80s Flick Flashback

In the early ’70s, films like The Omega Man , Soylent Green , and THX-1138 painted a bleak future of chaos and government control. By 1981, the tone had shifted, with films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Clash of the Titans offering escapism and classic good vs. evil battles. But then came this 80s flick, set in a dystopian 1997 where Manhattan is a prison island. The hero, a morally gray anti-h...

In the mid-1980s, few films targeted young adults, and studios were still figuring out how to connect with the emerging Generation X. Enter St. Elmo's Fire —a quintessential 80s flick that featured a star-studded cast of rising talent: Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Mare Winningham, Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, and Demi Moore. Centered around a group of recent Georgetown grads navigating...

Remember back in the '80s when the end of the year meant tuning into those epic countdowns on the radio? Whether it was Casey Kasem with his iconic 'American Top 40' or Rick Dees bringing the laughs with his countdown hits, there was something magical about hearing the biggest songs of the year celebrated in such a big way. Today, we’re bringing that same energy as we count down our top ten episod...

In this special replay episode, we dive back into the chaotic, festive, and mischievous world of "Gremlins" (1984). Joined by special guest co-host Gerry D., we revisit this 80s classic that blends comedy, horror, and holiday spirit in a way only director Joe Dante can deliver. Gerry and I discuss first-time-watch memories, favorite scenes, and the timeless appeal of Gizmo and his unruly counterpa...

You won’t find this forgotten 80s Flick archived in the Smithsonian or on any list of Oscar-winning films. However, for thousands, maybe even millions, of Americans who grew up in the 1980s, it still holds a significant place in their cultural memory. It may be where they learned to curse, learned about love, and were introduced to the charm of country music superstar, Kenny Rogers. The premise ma...

This 80s Flick was just your standard love story: boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, girl turns out to be a fish. This beloved film captivated audiences with its whimsical blend of comedy, fantasy, and heartwarming romance. From the moment the mermaid first emerges from the ocean waves, the story sweeps us away on an unforgettable journey. How will she adapt to life on land? And can her budding r...

Get ready for chills as we revisit a classic that doesn’t rely on superhuman slashers or crazed killers but still managed to freeze audiences in fear. "Poltergeist" (1982) tells the story of an ordinary suburban family haunted by supernatural forces that tap into our deepest fears. From a clown doll that springs to life, to a closet that becomes a portal to another dimension, and a tree that break...

In 1984, amid the fears of nuclear war and the rise of consumerism, teen-centric films flourished. One often-overlooked gem stands out for its darker tone, mixing themes of consumerism, alien threats, mutation, and sinister scientists. "Night of the Comet" follows two sisters who survive a comet-induced apocalypse that turns most people into dust and some into zombies. As they navigate the desolat...

Say his name three times and he will appear. With his unruly green hair, pinstripe suit and unusual mannerisms, the malicious spirit became a film icon. But before the dark comedy premiered the studio and half of the cast weren't exactly convinced that audiences would be willing to take the wild ride about a bio-exorcist. The original script was vastly different, offering a darker and more deadly...

Imagine pitching this to a movie studio in the 80s: two clueless slackers travel through time in a phone booth, rounding up historical figures for their high school history project. Not exactly an easy sell, right? But what started as a quirky stand-up routine from college pals Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon turned into a surprise hit. The film didn’t just make money—it inspired a sequel, an animat...

In the 1980s, many movie fans thought the  Friday the 13th  series was at its best with the fourth movie, The Final Chapter, where it seemed like Jason Voorhees was finally defeated. The fifth film,  A New Beginning , tried to take the story in a new direction but didn't satisfy fans. Then, a new writer and director named Tom McLoughlin was asked to bring new life to the series and the famous kill...

John Hughes is known for making popular movies about teenagers in the 1980s. He started as a National Lampoon's Magazine writer and then began writing scripts in 1979. In 1984, he directed "Sixteen Candles". The next year, he directed two well-known movies, "The Breakfast Club" and this 80s flick. Many people think "The Breakfast Club" is better, but this one is special because it mixes comedy wit...

80s action movie icon Arnold Schwarzenegger had already faced off against deadly alien hunters in "Predator", but that same year, he took on another action-packed sci-fi film, trading aliens for a dystopian future and a deadly reality TV show. This 80s flick was a wild departure from the original short story it was based on, but it delivered plenty of action and comedic moments. In this adaptation...

In the not-too-distant future, civilization has been destroyed by genocide, starvation, and plague, and chaos reigns in the wastelands surrounding the collapsed Brooklyn Bridge. As guerilla fighters battle amid the desolation, one woman, who is also a robot, harbors a secret that could save humanity. As menacing baddies seek to exploit her to monopolize the production of the world-ravaging plague’...

An 80s flick synonymous with perhaps the most popular action genre of the eighties: the buddy-cop movie. In the wake of  Lethal Weapon , there were many variations of the formula. Perhaps the most testosterone-fuelled was this 1989 cult classic that paired Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell as Los Angeles cops framed by Jack Palance’s evil drug lord. With generous helpings of style, odd-couple qu...

Remember the days when action figures ruled our imaginations and epic battles between good and evil played out in our living rooms? Step into 1987, when a beloved toy line and animated series leaped onto the big screen in a live-action spectacle. In this 80s flick a intergalactic battle spills from the fantastical world of Eternia into our own. Marketed as the “Star Wars of the 80s, it didn’t quit...

Ever wondered what happens when real-life events inspire Hollywood action? Step into 1986, a time when high-octane, patriotic thrillers ruled the big screen. In this 80s action flick, we witness an elite military team led by none other than Chuck Norris and Lee Marvin, taking on a hijacking crisis with rocket-powered bravery and martial arts skill. Based loosely on actual events, this film blended...

Wes Craven redefined horror and birthed a new kind of terror with his creation of Freddy Krueger, the disfigured dream stalker who haunts the nightmares of teenagers on Elm Street. But just when you thought it was safe to fall asleep again, Freddy returned with a vengeance in this 80s Flick sequel. This time, he's got his sights set on a new victim, Jesse Walsh, who discovers that his nightmares a...

To the children of the ’80s, the only thing cooler than the idea of space camp is the idea behind this forgotten 80’s flick, in which Lea Thompson, Joaquin Phoenix, and their fellow teen team members must figure out how to land an actual space shuttle after a freak accident at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center launches them into outer space. It could have been one of the biggest movies of 1986 but then...

Before writer-director Philip Kaufman brought Tom Wolfe's best-selling book to the big screen in 1983, astronauts in movies were often just alien hunters or asteroid chasers. But under Kaufman's direction, spaceflight became a deeply human endeavor, focusing on inner strength rather than external threats. This 80s flick, which runs for over three hours and features an unconventional structure, tel...

Have you ever wondered how far you'd go to keep your weekend plans alive? Picture this: it's the summer of 1989, and two young employees are ready for a dream getaway at their boss's swanky beach house. But there's a twist—when they arrive, they find their boss, who unbeknownst to them has been stealing from the company, very much dead. What follows is a wild 48 hours filled with dirty-old drunks,...

It’s easy to see why this 80s Flick resonated at the time. Layoffs in traditionally American male workplaces, especially the auto industry, had landed innumerable men on their living room couches - a stark contrast to the seventies when a total of six men reported being stay-at-home dads in America. That’s right, just six. This resulted in many of their wives having to head into the workplace them...

If you've ever dabbled in DIY home improvement, you'll likely empathize with the calamities depicted in this often overlooked 80s flick. It's the classic tale of renovation gone awry, starring Tom Hanks and Shelley Long as a couple who snag a mansion at a bargain, only to realize after the deal is done why it was priced so low. While the critics weren't overly impressed, for countless fans, it rem...

Shrinking someone down in order to inject them into someone else, is an absurd movie concept! Producer Steven Spielberg and director Joe Dante knew this, so rather than maintain the bland seriousness of 1966’s “Fantastic Voyage”, they decided to have fun with it, and made a better movie because of it.  Lt. Tuck Pendleton, a daring Navy pilot, volunteers for a miniaturization experiment that become...

Stephen King taught us some important lessons while ascending to his rightful place as America’s most prolific author of horror and supernatural fiction. For instance: don’t dump pig’s blood on  Carrie , never stay at  The Shining ’s Overlook Hotel, and for goodness sake, tread lightly when dealing with a 1958 Plymouth Fury named  Christine . King takes the classic tale of boy-meets-girl to fright...