Stuck in the '80s | John Hughes movies, retro-music and big hair

Rod Stewart's 'Missing You' ... wait! what?!?

2009-11-22T11:16:47-05:00

Missing You is one of those songs you can't hear enough. John Waite gets a lifetime pass in my book for this tune. But I'm not sure what to think of Rod Stewart's cover version, which I discovered accidentally today on YouTube.

Stewart recorded it for his 2006 covers album Still The Same ... Great Rock Classics of Our Time. But it lacks the gut-shredding angst that Waite inserts into his version. (And yes, I also am a fanatic for his duet version with Alison Krauss, even though it takes on more of a love-song attitude.)

So here's my theory: Rod Stewart should not be allowed to record any more cover albums until he produces another half dozen albums of original work. That'll keep the Young Turk busy for a while. Am I wrong?

Simply Red? Mr. Mister? Wham!?! Help pick the Horrible Hits of 1986

2009-11-21T09:33:44-05:00

Now that our glorious Carl Weathers podcast is in the books, we're turning our attention to the next installment of our "horrible hits" franchise. The year we're up to? 1986.

I know what you're thinking: "Oh, we're past the early '80s, this must be easier now." No! No again, I tell you. And that's why we want your input.

Help us name the horrible hits of 1986. Here's how you do it. Click here to see a list of the top 100 songs of the year. Any of these songs qualify. Why? Because they must be a "hit" to be a horrible hit. (No fair just picking the B-side or some Ratt single.) Then leave us a comment below. Feel free to add your justification.

Remember, these are songs that maybe we liked in 1986, but we can't really stand now. Oh hell, maybe you hated them back them too.

Here are five that would make my personal list:

That's What Friends Are For (Dionne Warwick, Elton John, and Gladys Knight): Maybe I liked it the first 200 times I heard it. Sadly it took just a week for FM radio to get to that mark.

Kyrie (Mr. Mister): I'm just not a fan of the band, though I know some people continue to swoon over their hits. Somebody explain why!

Greatest Love of All (Whitney Houston): Poor Whitney. Just can't catch a break. I see a whole new world of opportunity though waiting for her ... as the new K-Tel Records spokeswoman.

I'm Your Man (Wham!): Was this the last hit by George and Andrew? Lord I hope so.

Holding Back the Years (Simply Red): Brings back bad memories of an excellent Mexican restaurant on Duval Street in Key West. Fantastic food, but they were playing the box set (if one exists) of Simply Red. Simply excruciating.

Add your picks below. Don't blame me though if the earworms of the '80s ruin your weekend.

Carl Weathers wants YOU ... to listen to his interview on Stuck in the '80s

2009-11-20T08:35:58-05:00

If you wonder what Carl Weathers' most memorable moment was in the Rocky franchise, just look up above. It was in in Rocky 4. Click here and listen to find out why. Or click here to get all our shows for free via iTunes.

Dueling Christmas movie marathons: 'A Christmas Story' vs. 'Dirty Dancing'

2009-11-19T14:08:19-05:00

The Christmas morning tradition of opening up big gift boxes full of roller skates, parachute pants and Atari games has long since been retired. But if you want to have a totally tubular holiday, all you need do it turn on the television.

And this Christmas, you actually have an interesting choice of two movie marathons: TBS's 24 straight hours of A Christmas Story (beginning Christmas Eve). Or 12 straight hours of Dirty Dancing on the TV Guide Network, starting at noon Dec. 25.

Dirty Dancing for Christmas? Somewhere, in the great beyond, even the late Patrick Swayze is shaking his head in wonderment. And while it's nice to have a choice between two '80s classics, I'm not sure how Dirty Dancing's abortion storyline and will play in front of the family that afternoon.

My suggestion: Set the kids up in front of one TV turned to TBS and let them discover the joys of Ralphie. Let the moms gather in another room to get all teary for Johnny Castle and Baby. Men, follow me to the den. I have Scrooged and Christmas Vacation on DVD.

Super Mario Bros. theme song ... as played by a death metal band

2009-11-19T07:17:53-05:00

Normally things from the '80s don't get better in the remake process. But the castle theme from Super Mario Bros. -- composed in 1985 -- did need an update. Thanks to death-thrashers Nylithia, we have one.

We think Princess Toadstool would make a worthy groupie too.

[Head bob to The Daily What]

People's sexiest men alive ... in the '80s

2009-11-18T13:16:20-05:00

People magazine today dubbed Johnny Depp (21 Jump Street!) as its "Sexiest Man Alive" for 2009. That's all well and good, but we're stuck in the '80s.

So who did People dub as the sexiest men alive in the '80s? I can give you half the list, since the magazine began the annual coronation in 1985 with none other than Mad Max!

MEL GIBSON (1985): Remember when Mad Mel just made great movies? Beyond Thunderdome! Tequila Sunrise! Lethal Weapon! We even get teary at The Bounty. Still, Mel told People back in '85 he felt uneasy as a celebrity, saying, "It's all happening too fast."

MARK HARMON (1986): We'd like to say it was for Summer School, but the former UCLA quarterback-turned actor didn't do that flick until 1987. Instead, he caught attention in '86 for his work on St. Elsewhere and Moonlighting. He still burns up the small screen today on NCIS.

HARRY HAMLIN (1987): Forget L.A Law -- to us Hamlin will always be Perseus in Clash of the Titans. (Okay, okay. We were addicted to L.A. Law too.) "Certainly when I look in the mirror, I don't get turned on,'' he told People in '87. ''It's not something I spend a lot of time considering."

JOHN F. KENNEDY JR. (1988): Yes, once upon a time, you could actually make People's list without being an actor. Imagine that. JFK Jr. was just 27 when he landed on People's list. At the time, People chose to quote model Audra Avizienis, who had dated the JFK's son, "He has this quiet sadness. There's something pensive and sad about him." Indeed, it all ended in sadness on July 16, 1999.

SEAN CONNERY (1989): Hey, James Bond, what are you prepared to do?!? Give us a break. Connery was sooo much cooler as Jimmy Malone in The Untouchables, always ready to bring a gun to a knife fight. In '89, Connery was almost 60 years old. People quoted his memorable reaction: "For once, I'm speechless. It'll all be downhill from here!''

See the covers from every year here.

Jabba the Hutt as a cake? It'll take more than Jedi powers to stomach this

2009-11-18T08:52:52-05:00

This cake-maker is my kind of scum: fearless and inventive.

[Wave of the light saber to Pop Candy, Walyou and Geekstir]

Have mercy, 'Full House' fans! John Stamos finally on Hollywood Walk of Fame

2009-11-17T12:23:24-05:00

John Stamos finally can get a full night's sleep; the co-star of Full House has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ceremony took place Monday.

Wait! Maybe he got the star for playing Blackie on General Hospital. Dr. Tony Gates on ER maybe? No matter.

"John's mother and sisters were in attendance as he dedicated the star to his father who died in 2001," Examiner.com reports. "Stamos graciously thanked all of his 'heroes' for coming out to support him at the ceremony including members of The Beach Boys and Jack Klugman, who he called 'one of the greatest actors of our generation.' "

If you want to see Stamos these days, head to Broadway, where's co-starring in Bye Bye Birdie with Gina Gershon. Better hurry though. The reviews aren't great. (We still love ya, Uncle Jesse!)

[Getty Images photo]

Happy birthday, Louie: Danny DeVito turns 65

2009-11-17T11:12:43-05:00

Danny DeVito is one of the lucky ones. Still going strong decades after he first caught people's attention as Martini in 1975's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, DeVito was a god in the '80s. And even today, he continues to amaze on TV's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Sure, Danny's taken some good-natured lumps lately after at least one less-than-alert interview. (Is there a law against "talking under the influence of Lemoncello?") But we forgive him, because like Dudley Moore in Arthur, it's so damn funny. (Even though my dad once cautioned me to never laugh at comedies based on alcohol abuse. I think that was the same night we both split our spleens wide open watching Animal House. But I digress.)

BTW, my ultimate guilty pleasure DeVito flick? It's actually the 1984 made-for-cable movie called The Ratings Game, in which DeVito plays a trucking magnate who wants to get into the TV sitcom business. It was the first movie commissioned by Showtime and first movie DeVito would direct (and the one where he met future wife Rhea Perlman, I believe.)

DeVito hits a big birthday milestone today, turning 65 years old. If he doesn't celebrate with an ice-cold bottle of the sweet, yellow hooch, I'll be crushed.

TOP 5 DANNY DEVITO ROLES OF THE '80s:

4. OWEN (Throw Momma From The Train): "At least meet her. Maybe she'd be someone you'd like to kill."

4. RALPH (Romancing the Stone): "Uh, odio, er... ah... americanos, uh... I spit on 'em, ptuh! I hate americanos, they're scumo! Scum!"

3. VIC DE SALVO (The Ratings Game): "I didn't make a move on you for four days. If that isn't love, I don't know what is."

2. SAM STONE (Ruthless People): "Muffy, meet Adolph. Adolph, EAT MUFFY!"

1. LOUIE DE PALMA (Taxi): "Whenever I hear the word 'marriage,' I say, 'Check, please!' "

Must-see flicks outside the '80s: Get Shorty, Hoffa, L.A. Confidential, The Rainmaker

MTV 'Remote Control' host Ken Ober dies

2009-11-16T17:38:24-05:00

Sad news from MTV: Longtime Remote Control host Ken Ober has died. He was 52. The cause of his death is not yet known.

Starting in 1987, Ober hosted five seasons of Remote Control, a quiz show that tested contestants' pop-culture knowledge. The show was seemingly set in Ober's home basement, with contestants sitting on La-Z-Boy chairs -- food and drinks in front of them -- as they answered Ober's questions.

Ober's manager, Lee Kernis, told the New York Times that Ober was found dead on Sunday. "He said that Mr. Ober was last heard from on Saturday night, when he spoke to a friend and complained of a headache and flu-like symptoms," the Times says. "Mr. Ober told the friend that he was going to take something and would see a doctor as soon as possible."

Adam Sandler, Denis Leary and Colin Quinn also co-starred on Remote Control over the years.

[Getty Images photo]

It's Urgent: Foreigner to play Ruth Eckerd Hall on Jan. 15

2009-11-16T16:10:04-05:00

Sorry about the headline. Another earworm for a Monday. But it's important news so I went with the obvious song-title cliche: Foreigner is set to play Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall on Jan. 15.

Eddie Money is the special guest. (About time. It's been maybe a year since we last saw Eddie. He doesn't write. He doesn't call.)

Foreigner's gig looks like it's part of a short, weather-friendly winter tour by the band. Click here to check for dates closer to you.

Tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 20. Prices are $85.00, $59.50 and $49.50, but that's a small price to hear Foreigner's classics live. And of course that means the obligatory top 5 list.

TOP 5 HIGHEST CHARTING FOREIGNER SONGS:

5. URGENT (1981): "I'm not looking for a love that will last. I know what I need and I need it fast."

4. HOT BLOODED (1978): "Now it's up to you, we can make a secret rendezvous. Just me and you, I'll show you lovin' like you never knew."

3. DOUBLE VISION (1978): "My mind is racing, but my body's in the lead."

2. WAITING FOR A GIRL LIKE YOU (1981): "It feels so right, so warm and true. I need to know if you feel it too."

1. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS (1984): "In my life there's been heartache and pain. I don't know if I can face it again."

Gift ideas for '80s fans: A holiday album from Pet Shop Boys

2009-11-16T11:46:20-05:00

Pet Shop Boys will release a Christmas-themed album on Dec. 14 entitled -- big surprise here -- Christmas.

Contactmusic.com says the album will have five tracks -- including some originals and some covers. RemembertheEighties.com says the lead single will be called It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas. One cover song will be the Madness classic My Girl.

Meanwhile, Pet Shop Boys can celebrate another milestone this holiday season. According to Billboard.com, PSB has their 10th No. 1 hit among duos or groups on dance/club chats with Did You See Me Coming? That's top among any act. Depeche Mode is second with eight chart-toppers.

Here are Pet Shop Boy's No. 1 tunes:.

1986: West End Girls
1988: What Have I Done to Deserve This (with Dusty Springfield)
1993: Can You Forgive Her?
1993: Go West
1996: Before
1997: To Step Aside
1999: New York City Boy
2001: Break 4 Love (Peter Rauhofer + Pet Shop Boys = the Collaboration)
2009: Love Etc.
2009: Did You See Me Coming?

Monday earworm: Time to get 'Naughty Naughty' one last time

2009-11-16T06:04:14-05:00

John Parr's Naughty Naughty: brilliantly subtle satire on the complicated sexual themes of decades gone by? Or justa fun song to sing in the shower before a long Friday night of swilling Natty Light?

Parr's first big hit (and uncomfortable MTV video) was one of the Top 10 Guilty Pleasure Songs of the '80s. And for good reason. The hair, the chorus, the Shakespearean lyrics. (Click here to read our full list. Or click here to listen to the Guilty Pleasures podcast.)

Parr, meanwhile, is still out there, doing the whole rock thing in front of fans who would never call his music a guilty pleasure.

A People's Court birthday: Judge Wapner turns 90!

2009-11-15T10:51:09-05:00

Looking back, why did any of us watch The People's Court? Give it credit though for perhaps being the first reality show of any kind. At least the very first courtroom reality show.

The People's Court began in 1981 and run to 1993 -- more than 2,000 episodes.

Everyone had their favorite "characters." There's the announcer Jack Harrell. Legal consultant Harvey Levin. Courtroom reporter Doug Llewelyn. My favorite, Rusty the bailiff.

But we can't let today pass without recognizing our favorite judge. Joseph Wapner was a WW2 veteran, University of Southern California law school grad and even reportedly briefly dated Lana Turner. He served as a judge in L.A. for 20 years before being tapped as the original star of The People's Court. Afterward, he went to Animal Planet for Judge Wapner's Animal Court. (Sorry I missed that one.)

Though he's retired from any full-time TV jobs, you can still see Judge Wapner on the tube from time to time, making cameos on other reality shows and as a pitchman. And today, he turns 90 years old.

Happy birthday, Judge Wapner. We sentence you to 24 hours of cake, cards and candles. Case dismissed.

Subway's Jared commited to a diet of '80s classics

2009-11-14T09:08:17-05:00

Get ready for this: Subway sandwiches diet-hero Jared Fogle is an expert/mega-fan of the '80s.

Sure, Jared's just 31 years old. But the man lives and breathes '80s music, especially when burning off those six-inch veggie subs. Since Jared was in Tampa this week to promote Saturday's Heart Walk at Raymond James Stadium, I laid down a challenge:

Jared, give me your ultimate '80s exercise playlist -- 12 songs that say "Let's get physical."

He delivered. Here's the list, straight from the king of responsible eating.

1. Photograph, Def Leppard
2. Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Tears for Fears
3. Always Something There to Remind Me, Naked Eyes
4. Hold Me Now, Thompson Twins
5. Here I Go Again, Whitesnake
6. We Built This City, Starship
7. Synchronicity, Police
8. Love in an Elevator, Aerosmith
9. Don’t Stop Believin’, Journey
10. Money for Nothing, Dire Straits
11. Say It Isn't So, Hall & Oates
12. PYT, Michael Jackson

It's not too late to join the Heart Walk. The Tampa Bay Start! Heart Walk is a 3-mile walk starting at Raymond James Stadium benefiting the American Heart Association. A 1-mile course is also available. 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday. Raymond James Stadium. Free, though donations are appreciated.

Missing Persons lead singer Dale Bozzio in jail

2009-11-13T10:54:29-05:00

Dale Bozzio, lead singer of Missing Persons, turned herself in to authorities in New Hampshire and was jailed Thursday on animal cruelty charges, TMZ reports. (Click the link to see her jail mugshot.)

This item feels awful to write. I spent a few hours hanging out with Dale backstage before the 2008 Regeneration Tour and I love her music. It's much easier to report the shenanigans of Boy George and George Michael, two guys I'll probably never meet in person.

TMZ says Bozzio was sentenced to 90 days in jail and 250 hours of community service after authorities found sick and dead cats inside of her home.

Failed 'Risky Business' dance routines: "Time of your life, eh kid?"

2009-11-13T09:54:51-05:00

Most of us learned a long time ago that we can't dance like Tom Cruise in Risky Business. But those who don't learn from history are doomed to ... slam their heads into hardwood floors.

My two favorite parts of the video (aside from the obvious concussion-rendering fall): Laying out the blanket as first aid, and the look on the survivor's face as she turns off the video camera.

Click here to see more failed Risky Business dance routines. [Hat tip to Whitney at Pop Candy.]

The Who to play Super Bowl halftime? You better you bet

2009-11-12T15:04:35-05:00

Year after year of '80s acts playing the Super Bowl halftime show had to come to an end. And it has. Sorta. The Who will the entertainment this season when Super Bowl XLIV hits Miami on Feb. 7, according to media reports.

By "The Who," of course, we mean just surviving members Roger Daltrey (who plays Ruth Eckerd Hall on Nov. 30) and Pete Townshend. So much for "hope I die before I get old." At least they cranked out a couple great albums in the '80s -- Face Dances and It's Hard.

The Who is an odd pick. Usually a halftime entertainer has a new album to promote -- that's the only reason we got Bruce Springsteen earlier this year in Tampa. There is talk that a new Who album is due in 2010, so we'll see.

(By the way, rumor had it that Bon Jovi was the first pick by Super Bowl organizers, according to Yahoo sports. Who'd you rather see: The Who or Jovi? I'm sticking with The Who.)

Meanwhile, time to turn to the time-honored tradition of picking which songs The Who will play for halftime. I'm assuming Won't Get Fooled Again is a given. Assuming the boys get four songs, what other three need to be on the playlist?

TOP 5 FAVORITE WHO SONGS FROM THE '80s:

5. EMINENCE FRONT: Video

4. IT'S HARD: Live version

3. DON'T LET GO THE COAT: Live performance

2. ATHENA: Listen

1. YOU BETTER YOU BET: Live performance

[Times file photo]

Another stake in the heart of the '80s: 'Fright Night' remake coming

2009-11-12T13:20:56-05:00

Wanna see something really scary? Hollywood is set to remake the 1985 horror comedy Fright Night.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Mad Men writer-producer Marti Noxon will write the remake for DreamWorks. That's somewhat of a relief since Noxon cut her fangs, so to speak, as a writer on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. THR says "the new version will keep the comedy-horror tone while modernizing the effects." Oh thank you.

No word on who'd star in the remake -- Chris Sarandon, Roddy McDowall and William Ragsdale were in the original -- but safe to assume it'll be a bunch of somewhat trendy TV stars from shows that we all should be watching but don't because we're too busying watching the John Cusack movie marathon on AMC.

Seriously, is nothing sacred, Hollywood? Why not get Judd Apatow to remake E.T. while they're at it? Have Michael Cera play "Elliot" and Ellen Page play "Gertie." And instead of Reese's Pieces, the alien just quaffs Tic-Tacs to get those bicycles flying over the moon.

TOP 5 MEMORABLE LINES FROM FRIGHT NIGHT:

5. "I am Peter Vincent, vampire killer!"

4. "Apparently your generation doesn't want to see vampire killers anymore, nor vampires either. All they want to see slashers running around in ski masks, hacking up young virgins."

3. "Mmm mmm! His dinner... is in the oven!"

2. "Kill me. Kill me, Charley... before I turn into a vampire, and... GIVE YOU A HICKEY!"

1. "Welcome to Fright Night! For real."