80s Flick Flashback

80s Flick Flashback

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

  • #12 - "The Goonies" (1985) with Ron West

    1985 was a big year for movies! It was a year dominated by flying DeLoreans, Breakfast Clubs, Beverly Hills Cops, as well as massive pop artists like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cindy Lauper, and Prince. It was also the year of one of the greatest movie adventures of them all! The secret caves. The lost map. The hidden treasure. The Fratelli’s. What an exciting time to be alive as a kid, back when you knew it was time to get home when the streetlights came on and just riding bikes with your friends meant the world was yours to explore...until dinner time at least. 1985 was the year that Austoria, Oregan got put on the map, the “truffle shuffle” became the newest dance move, and the kids from the “goon docks” took the oath that “Goonies never say die!”


    On this episode, Tim Williams and guest co-host, Ron West, share their memories of this iconic 80's classic!  They also share their favorite characters, movie moments, and behind the scenes trivia along the way.


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

    • The Goonies set became a Hollywood hot spot. Celebrities such as Dan Akroyd, Harrison Ford, and Pee-wee Herman all visited the set while the film was in production. Corey Feldman said that Michael Jackson hung out at the set so often that "he was basically part of the cast." Feldman recalled, "It was like we had the coolest set on the lot. Harrison Ford came and walked the caves with us. We felt like we were in Indiana Jones."
    • When the Fratelli brothers argued, Anne Ramsey really slapped Robert Davi. She was told to hit him as hard as she could.
    • Production designer J. Michael Riva said in a National Public Radio interview that, before shooting the first scenes with the prop map, he thought that it looked good but not old enough, so in his hotel room, he aged it with coffee and (when he couldn't find paint) his own blood.
    • Much of the theme music for the film comes from the 1948 "Adventure of Don Juan" (1948) starring Errol Flynn. Sloth is seen in his dungeon room watching similar swashbuckling films from the 1940s and '50s on TV and imagines himself a hero like Flynn, as evidenced by his sliding/slicing down the sail of the pirate ship near the end, which is also from another Errol Flynn film.
    • Cyndi Lauper co-wrote the theme song "Goonies 'R' Good Enough", and shot a music video that features a cameo by the film's executive producer Steven Speilberg. The 12-minute video basically tells the movie's story as a musical. Cyndi Lauper plays Cyndi (a new Goonie recruit), The Bangles play pirates, and Andre the Giant plays Sloth.


      • Sources: Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, Ranker.com (Behind the Scenes Stories That Will Make You Want To Rewatch The Goonies). WarnerBros.com (Hey You Guys, The Goonies Turn 35), YouTube – “The Goonies: Behind the Scenes Featurette” & “The Making of a Cult Classic: The Unauthorized Story of 'The Goonies' (2010)”


      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 watch next!

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        • 1 hr 16 min
      • Mini-Episode - Teaser of Episode #12
        On this mini-episode, Tim shares some good and bad reviews of last week’s movie, “Aliens”, during the “Loves It, Hated It” segment. He also fills us in on what movies he has seen recently during “Currently Watching”. And, of course, Tim previews the next 80’s Flick he will be re-watching and discussing with his guest co-host on next week’s full episode. 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 watch next!
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        33 min
      • #11 - “Aliens” (1986) with Laramy Wells

        In 1986, young up and coming writer-director, James Cameron, took the tall task of tackling a sequel to director Ridley Scott's space-thriller, "Alien".  With returning cast member, Sigorney Weaver, he not only moved the story forward, he exceeded all expectations with a bonafide box office hit as well an award-winning and ground-breaking classic we know simply as "Aliens".


        On this episode, Tim Williams and guest co-host Laramy Wells share their memories of this iconic 80's flick.  They also share favorite characters, movie moments, and behind the scenes trivia along the way.


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

        • Actors who played Marines were asked to read Robert A. Heinlein's novel Starship Troopers and undergo military training, which included running, lifting weights, learning salutes, marches, deployments, and maneuvers, for two weeks. Cameron wanted the Marines to train together so that they would form bonds that would show on-screen. Sigourney Weaver, William Hope, and Paul Reiser were absent from training because of other obligations, but Cameron felt that this suited their characters as "outsiders" in the film
        • Many of the crew had worked on Alien and were fiercely loyal to Ridley Scott, and they believed the 31-year-old Cameron was too young and inexperienced to direct. In response, he arranged a screening of The Terminator, which had not yet been released in the UK, but many of the crew did not attend. 
        • Some scenes of the alien nest were shot at the decommissioned Acton Lane Power Station in Acton, London. The crew thought it was a perfect place to film because of its grilled walkways and numerous corridors, but had to spend money to remove asbestos from the station. The Atmosphere Processor set was not dismantled after filming, and was reused in 1989 as the Axis Chemicals set for Batman (1989). When the Batman crew first entered the set, they found most of the Alien nest still intact,

          • Sources: Imdb, Wikipedia, Box Office Mojo, and Rotten Tomatoes


          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 watch next!

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            • 56 min
          • Mini-Episode - Teaser of Episode #11
            On this mini-episode, Tim shares some good and bad reviews of last week’s movie, “Dirty Dancing”, during the “Loved It, Hated It” segment. Tim also fills us in on what TV shows and movies he has seen recently during the “Currently Watching” segment. And, of course, Tim previews the next 80’s Flick he will be re-watching and discussing with his guest co-host on the next full episode.
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            31 min
          • #10 - “Dirty Dancing” (1987) with Tyra Williams

            In 1987 a small Connecticut-based direct-to-video company made their first feature film for a true theatrical release.  With low expectations from investors due to a female-driven plot in the midst of a testosterone-heavy Summer blockbuster season, this small movie became a word of mouth sleeper hit, made a dancing football player turned actor into a bonafide sex symbol movie star, and birthed the world-wide phenomenon called, “Dirty Dancing”.


            On this episode, Tim Williams and guest co-host Tyra Williams share their memories of this 80's romantic classic.  They also share favorite characters, movie moments, and behind the scenes trivia along the way.

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

            • Cynthia Rhodes asked Eleanor Bergstein to write the scene where Penny tells Baby that she doesn't sleep around. It was written the night before it was filmed, and David Chapman built the locker room for it on such short notice that it was a surprise to Eleanor Bergstein.
            • In the last scene, Baby's mother, Marjorie Houseman (Kelly Bishop), says of Baby's dancing, "I think she gets it from me." This is a two-fold "in-joke". First of all, Jerry Orbach and Kelly Bishop (Baby's parents) appeared together on Broadway in 1968 in the original cast of 'Promises, Promises', for which ORBACH won the Tony Award. In 1976, Orbach was again nominated for a Tony for originating the role of Billy Flynn in 'Chicago'. He did not win this time but Kelly Bishop DID win the Tony for originating the role of Sheila in 'A Chorus Line'.
            • The song "She's Like The Wind", co-written and performed by Patrick Swayze was originally written for his first feature film role, Grandview, U.S.A. (1984), but was used in this movie instead.
            • The shooting wrapped on October 27, 1986, both on-time and on-budget. No one on the team, however, liked the rough cut that was put together, and Vestron executives were convinced the film was going to be a flop. Thirty-nine percent of people who viewed the film did not realize abortion was the subplot. In May 1987, the film was screened for producer Aaron Russo. According to Vestron executive Mitchell Cannold, Russo's reaction at the end was to say simply, "Burn the negative, and collect the insurance."

              • Sources: Wikipedia, Imdb, Rotten Tomatoes, "The Movies That Made Us: Dirty Dancing" (Netflix Original Documentary Series), "I Am Patrick Swayze" (Paramount Network Documentary)


              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 watch next!

              Facebook - Moviviews Presents 80's Flick Flashback Podcast (Fan Page) & Moviviews News & Reviews (Group Page)

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              48 min
            • Mini-Episode - Teaser of Episode #10
              On this mini-episode, Tim Williams shares some good and bad reviews of last week’s movie, “Major League”, during the “Loved It, Hated It” segment. Tim also gives a few short and sweet reviews of new and older movies available on various streaming services (“The Lord of the Rings Extended Trilogy”, “All the Right Moves”, “Palm Springs”, and “Terminator: Dark Fate”) during “Currently Watching”. And, of course, Tim previews the next 80's Flick he will be re-watching and discussing in the next full episode.
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              32 min
            • #9 - “Major League” (1989) with Charlie Cotter
              When you think of great movies about major league baseball, there aren’t too many to choose from. “Bull Durham” was about the minor leagues. “Field of Dreams” was about ghosts of former players meeting on a cornfield in Iowa to play again. “The Sandlot” and “Bad News Bears” were about kids and their love for the national pastime. And “A League of Their Own” and “The Natural” captured baseball, but baseball of the past. In 1989 only one film was able to capture major league baseball in modern times. And that film took the longsuffering Cleveland Indians all the way to the playoffs and “Major League” became a bonafide hit movie for baseball fans everywhere.
              On this episode, Tim Williams shares his memories and guest co-host Charlie Cotter shares his first-time watch reactions of this 80's comedy classic.  They also share favorite lines, characters, scenes, and behind the scenes trivia along the way.
              Here are additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover on this episode:
              - Pedro Cerrano, according to author and director David S. Ward, is partially based on Orlando Cepeda and Wade Boggs, who would superstitiously eat chicken before every game.
              - Willie Mays Hays, according to Ward, is based on Rickey Henderson.
              - Ryan Duren was the inspiration for the character Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn, according to Ward.
              - Eddie Harris appears to be inspired by Gaylord Perry, who was well known for using outside substances to enhance his pitches.
              - Jake Taylor may be inspired by Carlton Fisk, a catcher who had a long career with the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox. Lou Brown mentions early on that Taylor was an All-Star in Boston.
              - According to David S. Ward, Wesley Snipes was not a very skilled baseball player in real life, never having played much of it before. Ward said Snipes was so awful at throwing a baseball that they did not have any scenes of him throwing a ball. 
              - Many tricks were used to make the actors seem like they were as good as their characters. For example, the pitching mound in a real baseball stadium is 60'6" away from the home plate, but to give the impression that Charlie Sheen's 85 mph fastball was traveling 100mph, they moved the mound up 10 feet and shot from behind the plate so the viewer wouldn't notice the distance difference. Also, all Wesley Snipes' running scenes are shown in slow motion to give the impression that he is running faster than he actually is.
              - In the scene where Jake invades Lynn's party, one of the guests asks how much Jake makes in the Majors. He replies, "I make the league minimum." At the time (1989) the MLB salary minimum was $68,000. Average household income in 1990 was roughly $30,000. So he was making a very respectable double-the-average household income.
              Sources: Imdb, Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo, Yahoo Sports (“Major League Turns 30”), and Mental Floss (“10 Wild Facts About Major League”)
              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 watch next!   
              Email - [email protected]   
              Facebook - Moviviews Presents 80's Flick Flashback Podcast (Fan Page) & Moviviews News & Reviews (Group Page) 
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              45 min
            • Mini-Episode - Teaser of Episode #9
              On this mini-episode, Tim Williams shares some good and bad reviews of last week’s movie, “Predator”. during the “Loved It, Hated It” segment. Tom also gives a few short and sweet reviews of new movies available on various streaming services (“The Good Liar”, “My Spy”, “Desperados”, “The Old Guard”, and “Greyhound”) during “Currently Watching”. And, of course, Tim previews the next 80's Flick he will be re-watching and discussing in the next full episode.
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              32 min
            • #8 - “Predator” (1987) with Laramy Wells
              Released in on June 12, 1987, up and coming director John McTiernan’s second film introduced action and horror fans to a brand new kind of extra-terrestrial threat. It was a bonafide box office hit when released due to its star-studded macho cast, while solidifying Arnold Schwarzenegger’s rising star power status. Alongside Schwarzenegger, the film cast Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, Richard Chaves, and Shane Black as a group of commando mercenaries on a rescue mission in Central America who unknowingly encounter an alien creature bigger, badder, and more powerful than they are. The hunter we call…Predator.
              On this episode Tim Williams and guest co-host Laramy Wells discuss the 1987 Sci-Fi Action Blockbuster - “Predator”.
              Here are additional behind the scenes trivia that we were not able to cover on this episode:
              Both McTiernan and Schwarzenegger lost 25 pounds during the film. Schwarzenegger's weight loss was a professional choice while McTiernan lost the weight because he avoided the food in Mexico due to health concerns. Unlike McTiernan, most of the cast and crew suffered from traveler's diarrhea since the Mexican hotel in which they were living had problems with its water purification system.
              In an interview, Carl Weathers said the actors would secretly wake up as early as 3:00 a.m. to work out before the day's shooting. Weathers also stated that he would act as if his physique was naturally given to him and would work out only after the other actors were nowhere to be seen.
              The weapon that Blain (Jesse Ventura) is using is a minigun. This is a weapon most commonly mounted on the side of a helicopter and many, many modifications had to be made to make it usable in the film. It was powered via an electrical cable hidden down the front of Blain's trousers. The firing rate was slowed down to approximately one-third the normal rate of fire, both to reduce consumption of blanks, and to make the spinning of the barrels visible on film. It is rumored that Ventura had to wear a bulletproof vest, because of the forceful ejection of spent cartridges, but this is false. Unmodified miniguns eject out of the bottom, with the cases essentially falling out, due to gravity. Close examination of the film, especially the scene in which Mac fires the minigun at the fleeing predator, along with the other commandos, show that the ejection of the minigun was not changed.
              The "B" camera was given a reel of incorrect film stock, which is why some shots look a lot grainier than others.
              Sources: Imdb, Wikipedia, All the Right Movies Podcast, and Rotten Tomatoes
              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 watch next!  
              Email - [email protected]  
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              48 min
            • Mini-Episode - Teaser of Episode #8
              On this mini-episode, Tim Williams shares some good and bad reviews of last week’s movie, “Summer School”. during the “Unpopular Opinion” (aka “Loved It, Hated It”) segment. Then guest co-host, Laramy Wells, joins in to discuss what TV shows and movies each has seen recently during “Currently Watching”, and share a tribute to “Summer School” Director, Carl Reiner, who passed away this week. And, of course, Tim previews the next 80's Flick he will be re-watching and discussing in the next full episode.
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              38 min

            About 80s Flick Flashback

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            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…