80s Flick Flashback

80s Flick Flashback

By Timothy WilliamsTV & FilmSociety & CultureFilm Reviews
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80s Flick Flashback episodes

  • #50 - "Three Amigos" (1986) with Danny Johnson

    In the midst of a Western revival — which included big hits like "Silverado" and "Pale Rider" — came this 80’s flick, a loving parody of the genre and a send-up of Hollywood. It has become a landmark in comedy collaboration, starring three comedy legends under the direction of a bonafide hit movie director with a script co-written by the mastermind of Saturday Night Live. So grab your sombrero and saddle up your horses for a trip to Santa Poco as Tim Williams and special guest co-host, stand-up comedian Danny Johnson, to discuss “Three Amigos” from 1986 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback! 

    Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode: 

    • The silent movie sequence in the film was shot in authentic, Old Hollywood environs. The production used the oldest still-standing exterior set on the Universal Studios lot, which had been built for an early 20th-century Western starring the once popular but now largely forgotten Tom Mix. As director John Landis recalled, during filming, trams full of visitors on the Universal Studios tour would come through "every ten minutes, and the boys would shoot their six-guns and dance for them." 
    • The musical score is provided by Elmer Bernstein, who also did the rousing score from "The Magnificent Seven" (1960) which this film parodies. 
    • The Video & DVD Guide said this film was a "send-up of 'The Cowboy Star'" (1936), while Halliwell's said that it was a "take-off of 'The Magnificent Seven'" (1960). Moreover, Movies on TV & Videocassette said that it was a "spoof of Mexican bandit movies", while Rating the Movies said that the picture was a "spoof of B-westerns”. 

      • Sources: Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo 

      https://www.looper.com/234584/facts-about-three-amigos-most-of-us-didnt-know/ 

      Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver 

      Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should discuss next! 

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      1 hr 2 min
    • #49 - "When Harry Met Sally..." (1989) with Bethany Wells

      “Baby Fishmouth.” “I’ll have what she’s having”. The Wagon Wheel Coffee Table. And the elaborate apple pie order that has inspired thousands of elaborate apple pie orders in diners and restaurants everywhere. In the 30 plus years since this 80’s flick was released, nearly every scene has become iconic and the stuff of rom-com legend. So in honor of Valentine’s Day, cuddle up with the one you love and join Tim Williams and guest co-host, Bethany Wells, as they discuss “When Harry Met Sally” from 1989 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback.

      Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

      • In many romantic comedies, there is a bullying significant other or a contrived misunderstanding that would keep the two leads apart. This film is special in that it has neither of these clichés; the only thing keeping Harry and Sally apart is their own various neuroses.
      • Harry is shown reading Stephen King's "Misery." The film adaptation would be the next movie directed by Rob Reiner.
      • In early 2004, the film was adapted for the stage in a Theatre Royal Haymarket production starring Luke Perry and Alyson Hannigan. Mplly Ringwold and Michael Landes later replaced Hannigan and Perry for the second cast.

        • Sources:

        Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes

        https://collider.com/galleries/when-harry-met-sally-behind-the-scenes/

        https://ew.com/movies/2019/02/05/when-harry-met-sally-making-of-scenes/

        https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/57846/15-fun-facts-about-when-harry-met-sally


        Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver

        Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should discuss next!

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          • 1 hr 31 min
        • #48 - "Better Off Dead" (1985) with Nicholas Pepin of "Pop Culture Roulette Podcast"

          While some critics failed it from the outset, this 80’s flick is actually a notch more upscale than most of its fellow D-grade locker-room comedies of the era. It's gained a "cult" reputation for its overall cynical tone, its clever gags, and its zany blend of animation and live-action. A teen comedy that refused to take itself too seriously, even if the subject matter should have been. So unwrap those frozen dinners you got for Christmas, load up your snow skis in the station wagon, and for God’s sake, pay that paperboy his two dollars as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Nicholas Pepin of "Pop Culture Roulette Podcast", discuss “Better Off Dead” from 1985 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback!


          Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

          • What tested best with audiences? The claymation hamburger scene, which he insists he wasn’t on drugs when he wrote. “I have no excuse for being that stupid,” he says. “I did have a different scene in there. My first job was at McDonald’s, that’s why I made Lane work at Pig Burgers. There was this rumor that a rat fell into a vat at a chicken place and somebody got served fried rat. That was what I had in the original script. The producer said, ‘That’s really just disgusting and not even funny.’ So I saw this guy Jimmy Picker had made this really funny claymation short film about mayor Ed Koch called Sundae in New York. I was like, ‘If I could do something like that and still incorporate it into a hamburger scenario.’ And then I had the Van Halen song. I put that together, and it was just so, so out there and stupid, that everybody was really worried about it. But it was the highest testing thing when we went to the test audience. They thought that was the greatest thing in the whole movie.”
          • “I read somewhere the other day on a blog or something that Lane takes off first, therefore he really doesn’t win the race, and I never really thought about that,” Holland laughs. That’s okay with him: “I wanted to have them tie, because that’s the Rocky thing. He hits Apollo Creed, and they both go down at the same time, which proves that he’s as good as Apollo Creed. He didn’t really win, but it was a win because he didn’t lose,” he says. “That’s what I did, and then there was test screenings, and all the people were like, ‘He has to win!’ So we made it that he won. But in this new theory that Roy had a five-second delay, really Lane lost. I can’t believe I’ve never thought of that before.”

            • Sources:

            Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes

            https://ew.com/article/2011/08/02/better-off-dead-blu-ray/

            https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/75810/13-better-facts-about-better-dead

            https://www.fastcompany.com/3055116/the-long-strange-journey-of-better-off-dead-director-savage-steve-holland


            Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver

            Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should discuss next!

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            • Website - www.80sflickflashback.com
              • 1 hr 26 min
            • #47 - "The Thing" (1982) with Ron West

              John Carpenter directed a slew of classic films including "Escape From New York", "They Live", "Halloween", and "Big Trouble In Little China". One of his most celebrated works is this 80’s flick. Upon release, the bleak horror movie was panned by critics as boring and over-indulgent with its violence. The masses barely bothered heading to the movie theaters to see it. In the years since, however, it has found an audience who recognize its excellence. The atmosphere, special effects and performances are all top notch. So grab your box of flares, a bottle of J&B Rare Blend Scotch, and don’t freak out when we test your blood sample as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Ron West, discuss “The Thing” from 1982 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback Podcast!


              Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

              • While discussing the character of MacReady, John Carpenter and Kurt Russell discussed having MacReady be a former Vietnam War helicopter pilot who was involved in some sort of tragedy and since felt disgraced by his service. Because of this, MacReady suffers from PTSD, alcoholism, and severe insomnia. This backstory ultimately did not make it into the finished film, though it explains why MacReady was awake to hear the dogs whining, why he isn't phased by the grotesque violence, and it also adds deeper context to the line "I'm a real light sleeper, Childs”.
              • A scene with MacReady absentmindedly inflating a blow-up while watching the Norwegian tapes was filmed but was not used in the finished film. The doll would later appear as a "jump scare" with Nauls. Other scenes featured expanded or alternate deaths for various characters. In the finished film, Fuchs's charred bones are discovered, revealing he has died offscreen, but an alternate take sees his corpse impaled on a wall with a shovel. Nauls was scripted to appear in the finale as a partly assimilated mass of tentacles, but in the film, he simply disappears.


                • Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Reddit

                https://screenrant.com/john-carpenter-thing-movie-behind-scenes-secrets/

                Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver

                Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should discuss next!

                • Facebook - Moviviews Presents 80's Flick Flashback Podcast (Fan Page) & Moviviews News & Reviews (Group Page)
                • InstaGram - 80's Flick Flashback
                • Twitter - @80_podcast
                • Website - www.80sflickflashback.com
                  • 1 hr 9 min
                • #46 - "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (1989) with Bethany Wells

                  This 80’s flick was meant to be just another chapter in the misadventures of Clark W. Griswold and his family. It has become one of the most surprisingly popular and oft-quoted holiday movies of all time. So dig up your oversized Christmas tree, fill up your Wally World glass mugs with eggnog, and make sure your RV’s "you know what"-er isn’t full as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Bethany Wells, discuss “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback podcast!


                  Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

                  • The scene where the cat bit the Christmas lights cord and got electrocuted was nearly cut from the movie. Prior to the first test screening, the studio executives wanted the scene taken out, fearing that it might offend some viewers, but producer Matty Simmons begged them to leave the scene in, and they eventually gave in to his request. After the first test screening, the test audience scored the cat electrocution scene as their number one favorite scene throughout the entire movie.
                  • When Clark Griswold takes out his frustration over his 25,000 Christmas lights malfunctioning on a plastic front-yard diorama of Santa and his reindeer, you’ll notice he begins to punch the decorations before pausing and resorting to kicking them instead. That is because, as the cast members featured on the commentary track reveal, Chevy Chase actually broke his pinky when he punched the reindeer but managed to stay in character, resulting in the take you see in the theatrical cut.


                    • Sources:

                    Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes

                    https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/national-lampoons-christmas-vacation-10-behind-the-scenes-facts-about-the-holiday-movie

                    https://www.ranker.com/list/christmas-vacation-behind-the-scenes/natalie-jonah

                    https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/xmas-or-bust-the-untold-story-of-national-lampoons-christmas-vacation-173969/

                    https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60330/27-things-you-might-not-know-about-christmas-vacation


                    Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver 


                    Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should discuss next! 

                    • Facebook - Moviviews Presents 80's Flick Flashback Podcast (Fan Page) & Moviviews News & Reviews (Group Page) 
                    • InstaGram - 80's Flick Flashback 
                    • Twitter - @80_podcast 
                    • Website - www.80sflickflashback.com


                      • 1 hr 38 min
                    • #45 - “Lethal Weapon” (1987) with Nicholas Pepin of “Pop Culture Roulette Podcast”

                      There has been a debate raging on the internet for years as to whether or not “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. If “Die Hard” is, in fact, a Christmas movie – which I believe it is – then this 80’s Flick deserves the same holiday movie label. A significant scene in the first act takes place at a Christmas tree farm, the soundtrack is packed with holiday carol classics, and the film ends with turkey dinner on Christmas day. With all that considered, break out the eggnog carton without a bullet hole, trim the tree you bought at the tree farm during a drug deal bust, and watch out for the “Shadow Company” and “Air America” as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Nicholas Pepin, discuss “Lethal Weapon” from 1987 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback. 

                      Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode: 

                      • One of the hardest scenes to watch in the entire franchise is when Riggs attempts to take his own life. Riggs loads his piece and holds it to his head before finally putting it down. Richard Donner told Empire that this was the most difficult moment to shoot. Donner said they filmed the scene twice but "Mel wasn’t happy with it." Instead of making Gibson work it until they got what they wanted, the crew waited around the set "for weeks" until the actor finally said, "Hey, can we do that scene?" Donner told Empire: “The camera operator was sitting on the dolly, crying his eyes out. The camera’s shaking and I’m crying too. And then Mel started hitting himself on the head with the gun. I was worried about him, but I let him go.” 
                      • From the early pre-production stages, Richard Donner wanted the final fight sequence to be unique, yet also to make a strong statement about the characters involved. Coincidentally, assistant director Willie Simmons had an avid interest in unusual forms of martial arts, and he invited several practitioners to the set to demonstrate for Donner. The result was the hiring of three technical advisors, each a master of a particular martial arts style. Cedric Adams taught the actors the movements of Capoeira. A second technical advisor, Dennis Newsome, brought jailhouse rock to the fight sequence. The third technical advisor was Rorion Gracie, who specialized in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The filming was spread over four complete nights, shooting from dusk till dawn, resulting in an edited sequence that would last several minutes on-screen. 


                        • Sources: Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes 

                        https://www.ranker.com/list/lethal-weapon-behind-the-scenes-stories/jacob-shelton 

                        https://screenrant.com/lethal-weapon-series-behind-scenes-stories/ 

                        https://yestermade.com/movie-review-80s/lethal-weapon-1987/ 

                        Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver 

                        Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should discuss next! 

                        • Facebook - Moviviews Presents 80's Flick Flashback Podcast (Fan Page) & Moviviews News & Reviews (Group Page) 
                        • InstaGram - 80's Flick Flashback 
                        • Twitter - @80_podcast 
                        • Website: www.80sflickflashback.com
                          • 1 hr 17 min
                        • #44 - "An American Tail" (1986) with Chad Sheppard and Hanna Williams

                          According to Roger Ebert, this 80’s Flick is one of the most depressing children's movies of all time—but try telling that to the millions of kids who fell in love with a mischievous, rebellious, but adorable kid mouse, his emigrating family, and the diverse cast of characters who all help, in one way or another, to reunite them. If you were one of those kids then join Tim Williams, his daughter Hanna Williams, and his friend Chad Sheppard, as they discuss “An American Tail” from 1986 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback!

                          Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

                          • During production, director Don Bluth staged a demonstration of the difference between limited TV animation and the full animation used in the film. He had his staff stack up animation cels by his feet into two piles, one representing two minutes of limited animation, the other two minutes of full animation. The TV pile reached only to Bluth's shoelaces; the film pile went all the way up to eye level.
                          • Immediately after their loss of Fievel, and just after Fievel meets Warren T. Rat for the first time, Papa and Mama Mousekewitz are both noticeably lacking color in their next scenes. Their muted tones imply their grief and resignation. Tanya, in the same scene, has no dimmed color, as she still believes Fievel is alive.

                            • Sources:

                            Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo

                            https://www.eightieskids.com/20-heartbreaking-facts-about-an-american-tail/17

                            https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/84898/12-facts-about-american-tail

                            Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver

                            Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should discuss next!

                            • Facebook - Moviviews Presents 80's Flick Flashback Podcast (Fan Page) & Moviviews News & Reviews (Group Page)
                            • InstaGram - 80's Flick Flashback
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                            • Website: www.80sflickflashback.com


                              • 53 min
                            • #43 - "Ghostbusters" (1984) with Laramy Wells from the "Moving Panels" Podcast

                              When this 80’s flick first hit the big screen, movie-goers were jump-scared by a ghostly librarian roaming the quiet aisles of a public library, a multi-story marshmallow man towering over the streets of New York, and slime, lots and lots of slime.

                              Fortunately, four wisecracking misfits were just a phone call away, ready to take down these paranormal pests with their proton packs and ghost traps, but behind the scenes, it took much more than a simple phone call to bring the poltergeist-ridden picture to life. So take a ride in Ecto-1, power up your proton packs, and whatever you do, don’t cross the streams, as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Laramy Wells, discuss “Ghostbusters” from 1984 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback!

                              Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

                              • Harvey Comics, creator of Casper, sued the producers, claiming the ghost in the logo was too close to the Casper character "Fatso". The court ruled against them, stating there were only so many ways to draw a ghost.
                              • Sigourney Weaver recalled: "I once had a fire in my apartment [after the movie], and the firemen came to put it out. One of them opened up my refrigerator and said, 'Whoa, you better call the Ghostbusters.'"
                              • In the middle of the film's initial release, to keep interest going, Ivan Reitman ran a trailer that was basically the commercial the Ghostbusters used in the movie, but the 555 number was replaced with a 1-800 number, allowing people to actually call in. Callers got a recorded message of Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd saying something to the effect of "Hi. We're out catching ghosts right now." They got 1,000 calls per hour, 24 hours a day, for several weeks.

                                • Sources:

                                Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes

                                https://screenrant.com/bts-hidden-details-ghostbusters/

                                https://www.sideshow.com/geek/ghostbusters-7-supernatural-secrets-from-behind-the-scenes/

                                Netflix presents “The Movies That Made Us”

                                “Ghostbusters” Blu-Ray Commentary

                                Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver

                                Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should discuss next!

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                                • Twitter - @80_podcast
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                                  • 1 hr 18 min
                                • #42 - "A Nightmare On Elm Street" (1984) with Ron West

                                  Horror movies have been around since the late 1800s, yet not all of them are remembered as fondly as others. In 1984, horror master Wes Craven introduced moviegoers to not only one of the most iconic horror movies of the decade, but one of the most iconic figures in horror’s history. So start a fresh pot of coffee, refill your caffeine pills, and whatever you do, don’t fall asleep as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Ron West, discuss “A Nightmare on Elm Street” from 1984 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback!


                                  Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

                                  • Krug (played by David Hess), the vicious, rapist-serial killer in Wes Craven's first horror movie, Last House on the Left, oozed with smarminess and one-liners, and liked to taunt and torture his victims before killing them, became a very similar type villain, but now in ghost form, in Nightmare on Elm Street. Again, we have a similar bad guy with a big mouth in that movie as well, one who haunts and terrorizes his victims before killing them, also with a similar last name, Krueger (an extension of Krug). The characters are so similar and their story arcs so similar - both were done in by vindictive parents who circumvented the law - you could almost view Nightmare on Elm Street as a sequel to Last House on The Left, which makes sense since these were two of Craven's earliest films.
                                  • More work was done for Freddy's boiler room than made it into the film; the film crew constructed a whole sleeping place for Freddy, showing that he was quite a hobo, an outcast and reject from society, living and sleeping where he worked, and surrounding himself with naked Barbie dolls and other things as a showcase of his fantasies and perversions. This place was supposed to be where he forged his glove and abducted and murdered his victims.
                                  • Heather Langenkamp's boyfriend at the time of the shooting is credited for creating Freddy's nursery rhyme.

                                    • Sources:

                                    Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes

                                    Netflix Original "The Movies That Made Us"

                                    https://screenrant.com/nightmare-on-elm-street-movies-behind-scenes-making-of-hidden-trivia/

                                    Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver

                                    Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should discuss next!

                                    • Facebook - Moviviews Presents 80's Flick Flashback Podcast (Fan Page) & Moviviews News & Reviews (Group Page)
                                    • InstaGram - 80's Flick Flashback
                                    • Twitter - @80_podcast
                                    • Website: www.80sflickflashback.com
                                      • 1 hr 6 min
                                    • #41 - "Friday the 13th Part 2" (1981) with Charlie Cotter

                                      Horror sequels are tricky business. As critic Tasha Robinson notes in an essay for The Dissolve, “Horror sequels are the exact opposite of horror. Horror is about exploiting the fear of the unknown, but sequels are about capitalizing on the familiar.” So horror sequels must find the balance between delivering more of the same to audiences but also something unknown. How well does this 80’s horror flick sequel meet the criteria? Let’s find out as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Charlie Cotter, return to Crystal Lake to discuss “Friday the 13th Part 2” from 1981 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback!


                                      Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

                                      • Jason in this film is dressed to look exactly the same as the hooded, burlap sack killer from The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976). The only difference is that the burlap sack he wears has only one eye hole, and his shirt has a slightly different plaid design. According to co-producer Dennis Stuart Murphy, the idea to have Jason wear a burlap sack over his head in Part 2 came from their costume designer, who figured it was the type of readily available item Jason could have conceivably and easily procured.


                                        • Sources:

                                        Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes

                                        https://forestpunk.wordpress.com/2020/03/13/friday-the-13th-part-2-horror-movie-review/


                                        Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver

                                        Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should discuss next!

                                        • Facebook - Moviviews Presents 80's Flick Flashback Podcast (Fan Page) & Moviviews News & Reviews (Group Page)
                                        • InstaGram - 80's Flick Flashback
                                        • Twitter - @80_podcast
                                        • Website: www.80sflickflashback.com
                                          • 1 hr 9 min

                                        About 80s Flick Flashback

                                        From the publisher's feed

                                        The 80s Flick Flashback Podcast is a nostalgic journey for anyone who grew up watching movies in the 80s or discovered the joy of these cinematic gems. Each episode features creator and host Tim…