The 80s Movie Podcast

The first ever remote episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we remember an old friend, and recount how a long-forgotten Keanu Reeves TV movie, The Brotherhood of Justice, which was filmed at the host's high school weeks after his graduation and moving to Los Angeles to break into the film industry. Expect production anecdotes, personal memories, and a fresh look at a little-known early Keanu role.

Host and film historian Edward Havens revisits the Brat Pack on The 80s Movie Podcast for the group's 40th anniversary. We trace the name's origin, sort who does — and does not — count as a Brat Packer, and argue for the best Brat Pack movie (it’s not The Breakfast Club or The Outsiders). Context and film-history reasoning for 1980s movie fans.

On this episode, we deep dive into Susan Seidelman’s 1987 film Making Mr. Right. We analyze tone, themes, and behind‑the‑scenes context as Seidelman's follow-up to Desperately Seeking Susan, and unpack performances by John Malkovich and Ann Magnuson. Concrete takeaways on the film’s place in Seidelman’s 1980s work and why it matters to fans of 80s cinema and film analysis.

Calico Kids series author Todd Downing shares his five favorite fantasy films of the 1980s, with discussion of why each film matters, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and viewing recommendations. Host Edward Havens digs into themes, synth scores, cult status, and what makes these 80s fantasy movies enduring classics. Ideal for fans of 1980s fantasy films, film history, and retro movie deep dives. Listen for perspective and curated watchlist.

Season 7 Premiere: after a six-month break the host issues an apology for a previous bait-and-switch, explains the delay, and leads a focused discussion of Collision Course — the only movie to feature comedian and talk show host Jay Leno in a leading role. Expect context on the film’s place in 80s movie culture, clear episode notes explaining the gap, and a concise look at what makes this Jay Leno film notable.

A continuation of our series on Susan Seidelman’s 1980s films, this episode examines her biggest hit, Desperately Seeking Susan (1985). We analyze Seidelman’s direction, key performances, and the film’s cultural impact within 80s cinema—essential listening for fans of 80s movies and film history.

We pause our Susan Seidelman retrospective to examine Andrew McCarthy’s new Hulu documentary about the Brat Pack. This episode breaks down the doc’s portrayal, the 1985 New York Magazine article which created the Brat Pack name, and whether that piece affected McCarthy and his co-stars’ careers. For fans of 1980s movies and film history: context, key scenes, and concise takeaways.

The first episode of our Susan Seidelman miniseries. We begin a focused deep‑dive into Seidelman’s work with her 1982 directorial debut Smithereens, examining its themes, production context, and cultural impact. Part of our annual spotlight on female filmmakers (following our 2023 Martha Coolidge miniseries), this installment explains why Seidelman matters to 1980s film history and what listeners should watch for on a rewatch.

We examine the 1986 comedy film Crimewave, an early-career Sam Raimi & Coen Brothers collaboration that many film fans overlook. Hear why this film matters today, what to watch for in the directors' early fingerprints, and how it influenced careers. Perfect for 80s movie fans and film-history listeners looking for underrated titles and context.

Edward Havens returns from paternity leave to revisit 1983's Smokey and the Bandit Part 3. We examine Universal Studios' sequel with returning stars Jackie Gleason and Jerry Reed (plus Burt Reynolds, just barely), discussing why it landed so hard amongst that year’s sequel bombs. Perfect for 80s film fans looking for concise history.

Regular listener Lee Thompson of the UK was given the choice to pick any movie from the decade to be examined, and Lee chose the British television drama Threads. We examine its broadcast context and production, and explain why it matters to 80s film & TV fans. A focused, spoiler-aware deep dive for listeners interested in film history and cult TV.

Final episode of 2023: a nostalgic deep dive into the history, impact, and legacy of 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit. We revisit why the film became one of the decade’s most popular movies, explain its live‑action/animation appeal, and highlight what keeps it relevant for film‑history and 80s cinema fans.

Edward Havens examines Tony Garnett’s Deep in the Heart (aka Handgun), a 1984 film reportedly buried by a major American distributor because it resembled an upcoming Clint Eastwood project of theirs. We trace the film’s release history, why it was shelved, and how it’s being rediscovered forty years later. Context and analysis for 80s movie fans and film‑history buffs.

Deep-dive review of the forgotten 1984 summer movie Chattanooga Choo Choo starring Barbara Eden, George Kennedy, Melissa Sue Anderson, Christopher McDonald and Joe Namath. We explain why this title faded from the decade’s highlights, discuss Joe Namath’s 1969 Super Bowl III ring moment, and place the film in the broader 80s movie season for fans of film history and cult curiosities.

We unpack John Binder's UFOria, a rare, well-reviewed obscurity with a disputed release year (1980? 1984? 1985? 1986?). This episode explains the release-history mystery, reviews contemporary critical response, and places the film in 80s cinema context. Ideal for fans of obscure 80s films, cult classics, and movie-history deep dives.

Part 6 of The Orphans: a deep-dive into three obscure 80s films whose theatrical releases were the only ones for their distributors. We examine release histories, distributor context, and behind-the-scenes notes for Mother Lode (1982, Charlton Heston, Agamemnon Films), Heartbreaker (1983, Frank Zuniga; Monarex) and Hells Angels Forever (1983, Leon Gas and and Kevin Keating and Richard Chase, RKR Releasing) Perfect for fans of 80s movies, cult cinema, and film-history deep dives.

Part 6 of The Orphans series: a focused deep-dive into three obscure 1980s films and their single-release distributors. We trace release histories, distributor context, and behind-the-scenes notes for 1983's The Last Fight (Fred Williamson, Best Film and Video), 1987's The Howling III (Phillipe Mora, Square Releasing), and 1981's Cold River (Fred G. Sullivan, Pacific International Enterprises).

Explore Motion Picture Marketing’s repackaging strategy: how this early '80s independent distributor retitled and rebranded 1970s European horror to reach new audiences — and how that success let them shift into producing their own films within a year. Listen for a detailed look at film marketing, retitling, graphics-driven promotion, and the business impact.