The 80s Movie Podcast

On this episode, we continue our mini-series on the movies of Empire Pictures, concentrating on the films they released theatrically in 1988 and 1989, all the movies they would release directly to video, a summation of the decline of Empire Pictures, and what happened to Empire Pictures head Charles Band after he left the company. ----more---- The titles discussed during this episode include (dire...

In this episode, we take a look back at Empire Pictures, one of the more successful independent film distributors of the 1980s, responsible for two classic adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft stories, Re-Animator and From Beyond, the Gremlins ripoff Ghoulies (that wasn't actually a ripoff of Gremlins), and some of the most titillating movie titles to ever exist.----more----   Barbara Crampton in a scene...

milio Estevez’s Wisdom is one of those 1980s films that feels like it was built from ambition first and restraint second. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we revisit Estevez’s 1986 directorial debut, a romantic crime drama that follows a young man who turns to bank robbery after finding himself shut out of traditional opportunities. What begins as a political-tinged outlaw story gradually...

This week's episode takes a look back at the spectacular train wreck that was Joel Schumacher's 1985 hit film. St. Elmo's Fire. ----more---- Original 1985 Theatrical One-Sheet for St. Elmo's Fire   Demi Moore   Joel Schumacher directing Rob Lowe on the set of St. Elmo's Fire

On this episode, we take a look back at the 1988 Oliver Stone drama Talk Radio, the first time the writer and director would direct a screenplay from material created by someone else. That someone else was Eric Bogosian, the writer and star of the off-Broadway play the movie would be adapting. ----more----   The original 1988 Theatrical One-Sheet for Talk Radio   Eric Bogosian as radio talk show h...

With David Puttnam’s departure behind it, Columbia Pictures entered a period of reassessment that forced the studio to confront what had worked, what had failed, and what could no longer continue. In the final installment of this series on The 80s Movie Podcast, we explore how the studio responded once the experiment was officially over and attention shifted toward rebuilding stability. We revisit...

By 1988, David Puttnam had already departed Columbia Pictures, but the studio was still working through the consequences and momentum of the slate developed during his tenure. In Part 3 of this series on The 80s Movie Podcast, we examine the films released during this transitional period and how they reflect a studio adjusting course while still carrying forward projects set in motion under earlie...

During David Puttnam’s tenure at Columbia Pictures, the studio entered a period of active transition, with a slate of films moving through development and production under his leadership. In Part 2 of this series on The 80s Movie Podcast, we examine the projects taking shape while Puttnam was still running the studio, and how his approach influenced what Columbia was greenlighting during this peri...

In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens begins a new miniseries on David Puttnam’s tenure at Columbia Pictures by introducing the man and the mission behind his arrival in Hollywood. Before the internal conflicts and corporate backlash took hold, Puttnam entered the studio system with a clear vision for reshaping how a major studio could operate in the mid-1980s. Along the way...

In 1981, KISS made a decision few fans saw coming. Instead of returning to the straightforward hard rock that made them famous, the band released Music From “The Elder”, an ambitious fantasy concept album filled with orchestration, mythology, and a story designed to accompany a film that never materialized. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we unpack one of the most unusual creative pivots...

Today's episode talks about the Management Company Entertainment Group, or MCEG, who would only release four films over the course of nineteen months, while also producing one of the biggest hits of 1989. ----more---- The movies discussed during this episode: Boris and Natasha (1992, Charles Martin Smith) Breaking the Rules (1992, Neal Israel) Catch Me If You Can (1989, Stephen Sommers) Chains of...

On this third and final part of a three part series, host Edward Havens continues to discuss favorite 80s movies, the state of streaming services today, religion, books, movie theatres, wrestling and so much more with his brother-in-law, Ph. D. student Michael Hourigan. ----more----   Man Facing Southeast (FilmDallas, 1988)   Amongst the movies discussed during this episode: Birdy (1984, Alan Park...

On this second part of a three part series, host Edward Havens continues to discuss favorite 80s movies, the state of streaming services today, religion, books, movie theatres, wrestling and so much more with his brother-in-law, Ph. D. student Michael Hourigan. ----more---- Amongst the movies discussed during this episode: Blade Runner (1982, Ridley Scott) Blade Runner 2049 (2017, Denis Villeneuve...

On this first part of a three part series, host Edward Havens discusses favorite 80s movies, the state of streaming services today, religion, books, movie theatres and so much more with his brother-in-law, Ph. D. student Michael Hourigan. ----more---- Amongst the movies discussed during this episodes are: Aloha (2016, Cameron Crowe) Back to the Future (1985, Robert Zemeckis) Back to the Future 2 (...

Most 1980s teen movies focused on romance, parties, and rebellion. Three O’Clock High took a very different approach. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we revisit the 1987 cult favorite directed by Phil Joanou, a tense, darkly funny high school comedy built around one simple premise: survive the school day. After an awkward encounter with the terrifying new transfer student Buddy Revell, m...

By 1985, director William Friedkin had already changed movie history with The French Connection and The Exorcist, but To Live and Die in L.A. may be his most overlooked achievement. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we examine the hard-edged crime thriller that turned Los Angeles into a sunbaked maze of corruption, obsession, and moral compromise. Starring William Petersen and Willem Dafoe...

This episode takes a look at the 1980s theatrical releases for New York City-based independent production company and distributor Troma Films, including the 1980s horror-comedy classic The Toxic Avenger. ----more---- The movies discussed during this episode: Class of Nuke Em High (Lloyd Kaufman [as Samuel Weil] and Richard W. Haines, December 1986) Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid! (John Golden, September 198...

This episode takes a look at the Chiodo Brothers' 1988 cult horror-comedy classic Killer Klowns from Outer Space, featuring a remembrance from my best friend and former FilmJerk contributor Dick Hollywood on his one day as a Killer Klown during shooting. ----more---- Original 1988 KKFOS Theatrical Poster   Bronco (left) and Dick Hollywood (right) as Killer Klowns

In today's episode, we take a look at the debut films of five filmmakers who got their start as musicians. ----more---- Forbidden Zone (Richard Elfman, March 1982) Home of the Brave (Laurie Anderson, April 1986) True Stories (David Byrne, October 1986) Under the Cherry Moon (Prince, July 1986) Yentl (Barbra Streisand, December 1983)  

The 1980s gave audiences blockbuster franchises, prestige dramas, and more than a few cinematic oddities. Sitting somewhere in the middle of all three was De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, the short-lived studio created by producer Dino De Laurentiis. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we examine how DEG became home to some of the decade’s most distinctive films while attempting to compete...

Some cult movies slowly find an audience. Others arrive completely out of sync with their time and spend years waiting to be rediscovered. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we dive into Tapeheads (1988), the wildly chaotic music industry satire directed by Bill Fishman and starring John Cusack and Tim Robbins. Equal parts comedy, music video fever dream, and media-industry parody, Tapehead...

Some movie studios slowly build success. Others arrive with enormous ambition, massive financing, and dreams of changing Hollywood overnight. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we explore the fascinating rise and dramatic fall of Weintraub Entertainment Group, the independent mini-major studio founded by legendary producer Jerry Weintraub. Launched in the late 1980s with hundreds of million...

Every great summer eventually comes to an end, but the summer of 1986 saved some incredible movies for the final stretch. In Part Three of this special series, The 80s Movie Podcast concludes an occasionally personal journey through one of the strongest movie seasons of the 1980s, revisiting the films released during the closing months of a summer packed with unforgettable entertainment. Part Thre...

The summer movie season of 1986 only got bigger as the temperatures rose. In Part Two of this special series, The 80s Movie Podcast continues its deep dive into one of the most exciting stretches in 1980s cinema, revisiting the films that dominated theaters, inspired repeat viewings, and turned weekends at the multiplex into unforgettable experiences. We explore the movies that defined the middle...

Was the summer of 1986 the greatest movie season of the entire 1980s? In Part One of this special three-part series, The 80s Movie Podcast begins an occasionally personal journey through one of the most unforgettable summers in movie history. From blockbuster hits and teen classics to cult favorites and overlooked gems, the summer of 1986 delivered an astonishing mix of films that helped define a...