Film fans will always argue over anything.

One of the most frequent arguments is, “WXYZ was the best year in movies!”

For me, that’s 1982.
But I’m not talking about even the WHOLE year! A year that included the releases of DEATHTRAP, ROCKY III, DAS BOOT, FIRST BLOOD, CREEPSHOW, 48 HRS, and THE DARK CRYSTAL to name a few.

Nope.
I’m talking about just the Summer of ’82 - the best single best Summer for genre movies!

Over the span of around 3 months came nine movies that are now considered classics by any film lover (definitely by me)!

Let’s start with May.

THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER (April 23, 1982)

A kingdom ruled by evil.
A princess enslaved by passion.
A warrior driven by justice.

GOD, I love that trailer!

Yes, this is a cheesy movie designed to capitalize on the interest in fantasy stories and "Dungeons & Dragons" at the time. But it’s really good cheese, some of the finest!

Talon, a rogue with a mysterious past (Lee Horsley), comes to a kingdom and finds himself in the middle of a power plays between the evil King Cromwell (Richard Lynch) and his advisor Machelli (George Maharis) and the demon Xusia(Richard Moll). Obviously, the names are not very subtle!

Coming from a first time director, Albery Pyun, this has far more ambition than its B-movie studio and budget should allow. Yet it actually manages to build a world better than many fantasy movies since… and with far bigger budgets! Unlike most promises made in movie trailers, it actually makes good... on MOST of its promises! Plus, none of them have the legendary Tri-Bladed Sword- that shoots blades! Still badass after 35 years!

I find it amusing that in order to obtain an “R” rating, rather than a “PG” (it would be a couple of more years til PG-13 would be introduced), it had to add nudity to it! In many ways, you could easily show this to early teens with no problem. Most of the bloody bits are either done off camera or done under colored lighting to de-emphasize it.

It understands what kind of movie it is, yet doesn’t let the limitations stop it from being a rollicking, fun time! I prefer this over BEASTMASTER (which is ALSO a Summer of ’82 release, in August), but feel these were the best of the B’s that were trying grab some cash from the Studio movie being released that summer (Asylum didn’t invent the “Mock-Buster”) to the screen.

That movie would be…

CONAN THE BARBARIAN (May 14, 1982)

THIEF
WARRIOR
GLADIATOR
KING

There has never been anything quite like Conan… and almost nothing since to match it.

Between the ultra-serious tone by writer/director John Milius and the stepped-out-of-the-comic physique of Arnold Schwarzenegger, they created sword & sorcery fantasy class that still holds up today.

The serious tone of the film, with no real funny dialogue and a few situational gag, set it apart from most fantasy movies - especially the films today. Milius wanted a real “fantasy” world, using both creator Robert E. Howard’s texts and his own knowledge of ancient history to infuse the film with gravitas. I see this as the last gasp of 70’s Hollywood, as films even a year or two later had the addition of funny dialogues or entire humorous sidekicks. Even the sequel, Conan The Destroyer, made in 1984, suffers from this.

This serious tone is what makes the film a classic. Milius and his cast helped build a fantastical world, yet ground it in reality. The supporting cast of Mako (The Wizard), Max Von Sydow (King Osric), and James Earl Jones (Thulsa Doom) help in the grounding of the world. Jones’ Thulsa Doom is still one of the best villains. Assured, yet bored at what he’d done in his youth, his is simply just someone trying to execute an idea… an idea that just might destroy the world.

Even the smallest details matter. My father pointed out the fact that for a good portion of the film, Conan walks/runs where he needs to go-horses are expensive!

Milius used Arnold’s strengths (most physical) and worked around his weaknesses (Conan doesn’t speak til 20 minutes into the film). He put himself into the physical work, and was aided in acting by co-stars James Earl Jones and Max Von Sydow.

In an age of CGI doubles, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sandahl Bergman (Valeria) has to do their own stunts, because they couldn’t find body doubles for them! During his numerous injuries, Milius once told Arnold, after he wanted to go the hospital for one of his wounds, that pain is temporary, but film is forever! But no one can deny, and Arnold acknowledges, that Conan is what pushed him into stardom.

I also can't fail to mention the score by Basil Poledouris. His work here helped in bringing the world to life, making it that much more epic. A score that has been copied and reused in trailers for decades now. One of my favorites.

I will always associate both Conan The Barbarian and The Sword and the Sorcerer with my father. He not only brought me as a young kid to see them (they WERE “R”-rated!), but also enjoyed them as much as I did.

I’ll continue again shortly with June - and FIVE classic films in ONE month... from the Summer of ’82!