A Reel 40: The Glorious Month of June 1982

The year that was 1982 was a landmark in the history of cinema, with many popular films landing that would hold influence up to today. While the year started off strong in the early Spring months, it was the glorious month of June, 40 years this month…where the cinematic landscape would be changed forever. 

 

The month belonged to famed director Steven Spielberg. First, he acted as a producer in the Tobe Hooper-directed horror film, POLTERGEIST. The little creep-fest which centered around a suburban family terrorized by ghosts was a critical hit and finished as the eighth highest grossing film of the year, along with three Oscar nominations. 

 

Spielberg wasn’t done breaking the box office just yet, but he had to wait because in the same weekend POLTERGEIST screamed, the mighty STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN also warped into screens. The first STAR TREK sequel resurrected former TV TREK villain Khan (brilliantly and famously reprised by Ricardo Montalban), and set a new standard for sequels and for STAR TREK. It set a record on its first-day box office gross, and is often considered to be the best film in the TREK franchise. 

 

Just one week later, the mysteries of outer space would come to Earth when Spielberg delivered perhaps his most beloved film, E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL. The tale of a stranded alien who befriends a young boy, E.T. broke hearts all over the world, and cemented Spielberg’s knack for generating the tears…and the whimsical joy of cinema. The film would earn nine Oscar nominations, winning four (including Best Score by John Williams), and would climb its way to the coveted position of the highest grossing film of all time; a spot that it would hold for eleven years. 

 

At this point of the month it was clear that sci-fi was dominating cinema, and that showed no signs of slowing down when Ridley Scott’s BLADE RUNNER was released towards the end of the month. The Harrison Ford-led, detective-noir film explored humanity in the far future as they grapple with creation striking back at them, and carried themes that would inspire many sci-fi films over the next four decades. 

 

On that very same weekend, sci-fi would get a new twist with John Carpenter’s THE THING. A remake of the 1951 version, Carpenter blended an alien landing with horror, as a team of Antarctic researchers are terrorized and torn apart by a being that can assume the shape of anyone. Not only was THE THING a clever blend of sci-fi and horror, but also a psychological mind-messer-upper, with fans still debating to this day who was what at any given time. 

 

Other notable releases in this already packed month: Mel Gibson and Sam Neill had one of their earliest big-screen roles in the WWII film ATTACK FORCE Z. The late great Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner earned some laughs in the Sidney Poitier-directed HANKY PANKY. Michele Pfeiffer would dance into our hearts in GREASE 2. Clint Eastwood would battle Russians in the espionage film FIREFOX. And the so-bad-its-great, cult-favorite MEGAFORCE was bombs away. 

 

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As Reel Speak blogged earlier in the year (HERE), about the packed year that was 1982, it was a year that redefined cinema, influenced a generation, and on and on! But another special note, especially in the month of June of 1982, was just how packed the month was; with hit after hit after hit all in theaters at the same time. Compare that to today, when even before the pandemic, studios are treating releases like an elaborate chess match; leading to big and popular movies being released weeks or even a full month apart. 1982 once taught us a lot about the movies, and studios should re-learn how to release them. Going to the theatre having half-a-dozen films destined to classics would be a glorious thing.