Everything 80s

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A Look Back at the Year 1984 Nov 06, 2024

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It's a year that, thanks to George Orwell, had been in the public consciousness for decades. But when it finally came around, 1984 ended up being memorable for many different reasons...

Today, we look back on the movies, TV shows, cartoons, music, tech, and sports that made up a pretty remarkable year.

It's a year that featured some of the biggest movies of the decade, an era-defning album, a few beloved cartoon shows, and one of the biggest sports spectacles of the 20th Century.

But Orwell's dystopian vision did make an appearnace--it just happened to be in one of the most important commercials in the history of advertising. Let's go back four decades and revisit 1984...

The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

The Everything 80s Halloween Special Oct 30, 2024

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Welcome to the Everything 80s Halloween Spooktacular! Today, we travel back to revisit Halloween in the 80s and take a look at three things:

The first is one of the goriest and most violent video games ever made up to that point. Then we look at five forgotten horror movies from the 80s and finish with the history of a certain Mistress of the Dark...

So grab some candy corn, light the pumpkin (or cultivated winter squash of your choosing), and enjoy the Everything 80s Halloween Special.

Early and ad-free episodes plus the Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

The Bizarre History of Monster Cereals Oct 23, 2024

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It's just not the Halloween season without them... Today, we go back to witness the creation and release of everyone's favorite breakfast monsters.

it's a story that goes back to the early days of cereal, the silent film era, the monsters of the 60s, and their release in the '70s. But it was during the 1980s that Monster Cereals continued to grow in popularity.

It was also during the '80s that the Monster Cereals experienced some of their biggest changes--both physically and to the Monster lineup.

This is the story of Frankenberry, Count Chocula, and Boo Berry--plus two others that you may or may not remember...

The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

Australia Takes the 80s by Storm! Oct 16, 2024

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The Brits had taken over music and pop culture in the 1960s, and then--to a lesser extent--they did it again in the early 80s. But now, it was time for the Aussies to take over...

This is a look back on the 1980s Aussie invasion, a time when the Land Down Under heavily influenced radio, record stores, TVs, and movie theatres in North America, and around the world...

Whether you played knifey-spoony before or not, it was hard not to be aware of the Australian influence. From Kylie Minogue to Midnight Oil, and Paul Hogan to Yahoo Serious, the Aussies made a big impact on 1980s pop culture.

Book: Beyond the Film: The Making of VHS Favorites From the Video Store Era

The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

10 Forgotten Saturday Morning Cartoons Oct 09, 2024

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It's the decade that gave us some of the most beloved cartoon shows of all time. Some of those cartoons became huge franchises that continue to be a part of our modern entertainment. But not everything could be a hit.

Today we look back on 10 of those forgotten cartoons (plus a few bonus ones). Hopefully there are a bunch here you remember, but there are also some great deep cuts and some true blasts from the past.

These are cartoons that could have been huge, but whether it was bad time slots--or all the competition--just weren't able to break through.

Some of them include a Voltron alternative, NBC's Saturday morning answer to MTV, characters that also started out as greeting cards, and a big swing by the company best known for bringing us beloved Christmas specials.

Field of Dreams movie review: Patreon.com/80s

The Seinfeld Chronicles Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

"So we go into NBC, we tell them we've got an idea for a show about nothing."

"Exactly"

"They say what's your show about? I say nothing."

"There you go"

"I think you may have something here..."

This is the conversation that takes place between Jerry and George in a Seinfeld episode from season 4 called "The Pitch." It was the fictionalized version of the real process that led Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David to create one of the biggest and most successful shows in television history.

Today we travel back to 1988 to witness the origins, creation, and everything that went into the launch of the very first episode of Seinfeld, a pilot dubbed "The Seinfeld Chronicles" that first aired on July 5th, 1989.

It was a pilot that seemed dead in the water as the network, test audiences, and even some of the cast didn't think it had a chance of success. But little did everyone know what this tiny show about nothing would eventually become...

The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

Voltron: Defender of the 80s Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

Here's an idea: 5 robot lions that turn into a super robot. Sounds pretty simple and straightforward, doesn't it? But the story of how Voltron came to be was much more complicated.

It's a story that begins in Japan, involves multiple anime shows, and then goes through the ardous process of being transformed for a North American kids audience.

It's the show that caught everyone off guard when it became a surprise hit. This hit quickly spread worldwide, and the giant robot soon became a cornerstone of 1980s pop culture. This is the history of...Voltron.

The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

The Commodore 64: The Best-Selling PC in History Sep 18, 2024

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If you grew up in the 80s, there's a good chance that the very first computer you ever used or owned was a Commodore 64. And this is because it's the machine that changed home computing forever...

Today we look back on the history of the Commodore 64. It was the machine intended to be for the masses. A machine that was not only practical and usable, but above all: affordable.

The C64 is the computer that also changed the gaming industry forever, and quickly went on to become one of the most succesful--and best-selling--personal computers in history.

Get access to new episodes early and ad-free along with The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

The History of Chuck E. Cheese Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

What do you get when you combine Pong, the Disneyland Tiki Birds, and a coyote? You get the foundations for one of the most beloved children's restaurants ever.

Today, we look back on the history of Chuck E. Cheese, a restaurant that has had a tumultuous existence, but was always the ultimate birthday destination.

We'll look back on its origins, the various names it went through, the success, competition, downfall, and resurgance. We'll also take a look at Chuck E. Cheese himself, a spokescharacter with a more detailed--and emotional--backstory than you might realize...

Support the show and get access to the Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Sep 04, 2024

Show notes

With a Beetlejuice sequel finally about to hit theatres, we revisit the original 1980s classic by traveling back to 1988. It was a movie that many weren't too sure of--including some of its cast.

Today we look back on the making of Beetlejuice, how the original version was going to look quite different from the version we know, and how the movie almost went by an entirely different name...

It was a film that one of its stars believed would ruin everyone's career, but it ended up becoming a cultural touchstone spreading into all aspects of pop culture.

The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

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