Lifetime Movies: 1982

This year kicks off a run of craziness as I've seen so many of these movies--and so many times on TV through the years--that it's hard to separate quality from comforting nostalgia. But the unpaid professional that I am, I will give it my all.

Nominees: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Poltergeist, The Thing

E.T. was a phenomenon, one of those cross-cultural events before the landscape fragmented in the 90s. Like the Thriller of movies. Everyone liked E.T. and there's  no reason to try to say anything different. Director Steven Spielberg had quite a year as he also produced Poltergeist, the E.T. of horror movies. It's generally believed that he actually did much more directing than credited director Tobe Hooper and based on track records and final product, it's hard not to believe it's true. This was a genuinely scary movie and remains so today. The Thing was director John Carpenter at his creative peak and is still one of the best science fiction/horror films ever made. Did you notice I skipped a nominee? I'm a big Cameron Crowe fan and while he didn't direct Fast Times, he did write the script which was both of the moment and timeless. This film is funny and poignant and a pitch perfect depiction of American teenagers. It also captures the transition between the dazed and confused 70s and the greed is good 80s better than just about anything else.

Winner: Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Notes: I've fallen into the bad habit of feeling like I have to mention every movie I liked during a given year instead of just hitting on a few of particular interest. Like Swamp Thing. I remember seeing it in the theater (despite the nudity and violence--awesome head crushing scene--this was rated PG. Gotta love the 80s) and some teenager was walking up and down the aisles completely wrapped in toilet paper pretending to be the title character. You wouldn't see that today...Rocky III may have been the most fun film in the series. Mr. T and Hulk Hogan? No doubt this led to the first Wrestlemania and all its historical magnitude...I'm not sure when I saw Creepshow, but it's a movie I still think about and reference. Especially the final story, "They're Creeping Up on You!" You know the one: germaphobe jerk sealed up in his apartment is overrun by cockroaches. Horrible, just horrible...The Beastmaster was another favorite at the time and the best example of one of the many phases I went through as a kid (sword-and-sorcery)...Then there's Blade Runner. I won't say much here because we touch on it in more depth in an upcoming podcast/Ridley Scott Distillery, but I will let you know I'm not a big fan. (I wouldn't be surprised if Vin picked it as his favorite. That or Diner, which I haven't seen in a long time, though I know I should.)