The last two summer movie seasons have been quite unpredictable. Summer 2020 saw incredibly reduced box office turnout due to the COVID-19 related shutdowns, and while 2021 certainly re-energized the theatrical viewing experience, things were certainly not back to normal. More and more films had been heading directly to streaming services, and some of the biggest movies of the summer debuted either simultaneously in theaters and on streaming services, while others were absent from theaters entirely. Hopefully theatrical movie going will be in full swing this summer with Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Jurassic World: Dominion.
However, there was a time forty years ago when these concerns about the state of cinematic output were largely absent. The summer of 1982 was a remarkable four-month stretch in which absolute classics were released on an almost weekly basis, and although not all were recognized as such during their initial release, looking back the among of memorable films is pretty staggering. It may be somewhat disheartening when looking at what we have four decades later, but for cinema fans looking for options this summer season, there’s a perfect eleven film binge waiting for them. Here are the top eleven greatest films of summer 1982, ranked.
11. Friday the 13th Part III in 3D
The third film in the slasher franchise helped complete the definitive version of Jason Voorhees that is now iconic; 1980’s Friday the 13th established Jason’s backstory before he appeared as the killer for the first time in 1981’s Friday the 13th Part 2. However, Friday the 13th Part III in 3D is the film that gave him the iconic hockey mask, and it also established the franchise's affinity for gimmicks. The pop out 3D kills fit perfectly within the campy tone of the series, and Jason’s rampage in a barn during the film’s climax is one of the best extended sequences in the saga.
10. Tron
Although the visual effects are hardly anything that would wow today, the game changing recreation of a simulated video game reality in the original Tron was very impressive at the time. A film may be considered influential without being actually good, but beneath the spectacle of Tron there’s a compelling story about the role of a creator and mankind’s complex relationship with artificial intelligence. It also established that in addition to being an awards caliber performer, Jeff Bridges was also a terrific action star thanks to his dynamic role as the genius programmer Kevin Flynn.
9. Night Shift
1982 was an era in which a mainstream studio comedy could become a massive hit and gain favorable responses as well. Night Shift brought the Fonz himself, Henry Winkler, to the big screen with his hilarious performance as the put-upon morgue employee Chuck Lumley. Winkler perfectly embodied an awkward hero worth investing in, but Night Shift is best remembered for being the film that announced Michael Keaton as a future star thanks to his scene stealing performance as Chuck’s coworker Bill Blazejowski. It was an early hit from director Ron Howard as he established more dynamic gags and stunt sequences.
8. Conan the Barbarian
Conan the Barbarian is the film that announced Arnold Schwarzenegger as the dominant action star of the next two decades. Contrary to what parodies and the disappointing sequel and remake would have you think, Conan the Barbarian isn’t just about ripped shirtless dudes swinging swords at each other. The original film is actually a compelling medieval thriller about the role of leadership, gifted with a politically savvy screenplay from Oliver Stone and the ruthless pulp thrills of co-writer/director John Milius. Arnold lacks the self-awareness he would develop later on; he’s 100% committed to the beastly titular role.
7. Fast Times At Ridgemont High
Fast Times At Ridgemont High remains one of most hilariously raunchy teen comedies ever made, but beneath the now iconic gags there’s a cutting satire of California social classes. The tinges of authenticity came from the brilliant screenplay by Cameron Crowe, who was inspired by the novel of the same name that he had written while undercover as a high school student. As a result, Fast Times At Ridgemont High felt of the moment and appealed strongly to teens, and four decades later it's a perfect time capsule for adolescent culture during the era.
6. Rocky III
Rocky III changed the tone of the series, which had gone for more grounded dramatic storylines in its first two installments. The third entry introduced a new level of camp and silliness within the series, but it wasn’t the all out cartoon that the saga would become in the later sequels. The development of the relationship between Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and his old rival Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) added a fun dynamic, and Mr. T provided a great eccentric new protagonist for Rocky to go up against.
5. E.T. The Extra Terrestrial
There’s a certain kind of heartless monster that isn’t reduced to a puddle of tears by the end of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. Steven Spielberg’s brilliant science fiction coming-of-age story was just as beloved during its release as it was now, dominating the box office for weeks and topping Star Wars to become the highest grossing film of all-time. Spielberg has a penchant for creating classics that still hold up, and it's incredible to see how his story of a broken family and an intergalactic friendship can still reduce viewers of any age into blubbering children.
4. The Thing
It’s easy to throw out the phrase “the critics got it wrong,” but looking back at the nasty reviews (and box office disaster) of John Carpenter’s The Thing is absolutely shocking. Carpenter’s run of classics from Dark Star to In the Mouth of Madness is a nearly unmatchable streak of genius, but The Thing is perhaps his crowning achievement. Reinventing the monster movie with a deafening sense of paranoia and remarkable practical makeup work, The Thing can still make us feel like we’re trapped in a frigid icy bunker with a bearded Kurt Russell fearing for our lives.
3. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture failed to capture the high expectations from fans of the series and moviegoers promised the next Star Wars level space opera, but Nicholas Meyer turned things around and created the greatest Star Trek movie ever made. The genius of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was acknowledging that the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise had aged, and allowing William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy question their achievements as they’re haunted by the demons of their past. Of course, Ricardo Montalbán’s return to the titular villain role after his appearance in The Original Series episode “Space Seed” provided the series’s best villain, as he forced the heroes to make the most devastating of sacrifices.
2. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
1979’s Mad Max hadn’t quite permeated the American filmgoing audience the way it had taken off in George Miller’s home of Australia, but that didn’t matter to anyone who watched Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (which was marketed under its subtitle alone). The Road Warrior established the archetypes of the Mad Max series, including Max Rockatansky’s (Mel Gibson) emergence from the chaos like a classic western gunslinger and Miller’s cinematic relentlessness with its nonstop chase sequences. The finely crafted practical stunt work at garish post-apocalyptic landscape set the template for what Miller would top over three decades later with Mad Max: Fury Road.
1. Blade Runner
Regardless of the ridiculous voiceover track that it was saddled with for its initial theatrical cut (one that Harrison Ford reportedly hated), Blade Runner is one of the greatest films ever made. A stunning new vision of the hard-boiled noir that questions what it means to truly be human, Ridley Scott’s vision of a cold and lonely future was crafted with immaculate visual beauty. It’s rare that a film can still inspire and provoke debate decades after its release, but forty years later fans still question whether or not Deckard was a replicant. Although it famously underperformed financially due in part to the box office dominance of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Blade Runner now stands as the classic that tops a summer of classics.
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February 21, 2022
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Best Summer Movies from 1982, Ranked - Collider
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