Never Surrender

I heard this 1985 song being played at a public place a few days ago. It brought me back. The present time has sometimes been difficult for many people, with the economy and other problems. It sometimes causes you to look back at more positive times. 

This song is for anyone going through tough times now, of any type. As Churchill said, "Never, never, never give up!"

Chuck E. Cheese's

Here's a memory from my '80s childhood. I remember when I was growing up, Chuck E. Cheese's was all the rage. It was combination pizza place and video arcade which featured an auto-animatronic show aimed primarily at kids. Commercials such as this one were frequent, beckoning kids to Chuck E's world of games, fun and kid-centered entertainment. 

Finally, after seeing all the commercials, my family took me to the place. I remember enjoying the arcade, because as a typical '80s kid I was obsessed with video games. The auto-animatronic show was OK, and amusing for small kids, but paled in comparison with what you would find at Disney. I don't even remember the pizza, so I'll defer judgment. 

Recently, I read that Chuck E. Cheese's is having financial difficulties, the product of changing tastes. It really was a product of its time, I guess.

Ferris Bueller

Although my fave John Hughes movies growing up have always been the ones that dealt directly with teen issues, like The Breakfast Club (1985) and Pretty in Pink (1986), lately I've been enjoying a Hughes classic with a bit of a lighter style: 1986's Ferris Bueller's Day Off.  The title character was a jack of all trades who could get away with everything, and his day off involved sneaking his girlfriend and best friend out of school for a day of playing hookie while enjoying the sites and sounds of '80s Chicago.

Their trip includes visits to a such Chicago landmarks as Wrigley Field, the Mercatile Exchange and Sears Tower.

My favorite scene in the whole movie involved the trio's visit to a Chicago museum, a smooth and contemplative foray into the world of art amidst an otherwise hectic day. I love this scene.

But probably the most memorable scene came near the end of the visit, as Bueller crashes the Von Steuben Day parade, with a musical sequence containing tunes from Wayne Newton and the Beatles.

Altogether, a pleasant and light reminder of what I love about the '80s.

Happy New Year!!!

I wasn't sure what to put on the blog to start 2014. Here's something that isn't from too long ago, but just from this past year: Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield singing the 1969 David Bowie classic "Space Oddity" from the International Space Station.

I figured its hopeful, positive, and optimistic. And it involves space, which is always cool for me.

I wish all of you a hopeful and positive 2014!!!

Repost: A Christmas Story

This is a re-post of a post originally appearing on December 17, 2011.

One of my recently acquired Christmas obsessions is the fun and enjoyable 1983 movie A Christmas Story. Based upon writer Jean Shepherd's semi-fictionalized account of a young boy, Ralphie, experiencing the Christmas holidays in 1940s Indiana with his parents, his younger brother, and his neighborhood friends. I love movies that convey a time period with great detail, and A Christmas Story clearly fits into this category. 

This movie contains one of the funniest scenes ever, where one of the young protagonist's friends gets his tongue stuck to metal pole in the cold of winter. The main story line, however, also full of funny moments, concerns Ralphie's ongoing quest to obtain a BB gun for Christmas, despite the objections ("you'll shoot your eye out, kid") of various adult figures, including his mother, his teacher, and a store Santa Claus.   

But I think the main reason I find this movie so enjoyable is that its a rather realistic, yet fun, holiday movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. It involves a rather average family doing their best to enjoy the holidays amidst
dealing with everyday life. Ultimately, this movie is about having a Merry Christmas with what you have, and with those you have around you.

Christmas in the '80s

Band Aid's "Do They Know Its Christmas" is both one of the most memorable and meaningful '80s songs, so I have to put it first. An effort to provide aid to victims of an African famine, this song featured a variety of '80s musicians in a memorable recording captured in this video.

I did a previous post on this blog about this wonderful song and effort.

This year, fellow '80s blogger Rediscover the '80s did a fascinating post about "Do They Know Its Christmas," about little known trivia regarding the song. Did you know that the iconic cover for this song was made by the same artist who did the cover for the Beatles' classic Sgt. Pepper album?

John Mellencamp did a lively rendition of the classic Christmas song, "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," which served as his contribution to the 1987 album A Very Special Christmas to benefit the special olympics. 

Billy Squire's 1981 song, "Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You," has Eighties written all over it, and is fully in the Christmas spirit. 

Wham's 1984 song "Last Christmas," has got to be one of the most classically '80s Christmas songs and videos ever made. You can just feel the frosty air, and feeling of Christmas in the mid 80s.

Here's the Waitresses, whose songs include "I Know What Boys Want," and the theme to the very '80s TV sitcom Square Pegs with the very New Wave Christmas song "Christmas Wrapping."

Here's Madonna's contribution to the A Very Special Christmas compilation, her version of the classic "Santa Baby."

Alf Learns The Holiday Spirit

As an example of how just about anything could get on television in the '80s, theres ALF... which stands for Alien Life Form.  Alf was the title character of an '80s TV sitcom, whereby the friendly alien resides with an '80s American family after his spaceship crashes.

Someone posted on Youtube some clips from a Christmas program featuring this character. I haven't actually seen the Christmas program, but it looks like Alf is learning about the holiday spirit, and getting it right.

Speaking of '80s television, and '80s Christmas festivities, fellow '80s blogger Dougsploitation has a post on '80s era TV Guide covers. Very cool, check it out.

UPDATE: And Rediscover the '80s has an excellent collection of '80s Christmas specials on video.  Check it out!!  Looks like Santa came early this year with '80s era memories as presents.