Def Dave's 1984

On this day in 1984, the first of three C. Thomas Howell movies for the year hits theaters. Is Tank, starring James Garner, one of the hidden gems of the year? Jeff Mazzuca from the 30something Movie Podcast joins me on this one.

Part Star Wars, part Flash Gordon. Add some space herpes and you get one of the quirkiest, oddest movies of the year. Chuck Bryan, co-host of the Cinematic Flashback podcast joins me to discuss Ice Pirates, the cult favorite starring Robert Urich, Ron Perlman and Angelica Huston.cinematicflashback.com

March 13, 1984 saw the release of the biggest album in the career of The Cars. Quintessential 80s new wave synth pop produced by Mutt Lange, this album is packed with classic hits like "Magic" and "You Might Think".Returning to help me talk about it is, of course, this show's official Pop Girl, Kathy Bright. Linktr.ee/DefDave

1984 was the year of the most successful album The Cars would ever have. "Heartbeat City" is packed with pure 80s New Wave. The Official Pop Girl of the show, Kathy Bright, returns to help me talk about it.

On the same night Splash opens in theaters, March 9th, we also get Children of the Corn, the first of two Stephen King adaptation to reach movie screens in 1984. Returning to the show to help me talk about it is Jeff Johnson from the A Film By... podcast. afilmbypodcast.com

This fish out of water comedy made an unexpected splash at the box office when it opened on March 9.Directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, this inaugural effort from the newly formed Touchstone Pictures finished the year in the top ten. How well does it hold up? Is it still funny? How did they achieve the mermaid effects? Most importantly, does Amber like it? That's right,...

In 1984, TSR rolled out their brand new Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Dragonlance. It would debut as a series of game modules and before the year was over we would have a Dragonlance novel, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the first of literally hundreds. Dragonlance was, and remains, a huge success and one of the most popular fantasy settings of all time. To help me talk about it is Adam fro...

Among the highlights of what was happening in the world of comic book publishing in 1984 was Walt Simonson's run as writer and artist of The Mighty Thor from Marvel. Starting in late 1983, Simonson spent four years in charge of the Asgardian's adventures in a creative run that is widely considered the best Thor ever got in its entire history. To help me talk about it is professional comic book ink...

This Is Spinal Tap was not the only cult movie to open on March 2, 1984. We were also given the bizarre sci-fi punk rock comedy Repo Man, starring Emilio Estevez. The epitome of a cult movie that has only grown in its reputation over the decades. It has proven surprisingly influential. To help me discuss this strange, one-of-a-kind film, John Reid from the 30something Movie Podcast makes his retur...

March 2, 1984 was a Friday and that means new movies opening at your local theater. On this date, director Rob Reiner introduced the world to a new genre: the mockumentary. This Is Spinal Tap, a perfect send-up of heavy metal and just rock bands in general, has only grown in its cult status. To help me talk about this beloved gem is Dayton Johnson, the host of The DockingBay 77 Podcast. https://do...

1984 saw the end of the Synchronicity Tour, which would prove to be the final tour for The Police. What were the dynamics tearing the band apart? How much longer would they stay together after this tour? How could they walk away at the peak of their success? To help me answer these questions and a whole lot more, I welcome back to the show the Barrister of the Bayou, rock drummer James Buckley.

1984 saw the smash hit career breakthrough album for Weird Al, "In 3-D". This is the album with Eat It, I Lost on Jeopardy and so many others. I'm thrilled to have as featured guests, Weird Al superfans Dave Rossi and Ethan Ullman from the "Dave & Ethan's 2000-inch Weird Al Podcast". Get out your accordion, your cuisinart, and the lousy copy of your home game and join us for the fun.

The 26th Annual Grammys were held on February 28, 1984.It was a night honoring the music and artists of 1983 and is considered by some to be the best Grammys ever. Someone wearing a single sequined white glove might have set a new record for Grammys won in a single night. But this mysterious Gloved One might not have won Song of the Year. Returning to the show to help me run down all the big winne...

The Jacksons reunited in 1984 for a new album and tour, but the year started with the filming of a pair of Pepsi commercials. We all know how disastrous that proved for Michael, as we discussed in an earlier episode of this show. But February 26 was the date that these commercials debuted. There was vast interest surrounding them due to the accident Michael had suffered and he was still riding hig...

Star Wars made its premiere on network television on February 26, 1984. CBS marketed it heavily and gave it a deluxe presentation, but it did it even win its time slot? Which of the film's stars introduced segments? Which high profile commercials were moved to debut during this broadcast? To help me sort through it all and reminiscence on the most significant movie of our childhoods is Mean Mark f...

February 17, 1984 also saw the release of "Into the Gap", the most successful album The Thompson Twins would ever have. They enjoyed their highest chart success with singles like "Hold Me Now" and "Doctor Doctor", both from this album. This episode also introduces Kathy Bright to the show as the official Pop Girl of Def Dave's 1984. She's here to help me discuss this classic album of British new w...

Inspired by a true story, Footloose hit theaters on February 17, 1984 and proved to be a huge hit, finishing in the top ten at the box office for the year. Lindsay Butler, co-host of the Children of the 80s Podcast, joins me for a look at the movie. I don't think we make it clear in the episode, but we will dedicate an entirely separate episode to the Footloose soundtrack album later. Linktr.ee/De...

Disney established Touchstone Pictures on February 15, 1984. This was a brand new subsidiary studio created for the purpose of releasing edgier material than Disney's typical family-friendly fare. Why did the company feel this was necessary? Did it work? What was the long-term impact? Disney expert Robert Burnett from the DockingBay77 Podcast joins me for an insightful look into this critical time...

"Love At First Sting" hit American record stores on February 13, 1984. It would prove to be the Scorpions' biggest success, led by the classic Rock You Like A Hurricane. Real life rock drummer James Buckley makes his return to the show to help me talk about it. Linktr.ee/DefDave

On February 8, 1984, the XIV Winter Olympics got underway in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Did anyone boycott this one? Who were the breakout athletes? Which country won the medal count? How did the USA do? Did anyone make the Wheaties box? To help me talk about it, I ventured far north into the wintry lands of Minnesota and found Brad Sorensen, one of the hosts of Pop Culture Yearbook. PCY: https://open....

The Challenger Space Shuttle flew its fourth mission in February of 1984 and made history for marking the first untethered spacewalk. Astronaut Bruce McCandless demonstrated extraordinary courage with this remarkable achievement. What challenges did the crew face on this mission? What kind of military and NASA career did McCandless have? Who else joined him on the untethered spacewalk? To help me...

When it comes to comic books, one of the biggest highlights of 1984 was The New Teen Titans from DC Comics. Marv Wolfman and George Pérez were leading the sales charts with their bold takes on teen characters. It is here that Dick Grayson, a mainstay as Robin since the 1940s, quit that identity forever. How was this move received by fans? Did it ultimately hurt or help the Batman comics? What led...

It's January 30th, and an album hits stores that many would discover years later after the band had become one of the biggest in the decade. It is "Slide It In" by Whitesnake, a band whose roster seemed to be always changing. To help me sort it all out and decide if the right songs were picked for the singles, I once again have The Celebrity Jason Colvin returning to the show.www.thesurelypodcast....

On January 27th, Michael Jackson and all of his brothers were shooting a new commercial for Pepsi when it all went horribly wrong. The biggest pop star in the world had caught on fire and suffered 2nd degree burns to his scalp. Jackson Family expert and superfan Shawn Shackleford takes time away from the MJCast podcast to tell us all about how this happened, the impact it had on the world and if t...

On January 27th, we got a new album from perhaps the least likely former Beatle. More than three years after his tragic death, John Lennon and Yoko Ono give us the "Milk and Honey" album. Twelve tracks, split evenly between the two artists. If I'm talking Beatles, I have to bring in The Vinyl Professor himself, Chris Webre, to tell us all about it. Check Chris on Instagram: @a_vinyl_odyssey Linktr...