10 Classic ’80s Sci-fi Moments

Do you remember the 1980s, or know the decade second-hand by wading through 30+plus-year-old news stories, MTV videos, and movie clips on YouTube?  Either way, it’s easy to grasp that mullets, ultra-perms, leg warmers, shoulder pads, and acid wash jean jackets were all the rage.  For science fiction and horror flicks, advances in practical effects were all the rage too!  These high-tech strides helped propel moviegoers’ theatrical and home video experiences, but hey, filmmakers couldn’t rest on their new technological laurels.  Audiences need compelling stories and characters too, because wondrous…

10 Classic ’80s Sci-fi Moments: ‘The Empire Strikes Back’

#1 – “The Empire Strikes Back” – Darth Vader’s reveal – June 20, 1980 is a day that shook the world.  On this day, the much anticipated sequel to “Star Wars” (1977) hit the big screen, and in the film’s third act, Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) reveals that he is Luke Skywalker’s (Mark Hamill) father. What?? Absolutely no one saw this coming, and this seminal moment forever-altered fans perception of the series and its characters, and it became the fulcrum for every “Star Wars” film afterwards, except for…

10 Classic 80s Sci-fi Moments: ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’

#2 – “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ – Spock’s sacrifice – After the dull and obtuse Star Trek feature film debut “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” (1979) reached the silver screen three years earlier, fans might have been skeptical walking into “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” in 1982.  Oh, one would be hard-pressed to find any disappointed faces.  This swashbuckling adventure peppered with Shakespeare is arguably the best of the series, and the dual between Kirk (William Shatner) and Khan (Ricardo Montalban) is nothing short of…