Movie Review - Teen Witch
June 25, 2009
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!
Popularity: 7% [?]
Jem and the Holograms
May 29, 2009
I swear, I went researching all the links and content here and found only ONE reference to Jem and the Holograms and the link to the picture (and the site taken from) doesn’t even work anymore. Fail.
Now look. I was one of those girls that loved Transformers (G1, all the way) and G.I. Joe just as much as the next person did, but I will ALWAYS have a spot for Jem and the Holograms. It was the first show that was really geared towards girls (and not in that cutesy Strawberry Shortcake or Care Bears way) and gave me all the things I loved about the first two I mentioned while catering to my girly needs. Don’t buy it? Sit down and watch some of those old episodes. They had music, drama, fashion, action… Jem had it all. Jem and the Holograms also opened my eyes to multicolored hair… much to my mother’s dismay.
Jem was a must watch show for me. Music has always been a fueling point of my creativity and there was always at least one to two songs guaranteed per episode. And there were, at any given time, two bands to choose from! When the Stingers came into play later in the seasons that was just three times the awesome (not to mention the new possible love triangle for Jem… who really needed to be more honest with Rio. Just saying.)
Yes, I’m smart enough to realize that the acting and animation weren’t always the best, but they made characters that grew on you and put them in situations you could sympathize with. As the title song said, Jem had “glamour and glitter, fashion and fame”. Above all else, Jem really embodied the 80’s without being too overwhelming with the negative aspects of the decade (the overindulgence, drug use, and the list goes on and on). It’s something I can send my kids to (and they roll their eyes at me) when I want them to know what the 80’s was about from an entertainment perspective.
So yes. Jem and the Holograms. Go educate yourself on this awesome 80’s show while I figure out how to add actual Jem content to this site. I swear… the lack of Jem content here depresses me.
Popularity: 5% [?]
Flight of Navigator Review (no video)
May 12, 2008
Written by:
Mark H. Baker writer
Michael Burton writer
Matt MacManus writer
A young boy chases his dog into the woods, falls in a ravine. He loses consciousness for a few seconds. When we comes to and runs back to his home, he finds that his parents are not there. He is 8 years in the future. He is still 12, but his family and the world are 8 year in the future (1986). How did he get 8 years into the future? And can he return?
This is one of my favorite movies of the 80’s. It plays on the fantasies of a 12 year old boy having control of a highly advanced space craft. The boy is Joey Cramer. Cramer played in a few other 80s movies. Flight of the Navigator has a group of very familiar faces: Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright, Howard Hesse, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Paul Rueben actually did a voice over in the film. One thing I noticed is that of the 40 or so credited actors only about 6 have still active and doing movies and TV regularly, so only 15%. I wonder if this means there is only about a 15% chance of the serious actors making it.
Aside from the story, Alan Silvestri’s music to Flight of the Navigator is my favorite thing about the movie. Looking through is extensive body of work, I can see hes done a lot of my favorite movie music: Polar Express, Forest Gump, The Bodyguard, Back to the Future II, Predator, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the Abyss and many others (he’s done over 100 movies).
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006293/
Popularity: 6% [?]
80s Movie Review: Flight of the Navigator
May 5, 2008
Written by:
Mark H. Baker writer
Michael Burton writer
Matt MacManus writer
A young boy chases his dog into the woods, falls in a ravine. He loses consciousness for a few seconds. When we comes to and runs back to his home, he finds that his parents are not there. He is 8 years in the future. He is still 12, but his family and the world are 8 year in the future (1986). How did he get 8 years into the future? And can he return?
This is one of my favorite movies of the 80’s. It plays on the fantasies of a 12 year old boy having control of a highly advanced space craft. The boy is Joey Cramer. Cramer played in a few other 80s movies. Flight of the Navigator has a group of very familiar faces: Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright, Howard Hesse, and Sarah Jessica Parker. Paul Rueben actually did a voice over in the film. One thing I noticed is that of the 40 or so credited actors only about 6 have still active and doing movies and TV regularly, so only 15%. I wonder if this means there is only about a 15% chance of the serious actors making it.
Aside from the story, Alan Silvestri’s music to Flight of the Navigator is my favorite thing about the movie. Looking through is extensive body of work, I can see hes done a lot of my favorite movie music: Polar Express, Forest Gump, The Bodyguard, Back to the Future II, Predator, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, the Abyss and many others (he’s done over 100 movies).
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006293/
Some of Alan Silvestri’s Music:
Popularity: 5% [?]
Ghostbuster2: 80s Rewind Review
April 19, 2008
Well I guess we’re gonna have to take control!
Bobby Brown’s GhostBusters song stands out to me more than anything else when I recall GhostBusters 2. Not Viggo, or the river of Slime, or Sigourney Weaver and not even the Statue of Liberty Walking through New York City.. Bobby Brown’s song. And the video looks cool too, although it looks more like an ad for New York City tourism.
I have to say it: Ghostbusters 2 is just not as good as part 1. There.. I said it. I do recall that it had way more hype and anticipation than Ghostbusters 1. For one thing, there were no Terror Dogs. After seeing Dan Akroyd (the writer of Ghostbusters) speak on the DVD its easy to see he is the mad genius behind the whole thing. Harold Ramis (co-writer) mentions in the commentary on part 1 that Dan had originally wanted it to be about a future in which “ghost busting” is like a bug exterminator type job, blue collar and common place. Its easy to see that Dan was very much held back in his creativity.
Speaking of commentary, you won’t see that or any other extras on the GhostBusters 2 DVD, which, for me, makes it unbuyable. Correction, it has something on there about the GhostBuster’s cartoon but thats about it (unless you count scene selection).
I always thought the Statue of Liberty bit was corny (unlike the Stay PUft Marshmallow Man in part 1, which was somehow brilliant). The bad guy was kind of cool, but then he’s defeated by “NYC happiness” as soon as he’s about to put his foot in New York City’s collective ass (let me just say - New York City happiness is like saying “holy war” or “compassionate conservative” - a meaning contradiction. The cast was great (you can’t go wrong with Bill Murray & Rick Moranis) but the plot seemed too commercialized for me.
Another thing that really sucked to me was the GhostBusters II Run DMC rap. It is embarrassingly weak especially considering that I idolized these guys after Tougher than Leather.
Whatever is said about GB2, the GhostBusters franchise still captures the imaginations of people all over the world:
Return of the GhosterBusters
GhostBusters 3: Ghostbusters in Hell
GhostBusters Exteme
Popularity: 6% [?]
“Red Dawn” (August, 1984)
April 8, 2008
I was only slightly older than my 10 year-old 5th grade son when Red Dawn hit the theaters. It was a “big kids” movie, the first to be released in theaters with a PG-13 rating in fact. I remember the movie poster being so cool with the parachutes coming down over a sleepy Anytown, USA. A young kid with a wild imagination I had day dreamed it up happening at my school and me and my friends taking up arms and beating back the Russians and “the Spanish dudes” (I don’t think I knew what a Cuban was back then). Anyway, I thought the movie was badass and full of some very cool scenes. I couldn’t wait to see the scene with the kids rising from their hiding places in the grass and wasting a bunch of pursuing Russian soldiers. That’s still one of the best parts in the movie to me. That and the dad hollering, “Avenge me!” from behind the cyclone fence at the war camp.
So I watched the movie again the other day and got flooded with a ton of memories. It’s still a great movie in the “popcorn movie” sense, but the huge leaps of logic and screenplay guffaws will ask that you check your 80’s basic world military pecking order arrangement and good common sense at the door before taking a seat. The day firkin’ Cuba catches the USA with its collective pants down and proceeds to invade us and march clear up to Illinois ravaging and pillaging all the way , monkeys will promptly fly from my arse.
So go ahead and rent it, you’ll enjoy it at least as much as a re-showing of “American Ninja” or “The Toxic Avenger”.
Popularity: 6% [?]
Michael Jackson – “Thriller” (1982) Part II
March 28, 2008
We were on our usual 2.5 hour drive to San Quentin in Marin County North of San Francisco to see my mom’s boyfriend in prison. I was 7 or 8 at the time so I didn’t appreciate the full impact of how screwed up our family situation was. I didn’t have a care in the world.
In fact, I loved the trip. I sat back in the plush leather of our Yellow 70’s caddy and listened to the entire Thriller album on cassette tape. We would play the whole thing at least twice there and twice back. Mom would always fast forward through the actual song Thriller because my sister, DeAmber, thought it was too scary… what a wussy… she would later join the deck swabbin’, squid lovin’ Navy… so that should tell you everything you need to know about the Navy.
The songs grew on me.. even “the girl is mine” but only because I would switch some of the words with curses such as the chorus: “because the g*d damn girl is mine”. That makes the song more fun and full of filthy flavor.
When I finally got to see the actually Thriller video, I was blown away. It was genius. I started trying to copy the dances. When I went back to school, we all talked about Thriller and attempted to Moonwalk in shitty Converse sneakers on the asphalt. I’m not sure you can really appreciate Mike unless you were an 80s kid effected by the “Thriller phenomenon”.
Needless to say things are different now. In fact, my buddy told his daughter that Michael was black and she did not believe him. I think the old man still has it - but Thriller was a once in a generation thing that can never be repeated. I have no doubt the someone will eventually beat his record breaking sales but… it won’t be Thriller.
Popularity: 32% [?]
Michael Jackson – “Thriller” (1982)
March 28, 2008
I was 9 years old when Thriller hit the shelves at the end of 1982 and knocked the collective world on its ear. But really it started with the infamous “moonwalk” Mike performed during his March 1983 performance of Billie Jean during the television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. That night would truly begin the legend of The King of Pop.
What can you say? Thriller was sonically amazing. The accompanying videos changed the way any and all videos where conceived, written, produced, directed, and presented thereafter. His costumes, the glove, the socks, the pant cuffs, the jackets, everything was mimicked and copied by the kids. Everyone would sport the one glove style whether it was a dingy winter mitten or a former cotton garden glove now adorned with glued on sequence or rhinestones. I knew more than one kid that rocked the famed multi-zippered “Beat It” style jacket (in red or black, it didn’t matter) and even a few “Thriller” editions. And of course many kids yearned to dance like him. A few gifted and dedicated souls like my good friend Ron genuinely perfected the art. Another friend, David, went on to professionally perform as a Michael Jackson impersonator in Vegas. Michael Jackson was just bigger than life. But it definitely wasn’t all circus hype. Thriller the album was insane. It’s not the greatest selling album of all time for nothing. Seven of the nine original tracks went on to become Top Ten singles.
But enough of what I remember, what do I think now? It’s a banger dude. The damn thing still rocks. Now I still loathe, The Girl Is Mine, (sorry, I just do) but the rest of the album is as solid as it was to me in the fourth grade. Billie Jean will always be my favorite track, but Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ and P.Y.T. still make me want to get up and dance. Thriller? C’mon now, I started doin’ the dance routine as soon as the chorus came on. LOL! The bottom line is if you don’t have this historic album in some shape or form (physical or digital), go out and get it. I promise you’ll be singing along, dancing, and grabbing your crotch like its 1983.
Popularity: 32% [?]
“Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” (June, 1981)
March 28, 2008
It was the summer between the 2nd and 3rd grade when this movie was released. I had caught the trailers on TV and recall the excitement and animated descriptions by the older kids who had been lucky enough to see it in theaters. However, my parents weren’t ballers and it was rated PG so my lil ass wasn’t gonna see it with them no way. Sigh. So without actually seeing the movie I had to settle for playing Indiana Jones from mostly imagination. With a cap gun and an old fishing hat playing as the brown fedora’s stunt double, I was almost set. Of course everyone had to make themselves a fake whip back then too. We used sticks and miscellaneous string, speaker wire, or even yarn (had to tie a small pebble at the end to give it some weight). Heck, if you were really lucky, you had access to an authentic leather one. By show of hands, how many of you including me popped they self in the face at least once? Huh? Just me, eh? Well damn. Guess I’m the only uncoordinated “ghetto geek” in the room.
Anyway… I wouldn’t see Indy in action myself until much later on like on Beta or VHS, I don’t recall exactly. But wow, IT was the shit! There was Han freaking Solo knockin suckas out left and right and crackin that whip like a gangsta! I was mesmerized.
Of course the Temple of Doom Diddy would come out 3 years later and be even better!
So what do I think now? Watching it as an adult ghetto geek on the wrong side of 35? In a word, it’s classic. Dude is still bustin heads like I remembered. And doin it with his bare hands at that! With green screen CG, wire-fu, and an over dependence on firearms and blades that’s rampant in today’s silver screen fare, watchin this cat just chunk ‘em like that was refreshing. Like snackin on something you ain’t had in a minute (shout out to Honeybuns, Slapstix, and watermelon flavored Now & Laters). I admit, yeah, he may have pulled his pistol and capped a few cats here and there, but only when throwin’ hands wasn’t an option. Was it all good? Nah. A few technical flaws, some forced logic leaps of faith (the German sub scene comes to mind), and slight pacing issues were noticeable to my adult eyes. But all in all, not enough to mar this piece. Before I forget special recognition to the costume crew and Lucas for making/allowing Indy to look so grimy and dirty. It totally sells the character. Folks, I definitely endorse re-watching it again. I introduced my 10 year old to it last night and he thought it was pretty cool. Though he did ask me why he (Jones) didn’t just shoot everyone instead of taking the arse kickings he was getting in a few of the fights.
“Son,” I say,”they just don’t make ‘em like they used to no more.”
Popularity: 6% [?]
80s Music
February 22, 2008
80s Music
*Listen to 80’s Music (soon)
*Best 80’s Music (soon)
*80’s Music Video (soon)
80’s Pop (soon)
80’s Hip Hop
80’s Country
80’s Rock
Music of the 80’s marked the beginning of the major marketable, cross-pollination of new and old genres of music. 80’s artists took risks and went against the grain with collaborations such as Run DMC and Aerosmythe’s groundbreaking classics “Walk this Way”. Michael Jackson, the undisputed pop king of the 80’s, featured rock god Eddie Van Halen on the Thriller album to lay down the infamous “Beat it” guitar solo. Funk legend Lionelle Richie collaborated with the country group Alabama on “Deep River
Woman”. Richie also collaborated with Kenny Roger’s on the song “Lady” which became #1 in 1980. And there are many more examples of this genre mingling.
The fact that so many artists from different genres collaborated is not unique to the 80’s, but the fact that it was able to capture the interest of so many and go pop cross-culturally around the world is truly phenomenal in retrospect. 80’s music speaks volumes of the pluralism and globalization that was just beginning to explode in the 80’s. This is now common place, but in the 80’s the magnitude of success for such a mixture was new.
There was a lot of experimentation and freedom for many artists to try new things. The 90’s and early 2000’s music have an unmistakable steady tightening of genre’s toward very specific markets each with its own plastic commercialized formula that makes much of the music sound artificial. The 80’s had a lot of new genres of music that (at the time) almost defied categorization and ended up defining what are now multi-billion dollar markets and world-wide cultural phenomenons.
Disco/Funk begat rap songs begat Hip-Hop culture. Electronic music group Depeche Mode were almost their own genre of music that spawned an entire subculture, goth which is now called “emo”. Hip-hop music is another 80’s upstart that never went away. Even though the first artist officially called “rappers” (Sugar Hill Gang) started in ’70’s Disco clubs, the urban phenomenon known as hip-hop that includes so many other urban categories didn’t take hold until the 80’s.
If your from Generation Y, born late 80s and 90’s (born during or after the commercialized rise of cable, the Internet and cell phones) then the following 80’s stars will seem like totally different people to you as they do for a Gen X, like my self:
Gen X: Michael Jackson Undisputed King of Pop, musical/dancing genius, creator of thriller, strange man - Gen Y: strange looking white guy possible Child molester
Gen X: Cindy Loper - “Girls just want to have fun” “True Color” Crazy hair -
Gen Y: Who?
Gen X: Wham - Awesome gay duo of the 80s - Gen Y: George Micheals is gay?
Gen X: Duran Duran - The Reflex | Gen Y: who?
Gen X: Madonna - 80’s Pop Diva | Gen Y: Damn, Madonna is old
Gen X: Prince - Musical Genius | Gen Y: who?.. oh, he played in the super bowl
Gen X: Whitney Houston - Incredible 80s R&B singer who had a terrible fall from grace | Gen Y: Crackhead married to Bobby Brown
Popularity: 32% [?]
