The 80s-est

This week, by chance, we had 9 to 5 to review, and the day before we recorded, we lost Dolly Parton. Just when we were prepared to try to reduce our show length, we felt it appropriate to memorialize Dolly, and so, back up the show length goes!

On today’s show, we have two films about people…that’s about the only thing they have in common.

In one corner: 9 to 5, a 1980 workplace comedy in which three women reach their collective breaking point with their sexist, hypocritical boss, and accidentally kidnap him. It’s an iconic film, but it’s early in the decade, so it may suffer from some 70s hangover.

In the other corner: Bachelor Party, the raunchy 1984 comedy in which Tom Hanks has a bachelor party and comic chaos ensues. This movie, and Splash the same year, established Hanks as someone who could carry a film on charm alone even when the material didn’t deserve it.

9 to 5 is a waaaay better film, but which one is MORE 80s? Vote below!

Welcome to the Raiders of the Lost Ark Region!

Our first matchup is as epic as the blockbuster for which the region is named!

In one corner: Raiders of the Lost Ark, the #1 film of 1981, in which Lucas, Spielberg, Williams, Kasdan, and Ford basically crush all other movies with an All-Star Team effort. It’s more 80s as in “era-defining blockbuster” than in reflecting the decade.

In the other corner: Staying Alive, the laughably shitty 1983 sequel to Saturday Night Fever, directed by Sylvester Stallone. Neon, spandex, all flash, zero substance. This looks and sounds really 80s, but is absolutely hot garbage!

Good or bad, which one is MORE 80s? Vote below!

Joe and I discussed this classic sketch on today’s show:

This week, Joe and I got out of hand on discussion time again (sorry!) as we discuss two films about becoming someone.

In one corner: The Karate Kid, the 1984 coming-of-age underdog story in which Daniel LaRusso moves from Newark to California, immediately gets beaten up by karate-trained bullies, and discovers that his apartment building handyman is an Okinawan karate master.

In the other corner: An Officer and a Gentleman, a 1982 drama in which Richard Gere enrolls in Navy Officer Candidate School as his last shot at something better than the life he grew up in, and Sergeant Foley (Louis Gossett Jr.) tries to break him.

Which one is MORE 80s? Vote below!

Today’s films are both about things that get catastrophically out of hand.

In one corner: Gremlins, the 1984 horror-comedy that was so disturbingly violent for a PG rating that it directly caused the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating.

In the other corner: Porky’s, the terribly shitty 1982 sex comedy set in 1954 Florida, that is as boring as it is stupid.

There’s no question which movie is better. Which one is MORE 80s? Vote below!

This week on the 80s-est: two films about what happens when you accidentally start something you can’t stop.

In one corner: WarGames, the 1983 Cold War thriller in which a teenage hacker breaks into NORAD’s military computer and starts a game of Global Thermonuclear War that inadvertently puts America’s defenses on the brink of WWIII.

In the other corner: The Blues Brothers, John Landis’s 1980 musical comedy in which Jake and Elwood Blues get out of prison and decide to put the band back together in order to save the orphanage where they grew up.

One is a quintessential 80s selection, the other a classic that happened to occur in the 80s. Which one is MORE 80s? Vote below!

Two films about young men trying to figure out what they want — just with very different levels of seriousness.

In one corner: Stripes, Ivan Reitman’s 1981 military comedy that turned Bill Murray into a movie star, and gave John Candy his breakout film role.

In the other corner: All the Right Moves, the 1983 Tom Cruise drama about a Rust Belt high school football player and his coach who want the same escape from the same dying town and keep getting in each other’s way. (Editor’s note, this is the worst depiction of football in the many dozens of football movies I have seen.)

Which one is MORE 80s? Vote below!

Joe and I haven’t spoken for two weeks, and it showed. We lost track of time, apologies for the lengthy show, feel free to listen on 2X! 😃

This week, we explore two early-80s comedies about the ultra-wealthy, class wars, and people getting exactly what they deserve.

In this corner: Trading Places, John Landis’s 1983 satire of Reaganomics that helped stereotype the yuppie culture of the day, and establish Eddie Murphy, Dan Akroyd, and Jamie Lee Curtis as stars.

In the other corner: Arthur, Steve Gordon’s 1981 romantic comedy, which gave us Dudley Moore as a spectacularly drunk nearly-billionaire, John Gielgud in the best supporting performance of the decade, and ‘Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)’.

Keith didn’t think either of these films belonged in the tournament. Joe loves both films dearly! Which one is MORE 80s? Vote below!

Hello, 80s-est listeners!

Well, we didn’t do a rerun while Joe and his family were out creating magic in the park with Twelfth Night. (Ballinger Shakespeare)

Instead, with Joe’s blessing, we threw together a semi-topical new episode in which Keith and longtime contributor, Alejandro Saya (Lo Más Ochenta), discuss some music. First we talk about the World Cups of the 80s, then we discuss original movie music of the 1980-1984 (Reel A) era!

We hope you enjoy some more insight into the international 80s experience with Alej’s discussion of Copa Mundial, and then we also attempt to put into perspective the landscape of original soundtrack music of the early 80s.

So, we will not be advancing the brackets this week, but, for fun, of these top-ranked original soundtrack songs, which do YOU consider most 80s? Vote!

Valley Girl gets undersold by its title. This 1983 film is a genuinely sweet Romeo-and-Juliet story set against the San Fernando Valley’s new wave moment that gave America many of its cultural sayings of the 80s.

Caddyshack, Harold Ramis’ 1980 directorial debut, is the country-club comedy that gave Bill Murray one of his most iconic characters (Carl Spackler, largely improvised on set), and put Kenny Loggins’ ‘I’m Alright’ into the cultural bloodstream.

Two films built more on vibes than plot. Which one is MORE 80s? Vote below!

Round two of the Red Dawn Region, and it’s puppets vs. performing arts kids.

In one corner: The Dark Crystal, Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s 1982 fantasy epic — every character a puppet, no humans on screen, timeless.

In the other corner, Fame, the 1980 musical drama that won two Oscars, launched a TV series, a remake, and a stage musical.

Two cult favorites, two very different fanbases. Which one is MORE 80s? Vote below!