Welcome to 2022!
Today I’m kicking off Friday Flix! A year long look at movies with major anniversaries in 2022.
Each week we’ll look at movies released during the month from the years 1982, 1987, 1992 and 1997. I might throw in a few from 2002 as well, but that doesn’t seem retro enough for me. As we move through the year we’ll rediscover cult classics, all-time favorites and some of the biggest movies to ever hit the silver screen.
January 1982 wasn’t a great month for movies. There are some huge movies released in 1982, but none of them were in January. January 1982 was all about thrillers and slashers. That’s not to say there weren’t any good movies in the theaters. There was still the hold overs from 1981.
On Golden Pond (Dec 1981) was going strong and the highest grossing movie in January 1982. Raiders of the Lost Ark was still in the Top 10 movies and it was a summer 1981 release! Academy Award powerhouse Chariots of Fire (Sep 1981) was still holding strong in the Top 20.
Two movies released in January 1982 debuted at #2 and #3 and would end the month in the Top 10. Vice Squad debuted at #2 and ended the month at #5. The Seduction started at #3 and ended at #6. Let’s take a look at all the movies released in January 1982, there weren’t many.
I wasn’t allowed to see any of these movies in the theater. My sisters had no interest in these movies so I wasn’t able to see them as a rental either.
To this day I haven’t seen any of them. After watching the trailers again I may have to watch a couple of them soon.
Movies from January 1982
Madman
It all started during a campfire at North Sea Cottages, a special retreat for gifted children…
Slasher film featuring an axe wielding madman. Seems like the typical earlier 80s slasher flick. It was in limited release in January 1982, full release in January 1983.
I’m a big fan of 80s slasher flicks, I’m going to give this one a try.
The Seduction
A thriller starring Morgan Fairchild in her film debut, as a news reporter stalked by an obsessive fan.
Fairchild was a TV star appearing in numerous shows. In 1982 she received a Best Actress in a TV Series Golden Globe nomination for Flamingo Road
Fairchild was nominated for two awards for her role in The Seduction. Unfortunately they were Razzies for Worst Actress and Worst New Star. Pia Zadora won in both categories.
Nowadays she is probably best known as Chandler Bing’s mom on Friends.
Rent it on YouTube or Amazon Prime
Shoot the Moon
A mother of four is abandoned by her husband. The movie focuses on their struggle to cope. It had plenty of star power, Albert Finney, Diane Keaton, Karen Allen, Peter Weller and up-and-coming stars Dana Hill, Tracey Gold and Tina Yothers. It wasn’t enough to save the movie, Shoot the Moon received positive reviews but was a box office failure.
Roger Ebert said “Shoot the Moon contains a raw emotional power of the sort we rarely see in domestic dramas.” His counterpart Gene Siskel also praised the movie saying “…an exceptionally strong family drama, with enough surprises to qualify as lifelike.”
Stream on HBO Max
Vice Squad
The #5 movie of the month is another thriller. The synopsis alone makes me want to watch it!
A single mother prostitute, who goes by the name Princess, finds herself forced to work undercover for the police in order to apprehend a homicidal, misogynistic pimp named Ramrod, who will do anything not to get arrested.
Rent it on YouTube or Amazon Prime
Movies released in January 1982 weren’t the best movies from that year. While the year starts slow once we move into the spring and summer of 1982 we’ll see some classic movies that help define the 80s.
If you want a flashback to the music of 1982 check out Eric’s This Week in the 80s series.
Next week we’ll look at January 1987.
Until then the balcony is closed.
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