Episodes
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
S3E20 | Movie: Batman
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
Tuesday Jun 27, 2023
In the summer of 1989, the world came down with a Joker-induced case of Batmania as visionary director Tim Burton and leading man Michael Keaton put the "dark" in our Nocturnal Knight for the first time on the big screen. An iconic score mixed with an incredible set, costume, sound, and lighting design - as well as amazing performances by Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, and Michael Gough - transformed our understanding of this hero from pop-color comic book pages and spandex-wearing Adam West into something we couldn't know at first if we should love or fear. Strap on your utility belt, fuel up your Batmobile, and tell Alfred not to hold up dinner for you because we are traveling back to that magical summer where the Batman we knew changed forever.
Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!
-- Can I Borrow Your Notes? --
-- Teacher's Pets --
- Join the Class of 80's High: 80shighpodcast@gmail.com
- Follow on Instagram: @80shighpodcast
- Theme song by Greg Reed, with vocals by Chad Bumford
- Cover art by Alex Goddard at alexgoddarddesign.com
Monday Jun 12, 2023
S3E19 | Television Special: The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults
Monday Jun 12, 2023
Monday Jun 12, 2023
"It may be Chicago’s equivalent of King Tut’s Tomb... Nobody knows what’s in it. Some say money. Some say bodies. Some say it’s booby trapped, and we’re gonna open it.” In the spring of 1986, Geraldo Rivera hyped what was to be the greatest television event of the century: uncovering the mystery of Al Capone’s vaults beneath the Lexington Hotel in Chicago, live on primetime. But as the subterranean crews dug deeper and Rivera grew more frantic, we witnessed something entirely different unfold that night... was it some of the greatest career-saving courage ever made by a “newsman” or the birth of trash television and the 24-hour news-cycle? Classmate Allison Dickson returns as we unearth the origins of the primetime spectacle that glued more than 30 million viewers to their televisions, eager for an answer to, “what was inside Al Capone’s vaults?”
Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!
Check out Allison's podcast, Ding Dong Darkness Time, wherever you listen to podcasts. Or follow her on Twitter @MsAllieD.
-- Can I Borrow Your Notes? --
- Andrea Doria Safe Opened (The Washington Post)
- 1986 promo for "The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults" featuring Geraldo Rivera
- The Mystery of Al Capone's Vaults television special
- Geraldo Rivera discusses "The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault (EmmyTVLegends.org)
-- Teacher's Pets --
- Join the Class of 80's High: 80shighpodcast@gmail.com
- Follow on Instagram: @80shighpodcast
- Theme song by Greg Reed, with vocals by Chad Bumford
- Cover art by Alex Goddard at alexgoddarddesign.com
Tuesday May 30, 2023
S3E18 | He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
Tuesday May 30, 2023
Tuesday May 30, 2023
When Ben and Chris lift their microphones into the air and shout “By the Power of the 80’s!” they magically transform into the two most radical podcasters on the planet, with the power of nostalgia, sass, and puns! Follow us back in time to when toymaker Mattel made potentially the biggest mistake in its history, but was rescued by the brilliant mind and creativity of designer Roger Sweet, who invented the most swoll, barbarian-inspired, deus ex machina magic-enabled cast of heroes and villains ever: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe! Learn how the very first cartoon created to sell toys came to be as we dungeon-dive into the Castle Grayskull labyrinth of comics, cartoons, action figures, playsets, Dolf Lundgren's movie catastrophe, Kevin Smith's animated double-return, and more. And remember classmates, always be a Battle Cat, never a Cringer!
Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!
-- Can I Borrow Your Notes? --
- Masters of the Universe: He-Man & She-Ra YouTube channel
- The BEST episodes of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (Episode Ninja)
- Masters of the Universe action figures, playsets, vehicles, and more (Transformerland)
- How He-Man Changed the World & How It All Fell Apart (Secret Galaxy)
- 10 Things You Didn't Know About He-Man (Minty Comedic Arts)
- The Making of Masters of the Universe The Motion Picture (Chrysalismovie)
-- Teacher's Pets --
- Join the Class of 80's High: 80shighpodcast@gmail.com
- Follow on Instagram: @80shighpodcast
- Theme song by Greg Reed, with vocals by Chad Bumford
- Cover art by Alex Goddard at alexgoddarddesign.com
Monday May 15, 2023
S3E17 | Movie: Clue
Monday May 15, 2023
Monday May 15, 2023
Who would have guessed that in 1985, Hollywood not only created a movie based on a board game, but that it may have been one of the best game-based movies of all time?! That’s right, we're driving through the pouring rain to the eerie mansion on the hill to rewatch the movie Clue! And we're keeping our friends close and our enemies closer, because we’ve invited Classmate Aaron to help us explore the origins, secret passageways, and endless wise cracks that make this movie so memorable. From the knock-out cast to the quotable lines, this episode will leave our fans screaming, “let us in, let us in!” and the haters seething with “flam - flames, on the side of my face, breathing-breathl- heaving breaths…” Whoever knew podcasting was just a red herring!?
Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!
-- Can I Borrow Your Notes? --
- The Crazy Story of How "Clue" Went From Forgotten Flop to Cult Triumph (BuzzFeed)
- "Clue" (1985) Alternative Versions (IMDB)
- Watching Clue 1985 for the First Time! // THE SMARTEST WRITING EVER! (Shanelle Riccio)
-- Teacher's Pets --
- Join the Class of 80's High: 80shighpodcast@gmail.com
- Follow on Instagram: @80shighpodcast
- Theme song by Greg Reed, with vocals by Chad Bumford
- Cover art by Alex Goddard at alexgoddarddesign.com
Monday May 01, 2023
S3E16 | Tabloid: Weekly World News
Monday May 01, 2023
Monday May 01, 2023
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Two 80's nostalgia podcasters take deep dive into the world's only reliable news! That's right listeners, we were lucky enough to snag an interview with Greg D'Alessandro, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Weekly World News, to talk all things Elvis, Bat Boy, Manigator, Bigfoot Hooker, and the entire Marvel-esque cast of characters that bejeweled the supermarket checkout aisles of our childhoods with outrageous headlines and out of this world photos. Greg regales us with stories from WWN's past, present, and future as we thin-slice fact from fiction, uncover the paper's black and white origins, and have more fun than aliens skipping their saucer across Lake Erie. Tune into this episode because the more you listen, the more you get involved!
Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!
-- Can I Borrow Your Notes? --
- Weekly World News official site
- Submit your stories to Weekly World News!
- Weekly World News archives, 1981-2007 (University of Pennsylvania)
- Bring back Weekly World News! Kickstarter video
- How Weekly World News helped set the stage for contemporary satire (Rotten Tomatoes Editorial)
-- Teacher's Pets --
- Join the Class of 80's High: 80shighpodcast@gmail.com
- Follow on Instagram: @80shighpodcast
- Theme song by Greg Reed, with vocals by Chad Bumford
- Cover art by Alex Goddard at alexgoddarddesign.com
Sunday Apr 09, 2023
S3E15 | Music Album: Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet
Sunday Apr 09, 2023
Sunday Apr 09, 2023
Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi broke onto the rock scene with their debut album, producing a few modest hits, but not quite making a splash. Their second album also made some noise on the airwaves, but didn't bring the success they desired. The third time had to be the charm. And in August 1986, Slippery When Wet hit record store shelves, introducing INSTANT smash hits like "Livin' on a Prayer," "You Give Love a Bad Name," "Wanted Dead or Alive," and more. Spending an incredible 9 1/2 months in the top five on the Billboard 200, Slippery When Wet enjoyed two of those months at #1, was the best-selling album of 1987, and introduced 80's glam metal to the global stage. Tune in with Ben & Chris as we break down this iconic album and its addictive tracks, learn about the philtrum and Mixolydian mode, and even make connections to R2-D2 and the U.S.S.R.
Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!
-- Can I Borrow Your Notes? --
- Bon Jovi - Slippery When Wet : The Videos - Backstage & Interviews
- R2-D2 We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- How to Talkbox (Lorenz Rhode)
-- Teacher's Pets --
- Join the Class of 80's High: 80shighpodcast@gmail.com
- Follow on Instagram: @80shighpodcast
- Theme song by Greg Reed, with vocals by Chad Bumford
- Cover art by Alex Goddard at alexgoddarddesign.com
Friday Mar 24, 2023
S3E14 | Movie: Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Friday Mar 24, 2023
Friday Mar 24, 2023
We swore we'd never do a movie about Toons again, not after our tragic past with that falling piano. But fate had a way of showing up at our doorstep... and making us laugh our butts off! Because we've strapped a rocket to our backs and Acme-d to the golden age of Hollywood to visit our cartoon pals Roger, Jessica, Benny, Baby Herman, a litany of Disney and Warner Brother favorites, and our favorite IRL noir detective, Eddie Valiant, on their zany journey into the seedy world of pattycake, murder, and the dreaded DIP! Can they outwit Judge Doom and the Weasels? Can we ever stop gushing over the endless talent packed into this movie? Take a listen, and smile-darn ya-smile!
Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!
-- Can I Borrow Your Notes? --
- The Making of Who Framed Roger Rabbit
- Complete History Of The Soviet Union, Arranged To The Melody Of Tetris
- Tetris Trailer Music [The final countdown] - Epic Version (The Movie) by D.Meletis
-- Teacher's Pets --
- Join the Class of 80's High: 80shighpodcast@gmail.com
- Follow on Instagram: @80shighpodcast
- Theme song by Greg Reed, with vocals by Chad Bumford
- Cover art by Alex Goddard at alexgoddarddesign.com
Tuesday Mar 07, 2023
S3E13 | Summertime Rides: Bikes, Big Wheels, and Beyond
Tuesday Mar 07, 2023
Tuesday Mar 07, 2023
From Big Wheels to Power Wheels, tricycles to bicycles, getting your own set of wheels was a right of passage in childhood. Your new rims opened up a world of possibilities and autonomous freedom, rolling down the street to meet up with “the gang” in the woods, at a field, or at a friend’s house - a pile of bikes already strewn across the front yard. Ride back with us to the 1980s to explore the origins of some of the most popular children’s summer rides, and how these helped sculpt the summer culture of the most radically-rolling decade in history.
Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!
-- Can I Borrow Your Notes? --
- Who Invented the Greatest Toy in History?! (AKA Big Wheel)
- History on the Development of Electric Ride-On Toys
- Learn the Power Wheels Story
- The Benefits of Outdoor Play: Why It Matters
- Our Children Spend Half as Much Time Playing Outside as We Did in the 80s
- 50 things to do before you're 11¾
- Last Child in the Woods
-- Teacher's Pets --
- Join the Class of 80's High: 80shighpodcast@gmail.com
- Follow on Instagram: @80shighpodcast
- Theme song by Greg Reed, with vocals by Chad Bumford
- Cover art by Alex Goddard at alexgoddarddesign.com
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
S3E12 | Video Game: Duck Hunt & the NES Zapper
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
Tuesday Feb 21, 2023
In the midst of an oil crisis and collapse of the fledgling video game industry, Nintendo was challenged to reinvent an affordable way to keep fans glued to their home television sets. Step 1: Ensure the company’s champion, Mario, hopped right out of the box on Day 1. Step 2: Evolve everything they’d learned from arcades-turned-bowling alleys. And Step 3: Reposition the Famicom from a video game system to a toy, by plugging in the most iconic video game blaster of all time. Deck yourself out in camo and climb into your 80’s blind spot with us as we revisit the ingenious tech, addictive gameplay, and nostalgic soundtrack of Duck Hunt. Smug retriever dogs need not apply.
Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!
-- Can I Borrow Your Notes? --
- Duck Hunt (NES) - Teens React: Retro Gaming
- Eagle Tortilla Chips - Duck Hunt (with the Odd Couple) Commercial
-- Teacher's Pets --
- Join the Class of 80's High: 80shighpodcast@gmail.com
- Follow on Instagram: @80shighpodcast
- Theme song by Greg Reed, with vocals by Chad Bumford
- Cover art by Alex Goddard at alexgoddarddesign.com
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
S3E11 | Television & Books: Reading Rainbow
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
"It’s here at last / a great podcast / on Reading Rainbowwww!" Fly back with Ben and Chris to the summer of 1983 to revisit the groundbreaking television show that brought literature to children beyond the school year and redefined what educational TV programming could achieve. The ever-wonderful LeVar Burton, and many other friends to know, showcased wonderful children’s books, gave kids an earnest voice, and took us behind the scenes to learn how the world worked around us. Thank you to Reading Rainbow for helping to inspire a lifelong love of storytelling, a respect for tough jobs, and the drive to read everything that we can get our hands on!
Support the show by tossing us some lunch money at ko-fi.com/80shighpodcast. Write an 80's inspired note when you do, and we'll share it on the show!
-- Can I Borrow Your Notes? --
- Reading Rainbow official website
- LeVar Burton Reads podcast
- LeVar Burton's Book Club
- ‘Butterfly in the Sky’: Film Review (The Hollywood Reporter)
- Why We All Need Subtitles Now (Vox)
-- Teacher's Pets --
- Join the Class of 80's High: 80shighpodcast@gmail.com
- Follow on Instagram: @80shighpodcast
- Theme song by Greg Reed, with vocals by Chad Bumford
- Cover art by Alex Goddard at alexgoddarddesign.com