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Summer of 1982: 15 Classic Films Turn 30

Sort by: Showing 15 items

Decade: Rating: List Type:

1411

6.5

6.9

Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Release Date: May 14

U.S. Box Office: $39,565,475
2012 Adjusted Gross: $106,584,500

This was the movie that made former Mr. Universe, Arnold Schwarzenegger, an action superstar (and, eventually, a governor). The attempt at a remake made almost half as much money as the original.

1379

7.5

7.6

The Road Warrior (1981)

Release Date: May 21, 1982

U.S. Box Office: $23,667,907
2012 Adjusted Gross: $63,758,400

After the original "Mad Max" underperformed in America, the sequel was rebranded "The Road Warrior," and made a hot commodity out of little-known Australian import Mel Gibson.

1372

6.3

6.8

Rocky III (1982)

Release Date: May 28

U.S. Box Office: $124,146,897
2012 Adjusted Gross: $334,436,500

The third "Rocky" movie saw the Italian Stallion losing his title and his manager after a brutal bout with Clubber Lang (Mr. T in his breakout role). But his old adversary Apollo Creed helped him find the "eye of the tiger" again.

900

7.5

7.7

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Release Date: June 4

U.S. Box Office: $78,912,963
2012 Adjusted Gross: $212,581,900

The first "Star Trek" film was a sizable hit, but its bloated budget meant it didn't bring in much profit. For the sequel, the budget was slashed, the action was amped up, and one of the best villains from the TV series was brought back for an unforgettable confrontation with Captain Kirk.

2017

7.3

Poltergeist (1982)

Release Date: June 4

U.S. Box Office: $76,606,280
2012 Adjusted Gross: $206,367,900

This spooky tale of suburban horror is maybe the scariest PG-rated movie ever. Many filmmakers dream of having just one hit this size in their lifetime, but producer Steven Spielberg was just warming up. And his next mammoth hit was just a weekend away.

6557

7.2

7.8

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Release Date: June 11

U.S. Box Office (initial release): $359,197,037
U.S. Box Office (with re-issues): $435,110,554
2012 Adjusted Gross: $1,123,486,300

A boy, an alien, and their bicycle captured the hearts of children and adults the world over. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning four, and went on to be included on many lists of the greatest films ever made. It also set a box-office record that it held for over a decade until another Spielberg film, "Jurassic Park," eventually topped it.

4619

8.1

Blade Runner (1982)

Release Date: June 25

U.S. Box Office: $27,580,111
2012 Adjusted Gross: $74,297,400

"Blade Runner" was a financial disappointment when it was first released, making just under its reported $28 million budget. But director Ridley Scott's extraordinary visuals redefined science fiction on film, and today it is heralded as a true work of genius.

2605

7.9

8.1

The Thing (1982)

Release Date: June 25

U.S. Box Office: $19,629,760
2012 Adjusted Gross: $52,880,200

Another week, another underappreciated sci-fi masterwork. Director John Carpenter's remake of the 1951 "The Thing from Another World" created a claustrophobic sense of paranoid dread with its Antarctic setting and elicited screams with some astonishing practical effects.

808

7.6

7.5

The Secret of NIMH (1982)

Release Date: July 2

U.S. Box Office: $14,665,733
2012 Adjusted Gross: $39,507,700

This animated adaptation of the book "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" was the directorial debut of Don Bluth, one of the first real competitors to the Disney company's dominance in the field. The film wasn't a big financial success, but it opened door in animation and is still beloved by those who saw it as children.

1298

6.6

6.7

TRON (1982)

Release Date: July 9

U.S. Box Office: $33,000,000
2012 Adjusted Gross: $88,898,000

With its groundbreaking computer-generated effects, "TRON" blew minds but wasn't exactly a smash hit. A dedicated cult grew around the movie, though, and a sequel finally hit theaters 28 years later.

345

6.8

7.1

The World According to Garp (1982)

Release Date: July 23

U.S. Box Office: $29,712,172
2012 Adjusted Gross: $80,040,900

The summer of '82 wasn't just about sci-fi spectacle. This adaptation of John Irving's novel was only Robin Williams' second leading role in a movie, and it showed he had ambitions of being more than just Mork from Ork. His costars John Lithgow and Glenn Close (in her film debut) both received Oscar nominations.

485

6.7

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

Release Date: July 28

U.S. Box Office: $129,795,554
2012 Adjusted Gross: $345,762,300

The third highest-grossing film of the year (behind "E.T." and "Tootsie"), the on-screen romance between Richard Gere and Debra Winger created a nationwide sensation. The film went on to win two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor and Best Song.

153

6.3

6.5

Night Shift (1982)

Release Date: July 30

U.S. Box Office: $21,095,638
2012 Adjusted Gross: $56,829,100

"Night Shift" was a sleeper hit that was the first major studio film for Ron Howard as a director. It was also the feature debut for Michael Keaton, who earned great notices for his wild-eyed manic energy.

1354

7.7

Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)

Release Date: August 6

U.S. Box Office: $22,244,207
2012 Adjusted Gross: $59,923,200

Director Alan Parker had a pair of musicals ("Bugsy Malone" and "Fame") under his belt, but he threw out all the old traditional rules for this arty mix of live action and animation. While the film divided members of the band Pink Floyd, it spawned a cult following, and it can be seen in midnight screenings to this day.

1030

6.8

7.1

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Release Date: August 13

U.S. Box Office: $27,092,880
2012 Adjusted Gross: $72,984,900

Based on writer Cameron Crowe's experiences going undercover at a San Diego high school, "Fast Times" was a raucous, R-rated comedy with some surprising moments of depth. It launched the careers of three future Oscar winners (Sean Penn, Forest Whitaker and Nicolas Cage), and ranked on several lists of the all-time funniest movies.

In some years, the summer movie season is packed with a good crop of entertaining, crowd-pleasing blockbusters. Then some summers offer nothing but uninspired sequel, reboots, and adaptations of things that were never meant to be movies (board games, for example). But if you ask movie geeks, they'll tell you there was one summer that was greater than any that came before or after: the summer of 1982.

Some of the films released between May and August of '82 were instant critical and commercial successes, and some flopped at the time only to become regarded as classic much later.