Projecting the 80s: The Story of Film Before Digital
Everything 80s
Over the years, there's been a steady return to traditional media. From vinyl albums to 4K Blu-ray, people want to hold--and own--the content they love. There's also been a return to traditional film. Our digital, streaming age is incredible, but sometimes it can feel like something is missing. And if you're a fan of 1980s movies, that means seeing these films we love, the way they were meant to be seen. Traditional film, such as 35mm and 70mm, is making a comeback as real film provides a richer, more organic movie-watching experience compared to digital projection. To look...
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The Legacy of Stranger Things
Everything 80s
When it was released in the summer of 2016, not only did Stranger Things become a pop culture phenomenon, but it was also a true love letter to the 1980s. Today, we look back at the creation, success, and impact of an era-defining show that introduced 1980s culture to a whole new generation. In this episode, we'll look at: The struggles the Duffer brothers went through to get the show made The specific premise they used that combined two 1980s icons The real-life CIA experiments that led to the creation of Eleven The 1980s movies that influenced the show How Stranger Things became one of the...
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Saved by the Bell: From Indiana to Bayside
Everything 80s
It's time to head back to Bayside as we look at the creation, launch, and success of an era-defining show: Saved by the Bell. But the true origins of Saved by the Bell not only go back to 1986; it started as a completely different show. From there, the show went through many changes, including a new cast, bouncing from NBC to the Disney Channel, and then from prime time to its eventual home on Saturday mornings. However, back at this point in the 80s, the launch of a live-action show to air during Saturday morning cartoons was seen as a gigantic risk. Fortunately, a generation of...
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The 20 Greatest TV Shows of the 1980s
Everything 80s
Where do you even start when compiling a list of the greatest TV shows of the 1980s? Well, today, this won't come from my opinion but a combination of rankings by Variety, Rolling Stone, and the Writers Guild of America. By combining the expertise of staff, television actors, creators, showrunners, writers, directors, producers, and critics, these outlets have compiled their own lists of the 100 best TV shows of all time. I've gone through them and found 20 shows with connections to the 1980s, and in this episode, we'll look at those shows to see which ones are considered the very...
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Halloween in the 1980s
Everything 80s
The big day has finally arrived; it's Halloween in the 1980s. Your costume is set, your pillowcase is ready, and you've strategically planned your trick-or-treating route. But before you get to the big night, you still have to get through the day. Welcome to The Everything 80s Halloween Special. Today, we walk through a typical Halloween day during the 1980s. We start the day at school before catching a quick dinner at the fast food place that did Halloween as well as anyone in the 80s. With time to kill before heading out to trick-or-treat, you have time to watch some cartoons, but we'll look...
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The 75-Cent Mystery: How a Tiny Error Exposed a Cold War Spy
Everything 80s
In 1986, Clifford Stoll -- originally a Berkley Lab astronomer -- had become the manager of their computer department. One day, he noticed something, a small accounting glitch that seemed insignificant, but would become the first great Cold War hacking story. One tiny clue led Clifford Stoll on a real-life digital spy chase that included West Germany, the KGB, and the most top-secret, classified information on earth. In an era of dial-up phone lines and dot matrix printers, computer security wasn't given much priority, but this event would lead to the dawn of modern cybersecurity. Rambo movie...
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The 1989 World Series Earthquake
Everything 80s
The 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics ended up being a historic one when it came to stats and records on the field. But this series would be famous for a much more serious reason: The Loma Prieta earthquake. On October 14th, 1989, the highly anticipated cross-town series had created a buzz throughout the Bay Area. This was the first cross-town series in more than 3 decades. But on October 17th, just before game 3, everything changed forever... This is a look back at what has been dubbed "the World Series earthquake," an event witnessed by millions of...
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Farm Aid '85: The 1980s Concert That Rocked the Heartland
Everything 80s
The summer of 1985 will forever be known for Live Aid, the charity benefit concert that defined 1980s pop culture. But a few months later came Farm Aid '85, another massive musical event with a very different mission. This time, the spotlight turned to America's farmers as some of the biggest names in Rock and Country -- Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Neil Young -- came together to raise awareness for a growing rural crisis. Inspired by an offhand comment by the legendary Bob Dylan, the concert came together in just 6 weeks. But unlike Live Aid, Farm Aid kept going,...
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How the Disney Vault Changed Home Video Forever
Everything 80s
Before the 1980s, Disney kept its animated classics in the mythical "vault." The only way to see them was through theatrical re-releases, but it could take years for your favorites to hit the big screen. But when home video began to take off in the 1980s, Disney had to reinvent this strategy for a new era. Today, we look at how the Disney Vault revolutionized home video, and how, if Disney had had their way, home video would have never existed in the first place... But by creating scarcity, the company created huge demand, and it changed the home video market forever. If you grew up with...
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The Golden Age of 1980s TV Commercials
Everything 80s
Growing up in the 1980s, commercial breaks weren't just interruptions--they were cultural events we all experienced together. In this episode, we look back on the golden age of 1980s TV commercials while also exploring the broader history of advertising. We'll trace how advertising evolved from radio jingles to early television spots, and how those traditions carried into the big-budget, pop culture-driven campaigns of the 1980s. In this episode, we'll also break down some of the most iconic commercials of all time, including Apple, the burger wars, and the impact of the King of...
info_outlineWhen it was released in the summer of 2016, not only did Stranger Things become a pop culture phenomenon, but it was also a true love letter to the 1980s.
Today, we look back at the creation, success, and impact of an era-defining show that introduced 1980s culture to a whole new generation. In this episode, we'll look at:
- The struggles the Duffer brothers went through to get the show made
- The specific premise they used that combined two 1980s icons
- The real-life CIA experiments that led to the creation of Eleven
- The 1980s movies that influenced the show
- How Stranger Things became one of the crown jewels for Netflix
- How Stranger Things may have led to a resurgence of 1980s-based movies and TV shows
The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s