80s Flick Flashback

"Goonies Never Say Die!" Grab your dubloons, dodge the Fratellis, and watch out for booby traps! This week on the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast, we are heading to the Oregon coast to unearth the absolute holy grail of 80s childhood adventure: The Goonies (1985). Produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Richard Donner, this movie perfectly captured the magic of camaraderie, secret maps, and under...

Buckle up for a trip in the station wagon! This week, Tim Williams is joined by Ben Carpenter to look back at the brilliant, messy, and laugh-out-loud reality of Ron Howard’s 1989 comedy-drama classic, Parenthood . We dive deep into the chaotic world of the Buckman family tree—from mid-life anxieties and toddler pressures to teenage rebellion. We talk about the genius behind Steve Martin’s frantic...

Grab your bad eggs and your parachuting turtles, because this week on the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast, we are heading straight to Kamp Kikakee to revisit the 1987 comedy classic, Ernest Goes to Camp ! Jim Varney took a wildly popular regional commercial character and turned him into a bona-side box office sensation. We dive deep into the history of how Disney took a gamble on a camp movie full of...

This week on the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast, we are pulling on the fedora, grabbing the whip, and heading back to 1981 to revisit George Lucas and Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece: Raiders of the Lost Ark . From the high-stakes history of how Indiana Jones was conceived to the incredible practical effects that still blow modern CGI out of the water, we’re unpacking why this cinematic treasure remai...

This week on the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast, host Tim Williams and guest Bethany Wells take a trip back to 1987 to revisit the quintessential teen rom-com, Can’t Buy Me Love . Before Patrick Dempsey was "McDreamy," he was Ronald Miller—a nerd with a lawnmower and a thousand-dollar plan to win over the head cheerleader, Cindy Mancini. We’re breaking down the high school hierarchy of the 80s, the e...

Release the Kraken! This week on the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast , Tim Williams and guest co-host Chris McMichen journey back to 1981 to revisit the ultimate mythological masterpiece: Clash of the Titans . Before digital pixels took over, Ray Harryhausen’s legendary stop-motion magic brought the gods of Olympus and the monsters of the Styx to life. We’re diving deep into our earliest childhood mem...

In this episode, Tim Williams and Ben Carpenter discuss the 1984 film 'Cloak and Dagger' and share their childhood memories, nostalgia, and behind-the-scenes trivia. They explore the cast and characters, reflecting on the impact of the film on their lives. A nostalgic journey through the 80s classic 'Cloak and Dagger' as the hosts discuss the cast, iconic scenes, 80s nostalgia, box office performa...

In this high-octane episode, we’re diving deep into the neon-soaked, synth-heavy world of Transformers: The Movie (1986) . Join host Tim Williams and special guest Nicholas Pepin from Pop Culture Roulette as they deconstruct the animated masterpiece that traumatized a generation of kids by daring to kill off Optimus Prime. From the mind-blowing animation quality to the legendary voice cast—includi...

Whether you’re a die-hard fan of 80s creature features or you just love a good (or gloriously bad) cult classic, this episode of the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast is for you. Tim Williams and Laramy Wells are diving deep into the 1981 horror-comedy spoof, Saturday the 14th . Produced by Julie Corman, this film didn't just parody Friday the 13th —it took on the entire history of Universal Monsters wi...

Step onto the battlefield for one of the most powerful and critically acclaimed films of the 1980s. This week on the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast , host Tim Williams is joined by guest co-host Laramy Wells to honor the 1989 cinematic masterpiece, Glory . Together, they examine the harrowing and heroic true story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, one of the very first African-American uni...

Start spreading the news... Jason is leaving Crystal Lake today! In this episode of the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast , Tim Williams and guest co-hosts Charlie Cotter, Nicholas Pepin, and Laramy Wells punch their tickets for the SS Lazarus to discuss the eighth installment of the legendary slasher franchise: Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan . It’s the movie that promised the Big Appl...

How did a low-budget comedy about inept cadets spawn a massive franchise? In this episode of 80s Flick Flashback , Tim Williams is joined by Chad Sheppard, Laramy Wells, and Robby Retro to crack the case on Police Academy . We dive deep into the precinct to explore: The Origin Story: First impressions and personal connections to the franchise. Casting Magic: How the ensemble cast—from Steve Gutten...

In this episode of the 80's Flick Flashback Podcast, host Tim Williams and co-hosts Ben Carpenter, Chris McMichen, and Nicholas Pepin dive into the classic comedy film 'The Naked Gun.' They discuss their first impressions, memorable scenes, character analyses, and the film's impact on comedy. The conversation also touches on trivia, behind-the-scenes insights, and the film's rewatchability. The ho...

Even during the lively era of the Marx Brothers' films at Paramount Pictures—featuring vaudevillian chaos like Horse Feathers and Duck Soup, or Mel Brooks parodies such as Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein—audiences had never experienced the overwhelming number of jokes like the ones in this 80s flick. These gags are so nonstop that the weaker ones don’t even have time to linger. The film is...

That Rudolph guy and his red nose may get most of the hype when it comes to Santa's furry transport team, but he isn't the only caribou who's earned his stripes... or, should I say, antlers. That's part of what makes this 80s flick a nostalgic centerpiece of the holidays. Most of the time, Santa's reindeer serve as background fixtures at best, so getting a story that centers around one of the less...

Whenever Christmas time comes around, and you see lists of the best holiday movies — and even the most underrated ones — you’ll almost certainly never find this 80s flick on any of them. It really hasn’t managed to embed itself in Christmas pop culture like some other films have, to be sure. And that is a real shame, because while this movie isn’t high-class theater, it’s considered a favorite Yul...

We usually stick to theatrically released 80s flicks, but when Ruby Wells makes a special request, we listen! So we’re taking a detour to Sillyville! In this special episode, Ruby Wells and her mom, Bethany Wells , join the pod to defend the honor of the 1989 classic Wee Sing in Sillyville . Why does this 80s direct-to-video musical hold such a special place in their hearts? We’re talking nostalgi...

Long before Kim Cattrall appeared on HBO as the outspoken, sexually confident, “I’ll try anything once” Samantha Jones in  Sex and the City,  she played an Egyptian woman under a spell and reincarnated as a shop-window dummy.  Inspired by  Pygmalion,  the tale from Ovid’s  Metamorphoses  poem which tells the story of a sculptor who fell in love with a statue he had carved, it’s admittedly the kind...

This '80s flick is to All Hallows’ Eve what "A Christmas Story" is to Christmas: a true classic deserving a 24-hour marathon and a wild all-night celebration where blood takes the place of alcohol. Director Tom Holland’s heartfelt homage to vampire movies breathed new life into a horror subgenre that was, sadly, starting to fade away, much like an undead creature of the night. It brought the vampi...

Before director Sam Raimi achieved major box office success with the original Spider-Man trilogy, he was primarily recognized as the cult filmmaker behind The Evil Dead series. In 1981, Raimi and star Bruce Campbell created The Evil Dead, offering their humorous and irreverent take on horror, featuring Ash—a clumsy fool—being terrorized by ghouls in a cabin surrounded by woods. The film's success...

Let's be honest: the '80s were a minefield for horror comedies. But for every Gremlins and Monster Squad , you had to suffer through duds like My Mom's A Werewolf or My Best Friend’s a Vampire. A few films got the formula right, and one, in particular, became a cultural phenomenon. It wasn't about monsters in the closet or clowns from space—it was about basketball, best friends, and some serious g...

For some, the memories of the 1980s feature seeing the cover multiple Time and Newsweek magazines, fearing that America might go to war with Russia. It didn’t help that the Russians were often portrayed as the default villains in movies, TV shows, and even WWF matches. Then, there was this '80s flick. A group of high school students calling themselves “Wolverines” retreat into the wilderness after...

The board game “Clue” originated in the 1940s as “Cluedo” overseas and was later brought to the U.S. by Parker Brothers. Now owned by Hasbro, it has inspired many spin-offs, including a TV show, themed editions like the “Simpsons” version, and a VCR game. Alongside classics like “Monopoly,” “Cranium,” “The Game of Life,” “Sorry!,” and “Mouse Trap,” as well as junior games like “Candyland” and “Chu...

Since the Italian Stallion first appeared on screen in 1976, Rocky Balboa’s cinematic story has become a staple of pop culture, not just in America but around the world. The tropes from the film have been emulated and parodied many times over the years in other movies, TV shows, and media. It’s well known for its theme music, training montage, and the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Like...

The “Nightmare on Elm Street” series had a reputation in the movie business as sort of a high-rent answer to the "Friday the 13th” saga, and this third entry of the franchise lives up to the billing. It’s slick, with impressive production values, and the acting is well-suited to the material.  This 80s Flick focuses on a teenager experiencing vivid and terrifying nightmares about Freddy Krueger, w...