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Published On: Fri, May 11th, 2012

Movies of 1982: The year which gave us ET, Annie, Tron, Blade Runner, Conan, Khan And Spicoli

Thirty years can go by quickly. If you doubt that statement then consider the films from 1982 will celebrate their 30th anniversary this summer.

Michelle Pfeiffer and Eddie Murphy made their film debuts in Grease 2 and 48 Hours respectively.

Sci-Fi fans can reflect on classics such as Blade Runner, Tron, Star Trek: Wrath of Khan and E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial leading a list of great films.

Blade-Runner-Tron-bannerGreat movies are hard to come by, but 1982 made some nice contributions to the list.

“E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial”: Steven Spielberg’s lovable alien feature took the world by storm. From “E.T. phone home” to “Ouch” to just imitating ET.’s voice saying “Elliott,” the film invade our hearts, the pop culture and mainstream America.

The film grossed over $485 million at the box office and stands as a fan favorite topping lists of the Greatest Family Movies of All-Time. (Read here)

“Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan”: Considered by many fans to be the best film in the Trek franchise. Ricardo Montalban’s resurrected Khan from the TV series challenged Kirk and crew in an engaging and entertaining film that still holds up today.

“Blade Runner”: After “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “The Empire Strikes Back,” Harrison Ford planted his namesake on the one of the Best Science Fictions Films of All-Time. Ridley Scott directed the complex script, ripe with cool music and great visuals. Scott’s ‘Director’s Cut’ released later elevated the film into Cult Film history.

Clark Gregg, “Avengers” Agent Coulson lists the film as his personal favorite Sci-Fi film of all-time.

“Fast Times at Ridgemont High”: One of the early successful “sex comedies” of the era adapted a great novel by Cameron Crowe, who went on to have a great writing and directing career of his own. The film debuts Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Phoebe Cates, Nicolas Cage, Judge Reinhold, Anthony Edwards and Eric Stoltz. “Hey Bud, Let’s Party!” was born.

“The Thing”: John Carpenter and Kurt Russell team-up to bring style and horror to the 1951 classic ““The Thing From Another World” and the results are amazing. Universal moved the opening around and the violence caused a lot of critics to pan the film, so it performed poorly at the box office, but has a huge cult following.

“Tron”: The computer adventure film seems awkward and strange through the lens of today’s technology, but 2010′s “Tron: Legacy” breathed new life into the “Tron” franchise. The film turned into a sleeper hit of that summer as Jeff Bridges, Cindy Morgan and Bruce Boxleitner will live on with Tron fans.

“Conan the Barbarian”: This action packed adventure film gave Arnold Schwarzenegger his name in movies before he became a superstar with his next film “The Terminator.” Audiences looked past the bad reviews from critics and, despite the brutal violence and R-rating, the film did well as the box office.

“Poltergeist”: A ghost story by Steven Spielberg earned a PG rating to reach a broader audience and the film was a huge success. Spielberg’s touch is seen throughout the film, especially in the first half as we see the suburban family life.

Some other notables from this amazing summer are:

  •  ”An Officer and a Gentlemen”: which was a box office success and earned several Oscar Nominations.
  • “Annie”: The famous musical had an enormous budget and was considered a flop, but audiences still will remember the loveable redhead and Daddy Warbucks.
  • “Rocky III”: Mr T. battles Rocky Balboa in this film, which included the death of Rocky’s trainer Mickey (played by Burgess Meredith, the Penguin from TV’s Batman).
  • “The Road Warrior”: The action packed sequel to “Mad Max,” which would find a huge cult audiences

Thirty years later and many of these films are still enjoyed and shared with younger generations. 1982 proved to be a summer to remember at the theaters.

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About the Author

- Writer and Co-Founder of The Global Dispatch, Brandon has been covering news, offering commentary for years, beginning professionally in 2003 on Crazed Fanboy before expanding into other blogs and sites. Appearing on several radio shows, Brandon has hosted Dispatch Radio, written his first novel (The Rise of the Templar) and completed the three years Global University program in Ministerial Studies to be a pastor. To Contact Brandon email [email protected] ATTN: BRANDON

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