The Shermer High Alumni Association

This week we rewatch Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, the 1987 classic from John Hughes starring Steve Martin and John Candy. This movie takes us on the misadventures of Neal and Del, two unlikely cohorts on a crusade to make it back to Chicago for Thanksgiving.

We pay homage to John Candy who died way too soon and revel in Steve Martin being 80, but doesn't look a day over 70.

Join us as we kick off the Thanksgiving holiday season!

Say Anything (1989) feels less like an 80s teen movie and more like a snapshot of what it means to be young, uncertain, and hopeful. This week, the Schirmer High crew revisits Cameron Crowe’s beloved coming-of-age film that made us all fall for Lloyd Dobler — the guy with the trench coat, the boombox, and a heart too big for his own good.

Kristin, Jeannine, and Carole talk about what makes this movie so timeless, from its honesty about love to its messy family dynamics and unforgettable soundtrack.

In this episode of The Shermer High Alumni Association, the team rewinds A Nightmare on Elm Street, Wes Craven’s 1984 horror hit that launched Freddy Krueger into slasher legend. None of us had seen it before, and it shows. We unpack why the film was both groundbreaking and baffling, how it defined 80s horror aesthetics, and why it made us so thankful our parents banned scary movies.

This week, we’re rewinding Teen Wolf, the 1985 movie that proves puberty was bad enough without suddenly growing fur and dunking on your classmates.

We talk about Michael J. Fox’s surprisingly chaotic production schedule, the most '80s basketball scenes ever filmed, and why Boof remains the unsung hero of the movie. There’s also a heated debate about whether this is secretly a metaphor for body hair, hormones, or Hollywood just running out of ideas.

From awkward transformations to questionable sound effects and one truly baffling high school dance, we break down how Teen Wolf  became a cult hit and whether it makes us cringe today.

Rewatch it with us and decide: is Scott Howard a misunderstood teen icon, or just a guy who maybe needed better friends?

We’re kicking off spooky season with Friday the 13th (1980), the movie that convinced a generation of kids they never wanted to go to summer camp. It convinced us, that's for sure.

Join us as we dive into:

• Kevin Bacon’s Speedo.

• Mrs. Voorhees' sweater/turtleneck fit.

• Tom Savini’s practical effects magic

• And whether this cult classic still holds up, or just feels completely ridiculous in 2025

From strip Monopoly to tarp sex (yes, really), this is peak early-80s horror. Rewatch it with us and decide if Friday the 13th is a campfire classic or just a campy mess.

This week we’re firing up the flux capacitor and heading back to 1985 with Back to the Future.

We talk Marty McFly, Doc Brown, and whether the time travel rules in this movie make any sense at all. Plus: Lorraine’s crush on her own son (yikes), Crispin Glover’s wonderfully weird George McFly, and why the Enchantment Under the Sea dance might be one of the best teen movie set pieces ever.

Along the way, we dig into the casting drama (sorry, Eric Stoltz), Michael J. Fox’s grueling schedule, and how a movie that almost didn’t get made became one of the biggest hits of the decade.

Rewatch it with us and decide: is Back to the Future still as timeless as we remember—or should it have stayed in 1985?

We’re back with the second half of Sixteen Candles, picking up as the evening at Jake's comes to a close..

In this episode, we dive into:

• The wreckage of Jake’s house and what we would do to our own kids if this happened

• Long Duk Dong and the parts of this movie that really don’t sit right anymore

• Whether Jake is actually boyfriend material—or just a glamour shot daydream

• That big romantic finale, and how it plays through a 2025 lens

Teenage us thought this was the height of high school drama. Watching it now? Let’s just say… there’s a lot to unpack.

We’re kicking off a two-part rewatch of Sixteen Candles, the movie that made Molly Ringwald an icon and taught us that apparently, everyone in your family can forget your birthday.

In Part 1, we walk through the first half of the film: school bus rides, Farmer Ted’s antics, and the start of Jake Ryan’s “dreamboat” status (which… maybe doesn’t hold up quite the way we remembered). It all leads up to the infamous party at Jake’s house.

This was the start of John Hughes’ teen-movie empire, but watching it now? Let’s just say some of it hits different. Join us...

Personal ads, mistaken identities, and one seriously iconic jacket — welcome to Desperately Seeking Susan (1985).

This week, we rewind the cult classic that launched Madonna as a movie star and turned downtown New York style into a fashion revolution. We’re talking Rosanna Arquette’s suburban boredom, Aidan Quinn’s sensitive projectionist vibes, Laurie Metcalf stealing every scene, and why this movie is both a screwball comedy and a feminist time capsule.

With amnesia, sequins, and critics split between “cult classic” and “yuppie fever dream,” this film is pure 80s chaos. Did it age well, or should it stay stuck in a thrift store window?

In this episode of The Shermer High Alumni Association, we fire up our computers, channel some questionable 80s movie logic, and revisit Weird Science (1985). We talk about Anthony Michael Hall at the height of his teen comedy powers, Ilan Mitchell-Smith’s short-lived Hollywood career, and Kelly LeBrock as the ultimate 80s fantasy creation.

We unpack the movie’s wild mix of teen hormones, computer magic, and John Hughes charm, while also calling out the plot holes, cringeworthy gender politics, and moments that still make us laugh. From Chet’s comeuppance to the insanity of creating a woman in your bedroom, we explore why this cult classic was even made.

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