THE '80S

20 Facts About Gremlins

Joe Dante's dark comedy classic is partly responsible for the PG-13 rating. But that hasn't stopped WarnerMedia from turning it into a new animated series.

Hollywood's Brief Love Affair With Young Einstein Star Yahoo Serious

Australian actor Yahoo Serious came out of nowhere to conquer Hollywood with the 1989 hit 'Young Einstein.' Then, just as quickly as he appeared, he vanished.

Back to the Future Fan Theory Changes the Meaning of a Famous Line

There's one exchange between Marty and Doc that doesn't seem very significant, but according to this fan theory, it's the key to the ending of 'Back to the Future.'

This 1980s Copy of Super Mario Bros. Is One of the Most Expensive Video Games in History

The old 'Super Mario Bros.' game, originally released for the NES in 1985, just broke a world record for video games sales at auction.

12 Good Ol' Facts About The Dukes of Hazzard

When 'The Dukes of Hazzard' premiered on January 26, 1979, it was intended to be a temporary patch in CBS’s primetime schedule until 'The Incredible Hulk' returned. It became much, much more.

12 Facts About Night Court

The beloved—and politically incorrect—NBC sitcom made its debut on January 4, 1984. Here are some facts about the show.

When Mr. Rogers Taught Kids About Mutually Assured Nuclear Destruction

The celebrated chldren's host aired segments in 1983 that demonstrated the perils of nuclear war in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

Star Wars © & TM 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Return of the Jedi Almost Had a Much Darker Ending

Of all the 'Star Wars' installments we've seen over the past 41 years, 'Return of the Jedi' undoubtedly has the happiest ending of them all.

19 Things to Look for the Next Time You Watch Die Hard

John McClane was just a New York City cop trying to visit his wife and kids for Christmas, and then it all went wrong.

Joel Hodgson and the 'Bots on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

15 Fun Facts About Mystery Science Theater 3000

As it turns out, human beings can withstand a whole lot of bad acting, sloppy pacing, and ridiculous dialogue.

NBC Network, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

Weird Science: The Mr. Wizard Story

'Watch Mr. Wizard,' which aired on NBC from 1951 to 1965, featured host Don Herbert performing a series of science experiments using everyday objects—glass bottles, cans, aquariums, matches—to illustrate the amazing world of physics.

The Time Freddy Krueger Became a Nightmare for Will Smith

The rapper's 1988 song, "Nightmare on My Street," made reference to a killer named Fred who was "burnt like a weenie." New Line Cinema didn't find it funny, but it has just been rediscovered online.

How Stanley Kubrick Created The Shining's 'Elevator of Blood' Effect

"It was such a violent volume of this red liquid coming at you ... those of us who were in [the elevator] thought, ‘My god—we’re doing to drown!'"

10 Horror Movie Ads from the 1980s That Lied to Us

If one of the joys of being a horror fan in the 1980s was being seduced by the shocking and lurid come-ons in the newspaper advertisements for these movies, one of the downers was going to the theater and not getting all those ads promised.

Rob Bottin in John Carpenter's The Fog (1980).

12 Clear Facts About John Carpenter's The Fog

'The Fog,' John Carpenter's eerie 1980 crowd-pleaser, overcame its tiny budget and DIY production to become a huge hit, earning 20 times what it cost to make.

The Bloody History of Fangoria, the Magazine That Changed the Way We View Horror Movies

During a gathering of Parliament in the 1980s, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher held up a copy of an American periodical.

William Ragsdale stars in Fright Night (1985).

16 Biting Facts About 'Fright Night'

Since 1985, Tom Holland’s critically acclaimed directorial debut has been a staple of Halloween movie marathons everywhere. Hard to believe he wrote the script in just three weeks.

A Brief History of Zubaz

When we think of Zubaz today, “utilitarian” probably isn’t the first word that pops into our heads.

Photo illustration by Mental Floss. Images: Amazon (Caboodles), iStock (background).

13 Facts About Caboodles Makeup Organizers

Caboodles—those vintage organizers you loved as a teen—are back in stores. Here's what you should know.

Chevy Chase and Rodney Dangerfield star in Caddyshack (1980).

11 Things to Look for the Next Time You Watch Caddyshack

Here are a few things to look out for the next time you watch the Harold Ramis, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Rodney Dangerfield golf classic, 'Caddyshack.'

10 Fun Facts About The Kids In The Hall

Twenty-five years after airing its final episode, a revival of 'The Kids in the Hall' will be coming to Amazon as its first original Canadian series.

When WWF Wrestling Figures Ruled the '80s

More than 5 million dolls were sold in the first year alone, brother. Here's the story of the WWF wrestling figures.

Photo illustration by Mental Floss. Milk Cartons: Courtesy of the National Child Safety Council. Background: iStock.

When Missing Kids Could Be Found on Milk Cartons

The idea was to protect children, but those billions of crime-stopping milk containers wound up scaring the crap out of them instead.

10 Still-Unsolved Mysteries From Unsolved Mysteries

Decades after these segments aired, the producers behind the show are still wondering what happened.

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