As kids rushed into movie theatres in the summer of 1986, they had no idea what they were walking into. Excited to see their favorite cartoon on the big screen, an entire generation was about to experience what's been called "the great toy massacre of 1986."

This is a look back on The Transformers: The Movie, a film that shocked and horrified legions of kids. Created purely for commercial reasons, this movie caught toy executives completely off guard as it revealed an unanticipated loyalty to a brand and characters.

The Everthing 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

There really was nothing like it... Walking into a video store in the 1980s was like entering a whole new world of entertainment possibilities. And during the 80s, we lived through a true golden age of video rental.

This is a look back on a rapidly changing era of technology and pop culture; it's a look back at the machine and the stores that changed the way we consume entertainment to this day; and it's also a look at how both the VCR and the video store as we know them almost never happened...

-Get access to The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

Don't call it a comeback... Even though the sitcom had lost some steam at the start of the 1980s, in the second half of the decade, they were back--and better than ever.

Join me as I take a quick look at the origin of the sitcom, and how--thanks to the 80s--they changed network television forever. And, today, I'm counting down ten of the best sitcoms the 80s had to offer.

-Support the show and get bonus audio content: Patreon.com/80s

At least they still had Barbie… But when the excitement for He-Man started to cool off, toy giant Mattel needed something to fill the void. They needed something modern, interactive, and able to take advantage of new toy technology.

Enter Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future. Combined with a TV program of the same name, the innovative toys let you fire "lasers" at the show while getting hit in return. It was like Duck Hunt meets RoboCop; a futuristic dream come true. Sounds like the coolest thing ever, and the perfect new toy franchise–but a world of controversy soon emerged…

-Bonus audio content: Patreon.com/80s

Bread, sauce, and cheese. That's all pizza really is, but how did the simple food you love become the focus of a massive, multi-billion-dollar battle? Today, we journey back to the Pizza Wars of the 80s, when Pizza Hut, Little Ceasars, and Dominos took every measure possible to capture our taste buds (with a few others joining the pizza party…)

Advertising budgets skyrocketed, media reach was more substantial than ever before, and competition was high. So let's look back at a slice of history when the 80s became a battleground with every company trying to grab the biggest piece of the pie.

-Support the show and get bonus audio content: Patreon.com/80s

There are certain defining images that represent the entire 1980s--and right at the top of that list is ALF. With origins beginning in 1984, this is a look back on the beloved character, its creator, and the show that became a true pop culture phenomenon.

The story of ALF has a bit of everything; connections to the Simpsons and Seinfeld; legal changes to network TV; some of the greatest merchandising the decade would ever see--and genuine nostalgia.

The E80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

It seemed like any other ordinary presidential appearance, but when Ronald Reagan left the Washington Hilton on March 30th, 1981, the world almost drastically changed forever in just 1.7 seconds.

This is a look back on a moment of genuine heroism, the bizarre motive behind the assassination attempt on the President, and how one inch could have made this an entirely different story...

-The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

What do you get when you combine Transformers, Marvel, MTV, and a LOT of neon? You get Jem and the Holograms; a defining 1980s toy, cartoon, and franchise.

When it debuted in 1985, the cartoon show caught on quickly, as did the subsequent toy line. And none of this was by accident. Built on the back of already successful properties like G.I. Joe, and Transformers, Jem and the Holograms followed the formula, but with its own unique twist. So journey back with me to a time of glitter, neon, rock music, and some very stealthy marketing…

The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

It felt like it happened overnight... we went from just a few TV channels to a seemingly endless amount. So, what exactly led to the rapid growth of cable television in the 1980s and a time when our TVs changed forever?

HBO and Showtime set the stage and as we entered the 80s, new channels like Nickelodeon, The Disney Channel, ESPN, and CNN quickly became popular. The cable revolution of the 80s gave us many beloved children's shows, technological advancements, and some good ol' government deregulations. So don't touch that dial; this is a story that includes The Shining, green slime, and even the Soviet Union...

The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s

Do you remember where you were on the night of February 28th, 1983? If you had access to a TV, there's a pretty good chance you had it tuned to CBS. This was the night of the series finale of M*A*S*H and a landmark moment in the history of television.

What happened that night from a viewership standpoint had never been seen before–or since. This is a look back on the single episode that became a cultural touchpoint, a watershed moment in television, and achieved rating numbers never thought possible.

-Support the show and get access to The Everything 80s Movie Review Podcast: Patreon.com/80s