8. Tron
This one's a bit of a cheat - but it's an excuse to talk about Tron, so I'm running with it. According to Box Office Mojo, Tron made nearly double its production budget in American theaters alone - but it never got close to equaling the box office returns of 1982's other big releases (arguably the greatest year for nerd movies ever). Even leading up to Tron Legacy's release, it was viewed as a box office failure that found its life on home video... which is only half true. Tron may be the only film about an emerging media platform that wasn't enjoyed - or even really understood - by mainstream audiences, which makes it modest success in 1982 even more impressive. No wonder it took off on home video throughout 80's - thanks to a younger generation who never lived in a time without video games. Writer-director Steven Lisberger clearly understood the potential of video games and, more importantly, computers. How they would soon become an integral part of our lives. Tron holds up, and holds up well. It's all together better written, directed, and acted than most people give it credit for.