Episode 122: Clash of the 80s Reboot Lightcycle Team

In a pleasing moment of serendipity 2010 loved the 80s almost as much as the old men who were children during it. So out came a rehash of Clash of The Titans, an attempted reboot of everyone's favourite car waxing tutorial, and, who could forget The A Team?

Turns out nearly everyone has forgotten the A Team, including us, so we re-discover this neglected gem. And also consider the duo of sequels to 80s properties nestled away in here. Predators seeks to supplant Predator 2 as a sequel to Arnie's jungle based testosterfest, thankfully, this isn't Highlander, so although it fails to top the Danny Glover sequel it nestles comfortably in the Predator canon awaiting the next entry until someone can think of something more to add that doesn't suck (looks toward September, looks away again).

And how can we ignore Tron Legacy? Well, we can't, in fact, we haven't on several occasions in the podcast. This most troublesome movie has grown from frustrating failure to flawed classic before our eyes. How much more 80s could you get than a zero to hero story that involves Jeff Bridges and synthesizers as key components?

Direct Link: https://archive.org/download/205ClashOfThe80sRebootLightcycleTeam/2-05-Clash-Of-The-80s-Reboot-Lightcycle-Team.mp3

Episode 45: 1990 - Nineteen Eighty Ten

Fleeing from the modern day tyranny of Michael Bay our three heroes finally arrive in the year 1990 and set about unravelling the mystery of why the 90s sucked so bad when it came to films. And yet the year is heady with the sweet after scent of the 80s with only a vague murmur of the horrors to come later. Could the rumors be true? Is this really the fabled year Nineteen Eighty Ten?

Things start out with Leo, Justin and Ian squeezing into the delorean and driving by the horde of sequels at 88 mph. "Robocop 2", "Predator 2", "Back to the Future 3", "Exorcist 3", etc ... before finally getting their ass to "Total Recall" where our trio gush once more over Schwarzenegger and Verhoeven. Memories restored Leo fondly invokes "Darkman" and the fact half the script is the name 'Julie'. Justin retreats into timeless fairy tale land with the bleak but emotional "Edward Scissorhands", whom is highly praised for not running.

Meanwhile Ian puts on a shell suit and wags his nunchucks excitedly about to the puzzlement of all. Near Death follows with "Flatliners", followed by everyone clambering over the furniture to stay off the ground for a "Tremors" discussion and general strangeness breaks out for "Wild at Heart". But in the end theirs no avoiding "Ghost" ... will the guys bless it as it ascends in a column of light or will they cast it down into the horde of shifting, howling shadows? Listen and find out.

Incidental music "Hit Man" composed by Kevin Macleod of incompetech.com

Direct Link: https://archive.org/download/0451990NineteenEightyTen/045-1990-Nineteen-Eighty-Ten.mp3

Episode 31: 1987 - The Beginning Of The End (Of The 80s)

It all starts off a bit masculine in this week's episode, how could it otherwise in a year that brought us Predator, The Running Man and Robocop? Before long though the discussion takes a distinct turn for the feminine as it behooves the present 80s Kids (Leo, Ian and Sue) to consider the wealth of female-oriented entertainment 1987 spewed out in bulk. And so goes the story of yet another proud 80s year.

There is a twist in the tale, however, for 1987 is where we first begin to detect the insidious presence of the 90s. 1987's failures were echoes of the cinematic wasteland to come. In addition we see the fading of such standards as the kiddie cast genre action movie in the sub-par Monster Squad (which is still a lot of fun but nowhere near the high point of the genre). Films such as Robocop and Wall Street told us our love affair with corporate excess and the free market was approaching its end and if Robocop signalled anything it was that the divorce would be messy.

On the other side of the coin the indie film-makers were sniffing around and the first signs of the massive indie explosion of the 90s were felt in titles like Hellraiser and Bad Taste. The winds of change had started to blow, but the 80s party is still far from over. Cling onto your neon lit, synthesizer scored rite-of-passage party, midnight is coming...

Direct Link: https://archive.org/download/0311987TheBeginningOfTheEndOfThe80s/031-1987-The-Beginning-Of-The-End-Of-The-80s.mp3