Like, Totally Blockbuster: Remembering the Summer Movie Season of 1984

By Michael Lyons

If the Summer Movie Blockbuster was born in the 1970’s, with box-office behemoths like “Jaws” and “Star Wars,” then it stands to reason that the Summer Movie Blockbuster grew into its “Golden Age” in the 1980’s.

And one Summer during this “Golden Age” would shine brightly.

The Summer Movie Season of 1984.

The sequel to one of the most popular adventure movies of all time; the world’s biggest box-office comedy; movies that changed the rating system forever and the film that gave us the phrase “Wax on, wax off.”

And that all happened in three months, thirty five years ago.

A mixture of blockbusters that pierced our pop culture core and movies that were mild success that have gone on to become ‘80’s time capsule cult favorites, the hits just a kept on comin’ faster than Casey Kasem could have announced ‘em.

It all started off with a whip-crack on Memorial Day Weekend with “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” a highly anticipated follow-up to 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark.”

This was followed in June by “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock,” another successful sequel in that franchise that allowed the films to go on for years to come.  That month also saw “Ghostbusters,” which became part of our pop-culture like few movies had and also went on to become not only the biggest movie of the year, but also the most successful comedy of all time.  Still, to this day, “Ghostbusters” remains one of the most memorable, quotable and re-watchable films ever made.

Then, there was “Gremlins,” the second Spielberg one-two punch of the summer (he produced “Gremlins” and directed “Temple of Doom”).  This cartoon-inspired tale of the “Mogwai,” along with “Temple of Doom,” were so intense that it warranted the creation of a new rating from the Motion Picture Association of America.  And, thus was born “PG-13: Parents Strongly Cautioned-Some Material May be Inappropriate for Children Under 13.”  It was a rating for those movies that were too strong to be PG and too tame to be R.  Still in effect today, the rating allows for a wider audience for many movies. 

“The Karate Kid” also debuted this summer and became a beloved “Rocky” story for a new generation (which made sense, as it was directed by John G. Alvidsen, who had helmed “Rocky” just eight year before).  “Karate Kid” was a character driven, no FX movie, which summer movies seasons rarely provide today.

As the Summer moved on, audiences got “The Last Starfighter,” a science fiction fantasy that revolved around video games as training ground for a galactic battle (oh, how ‘80’s!) and also featured landmark use of computer effects (that, in today’s world look like a video game).  

There was also “The Muppets Take Manhattan,” which many fans count as their favorite (as well as the film that gave us Muppet Babies!) and the epitome of ‘80’s fantasy films, “The Never Ending Story.”  And don’t forget one of the’80’s best remembered “teen comedies,” “Revenge of the Nerds.”

There was also the release of “Red Dawn,” the brutal, teen World War III movie that was the first film to be rated...you guessed it...PG-13.

Then, just as July was giving way to August and the waning days of Summer and Summer Movies, one of the musical icons of the decade, Prince brought us “Purple Rain.”  An original vision, that expanded on the music videos of the time and provided songs that became not just the soundtrack of 1984, but are still some of pop music’s most memorable hits.

There were other, moderate to less successful films of the summer, like director Walter Hill’s rock and roll action flick, “Streets of Fire,” to Tom Hanks crass, yet likable comedy “Bachelor Party” and “Top Secret,” the Zucker Brothers parody of...everything.  But, even those films have developed quite the following through the years.

A favorite Summer of Movies is always a subjective thing.  Movies become the backdrop to whatever we may have had going on in our lives at that time, which can always cast the films (and the Summer) in an overly nostalgic glow.

Some may prefer 1982 and the Summer ET wanted to go home, or ‘85 when Marty took the DeLorean back in time or when Batman ruled Gotham City and the world in ‘89.

But, while there was a luster during many Summers of this “Golden Age,” there is one Summer that did indeed shine brightly.

The Summer Movie Season of 1984.

Sources:

Wikipedia