The 80s Movie Podcast

The 1980s gave audiences blockbuster franchises, prestige dramas, and more than a few cinematic oddities. Sitting somewhere in the middle of all three was De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, the short-lived studio created by producer Dino De Laurentiis. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we examine how DEG became home to some of the decade’s most distinctive films while attempting to compete in an increasingly crowded Hollywood marketplace.

From stylish thrillers and offbeat horror to animation, comedy, and science fiction, DEG assembled one of the most unusual film libraries of the era. We discuss titles like Blue Velvet, Manhunter, Maximum Overdrive, The Transformers: The Movie, Near Dark, Evil Dead II, Pumpkinhead, and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, exploring how one company became associated with so many films that later found loyal audiences through VHS, cable television, and cult movie fandom.

The story of De Laurentiis Entertainment Group is also a snapshot of how unpredictable the movie business could be in the 1980s. Ambitious expansion plans, costly productions, and shifting audience tastes created enormous pressure on independent studios trying to survive outside the major system. Join us as we revisit the films, business decisions, and creative risks that turned DEG into one of the most fascinating names in 1980s cinema.

Some cult movies slowly find an audience. Others arrive completely out of sync with their time and spend years waiting to be rediscovered. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we dive into Tapeheads (1988), the wildly chaotic music industry satire directed by Bill Fishman and starring John Cusack and Tim Robbins. Equal parts comedy, music video fever dream, and media-industry parody, Tapeheads remains one of the strangest and most overlooked comedies of the late 1980s.

We revisit the film’s bizarre story, unforgettable supporting cast, and nonstop stream of music-industry jokes, celebrity cameos, and MTV-era absurdity. Featuring appearances by artists and personalities including John Cusack, Tim Robbins, Bobcat Goldthwait, and Martha Quinn, the movie captures the weird energy of late-1980s pop culture in a way few films ever attempted. Despite struggling at the box office, Tapeheads gradually earned cult status among fans who appreciate offbeat comedy and music-driven chaos.

Whether you discovered Tapeheads on VHS, cable television, or have somehow never encountered its wonderfully strange world, this episode revisits one of the most delightfully eccentric forgotten films of the decade. Join us as we explore why Tapeheads failed to connect with mainstream audiences in 1988, why it deserves another look today, and how it became one of the great hidden gems of 1980s cult cinema.

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Some movie studios slowly build success. Others arrive with enormous ambition, massive financing, and dreams of changing Hollywood overnight. In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we explore the fascinating rise and dramatic fall of Weintraub Entertainment Group, the independent mini-major studio founded by legendary producer Jerry Weintraub. Launched in the late 1980s with hundreds of millions in backing and major Hollywood partnerships, WEG looked poised to become one of the biggest new players in the movie business before everything unraveled.

We take a deep dive into the films, financial gambles, and behind-the-scenes decisions that defined Weintraub Entertainment Group’s short but unforgettable run. From releases like The Big Blue, Troop Beverly Hills, My Stepmother Is an Alien, Fresh Horses, and The Gods Must Be Crazy II to the company’s acquisition of the massive Thorn EMI film library, we explore how bold ambition collided with disappointing box office results and growing debt. Despite major investment from companies connected to Columbia Pictures and a distribution strategy built for success, WEG struggled to find the blockbuster hits it desperately needed.

Whether you remember spotting the Weintraub Entertainment Group logo before a favorite 1980s film or are discovering the company for the first time, this episode revisits one of Hollywood’s great cautionary tales. Join us as we uncover the movies, risks, successes, and spectacular collapse of a studio that aimed to compete with the majors and instead became one of the most fascinating “what if” stories of 1980s cinema.

Every great summer eventually comes to an end, but the summer of 1986 saved some incredible movies for the final stretch. In Part Three of this special series, The 80s Movie Podcast concludes an occasionally personal journey through one of the strongest movie seasons of the 1980s, revisiting the films released during the closing months of a summer packed with unforgettable entertainment. Part Three covers a remarkable late-summer lineup that included films such as The Fly, Stand by Me, Manhunter, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Night of the Creeps, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, One Crazy Summer, and The Transformers: The Movie.

We explore how the final weeks of summer delivered everything from horror and science fiction to heartfelt coming-of-age drama, cult comedy, and overlooked gems. While many summers burn bright and fade quickly, 1986 kept delivering memorable films all the way through August, cementing its reputation as one of the most exciting periods in movie history.

Whether you lived through the summer of 1986 or are discovering its movies for the first time, Part Three celebrates the final wave of films that helped define an era. Join us as we close out this journey through one of the greatest summers the movies ever gave us.

The summer movie season of 1986 only got bigger as the temperatures rose. In Part Two of this special series, The 80s Movie Podcast continues its deep dive into one of the most exciting stretches in 1980s cinema, revisiting the films that dominated theaters, inspired repeat viewings, and turned weekends at the multiplex into unforgettable experiences.

We explore the movies that defined the middle of the summer, from massive crowd-pleasers and sequels to genre films that would later become beloved cult classics. Along the way, we discuss how 1986 balanced blockbuster spectacle with creative risks, delivering one of the most varied and rewarding summers movie fans have ever experienced. For many audiences, this was peak 1980s moviegoing, when every week seemed to bring another future classic.

Whether you remember standing in line at the theater or discovering these movies years later, Part Two revisits the excitement, surprises, and cinematic highs that kept the summer of 1986 firing on all cylinders. Join us as we continue exploring one of the most legendary movie seasons ever assembled.

Was the summer of 1986 the greatest movie season of the entire 1980s? In Part One of this special three-part series, The 80s Movie Podcast begins an occasionally personal journey through one of the most unforgettable summers in movie history. From blockbuster hits and teen classics to cult favorites and overlooked gems, the summer of 1986 delivered an astonishing mix of films that helped define a generation of moviegoers.

We revisit the early weeks of the summer movie season, which officially began with the Memorial Day weekend release of Top Gun, exploring the films that filled multiplexes, drove pop culture conversations, and shaped the memories of audiences in real time. From action spectacles and comedies to science fiction, fantasy, and coming-of-age classics, we examine what made 1986 such an extraordinary year for cinema and why so many of its films still resonate decades later.

Whether you were there for the original theatrical releases or discovered these films years later on VHS and cable television, Part One celebrates the excitement, nostalgia, and moviegoing magic of one of the greatest summers in film history. Join us as we begin revisiting the movies, moments, and memories that made the summer of 1986 unforgettable.

Every great movie studio has a story, and Orion Pictures remains one of the most fascinating in Hollywood history. In Part Five of this special series, The 80s Movie Podcast concludes its deep dive into the studio that helped shape 1980s cinema through creative risks, filmmaker-driven projects, and unforgettable films.

We explore Orion’s later years, the mounting financial struggles that threatened the company, and the remarkable legacy it left behind. From cult classics and award-winning dramas to science fiction, comedy, and crime films, Orion’s catalog remains one of the richest and most distinctive of the decade.

Whether you grew up watching Orion films or are only now discovering the studio’s remarkable history, Part Five celebrates the movies, risks, successes, and lasting impact of one of the most influential studios of the 1980s. Join us as we close out our journey through the rise and fall of a true Hollywood original.

What if one single weekend changed movie history forever? In this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast, we travel back to May 23, 1980, one of the most extraordinary weekends in cinema history, when two undeniable classics arrived in theaters at the exact same moment. It was a snapshot of a changing film landscape, where blockbuster spectacle, groundbreaking horror, prestige dramas, and cult favorites all competed for audiences on the same marquees. This episode takes a fascinating look at the films playing in theaters during one unforgettable weekend in American moviegoing history.

We dive into the cultural impact and theatrical context surrounding landmark releases like The Empire Strikes Back and The Shining, while also revisiting an incredible lineup of films moviegoers could choose from that weekend, including Being There, Friday the 13th, Fame, Coal Miner’s Daughter, American Gigolo, and more. It was a moment when audiences could experience science fiction, horror, drama, comedy, and prestige filmmaking all at once, creating a moviegoing experience that feels almost impossible to imagine today.

Whether you were standing in line at the multiplex in May 1980 or discovering these classics decades later on cable and VHS, this episode revisits one of the greatest weekends in film history. Join us as we explore the movies, surprises, and cinematic magic of a weekend that helped launch the decade we now celebrate as the golden age of 1980s cinema.

As Orion Pictures reached new heights, new challenges began to emerge. In Part Four of this special series, The 80s Movie Podcast continues exploring the remarkable story of one of the most ambitious studios of the 1980s. Orion’s growing success came with bigger risks, larger productions, and mounting financial pressures that would eventually shape the company’s future.

We revisit the films, business decisions, and creative gambles that defined this important period in Orion’s history. While many studios chased predictable blockbuster formulas, Orion remained committed to distinctive storytelling, supporting projects that ranged from commercial hits to unconventional passion projects.

Whether you remember these films from their original release or are discovering Orion’s story for the first time, Part Four reveals how one studio tried to balance creativity and commerce during one of the most competitive eras in Hollywood history.

By the middle of the 1980s, Orion Pictures had become one of Hollywood’s most unpredictable and exciting studios. In Part Three of this continuing series, The 80s Movie Podcast explores the films, creative partnerships, and growing reputation that made Orion one of the defining movie companies of the decade.

We take a closer look at the studio’s evolving identity, discussing how Orion balanced commercial success with artistic credibility. From genre films and overlooked gems to critical favorites and emerging classics, Orion’s willingness to take chances helped shape some of the most memorable moviegoing experiences of the era.

Whether you’re revisiting old favorites or discovering Orion’s history for the first time, Part Three uncovers another fascinating chapter in the story of a studio that helped define 1980s cinema through ambition, creativity, and risk-taking.