The 80s Movie Podcast

Prince of Darkness

This week, we look back at one of John Carpenter's lesser appreciated works, which was released 35 years ago this week.

 

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984): Peter Weller, John Lithgow and a Sci-Fi Cult Favorite - The 80s Movie Podcast

This week on The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens heads into the strange world of The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), the genre-bending science fiction comedy directed by W.D. Richter and written by Earl Mac Rauch. Starring Peter Weller as Buckaroo Banzai, alongside John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, and Christopher Lloyd, the film follows a scientist, rock musician, and adventurer whose experiments open the door to an interdimensional conflict involving alien invaders, government conspiracies, and the eccentric members of the Hong Kong Cavaliers.

In this episode, Edward explores how Buckaroo Banzai developed its singular identity through Earl Mac Rauch’s densely imagined mythology, W.D. Richter’s direction, and a cast fully committed to the movie’s unusual tone. He also examines why the film struggled to find a mainstream audience upon release despite an ensemble packed with future stars, and how its mixture of science fiction, comedy, action, and deadpan humor gradually helped it build a devoted following over the years.

Few films inspire reactions as divided as Buckaroo Banzai. Some viewers embrace its offbeat humor and refusal to explain itself, while others find its storytelling deliberately disorienting, a split that continues to fuel conversation decades later. Whether you have loved the movie since the VHS era or have always wondered why so many people swear by it, this episode of The 80s Movie Podcast revisits a film whose reputation has grown far beyond its original theatrical run.

Walker

We complete our miniseries on the 1980s movies of Alex Cox by looking at his most controversial film.

Straight to Hell

On this episode, we continue a look back at the 80s movie of iconoclastic British filmmaker Alex Cox with his wacky 1987 movie Straight to Hell.

Sid and Nancy (1986): Gary Oldman, A Punk Rock Tragedy and Alex Cox’s Cult Classic

This week on The 80s Movie Podcast, host Edward Havens revisits Sid and Nancy (1986), director Alex Cox’s raw and uncompromising portrait of Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious and his turbulent relationship with Nancy Spungen. Featuring a career-defining performance by Gary Oldman alongside Chloe Webb, the film captures the chaos, romance, and tragedy surrounding one of punk rock’s most infamous couples.

In this episode, Edward explores what makes Sid and Nancy more than just another music biopic, examining its emotional intensity, gritty filmmaking style, and the unforgettable performances at its center. He also looks at how the film portrays addiction, fame, self-destruction, and the collapse of the punk movement through a deeply human lens.

Nearly four decades after its release, Sid and Nancy remains one of the most haunting and emotionally devastating films of the 1980s. Whether you are a fan of punk rock history, cult cinema, Gary Oldman’s early work, or overlooked 1980s dramas, this episode offers a fresh look at a film that still sparks conversation today.

Silent Night, Deadly Night: Part 2

On this episode, we reflect on the recent unfortunate late summer release of an Easter-themed movie by looking back to the 1987 unfortunate late spring release of a Christmas-themed horror movie, Silent Night, Deadly Night: Part 2.

The Cineplex Beverly Center

On this episode, we take a look back not at the career of an actor or director, nor about a specific movie or a distributor, but at a movie theatre that opened forty years ago today, that would change the course of the theatrical exhibition industry forever: The Cineplex Beverly Center.

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Ross Melnick

On this episode, we speak with film historian, author and UCSB professor Ross Melnick about his new book, his 80s cinema class, and five films from the decade he thinks you should watch again.

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The 80s Movie Podcast Trailer

From distributors barely remembered and films long forgotten, to the biggest actors and filmmakers of the decade, The 80s Movies Podcast is your ticket to the movies.

The Assassination Game

On this episode, your host, film historian Edward A. Havens III, delves deep into the 80s film vault to visit one of the movies from the 1980s he had known about for forty years but had never gotten around to seeing: Nick Castle's 1982 directorial debut, The Assassination Game.

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