Amblin into the summer movie past

It is time to reflect back on the ghosts of summer movies past. Back when not every single movie that opened was a tired sequel or an unnecessary remake.
 

Anyone who grew up in the 1980’s and frequented the local multiplexes of the pre-stadium theater era can recall when the films of Amblin Entertainment were the dominant fare of summer escapism.
 

Although Amblin Entertainment still exists as a production company, it only functions today like most production companies do today, as a facilitator of material and a dealmaker. There was a brief period of time from 1984 to 1987 when the Amblin logo was very distinct trademark and meant a very specific type of film.
 

The wave of Amblin Entertainment productions came in the wake of the massive success of E.T. in 1982. Each movie was an attempt to recapture not only the magic of that classic, but also the sense of adventure of 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the cosmic mystery of 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

It was an elusive quest for the Spielberg touch. But unlike those films above, these Amblin productions were not personally directed by the filmmaker turned mogul, but by his friends and protégés.
Here is a look at some essentials from the golden era of Amblin Entertainment.
 

Gremlins (1984) directed by Joe Dante

Hot off the 1981 cult werewolf classic The Howling and his It’s a Good Life segment of the 1983's Twilight Zone movie, Joe Dante brought his irreverent sensibilities to what was originally written as straight, gory horror spec by a young Chris Columbus. Joe Dante went on to make Explorers the next year, a criminally underrated gem that might be the best Amblin Entertainment movie not actually made by Amblin.
 

Back to the Future (1985) directed by Robert Zemeckis

The title says it all. A classic that holds up well and it is still the best time travel screenplay ever written. Followed by the dark, gripping and complex Back to the Future 2, and the lightweight finale, Back to the Future 3.

The Goonies (1985) directed by Richard Donner
 

Included on this list as an example of Amblin at its worst.
 

Grating, cloying, obnoxious, and loud, it has the feel of being trapped in a Chucky Cheese for two hours.

I thought maybe I had misread the credits when I first saw this in 1985. Ed Blank of the Pittsburgh Press was one of the few critics at the time who called Spielberg out for attaching his name to such a sloppy mess. It is inconceivable that this movie has such a monstrous following today, more so than any other Amblin film of that era including Back to the Future.
 

Amazing Stories (1985-1987) NBC television

One of the most hyped pop culture television events of the 1980’s, Amazing Stories premiered in September 1985 with the 30 minute episode Ghost Train directed by the man himself. Critics were savage.

I still recall Rona Barret on Entertainment Tonight angrily railing against the director and accusing him of showing off his technical skills with a tracking shot (masterfully executed by the way) and other flashy cinematic flair.
 

However uneven the story quality might have been, each episode was literally a piece of innovative short filmmaking. The series brought cinematic techniques to the small screen with young talents like Phil Joanua, as well as A-list directors such as Robert Zemeckis, Joe Dante, Martin Scorsese, and Clint Eastwood.
 

Of special note are the following episodes:
 

The Mission, a one hour episode directed by Spielberg in top form and featuring sensational John Williams score, and a cast that includes Kevin Costner and Kiefer Sutherland.
 

Robert Zemeckis’s outrageous Halloween horror Go to the Head of the Class.
 

Peter Hyam’s scary The Amazing Falsworth.
 

Phil Joanou’s two episodes, the slasher Santa ’85, and the charming Richard Matheson penned love story The Doll.
 

Leslie Link Glatter’s deeply moving tear jerker Without Diana.
 

Click here for part two of the golden age of Amblin Entertainment.