Retroist Retro Podcast

Back to the Future didn’t feel like a property that I expected to be turned into a cartoon, at least not to me at the time. By the time the animated series arrived, my interest in Saturday morning television was already starting to slip. I had not entirely left it behind, but I was no longer meeting it with the same excitement I had a few years earlier. That made this show an interesting one for me, because it landed right in that moment when a longtime habit was beginning to feel more like something I was outgrowing. Support the Retroist on Patreon On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk about that stretch of time when Saturday morning cartoons were still part of the routine, but not quite the center of it anymore. I was still watching, still checking in, still curious when something tied to a movie or character I liked showed up on the schedule. But it was different. The feeling had changed. Back to the Future The Animated Series came along right in that space, where I still wanted one more visit with Marty and Doc. Even if the form it took was one I was slowly beginning to leave behind. From there I get into the show itself, how it tried to carry the spirit of the films into a television format, and how it fit into that later period of Saturday morning programming. It was not trying to recreate the movies beat for beat. It was finding another way to keep the characters moving, with bigger concepts, broader comedy, and stories that could send the series anywhere each week. I also talk about the people behind it, the strange balancing act of turning a successful film trilogy into a cartoon, and the way the series now feels tied not just to Back to the Future, but to the last years when Saturday morning still had a real hold on popular culture. What makes the show worth talking about now is not just that it extended a movie series people already loved. It also caught a very specific moment, both for the franchise and for the audience. For me, it arrived just as my own relationship with cartoons was changing, which gives it a feeling I probably would not have noticed otherwise. It was familiar, but also a sign that things were moving on. That makes the series more interesting to look back on, because it is not only about keeping Back to the Future alive a little longer. It is also about one of those points where childhood interests do not vanish all at once, but begin to loosen their grip.

Back to the Future Part III had a different job to do. Part II had ended on a cliffhanger and sent everybody out of the theater with their heads spinning, but the third film had to bring everything back down to earth, or maybe more accurately, out to the Old West. It was ending a story people had gotten very attached to and it had to do that without losing the sense of fun and invention that made the series feel special in the first place. We didn’t go to the future with flying cars and flat screens. This time it was dust, horses, locomotives, and a version of the past that felt just as exciting. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I start with a memory from my time working at the mall. I spent a lot of lunched at the bookstore, where I kept running into a fan of the film who loved talking about where the series could go next. He was especially taken with the train at the end. He had no shortage of ideas about the sequels that could have followed if that machine had carried Doc and his family into one more adventure after another. These conversation say a lot about how Part III left people feeling. Even though it was the end, it still made us want to keep the story going. From there I get into the movie itself, its release, and why it worked for people then and still holds up now. Part III does not try to top Part II by getting more tangled with time travel nonsense. Instead, it gets simpler, warmer, and more character driven. It gives Marty a chance to face something in himself, and it gives Doc a story that is not just about invention or danger, but about love, risk, and finally building a life outside his invention. It also has a very different look, taking Hill Valley and peeling it back into something rougher and more mythic. I also talk about the cast, the making of the film, the music, and the way Part III completes the trilogy with a lot more confidence than it sometimes gets credit for. The first movie may be the cleanest and Part II may be the complex, but Part III has its own place because it knows how to end things well. It turns the series into something bigger than a time travel gimmick. By the end, it feels like a story about growing up, letting go, and deciding that the future is not something you chase, but something you make.

Back to the Future Part II had a lot to live up to. The first movie was already huge, and by the time the sequel showed up people were ready to see Marty and Doc again. This was not just another follow up. It felt like an event. Audiences had been waiting to find out what happened next, and the movie gave them a future full of flying cars, weird gadgets, and, most importantly to a lot of us, hoverboards. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk about Back to the Future Part II, starting with the fact that my friends and I really believed hoverboards were real. Or at least that they had been real for a minute and adults had ruined it for everybody. It did not help that Robert Zemeckis was willing to play along. When you are a kid, that kind of thing gets in your head fast, and this movie knew exactly how to make that future feel real enough to believe. From there I get into the movie itself, its release, and why it hit people the way it did. Part II did not just try to do the first movie again. It went bigger, stranger, and a little darker. You got the shiny future, the nightmare version of 1985, and that great trick where the movie loops back into the first film from a different angle. I also talk about the cast, the making of the sequel, the music, and how this became one of those movies people kept revisiting. Even if the first film is the one most people call perfect, Part II is the one that really fired up your imagination. For a lot of us, it was the movie that made the future feel close enough to almost touch.

I don’t know if you knew this, but Back to the Future is kind of a big deal. Its known as a big hit, but that wasn’t a forgone conclusion. Robert Zemeckis was not yet a household name, and while Michael J. Fox was a TV star, translating that to movie stardom was far from guaranteed. Many studios had already passed on the project, and time travel comedies weren’t exactly in demand. But sometimes a movie arrives at exactly the right moment, and this was one of those times. It became one of the highest-grossing films of the year and launched one of the most cherished franchises Hollywood has ever produced. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk all about Back to the Future. I start off talking about what its like returning to your hometown after some time has passed. There’s something genuinely disorienting about walking streets you know by heart but finding them subtly wrong. The layout is familiar but the details have shifted. You catch yourself navigating toward a store that closed a decade ago, or slowing down in front of a building that used to mean something. Your feet are in the present but your memory keeps insisting otherwise. It’s about as close to time travel as most of us are ever going to get. From there I dig into the film itself, starting with how Bob Gale cooked up the idea after stumbling across his father’s old high school yearbook. Seeing it, he wondered whether the two of them would have even gotten along back then. It’s a surprisingly simple premise for a story that became so sprawling. After that I cover the development, the casting situation that saw Eric Stoltz replaced by Fox after weeks of actual filming, the production, the release, and the reception. Which was pretty positive. The music deserves its own podcast. Alan Silvestri’s score is one of those rare things that makes you feel the emotion of a scene before the actors do anything. And then there’s Huey Lewis and the News, whose contribution to the soundtrack sent “The Power of Love” to number one and functioned almost like an advertisement for the movie playing on every radio station in the country. The two things fed each other in a way that felt effortless but was almost certainly not. For a while there, the film was a mania. It wasn’t just a movie people saw and enjoyed. It was something they returned to at the theaters, then on home video, then on television. Each new viewing of it reminded people why they loved it in the first place. On this episode I try to trace how that happened. I first covered the movie on a podcast way back in 2011. This is a re-recorded version that has new material and better equipment. It is also the start of a larger visit to the franchise. I hope you enjoy it.

Grease as a studio movie in the late 1970s was a big swing. Sure it had two big stars in it, but its success entering a crowded summer of movies was not a foregone conclusion. But it turns out it was just what people were craving at the time and the film, much like the stage musical it was based on, was a huge success. On this episode of the Retroist Podcast, I talk all about Grease. Starting with my first interactions with the film. Like many, I found the songs in the films hard to resist and re-listened to the soundtrack until I had memorized my favorite song, Greased Lightnin’. What I didn’t know about the song, was that it had some adult themes that I was too young too understand. How did my family react, with laughter, of course. Then I move onto the film going all the way back to its origins as a stage musical. After that, I discuss its development, casting, production, release, reception, and much more. This is a film that not only was big at the box office, but managed to find success in related media. Notably the soundtrack. The soundtrack for the movie was a big seller and was a major reason for its snowballing success. The movie made you want to buy this infections soundtrack, but then after listening to it, you wanted to re-watch the movie and the studio obliged. Re-releasing the film in theaters, making it an early title on VHS, and getting it on television on a regular basis. Grease ended up being more than a hit movie. It became something people lived with. It moved easily from theaters to records to home video and television, and each stop fed the next. Over time it stopped feeling like a release and started feeling like a fixture. On this episode, I look at how that happened, how a movie built on nostalgia became part of everyday life, and how a song you could sing without thinking ended up revealing more than you expected when you finally slowed down and listened.

In the late 1960s, the pop culture of the 1950s was still well-remembered, but the United States was going through some major changes. A counter-culture was going mainstream and with it came a rejection of things associated with older generations. Emblematic of this era was Woodstock. This music festival was filled with bands and artists that defined the era. But another act, took to the stage during the festival that didn’t quite fit in, Sha Na Na. Started as a college performance act, Sha Na Na came to the attention of Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix liked their energy and with his urging, the organizers of Woodstock went to see them and invited them for perform. You can see their performance in the Woodstock documentary and some members of the audience look confused, but in the end, Sha Na Na wins them over and you can see why. Their energy and talent was relentless. The music? Timeless. The group would go onto tour successfully, star in their own TV show, and have a memorable turn in Grease. So they were on the stage, the radio, the small screen and the big screen. Yet now, they are not often talked about, and if they are, its often as a punchline, which is all sorts of wrong. On this episode, I started talking about how both my parents enjoyed the show and how I remember watching it with them. Then I move onto the group, discussing their creation, membership, rise, and slow fade. I also compare the band to another band I enjoy, DEVO. Its a fun ride about a great act, so I hope after you give this a listen, you revisit or check them out for the first time.

Welcome to the Retroist Christmas Commercials III Podcast. Christmas is almost here. You know what that means? Time to buy stuff! That’s why this week’s show is all about the Christmas commercials that we love. I have done this format twice before and people liked it. So be warned, this show has a bit of a different format from the regular podcast. It is dedicated solely to holiday commercials. I hope you enjoy it. I tried to break it down in little themes and also tried to not repeat what I have shared in past specials. I can also be limited by existing audio. A few commercials I found just had unsalvageable audio. Here are how I organized the show. Atari Music Other Newspapers and Magazines Foods Cameras Beverages Colognes Stores Fast Food Toys

In 1965, Christmas television in the United States changed forever when, A Charlie Brown Christmas, premiered. Nothing about its creation and tone said it was going to be a success, but it touched people and was a huge hit. A hit that has continued to deliver Christmas Magic year after year for decades. I start the episode talking about something that became important in the eighties. That’s when it wasn’t enough to just watch the special. Now with VCRs, you could own the special. Sure, you could eventually buy or rent a copy, but with a blank tape, you could make your own copy. So I discuss what that was like in my home at the time. Then I dive into the special itself. I discuss the people in front of and behind the camera, its production, music, and much more. I also reference some newspaper articles, and I will share my clippings over on Patreon, so if you are a support, make sure to check them out. It isn’t Christmas for me unless I watch, A Charlie Brown Christmas. It is a special that not just enhances my holiday mood, but helped to define it. Many of us who grew up watching it, when we try and think about what the season is really about, will hear Linus’ speech in our head. Its a message that is presented in an earnest way that doesn’t feel preachy, and for network programming, that is pretty amazing.

In 1967 Hanna-Barbera had a new show on Saturday Mornings, The Herculoids. This was before my time, but the show’s concept and characters were so enduring that nearly a decade and a half later they would be revived for a new show and I would be introduced to the great characters. Between and since then the have shown up in reruns, comic books, and more modern shows where they often appear for laughs. The design of the characters was by the great Alex Toth, who I haven’t really talk enough about on the show. So I start this episode with a bio of Toth after talking about my experience discovering and learning about the show over the years. Then I move onto thee show itself. I discuss the people in front of and behind the camera, the studio who made it, its release, the music, and much more. While the show combined elements of science fiction and fantasy, it was very easy to understand. A family of people and creatures come together to protect their home against anything that throw at them. Combine that simple and repeatable idea with great design and straightforward, but compelling animation and you have a memorable show that is still worth remembering today.

In 1983, the first wave of arcade madness was still at a highpoint. We had a slew of classic games filled with classic characters that had become household names. Still, only one had made the leap off the gaming screen and onto the small screen, Pac-Man (and his family.) With everyone being so crazed for games, TV networks were wondering, how do I get my own Pac-Man type show? That is where we get the Saturday Supercade. Because why have a show with just one character when you can pick up a slew of video game stars. On today show I want to tell you all about the Saturday Supercade. I start by talking about my own viewing habits as a kid. I was very much the target demographic for this show and I did not let the network down. Then I move onto each segment of the show, talking a little about its run, voice talent, and more. I conclude by summarizing the Supercade, how long it was on, when it ran, and its long-term influence. The show was so meaningful to me that this was actually the second episode of the Retroist Podcast. Over the years I have wanted to redo it to modernize the audio and bring a little extra to what I had done the first time. Ultimately I decided to keep a lot of what was original even though the format is a bit different from episodes that would follow. I did that just so people could still see how the show evolved, plus it was fun for me to go back and redo it this way. Like so many kids, I was a major fan of cartoons, and the cartoons of the Supercade were high on my list of new shows that September and I am happy to say I was not disappointed. While the show might not have last long, it was a smart step in the strategy of cross-promotion. More importantly, for an all too brief time it gave new life and stories to some video game characters who to this day only had their moment of the sun during the Saturday Supercade.

Prom Night, starry Jamie Curtis, is a movie that is often overshadowed by her more memorable turn in Halloween. While it might not be a classic, like Halloween, it is a film well-worth your time. A fun, low-budget slasher film, it is also has a nice whodunit, and a time-capsule of the late 1970s with its disco dancing and music. I begin the episode by discussing my own prom. It wasn’t memorable like all the proms I saw in the movies, but my friends and I did eventually manage to have some fun. Could our prom have used more disco? Probably, but all proms could use more disco. After discussing the prom, I move onto the film itself. Talking about how it got made, who made it, the actors, music, reception and much more. Prom Night is interesting as a bridge between the Halloween era and the more graphic slashers that followed. Its kills are relatively low-key compared to what came after, but its focus on teenage drama, secrets, and revenge foreshadowed many later films. Why should you watch it? Curtis’s performance, its place in slasher history, and its splendid mix of disco, high school nonsense, and a masked killer that makes it feel very much of its time.

Heavy Metal Music and Horror Films are a potent combination, so I am always surprised that heavy crossover isn’t as a common as one could expect. Still a few movies have done it in different ways. On the newest episode of the Retroist Podcast, I want to talk about a movie that integrates it fully and completely, Trick or Treat. This movie didn’t do great when it was first released back in 1986, but it has since gone on to have a cult status. I begin the episode by discussing seeing this movie with my friends. They had wholeheartedly embraced metal music, while I was more of a tourist at this point. So there most movie chats about it went mostly over my head. Still, I did find the movie enjoyable and even more so when it was available on VHS. It is my time of horror, a little weird, creepy, but the violence is toned-down. I then discuss the film itself. Talking about how it got made, who made it, the actors, music, cameos and much more. Trick or Treat is one of those movies that feels like it could only have been made when it was made. It takes all the fears parents had about heavy metal music, mixes them with teenage alienation, and turns it into a great horror story. The music and the fan culture of metal is as the center of the story, which was rare at the time. It is campy, but it has a surprising amount of heart, which is why it still stands out today.

1999 was a great year for movies. Almost too great. It didn’t help that I found myself so busy with work that my focus on film couldn’t be what it used to be. So while I am a big fan of “The Iron Giant,” I was also one of those people who didn’t go to see it in the theater and contributed to its “flop” status. That summer was stacked with films like “The Sixth Sense” and “The Blair Witch Project,” and it was easy for something quieter and more thoughtful to get lost. While that is bad, the good news is that I was also one of the people who took to it on home video and picked it up on DVD as soon as it was available. I can still remember watching it for the first time at home and being floored by how much heart it had. I start the episode talking about my experiences with the film before moving onto the film itself. I discuss the people who made the film, its source material, other adaptations, the people who lent their voices to the film, its reception, music, and much more. It’s worth noting that the director, Brad Bird, would later go on to make “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille,” which shows just how much talent was already on display in this debut. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. had no idea how to market the film at the time, which didn’t help its chances at the box office. The Iron Giant has become a cult hit and is well loved, but it’s not enough. A surprising number of people have never seen the film, and I think that’s a shame. It’s a thoughtful film, filled with wonder and spectacle, that will capture the imagination of kids and adults alike. Its story of fear, empathy, and the power of choice feels even more relevant today. So if you haven’t seen it, prepare to fall in love with a giant robot.

Welcome to my final episode I plan to do about the Jaws franchise. Originally I planned on doing just a podcast about the Jaws NES Game, but as I started working on it, I thought it might be more enjoyable to throw a wider net. So on today’s show, I am going to talk about a few topics related to the film. Mainly, the board games, video games, theme park rides, and trading cards. The format is a little different, I hope not too disruptive. I started the show talking about when I first got my hands on the Jaws Game by ideal. I inherited it and lots of toys from my sister. Them being older has a lot of perks. This was one of them. My toys were normally rooted in the 80s, but as my sisters got older, I had access to all these amazing older toys that I still think of as “my toys” to this day. After I tell my story, I move onto to covering a few topics. Instead of my normal format, I just sort of talk a bit about each topic for a few minutes. This is not a comprehensive coverage of the subject, but really about the Jaws stuff I am most familiar with. You will notices that I do not cover the novelty hit, Mr. Jaws from 1975. I originally recorded a short segment about it, but I didn’t like the way it turned out, but I didn’t want to ignore the “song.” So I included some of it as a bumper. I am very surprised that the Jaws franchise is pretty dead right now. In out franchise obsessed world, it seems like a natural fit. One day, I hope a good director decides to take on the story of killer sharks again. When they do, I will be there.

I have very mixed feeling about Jaws: The Revenge. On the one hand, I found it disappointing when compared to earlier films, on the other hand I am fascinated that it was made and audiences reaction or lack of reaction to it. It is the last of the Jaws film, but was it the killer of the franchise or was the franchise already dying and this was just the last gasp? I saw most of Jaws: The Revenge by myself. I don’t think I had a critical eye at the time, because even though I wanted it to be better, I was entertained enough by it, especially once it started. The FX did stand out as bad, but I liked the change in setting and the silliness of the shark seeking revenge. On this episode of the show, I will talk about the road to making the sequel, the writers, the director, the music, its reception and much more. Its a messy film that might not be critically great, but that doesn’t mean its not interesting. This was a weird movie for me to cover in that I don’t think its a great film. That is not something I usually do. The thing is, the more I started watching it, thinking about it, and reading the novelization, the more interesting I found it. As you move further along in the Jaws sequels, fewer and fewer people see them. With this one, things have flatlined. Its reputation precedes it so much that people have avoided it like a shark plagued Amity beach. So will you think the movie is great after listening to this? Probably not, and I am not trying to convince you, but I do hope it makes you think about the movie.

Like many people at the time, I was really into the early 80s 3D revival. With interesting 3D offerings on TV and on the big screen, it was fun time to be watching stuff. Not many of these entertainment events were well-reviewed at the time, and because of the limitations of home 3D viewing, not many of them have managed to find modern fandom. I saw Jaws 3D at the theater with my best friend at the time. We were both enthusiastic about the prospect and unlike some critics, we were wow’d by the 3D effects. So much so that we completely ignored everything else about the movie and needed to see it again. Even then I am not sure, we weren’t just anticipating the FX and not paying attention to the plot or the acting. On today’s show I will discuss Jaws 3D. I will talk about the road to making the sequel, the writers, the director, the music, its reception and much more. While filming Jaws 3D wasn’t easy, you don’t hear the same horror stories about production that you hear about the first two films. Still, pre-production was messy with producers leaving and at least one writer very unhappy with how the film turned out. I might come across like I am defending Jaws 3D and I am. I am aware that it is not a great film. It is imperfect, but it also is interesting. Not only because it opted to use 3D technology, but because it took a big chance trying to change the formula of the first two Jaws’ films. Not all these decisions were good ones, but I think in retrospect especially they make the film watching or rewatching at least once.

My family was very excited to see Jaws whenever it came on television, but never mustered the same enthusiasm for its first sequel. Because of this, I had an opportunity to read a copy of the Jaws 2 novelization before I saw the film. I really enjoyed the book and was hopeful that the film would match it, but I was surprised to find they were different. While many times after this it would happen, this was the first instance of where I found a book more enjoyable than a film. On today’s show I will discuss Jaws 2. I will talk about the road to making the sequel, the change of directors, the novelization, the music, its reception and much more. As you might remember if you listened to my Jaws podcast, it was fraught with problems. So it probably won’t surprise you to learn that the sequel might have had just as many. Over the years I have come to enjoy Jaws 2 for what it is, a lighter more over the top sequel to a much better film. As directed it is a great film to watch during any summer and I am pleased to finally be able to discuss it here on the podcast.

The first time I saw Jaws was on television and I found it terrifying and compelling. After seeing it, I needed to see it again and again. It was one of the first video tapes my family rented and an early purchase of mine once I started getting a discount at Suncoast Motion Picture Company as an employee. That tape was used so often its slip cover was shredded and the tracking on the tape became impossible. I guess what I want to say is, I love this movie. So I am very happy to redo my original Jaws podcast for the 50th anniversary of the film’s release. On the show, I talk about one of my early encounters with what might have been a shark at the Jersey shore. Then I move onto the movie itself. I discuss its troubled production, the people in front of and behind the camera, alternate casting, its music, reception, and much much more. Jaws changed the movies. While it might have come out in the 70s and I didn’t get to see it in theaters until much later. Every movie I saw in my childhood was different because this film existed. So if you haven’t seen Jaws, please check out out and if you have seen it, I think its time you return to it.

Over the years, I have been slowly trying to cover all of Atari’s console releases. The first one I talked about, the Atari 5200, was way back in 2009. Well, I am happy to announce that I have finally covered all of the released consoles now with this podcast about the Atari XEGS. This console was interesting in that it combined a computer and gaming console in an attractive and cohesive packages. Unfortunately for Atari, releasing it in 1987, was just too little too late. And while there was some initial enthusiasm for the system, it quickly faded, buried under the efforts of Nintendo and to a lesser extent Sega. Still, while it might have failed, it was an interesting effort and worth discussing. On today’s show, I talk all about the Atari XEGS. Discussing its designer, the company who made it, its reception, release, and much more. This being an Atari release, I found some great retro audio to include that I hope you enjoy. Many consoles have been released that didn’t set the world on fire. That doesn’t mean they should be forgotten. Atari was trying something that certainly had been attempted before, but I think you could argue that they did it best up to this point.