Summer of ‘82
Join the Alamo Drafthouse to relive the glorious blockbusters from the “Summerof 1982”
Poster by Luther Himes
This summer appears stacked with awesome blockbusters sure to blow our minds. With the return of superheroes like Spider-Man and Batman and a new Pixar film, Brave, movie fans have a lot to look forward to when the heat becomes unbearable and they just want to enjoy some A/C.
But will the summer of 2012 reach the legendary status that was the summer of 1982? That year classics brushed elbows with one another over a two month span and you start to feel gypped every time a new Transformers movie graces the contemporary summer cineplex.
It’s because of this acclaimed status, as a season that would inspire future filmmakers and movie geeks, the Alamo Drafthouse is hosting a two-month long event unlike any attempted before. Thirty years after their premieres, eight (but hopefully nine) groundbreaking blockbusters will be re-released at the Drafthouse following their original release schedule, and all will be screened in glorious 35mm.
Welcome back to the “Summer of 1982”.
So what films are we talking about that deserve such special treatment? Conan the Barbarian, The Road Warrior, Rocky III, Poltergeist, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, E.T., The Thing, and Tron, and to hopefully put the dystopian, film noir cherry on top of this schedule, the programmers are hard at work to add Blade Runner to this illustrious list.
Each movie will be sponsored by film sites, such as Ain’t It Cool News and HitFix, whose writers and editors have collaborated with the Alamo to express the deep affection they feel toward these classics. Plus, not only will the films be screened as they would have originally been three decades ago, the programmers are seeking to line up the 35mm trailers that accompanied the features, just to add a little more authenticity.
And need I mention the Mondo posters to be released to commemorate each film?
So even if The Avengers doesn’t meet your expectations, at least you can revel in a little nostalgia this summer.
