The 80s Movie Podcast

We begin The Orphans series on The 80s Movie Podcast, where we explore films that were the only release from a distribution company. In this episode, we discuss Caligula and Twice in a Lifetime, two very different films that reflect the unusual and often unpredictable nature of one-off distribution company films from this era. We break down their production context, narrative choices, and how each...

On this very special episode of the podcast, we discuss the life, career, and death of Alan Smithee, one of the most prolific filmmakers of the 1980s... who never actually directed a film, or, really, ever even existed. It's a twisted tale of incompetence, greed, and saving face. ----more---- The movies discussed in this episode: Accidental Love (2015, Stephen Greene) An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Ho...

In this very special episode, we do something that only 13,948 other podcasts have already done or are in the process of doing this week: taking a look back at the Halloween movies. ----more---- The movies covered in this episode: Halloween (1978, John Carpenter) Halloween II (1981, Rick Rosenthal) Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982, Tommy Lee Wallace) Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myer...

In this episode, we discuss the career of one of the best filmmakers to come out of 80s cinema: Scottish filmmaker Bill Forsyth. Oh, you've never heard of him? Or you're only familiar with one of his films? Join us on a cinematic journey through the career of a filmmaker who regularly revisited themes of loneliness, isolation, and alienation, and made them hilarious, touching, and poignant. ----mo...

On this very special episode of The FilmJerk Podcast, we talk not about a specific movie or filmmaker or actor or distribution company, but of a moviegoing concept that was huge in the 1980s but has all but disappeared from the movie-going landscape: the dollar house. AKA the discount house, the bargain house, and the second run theatre.

As we conclude our multi-part miniseries, The United Film Distribution Company, one of the first distributors to be operated by a motion picture exhibition company, has become Taurus Entertainment, and will go on one of the worst runs of film releases any distribution company has ever had. ----more---- Before you listen to this episode, please make sure you have already listened to Parts One and T...

We continue our multi-part miniseries on The United Film Distribution Company and Taurus Entertainment, one of the first distributors to be operated by a motion picture exhibition company. This week, we talk about several of their biggest successes, including Mark L. Lester's Class of 1984, Richard Hiltzik's Sleepaway Camp, and the Gone With the Wind of zombie movies, George A. Romero's Day of the...

We begin a multi-part miniseries on The United Film Distribution Company and Taurus Entertainment, one of the first distributors to be operated by a motion picture exhibition company, who teamed with filmmaker George A. Romero to produce and/or distribute several of his most popular and enduring movies, including Dawn of the Dead and Creepshow. ----more---- The movies discussed in this episode inc...

This episode completes a two-part miniseries on an interesting concept in examining genre movies in the 80s, Grounded Genre. Joining us for this miniseries is our very special guest Sarah Bullion, an award-winning director, producer and screenwriter who also spent ten years on sets as a prop master and second assistant director.

This episode starts a two-part miniseries on an interesting concept in examining genre movies in the 80s, Grounded Genre. Joining us for this miniseries is our very special guest Sarah Bullion, an award-winning director, producer and screenwriter who also spent ten years on sets as a prop master and second assistant director.

This week, we take a look back at the quick rise and even quicker fall of FilmDallas Pictures, which began its life as a Texas-based film investment company in 1983. After helping to produce two Oscar-winning films in 1984, they would take a leap of faith to become a film distribution company, only to be completely gone from the film industry by the end of 1988. ----more---- On this episode, we di...

On this week's episode of The FilmJerk Podcast, we examine how one filmmaker, John Badham, would end up with the rare feat of having two hits movies, Blue Thunder and WarGames, released only three weeks apart.

On this week's episode, we complete our dive into the Martin Scorsese Cinematic Universe of the 1980s, with the history behind his masterpiece Raging Bull, as well as a personal remembrance of the film by the host.

On this week's episode, we continue our dive into the Martin Scorsese Cinematic Universe of the 1980s, with a look back at his oft-misinterpreted 1983 classic, The King of Comedy.

This week, we continue our look back at the 1980s movies of Martin Scorsese, with a look back at After Hours, the last low-budget, small-scale, intimate movie he'd ever make.

This week, we continue our look back at the 1980s movies of Martin Scorsese, concentrating on the movie that inarguably changed the direction of his career: The Last Temptation of Christ.

This week, we start an irregular look back at the 1980s movies of Martin Scorsese, starting with what, for me, is his best film of the decade: The Color of Money.

This week, we take a look back at a movie shot in 1980, and would sit on the proverbial shelf until it premiered on basic cable in 1984, becoming a cult film and inspiring an early 1990s music revolution. Lou Adler's Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains. ----more---- The original theatrical one-sheet for the movie.   Ray Winstone and Paul Simonon   Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains

This week's episode takes a look back at the career of writer, director and actor Albert Brooks and his brilliant 1985 comedy Lost in America.

This week's episode takes a look back at the career of Ralph Bakshi and his pioneering 1981 animated rock musical American Pop.

This week's episode takes a look at the best movie in the John Hughes canon: 1987's Some Kind of Wonderful. ----more----   The original 1987 theatrical one-sheet for the movie. Some Kind of Wonderful Paramount Pictures Released February 27th, 1987 Director: Howard Deutch Producer and Writer: John Hughes   Elias Koteas and Eric Stoltz in a scene from the movie Stars: Eric Stoltz (Keith Nelson) Mary...

This week's episode takes a look back at the short-lived 1980s distribution company, Scotti Brothers Pictures. ----more---- The titles discussed during this episode include: Death of a Soldier (1986, Phillipe Mora) Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! (1989, Jean-Claude Lord) Eye of the Tiger (1986, Richard C. Sarafian) He's My Girl (1987, Gabrielle Beaumont) In the Shadow of Kilimanjaro (1986,...

This week's episode takes a look back at the 1980s movies directed by Academy Award winner Barry Levinson, as well as several of the films he wrote in the 1970s before becoming a director. ----more---- The titles discussed during this episode include: ...And Justice for All (1979, Norman Jewison) Avalon (1990, Barry Levinson) Bugsy (1991, Barry Levinson) Diner (1982, Barry Levinson) Good Morning,...

This week's episode takes a look back at the 1980s movies starring three time Academy Award nominee Sigourney Weaver. ----more----   Sigourney Weaver in a scene from Ghostbusters (1984)   The titles discussed during this episode include: Alien (1979, Ridley Scott) Aliens (1986, James Cameron) Annie Hall (1977, Woody Allen) Deal of the Century (1983, William Friedkin) Eyewitness (1981, Peter Yates)...

On this episode of The FilmJerk Podcast, we complete our three-part miniseries on the 80s movie production and distribution company, Empire Pictures, discussing dozens of films they announced at one time but never ended making. ----more---- Since none of these movies were actually made, the dates listed are the years the films were first announced, along with the intended director of said film, wh...