THE '80S

Read ’em and Weepul: How a Cheap Toy Became a Popular Marketing Tool

How did a pompom with googly eyes go from cheap toy, to marketing tool, to Dutch cultural phenomenon?

The Peppy ’80s Song “Vamos a la Playa” Was Actually About Nuclear War

The lyric “Vamos a la playa, todos con sombrero / El viento radiactivo, despeina los cabellos” translates to “Let’s go to the beach, everyone in a sombrero / The radioactive wind, messes up the hair.”

They're robots—and a whole lot of fun—in disguise.

15 Fun Facts About Transformers Action Figures

Dive into the fascinating (and sometimes controversial) history of the Transformers toy line, from its roots with Japanese toymaker Takara to the controversy over the Megatron Walther P38 handgun toy and more.

The addictive ’80s game might also have psychological benefits.

What Is the Tetris Effect?

Anyone who has ever played ‘Tetris’ knows how addictive the ’80s video game can be. Scientists say the Tetris Effect may even have psychological benefits for people coping with PTSD.

It treads a fine line between stupid and clever, but we love it anyway.

16 Facts About ‘This Is Spinal Tap’

Ahead of ‘Spinal Tap II: The End Continues,’ which comes out this fall, discover more fun facts about Rob Reiner’s original film, which turned a fictional heavy metal band into bona fide musical superstars.

Mommie Dearest (8/9) Movie CLIP - Rodeo Queen (1981) HD

12 Over-The-Top Facts About ‘Mommie Dearest’

Frank Perry’s cult classic “Mommie Dearest” did for wire hangers what “Jaws” did for sharks, but there's probably a lot more to this ‘80s flick than you ever knew.

The Last Starfighter | Official Trailer | 4K

9 Things You Might Not Have Known About ‘The Last Starfighter’

It might not have garnered the box office success of movies like ‘E.T.’ and ‘Back to the Future,’ but more than 40 years after its release, ‘The Last Starfighter’ has acquired a cult following.

Lukas Haas, Kelly McGillis, Brent Jennings, and Harrison Ford in ‘Witness.’

9 Fascinating Facts About ‘Witness’

Roger Ebert loved Peter Weir’s film, calling it “an electrifying and poignant love story” and “a thriller ... Alfred Hitchcock would have been proud to make.” ‘Witness’ turns 40 this year; here’s what you should know.

An OG VHS of this flick still commands top dollar.

6 Rare Disney VHS Tapes That Are Worth a Lot of Money Today

Some of your favorite old Disney movies from the ’90s are worth a lot these days, especially if there’s a black diamond logo on the spine of the VHS clamshell case.

GAMEBABY: Phone armor with retro gaming superpowers

Transform Your Phone Into a Playable Game Boy With This Clever Case

Instead of breaking your old Game Boy out of storage, snap the GAMEBABY case onto your iPhone.

The Controversial Television Special That Took Audiences Back to ‘Titanic’

‘Return to the Titanic: Live!’ cracked open a safe from the ship on live TV—and though the special was a ratings success, it faced plenty of criticism. ‘The Washington Post’ even declared that it “added little to the ‘Titanic’ story.”

Streets of Fire: Collector’s Edition: Nowhere Fast (HD)

14 Epic Facts About ‘Streets of Fire’

Director Walter Hill's surreal rock 'n' roll fable from 1984 is packed with bikers, big flashy musical numbers, and epic sledgehammer fights, which is why it remains a treat for cult cinema fans even 40 years later.

10 Surprising Facts About Wham!’s “Last Christmas”

Over the course of his illustrious career, George Michael gave the world many gifts. One that keeps on giving is “Last Christmas,” the 1984 holiday classic by Wham!, Michael's pop duo with Andrew Ridgeley.

Steve Martin and John Candy in ’Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ (1987).

15 Moving Facts About ’Planes, Trains and Automobiles’

John Hughes’s own hellish trip from New York City to Chicago inspired ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles,’ the 1987 Thanksgiving classic starring Steve Martin and John Candy.

9 Fun Facts About ‘Once Bitten‘

The vampire comedy was actor Jim Carrey’s first starring film role.

Don’t worry, these commercials are more silly than scary.

10 Classic Halloween-Themed Commercials

From loving tributes to the genuinely bizarre, here are some of our favorite Halloween commercials from decades past.

People found the devil in some very unlikely places.

The Devil Made Them Do It: 8 Examples of Satanic Panic in the ‘80s

In the 1980s, media hysteria saw demonic undertones in everything from ‘Mister Ed’ to Pampers diapers.

(Although technically speaking, he's really more of a poltergeist.)

15 Fascinating Facts You Might Not Know about ‘Beetlejuice’

Everyone’s favorite “bio-exorcist” is coming back to theaters on September 6, but while you wait for ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,’ you can brush up on these facts about the original.

11 Discontinued Ice Creams

Not all the classic frozen treats you remember from the ’80s and ’90s are still available today

1/72 Testors F19 Secret Stealth Fighter unboxing and review LIVE!

The ’80s Toy That Was Considered a Threat to National Security

The F-19 became the bestselling model plane of all time. Some feared it leaked some highly classified military secrets.

‘Double Love,’ the first book in the Sweet Valley High series.

13 Things You Might Not Know About the Sweet Valley High Books

Long before Harry Potter turned young adult literature into a publishing phenomenon, there was ‘Sweet Valley High.’

13 Facts About Richard Simmons

An anonymous note left on Richard Simmons’s car window changed the soon-to-be-superstar’s life forever.

MC Skat Kat and Paula Abdul on tour in 2017.

The Nine Lives of MC Skat Kat, Paula Abdul’s Co-Star in “Opposites Attract”

The animated rapping cat helped propel “Opposite’s Attract” to No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1990—and he still occasionally pops up in some surprising places.

Pay phones were everywhere in the 1980s. And they were often full of money.

King of Quarters: The ‘Pay Phone Bandit’ Who Baffled the FBI in the ’80s

Pay phones were thought to have an unpickable lock. Then James Clark came along.