#1 of 5 #1 documentary movie of October 1984
1984 · Music, Documentary
$13.1M worldwide · 55% of the chart's total
$10.3M US & Canada · 79% $2.8M elsewhere · 21%
Documentary box office · October 1984
Documentary Box Office, October 1984: Top-Grossing Releases
Stop Making Sense (1984) is the highest-grossing documentary movie released in October 1984, with $13.1M worldwide, ahead of Terror in the Aisles (1984) at $10M and Marlene (1984) at $852.7K. 5 documentary films released in October 1984 report a worldwide gross, $24M in all, 88% of it from the US & Canada. By language, English leads with $23.2M across 3 documentary releases.
- October 1984 releases with a gross
- 5
- combined worldwide
- $24M
- Stop Making Sense (1984), the #1
- $13.1M
- earned in the US & Canada
- 88%
#1 of 5 Top 5
What Were the Biggest Documentary Hits of October 1984?
Stop Making Sense (1984) leads with $13.1M, 55% of the total. The top 5 together took $24M, almost all of what the 5 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3 -
Number 4 -
Number 5
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Documentary Release of October 1984, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in October 1984.
- 1 Oct 18, 1984 US and Canada: $10.3M Rest of the world: $2.8M Worldwide: $13.1M
- 2 Oct 26, 1984 US and Canada: $10M Rest of the world: Worldwide: $10M
- 3 Oct 1, 1984 US and Canada: $852.7K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $852.7K
- 4 Oct 7, 1984 US and Canada: $13.8K Rest of the world: $32.8K Worldwide: $46.6K
- 5 Oct 9, 1984 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1.3K
US & Canada vs the world
Where Did the Money Come From in October 1984?
Of the top 5, Terror in the Aisles (1984) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) made 70% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $21.2M (88%) came from the US & Canada. 1 film of the top 5 reports no US & Canada figure.
- 1 Stop Making Sense (1984) $13.1M $10.3M US & Canada · 79% $2.8M elsewhere · 21%
- 2 Terror in the Aisles (1984) $10M $10M US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 3 Marlene (1984) $852.7K $852.7K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
- 4 The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) $46.6K $13.8K US & Canada · 30% $32.8K elsewhere · 70%
- 5 Leila and the Wolves (1984) $1.3K No US & Canada figure reported
By release week
Which Week of October 1984 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 42 (Oct 14–20) took $13.1M, led by Stop Making Sense (1984). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 40 Wk 40 Sep 30–Oct 6 Marlene (1984) $852.7K Marlene (1984)
- Week 41 Wk 41 Oct 7–13 The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) $47.8K The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
- Week 42 Wk 42 Oct 14–20 Stop Making Sense (1984) $13.1M Stop Making Sense (1984)
- Week 43 Wk 43 Oct 21–27 Terror in the Aisles (1984) $10M Terror in the Aisles (1984)
- Week 44 Wk 44 Oct 28–Nov 3 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does October 1984 Compare With October in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, October 1984 earned the most: $24M from 5 films, led by Stop Making Sense (1984).
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1975 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1976 1 film | 1 | $5K | – | The Song Remains the Same (1976) $5K |
| October 1977 1 film · −85% | 1 | $762 | −85% | Scenes from the Class Struggle in Portugal (1977) $762 |
| October 1978 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1979 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1980 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1981 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| October 1982 2 films | 2 | $6.4M | – | Let's Spend the Night Together (1982) $3.8M |
| October 1983 1 film · +153% | 1 | $16.2M | +153% | Richard Pryor: Here and Now (1983) $16.2M |
| October 1984 5 films · +49% | 5 | $24M | +49% | Stop Making Sense (1984) $13.1M |
Archive
Documentary Box Office in 1984, Month by Month
The months of 1984 with their totals: October leads with $24M, led by Stop Making Sense (1984).
FAQ
Documentary Box Office October 1984: Questions & Answers
The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 5 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing documentary movie in October 1984?
Stop Making Sense (1984) leads with $13.1M worldwide, $10.3M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Terror in the Aisles (1984) at $10M and Marlene (1984) at $852.7K.
How much did documentary movies released in October 1984 earn?
5 documentary films released in October 1984 report a worldwide gross, $24M in all, or $4.8M per film on average.
How many documentary movies released in October 1984 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Stop Making Sense (1984), earned $13.1M.
How is the October 1984 documentary box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in October 1984. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact.
How often is the October 1984 documentary box office chart updated?
Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.