The summer movie season keeps getting bigger but rarely does it get better.  There are always some standouts, but in 30 years time, will we have nine movies that will all be remembered as classics?  I'm not sure, but it's only been done once before in the last 30 years, and that was in the summer of 1982.  From May through July, the world received (in chronological order) Conan the Barbarian, The Road Warrior, Rocky III, Poltergeist, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, The Thing, Blade Runner, and TRON.  Let that sink in for a moment.

The Alamo Drafthouse is paying tribute to the summer of 1982 by letting audiences relive it in the summer of 2012.  The Alamo will re-release the film on the same day that it was released in 1982, and a geek site will co-host a screening at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz in Austin.  So for example, we're co-hosting the screening of Rocky III on May 25th.  Select films will have big events with special guests and new Mondo posters.  Hit the jump for all of the release dates along with Alamo's trailer for the summer of 1982.

First up, here's the trailer (created by Tommy Swenson):

 

Next, here's the release schedule and co-hosts (each co-hosting site was chosen at random, and we're proud to have Rocky III).

May 11th – Conan the Barbarian (co-hosted by Hitfix)

May 18th – The Road Warrior (co-hosted by Film School Rejects)

May 25th – Rocky III (co-hosted by Collider)

June 1st – Poltergeist (co-hosted by Ain't It Cool News)

June 3rd – Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (co-hosted by Badass Digest)

June 8th – E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (co-hosted by Slashfilm)

June 22nd – The Thing (co-hosted by Movies.com)

July 6th – TRON (co-hosted by First Showing)

TBA – Blade Runner (the Alamo programming team is working hard to schedule the sci-fi opus BLADE RUNNER.  Watch for updates via @drafthouse and Facebook.com/AlamoDrafthouse)

Click here to buy tickets.

alamo-drafthouse-summer-of-1982-poster

Finally, here's the press release:

ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CELEBRATES THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF

THE GREATEST SUMMER OF MOVIES… EVER!

Austin, TX--- Friday, March 2, 2012--- Alamo Drafthouse is recreating the “Summer of 1982” to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the greatest summer of movies… ever!  From May through July, the theater will replicate 1982’s earth-shaking release schedule, screening eight of the biggest genre classics on the same weekends they were released exactly 30 years ago.  These gargantuas include CONAN THE BARBARIAN, THE ROAD WARRIOR, ROCKY III, POLTERGEIST, STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN, E.T., THE THING and TRON, all presented in 35mm.

As you can see, the “Summer of 1982” was an unprecedented super-tornado of Hollywood magic, mixing high adventure with interstellar impossibilities and unthinkable horrors. A generation of imaginations were set aflame, and there has never been another stretch of cinematic dynamite to match it. These movies endured beyond their opening weekend and decades later the releases throughout the “Summer of 1982” are forever tattooed on the hearts of movie fans across the globe.

Alamo Drafthouse is excited to partner with eight film sites on “Summer of 1982”, working collaboratively to honor this very special (and relentlessly fun) chapter in movie history.  The editors and writers of these sites all cite this summer as being formative to their movie geekdom.  Ain’t It Cool News, Badass Digest, Collider, Film School Rejects, First Showing, Hit Fix, Movies & Slashfilm will each co-host their own “Summer of 1982” movie.

The programmers are currently scheming additional ways to turn back the clock to 1982 at the Alamo, including lining up all of the 35mm trailers that originally played with each film on their opening weekend!  There will be fun ballyhoo, special guests and stunning new Mondo posters for select films.

Alamo Drafhouse will celebrate the “Summer of 1982” in all markets across Texas and Winchester, VA.  The following schedule is set at the Alamo Drafthouse Ritz in Austin.  Stay tuned for news from other Alamo theaters on their schedule.

About Alamo Drafthouse

The Alamo Drafthouse is a lifestyle entertainment brand with an acclaimed cinema-eatery, the largest genre film festival in the United Sates and an online collectible art store. Named “the best theater ever” by Time Magazine, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has built a reputation as a movie lover’s oasis not only by combining food and drink service with the movie-going experience, but also introducing unique programming and high-profile, star studded special events. Alamo Drafthouse Founder & CEO, Tim League, created Fantastic Fest, a world renowned film festival dubbed “The Geek Telluride” by Variety. Fantastic Fest showcases eight days of offbeat cinema from independents, international filmmakers and major Hollywood studios. The Alamo Drafthouse’s collectible art boutique, Mondo, offers breathtaking, original products featuring designs from world-famous artists based on licenses for popular TV and Movie properties including Star Wars, Star Trek & Universal Monsters. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is expanding its brand in new and exciting ways, including the launch of Drafthouse Films, a new film distribution label and plans to extend its theaters and unique programming philosophy to additional markets across the United States. More information about Alamo Drafthouse franchise opportunities are available on the official website http://drafthouse.com/.

[Note: For those wondering, the poster above is not a Mondo poster. It's still great and it was created by Luther Himes]