Released just three years after the iconic "Raiders of the Lost Ark," this action-packed prequel takes us back to the 1930s, where we find our intrepid archaeologist, Indiana Jones in a web of peril when he becomes entangled with a ruthless cult hell-bent on capturing the mystical Sankara Stones and enslaving an entire village. Joined by reluctant lounge singer Willie Scott and the wise-cracking Short Round, Dr. Jones battles his way through treacherous jungles, dark catacombs, and…
For the month of March, I am taking a break from recording new episodes so that I can highlight some of the other fantastic podcasts that I have had the privilege of being a guest co-host on.
This week, I will be replaying part of an episode of Retro Life 4 You with host Chris Adams. Chris reached out to me last year to guest host on an episode about Chuck Norris and we hit it off immediately. Chris loves the 80s and created Retro Life 4 You to talk about all things retro from the 2000s, …
For the month of March, I am taking a break from recording new episodes so that I can highlight some of the other fantastic podcasts that I have had the privilege of being a guest co-host on. This week, I will be replaying part of an episode of Moving Panels with host Laramy Wells. Laramy is a good friend of mine and has been a frequent guest on the 80’s Flick Flashback podcast going all the way back to season one. Laramy created Moving Panels to discuss movies and TV shows based, inspired, …
For the month of March, I am taking a break from recording new episodes so that I can highlight some of the other fantastic podcasts that I have had the privilege of being a guest co-host on.
For this one, I will be replaying part of an episode of Totally Rad Christmas with host Gerry D. This was actually the first first time I was asked to guest co-host on another '80s-themed podcast, and Gerry and I became fast friends. Totally Rad Christmas doesn’t just cover '80s Christ…
If you’re a fan of eighties action movies, you should know The Cannon Group. Run by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, in the eighties they cranked out a slew of low-budget action movies, most of which were hated by critics. Yet, every once in awhile they made a legitimately great movie that would even make the critics sit up and take notice. One such as this 80’s flick directed by Andrei Konchalovsky (who later made "Tango & Cash") and based on a script by Akira K…
1930. Prohibition has transformed Chicago into a City at War. Rival gangs compete for control of the city’s billion dollar empire of illegal alcohol, enforcing their will with the hand grenade and the tommy gun. It is the time of the Ganglords. It is the time of Al Capone. And now its time for Tim Williams and guest co-host Nicholas Pepin, from "Pop Culture Roulette" Podcast to discuss “The Untouchables” from 1987 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback Podcast!
Here ar…
In the late 80’s the American action movie was reaching its zenith. The genre had produced several bona fide superstars and was bringing big money to the box office. Action movies were the perfect vehicle for unknown talent to prove themselves. An actor that audiences had never seen before could be the lead if he had the right moves, hair, and one-liners. This 80’s flick, that introduced us to the pre-ponytailed Steven Seagal, surely fit the bill. So prepare for all of the 80’s action movie …
Based loosely on David Morrell's 1972 novel of the same name, this 80’s flick was the first of a decades long franchise. Unlike the following sequels which were war adventure films set in foreign countries, this was a post-Vietnam War psychological thriller set in the United States that lacks the gore and violence that would later become a trademark of the series. So journey back with us to the small town of Hope, Washington as Tim Williams and guest co-host Laramy Wells from "Movi…
Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads. Its time to pick up where things left off as Tim Williams is joined by the "Hill Valley Save the Clock Tower Committee" (aka the Co-Host Panel) as they continue their discussion on the "Back to the Future" Trilogy for this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback! Panel Includes Charlie Cotter, Chad Sheppard, and Laramy & Bethany Wells ("Moving Panels" Podcast) Pre-Recorded Segments from previous co-hosts include Ron…
In the Summer of 1985, one of the most influential sci-fi comedies ever made landed in theaters nationwide and took moviegoers on a time-traveling thrill ride while shattering box office expectations. This 80’s flick sparked a trilogy that, like most, has its hits and misses, but is still one of the most beloved trilogies in cinematic history! So climb into the DeLorean, check the flux capacitor, and get this sucker up to 88 miles per hour as Tim Williams is joined by a panel of dapper and d…
If you were a kid or a teenager in 1989, no other movie was more anticipated than this iconic 80’s flick. The first superhero movie to take the gritty and grounded approach, it was the comic book event of the decade and the film that transformed the campy Caped Crusader into the brooding Dark Knight. So fire up the Batmobile and meet us in Gotham City as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Laramy Wells and Ron West, discuss “Batman” from 1989 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback!
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If you have ever hear a crowd chanting “Kumite!” then you have entered rarified territory. You have found die-hard fans of this 80’s flick which made “the Muscles from Brussels” a bonafide movie star and also brought in the biggest box office haul for its distributor Cannon Films that year. Yes, that's THE Cannon Films, which is notorious for making some of the biggest-budget B-Movies of the decade. Some call it one of the best worst movies ever made, but, like “The Karate Kid” before i…
There has been a debate raging on the internet for years as to whether or not “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. If “Die Hard” is, in fact, a Christmas movie – which I believe it is – then this 80’s Flick deserves the same holiday movie label. A significant scene in the first act takes place at a Christmas tree farm, the soundtrack is packed with holiday carol classics, and the film ends with turkey dinner on Christmas day. With all that considered, break out the eggnog carton without a bullet…
“The Goonies”. “Stand By Me”. “Ghostbusters”. “The Little Rascals”. And “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”. They all share some shred of creative DNA with this bonafide 80’s cult classic. So as we kick-start this year’s spooky Halloween season, sharpen those wooden stakes you made in shop class, hide the silver bullets in your half-empty pack of cigarettes, and prepare to “Bop Til You Drop” as Tim Williams and guest co-host Gerry D discuss “The Monster Squad” from 1987 on this episode o…
John Carpenter described this 80’s flick, which he co-wrote and directed, as an "action adventure comedy kung fu ghost story monster movie." And I can’t really add much more of an intro than that. So come aboard “The Pork Chop Express” as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Gerry D discuss “Big Trouble in Little China” from 1986 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback Podcast!
Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:
The western, which used to be as common in Hollywood as superhero movies are now, enjoyed a surprising revival in popularity in the late 1980s into the 90s. The genre, of course, fizzled out again and faded from memory. Film financiers didn’t see a profit in it and audiences lost their appetite for it. However, for a good 6 years westerns were cool again. They won Oscars, starred some of the biggest names in Hollywood, and inspired Bon Jovi to sing about riding on steel horses and being shot…
When hit movie producer, Jerry Bruckheimer was casually flipping through California magazine in 1983, he was suddenly struck by an image. It was a picture of fighter pilot’s helmet with a plane reflected in the visor. Staring at the page, Bruckheimer couldn’t escape one thought: “It looked like Star Wars on Earth.” That magazine picture - and its accompanying article - set into motion the creation of this iconic 80’s Flick. A script would be crafted around the story of fighter pilots - their…
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before…a highly anticipated superhero sequel flick has a profound falling out due to creative differences between the movie studio producers and the original film’s director, resulting in that director being fired and a new director being brought in to reshoot scenes, re-edit the new and old footage, and generally lighten the tone with more humor. No, I’m not talking about the “The Justice League” fiasco from a few years ago. We are going all the way back to …
It’s hard to imagine that in 1980 when audiences first crowded into theaters to watch the sequel to George Lucas’ unexpected blockbuster movie Star Wars, they would the first to ever see such iconic characters as Jedi Master Yoda, smuggler turned businessman Lando Calrissian, and Mandalorian turned bounty hunter Boba Fett. Fans would leave the theaters with three long years to wait for the next installment of the franchise, which was plenty of time to ponder whether or not that Darth Vader t…
It has been called the “Wizard of Oz” of our generation. Meaning that although it was not a blockbuster film at the time of its release, over the years it has become a rare family film that has been enjoyed by children, their parents, and even their grandparents as it has been “handed down”, in a sense, from generation to generation. It has also been known as one of the most quoted films of all time. You may think that’s “inconceivable”, but… get used to disappointment.
So prepare for a b…
John McTiernan‘s 1988 action tour de force is often called one of the greatest action films ever made. It’s a masterclass on every level: building entertaining characters, crafting escalating action, establishing and navigating geography, and putting an empathetic hero through the ringer in the face of extraordinary odds. McTiernan and his collaborators made this all look easy, but as the rash of Hollywood imitators quickly proved, it was anything but. So come on out the coast, we’ll have a …
In 1987, a new kind of gritty, ultra-violent sci-fi action movie was born, but it came with nods to comic book heroes, and classic spaghetti westerns. Helmed by a little known Dutch director with a penchant for violence and nudity and starring a method actor better known for his work in the theater than in film, on paper it must have seemed like a pretty risky prospect to the studio bosses over at Orion Pictures. It proved to be anything but, with Paul Verhoeven's provocative directoria…
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 fr…
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 th…