80's High

In response to a once-in-a-century drought and famine in Ethiopia, Harry Belefonte, Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, and Quincy Jones assembled the ultimate cast of legendary musicians to come together one top-secret evening to record the best-selling single in America and pop music history, “We Are the World.”

• United Support of Artists (USA) for Africa

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In the 80’s, teenagers hustling for money was a tough racket. Robert Romanus was selling second-hand concert tickets and Phoebe Cates was scooping ice cream at the mall, while Judge Reinhold grilled hamburgers and Kevin Bacon got canoes ready at Camp Crystal Lake. But who would have imagined that babysitting would give the greatest teen job adventure of the decade?!

• 19 things about ‘ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING’ you probably didn’t know // Fresh Fiction TV

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You've got the touch! You've got the power! 1984 was a radical pop culture year in the heart of the 80's, but one toy line demanded the hotness of Cabbage Patch dolls and Pound Puppies take a back seat and clear plenty of Toys 'R' Us shelf space as Transformers hit the US market and forever changed just how awesome action figures could be.

• The Entire Transformers Timeline Explained // Looper

The Most Ridiculous Transformers Rip-Offs That Actually Happened // Looper

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Thank you for being a friend. Travel down the road and back again. Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant. If that theme song just flooded you with warm nostalgia, side-splitting laughter, and tearful moving moments, then you too must've been a fan of one of the most popular sitcoms in television history - The Golden Girls! We're sitting down for a slice of cheesecake at the kitchen table with Rose, Blanche, Sophia, and Dorothy to delve into this classic show featuring strong female leads with full lives and enduring friendships tackling every topic you can possibly imagine. Picture it, an episode filled with sass, support, and joy awaiting your listening ears. Won't you lounge on the lanai and listen for a spell?

• 17 On-Set Secrets from The Golden Girls (Facts Verse)

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Never go alone. Never go with someone else. It could be any one of us. It could be you. It could be me. It could be all of us, or none of us! What do we do?! Why don’t we wait here, see what happens...

• The Making of The Thing documentary

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Gather round, dear listeners, as we tell a tale of dungeon crawling through the D&D-inspired 1989 board game revolution, HeroQuest! Taking on the roles of barbarian, dwarf, elf, and wizard, we’ll face off against Zargon's evil forces of orcs, goblins, fimirs, mummies, gargoyles, and more, as we search for traps, treasures, and the secret sauce that made this one of the greatest “game systems” to ever come out of the 1980s.

• The History of HeroQuest: A Board Game Introduction to Dungeons & Dragons (Secret Galaxy)

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You remind us of the podcast! What podcast? The podcast with the power! What power? The power of voodoo. Who do? You do. Do what? Remind us of the podcast! Meandering through this episode, Ben and Chris clumsily navigate the twisting corridors and puzzles of Jim Henson and David Bowie’s 1986 fantasy classic, Labyrinth. Spring boarding off the brilliant mind and artwork of Brian Froud, Henson and his team endeavored in the mid-80’s to produce a more comedic and light-hearted fantasy adventure than their 1982 The Dark Crystal. The result sent little-known Jennifer Connelly to team up with a misfit band in search of her stolen infant half-brother, knocking out pitfalls and puzzles with greater efficiency than Odysseus could ever muster. Come back with us and remember why no one could get enough of “Dance, Magic, Dance!”

• Ten Amazing Facts About Labyrinth (Minty Comedic Arts)

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As caped crusaders begin to disappear, a motley band of heroes must come out of retirement to crack the case and save the world. No, we’re not talking about Ben and Chris returning from summer break to kick 80’s High back into gear - we’re talking about Watchmen, the groundbreaking 1986 comic maxi-series by writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins. Our dynamic duo is joined by co-host Corey to delve into the origins of what Damon Lindelof called “the greatest piece of popular fiction ever produced.” We’ll do our best to untangle the complex web of narratives across time, provide hot tips on superhero fashion, form, and function, and see how this eighties icon holds up in a hyper-saturated world of Avengers, X-Men, mutants, Boys, and more!

-- We Love the Eighties --

• Season 4 of 80's High is sponsored by Choose Your Own Adventure! Shop cyoa.com and use code 80sHigh for 20% off your first order of books, box sets, graphic novels, tabletop games, and more!

-- Can I Borrow Your Notes? -- 

• Watchmen comic book recap: What happened in the graphic novel (Collider)

-- Teacher's Pets -- 

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Double surprise! It's a SECOND bonus summer episode of 80's High! And this time, we brought a comb! As summer winds down into fall, we're walking the tracks back to 1986 to revisit the magical film by director Rob Reiner with its amazing cast, including Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell, Kiefer Sutherland, John Cusack, and Richard Dreyfuss... wow!

Like last time, we're featuring a full episode from our dear friend at Ding Dong Darkness Time, Allison Dickson. Last summer, Allison, Chris, and fellow guest host Kate Jenkins revisited the nostalgia-packed Stand By Me and the short story The Body that inspired it. And to make this an 80's High experience, we've captured Ben's memories, favorite moments, and final assessment from his rewatch. So join us for this look back in time on childhood friendship, summer adventure, growing up, and standing up to the hardships of life.

Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!

-- Teacher's Pets -- 

• Check out Allison's show, Ding Dong Darkness Time, wherever you listen to podcasts

Surprise, it's a bonus summer episode of 80's High! And WE. MADE IT. FOR. YOUUUUU! As the summer heatwave hits, we're downshifting back to 1986 with the first and only film director credit for the man of macabre himself, Mr. Stephen King. It's big trucks, lawnmowers, steamrollers, the Green Goblin, lots of guns and explosions, and a whole lotta campy fun!

This time, we're featuring a full episode from our dear friend at Ding Dong Darkness Time, Allison Dickson. Last summer, Allison and Chris took a spin back to Maximum Overdrive, the short story Trucks that inspired it, and the little-known second movie adaptation for television also called Trucks. And they are three wildly different takes. Speaking of takes, this wouldn't be 80's High without both hosts chiming in, so Ben and Chris kick off the episode and then come back at the end to get Ben's earliest memories, favorite moments, and hot final takes you won't wanna miss. So buckle up and sit back, we're going into overdrive!

Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!

-- Teacher's Pets -- 

• Check out Allison's show, Ding Dong Darkness Time, wherever you listen to podcasts