Release the Kraken! This week on the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast, Tim Williams and guest co-host Chris McMichen journey back to 1981 to revisit the ultimate mythological masterpiece: Clash of the Titans.

Before digital pixels took over, Ray Harryhausen’s legendary stop-motion magic brought the gods of Olympus and the monsters of the Styx to life. We’re diving deep into our earliest childhood memories of the Kraken, the terrifying (and surprisingly effective) Medusa sequence, and the mechanical owl that everyone—love him or hate him—remembers: Bubo.

From the gravitas of Laurence Olivier to the groundbreaking practical effects that defined an era, we explore why this blend of Greek mythology and Hollywood royalty remains a timeless cult classic. We’ll also talk about the vintage toy line, the film's massive box office impact, and where it lands on our Rewatchability and Nostalgia Meter today.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Clash of the Titans
• 06:04 Rewatching and Nostalgia
• 11:52 Cast and Characters
• 16:54 Impact and Legacy
• 23:07 Notable Performances and Behind the Scenes
• 28:09 The Enforcer of Many Roles
• 34:13 Trivia and Original Storyline
• 39:20 The Clash of the Titans Sequel
• 45:36 Rewatchability and Nostalgia Meter

In this episode, Tim Williams and Ben Carpenter discuss the 1984 film 'Cloak and Dagger' and share their childhood memories, nostalgia, and behind-the-scenes trivia. They explore the cast and characters, reflecting on the impact of the film on their lives. A nostalgic journey through the 80s classic 'Cloak and Dagger' as the hosts discuss the cast, iconic scenes, 80s nostalgia, box office performance, and the enduring legacy of the film.

Takeaways

• Nostalgia for childhood films
• Impact of family dynamics in films Nostalgic journey through 80s classic
• Discussion of cast, iconic scenes, and 80s nostalgia
• Exploration of box office performance and legacy

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Cloak and Dagger
• 08:46 Trivia and Behind the Scenes
• 17:16 Cast and Characters
• 27:49 Revisiting Cloak and Dagger
• 53:02 The Box Office and Legacy

In this high-octane episode, we’re diving deep into the neon-soaked, synth-heavy world of Transformers: The Movie (1986). Join host Tim Williams and special guest Nicholas Pepin from Pop Culture Roulette as they deconstruct the animated masterpiece that traumatized a generation of kids by daring to kill off Optimus Prime.

From the mind-blowing animation quality to the legendary voice cast—including the final performance of Orson Welles as the planet-eating Unicron—we explore why this film remains a cornerstone of 80s pop culture. Whether you’re here for the "dare to be stupid" energy or a serious film analysis of the Great War, this episode is your ultimate guide to Cybertron’s cinematic debut.

• The Optimus Trauma: Why did Hasbro greenlight the death of their biggest hero?
• The Galactus Connection: Is Unicron just a giant, robotic ripoff of Marvel’s World Eater?
• A Voice Cast for the Ages: Discussing the legendary Peter Cullen, Leonard Nimoy, and Judd Nelson.
• 80s Nostalgia Meter: Does the heavy metal soundtrack and "The Touch" still hold up in 2026?

• 00:00 – Welcome to Cybertron: Intro to the 1986 Classic
• 02:12 – Childhood Trauma & First Impressions
• 06:15 – Pre-Production Secrets: From Toys to the Big Screen
• 09:22 – Box Office Blues: Why did it struggle in theaters?
• 14:05 – Voice Acting Royalty: Orson Welles, Leonard Nimoy, and more
• 34:21 – The Cosmic Threat: Unicron vs. Galactus
• 38:12 – Marketing Genius or Mistake? The "New Toy" Agenda
• 54:00 – The Final Verdict: The Nostalgia Meter Ranking

• The Movie: Transformers: The Movie (1986) on IMDb
• The Music: Stan Bush - "The Touch" (Official Video)
• The Toys: Official Transformers Hasbro Site
• Follow Our Guest: Connect with Nicholas Pepin on Twitter or visit Pop Culture Roulette

Whether you’re a die-hard fan of 80s creature features or you just love a good (or gloriously bad) cult classic, this episode of the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast is for you. Tim Williams and Laramy Wells are diving deep into the 1981 horror-comedy spoof, Saturday the 14th.

Produced by Julie Corman, this film didn't just parody Friday the 13th—it took on the entire history of Universal Monsters with a low-budget, high-charm energy that only the early 80s could provide.

• Nostalgia Trip: Tim and Laramy share their personal childhood memories of discovering this weirdly wonderful spoof.
• The Race to Release: Learn about the rushed production schedule designed to beat a rival comedy to theaters.
• Exclusive Insights: We discuss an interview with producer Julie Corman and dive into the cast's backgrounds.
• Iconic (and Inconsistent) Moments: From the mom mistaking bats for owls to the "Monster-in-the-Room" gag, we break down the best scenes.
• The "Book of Evil": Exploring the mysterious book that kicks off the chaos and the practical special effects that defined the era.
• Trivia Challenge: Play along with our True-or-False segment to see how much you actually remember about this 80s gem.

• A Spoof with Heart: Why Saturday the 14th stands out among other parody comedies of the time.
• The Low-Budget Aesthetic: How the film utilized cartoon animation and opening credits to mask—and enhance—its quirky production.
• Rewatchability: Does it hold up? We explore why 80s horror-comedies still trigger such strong nostalgia for modern audiences.
• Family Viewing: Hear our reactions to rewatching this with a modern family lens.

[00:00] Intro: Welcome to the 80s Flick Flashback. [05:30] First Impressions & Childhood Memories. [12:15] The Corman Connection: Producing a Monster Spoof. [22:40] Breakdown: Favorite Scenes & the "Bat-Owls." [35:10] Special Effects, Animation, and the Ending. [48:00] Trivia: True or False? [58:20] Final Review: Is it a cult classic or just forgotten?

• Watch: Saturday the 14th (Check your local streaming listings or physical media collections!)
• Follow Us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube
• Support the Show: https://buymeacoffee.com/80sflickfb

Did you grow up watching Saturday the 14th, or was it overshadowed by the slashers of the time? Let us know in the comments!

In the early ’70s, films like The Omega Man, Soylent Green, and THX-1138 painted a bleak future of chaos and government control. By 1981, the tone had shifted, with films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Clash of the Titans offering escapism and classic good vs. evil battles. But then came this 80s flick, set in a dystopian 1997 where Manhattan is a prison island. The hero, a morally gray anti-hero on a mission to rescue the President, must navigate a world full of shady characters and alliances.

Join Tim Williams and guest co-host, Nicholas Pepin from the "Pop Culture Roulette" Podcast, to dive into Escape from New York on this episode of the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast.

Here are some additional behind-the-scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

• The idea of putting a wig on at one point in the film was improvised by Donald Pleasance.
• The shot of Maggie's corpse under the Duke's car was added after principal photography was done as John Carpenter felt the audience wouldn't get that the impact had killed her. Carpenter and Adrienne Barbeau filmed the shot in their garage with her under their own car.

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Sources:

Wikipedia, IMDB

https://www.the-numbers.com/box-office-chart/weekend/1981/07/10

https://www.gq.com/story/escape-from-new-york-40-kurt-russell-john-carpenter-grim-future

Some sections were composed by ChatGPT

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• https://linktr.ee/80sFlickFlashback

John Carpenter described this 80’s flick, which he co-wrote and directed, as an "action adventure comedy kung fu ghost story monster movie." And I can’t really add much more of an intro than that. So come aboard “The Pork Chop Express” as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Gerry D discuss “Big Trouble in Little China” from 1986 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback Podcast!

Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

• For the film's many fight scenes John Carpenter worked with martial arts choreographer James Lew, who planned every scene in detail. Carpenter stated, "I used every cheap gag - trampolines, wires, reverse movements, and upside down sets. It was much like photographing a dance.”
• John Carpenter was not entirely satisfied with Boss Film Studios, the company in charge of the film's visual effects. According to him, they took on more projects than they could handle, and some effects for the film had to be cut down. Richard Edlund, head of Boss Film Studios, said that there were no difficulties with the company's workload, and that Big Trouble was probably its favorite film at the time, with the exception of Ghostbusters (1984). The effects budget for the film was just under two million dollars, which Edlund said was barely adequate.

Sources:

Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes,

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/82435/10-huge-facts-about-big-trouble-little-china

Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver

Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should watch next!

Email - moviviewspodcast@gmail.com

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Who you gonna call when paranormal chaos once again descends upon New York City? Thanks to this 80s flick sequel, the answer remains the same—Ghostbusters! Taking place five years after the team's first victory over the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and Gozer, the Ghostbusters have fallen out of business and out of favor with the city they fought so hard to protect. But when a malicious slime starts to cause chaos and empower the evil Vigo the Carpathian, the Ghostbusters are called out of retirement to save the day once again. So strap on your proton packs, call Janine and Lewis to babysit, and crank up the siren in Ecto-1 as Tim Williams, and guest co-host Laramy Wells from "Moving Panels" Podcast discuss “Ghostbusters 2” from 1989 on this episode of the 80s Flick Flashback Podcast.

Here are some additional behind-the-scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

• When Peter arrives at Ray's Occult book-store, pretending to be a strange customer looking for a particular book, the gag was originally intended to be that Peter had previously made a prank phone call to Ray asking for the book, and Ray realizing it was Peter who made the call when he arrives at the store repeating the act. The prank call was not used in the final edit of the film, resulting in it seeming that Peter is just fooling around as he enters the shop.
• A key prop in Ghostbusters II is the portrait of Vigo, in which the spirit of the 16th century warlord resides. The original plan had been to use an actual oil painting, and an artist was commissioned to produce it. However, it was soon realised that this would look unconvincing when Vigo stepped out of the painting and into the real world. Instead, actor Wilhem von Homburg was photographed whilst in full costume as Vigo. This photograph was then blown up to full gallery portrait size, and put through filters to make it look as much like an oil painting as possible.

Sources:

Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo

https://www.moviefone.com/news/ghostbusters-2-trivia/

https://www.eightieskids.com/12-spooky-facts-you-probably-never-knew-about-ghostbusters-ii/

We would love to hear your thoughts about our podcast! You can share your feedback with us through email or social media. Your opinions are important to us and we'd be grateful to know what you enjoyed about our show. If there's anything we may have missed or if you have any suggestions for an 80s movie we should talk about, please don't hesitate to let us know. You could also show your support for our podcast by becoming a subscription member through "Buy Me A Coffee". For more details and other awesome extensions of our podcast, please check out the following link. Thank you so much for supporting us!

• https://linktr.ee/80sFlickFlashback

Horror movies have been around since the late 1800s, yet not all of them are remembered as fondly as others. In 1984, horror master Wes Craven introduced moviegoers to not only one of the most iconic horror movies of the decade, but one of the most iconic figures in horror’s history. So start a fresh pot of coffee, refill your caffeine pills, and whatever you do, don’t fall asleep as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Ron West, discuss “A Nightmare on Elm Street” from 1984 on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback!

Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover in this episode:

• Krug (played by David Hess), the vicious, rapist-serial killer in Wes Craven's first horror movie, Last House on the Left, oozed with smarminess and one-liners, and liked to taunt and torture his victims before killing them, became a very similar type villain, but now in ghost form, in Nightmare on Elm Street. Again, we have a similar bad guy with a big mouth in that movie as well, one who haunts and terrorizes his victims before killing them, also with a similar last name, Krueger (an extension of Krug). The characters are so similar and their story arcs so similar - both were done in by vindictive parents who circumvented the law - you could almost view Nightmare on Elm Street as a sequel to Last House on The Left, which makes sense since these were two of Craven's earliest films.
• More work was done for Freddy's boiler room than made it into the film; the film crew constructed a whole sleeping place for Freddy, showing that he was quite a hobo, an outcast and reject from society, living and sleeping where he worked, and surrounding himself with naked Barbie dolls and other things as a showcase of his fantasies and perversions. This place was supposed to be where he forged his glove and abducted and murdered his victims.
• Heather Langenkamp's boyfriend at the time of the shooting is credited for creating Freddy's nursery rhyme.

Sources:

Wikipedia, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes

Netflix Original "The Movies That Made Us"

https://screenrant.com/nightmare-on-elm-street-movies-behind-scenes-making-of-hidden-trivia/

Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver

Send us an email or reach out to us on social media to let us know what you liked, what you loved, what we may have missed, or what 80's movie we should discuss next!

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