MST3K Watch: Mac and Me (1988)

Watched:  12/27/2018
Format:  MST3K on Netflix
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1980's

What the actual @#$% was that?

RiffTrax-Watch: Ready Player One (2018)

Watched:  12/25/2018
Format:  Rifftrax
Viewing: First
Decade:  2010's

I am not a gamer.  The only console I own is one of those 2600 emulator boxes and it hasn't been out of the closet in a year.  I get that people spend a lot of time on video games, and that I have no stones to throw about people wasting their time and money on non-real-things.  I write on a blog that needlessly analyzes movies and occasionally comics and talks a lot about comic-based movies.  Take all of the below with the necessary grain of salt.

PODCAST: "A Christmas Story" (1983) HOLIDAY CINEMA SERIES w/ Maxwell and Ryan

Watched  11/25/2018
Viewing:  Oh god, who knows?
Format:  On-demand from TBS
Decade:  1980's

Oh, fudge...! Maxwell and Ryan get nostalgic for a nostalgia film, "A Christmas Story" - the tale of a boy who just wants a BB gun for Christmas. The Signal Watch crew is celebrating the Holiday season with discussions of some of our seasonal favorite films and specials, so we go deep on a movie we can all relate to (maybe a bit too much).




Music:

Christmas Time is Here - Vince Guaraldi Trio from A Charlie Brown Christmas
O Tannenbaum - Vince Guaraldi Trio from A Charlie Brown Christmas

Shownotes:

24:40 - on Amazon Prime A Roadtrip for Ralphie
30:10 - video for Hot for Teacher by Van Halen
45:55 - article on Jane Krakowsi in A Christmas Story Live 
1:09:25 - A Christmas Story House Museum in Cleveland

SANTA BONUS:

When we hit 50 listens, Maxwell sent me some choice family photos

PODCAST: Dead White Girls in the Water - "Twin Peaks: Pilot" (1990) and "The River's Edge" (1986) - High School Movies with Laura and Ryan

Twin Peaks: Pilot
Watched:  10/12/2018
Format:  Amazon Prime Streaming
Viewing:  Unknown.  5th or so.
Decade:  1990's

River's Edge
Watched:  10/24/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming
Viewing:  5th or so
Decade:  1980's

Laura and Ryan's exploration of High School Movies takes a turn for the grim when they pick the topic of "Dead White Girls in the Water".  Join us as we talk the pilot to Twin Peaks (1990) and seminal 80's flick River's Edge (1986).  It's a look at two pieces of media where the death of a young woman means very different things, but maybe under the plastic, how and why they work means they have more in common than we think at first glance.





Music
Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno
River's Edge Theme - Jürgen Knieper - River's Edge Original Soundtrack
Laura Palmer's Theme - Angela Badalamenti - Twin Peaks Original Soundtrack
On Some Faraway Beach - Brian Eno


For more from the Signal Watch PodCast, including playlists, where to listen, etc...  Click Here



High School Movies w/ Maxwell and Ryan Playlist

Stage Show Watch: Gilda Live (1980)

Watched:  11/08/2018
Format:  DVR from TCM
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1980's

DISNEY HISTORY PODCAST: EPCOT - Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow! NathanC and Ryan talk about the park! Yesterday, today and tomorrow!

Walt Disney had a vision for an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, a city he'd build from scratch with businesses, living spaces, arts, science, universities, etc... And we got an amusement park. NathanC and Ryan delve into the history of EPCOT from concept to execution to today to tomorrow! Are we nostalgic for the future?
 

Music
Here Come the Warm Jets - Brian Eno
Innoventions - Future World - EPCOT park soundtrack
The Universe of Energy - EPCOT park soundtrack
Promise - Leaving EPCOT song - EPCOT park soundtrack
On Some Faraway Beach - Brian Eno


Disney History with NathanC

Halloween Watch: Monster Squad (1987)

Watched:  10/31/2018
Format:  Amazon Prime Streaming
Viewing:  6th or 10th
Decade:  1980's

I've written about Monster Squad (1987) before, so I won't cover it again this time around.  But after covering horror movies since about July in order to have PodCasts ready to go and then watching a lot of stuff once we hit October - the mix of classic monsters, scares, jokes, the 1980's and coming of age digging monsters all in one place seemed like a good way to put a button on my Halloween movie watch.

Now get out there and enjoy some perfect Stan Winston make-up and terrific monster performances by catching this movie if you haven't already.

Oh, and apparently this exists:

Halloween Watch: Elvira Mistress of the Dark (1988)

Watched:  10/29/2018
Format:  DVD
Viewing:  Unknown.  10th?
Decade:  so, so 1980's, and, yet, timeless


I still think this movie is hilarious.  I dunno - my sense of humor has always run sort of toward the "Bugs Bunny"/ Marx Bros. school of comedy, and so a movie about a wise-cracking horror movie host as fish-out-of-water in small-town uptight Massachusetts is more or less my sweet spot.  I like me some double-entendre, visual gags and Edie McClurg.

PODCAST! HALLOWEEN WATCH 2018 FINALE! "The Thing" (1982) w/ Jamie and Ryan

Watched:  09/30/2018
Format:  BluRay
Viewing:  Unknown.  Eighth?
Decade:  1980's

After 20 years of avoiding watching The Thing (1982) Jamie decides it's time to watch the movie and then get in front of a microphone. We discuss a modern horror classic, and what it's like to finally see a movie you've heard so much about (and maybe built up a bit in your imagination).



Music:

Bride of Frankenstein Theme - Franz Waxman
The Thing Main Titles - Ennio Morricone
Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft - The Carpenters
Swan Lake - Act 2: No. 10 Scene - Tchaikovsky


Playlists:

Featured:  Signal Watch Halloween 2018

• Amy and Ryan Watch 50 Shades!
• Bond Watch!  James Bond movie discussion
• Avengers Chronological Countdown w/ Jamie and Ryan
• Disney History w/ NathanC and Ryan
• High School Movies w/ Maxwell

Get your audio episodes at:

Halloween Wacky Watch: Beetlejuice (1988)

Watched:  10/21/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming
Viewing:  Unknown.  Fifth?
Decade:  1980's

What to say about Beetlejuice (1988) thirty years on? 

I didn't actually see the movie until sometime after 1995 when Jamie and I started dating and she realized I'd never seen it.  Which, honestly, it was weird I hadn't.  I liked Tim Burton a lot, as well as Michael Keaton, Catherine O'Hara and other parts of the film that I knew about. 

But now I've seen it a few times, and every time I like it more.  It's just good, chaotic fun with some great ideas that all work well on screen, fun performances and terrific FX. 

Anyway, I don't have a ton to add here.  You've all seen the film, and if you haven't, it's a good family film (if the kids are a bit older).  So, sit back and enjoy Michael Keaton before he became respectable, early career Alec Baldwin, and the wonder that is Geena Davis.  PLUS terrific appearances from Robert Goulet, Dick Cavett, Susan Kellermann, Sylvia Sidney, of course Winona Ryder, Glenn Shadix and Jeffrey Jones and O'Hara. 

Where Wolf? Watch: Wolfen (1981)

Watched:  10/19/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1980's


Well, I finally managed to watch Wolfen (1981) instead of The Howling.

PODCAST! HALLOWEEN EDITION! "Ghostbusters" (1984) with SimonUK, Jamie and Ryan

Watched:  09/10/2018
Format:  Alamo Ritz in 70mm
Viewing:  500th?
Decade:  1980s


After all hitting the local cinema, Jamie, SimonUK and Ryan talk "Ghostbusters" (1984). At this point, what IS there left to say? Somehow we managed to fill 50-odd minutes answering that question while only barely talking over each other. Who doesn't like "Ghosbusters"? Nobody good, that's who.
Playlists:

Featured:  Signal Watch Halloween 2018

• Amy and Ryan Watch 50 Shades!
• Bond Watch!  James Bond movie discussion
• Avengers Chronological Countdown w/ Jamie and Ryan
• Disney History w/ NathanC and Ryan
• High School Movies w/ Maxwell

Get your audio episodes at:

Halloween Watch: The Howling (1981)

Watched:  10/05/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming/ Shudder Network Trial
Viewing:  Third
Decade:  1980's

A TL;DR SPECIAL - Mind-Blown Watch: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1982)

Watched:  09/26/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1980's

People, for oh so many reasons, I am absolutely baffled and stunned by this movie.

Where to start...

Begin at the beginning, I suppose

Burt Memorial Watch: Cannonball Run II (1984)

suddenly I know where the Marvel movie poster strategy came from

Watched:  09/13/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming
Viewing:  Oh, who knows?
Decade:  1980s

Cannonball Run II (1984) is not a good movie.  But it is a fascinating movie and an extraordinary time capsule of a certain era as an old guard is mixed with a new guard of Hollywood to make a giant Looney Tunes movie directed by Hal Needham.

PODCAST! HIGH SCHOOL WATCH! John Hughes, no less! "Sixteen Candles" (1984) and "Pretty in Pink" (1986)

Watched:  Sixteen Candles 08/28/2018 & Pretty in Pink 08/31/2018
Format:  Amazon Streaming
Viewing:  Unknown.  A lot for both.
Decade:  1980's.  Obviously.  Duh.

Laura and Ryan return to high school movies and grapple with some of the difficulties in the narratives of Gen-X staple, John Hughes. We take a look at two Molly Ringwald-starring films, and try to sort out what the hell was going on in the 1980's when these movies were made, and what the movies were trying to do and say.





Get your audio episodes at:

Today is the 30th Anniversary of Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Peepshow"

According to Slicing Up Eyeballs, today marks the 30th Anniversary of the release of Peepshow by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Siouxsie and the Banshees | 'Peepshow' | Released 30 years ago today | @satb_official pic.twitter.com/FB48GBnqxQ

— Slicing Up Eyeballs (@slicingeyeballs) September 5, 2018

AMAZING WATCH: Streets of Fire (1984)

Watched:  09/04/2018
Format:  Austin Film Society screening with PaulT
Viewing:  Fifth?
Decade:  1980's

I think it's fair to say that Streets of Fire (1984) is one of those movies you either get behind or you do not.  Like, I'm not sure there's a lot of gray area in how people react to whatever it is this movie is serving up - but despite the fact that I am well aware that Streets of Fire is not a very good movie, I am also of the opinion that Streets of Fire is an amazing movie.

PODCAST! DISNEY WATCH! The Black Cauldron (1985)

Watched:  08/19/2018
Format:  DVD from San Antonio Public Library
Viewing:  First
Decade:  1980's


NathanC returns to discuss Disney in the 1980's! Ryan is kinda sick and grumpy! We talk Disney's 1985 misfire that "almost took down the studio". It's high fantasy adventure for the kiddies, but Disney's first foray into PG territory, all while Disney underwent corporate reshuffling!




Get your audio episodes at:

Happy Birthday, Madonna!

editor's note:  I thought I lost this post, but found an open tab with a draft still available I was able to copy and add to.  This isn't the original post that went out, but I - for the first time in years - accidentally erased that post when I clicked the wrong button.  

Apparently yesterday was the 60th Birthday of Madonna.

Here at The Signal Watch, we salute Madonna as the person who told us it is 100% okay to like pop music.  You will not lose your edge by enjoying Madonna.