Book Review: ‘The Future Was Now’ Is a Brilliant Retrospective of the Groundbreaking Summer ’82 Film

The moments are engraved in the pantheon of pop culture. And our collective consciousness.

A friendly alien taking Henry Thomas’ character Elliott for a mid-air bicycle ride with the full moon as a backdrop in “ET” Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke) in “Poltergeist” getting out of bed, looking at a pulsing TV screen, turning to the family and announcing: “They are here.” Arnold Schwarzenegger the titular hero Conan the Barbarian succinctly lists the best things in life for his compatriots: “Crush your enemies. See them led before you. And hear the lamentation of your women.”

Former Entertainment Weekly film critic Chris Nashawaty walks readers through the meaning (and making) of each of the films, as well as five other sci-fi/fantasy classics – “Blade Runner,” “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior”, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan”, “The Thing” and “Tron” – which, incredibly, were released within two months of each other in the summer of 1982.

In the ultra-fun and informative “The Future Was Now: Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982,” Nashawaty argues that the octet of films altered the trajectory, not just of the auteurs at the helm, but of Hollywood cinema.

“The summer of 1982 was the time when science fiction, fantasy, and blockbusters ripped from the pages of comic books would rise,” Nashawaty writes. “These films could no longer be dismissed indifferently as children’s stuff.

“They became the harbingers of a new era and, eventually, the most dominant force in popular entertainment.”

Your thesis is solid, for sure. But that’s not what makes “The Future Was Now” a great read. Behind-the-scenes intrigue does that.

Nashawaty delves into the history of how these groundbreaking films were – and were – made. Perhaps most fascinating is the story of the flourishing film maestro Steven Spielberg leading his young charges in the filming of the now classic “ET” and more or less taking over the production of “Poltergeist”, a very different type of film that is now considered a landmark in the horror genre.

Add the complex origins of the “Star Trek” and “Mad Max” sequels, plus Ridley Scott odyssey in turning a Philip K. Dick novel into the big-screen cult classic “Blade Runner,” and you have a must-read for any movie buff.

The summer of 1982 paved “the way for our current era of all blockbusters,” Nashawaty writes.

But the real treat is having a front-row seat as the author’s meticulous research and expert reporting bring to life how these cinematic gems came to be.

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