1982: THE GREATEST GEEK YEAR EVER!: Subjective Retrospective

1982: THE GREATEST GEEK YEAR EVER! (Blu-ray)

2023 / 165 min

FROM MVD VISUAL

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

Whether or not 1982 is indeed the greatest geek year ever is certainly subjective, to say nothing of debatable. Still, this film makes a strong case.

I saw most of these films in theaters back then, and I think 1982: The Greatest Geek Year Ever!, which originally aired as a miniseries, will undoubtedly appeal to those of a similar age. It’s also important to note that this isn’t a retrospective of the greatest films, but those which had a significant impact on popular culture, specific genres and certain fanbases. As such, 1982 was certainly loaded. 

At first, however, I was questioning the filmmakers’ approach. The first 15 minutes-or-so is such a rapid-fire series of clips and comments that I feared this was gonna be the documentary equivalent of an K-tel album (if you’re old enough to recall 1982, you’re old enough to remember K-tel albums). But thankfully, this is merely a prologue that sets the stage for the following 2 ½ hours, which it fills pretty well.

Dozens of films are featured with clips and commentary. Many of them are discussed in considerable detail, with lengthy segments dedicated to such classics (and cult classics) as Blade Runner, Star Trek II, E.T, Poltergeist, Conan the Barbarian, First Blood, Night Shift,The Road Warrior (though that one was actually released in 1981), Tron, The Thing and Tootsie, just to name a few. Others are acknowledged, but more quickly covered before moving on (mostly the horror and B-movies). Even that year’s most daffy dumpster fire, Megaforce, is given a little love. 

Director Paul Schrader recalls his visit to Hooters.

This is more than a cavalcade of talking heads spouting fan service. Yeah, there’s some of that - actually a lot of that - but also plenty of revealing production details and behind-the-scenes stories that might even surprise those who think they know everything about a specific film. Interviewees range from people involved in the films (on both sides of the camera) to actors, producers and directors influenced or inspired by them, as well as historians/critics discussing their legacies. 

Tellingly - and very amusingly - one of the final segments covers the films that were nominated for an Oscar that year. When asked to recall which movie actually won, hardly anyone interviewed could remember. So obviously, what constitutes great (or memorable) is in the eye of the beholder, and it ain’t like Gandhi (which did win) inspired any action figures or video games.

Running nearly three hours, 1982: The Greatest Geek Year Ever! is exhaustive but enjoyable. Some might contest which year actually was the greatest, but this is one hell of an argument. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTE - The Fans Speak features several super-fans who discuss their love/obsession of specific films.

2022 SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON PANEL

2 AUDIO COMMENTARIES - 1) By director-producer Roger Lay Jr & writer-producer Matk A. Altman; 2) By producers Scott Mantz, Thomas P. Vitale & Mark A. Altman.

DELETED/EXTENDED SCENES

TRAILER

REVERSIBLE COVER

MINI POSTER