THE '80S

15 Painless Facts About Road House

Two years after 'Dirty Dancing' and one year before 'Ghost,' Patrick Swayze played a bouncer with a Ph.D in philosophy in 1989’s 'Road House.'

Original production cel from Rikki-Tikki-Tavi on its key matching background.

How Chuck Jones Animated the Mongoose in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi

When Chuck Jones decided to make the short film “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” he faced a challenge: How could he imbue the cobra-killing mongoose with a sense of personality, all without taking away from the fact that it was an animal?

Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker go head-to-head in The Empire Strikes Back (1980).

10 Facts About The Empire Strikes Back

On May 21, 1980, 'The Empire Strikes Back'—the second film in the Star Wars series—arrived in theaters and thrilled audiences.

17 Amazing Facts About He-Man (Powered by Grayskull)

Though He-Mania was not engineered to last, it remains one of the biggest toy success stories of all time.

‘80s Music is Boring, According to Science

Most debates about pop music may be entirely subjective, but Matthias Mauch, an engineer at Queen Mary University of London, decided to take a more scientific approach to the subject.

15 Amazing Facts About Thunder ... Thunder ... ThunderCats!

Thirty years ago, millions of children (and more than a few adults) became obsessed with 'ThunderCats,' that quintessential ‘80s cartoon about a race of sword-wielding cat people who arrive on Third Earth to protect its inhabitants from the evil Mumm-Ra.

11 Delightfully Dated '80s Magazines

From "The Space Gamer" to "Today's Woodworker," we've got some gems. Here are some magazines from the '80s.

20 Surprising Facts About The Care Bears Movie

Care Bear stare! Gather around, Brave Heart Lion, Share Bear, Birthday Bear, and the rest of the gang, and let’s learn something new about 'The Care Bears Movie.'

How Nintendo Conquered Manhattan in 1985

“We’re launching in New York,” Hiroshi Yamauchi said, “because that’s where success happens.”

These Kids Just Don't Appreciate Teddy Ruxpin

Eighties kids were thrilled when they received Teddy Ruxpin as a gift, but based on these reactions in the Fine Brothers' latest video, kids today wouldn't be so excited.

George Michael, Bono, Paul McCartney, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Howard Jones, Bob Geldof and other musicians gather on stage for the finale of the Live Aid concert at London's Wembley Stadium on July 13, 1985.

40 Things Turning 35 in 2020

While 1984 was iconic, 1985 was an even bigger year for pop culture: New Coke, 'Back to the Future,' WrestleMania, Live Aid, Calvin & Hobbes, the first .com domain ... it all happened.

12 Lesser-Known Star Wars Characters Who Got Action Figures

Although the screen time for many of the following bipedal, humanoid creatures was often quite limited, children and collectors alike have always shared an affinity for these curious aliens.

10 Facts About Beverly Cleary’s Ramona Books

While her older sister Beezus calls her a “pest,” Ramona’s imaginative and lively nature is why readers still love her all these years later.

8 Notable Items from the 1985 Montgomery Ward’s Catalog

It is true that some of these things can still be found, either old and faded on eBay or earnestly reproduced on specialty sites like The Vermont Country Store. But these products and deserve more; they have timeless appeal that would suit our 21st centur

Life Lessons From Sharper Image Catalogs

These products were all sold in Sharper Image catalogs in the late '80s. Even the fake cellphone antenna.

18 Surprising Facts About 'Just One of the Guys'

'Just One of the Guys' director Lisa Gottlieb helped us uncover some little-known facts about the 1985 gender-bending teen comedy.

Harrison Ford stars in 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' (1984).

20 Facts About 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'

Steven Spielberg’s 'Indiana Jones and the Temple' of Doom has been thrilling audiences for more than 30 years—and grossing us out with monkey brains.

A Brief History of "Choose Your Own Adventure"

As an unproven assistant editor in her early twenties, Joëlle Delbourgo got an unwelcome message: Her boss at Bantam wanted to see her. Immediately.

Michael J. Fox stars as Marty McFly in Back to the Future (1985).

25 Facts About Back to the Future

'Back to the Future' may be a classic movie today, but the script was originally rejected more than 40 times. Here are some other things you might not know about Marty, Doc, and Doc's pet chimpanzee

11 Nickelodeon Shows From the '80s

Plenty of grown-up former Nickelodeon viewers remember the network as the home of such programs as Clarissa Explains It All, The Secret World of Alex Mack, Rugrats, and SpongeBob SquarePants, the channel has a rich history of interesting programming that

25 Wacky Trading Cards From the '80s and '90s

While most people associate the concept of trading cards with sports and their most famous players—even non-baseball fans are dimly aware of the value of a “mint” card of a legendary slugger—the cardboard treatment isn’t just reserved for major league end

12 Proposed Sequels That Thankfully Never Happened

While unoriginal sequels have become commonplace, there are still some films that remain sacred, despite the sometimes decades of persistent rumors that a sequel is in the works.

Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as Crockett and Tubbs in the TV detective series Miami Vice, circa 1988.

29 Future Stars Who Appeared On Miami Vice

On September 28, 1984, 'Miami Vice' made its premiere on NBC, and a new kind of cop show was born. The series also kickstarted the careers of dozens of soon-to-be stars.

15 Fashions People Were Rocking in 1983

There were a lot of fashions people were rocking in the 80s. Here is a Members Only guide to dressing in the decade of excess.

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