Blast from the Past: Class of '84, The Movies

This will be my last Class of '84 edition of Blast from the Past for a while. But my 30th class reunion was this weekend, and I missed it. So, I've still got that year 30 years ago on my mind. There were actually quite a lot of very good movies in 1984, and of course, a lot of schlock. My list is mixture, and includes some of my favorites.

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street - Most horror franchises are fairly thin on plot, heavy on mayhem. This one, by Wes Craven, started strong, at least as strong as the original Halloween in style and impact. It remains one of my favorite films from that year, or any year. Plus: Johnny Depp!

2. Ghostbusters - The silly theme song sticks with you (even if it was a ripoff of a Huey Lewis number), but the movie is timeless. Oh, sure, it's clearly an 80s flick, but the humor is transcendent. It's one of Bill Murray's (and Harold Ramis' and Rick Moranis') best.


3. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - Yes, everyone thought this one was a weaker installment than Raiders of the Lost Ark. But they didn't know what was coming with Curse of the Crystal Skull, now, did they? I worked at a theater for this movie's entire run. I know every line. Harrison Ford is fantastic in it, and I don't care what anyone says, so was Kate Capshaw.

4. Supergirl - A flop, but a charming flop. Without it, we may not have had Helen Slater to kick around (and she was great in Ruthless People a couple of years later). Plus, you've got Faye Dunaway chewing the (cardboard) scenery, and dreamy Hart Bochner! It's time to revisit Kara Zor-El.



5. Gremlins - This is a very cute film, with a very cute puppet creature, and very cute leading actors of both sexes. Hard to top that. Plus, it's funny/gory. Maybe a first for that. My brother told me the story, line by line, and ruined it for me. But I won't do that to you, because I'm not a douche nozzle.

6. Top Secret! - By the same guys who did Airplane! and Police Squad!, this one spoofs cold war spy movies, war movies, Elvis movies, beach movies and The Blue Lagoon. Yes, it's kind of scattershot, but it's hilarious. It's in my top five all-time favorite comedies. And Val Kilmer was really great with his own singing and dancing. If you've never seen it, check it out.

7. The Terminator - Not nearly as slick and shiny as its immediate sequel, this one managed to grab you by the throat on a budget. Arnold Schwarzenegger found a role that he embodied perfectly.

8. Sixteen Candles - I came late to this one, which is odd, since I was part of the target audience. But when I finally got around to it, I did see the charm. And finally understood what "Long Duk Dong" was.



9. Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter - It was far from the final chapter. But it was--at the time--the best of the series, and the biggest money-maker as well. A notch above the rest of the sequels, but still just mindless fun. And hey, Crispin Glover!

10. Beverly Hills Cop - Eddie Murphy was only a smidge behind Michael Jackson in popularity in the early 80s. This film (with an assist from a very funny Bronson Pinchot) put Murphy further into orbit.



And that'll do it for the week, and for the topic for a while. Here's hoping this is a better week than last. Happy Monday!

Blast from the Past: Class of '84, Girl Groups & Duets!

I'm just about to wrap up my Class of '84 editions of Blast from the Past, and move on to other subjects. But I wanted to get the female-led bands before I quit. Problem is. . .I'm not sure I can scare up enough of that category from that year. But I'm going to give it a shot.

1. Head Over Heels by the Go-Go's - That apostrophe in there always bugged me, but I loved the band. It's hard to believe they really only had about five hit songs. This one is one of my favorites.
2. Cruel Summer by Bananarama - The girl band that refused to harmonize. And Venus was my favorite, but that came later. This was their first all-around hit in the states, though they were much bigger in England.



3. I'm So Excited by The Pointer Sisters - This may not be a band you'd think of when you think of 80s music. But they had a slew of hits around 1984.
4. The Men All Pause by Klymaxx - Never a favorite of mine, and this isn't one of their best anyway. But did I tell you this is a hard list to make?



5. The Warrior by Scandal featuring Patty Smyth - Yes! This was a monster hit, and huge on MTV. It looks silly now, but I guess you had to be there.

And here's where they run out. But I have someplace else to go that I didn't visit: The duets of 1984. And I know I can find five of those!

6. Say, Say, Say by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson - So big, it was the number 3 song of the year (after When Doves Cry by Prince and What's Love Got to Do With it? by Tina Turner. And this one was so much better then Mac & Jack's previous effort, The Girl is Mine.



7. Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer by Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes - I'm really glad I added duets, because this is one of my favorites. I love Kim Carnes for one thing, but the harmonies in this song just make this one great.
8. Yah Mo B There by James Ingram and Michael McDonald - One of the 80s' goofier song titles, enough to make a joke out of it in The 40 Year-Old Virgin.



9. Almost Paradise by Mike Reno and Ann Wilson - Loverboy and Heart meet to create a schmaltz-fest. I always sang, "Fuzzy pair of dice."
10. Islands in the Stream by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton - Kenny was busy in '84! And getting busy with hot blondes, apparently. This one was huge, and if it sounds kind of like a Bee Gees song, that's because they wrote it.



And there you have it, two categories for the price of one. As you can see, there was really some diversity going on in 1984, even if the girl bands aren't well represented. As I said, I'll take a break from this topic for a while, but before the year is out, I may revisit with different categories, and go over some choice acts I missed.

For now, I hope you had a great weekend. Happy Monday!

Blast from the Past: Class of '84, The Bands (Male Edition)

Since this is my 30th class reunion year (sorry, WYHS Class of '84, I can't make it), I'm continuing my theme of hit songs from that year, 30 years ago. I've got to wonder if these tunes strike the ears of kids today, like early rock and roll of the 1950s did to me.

1. New Moon on Monday by Duran Duran - Not one of their more enduring tunes, to be sure. But this was big that year.
2. Cum on Feel the Noize by Quiet Riot - It was a year that really mixed genres, and this song proves it.



3. Karma Chameleon by Culture Club - Can you imagine this song coexisting with the previous one today on the pop chart?
4. Say it Isn't So by Hall & Oates - This 70s band had a resurgence during my high school years, kind of like the next one.



5. You're the Inspiration by Chicago - As I said, groups don't get more 70s, but Chicago had a string of 80s hits. My best friend and I used to sing this to his car: "Your My Transportation. . ."
6. The Heart of Rock & Roll by Huey Lewis - This song was huge, but their zenith was The Power of Love, the next year, from the Back to the Future Soundtrack.



7. When You Close Your Eyes by Night Ranger- Squeeze the cheese.
8. Wrapped Around Your Finger by The Police - It wouldn't be long after this that Sting went permanently solo.



9. Owner of a Lonely Heart by Yes - I didn't realize until putting this list together, how many bands from earlier decades were having a resurgence. Yes was a big one.
10. Hold Me Now by Thompson Twins - Yeah, there was a girl in this group, but since they were a trio, and 2/3 men, they fit in this category. I love their stuff, from any year. But this may have been their biggest hit.



And, that will do it for this week guys. It's been a busy weekend, and is sure to be a busy week. Hang in there, and Happy Monday!

Blast from the Past: Class of 1984, the Men

As a further tribute to my graduating year, lo those thirty years ago, this week's Blast from the Past follows last week's The Women of '84 with The Men of '84. Not the bands, that comes later. These are the solo acts. As with last week's edition, though the stars themselves will be no surprise, not all of the songs will necessarily be the ones you expect.

1. I Would Die 4 U by Prince - The little purple dude had four hits in 1984, all from the film Purple Rain. Prince has had a long career, but these would be his glory days.
2. Thriller by Michael Jackson - I'd use a different song, given this ones ubiquity, but MJ was running out the clock on this album by '84, and had no other solo hits for a while. Plus there was that whole "head on fire" incident. But I couldn't leave this on off.



3. Rock Me Tonite by Billy Squier - Squier isn't maybe the first guy you'd think of from the '80s, but I've gotta tell ya, he was huge at my high school.
4. The Longest Time by Billy Joel - Joel's discography runs so long, it's easy to forget his early-'80s MTV phase.



5. Eyes Without a Face by Billy Idol - Who knew there were so many "Billys" in this grouping? And so very different from each other. Idol, certainly, is the most '80s of them.
6. Caribbean Queen by Billy Ocean - Obviously, I'm caught in a Billy wave.



7. Running with the Night by Lionel Ritchie - Ritchie gets overrun by Michael Jackson and Prince in our memories of 80s R&B-crossover artists (which is what they were back then), but he was huge in the early 80s.
8. Sad Songs (Say So Much) by Elton John - Back when he was straight. Heh.



9. Major Tom (Coming Home) by Peter Schilling - Had to put a one-hit wonder in here somewhere.
10. Blue Jean by David Bowie - I realized that I couldn't mention the last guy, and then leave off Bowie. It wasn't a big year for him, but he was kind of between hits.



And there you have it, I've hit my limit for the week. And I didn't even get around to John "Cougar" Mellencamp, Christopher Cross, John-freakin'-Lennon, Ray Parker Jr., Bruce-yeah, Bruce-Springsteen, Rick Springfield, Rod Stewart, Peabo Bryson, Corey Hart, Steve Perry, Dan Hartman, and so many others. Maybe a sequel is in order?

Meanwhile, happy Monday!

Al Franken Seeks Answers from Apple on iPhone and iPad Tracking

Images from source, TPM

So, Big Brother is Steve Jobs? I suppose it could be worse. I mean, he's something of a cult leader, I guess. And many of his legion of fans are kind of snobby and elitist. But it's better than finding out that it's Glenn Beck. 

[Excerpt]

Al Franken To Steve Jobs On iPhone Tracking: I Want Answers



Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) wants answers. After reports Wednesday that Apple's iPhones and iPads secretly store information of the user's location, Franken wrote Apple CEO Steve Jobs a strongly worded letter. . .
 
Read more at: Talking Points Memo

25 Years Ago Today: Karma Chameleon by Culture Club

I'm painfully aware that this year is my 25th high school class reunion. Yes, I'm from the infamous class of 1984, a banner year for music, thanks to MTV. Most of the music of the day is painfully dated today--though not all--but it is recorded in great detail. 1984 may have been the first year that every hit song had a video. MTV (born in 1981) no longer had to take just every video handed to them, they could pick and choose.



And they made a lot of stars far bigger than they ever would have been otherwise. Many acts, like Duran Duran, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and Pat Benatar may never have been quite as big without music video. No group was powered by video more than Culture Club. Boy George's gender-bending antics hit at exactly the right time, and his group's colorful videos set the tone for many videos (and popular trends) for the middle of the decade.

George O'Dowd (Boy's real name) has fallen on hard times of late. So, it is nice to remember the happier days, in fact of exactly 25 years ago, when Boy George and Culture Club hit #1 on the Billboard charts with Karma Chameleon. It is not--in my opinion--the best of his or their songs, but it is likely the most remembered.

So, Big Brother Has Been Watching!

This is a rather stunning exclusive report from Countdown with Keith Olbermann, regarding the Bush Administration's use of warrantless wiretaps, data mining, and various other surveillance techniques against ordinary Americans. Apparently all of us, all the time. It sounds fantastic, too epic in scope to be possible. But in his interview with Russell Tice, Olbermann has a real stunner of a story on his hands. Watch. . .

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Blast from the Past: The 1984 Television Season

Well, how about that? When I posted Blast from the Past: The 1983 Television Season last week, I marveled at the fact that somebody had posted the openings from so many shows from one season. As I said then, I tried the same thing with my VCR back in 1986. But there was more to be found at the YouTubes!

Somebody put together these clips from the 1984 TV season. That's the year I graduated high school, so I have a keener memory of some of these shows than in the intervening years. But even I don't remember all of them. Anybody remember Empire? How about The Master? Yeah, me neither! So, here we go, the shows of 1984. . .




Shows include, in this order: Masquerade, Lottery, Riptide, Empire, Legmen, The Master, Blue Thunder, TV Bloopers & Practical Jokes, The Four Seasons, Airwolf, Partners in Crime, Cover Up, Finders of Lost Loves, It's Your Move, St. Elsewhere, People Do The Craziest Things, Who's The Boss, Night Court, Knight Rider, Punky Brewster, E.R., Hot Pursuit, Mike Hammer, Diff'rent Strokes, Jessie, After MASH, Hawaiian Heat, Falcon Crest, Call To Glory, Charles in Charge, Dreams, Foul up Bleeps & Blunders, Three's A Crowd

Found on the Internets: Orwell for 2008

Image by Editor

Every once in a while, you find something on the internets that is too good not to share. While reading the comments section on Newshounds, regarding Alan Colmes discovery of his spine the other day, I found this incredibly simple but profound comment:

WAR IS PEACE.

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY.

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.

FOX IS NEWS.

Chuck Anziulewicz Homepage 08.13.08 - 10:54 am

And for those of you who have not read George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, please do so immediately.

Source: Newshounds

Keith Olbermann Takes Karl Rove to the Woodshed

Actually, all Keith does is point out Rove's lies, and basically laugh at him. Along with Arianna Huffington. For a supposedly "liberal mainstream media," it's rather odd that this is the only show on cable news to even approach this level of dissent against right-wing ideology. And ironically, all it takes is the truth. While I don't consider any particular person to be my hero, Keith Olbermann is quickly turning into an icon on cable news. Of course, his competition is slight. . .

White House Covers More Tracks

Photo from source, RawStory.com

Away we go again to the memory hole. If you've read George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-four (and if you haven't, get thee to the library immediately), you know that the memory hole is where the "party" puts information it wants to dispose of. Then, the dutiful scribes in the Ministry of Truth, like protagonist Winston Smith, rewrite history, to conform to the party's new "reality."

Ol' Winston would have been a busy man in the Bush Administration. And we thought these methods walked out the door with Karl Rove. Wishful thinking. . .

[Excerpt]

White House scrubs site in attempt to make office 'exempt'

The White House has scrubbed its Web site of evidence it has reversed its policies on allowing public access to information to which it is legally entitled. However, a source told RAW STORY that the scrub would have no legal implications.

Sometime over the weekend, White House computer technicians removed from government Web sites any references to the Office of Administration or its previous compliance with Freedom of Information Act requests.

Where visitors once just found information about how to file public records requests or view annual reports on the Office of Administration's FOIA compliance, the White House has appended the following admonition:

"The Office of Administration, whose sole function is to advise and assist the President, and which has no substantial independent authority, is not subject to FOIA and related authorities. However, these pages have been maintained due to the Presidential Records Act."

Read the rest (while you still can) at: RawStory.com

Terror Watch List: Excessive and Ineffective?

Image from source, RawStory.com

Well this is no surprise. When you get unfettered access to voluminous information, reviewing it all proves to be too large a task. Reason, logic and truth may prove to be problematic when running a campaign, but maybe it ought to be used in policy?

[Excerpt]

Terrorist watch list ineffective, prone to misuse, say privacy advocates

Questions have arisen over the United States government's use of its terrorist screening database, reports the Washington Post today.

While the database "flagged" people as suspected terrorists about 20,000 times in 2006, few were arrested or barred from entering the country as a result of being on the list.

Gathering data from an increasing number of resources, including airline data, government agencies use the database in situations such as a traffic stop or a border crossing. While the government has proven secretive on the individuals in the database and the data it has amassed, there are plans to share the data with "private sector groups."

Read the rest at: RawStory.com

More Big Brother: TSA Monitoring Body Language

No, this isn't a follow-up to my post on the TV version of Big Brother, but the Orwellian variety. Earlier, I ran a piece on technology being developed at the behest of the Department of Homeland Security that could read body language and facial expressions. Well, I guess they couldn't wait, because TSA agents are now being trained to do just that.

[Excerpt]

TSA agents watch suspicious body language

New airport agents have been trained to check for bad intentions in travelers' facial expressions.

BY KAITLIN DIRRIG

WASHINGTON -- Next time you go to the airport, there may be more eyes on you than you notice.

Specially trained security personnel are watching body language and facial cues of passengers for signs of bad intentions. The watcher could be the attendant who hands you the tray for your laptop or the one standing behind the ticket-checker. Or the one next to the curbside baggage attendant.

They're called behavior detection officers, and they're part of several recent security upgrades, Transportation Security Administrator Kip Hawley told an aviation industry group in Washington last month. He described them as ``a wonderful tool to be able to identify and do risk management prior to somebody coming into the airport or approaching the crowded checkpoint.''

Read more at: MiamiHerald.com

More Big Brother: US Buying Cameras for Cities

You know, I get it. I understand what the good parts of this sort of thing are. Catching bad guys, maybe even heading them off at the pass is a good thing.

But at what price? Is the Bill of Rights obsolete? How did this watchful eye of Big Brother become a pet cause of Conservatives--the very people who are supposed to be against an all-intrusive government? It's a topsy-turvy world.

[Excerpt]

US doles out millions for street cameras
Local efforts raise privacy alarms
By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff
August 12, 2007

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Homeland Security is funneling millions of dollars to local governments nationwide for purchasing high-tech video camera networks, accelerating the rise of a "surveillance society" in which the sense of freedom that stems from being anonymous in public will be lost, privacy rights advocates warn. . .

Read more at: Boston.com

Big Brother is Watching: For Real

Photo of George Orwell and 1984 excerpt from ThirdWorldTraveller.com

This is one of the creepiest news stories I have read in some time. According to the report, the government has scientists working on a device that can analyze human behavior--even facial expressions--to determine if a criminal or terrorist act is about to be committed.

The author of the piece likens it to the Tom Cruise movie, Minority Report, for its depiction of "future crimes." People in the film are arrested with tips from "precogs" who can see what crime people are going to commit in the future.

I liken the developments in this item more to George Orwell's 1984. When you combine the possible applications of this technology with the latitude the President has just been given in surveillance, this scenario from 1984 seems eerily possible. Read this excerpt to see if you agree:

"A Party member lives from birth to death under the eye of the Thought Police. Even when he is alone he can never be sure that he is alone. Wherever he may be, asleep or awake, working or resting, in his bath or in bed, he can be inspected without warning and without knowing that he is being inspected. Nothing that he does is indifferent. His friendships, his relaxations, his behavior toward his wife and children, the expression of his face when he is alone, the words he mutters in sleep, even the characteristic movements of his body, are all
jealously scrutinized. Not only any actual misdemeanor, but any eccentricity, however small, any change of habits, any nervous mannerism that could possibly be the symptom of an inner struggle, is certain to be detected. He has no freedom of choice in any direction whatever."

And now, the news story that freaked me out so much:

[Excerpt]

Security firms working on devices to spot would-be terrorists in crowd

Counter-terrorism experts have drawn up plans to develop an array of advanced technologies capable of spotting would-be terrorists in a crowd before they have time to strike.

Scientists and engineers have been asked to devise ways of analysing people's behaviour and physiology from afar, in the hope they may reveal clues about their mental state and even their future intentions.

Under Project Hostile Intent, scientists will aim to build devices that can pick up tell-tale signs of hostile intent or deception from people's heart rates, perspiration and tiny shifts in facial expressions.

The project was launched by the US department of homeland security with a call to security companies and government laboratories for assistance. . .

Read more at: Guardian.co.uk

Memory Hole: Iraq Benchmarks

If you've read George Orwell's 1984, you're familiar with the concept of the "memory hole." It is the recepticle in the Ministry of Truth where inconvenient truths are conveniently disposed of. During my sabbatical, I noticed a glaring, obvious example of the phenomenon. Do you remember the Iraq Report Card?

Initially, we were told this:

[Excerpt]

Report says zero benchmarks met by Iraq government

WASHINGTON - A draft report to Congress on the war will conclude that the U.S.-backed government in Iraq has met none of its targets for political, economic and other reform, speeding up the Bush administration's reckoning on what to do next, a U.S. official said Monday.

One likely result of the report will be a vastly accelerated debate among President Bush's top aides on withdrawing troops and scaling back the U.S. presence in Iraq.

The "pivot point" for addressing the matter will no longer be Sept. 15, as initially envisioned, when a full report on Bush's so-called "surge" plan is due, but instead will come this week when the interim mid-July assessment is released, the official said.

Read more at: Journal & Courier


Then, we were told this:

[Excerpt]

Bush presents a mixed report on Iraq progress

WASHINGTON: Asking for patience with what he called "an ugly war," President George W. Bush on Thursday presented a mixed progress report on Iraq, with some military advances offset by persistent violence and halting movement toward political reconciliation.

In a news conference focused on the 25-page progress report issued Thursday, he said the Iraqi government had shown progress on only 8 of 18 "benchmarks" set by Congress, but that there was sufficient forward motion to give "cause for optimism." He also warned Congress against pursuing efforts to limit his war-fighting powers.

Read more at: International Herald Tribune

The news media quickly dropped the first story, and dutifully reported the White House spin practically verbatim. Are we that stupid? Forgetful?

This is sadly only one example of the phenomenon.

Jeepers Freepers!

I've written small blurbs about the far-right blog, Free Republic before, but it is time I said a little more on them, and why I think they are worth discussing. It is one of the most popular political blogs, and also one of the most influential. And that is what scares me!

Free Republic is sort of the blog equivalent to right wing radio, without the "dump" button. I am compelled to check in on the site every once in a while, by the same masochistic impulse that drives me to watch or listen to Sean Hannity on occasion. On one hand, it gets my blood pumping, and inspires me to write here, on the other, it lets me know what the "enemy" is up to. And make no mistake, if you are a liberal/progressive/Democrat, you will absolutely feel like you are their enemy. The people who post there like to thump their chests about their love for America, but that love simply does not translate to any love for the left half of the American populace. In fact, if you are to the left of Ann Coulter the FReepers will practically declare you an enemy combatant.

I quite simply have never encountered a web site (short of one run by Rev. Phelps) that dripped with as much venom toward whatever it is that they're energized against. If you've ever read George Orwell's 1984, you've had your blood chilled by the children who turned in their parents for disloyalty to the party. Well, Orwell's kids have grown up since 1984, and they're all FReepers now. There is no liberal cause they won't assail, and no conservative indiscretion that they won't excuse or flat out ignore.


FReepers would tell you that left-wing sites, like DailyKos and Democratic Underground are just as vitriolic, and rabidly partisan, but I disagree. Any well travelled blog, particularly political ones, will attract some foam-at-the-mouth participants. But nothing compares (that I've seen) to FR, in this regard. As I said in a previous post, if you go to their site, and click on their Homosexual Agenda link (for example), you'll get a good sampling of just how nasty a FReeper is. And shockingly ill-informed, immature, and oh so many other negative adjectives.

I hate to even encourage people to go there, as it will raise ad revenue for them, but I think a visit would be illuminating to many. To give you an impression of what sort of person you'll be dealing with over there, let me share with you a graphic that pops up regularly on their site, as a header for their gushing White House Press Conference threads. If this doesn't illuminate a frightening attraction to power; a demented need to belong, I'm really not sure what else would. . .

When I first saw this picture, I couldn't help but marvel at just who some people are willing to be groupies for! To say nothing of what sort of mindset would encourage a graphic artist to create such a thing. Can you picture someone creating the same title card for Dee Dee Myers? 'Nuff said. . .