore
 * After Hours, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Catherine O'Hara, Teri Garr, Linda Fiorentino, John Heard, Verna Bloom, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong
 * Agnes of God, directed by Norman Jewison; starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft, Meg Tilly
 * Alamo Bay, directed by Louis Malle, starring Ed Harris and Amy Madigan
 * Alice in Wonderland, TV film, starring Natalie Gregory, Sid Caesar, Carol Channing, Sammy Davis, Jr., Telly Savalas, Ringo Starr
 * The Alley Cat (Le Matou) - (Canada)
 * American Flyers, starring Kevin Costner, David Marshall Grant, Rae Dawn Chong, Alexandra Paul
 * American Ninja, starring Michael Dudikoff
 * Angry Harvest (Bittere Ernte), starring Armin Mueller-Stahl - (West Germany)
 * Anne of Green Gables, starring Megan Follows - (Canada)
 * Arjun, starring Sunny Deol and Dimple Kapadia - (India)
 * The Assam Garden, starring Deborah Kerr and Madhur Jaffrey - (U.K.)
 * Asterix Versus Caesar (Astérix et la surprise de César) - (France)
 * The Aviator, starring Christopher Reeve, Rosanna Arquette, Jack Warden

B
 * Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, starring Sean Young, William Katt and Patrick McGoohan
 * Back to the Future, directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson
 * Bad Medicine, starring Steve Guttenberg, Julie Hagerty and Alan Arkin
 * Better Off Dead, starring John Cusack
 * Black Arrow, starring Oliver Reed and Fernando Rey
 * The Black Cauldron, directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich, with the voices of Grant Bardsley, Susan Sheridan, Freddie Jones, Nigel Hawthorne, Phil Fondacaro and John Hurt
 * Bliss - (Australia)
 * The Blue Yonder
 * The Boys Next Door, starring Maxwell Caulfield and Charlie Sheen
 * Brazil, directed by Terry Gilliam, starring Jonathan Pryce and Robert De Niro - (U.K.)
 * The Breakfast Club, directed by John Hughes, starring Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, Paul Gleason
 * Brewster's Millions, starring Richard Pryor and John Candy
 * The Bride, starring Sting and Jennifer Beals - (U.K./U.S.A.)
 * The Burmese Harp (Biruma no tategoto), directed by Kon Ichikawa, a remake of Ichikawa's 1956 film - (Japan)
 * Butterfly and Flowers (Peesua lae dokmai) - (Thailand)

C
 * Calamari Union, directed by Aki Kaurismäki - (Finland)
 * Came a Hot Friday - (New Zealand)
 * Cat's Eye, an anthology film starring Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Alan King, Kenneth McMillan, Robert Hays
 * The Care Bears Movie, starring Mickey Rooney (voice) - (Canada)
 * Cavegirl
 * Cemetery of Terror
 * Chicken with Vinegar (Poulet au Vinaigre), directed by Claude Chabrol - (France)
 * A Chorus Line, directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Michael Douglas and Alyson Reed
 * Clue, starring Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Michael McKean, Lesley Ann Warren, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Martin Mull, Colleen Camp
 * The Coca-Cola Kid, starring Eric Roberts and Greta Scacchi
 * Cocoon, directed by Ron Howard, starring Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Steve Guttenberg, Barret Oliver, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon, Tahnee Welch
 * Code of Silence, directed by Andrew Davis, starring Chuck Norris and Molly Hagan
 * Colonel Redl, directed by István Szabó, starring Klaus Maria Brandauer - (West Germany/Hungary/Austria)
 * The Color Purple, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Margaret Avery, Adolph Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong, Oprah Winfrey
 * Come and See (Idi i smotri) - (U.S.S.R.)
 * Commando, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Vernon Wells, Dan Hedaya, Bill Duke, David Patrick Kelly, Alyssa Milano
 * Compromising Positions, directed by Frank Perry, starring Susan Sarandon, Raúl Juliá, Judith Ivey, Joe Mantegna
 * Crime Wave - (Canada)
 * Crimewave, directed by Sam Raimi, starring Bruce Campbell

D
 * D.A.R.Y.L., starring Barret Oliver, Mary Beth Hurt, Michael McKean, Josef Sommer and Colleen Camp
 * Dance with a Stranger, directed by Mike Newell, starring Rupert Everett and Miranda Richardson - (U.K.)
 * Day of the Dead, directed by George A. Romero - the final part of Romero's zombie trilogy
 * Death in a French Garden (Péril en la demeure) - (France)
 * Death of a Salesman, directed by Volker Schlöndorff, starring Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich - (made for TV)
 * Death Wish 3, starring Charles Bronson
 * Defence of the Realm, starring Gabriel Byrne and Greta Scacchi - (U.K.)
 * Déjà Vu, directed by Anthony B. Richmond, starring Jaclyn Smith, Claire Bloom, Nigel Terry and Shelley Winters
 * Desert Hearts, starring Patricia Charbonneau, Helen Shaver, Audra Lindley
 * Desperately Seeking Susan, directed by Susan Seidelman, starring Rosanna Arquette, Madonna, Aidan Quinn, Laurie Metcalf
 * Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, directed by Wayne Wang
 * Dissolved and Effused (Rozpuštěný a vypuštěný) - (Czechoslovakia)
 * Dreamchild, starring Ian Holm, Coral Browne, Peter Gallagher - (U.K.)

E
 * Eleni, directed by Peter Yates, starring John Malkovich, Kate Nelligan, Linda Hunt, Glenne Headly
 * The Emerald Forest, directed by John Boorman, starring Powers Boothe, Meg Foster, Charley Boorman - (U.K.)
 * Enemy Mine, directed by Wolfgang Petersen, starring Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr. - (West Germany/U.S.A.)
 * Eoudong (Courtesan) - (South Korea)
 * Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, starring Wilford Brimley and Warwick Davis
 * Explorers, directed by Joe Dante, starring Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix and Jason Presson

F
 * The Falcon and the Snowman, directed by John Schlesinger, starring Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn
 * Family Life (La Vie de Famille) - (France)
 * Fandango, starring Kevin Costner and Judd Nelson
 * Festa di laurea (Graduation Party) - (Italy)
 * Fever Pitch, directed by Richard Brooks, starring Ryan O'Neal, Giancarlo Giannini, Chad Everett, Catherine Hicks
 * Final Justice, starring Joe Don Baker
 * Fire Festival (Himatsuri) - (Japan)
 * Flesh and Blood, directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh - (U.S.A./Netherlands/Spain)
 * Fletch, starring Chevy Chase
 * Fool for Love, directed by Robert Altman, starring Sam Shepard and Kim Basinger
 * Fran - (Australia)
 * Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning, directed by Danny Steinmann, starring Melanie Kinnaman and John Shepherd
 * Fright Night, starring William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon, Roddy McDowall, Amanda Bearse

G
 * Ghoulies, starring Peter Liapis, Lisa Pelikan, Michael Des Barres, Scott Thompson
 * Ghulami, starring Dharmendra and Naseeruddin Shah - (India)
 * Girls Just Want to Have Fun, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt
 * Give the Devil His Due (S čerty nejsou žerty) - (Czechoslovakia)
 * Goodbye, New York, starring Julie Hagerty
 * The Goonies, directed by Richard Donner, starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Jonathan Ke Quan, Martha Plimpton
 * Gotcha!, starring Anthony Edwards and Linda Fiorentino
 * Grace Quigley, starring Katharine Hepburn and Nick Nolte
 * La Gran Fiesta - (Puerto Rico)
 * Guest from the Future (Gostya iz budushchego) - (U.S.S.R.)

H
 * Hail Mary (Je vous salue, Marie), directed by Jean-Luc Godard - (France)
 * Half Life: A Parable for the Nuclear Age - (Australia)
 * Heaven Help Us, starring Andrew McCarthy and Mary Stuart Masterson
 * Here Come the Littles - (U.S.A./Canada/Japan/Luxembourg)
 * The Holcroft Covenant, starring Michael Caine, Anthony Andrews, Victoria Tennant, Lilli Palmer
 * The Home and the World (Ghare Baire), directed by Satyajit Ray - (India)
 * Hour of the Star (A Hora da Estrela) - (Brazil)
 * How Poets are Losing Their Illusions (Jak básníci přicházejí o iluze) - (Czechoslovakia)

I
 * De IJssalon (The Ice-Cream Parlor) - (Netherlands)
 * Insignificance, directed by Nicolas Roeg, starring Theresa Russell, Tony Curtis, Gary Busey - (U.K.)
 * Into the Night, starring Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer
 * Invasion U.S.A., starring Chuck Norris

J
 * Jagged Edge, directed by Richard Marquand, starring Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Robert Loggia, Peter Coyote
 * The Jewel of the Nile, directed by Lewis Teague, starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito
 * Joshua Then and Now, starring James Woods and Alan Arkin - (Canada)
 * The Journey of Natty Gann, starring Meredith Salenger and John Cusack
 * Just One of the Guys, starring Joyce Hyser

K
 * Kaakki Sattai, starring Kamal Haasan and Madhavi - (India)
 * King David, starring Richard Gere - (U.K./U.S.A.)
 * King Solomon's Mines, starring Richard Chamberlain and Sharon Stone
 * Kiss of the Spider Woman (O Beijo da Mulher Aranha), directed by Héctor Babenco, starring William Hurt, Raúl Juliá, Sônia Braga - (Brazil/U.S.A.)
 * Krush Groove, starring Blair Underwood, Run–D.M.C., Sheila E.

L
 * Ladyhawke, starring Matthew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer
 * The Last Dragon, starring Taimak, Faith Prince
 * The Last Polka, starring John Candy and Eugene Levy - (Canada)
 * Latino, directed by Haskell Wexler
 * Leave All Fair, starring John Gielgud and Jane Birkin (New Zealand/France)
 * Legend, directed by Ridley Scott, starring Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry - (U.K./U.S.A.)
 * The Legend of Billie Jean, starring Helen Slater, Keith Gordon, Peter Coyote, Christian Slater, Yeardley Smith
 * The Legend of Suram Fortress, directed by Sergei Parajanov (Soviet Union)
 * Letter to Brezhnev, starring Peter Firth and Alexandra Pigg - (U.K.)
 * Lifeforce, starring Steve Railsback, Mathilda May, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay and Patrick Stewart, directed by Tobe Hooper
 * Lonely Heart (Sabishinbou) - (Japan)
 * Lost in America, directed by and starring Albert Brooks, with Julie Hagerty
 * Lust in the Dust, directed by Paul Bartel, starring Divine, Tab Hunter, Lainie Kazan

M
 * Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner - (Australia)
 * The Man with One Red Shoe, starring Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Lori Singer, Dabney Coleman
 * Manevri na petiya etazh (Maneuvers on the Fifth Floor) - (Bulgaria)
 * Marie, starring Sissy Spacek, Jeff Daniels, Fred Dalton Thompson
 * Mask, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Eric Stoltz, Cher and Sam Elliott
 * Mask of Murder, starring Rod Taylor and Valerie Perrine - (U.S.A./Sweden)
 * The Mass Is Ended (La messa è finita), directed by and starring Nanni Moretti - (Italy)
 * Maxie, starring Glenn Close, Mandy Patinkin, Ruth Gordon, Valerie Curtin
 * The Mean Season, starring Kurt Russell, Mariel Hemingway and Richard Jordan
 * Meri Jung, starring Anil Kapoor - (India)
 * The Midnight Hour
 * Mirch Masala (Spices), starring Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, Om Puri - (U.K./India)
 * Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, directed by Paul Schrader, starring Ken Ogata - (U.S.A./Japan)
 * Movers & Shakers, directed by William Asher, starring Walter Matthau, Charles Grodin, Gilda Radner
 * Mr. Vampire (Goeng-si Sin-sang) - (Hong Kong)
 * Murphy's Romance, directed by Martin Ritt, starring Sally Field, James Garner, Brian Kerwin, Corey Haim
 * My Beautiful Laundrette, directed by Stephen Frears, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Gordon Warnecke - (U.K.)
 * My Life as a Dog (Mitt liv som hund), directed by Lasse Hallström - (Sweden) - Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
 * My Science Project
 * My Sweet Little Village (Vesničko má středisková), directed by Jiří Menzel - (Czechoslovakia)

N
 * National Lampoon's European Vacation, starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo
 * A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
 * No End (Bez końca), directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski - (Poland)
 * No Surrender, starring Michael Angelis and Bernard Hill - (U.K.)
 * Nothing Left to Do But Cry (Non ci resta che piangere), directed by and starring Roberto Benigni and Massimo Troisi - (Italy)

O
 * The Official Story (La historia oficial) - (Argentina) - Academy and Golden Globe Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
 * Once Bitten, starring Lauren Hutton and Jim Carrey (in his first major role)
 * One Magic Christmas, starring Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton - (U.S.A./Canada)
 * Ordeal by Innocence, starring Donald Sutherland, Faye Dunaway, Christopher Plummer - (U.K.)
 * Out of Africa, directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer - Academy and Golden Globe (drama) Awards

P
 * Padre nuestro (Our Father), starring Victoria Abril - (Spain)
 * Pale Rider, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, with Michael Moriarty and Carrie Snodgress
 * Pas în doi (Passo Doble) - (Romania)
 * The Peanut Butter Solution - (Canada)
 * Pee-wee's Big Adventure, directed by Tim Burton, starring Paul Reubens
 * Perfect, directed by James Bridges, starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis
 * Phenomena, directed by Dario Argento - (Italy)
 * Pizza Connection, directed by Damiano Damiani - (Italy)
 * Plenty, directed by Fred Schepisi, starring Meryl Streep, Sam Neill, Charles Dance, Tracey Ullman, Ian McKellen, Sting - (U.K.)
 * Police, starring Gérard Depardieu and Sophie Marceau - (France)
 * Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, starring Steve Guttenberg, George Gaynes, Colleen Camp, Bubba Smith
 * Police Story (Ging chat goo si), directed by and starring Jackie Chan - (Hong Kong)
 * Private Resort, starring Johnny Depp, Rob Morrow, Andrew Dice Clay
 * Prizzi's Honor, directed by John Huston, starring Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, Anjelica Huston, Robert Loggia, William Hickey - Golden Globe for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy)
 * The Protector, starring Jackie Chan and Danny Aiello - (Hong Kong/U.S.A.)
 * The Purple Rose of Cairo, directed by Woody Allen, starring Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello

Q
 * The Quiet Earth - (New Zealand)

R
 * Radioactive Dreams, starring Michael Dudikoff and Lisa Blount - (U.S.A./Mexico)
 * Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer - (U.S.A./Japan)
 * Rambo: First Blood Part II, starring Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, Julia Nickson
 * Ran, directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Tatsuya Nakadai and Mieko Harada - (Japan)
 * Re-Animator, starring Jeffrey Combs
 * Real Genius, starring Val Kilmer, Gabe Jarret, William Atherton and Michelle Meyrink
 * Red Kiss (Rouge Baiser) - (France)
 * Red Sonja, starring Brigitte Nielsen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman
 * Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, starring Fred Ward, Kate Mulgrew, Joel Grey
 * Rendez-vous, starring Juliette Binoche and Jean-Louis Trintignant - (France)
 * Restless Natives, directed by Michael Hoffman - (U.K.)
 * The Return of the Living Dead, directed by Dan O'Bannon
 * Return to Oz, starring Fairuza Balk, Piper Laurie, Jean Marsh
 * Revolution, directed by Hugh Hudson, starring Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland, Nastassja Kinski - (U.K.)
 * Rocky IV, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, with Talia Shire, Dolph Lundgren, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen, Burt Young
 * A Room with a View, directed by James Ivory, starring Maggie Smith and Helena Bonham Carter - (U.K.)
 * Runaway Train, directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, starring Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay
 * The Runner (Davandeh) - (Iran)
 * Rustlers' Rhapsody, directed by Hugh Wilson, starring Tom Berenger, Marilu Henner, Sela Ward, Andy Griffith, Patrick Wayne

S
 * Santa Claus: The Movie, starring Dudley Moore - (U.K./U.S.A.)
 * Scorpio Nights - (Philippines)
 * Secret Admirer, starring C. Thomas Howell, Lori Loughlin, Kelly Preston, Fred Ward
 * The Secret of the Sword
 * Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird
 * Shaker Run, starring Cliff Robertson, Leif Garrett, Lisa Harrow
 * Shoah - (France)
 * The Shooting Party, starring James Mason and John Gielgud - (U.K.)
 * Silver Bullet, starring Gary Busey, Corey Haim, Megan Follows, Everett McGill
 * Silverado, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, Kevin Costner, Jeff Goldblum, Brian Dennehy, John Cleese, Rosanna Arquette, Linda Hunt
 * A Simple Death (Prostaya smert) - (U.S.S.R.)
 * The Slugger's Wife, directed by Hal Ashby, starring Michael O'Keefe and Rebecca De Mornay
 * Smooth Talk, starring Laura Dern and Treat Williams
 * Spies Like Us, starring Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase
 * St. Elmo's Fire, directed by Joel Schumacher, starring Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Mare Winningham, Andie MacDowell, Martin Balsam, Jenny Wright, Joyce Van Patten
 * Starchaser: The Legend of Orin
 * Stick, directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, with Candice Bergen, Charles Durning, George Segal
 * Subway, directed by Luc Besson, starring Isabelle Adjani and Christopher Lambert - (France)
 * Summer Rental, directed by Carl Reiner, starring John Candy, Rip Torn, Richard Crenna
 * The Supergrass, starring Adrian Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, Robbie Coltrane - (U.K.)
 * The Sure Thing, directed by Rob Reiner, starring John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Nicollette Sheridan, Viveca Lindfors, Anthony Edwards
 * Sweet Dreams, a biopic of Patsy Cline, starring Jessica Lange and Ed Harris

T
 * Taipei Story (Qing mei zhu ma) - (Taiwan)
 * Tampopo (Dandelion) - (Japan)
 * Target, starring Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon
 * Tea in the Harem (Le Thé au harem d'Archimède) - (France)
 * Teen Wolf, starring Michael J. Fox
 * That Was Then... This Is Now, starring Emilio Estevez, Craig Sheffer
 * That's Dancing!, featuring Gene Kelly, Liza Minnelli, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Sammy Davis, Jr. and others
 * Thirteen at Dinner, starring Peter Ustinov, Faye Dunaway, Lee Horsley, Bill Nighy
 * Three Men and a Cradle (Trois hommes et un couffin) - (France)
 * The Time of the Hero (a.k.a. La ciudad y los perros) - (Peru)
 * The Time to Live and the Time to Die (Tong nian wang shi) - (Taiwan)
 * To Live and Die in L.A., directed by William Friedkin, starring William Petersen and Willem Dafoe
 * Trancers
 * Transylvania 6-5000, starring Jeff Goldblum, Ed Begley, Jr., Joseph Bologna, Teresa Ganzel, Geena Davis
 * Treasure Island (L'île au trésor) - (France/Chile)
 * The Trip to Bountiful, starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Rebecca De Mornay
 * Trouble in Mind, directed by Alan Rudolph, starring Kris Kristofferson, Lori Singer, Geneviève Bujold, Keith Carradine
 * Tuff Turf, starring James Spader
 * Turk 182!, starring Timothy Hutton, Robert Urich, Kim Cattrall
 * Turtle Diary, starring Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley - (U.K.)
 * Twice in a Lifetime, starring Gene Hackman, Ellen Burstyn, Ann-Margret, Amy Madigan, Ally Sheedy, Brian Dennehy
 * The Two Lives of Mattia Pascal (Le due vite di Mattia Pascal), starring Marcello Mastroianni and Senta Berger - (Italy)

U-V
 * UFOria, starring Fred Ward, Harry Dean Stanton, Cindy Williams
 * The Unknown Soldier (Tuntematon sotilas) - (Finland)
 * Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi), directed by Agnès Varda - (France) - Golden Lion award
 * Vampire Hunter D (Kyûketsuki hantâ D) - (Japan)
 * Vampires in Havana (¡Vampiros en La Habana!) - (Cuba)
 * La vaquilla (The Heifer), directed by Luis García Berlanga - (Spain)
 * A View to a Kill, starring Roger Moore (as James Bond) with Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones - (U.K.)
 * Vision Quest, starring Matthew Modine and Linda Fiorentino
 * Volunteers, starring Tom Hanks, John Candy, Rita Wilson, Tim Thomerson, George Plimpton

W
 * Walking the Edge, starring Robert Forster and Nancy Kwan
 * Water, starring Michael Caine, Billy Connolly, Valerie Perrine - (U.K.)
 * Wetherby, directed by David Hare, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Ian Holm - (U.K.) - Golden Bear award
 * Weird Science, directed by John Hughes, starring Kelly Le Brock, Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Bill Paxton
 * Wild Geese II, starring Scott Glenn, Barbara Carrera, Edward Fox, Laurence Olivier - (U.K.)
 * When Father Was Away on Business (Otac na službenom putu) - (Yugoslavia) - Palme d'Or award
 * White Nights, directed by Taylor Hackford, starring Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines, Helen Mirren
 * Witness, directed by Peter Weir, starring Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas
 * The Woman and the Stranger (Die Frau und der Fremde) - (East Germany) - Golden Bear award

XYZ
 * Year of the Dragon, directed by Michael Cimino, starring Mickey Rourke and John Lone
 * Yes, Madam (Huang jia shi jie), starring Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock - (Hong Kong)
 * Young Sherlock Holmes, directed by Barry Levinson, starring Nicholas Rowe, Alan Cox, Anthony Higgins
 * A Zed & Two Noughts, directed by Peter Greenaway - (U.K.)

January–March

 * January 1985
 * January 8
 * The Mutilator
 * Rockin' Road Trip
 * January 11
 * Too Scared to Scream
 * Walking the Edge
 * January 17
 * Avenging Angel
 * Tuff Turf
 * January 18
 * The New Kids
 * That's Dancing!
 * January 27
 * The Falcon and the Snowman
 * Fandango
 * February 1985
 * February 8
 * Fantasia (re-release)
 * Heaven Help Us
 * Mischief
 * Witness
 * February 15
 * The Breakfast Club
 * Fast Forward
 * Into the Night
 * The Mean Season
 * Turk 182
 * Vision Quest
 * February 20
 * Brazil (France; UK Feb. 22 1985; US Dec. 18 1985)
 * March 1985
 * March 1
 * Certain Fury
 * Lust in the Dust
 * The Purple Rose of Cairo
 * The Sure Thing
 * March 2
 * Ghoulies
 * Missing in Action 2: The Beginning
 * March 8
 * Mask
 * March 15
 * Lost in America
 * Sylvester
 * March 22
 * Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend
 * Friday the 13th: A New Beginning
 * The Last Dragon
 * Porky's Revenge!
 * The Secret of the Sword
 * March 24
 * The Care Bears Movie
 * March 29
 * Desperately Seeking Susan
 * King David
 * Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment
 * Return of the Jedi (re-release)
 * Robbery Under Arms
 * The Slugger's Wife

April–June

 * April 1985
 * April 3
 * Alamo Bay
 * April 10
 * Private Resort
 * April 12
 * Cat's Eye
 * Girls Just Want to Have Fun
 * Ladyhawke
 * April 25
 * Crimewave (US)
 * April 26
 * Just One of the Guys
 * Stick
 * May 1985
 * May 3
 * Code of Silence
 * Gotcha!
 * Gymkata
 * May 8
 * Creature
 * May 10
 * Rustlers' Rhapsody
 * May 17
 * Ordeal by Innocence
 * May 22
 * Brewster's Millions
 * Rambo: First Blood Part II
 * A View to a Kill (San Francisco premiere; London premiere June 12, 1985)
 * May 31
 * Fletch
 * June 1985
 * June 7
 * The Goonies (US; UK Nov. 29 1985; Aus Dec. 12 1985; Japan Dec. 21 1985)
 * Perfect
 * June 13
 * Prizzi's Honor
 * Warriors of the Wind
 * June 14
 * Secret Admirer
 * The Stuff
 * June 21
 * Cocoon
 * Return to Oz (US; UK July 10, 1985)
 * June 26
 * Pale Rider
 * June 28
 * St. Elmo's Fire

July–September

 * July 1985
 * July 3
 * Back to the Future
 * Red Sonja
 * July 5
 * The Lift
 * July 10
 * Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
 * July 12
 * Explorers
 * Silverado
 * July 19
 * Day of the Dead
 * E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (re-release)
 * The Legend of Billie Jean
 * The Man with One Red Shoe
 * July 24
 * The Black Cauldron
 * July 26
 * The Heavenly Kid
 * Kiss of the Spider Woman
 * National Lampoon's European Vacation
 * August 1985
 * August 2
 * Fright Night
 * Follow That Bird
 * Weird Science
 * August 7
 * Real Genius
 * August 9
 * My Science Project
 * Pee-wee's Big Adventure
 * Summer Rental
 * Pray for Death
 * August 16
 * American Flyers
 * The Return of the Living Dead
 * Volunteers
 * Year of the Dragon
 * August 21
 * Agnes of God
 * August 23
 * Better Off Dead
 * Ghostbusters (re-release)
 * Godzilla 1985
 * Teen Wolf
 * August 30
 * American Ninja
 * Gremlins (re-release)
 * Compromising Positions
 * September 1985
 * September 10
 * Plenty
 * Smooth Talk
 * September 13
 * After Hours
 * September 27
 * Invasion U.S.A.
 * The Journey of Natty Gann
 * Maxie

October–December

 * October 1985
 * October 4
 * Commando
 * Jagged Edge
 * Sweet Dreams
 * October 11
 * Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
 * Silver Bullet
 * October 18
 * Re-Animator
 * October 23
 * Twice in a Lifetime
 * November 1985
 * November 1
 * Death Wish 3
 * A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
 * To Live and Die in L.A.
 * November 8
 * Target
 * That Was Then... This Is Now
 * Transylvania 6-5000
 * November 15
 * Once Bitten
 * Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer
 * November 22
 * Bad Medicine
 * Fever Pitch
 * King Solomon's Mines
 * One Magic Christmas
 * Starchaser: The Legend of Orin
 * White Nights
 * November 27
 * Rocky IV
 * Santa Claus: The Movie
 * December 1985
 * December 4
 * Young Sherlock Holmes
 * December 6
 * Fool for Love
 * Runaway Train (limited; wide Jan. 17 1986)
 * Spies Like Us
 * December 11
 * The Jewel of the Nile
 * December 13
 * A Chorus Line
 * Clue
 * Legend (UK; US April 18, 1986)
 * December 18
 * The Color Purple
 * Out of Africa
 * December 20
 * 101 Dalmatians (re-release)
 * Enemy Mine
 * December 25
 * Murphy's Romance (limited; wide Jan. 31 1986)
 * Revolution
 * The Trip to Bountiful
 * December 27
 * Joey

Births

 * January 3 - Nicole Beharie, American actress
 * January 19 - Damien Chazelle, American film director
 * February 7 - Tina Majorino, American actress
 * March 13 - Emile Hirsch, American actor
 * March 15
 * Eva Amurri, American actress
 * Kellan Lutz, American actor
 * March 26
 * Jonathan Groff, American actor and singer
 * Keira Knightley, English actress
 * April 16 - Rhiana Griffith, Australian actress
 * April 17 - Rooney Mara, American actress
 * April 23 - Rachel Skarsten, Canadian actress
 * April 27 - Sheila Vand, American actress
 * April 30 - Gal Gadot, Israeli actress and model
 * May 10 - Odette Annable, American actress
 * May 28 - Tao Okamoto, Japanese actress
 * May 28 - Carey Mulligan, English actress
 * May 29 - Blake Foster, American actor
 * May 30 - Sam Gifaldi, American actor
 * June 2 - Miyuki Sawashiro, Japanese voice actress
 * June 12
 * Dave Franco, American actor
 * Liisa Pulk, Estonian actress
 * June 15 - Maxey Whitehead, American voice actress
 * June 21 - Lana Del Rey, American singer and songwriter
 * July 1 - Léa Seydoux, French actress
 * July 2 - Ashley Tisdale, American actress and singer
 * July 18 - Chace Crawford, American actor
 * July 21 - Vanessa Lengies, Canadian actress and singer
 * August 9 - Anna Kendrick, American actress and singer
 * August 23 - Juss Haasma, Estonian actor
 * September 4 - Morgan Garrett, American voice actress
 * September 10 - Elyse Levesque, Canadian actress
 * September 16 - Madeline Zima, American actress
 * September 22 - Tatiana Maslany, Canadian actress
 * September 24 - Jessica Lucas, Canadian actress and singer
 * October 11 - Michelle Trachtenberg, American actress
 * October 28 - Troian Bellisario, American actress
 * October 31 - Kether Donohue, American actress and singer
 * November 2 - Josh Grelle, American voice actor
 * November 10 - Giovonnie Samuels, American actress
 * November 20 - Dan Byrd, American actor
 * November 30 - Kaley Cuoco, American actress
 * December 3 - Amanda Seyfried, American actress and singer
 * December 5 - Frankie Muniz, American actor
 * December 10 - Raven-Symoné, American actress and singer

Film debuts

 * Joan Allen - Compromising Positions
 * Sean Astin - The Goonies
 * Fairuza Balk - Return to Oz
 * Josh Brolin - The Goonies
 * Tim Burton (director) - Pee Wee's Big Adventure
 * Helena Bonham Carter - A Room with a View
 * Don Cheadle - Moving Violations
 * Patrick Dempsey - Heaven Help Us
 * Linda Fiorentino - Vision Quest
 * Whoopi Goldberg - The Color Purple
 * Ethan Hawke - Explorers
 * John Hawkes - Future-Kill
 * Richard Jenkins - Silverado
 * Elias Koteas - One Magic Christmas
 * LL Cool J - Krush Groove
 * Stephen Lang - Twice in a Lifetime
 * Hugh Laurie - Plenty
 * Joey Lawrence - Summer Rental
 * John Leguizamo - Mixed Blood
 * Melissa Leo - Always
 * Tom Lister, Jr. - Runaway Train
 * Dolph Lundgren - A View to a Kill
 * Madonna - Vision Quest
 * Lesley Manville - Dance with a Stranger
 * Alyssa Milano - Commando
 * Rob Morrow - Private Resort
 * Viggo Mortensen - Witness
 * Brigitte Nielsen - Red Sonja
 * River Phoenix - Explorers
 * Keanu Reeves - One Step Away
 * Miranda Richardson - Dance with a Stranger
 * Mia Sara - Legend
 * Kyra Sedgwick - War and Love
 * Christian Slater - The Legend of Billie Jean
 * Yeardley Smith - Heaven Help Us
 * Danny Trejo - Runaway Train
 * Stanley Tucci - Prizzi's Honor
 * Blair Underwood - Krush Groove
 * Thomas F. Wilson - Back to the Future
 * Oprah Winfrey - The Color Purple
 * Noah Wyle - Lust in the Dust
 * Billy Zane - Back to the Future