The Future Was Now: Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982
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AlbakiReads Editorial A six-week collision that reshaped science-fiction cinema
A six-week collision that reshaped science-fiction cinema
Chris Nashawaty examines the extraordinary summer of 1982, when eight major science-fiction releases—including E.T., Blade Runner, Tron, The Thing, and Mad Max: The Road Warrior—arrived within six weeks. Organized around the origins and productions of these films, the book connects creative risks, difficult shoots, commercial disappointments, and changing studio expectations. It places familiar titles alongside the filmmakers and industry figures involved, tracing a moment when studios increasingly recognized the business potential of high-concept releases, merchandising, devoted fan communities, and sequel-ready worlds. The emphasis is on Hollywood history as seen through a concentrated run of genre movies whose influence extended beyond their initial box-office fortunes.
Good fit for readers who enjoy
- Fans of 1980s science-fiction and fantasy film
- Readers interested in Hollywood production history and studio economics
- Moviegoers curious about the making of E.T., Blade Runner, Tron, and related films
Themes
Science-fiction cinemaHollywood in 1982Film productionStudio filmmakingFranchising and merchandising
Based on publisher information and book metadata.
Book Overview "Hollywood boldly went where it hadn't gone before and Nashawaty chronicles the journeys." --Los Angeles Times ("Books You Need To Read T...
"Hollywood boldly went where it hadn't gone before and Nashawaty chronicles the journeys." --Los Angeles Times ("Books You Need To Read This Summer")
"Written with a fan's enthusiasm . . . An important inflection point in Hollywood filmmaking." --New York Times ("Nonfiction Books to Read This Summer")
In the summer of 1982, eight science fiction films were released within six weeks of one another. E.T., Tron, Star Trek: Wrath of Khan, Conan the Barbarian, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, The Thing, and Mad Max: The Road Warrior changed the careers of some of Hollywood's now biggest names--altering the art of movie-making to this day.
In The Future Was Now, Chris Nashawaty recounts the riotous genesis of these films, featuring an all-star cast of Hollywood luminaries and gadflies alike: Steven Spielberg, at the height of his powers, conceives E.T. as an unlikely family tale, and quietly takes over the troubled production of Poltergeist, a horror film he had been nurturing for years. Ridley Scott, fresh off the success of Alien, tries his hand at an odd Philip K. Dick story that becomes Blade Runner--a box office failure turned cult classic. Similar stories arise for films like Tron, Conan the Barbarian, and The Thing. Taken as a whole, these films show a precarious turning-point in Hollywood history, when baffled film executives finally began to understand the potential of high-concept films with a rabid fanbase, merchandising potential, and endless possible sequels.
Expertly researched, energetically told, and written with an unabashed love for the cinema, The Future Was Now is a chronicle of how the revolution sparked in a galaxy far, far away finally took root and changed Hollywood forever.
Book Details Format: Hardcover | Pages: 304 | Language: English | Publisher: FLATIRON BOOKS | ISBN: 1250827051
FormatHardcover
Pages304
LanguageEnglish
ISBN1250827051
EAN9781250827050
PublisherFLATIRON BOOKS
Publication Date2024-07-30
Edition1
AccessoriesNo Accessory
ConditionNew
Product TypeHARD COVER BOOKS
Weight1.09 Pounds
Length9.51 Inches
Width6.3 Inches
Height1.04 Inches
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