The 80s Movie Podcast

Every great movie studio has a story, and Orion Pictures remains one of the most fascinating in Hollywood history. In Part Five of this special series, The 80s Movie Podcast concludes its deep dive into the studio that helped shape 1980s cinema through creative risks, filmmaker-driven projects, and unforgettable films. We explore Orion’s later years, the mounting financial struggles that threatene...

What if one single weekend changed movie history forever? In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we travel back to May 23, 1980, one of the most extraordinary weekends in cinema history, when two undeniable classics arrived in theaters at the exact same moment. It was a snapshot of a changing film landscape, where blockbuster spectacle, groundbreaking horror, prestige dramas, and cult favorites...

As Orion Pictures reached new heights, new challenges began to emerge. In Part Four of this special series, The 80s Movie Podcast continues exploring the remarkable story of one of the most ambitious studios of the 1980s. Orion’s growing success came with bigger risks, larger productions, and mounting financial pressures that would eventually shape the company’s future. We revisit the films, busin...

By the middle of the 1980s, Orion Pictures had become one of Hollywood’s most unpredictable and exciting studios. In Part Three of this continuing series, The 80s Movie Podcast explores the films, creative partnerships, and growing reputation that made Orion one of the defining movie companies of the decade. We take a closer look at the studio’s evolving identity, discussing how Orion balanced com...

The story of Orion Pictures continues in Part Two of this special series from The 80s Movie Podcast. As the studio expanded during the 1980s, Orion developed a reputation for producing and distributing films that balanced artistic ambition with mainstream appeal. From dramas and thrillers to action films, comedy, and science fiction, Orion quickly became one of the most exciting names in Hollywood...

Before streaming, franchises, and cinematic universes, one studio quietly built one of the most impressive libraries in modern film history. In Part One of this special series, The 80s Movie Podcast begins an in-depth look at Orion Pictures, the independent studio that became one of the most important creative forces of the 1980s. Founded by former United Artists executives, Orion carved out a uni...

Some of the greatest films of the 1980s came from a studio many movie fans barely remember. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we explore the fascinating story of Hemdale Films, the ambitious independent production company that quietly helped shape one of the most exciting decades in movie history. Founded by John Daly and actor David Hemmings, Hemdale evolved from a British entertainment c...

Before alternative music broke into the mainstream, IRS Records was already helping shape its foundation. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we explore the rise of IRS Records and its role in documenting and promoting the emerging post-punk and new wave movements of the early 1980s. We also take a closer look at the cult concert film Urgh! A Music War (1982), a time capsule of raw, experime...

Some movie studios quietly disappear. Others crash and burn in spectacular fashion. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we explore the fascinating story of Associated Film Distribution, the ambitious company created by entertainment moguls Sir Lew Grade and Bernard Delfont to challenge Hollywood’s distribution system in the early 1980s. Backed by major investments and enormous expectat...

If the 1980s blockbuster had a face behind the camera, it might have been Don Simpson. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we dive into the remarkable, chaotic, and larger-than-life story of the Hollywood producer who helped redefine popular entertainment in the decade of excess. Alongside longtime creative partner Jerry Bruckheimer, Simpson helped shape the modern blockbuster through specta...

Steven Spielberg’s impact on the 1980s extended far beyond the director’s chair. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we explore Spielberg’s remarkable work as a producer and writer during one of the most creative decades in Hollywood history. Through companies like Amblin, Spielberg helped bring some of the decade’s most beloved and influential films to life, shaping...

Was 1982 the greatest movie year of the entire 1980s? In this special episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we revisit a year that delivered an unbelievable lineup of classics, cult favorites, groundbreaking science fiction, unforgettable horror, family blockbusters, and iconic comedies. From massive box office hits to films that found their audiences years later on cable and VHS, 1982 remains one of...

Few filmmakers had a bigger impact on the 1980s than Steven Spielberg. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we explore Spielberg’s incredible run as a director during one of the most influential decades in movie history. From blockbuster adventures and science fiction classics to emotional dramas and fantasy epics, Spielberg helped shape what audiences expected from modern entertainment...

This week on The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens uncovers Jensen Farley Pictures: the forgotten independent studio that helped fill America's movie theatre screens and video store shelves with some of the decade's most unforgettable cult films. Jensen Farley Pictures rarely made headlines, but frequently took chances on films that larger studios overlooked. During the early home video boom,...

There was no better place for this podcast to begin than with the filmmaker who, for many people, defined the movies of the 1980s. This week on The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens explores the extraordinary career of John Hughes, the filmmaker who helped define 1980s cinema. We begin with a simple question. Why do his movies still connect with audiences decades later? The answer goes far bey...