what did 80s hairstyles look like

80s hairstyles were incredibly tacky compared to any other decade. High top fades, mullets, jheri curls you name it. They were all pretty bad. Now, don’t get me wrong, feathered hair could look nice when it was done right and not over done. But for the most part tacky was in.

See.. there is just now excuse for this sort of thing!

It was a sort of.. false futuristic look that everyone was swept up in.

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John Hughes R.I.P

With movies like “The Breakfast Club,” “Sixteen Candles,” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” he shaped our vision of youth discovery and rebellion in the 80s. Writer director John Hughes passed away 7 August 2009. He is survived by myriad child stars and amazing actors and actress’ that he highlighted with his magnificent direction, writing and sense of what audiences wants.

Among the actors that he gave a kick start to included (but is not limited to): Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone), John Cusack (”Sixteen Candles”), Judd Nelson (”The Breakfast Club”), Steve Carell (”Curly Sue”) and Lili Taylor (”She’s Having a Baby”).

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Movie Review - Teen Witch

All Louise wanted was to get Brad’s attention… and luckily for her she’s a descendant of Salem Witches!

Another movie my best friend sent me to borrow (for the purposes of 8o’s rewind post/content of course) and what’s so sad is that until I rewatched it the only part I could vividly remember was the Top That rap segment.  Louise is the typical teenage girl at school who isn’t popular, has the worst life, never gets the hot guys, and everything always goes wrong for her.  All of this changes when she realizes she’s actually a witch and has powers… and then to keep the plot going, she starts setting out to make herself be as popular as she wants to be.  I know, the write up of the plot makes it sound bad but remember; it’s an 80’s movie!  Quite frankly, as basic as the plot is (and yeah, you can follow point a to point b with just what I’ve said and guess what happens at the end… maybe), I’m glad to have rewatched it because it was very enjoyable.

It’s got the basic romance and teen angsty elements that most of the films of that time had, it’s got witches and spells and spells gone wrong… and 80’s clothes, style, and music.  What’s not to want to see there?  I leave you with not only the official movie trailer (and Lord, 80’s trailers were so baaaad) and the clip of the afforementioned Top That rap scene.  Check it out sometime!

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Movie Review - The Worst Witch

Mwahahaha… I LOVED this movie growing up!

Long before Harry Potter, there was Mildred Hubble, the star character of the 1987 film The Worst Witch (played by Fairuza Balk).   Granted the movie was more for kids with a plot that only went as high as standards dictated main stream kid movies should get, but it’s a fun movie that even my kids today enjoyed watching.

I used to wait impatiently for Halloween and try to catch this on TV.  My best friend got to catch it repeatedely on HBO but I?  Alas, I only managed to catch it maybe twice in entirety in my entire childhood so getting to borrow it from her has really been a treat!  The movie follows the crazy hijinks of Mildred Hubble, who is (as the title suggests) the worst witch at  her witch school, who is harrassed by her teacher Miss Hardbroom (played by Diana Rigg).  This movie also stars the illustrious Tim Curry as the Grand Wizard… who I give you a clip of singing his main song in the film.

A final jewel in this film, it stars Charlotte Rae of the Facts of Life fame who plays both the Headmistress of the school and her evil twin sister who’s out to try and reclaim what she feels is her rightful place as Headmistress of the school.  I’d give the ending away but… I’d rather you check it out.

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RIP Michael Jackson

I had some other fun movie reviews ready but I figured this was better to start.

Growing up, I was all about Thriller by Michael Jackson.  Who wasn’t about at least one of his songs in the 80’s?  I’ve met a few who claimed to not be but myself?  No, that was the best memories of Michael for me.  I even had a poster (I know, who didn’t, yadda yadda) that I kept hung up on my wall of the man.  I find myself thinking back not on his scandals today once I heard the news of his passing, but of the great creativity and inspiration his music brought to the music industry and even to me during that lovely decade we discuss here.

I post a clip of his live performance from Japan of Billie Jean in 1987 because I adore artists who are just as good live as they are on their CD with their polished publications.

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25th Anniversary of Purple Rain

25 years ago from 2009, the Purple One came on scene and blew our minds with on the most creative, beautifully brilliant and long lasting works of art of the 1980’s.

He went crazy and told us “I would die 4 U” all under the purple rain. He had the Revolution but did you know that he did the following instruments: Guitars, bass guitar, keyboards, piano, vocals.

At the time there was a rivalry between Prince and MJ but if you want to go with raw musical talent you just have to go with Prince because he can do so much.

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Conan the Barbarian Remake

found on riskybusiness blog

Roland Kickinger will be taking the role as Conan in the Nu Image/Millineum film Conan the Barbarian, a remake of the 80’s classic. This Kickinger guy is like a replica of the governator. He’s an Austrian born body builder turned actor, he played the T800 in Terminator Salvation and now he’s Conan. Wow.

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Yamato (aka new Star Blazers movie) trailer

If the movie is as boring as the trailer, then I think I won’t even grab it in the $1.00 VHS section of Good Will. I guess Yoshinobu Nishizaki got a hold of the rights to make the movie. I got all excited until I saw the trailer.

Here is the Star Blazers I remember:

Yes, the music has cheese all over it! Yes, the animation is bad! But notice how stuff is actually happening! Characters are doing things, the Yamato is blasting foolz! It has excitement that pulls you in.

Star Blazers is the first anime I remember watching. That was in the early to mid 1980’s. I recall being really, really interested in the characters. It was like a space soap opera for kids. The battle ship in space, Yamato was pretty damn slick.

But the new stuff is Yamato. A Japanese flick that looks as boring as hell. But hey I’ve been wrong before, man.

Everybody has there own opinion:
The way the article is written just sounds like sour grapes. What else did he expect from a Star Blazers movie? Wild Star looks too clean cut? He never had facial hair, and his hair is still long and messy. Suit redesign? It’s not redesigned much. The story was always about the Yamato saving the day, using the wave motion gun to destroy the enemy. I don’t want a soap opera between Wild Star and Nova with some mild fighting cut in. I think this is going to be good. – Kronos6948

Yamato Lego

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The Classic Atari and Other 80’s Goodies

Oh man, if I ever get money for one, I’m so buying a new one.

I know, I know; they sell those little joystics you plug into the tv that has the classic games programmed in but no.  That’s not the Atari system I grew up with, damn it!  I remember all the good games like Pacman, Spy vs Spy, Spellunker, and the dreaded Frogger.  I spent many a night dreaming about pixel frogs hopping across streets only to get smashed by logging trucks because I wasn’t fast enough with the button pushing.

Poor Frogger.

But the real question is… who here reading remembers Prodigy’s email and online services?

My dad was always on the cutting edge, always getting the newest computers and gadgets and being one of the first to get Prodigy’s online service was no different for him.  I remember using up the 12 or 15 emails we had free every month sending notes to my cousin back home and then charging up about 25.00 worth of e-cards (I swear I thought they were free, seriously).  It was no AOL by any means, but it was internet service and for a lazy person like me who doesn’t like to deal with envelopes and stamps, it opened my eyes to a new world…

… one I’m sitting in right now as I write a blog post.

One final note of random 80’s goodness?  I leave you with Samantha Fox.  I know you’ve heard of her.  She doesn’t really have much to do with Atari or Prodigy’s email services from back in the day, but she’s 80’s music and well… I don’t need an excuse to share

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80’s Music - Remade (part 2)

I like my writing partners post so much that I had to re-visit her idea of 80s Music Remade.

I got a few songs that are 80s remakes that I really like:

Land of Confusion - Genesis - This was was a good song with a great video. Remember. It had a bunch of caricature hand puppets singing. Disturbed remade this song and did a great job. This is not something you’d expect them to do which (for me) made me an even bigger fan of the group.

Shout - Tear for Fears - Sometimes artist will do things that I think is so amazing that I get inspired, jealous and teary eyed at the awesomeness of what they have created. Shout is one of those songs and Tears for Fears is one of those groups (Everybody Wants to Rule the World -one of my all time favorite songs). And then came Shout 2000 on Disturb’s album The Sickness. WOW. Its so good that I don’t hear the same song when I listen to the original. Shout 2000 is playful, angry, aggressive with all the power and meaning of Tears for Fears.. it is good.. dare I say.. better than the original?

*dang they are cute.
Cruel Summer - Bananarama - This is one of those songs that I didn’t appreciate in the 80s, but now, in retrospect, seems to frame the essence of the 80s like MC Hammer pants.. (ok baaaad analogy). Its a catchy song looking back. It was remade by Ace of Base and I must say the did a fantastic job. Disclaimer: I am not, I repeat NOT a fan of Ace of Base. My future ex-wife likes Ace of Base (and Wilson “FUCKING” Philips! Wilson. m&*ther fuc*. Philips! There is just no excuse for that kind of bastard-tastic filth (yeah, Websters I made up a new word it is an adverb bitches). But I digress. Ace of Base. Cruel Summer. Good song.

Tainted Love - The Soft Cell - This is actually a cover of a 1964 Soul song. The original song was done by soul singer Gloria Jones in 1964.
But it was the British group Soft Cell that gave it world renowned 80s greatness.

And then came Marylin Manson in all her/his/its demented infamy. Marylin covered the 80s version of Tainted Love (which makes it a cover of a cover). Manson raped it, turned it out and made “Tainted Love” into an obscene curse phrase.. its awesome. And the video is like Thug gothic porn straight out an urbanized Necronocomicon Bible. It is sick in every since of the word.

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