With 1984’s Starman, both leading man Jeff Bridges and director John Carpenter showed what they could do with an epic, tragic sci-fi romance. John Carpenter was best-known for his nitty-gritty thriller films, particularly the run of work from exploitation classic Assault on Precinct 13 to Halloween to 1983’s Stephen King adaptation Christine. And Jeff Bridges, excellent and subtle in ‘70s films like The Last Picture Show and Fat City (besides lending credibility and a human touch to blockbusters like King Kong and Tron), got to play an alien in human flesh. For his work in making the alien lovable, Bridges received his first Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor.