20 Films & TV Shows Set In Michigan During The 1980s
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John Was Trying to Contact Aliens
Michigan The 1970s The 1980sJohn Shepherd spent 30 years trying to contact extraterrestrials by broadcasting music millions of miles into space. After giving up the search, he makes a different connection here on earth.
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The Irishman
Michigan New York Pennsylvania The 1970s The 1980s The 1990s The 1960s The 1950s The 1940s The 2000sHis story changed history — Pennsylvania, 1956. Frank Sheeran, a war veteran of Irish origin who works as a truck driver, accidentally meets mobster Russell Bufalino. Once Frank becomes his trusted man, Bufalino sends him to Chicago with the task of helping Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful union leader related to organized crime, with whom Frank will maintain a close friendship for nearly twenty years.
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White Boy Rick
Michigan The 1980sHustler. Informant. Kingpin. Legend. — The story of a teenager, Richard Wershe Jr., who became an undercover informant for the police during the 1980s and was ultimately arrested for drug-trafficking and sentenced to life in prison.
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A Dog's Purpose
Michigan Illinois The 1970s The 1980s The 1990s The 1960s The 2000sEvery dog happens for a reason. — A dog goes on quest to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes with multiple owners.
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I, Tonya
Michigan Oregon 🇳🇴 Norway 🇫🇷 France The 1990s The 1970s The 1980s The 2000sFitting in is overrated — Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the sport is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.
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Red Army
🇷🇺 Russia Michigan The 1970s The 1980s The 1990sCold War On Ice — A documentary highlighting the Soviet Union's legendary and enigmatic hockey training culture and world-dominating team through the eyes of the team's Captain Slava Fetisov, following his shift from hockey star and celebrated national hero to political enemy.
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The Men Who Stare at Goats
🇰🇼 Kuwait Michigan North Carolina The 1970s The 1980s The 1990s The 2000sNo goats. No glory. — A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, a guy who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army's New Earth Army, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions.
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Patti Smith: Dream of Life
Michigan New York The 1970s The 1980s The 1990sAn intimate portrait of poet, painter, musician and singer Patti Smith that mirrors the essence of the artist herself.
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Escanaba in da Moonlight
Michigan The 1980sA macho man in a family on the eve of deer-hunting season must deal with the eldest son's curse of never having bagged a buck.
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Private Parts
Connecticut Massachusetts Michigan New York District of Columbia The 1970s The 1980s The 1960sNever before has a man done so much with so little. — The auto-biographical story of Howard Stern, the radio-rebel who is now also a TV-personality, an author and a movie star.
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Not Without My Daughter
Michigan 🇮🇷 Iran The 1980sIn 1984, Betty Mahmoody's husband took his wife and daughter to meet his family in Iran. He swore they would be safe. They would be happy. They would be free to leave. He lied. — An American woman, trapped in Islamic Iran by her brutish husband, must find a way to escape with her daughter as well.
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Prancer
Michigan Indiana The 1980sThey lost the true spirit of Christmas...And found it locked in the heart of one little girl. — Jessica, the daughter of an impoverished apple farmer, still believes in Santa Claus. So when she comes across a reindeer with an injured leg, it makes perfect sense to her to assume that it is Prancer, who had fallen from a Christmas display in town. She hides the reindeer in her barn and feeds it cookies, until she can return it to Santa. Her father finds the reindeer an decides to sell it to the butcher, not for venison chops, but as an advertising display.
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Intruder
Michigan The 1980sA new dimension in terror. — The overnight stock crew of a local supermarket find themselves being stalked and slashed by a mysterious maniac.
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Chameleon Street
Michigan The 1970s The 1980sWilliam Douglas Street is bored with his life. Working for his father is getting to him, his wife wants more money, and he's had enough. His solution is to re-invent himself. He becomes a chameleon, taking on whatever role suits the situation. From reporter to doctor to lawyer, he impersonates anyone he feels a need to be and he can earn money being. The movie is based on the real figures William Douglas Street, Jr. and Erik Dupin.
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Action Jackson
Michigan The 1980sIt's Time For "Action" — Vengeance drives a tough Detroit cop to stay on the trail of a power hungry auto magnate who's systematically eliminating his competition.
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Beverly Hills Cop II
California Michigan The 1980sThe Heat's Back On! — Axel heads for the land of sunshine and palm trees to find out who shot police Captain Andrew Bogomil. Thanks to a couple of old friends, Axel's investigation uncovers a series of robberies masterminded by a heartless weapons kingpin—and the chase is on.
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Beverly Hills Cop
California Michigan The 1980sThe Heat Is On! — The heat is on in this fast paced action-comedy starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street smart Detroit cop tracking down his best friend's killer in Beverly Hills. Axel quickly learns that his wild style doesn't fit in with the Beverly Hills Police Department, which assigns two officers (Judge Reinhold & John Ashton) to make sure things don't get out of hand. Dragging the stuffy detectives along for the ride, Axel smashes through a huge culture clash in his hilarious, high-speed pursuit of justice. Featuring cameos by Paul Reiser, Bronson Pinchot and Damon Wayans, Beverly Hills Cop is an exhilarating, sidesplitting adventure.
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Humongous
Michigan The 1980s The 1940sIt's loose... It's angry... And it's getting hungry! — The monstrous offspring of a violent crime grows up in seclusion on a remote island, where a boat-full of hapless teens have shipwrecked, unaware of what's lurking in the woods.
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Somewhere in Time
Michigan Illinois The 1970s The 1980s The 1910sBeyond fantasy. Beyond obsession. Beyond time itself... he will find her. — Young writer Richard Collier is met on the opening night of his first play by an old lady who begs him to "Come back to me". Mystified, he tries to find out about her, and learns that she is a famous stage actress from the early 1900s. Becoming more and more obsessed with her, by self-hypnosis he manages to travel back in time—where he meets her.
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One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
Michigan The 1970s The 1980sOne in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story was a 1978 made for TV movie telling the story of Ron LeFlore, a troubled Detroit youth who rose from Michigan prisons to star in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers. The movie was based on LeFlore's autobiography, Breakout: From Prison to the Big Leagues. It follows LeFlore from his heroin addiction, to his time in Michigan's Jackson State Penitentiary, and tells of his discovery in prison by Billy Martin, who was then the manager of the Detroit Tigers. The role of Ron LeFlore was played by LeVar Burton. Larry B. Scott portrayed Ron LeFlore's younger brother. Former Detroit manager Billy Martin played himself, and former Tiger players Norm Cash, Bill Freehan, Al Kaline, and Jim Northrup also appeared as themselves. The movie first aired on CBS Television on September 26, 1978.
