40 Years of Movies: 1982

 


2021 is the year I turn 40. As part of my celebration, I'm looking back at 40 years of movies, picking my favorite film from each year I've been around! To learn more about the criteria for this process, check this introduction. Each post will feature my pick, plus three runner's up. So check back over the next 40 weeks of this journey!

1982:

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, and Richardo Montalban
About: This was the second theatrical outing for the original Star Trek cast and, for me, remains the best of the Star Trek films. I've seen and own all 13, and this is always the one I come back to. It has some incredibly memorable and iconic scenes, especially with Spock (Nimoy) and Kirk (Shatner) at the end. This is one of my favorite movies and it was an easy decision to place it atop the list of films for 1982, which wasn't a year where a lot of films stood out to me. For fans of Star Trek, this is a must see and remains a top example in the film series.

Other Considerations:

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Starring: Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas, and Drew Barrymore
About: Steven Spielberg makes the list two years in a row. This was my only other strong consideration for the top spot. E.T. is an enduring classic that has a lot of fun sequences and a story with a lot of heart. This one is different than Raiders, which topped the list for 1981, but is just as much of a Spielberg classic.

The World According to Garp
Starring: Robin Williams and Glenn Close
About: This makes the short list because it comes from author John Irving, who is one of my favorites. This is one of his most recognized books and turned into a decent film. Williams and Close are good here. This is an odd story, but I enjoyed the book and the adaptation here.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Starring: Tom Atkins
About: I might have mentioned this wasn't a year where a lot of movies stood out to me. That's going to happen from time-to-time on a journey like this. So I ended up making my final film on this year's list Halloween III. I'll be up front, this isn't a good movie. It's weird and at times pretty poorly conceived and put together. However, it was memorable and one that I actually own. When John Carpenter was making Halloween, he originally conceived it as a horror anthology series. So after a couple films with Michael Myers, this one took on a different story and world. In fact, it's such a departure that characters actually watch the film Halloween on the TV. This one is a terrible story about dangerous Halloween masks and the druids. But it's a weird and wild ride and, I don't know why, but I kind of enjoy it. So, it made the list.

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