As summarized by Reel Speak last week HERE, 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of one of the greatest years in film, the year that was 1982. This Blogger gave credit to nearly 40 significant films of that year, and this week will whittle them down to the Top 10.
The films of 1982 had landmarks in mostly the sci-fi and fantasy genres, with their best efforts raising the bar for films with spaceships, aliens, swords, and sorcerers. Fantasy and sci-fi films tend to lose a lot of their shine as time goes by, as their limitations at the time (mostly budget and special effects), don’t age very well. But 1982 brought us films of those two genres that haven’t aged a day in look for feel, which means the test of time, the best barometer of any film, will be a strong factor in stacking this list. Other factors include the story, execution, and cultural impact.
So let’s take 40 to just 10…
10. FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH
Amy Heckerling, in her feature debut, directed this coming-of-age tale that packaged teenage lives of school, work, and romance. Sean Penn became a household name, and the film was also a launch-pad for future stars; Nic Cage, Eric Stoltz, Forest Whitaker, and Anthony Edwards. Added to the National Film Registry in 2005, RIDGEMONT HIGH did for raunchy high school films what ANIMAL HOUSE (1978) did for colleges.
9. THE SECRET OF NIMH
Animation legend Don Bluth directed this adaptation of the beloved children’s’ book which sees a widowed field mouse trying to save her home from destruction. What looks like a simple kids’ tale of family and love takes a darker turn as the story progresses, moving into dark magic, spooky environments, and scary-looking rats and owls. Not to mention a finale/final battle which sees rats fighting with swords and stabbing each other to death. Shocking for a kid and a new standard for where animated films could go.
8. BLADE RUNNER
Ridley Scott helmed this sci-fi statement on humankind which is often regarded as one of the best of its genre all-time. Harrison Ford takes on the role of a “blade runner”; tasked with “retiring” bio-engineered humans in a film that to this day has audiences questioning the plot and its many turns and questions. BLADE RUNNER today is subject to a lot of debate with its many different versions that have been released, but it has influenced a great many sci-fi films that have come after it.
7. FIRST BLOOD
Sylvester Stallone put aside the boxing trunks of Rocky Balboa to bring John Rambo to the screen. Based on the 1972 novel of the same name, Rambo became an instant action icon for the action-heavy, shoot-em-up 1980’s, but at the same time made a statement about one of America’s greatest sins: the mistreatment of Vietnam Vets.
6. POLTERGEIST
There is a lot of debate today over who actually directed this; was it Tobe Hooper of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1972) fame? Or was it credited producer Steven Spielberg? Debate away, because none of that matters when the ghosts start causing havoc around the Freeling family in this modern, haunted house tale. Heather O’Rourke, at the tender age of seven years, gives the film a huge heart and raises the stakes in an emotional way for a horror film.
5. THE THING
John Carpenter helmed this mashup of science fiction and horror in this closed-quarters terror about an alien that can take on the form of humans. A remake of the classic film THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD from 1951, Carpenter turns up the tension and the gore with some startling special effects that hold up even by today’s standards, and the film’s ending, along with the path it takes to get there…still has fans debating.
4. GANDHI
When the cinematic heroes of the 1980’s are discussed, the late great Richard Attenborough’s GANDHI is often left out of the conversation…simply because its monk-ish character gets the boot over bang-bang characters like Rocky and Rambo. It’s a shame because GANDHI is a remarkable film in acting and in execution. Shot beautifully with stunning locations and costuming, they simply don’t make them like this anymore. A winner of eight Oscars, including Best Picture, GANDHI set a new standard for biopics. On top of everything else, it was the big-screen debut of budding legends Ben Kingsley and Daniel Day-Lewis…and not many films can make a claim like that.
3. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
Prior to 1982, we were all used to films with aliens coming down to Earth to destroy us, and Steven Spielberg turned all that upside-down with this emotional wallop that sees a wayward alien befriending a young boy. With excellent animatronics to bring E.T. to life, convincing performances from the young cast, an outstanding score by John Williams, and a heartbreaker of an ending…E.T. would surpass STAR WARS (1977), as the highest box office earner of all time; a mark that it would hold for 11 years.
2. CONAN THE BARBARIAN
John Milius introduced the world to Arnold Schwarzenegger in this adaption of Robert E. Howard’s muscled, sword-swinging warrior destined to become a king. It’s a tale of revenge and destiny, taking the best of Howard’s many stories for a brutal, yet elegant film. Beautifully shot, highly quotable, and backed by Basil Poledouris’ magnificent score…this is a movie of high adventure.
1. STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN
And speaking of revenge, the second film in the STAR TREK franchise dusted off Khan (brilliantly reprised by Ricardo Montalban) in a story of payback. Directed by Nicholas Meyer, THE WRATH OF KHAN looks like a simple story of vengeance on paper, but plays with deeper themes for Kirk and his crew. The true final frontier of old age and life-and-death is grappled by Kirk as he fends off attacks from Khan, and they are human issues that resonate well. KHAN set a new standard for not just sequels but for STAR TREK films overall, as every TREK movie that has come after has been chasing KHAN. The emotion is high, the script is everlasting, and the film gives sci-fi a new legitimacy that has carried forward for the last four decades…allowing the class of 1982 cinema to go boldly where no year has gone before.
Reel Speak's Top 10 Best Films of 1982
- STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN
- CONAN THE BARBARIAN
- E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
- GANDHI
- THE THING
- POLTERGEIST
- FIRST BLOOD
- BLADE RUNNER
- THE SECRET OF NIMH
- FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH
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