1982: Greatest Geek Year Ever! started as a convention panel, became a film series at the American Cinematheque to celebrate the 30th anniversary, and has now transitioned into a documentary that celebrates pop culture of that landmark year by those who love the films and those involved in the making of them.
Buy 1982: Greatest Geek Year Ever! Blu-rayIt’s clear the producers and the friends they’ve included are big fans of classic titles like E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Blade Runner, and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and also lesser-known movies that are no less beloved by their cult audiences, such as The Beastmaster, Megaforce, and The Sword and the Sorcerer. Interviewees include actors (Adrienne Barbeau, Barry Bostwick, Bruce Campbell, Joanna Cassidy, Jon Cryer, Marc Singer, William Shatner, Dee Wallace, JoBeth Williams, and Sean Young) and those responsible behind the camera (Roger Corman, Don Coscarelli, Cameron Crowe, John Dykstra, Amy Heckerling, Ron Howard, Nicholas Meyer, John Sayles, and Paul Schrader).
The video has been given a 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer and available in varying aspect ratios. The visual quality varies as the film clips and modern-day interviews appear in HD while old TV footage shows the limitations of the mediums they were recorded on. The audio is available in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0. The soundtrack is predominantly people talking so there’s not much difference between the two tracks.
The Special Features are:
- Two audio commentary tracks. One with director/producer Roger Lay Jr. and writer/producer Mark A. Altman. Another with producers Altman, Scott Mantz, and Thomas P. Vitale.
- Deleted / Extended Scenes (41 min) – If you thought there wasn’t enough in the series, covering topics like “Home Video,” “Megaforce vs. G.I. Joe,” “Fantasy at the Toy Store,” and “Fight on the Rambo Set.”
- The Fans Speak: Fans Favorite Films Featurette (17 min) – Five fans share their thoughts
- 2022 San Diego Comic Con Panel (17 min) – Mantz moderates a panel with Altman and Vitale, along with interviewee Steve Kriozere, about this project. Oddly, only Mantz and Kriozere sound clear and there’s a rather annoying music score that runs under the first half.
- Original Theatrical Trailer along with six trailers from 1982 movies, including Swamp Thing.
1982: Greatest Geek Year Ever! is an absolute love fest, and those involved do a great job making the case. The documentary also serves as a marvelous scrapbook for those of us who lived through the year. I not only recommend it but suggest watching with friends and having your own discussions.
