Happy Anniversary

A young woman in a floral dress and necklace.

Podcast: Why PRETTY IN PINK’s OG Simp Duckie was never gonna get the girl.

By Tara McNamara / February 28, 2021 / Comments Off on Podcast: Why PRETTY IN PINK’s OG Simp Duckie was never gonna get the girl.

Before John Hughes, a movie couldn’t be made that was just about who was going to take a girl to prom. But with a high school divided into the haves and have nots, Hughes was able to make a love story of Romeo and Juliet proportions. The relationshp was bigger than working-class Andie and Yuppie son Blane:…

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Podcast: 9 TO 5 is a snapshot of 1980

By Tara McNamara / December 18, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: 9 TO 5 is a snapshot of 1980

Pour yourself a cup of ambition, it’s the 40th Anniversary of 9 to 5! Wonderfully executed as a broad office buddy comedy, 9 to 5 made a definitive impact in creating empathy and understanding for women in the workplace. Film authorities Tara McNamara, Gen X, and Riley Roberts, Gen Z, look back at the 1980…

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Podcast: Why STIR CRAZY’s black-white buddy comedy holds up 40 years later.

By Tara McNamara / December 11, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: Why STIR CRAZY’s black-white buddy comedy holds up 40 years later.

In 1980, Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor’s follow-up to their 1976 hit Silver Streak was highly anticipated. Despite critic’s panning the film, Stir Crazy did double the business, was the 3rd highest grossing film of the year, and broke box office records. The prison buddy comedy holds up 40 years later, largely because two of Hollywood’s most powerful black figures (Pryor and…

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Podcast: 40 years later, THE BLUE LAGOON is even more unsettling.

By Tara McNamara / July 9, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: 40 years later, THE BLUE LAGOON is even more unsettling.

The summer of 1980, movie critics and audiences were aghast that teen icon Brooke Shields was once again being depicted as the ultimate object of sexual desire in The Blue Lagoon. Despite the criticism, director Randal Kleiser’s follow up to Grease was a box office smash. The young model-actress’ prepubescent virginal sexuality was a constant…

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Podcast: BACK TO THE FUTURE is everyone’s favorite ’80s movie – except for the part where Lorraine is sexually victimized by her future husband, her bully, and her son.

By Tara McNamara / July 3, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: BACK TO THE FUTURE is everyone’s favorite ’80s movie – except for the part where Lorraine is sexually victimized by her future husband, her bully, and her son.

Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future (1985) is perhaps the ultimate ’80s movie: it’s so ’80s yet so timeless — and its so disturbing, in retrospect. In the “’80s Movies: A Guide to What’s Wrong with Your Parents” podcast, Tara McNamara (Gen X) and Riley Roberts (Gen Z) look back at what makes the Michael…

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Podcast: URBAN COWBOY Encouraged Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.

By Tara McNamara / June 5, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: URBAN COWBOY Encouraged Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places.

In this episode of ’80s Movies: a Guide to What’s Wrong with Your Parents podcast, URBAN COWBOY influenced America to make country cool, but the message it sent about domestic violence was anything but.

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Podcast: Under-All the golfer and gopher jokes, CADDYSHACK says sexy means slutty.

By Tara McNamara / May 22, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: Under-All the golfer and gopher jokes, CADDYSHACK says sexy means slutty.

Caddyshack is a film for guys with humor about golf, farts, and one-upping snobby judges. Teen and tween boys of the ’80s boys grew up watching and quoting this comedy classic over and over again, but it’s got some weird messaging when it comes to women. Film authorities Tara McNamara, Gen X, and Riley Roberts,…

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Podcast: How FAME inspired GenX to follow their dreams…with mixed results

By Tara McNamara / May 15, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: How FAME inspired GenX to follow their dreams…with mixed results

A look at the impact of FAME (1980).

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Podcast: FERRIS BUELLER Inspired Teens to Also Take a DAY OFF

By Tara McNamara / April 17, 2020 / Comments Off on Podcast: FERRIS BUELLER Inspired Teens to Also Take a DAY OFF

’80s Movies: A Guide to What’s Wrong with Your Parents podcast examines the impact that John Hughes’ FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF made on Gen X.

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FOR THE RECORD: FOXES’ Kandice Stroh on why Dierdre is so misunderstood and the deleted scenes that explain everything.

By Tara McNamara / March 18, 2020 / Comments Off on FOR THE RECORD: FOXES’ Kandice Stroh on why Dierdre is so misunderstood and the deleted scenes that explain everything.

An exclusive interview with Kandice Stroh who reflects on the making of the film considered to be one of the best teen films of all time, FOXES (1980).

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