1 ). ▁Perhaps ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁influ ential ▁examples ▁of ▁ 8 0 s ▁thr iller ▁films ▁were ▁David ▁Lyn ch ' s ▁b izar re ▁cult ▁classic ▁Blue ▁Vel vet ▁( 1 9 8 6 ), ▁which ▁de alt ▁with ▁the ▁under world ▁of ▁a ▁seem ingly ▁id yl lic ▁American ▁sub urb ia , ▁a ▁subject ▁which ▁has ▁spawn ed ▁many ▁inferior ▁im itations ▁well ▁into ▁the ▁first ▁de cade ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 1 st ▁century ▁and ▁Stanley ▁Kub rick ' s ▁horror / th r iller ▁The ▁Sh ining ▁( 1 9 8 0 ). ▁ ▁Fant asy : ▁Fant asy ▁film ▁saw ▁a ▁res urg ence ▁particularly ▁in ▁sword ▁and ▁sor c ery ▁films . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 1 , ▁Drag ons layer , ▁Ex cal ib ur ▁and ▁Ra iders ▁of ▁the ▁Lost ▁Ark ▁started ▁it ▁off , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁ 1 9 8 2 ' s ▁Con an ▁the ▁Bar bar ian ▁which ▁caused ▁the ▁fant asy ▁explos ion . ▁The ▁ep ic ▁star red ▁Arnold ▁Schwar zen eg ger ▁in ▁his ▁acting ▁break through ▁as ▁he ▁began ▁his ▁as cent ▁to ▁st ard om . ▁Lo os ely ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁original ▁tales ▁by ▁Robert ▁E . ▁Howard , ▁the ▁film ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁the ▁unlikely ▁pair ing ▁of ▁Oliver ▁Stone ▁and ▁John ▁Mil ius . ▁Its ▁sequ el ▁followed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 ▁with ▁the ▁light - weight ▁Con an ▁the ▁Dest roy er . ▁Schwar zen eg