The 80s Movie Podcast

Some movies teach their stars lessons that stay with them for the rest of their careers.

This week on The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens looks at Losin' It, the 1983 teen comedy that began as Tijuanaand starred a young Tom Cruise alongside Jackie Earle Haley and Shelley Long. Four teenagers head across the border in 1965, expecting an unforgettable adventure. Instead, they stumble into a chaotic night of bad decisions, romance, and trouble.

But the real story begins with the movie audiences first saw during its 1982 test engagements. Originally titled Tijuana, the film later changed distributors, changed titles, and was re-edited before its wider 1983 release as Losin' It. For Tom Cruise, the experience offered an early lesson about how much a filmmaker can lose control of a movie after production ends.

We explore how watching Tijuana become Losin' It gave Cruise an early glimpse into the realities of Hollywood filmmaking. Years before he became one of Hollywood’s most powerful stars, the experience helped shape his understanding of creative control, filmmaking, and the importance of protecting the quality of a movie.

Along the way, we revisit the film’s unusual history, its brief 1982 theatrical test, and the version audiences eventually received in 1983. Losin' It may be a forgotten early Tom Cruise comedy, but its troubled journey offers a fascinating glimpse at the lessons that helped shape one of Hollywood’s biggest careers.

This week on The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens travels across the Atlantic to revisit a forgotten British film that captured The Clash at a pivotal moment.

Rude Boy arrived in 1980 as punk was colliding with a changing Britain. However, the film is more than a document of one of the era’s greatest bands. We follow Ray Gange, a young Londoner who drifts into the band’s orbit and becomes their roadie. Along the way, filmmakers David Mingay and Jack Hazan capture a world shaped by music, politics, unemployment, racism, and rising social unrest. Meanwhile, The Clash are trying to navigate their growing fame without losing the anger that made them matter.

The film’s strange blend of documentary and fiction gives Rude Boy its uneasy power. At first, Ray seems like a witness to history. Instead, his behavior becomes part of the story, while Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, and Topper Headon reveal different sides of life inside the band. In addition, the movie places their music against the political tensions of late-1970s Britain. We explore the National Front, the anti-fascist movement, the Lewisham clashes, and the atmosphere surrounding Rock Against Racism. As a result, Rude Boy becomes a snapshot of a country approaching the Thatcher era.

We also look at the film’s complicated reception. Critics and audiences struggled with its unusual structure, while The Clash themselves later distanced themselves from the finished movie. Nevertheless, Rude Boy remains a fascinating time capsule. Its performances, street footage, backstage moments, and political context preserve a world that was already changing when the cameras arrived.

Ultimately, this episode is about more than The Clash or punk rock. It is about what happens when filmmakers try to capture a cultural movement while that movement is still happening. We revisit Rude Boy as a piece of British film history, punk history, and political history, and we consider why its rough edges may be exactly what make it worth remembering.

In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens explores Hearts and Armour (1983), an Italian fantasy adventure inspired by Orlando Furioso. The film follows star-crossed lovers caught between Christian and Saracen armies during a sprawling medieval conflict. However, prophecy, magic, and divided loyalties threaten every chance at happiness.

Along the way, we examine the film's production design, elaborate costumes, and ambitious fantasy world. In addition, we discuss performances from Tanya Roberts, Ronn Moss, Barbara De Rossi, and the rest of the international cast. Director Giacomo Battiato aimed for epic storytelling, while drawing on classic European literature and fantasy traditions. The result remains one of the most visually distinctive genre films of the decade.

At the same time, we consider why Hearts and Armour remains a cult curiosity among fantasy fans. Furthermore, we look at its reputation as a beautiful but divisive film. Many viewers praise its costumes, armor, and action sequences despite its unconventional storytelling. Whether you discovered it on cable, VHS, or streaming, this episode revisits a forgotten fantasy epic that still sparks debate among genre enthusiasts.

This week on The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens revisits Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype (1980), the offbeat comedy that gave Oliver Reed the chance to play both a shy, awkward doctor and his outrageous alter ego. Directed by Charles B. Griffith and loosely inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story, the film follows Dr. Adrian Heckyl as he creates a formula that transforms him into the loud, confident, and wildly inappropriate Mr. Hype. Alongside Reed, the cast includes Sunny Johnson, Jackie Coogan, and character actor staples from late 1970s and early 1980s comedy.

In this episode, Edward digs into the film’s unusual mix of satire, broad comedy, and horror influences while exploring how Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype tried to modernize Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde for a different era. He also examines Oliver Reed’s dual performance, the film’s troubled critical reception, and why its humor divided audiences even as it carved out a small following among fans of strange studio comedies.

What happens when a familiar literary story collides with 1980s sex comedy, celebrity culture, and social satire? Edward revisits the creative choices behind Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype and considers where the film fits within the larger wave of eccentric comedies released at the start of the decade. Whether you remember it from cable television or have never heard of it before, this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast takes a closer look at a movie that rarely enters conversations about 1980s comedy.

Edward Havens, host of The 80s Movie Podcast, issues a brief apology and explains why the show paused for the past eight months. This 2m52s host update thanks listeners and provides a candid explanation of the hiatus. Thank you for sticking with the neon-lit rewind. Your support matters.

This week on The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens revisits the little-seen 1986 television thriller The Brotherhood of Justice, a mostly forgotten ABC movie starring a young Keanu Reeves and Kiefer Sutherland years before they became major Hollywood stars. Inspired by real events at a Texas high school, the film follows a group of students who form a vigilante organization to fight crime and drugs, only to watch their movement spiral dangerously out of control. Based loosely on the real-life “Legion of Doom” case in Fort Worth, Texas, the movie blends teen drama with cautionary crime thriller in a way that feels both deeply 1980s and surprisingly relevant today.

Edward explores the production history behind The Brotherhood of Justice, its status as an overlooked made-for-TV movie, and why early performances from stars like Billy Zane and Lori Loughlin make it a fascinating time capsule. Plus: personal memories from Edward’s own connection to the filming locations and high school where the movie was shot, reflections sparked by his 40th high school class reunion, and why this forgotten piece of 1980s television deserves rediscovery.

 

Look back at 40 years of the Brat Pack, the unofficial group of young actors whose films fundamentally defined 1980s teen culture. Host Edward Havens explores the origins of the infamous nickname from David Blum's 1985 New York Magazine cover story. We trace how media hype, intense friendships, and behind-the-scenes rivalries turned a handful of rising Hollywood stars into an iconic pop-culture movement.

 

Dive deep into the ultimate debate over who actually qualifies as a true "Brat Packer" and who gets excluded. Learn why key actors like Andrew McCarthy and Rob Lowe spent decades pushing back against the label. We unpack the legacy of the core members and the surrounding circle of stars who continually shaped the era's definitive cinematic identity.

 

Revisit a gauntlet of classic films including The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo's Fire, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, and The Outsiders. Edward tackles the ultimate question: what is officially the best Brat Pack movie of all time? Tune in to find out why the crown might not belong to the most obvious choice, and how this legacy still drives movie nostalgia forty years later.

This week on The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens continues his retrospective on the films of director Susan Seidelman with a deep dive into her quirky 1987 sci-fi romantic comedy, Making Mr. Right. Following her massive breakout success with Desperately Seeking Susan, Seidelman used her three-picture deal with Orion Pictures to craft this unique cinematic blend of classic screwball romance, retro-futuristic satire, and 1980s workplace comedy.

 

The episode explores the film's production, detailing how Seidelman transformed the screenplay into a Frankenstein-inspired comedy and the gamble of casting John Malkovich in a dual role. Alongside Malkovich, we look at the incredible ensemble cast, including standout performances from Ann Magnuson, Laurie Metcalf, and Hart Bochner, who navigate this highly colorful, neon-soaked production.

 

Finally, we analyze the vibrant Miami setting that gave the film its signature aesthetic and break down why this initial box-office disappointment eventually developed into a beloved cult classic. We close out the discussion by evaluating where this offbeat sci-fi feature stands in the larger legacy of 1980s feminist cinema and Seidelman's overall filmography.

Step into a world of sword-and-sorcery, dark fairy tales, and practical effects on The 80s Movie Podcast as host Edward Havens welcomes author Todd Downing. Celebrating his new book Return of the Calico Kids, Downing joins the show for an expansive deep dive into the absolute best fantasy films of the 1980s.

 

The conversation tracks the incredible evolution of fantasy filmmaking during Hollywood's most imaginative decade, unpacking how ambitious world-building and larger-than-life storytelling birthed a true golden age for the genre. Together, Edward and Todd explore behind-the-scenes anecdotes, hidden thematic layers, and the unique practical magic that allowed these features to become enduring touchstones for generational film fans.

 

From beloved mainstays to obscure cult favorites, this nostalgic retrospective evaluates what truly elevates an '80s fantasy movie to classic status. Tune in to discover Todd's personal top five ranking, get essential curated watchlist recommendations, and explore why these specific cinematic worlds still capture our imaginations decades later.

This week on The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens takes a deep dive into the chaotic history of Collision Course, the bizarre buddy-cop action-comedy starring late-night giant Jay Leno and The Karate Kid legend Pat Morita. Filmed at the height of the 1980s mismatched-partner craze, this forgotten cinematic curiosity paired a fast-talking Detroit detective with an investigator from Tokyo, resulting in a fascinating cultural time capsule that struggled to find its footing.

 

The episode tracks the film's incredibly troubled production journey, which was helmed by director Lewis Teague. Havens unpacks the financial turmoil behind the scenes, specifically detailing how the sudden bankruptcy and collapse of Dino De Laurentiis’s Entertainment Group (DEG) trapped the completed film in legal limbo, shelving its release for years.

 

Finally, we analyze the movie's stellar supporting cast, including Chris Sarandon and Ernie Hudson, and explore how it eventually bypassed theaters entirely for a quiet home video release in 1992. We close the retrospective by evaluating why this heavily delayed project ultimately became a footnote in the careers of its main stars and where it ranks among the era's saturated buddy-cop landscape.