Alamo Drafthouse to Recreate the Summer of 1982 in Geek Programming Series (Video)

Luther Himes

Storied Texas theater chain Alamo Drafthouse announced plans Friday morning to recreate the movie release schedule of the summer of 1982 to commemorate “the greatest summer of movies… ever!” Drafthouse is partnering with eight film sites to show eight iconic film on the same weekends they originally opened between May and July of 1982.

our editor recommends

Alamo Drafthouse to Expand to New York and L.A.

Red-Band Trailer Debuts for Drafthouse Films’ ‘The FP’ (Video) (Warning: Language and Nudity)

AFM 2011: Drafthouse Buys North American Rights for Belgian Oscar Hopeful 'Bullhead,' 'Clown'

PHOTOS: Steven Spielberg on Set

The films included in the screening series include Conan the Barbarian, The Road Warrior, Rocky III, Poltergeist, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, E.T., The Thing and TRON, all presented in 35mm. Alamo Drafthouse is currently working with Ridley Scott to secure a print of the eighth film, Blade Runner, which is a notoriously difficult film to screen.

Press release hyperbole notwithstanding, the summer of 1982 is widely regarded as one of the seminal seasons in geek movie history, with films from all different genres – almost all now considered classics – released within just weeks of one another. The nostalgia trip will be further enhanced as programmers are assembling trailer reels for films that audiences might have seen during that era. Alamo will also be partnering with its graphic arts arm, Mondo, to create special limited-edition posters for select films, and revealed that special guests will appear at certain screenings.

The websites who will be presenting films in the series include Ain’t It Cool News, Badass Digest, Collider, Film School Rejects, First Showing, HitFix, Movies and Slashfilm, whose editors and contributors consider the summer of 1982 highly influential in their appreciation of movies, especially genre movies.

Check out a trailer below for the Alamo Drafthouse's upcoming "Summer of 1982" programming series.