The 80s-est

Welcome to the Fast Times Region! And what a way to kick things off! In one corner: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Amy Heckerling’s sun-drenched 1982 snapshot of teenage California life, packed with a killer soundtrack, an iconic cast of future stars, and one Jeff Spicoli who just wanted to surf. In the other: Friday the 13th, the 1980 micro-budget slasher that terrified a generation, launched a fr...

It’s 1984 vs. 1982, and the SIXTEEN CANDLES Region is throwing down! In one corner: Footloose, the movie that made Kevin Bacon a household name and convinced America that dancing could start a revolution! In the other: 48 Hrs., the buddy-cop thriller that launched Eddie Murphy into the stratosphere and taught us all that you can get a lot done in two days if you’re mad enough about it. One has a l...

In this episode of The 80s-est, it’s (7)The Big Chill vs (10)National Lampoon's Vacation. We're diving into a fascinating Boomer clash from the Sixteen Candles Region between two very different sides of 1983: the serious Boomer introspective ensemble drama versus the Boomer-as-dad broad family road trip comedy. Both have more than a whiff of ass to them. Which is more essentially 80s? You decide!...

This week on a super-sized The 80s-est, we tackle a fascinating clash between two very different sides of the decade: the epic space opera that defined blockbuster filmmaking versus the domestic comedy that captured Reagan-era anxieties. One film launched a thousand space operas and toy lines; the other launched Michael Keaton's career and reflected the economic uncertainty many families were actu...

In the Sixteen Candles Region, sixth-seeded Airplane! meets eleventh-seeded Streets of Fire in a matchup that is tough to quantify. Airplane! invented the modern spoof, launched Leslie Nielsen's second career, and gave the world "don't call me Shirley." Streets of Fire slapped "A Rock & Roll Fable" on the poster, put Willem Dafoe in shirtless leather overalls, and dared you to take it completely s...

This week, it’s a battle of 1982 with (4)Tootsie up against (13) Rocky III . On one side, you've got Rocky III which practically sweats neon. You’ve got Mr. T in his film debut, Hulk Hogan in a wrestling cameo, Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" blasting over a montage, and Sylvester Stallone looking less like a boxer and more like a man who ate a bodybuilder. On the other side sits Tootsie, a sophisti...

Blade Runner was near-future sci-fi; Amadeus was far-past musical composer drama. Since neither film is anchored in the 1980s, which will capture our votes for most 80s? Listen and see how we navigate the pillars of this interesting matchup! Vote below, and if you don’t have time to revisit the films, we have included the trailers so that you can get a quick refresher! This is a public episode. If...

Well, this is it, the hypothetically closest matchup in the tournament, as 8-seed “Hot Dog…the Movie” takes on 9-seed “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” These two were right in the middle of the rankings, 32 and 33 overall. Hot Dog defined the raunchy ski-movie genre, Nightmare re-defined the teen slasher film. Which is better? Well, that’s not much of a contest. Which is more 80s?? You decide! Vote bel...

Season 4 starts off with a matchup of a dialogue-heavy teen movie against a dialogue-sparse post-apocalyptic action flick. Sixteen Candles struts in with John Hughes cred and a cast of 80s stalwarts, but MM2:TRW is making a case with the look and feel that defined a franchise. Don’t get confused: the one seed has the word “sixteen” in its title, and the sixteen seed has the word “two” in its title...

Hello, friends! We have returned for The 80s-est, Season 4! This season is called Reel A: 1980-84, and in it, we will explore the 64 most 80s movies, as voted by you, our loyal listeners! Today’s pilot episode will get us started down a road to finding the most 80s film in the United States from the beginning of the decade! In the pilot, we discuss the methodology used to arrive at the top 64 (tha...

It’s the end of the season, and yes, we reveal the winner of the Duets Region, and the ultimate winner of Season 3: Legends Only. No spoilers here in the post! BUT FIRST… Before we reveal those things, instead of posting a “best moments” episode this season, we decided to do something more interesting! We instead had a lengthy, interesting discussion with Keith’s friend, a professor, a communicato...

This is all that there is, there is no more. You have one more decision to make. Which of these incredibly legendary 80s songs will win this whole damn bracket, and take the Season 3: Legends Only crown? (OK, you have one other decision to make—which song will win 3rd place?) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit t...

It’s all down to one last vote, so gather your justifications and your experiential data and get ready to crown a champion! Listen, then VOTE! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack.com

Folks, it doesn’t get anymore “THIS IS IT!” than this, AGAIN! The second half of your Final Four. We are working together to send one more song to the Season 3: Legends, Final! Which of these evenly-rated 3-seeds will advance to the Final??? YOU get to decide! Listen, then VOTE! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visi...

[NOTE: the attempt to publish this last evening was thwarted by a massive failure at Substack at 3AM through at least 4AM. I eventually just went to bed.] [Here now is the episode you were supposed to have for your morning commute!] Folks, it doesn’t get anymore “THIS IS IT!” than this. The Final Four. Sending one song to the Season 3: Legends, Final! Will it be the odds-on favorite, or the dark-h...

The Duets are down to the Final Four! Who do you want to continue on to the Final? Listen, then: VOTE! The current state of the Duets Bracket: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack.com

The Springsteen Region all comes down to this! It’s lopsided if you just look at the seeds, but which of these 80s gems will represent in the Final Four? It’s up to YOU! VOTE! The Kidd Video intro discussed tonight: The Springsteen Region up-to-the-minute: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack.co...

The Madonna Region all comes down to this! It’s not a 1 v 2 matchup, which of these unlikely songs will represent in the Final Four? It’s up to YOU! VOTE! Here’ the Roos commercial from tonight’s show: The Madonna Region, up-to-the moment: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack.com

The Duets game is SIZZLING now! It started with only 16 so we are blasting through it quickly! After this round, we will already have our Final Four! Here’s your chance to pick the final two of those four! So give us a listen, and then VOTE! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack.com

This is it. The MJ Region is down to one final vote. Who will advance? YOU decide! One of these songs is getting its ticket punched to the Final Four! VOTE! Joe, here’s Ted Cruz: Tonight’s Merlin commercial: The Final MJ Region Bracket, just need to crown a champion! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest....

This is it. The Prince Region comes down to one vote. And yes, the region is named after Prince, so that’s convenient, but really give this one a thought before just blindly voting for the Purple One! one of these songs is getting its ticket punched to the Final Four! VOTE! Here is the Simon commercial referenced tonight, which I found on Instagram: Simon, Challenge of a Lifetime on IG This next S...

The Duets game is HEATING UP! It starts with only 16 so we can blast through it quickly! Before you know it, we will be down to four! Here’s your chance to pick the first two of those four! So give us a listen, and then VOTE! As mentioned by Joe in the show: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack....

Well, we are really getting to the end of it, the Sweet Sixteen in the Springsteen Region are the Region’s Final Four. Wade into this and vote, and make an argument to us about what you’re doing! Don’t forget to vote for BOTH polls! Here’s the Springsteen Region bracket, up to this moment: Polaroid commercial with Hugh Laurie, 80s: The one Joe was trying to explain, I think. (Mariette Hartley, wit...

The Sweet Sixteen must become the Elite 8. Let’s figure out who moves forward, together. Let us know how you are arriving at your votes! (Here is a screenshot of the quiz show we discuss from 1987—Keith far right) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack.com

The Duets Region gets into full swing, as we competely finish the first round of it with FOUR votes for you to make! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack.com