Summer of 1986, Part Three: The Fly, Stand by Me, and the End of a Legendary Summer

Every great summer eventually comes to an end, but the summer of 1986 saved some incredible movies for the final stretch. In Part Three of this special series, The 80s Movie Podcast concludes an occasionally personal journey through one of the strongest movie seasons of the 1980s, revisiting the films released during the closing months of a summer packed with unforgettable entertainment. Part Three covers a remarkable late-summer lineup that included films such as The Fly, Stand by Me, Manhunter, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Night of the Creeps, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, One Crazy Summer, and The Transformers: The Movie.

We explore how the final weeks of summer delivered everything from horror and science fiction to heartfelt coming-of-age drama, cult comedy, and overlooked gems. While many summers burn bright and fade quickly, 1986 kept delivering memorable films all the way through August, cementing its reputation as one of the most exciting periods in movie history.

Whether you lived through the summer of 1986 or are discovering its movies for the first time, Part Three celebrates the final wave of films that helped define an era. Join us as we close out this journey through one of the greatest summers the movies ever gave us.