The Films of 1982
Trivia, Word Search, and a Quiz
By today's standards, the use of computer-generated imagery (or CGI) in the 1982 sci-fi action-adventure film Tron appears amateurish. But compared to what audiences had seen up until that point, it was groundbreaking in how it combined live-action sequences with CGI imagery.
In case you're wondering, the first CGI image used in a film was the swirling spiral in the opening sequence of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958). This innovative director created the image by using a WWII aircraft targeting computer and some basic mechanical tricks.
Here's some more trivia from the world of cinema in 1982:
- Actors born this year include Jay Baruchel and Seth Rogen, who would later appear together in Knocked Up (2007), Fanboys (2009), and This Is the End (2013).
- Kirstie Alley makes her film debut in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, as do actresses Glenn Close in The World According to Garp, Geena Davis in Tootsie, Rebecca De Mornay in One from the Heart, Angelina Jolie in Lookin' to Get Out, and Molly Ringwald in Tempest.
- The comic actor John Belushi dies from a drug overdose in Los Angeles on March 5.
- On October 22, First Blood is released, introducing audiences to the culturally iconic character John Rambo. Although Sylvester Stallone would revive his character in subsequent films, they would never match the commercial and critical success of this first film.
- Golden Age actress Ingrid Bergman, of the timeless Casablanca (1942), dies this year in late August. Barely two weeks later Grace Kelly, star of Hitchcock's Rear Window (1954), succumbs to injuries she sustains in a car cash in Monaco, where she had become a Princess through her marriage to Prince Rainier III in 1956. Also dying this year is Henry Fonda, who played the lead in the cinema classic The Grapes of Wrath (1940), as well as 'Joe Friday' himself, actor Jack Webb.
1982 Films Word Search
The films in the following two word searches were films released in 1982. Just like all the films on this page (unless otherwise noted).
The first word search is easy: 20 film titles hidden in a small 22 × 20 letter grid. The second is more challenging: 36 film titles in a large 34 × 32 letter grid.
So load your printer with standard 8.5" × 11" paper, download, hit print and start solving. Our PDF files print out beautifully and are always free to download on our site.
More Word Searches
These word search puzzles are on particular films from 1982. They each have 36 terms hidden in a large 34 × 32 letter grid.
Blade Runner Tootsie First Blood An Officer and a Gentleman
10 Question Quiz on 1982 Films
How well do you know what came out on the Silver Screen in 1982? Take our quiz and find out. There's no time limit and no scoring. Just have fun!
1. John Carpenter's The Thing was originally banned in a Nordic country. This was likely for featuring an excessive amount of bloodshed. Which country was this?
2. Sean Penn got so into his stoner character on the set of Fast Times at Ridgemont High that he only answered by that name. This name was also stenciled on his dressing room door instead of his real name. What is that name?
3. What is the famous line spoken by the little girl in Poltergeist as she stares into the scary TV set?
4. In which country was Conan the Barbarian filmed?
5. All of the following actors were up for the lead role of Nathan in Meryl Streep's Sophie's Choice, but only one was successful. Who was this?
6. What candy does Elliott use to lure E.T. into the house in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial?
7. Who makes his screenwriting debut in the horror comedy anthology film Creepshow?
8. What type of sports quiz does Eddie give his fiancée in Diner, which she must pass before he agrees to marry her?
9. The lead actor who plays the wimpy morgue director in Night Shift once said he took the role because it was the exact opposite of the macho TV character he is best known for. Which character is that?
10. Which actor did NOT turn down the role of Jack Cates, to go on to play the no-nonsense detective against the wise-cracking Eddie Murphy in 48 Hrs.?
Want more? We have another page on the cinema of 1982
Explore other years in the world of cinema