It's year where a sober drama about divorce and a horror film about an alien stalking a crew in space were among the year's highest grossers -- that could never happen now.
There were still edgy, 70s-style dramas and thrillers coming out as late at 1982, but this year may represent a special moment in time within a golden age of auteur-driven filmmaking.
10) Manhattan - There is no doubt that allegations against Woody Allen regarding his behavior with underage women has cast a pall over this film and its subplot involving his romance with a minor but if you can put that discomfort aside (and many can't) it remains one of his cinematic crowning achievements. It's beautiful, funny and a real valentine to a certain kind of romantic New York City that I find irresistible.
9) The Muppet Movie - The first feature film starring Jim Henson's beloved misfit muppets is a bonafide classic and sets the template for all the muppet movies to come -- charming musical numbers mixed with vaudeville humor and enough inside jokes to amuse both kids and adults. The celebrity cameos manage not to detract from the fun and every character from Kermit to Miss Piggy and Gonzo (just to name a few) all get a chance to shine.
8) Kramer vs. Kramer - The buzziest, biggest hit of the year nabbed Oscars for Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep (and nomination for the heartbreaking little Justin Henry) in this film about a family devastated by divorce. Elements of the film are arguably problematic now (it pretty wholeheartedly takes the Hoffman character's side) but it's hard to deny the conviction of the performances or the sincerity of the film's approach.
7) All That Jazz - Director Bob Fosse takes an unflinching and sometimes very unflattering look at himself in this dazzling combination of musical and biopic. Featuring Roy Scheider against type as his facsimile, the film takes wild diversions through the fourth wall, through musical theater and back down to earth again in a challenging, self consciously theatrical film.
6) Monty Python's Life of Brian - A film that almost deliberately tries to offend as many people as possible with a bawdy, rebellious take on organized religion. Probably the most cohesive Python movie in terms of plot, but also full of several standout sketchy bits and a jaw dropping finale in terms of how subversive it is. There's no way this one could be made or released today I reckon.
5) Rocky II - The film that inspired Ryan Coogler's Creed (this sequel was a favorite of the director and his father), this follow-up to the classic original is widely celebrated by fans as one of the best in the series. The focus is still on drama rather than larger than life opponents and Stallone (who wrote and directed) finds even more pathos in the Rocky character because of subplot involving his new married life with Adrian. A sensitive and exciting continuation of one of my favorite movie sagas.
4) Being There - I love Hoffman in Kramer vs. Kramer, but my personal pick in the Best Actor category would have been Peter Sellers for his brilliant, restrained work here as a total simpleton who gets elevated to the highest echelons of power because his musings are mistaken for profound wisdom. A wonderful satire of American shallowness with an undercurrent of melancholy illustrated by its indelible, mercurial ending.
3) Apocalypse Now - Director Francis Coppola's Vietnam epic has long been misremembered as a big budget disaster when it reality it was a box office hit and a smash with most critics. It's one of the most visually stunning, emotionally devastating war films ever made with great whacked out performances from legends like Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen and Marlon Brando. It's a film as insane as the war that inspired it, and I mean that as a compliment
2) Alien - One of the scariest, most unsettling horror films ever made -- full of quiet dread and menace. A motley crew peppered with great character actors like Yaphet Kotto, Harry Dean Stantion and a breakout Sigourney Weaver must face down a venomous alien creature who has only one mode -- kill. Gorgeously shot and directed by Ridley Scott, it has a timeless quality and its pitch black tone helps it stand out
1) The Jerk - Steve Martin's greatest comic performance in movies may just be his first. It was a victory lap of sorts after his unconventional stand up routines turned him into a stadium-filling super star but he is by no means resting on his laurels. Speeding through high and low comedy like cartoon freight-train, this unabashedly silly, politically incorrect movie was a favorite of Stanley Kubrick's an it's easy to see why. It's an absurdist delight with so many laughs that still hold up to this day.
PAST TOP 10 FAVORITE LISTS
1974 #1 movie - The Godfather Part II
1975 #1 movie - Nashville
1976 #1 movie - Taxi Driver
1977 #1 movie - Star Wars
1978 #1 movie - The Deer Hunter
1984 #1 movie - Ghostbusters
1985 #1 movie - Fletch
1986 #1 movie - Blue Velvet
1987 #1 movie - The Untouchables
1988 #1 movie - Coming to America
1989 #1 movie - Batman
1994 #1 movie - Pulp Fiction
1995 #1 movie - Heat
1996:#1 movie - Fargo
1997 #1 movie - Boogie Nights
1998 #1 movie - The Big Lebowski
1999 #1 movie - Eyes Wide Shut
2004 #1 movie - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2005 #1 movie - A History of Violence
2006 #1 movie - Casino Royale
2007 #1 movie - There Will Be Blood
2008 #1 movie - The Wrestler
2009 #1 movie - Inglourious Basterds
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