I frickin’ love Tron

In 1982, I saw the trailers for the movie on TV and wanted to see the movie so badly. My sister was 3 years older than me and had decided that since the movie was about computers, it would be too complex and I wouldn’t understand it. Yet she hadn’t seen it either, so how would she know? Older sibling syndrome, I guess.

It wasn’t until later when Tron came to the Disney Channel that I finally got to see it. It was a celebration of early ’80s video game culture. Fantastic. Recently I did a search for Tron stuff on Pinterest and wanted to post some of the cooler images I found.

I’ve never seen this poster image before. Super neat.

Jean “Moebius” Giraud did a lot of the designs for Tron. His graphic novel, The Long Tomorrow, was a visual inspiration for Blade Runner.

More Moebius art.

And speaking of Blade Runner, Syd Mead also did design work for Tron, with these black & white illustrations.

I’ve never seen this poster with Flynn, either. Perhaps this is fan art?

This poster for the “Space Paranoids” arcade game featured in the movie. It’s amusing since arcade games back then did NOT look like that, unless it was supposed to be a laserdisc game. There is no way we had FPS-style games like that back then!

But we did get an actual Tron arcade game by Bally Midway in 1984.

The design of this arcade cabinet is simply captivating, complete with the blacklights and lighted joystick. While it was cool, I really enjoyed the Discs of Tron game far better.

This was a step-in, environmental cabinet. It really blew me a way the first time I saw it.

Too bad Disney is more preoccupied with sexualizing children and wrecking Marvel and Star Wars to make anything cool anymore. At least a good sequel was made before Disney went down the crapper, although that movie and its spin-off cartoon weren’t enough to sustain interest in Tron. As for me, 40 years later, Tron remains dear to me.

Here is my DVD signed by Bruce Boxleitner. I only talked to him briefly, but I could tell he is BASED.

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of 1982: the best year for science fiction

Up for some science fiction movie viewing for summer? 1982 was the most prolific movie for science fiction films. I have set about collecting Japanese promotional flyers (chirashi) from Yahoo Auctions Japan. Here they are.

Blade Runner

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan

Tron

The Thing. In Japanese, the title is 遊星からの物体X (“Object X from Outer Space” is the best I can translate that as.)

The Dark Crystal

Fire Fox

Mega Force (this one I actually do not own. It’s a pretty silly movie, but I may get this later.)

E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (another one I do not personally own)

Space Adventure Cobra: The Movie

And although it isn’t a movie, it is worth noting that in 1982 Super Dimensional Fortress Macross aired on TV in Japan.