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30 YEARS AGO
 
May 1 and 8, 1987
The lead at the box office in early May was The Secret of My Success which had opened at #1 on April 10th and held that spot through the May 8th weekend. Creepshow 2 actually had a higher per-theater average on its debut weekend May 1st but quickly fell off.  Of interest to music fans was The Allnighter, starring Bangles lead singer Susanna Hoffs, though it bombed with critics and audiences. More trivia: Hoffs’ husband Jay Roach directed Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery due to Susanna being a bandmate in Ming Tea with Mike Myers.
 
Ishtar - May 15, 1987
This Saharan road comedy with Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman became notorious when its  $55 million production costs generated more buzz than its script or performances.  Though it managed to open at #1 on its debut weekend with $4.3 million (1,139 theaters), its $14.3 million gross was a failure on the order of Heaven’s Gate.
 
Beverly Hills Cop II - May 22, 1987
When Beverly Hills Cop became the number one box office hit of 1984, you knew a sequel was guaranteed.  Eddie Murphy returns as Axel Foley, alonwith Rosewood and Taggart (Judge Reinhold and John Ashton) as they face off against bank-job and arms-dealing bad guys Dean Stockwell and Brigitte Nielsen.  Beverly Hills Cop II’s #1 opening effectively tied the all-time record-holder Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom with $26.3 million 3-day and $33.0 million over the Memorial Day weekend and held the #1 spot for two more weekends.  However, its $153 million gross fell far short of the $234 million for the first film.  Murphy returned for Beverly Hills Cop III in 1994.
 
The Untouchables - June 5, 1987
Kevin Costner stars as Eliot Ness and Robert De Niro plays Al Capone, but it was Sean Connery who would win an Oscar for his supporting role as a beat cop in Brian DePalma’s period crime drama.  The film also received Academy Award nominations for Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design.  The Untouchables opened at #2 with $10 million from less than half the number of theaters showing Beverly Hills Cop II.  It eventually earned $76 million, the sixth best total of the year.
 
Harry and the Hendersons - June 5, 1987
The family friendly adventure about a family that takes in a sasquatch didn’t earn big box office but is probably fondly remembered by its fans.  John Lithgow reluctantly yelling at Harry to go into the wild (to save him from hunters) is the standout scene.  Harry opened at #3 with $4.1 million and brought in $29.7 million overall.

35 YEARS AGO
 
May 7, 1982
March and April were dominated by Porky’s, which opened at #1 on March 19th with $7.6 and held the top spot through the May 7th weekend.  Porky’s eventually earned $105 million, the 5th highest domestic gross of the year.
 
Conan the Barbarian - May 14, 1982
At age 35, Mr. Olympia legend Arnold Schwarzenegger scored a decent hit with his first major starring role.  Opening at #1, Conan’s $9.6 million weekend was among the top ten to date, and the film’s $39.5 million was Schwarzenegger’s highest until Predator five years later.  
 
Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid - May 21, 1982
One of my favorite Steve Martin comedies is one of his least-remembered.  He plays private eye Rigby Reardon in black & white scenes edited with clips from classic noir films. Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid opened at #2 with $4.2 million at only 882 theaters for a per-theater average that beat Conan’s in its second weekend.  The comedy grossed a total of $18.1 million.
 
The Road Warrior / Mad Max 2 - May 21, 1982
In this sequel Mel Gibson’s former cop saves a group of survivors at an oil refinery group from Wez and Lord Humungus.  It of course features some fantastic driving action sequences. The Road Warrior opened at #4 with $2.5 million from 704 theaters and grossed a total of $23.6 million in the U.S.  Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome followed in 1985.
 
Rocky III - May 28, 1982
Sylvester Stallone returns as the now wealthy heavyweight champion who loses his belt and friend Mickey to the fierce Clubber Lang (Mr. T).  This was the film that made “Eye of the Tiger”  a hit.  Rocky III opened with $16 million over the long Memorial Day weekend from just 939 theaters, a May record and a per-theater average that wasn’t matched again until Return of the Jedi.  Its $124 million gross was the most successful of the series until Rocky IV in 1985.
 
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - June 4, 1982
Ricardo Montalban reprises his role as the villain Khan Noonien Singh, 25 years after first appearing on the Star Trek television series.  The film remains one of the highest rated in the series at Rotten Tomatoes.com no doubt due to the cat and mouse fight between Kirk and Khan, and two poignant scenes with Spock.  Star Trek II’s $14.3 million opening weekend (at 1,621 theaters) took the all-time record from Superman II and became the sixth highest grossing film of the year with $78.9 million.
 
Poltergeist - June 4, 1982
This supernatural horror made homeowners everywhere afraid of their houses, trees, and pools.  Poltergeist opened at #3 with $6.8 million from 980 theaters and went on to earn $76.6 million.  Two sequels and a 2015 reboot followed, but the first in the franchise remains the most successful at the box office.

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