These montages often feature the characters getting to know each other, learning to do something, working together to accomplish something or participating in some sort of athletic competition. Oddly, the montage often builds a positive emotional response as it works it magic in many cases leaving you feeling inspired, happy or pumped up at the end.

Other than in some sports movies, you really don't see that many montages used anymore. I thought I would go back and give you some of my favorite montages from 80s movies. For most of them I was able to find a video link to allow you to watch them. I will also list the song used during each montage as well. Hope you enjoy them.

Here is OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 MONTAGES FROM 80s MOVIES (+ Bonus 10):

20. Staying Alive (1983) - Song: "Far From Over" by Frank Stallone (yep, Sly's brother) - Dancing seems to be good for montages (as you will see on this list) and the sequel to 1977's Saturday Night Fever which stars John Travolta does not disappoint. [link to video]

19. Back to School (1986) - Song: instrumental - Rodney Dangerfield stars as "Thornton Melon" who is a millionaire who goes back to college to be with his son and thinks he can just buy his way to a degree. That does not work and he is forced to pass oral exams for every subject or be expelled. He has little time to prepare for the exams and, with the help of his son and friends, has to cram all of his studying into a short amount of time. Perfect opportunity to use a montage. Unfortunately, I could not find a video link to this particular montage scene.

18. Scarface (1983) - Song: "Scarface (Push It To the Limit)" by Paul Engemann - This montage happens early in this film as "Tony Montana" played by Al Pacino is really beginning to see some success and riches. Everything might not be as good as it seems. [link to video]

17. Look Who's Talking (1989) - Song: "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" by The Beach Boys - Another device that a montage can be used for is for aging. In this film starring John Travolta and Kirstie Alley, little "Mikey" (voiced by Bruce Willis) ages at least an entire year if not more during the course of this one song. [link to video]

16. Valley Girl (1983) - Song: "I Melt With You" by Modern English - Yet another use for the montage is during a couple dating and/or getting to know each other. In this film, a montage is used during the courtship between "Julie" played by Deborah Foreman and "Randy" played by Nicolas Cage (in his first film not billed as Nicolas Coppola). This is a great scene, but unfortunately I could not find a video link to this montage either.

15. The Secret of My Success (1987) - Song: "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina & the Waves - There are several montages used in this movie which stars Michael J. Fox as "Brantley Foster" and his alter-ego "Carlton Whitfield." The one that I am featuring here shows Fox's character establishing his "Carlton Whitfield" persona. [link to video]

14. Over the Top (1987) - Song: "Winner Takes It All" by Sammy Hagar - This film stars Sylvester Stallone as truck driver "Lincoln Hawk" who is forced to win an arm wrestling tournament in order to get custody of his son. A montage is used to summarize the results of multiple arm wrestling matches. An interesting bit of trivia is that John Wetton, lead singer of the rock group Asia, originally sang "Winner Takes It All" for the movie, but after performing the song, it was felt that his voice wasn't "mean" enough, so the song was then offered to Sammy Hagar, whose version ended up being the one on the soundtrack. [link to video]

13.(tie) One Crazy Summer (1986) - Song: instrumental - and Summer Rental (1985) - Song: "Turning Around" by Jimmy Buffett - I put these two montages together because both of them include fixing up a boat that will be used in a big regatta in the effort to defeat a jerk. Summer Rental stars John Candy, but I unfortunately could not find a video link to this montage. One Crazy Summer stars John Cusack and Demi Moore and I was able to find a video that included this montage. [link to video]

12. Better Off Dead (1985) - Song: "Like To Get To Know You Well" by Howard Jones - This montage features "Lane Meyer" played by John Cusack and "Monique" played by Diane Franklin fixing up his broken down 1967 Camaro which in turn gives him his confidence again. The couple starts to have feelings for each other as well. Again, unfortunately I could not find a video link to this montage scene either.

11. The Breakfast Club (1985) - Song: "Fire In The Twilight" by Wang Chung - This is one of my very favorite films of the 80s and it, too, has a montage in it. There is a scene where the group is sneaking through the school hallways trying to avoid the principal. Unfortunately, I could not find a video link to this montage, but there will be video links for the entire top 10.

10. Dirty Dancing (1987) - Song: "Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen - This is one of the more memorable scenes from this film where "Johnny" played by Patrick Swayze is teaching "Baby" played by Jennifer Grey how to dance and a romance begins to develop. This is not necessarily one of my personal favorites, but thought it deserved this spot on the list. [link to video]

9. Ghostbusters (1984) - Song: "Ghostbusters" by Ray Parker Jr. - This montage shows the Ghostbusters climb to success and media popularity. The montage includes several media exposures which imply the major level of importance the guys have reached. The actual montage scene begins at about the 4:00 mark of the video link included here. [link to video]

8. Real Genius (1985) - Song: "I'm Falling" by Comsat Angels - This is one of my favorite teen comedies of the 80s and it includes a couple montages. One is when "Mitch" played by Gabriel Jarret is taught by "Chris" played by Val Kilmer that it is okay to work hard, but to not burn himself out too bad.[link to video]

7. Teen Wolf (1985) - Song: "Way To Go" by Mark Vieha - This movie uses one long montage after Michael J. Fox's character "Scott Howard" first turns into a wolf during a basketball game and then as he becomes popular at school as a result. They don't get much more cheesier than this one, but it is still a classic. The actual montage begins at about the 3:00 mark of the video link and it also switches to color at that time as well. [link to video]

6. Breakin' (1984) - Song: "Ain't Nobody" by Chaka Khan & Rufus - Another learning to dance montage as "Ozone" and "Turbo" teach "Kelly" the finer points of break dancing. This movie is pretty cheesy from start to finish, but the dancing is smooth. I have always been a big fan of this particular song as well. [link to video]

5. The Naked Gun (1988) - Song: "I'm Into Something Good" by Herman's Hermits - Similar to Valley Girl, this montage follows the courtship of characters "Frank Drebin" played by Leslie Nielsen and "Jane" played by Priscilla Presley as they begin to fall in love with each other. The only difference is this montage has that touch of Zucker Brothers silly comedy mixed in. [link to video]

4. Footloose (1984) - Song: "Let's Hear It For the Boy" by Deniece Williams - Yet another learning to dance montage with "Ren" played by Kevin Bacon bringing his big city dancing to this small town. He tries to teach his new friend "Willard" played by Chris Penn some rhythm before the senior prom. Classic 80s montage if there ever was one. [link to video]

3. Revenge of the Nerds (1984) - Song: "One Foot in Front of the Other" by Bone Symphony - The nerds find themselves a new house to live, but it needs a little work (well, maybe a lot of work). The guys roll up their sleeves and use a little elbow grease to turn the house into their new home. What better than a montage to take days worth of work and condense down to a 2 minute scene? [link to video]

2. The Karate Kid (1984) - Song: "The Best Around" by Joe Esposito - There are a few montages in this great 80s classic starring Ralph Macchio as "Daniel LaRusso" trying to stand up to the bullies in his new town and finding balance in his own life. This montage is used to condense almost the entire Karate tournament down to a 3 minute sequence. If you don't get pumped up when you hear this song, something is definitely wrong with you. [link to video]

1.(tie) Rocky III (1982) - Song: "Gonna Fly Now" composed by Bill Conti - and Rocky IV (1985) - Songs: "Training Montage" by Vince DiCola & "Hearts on Fire" by John Cafferty - Nobody does the training montage any better than the Rocky films. It is technically from 1979 or else you could also include the montage from Rocky II [link to video]. Rocky III features a montage as "Apollo Creed" helps train "Rocky" for his rematch against "Clubber Lang. This montage culminates in the foot race on the beach which demonstrates just how far "Rocky" has come. [link to video]

Rocky IV features a few excellent montages. There is one I am not even really counting which is "Rocky" sorting out his thoughts while he drives his car set to Robert Tepper's "No Easy Way Out." The montages that I am really counting are the training montages (which you can watch both in the video here) that show "Rocky" accomplishing the same results using natural methods compared to "Drago" using steroids and technology. They truly don't get any better than these. [link to video]

There's my list. I am sure there might be some that I missed, but these are the ones that came to mind over the several months I took to compile this list. If I missed any that you remember, please be sure to leave them in the comments section below. This was a fun topic for me, so I hope you had fun remembering some of these cheesy, but lovable, moments from 80s movies too.

That will conclude this special issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks much for reading. If you are interested in reading more of my 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. If you are interested in reading more of my Top 10 lists, please click there for a summary. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: Speaking of montages, here is a video I came across which gives you a fast moving montages of all kinds of different 80s memories. This includes music, movies, television, fashion, toys and anything else that came from that great decade. I enjoyed it very much and wanted to share it with all of you...

Quote of the day: "A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination." -Nelson Mandela

Spandau Ballet Is Back! A Message From John Keeble

To cut a long story short...Spandau Ballet is back!
After a hiatus (a discontinuity in the age of rock strata ... ed ) of almost twenty years, we shall once again be prowling the world's largest stages.

I bought a ticket to the world
And now I've come back again...

The pathway to Reformation has been long and challenging.
There have been many heroes along the way.
They all know who they are...

All that really matters however, at this point in time, is that we find ourselves tremendously excited and consumed by the prospect of a Spandau Ballet World tour.

Only a few weeks ago the five of us placed ourselves together in a rehearsal studio for the first time in nearly two decades.
As ever it was so, I counted to four and what happened next surprised even the most optimistic of participants...
The very, very loud noise immediately sounded like a band...
Not any band...
This band.
Spandau Ballet.
Game on...
Everything from that point on was really quite simple.
All we need now is an audience...

Looking forward to seeing you all at some time on this Journey to Glory.
Keep on Rockin'
Peace and Love
John Keeble

Keeble is the drummer from the band who also included Tony Hadley (vocals & synthesizer), Gary Kemp (lead guitar & keyboards), Martin Kemp (bass guitar) and Steve Norman (saxophone, guitar & percussion). Spandau Ballet became one of the most commercially successful bands of the 80s (especially in the UK), and during their career they spent a combined total of in excess of 500 weeks in the UK charts notching 23 hit singles over there and achieving album sales of over 25 million worldwide. To me, though, the only thing that matters is the one song that I consider a masterpiece and one of my very favorite 80s tunes, "True."

The song which pays tribute to Marvin Gaye was a huge worldwide hit, peaking at #1 in the UK for four weeks in the Spring of 1983 and charting highly in 20 other countries. It was their biggest and most remembered song in the US, reaching #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the Autumn of that same year and topping the adult contemporary chart for one week. It ranked #1 on my very popular Best 80s Songs With One-Word Titles list.

Here is the video for "True" by Spandau Ballet...

They performed this song at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium in the summer of 1985 which, according to the band, was "not only the most important concert of the Eighties, not only the biggest gig of all time, but also the consummate socio-political flashpoint."

"True" is sampled on the 1991 song "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" by P.M. Dawn which is a very cool song and one of my favorites from the 90s (I wonder why?). Here is a link to watch the "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" video if interested.

The band will begin a world tour in the autumn, announcing an initial eight dates across Ireland and the UK, starting in Dublin on October 13, 2009. The tickets for the UK and Ireland shows went on pre-sale on the official Spandau Ballet website on March 25, 2009. These then went on general release on March 27, 2009. For the general release tickets, the O2 London tickets sold out within 20 minutes and an extra date was added for the London O2 because of the phenomenal demand.

Now, I don't know if Tony Hadley and the rest of Spandau Ballet can re-create anything close to something special like "True" some 26 years later (during their 2009 reunion), but if they can get anywhere close it might just be good enough. I am one fan who will be waiting anxiously to find out.

That's all I have for this short issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here's a video that 80s fan will appreciate. It was posted in September of last year (2008) and it is simply called "80s Synth Medley (3 guys, 6 keyboards)." It is a 6 minute video of just that, 3 guys playing an 80s medley on their synthesizers. The medley includes "Rockit," "Axel F," "Take on Me," "Africa," "The Final Countdown," "Rock Me Amadeus," and "Mr. Roboto" among several others (which even includes a little Rickroll, too). Love it!

Quote of the day: "Don't ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up." -Robert Frost

I am using birthdays again to choose this issue's videos. First up is Ric Ocasek who turned 60 today (March 23, 2009). He is best known as the former lead singer of The Cars who were very popular in the late 70s into the early 80s. The band is probably best known for the 1984 album Heartbeat City which included five singles which reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. This album includes "Drive" which is included on my popular Top 80s Songs with One-Word Titles list as well as "You Might Think" which is included on my also popular Top 80s Music Videos list.

Ocasek always struck me as a strange looking dude, but he ended up marrying super-model Paulina Porizkova back in 1989 and the couple is still together. Ocasek released a solo album in 1986 which included a song "Emotion in Motion" which ended up getting all the way to #15 on the Billboard Hot 100. So in celebration of his birthday one of this week's Flashback Videos is "Emotion in Motion" by Ric Ocasek...

Last up is Chaka Khan who turned 56 today (March 23, 2009). She began her career back in the 70s first with the band Rufus releasing such great songs as "Tell Me Something Good" in 1974 (when she was just 21 years old) and then later with one of my personal favorites "Ain't Nobody" in 1983. She also has had a very successful solo career including the very popular "I'm Every Woman" from 1978 which was featured on Oprah and covered by Whitney Houston. The song from the 80s where I was really introduced to Chaka Khan was "I Feel For You."

"I Feel For You" was actually written and originally recorded by Prince. It is one of the many songs he has given to other artists which turned out to be hit singles. Chaka Khan released her version in 1984 on an album titled the same. The song had a little bit of a hip hop feel to it with the repetition of Khan's name by rapper Melle Mel at the beginning of the song (which incidentally was a mistake that the producer wisely decided to leave in) and some rap lyrics by Melle Mel during the song itself. That is what caught my attention back then and drew me to the song. Her version of the song became a million-selling smash in the U.S. (peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100) and it helped to relaunch Khan's career. And in celebration of her birthday another one of this week's Flashback Videos is "I Feel For You" by Chaka Khan...

Two very different 80s songs by two very different artists who just happen to share the same birthday. Based on the feedback so far, it seems many of you are enjoying this new feature. That will do it for another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Some people don't realize that it was not until 1985 that the tournament field was increased to 64 teams. Back in 1980, the tournament first increased from 40 teams to 48 teams. The tournament had just begun seeding teams by a committee in 1979. In 1983, the field was increased to 53 and in 1984 to 54. Many do not remember that it was not always 64 teams (or 65 since 2001).

CBS took over broadcasting the tournament in 1982 and that has turned into an absolute gold mine for them. Back in the 80s, I remember that ESPN would televise the day games on Thursday and Friday that would otherwise not be on TV. This really helped take the Madness to a new level. Once CBS realized that people would actually watch the weekday games during the day, they took over those broadcasts too.

I don't have specific memories of every year during the 80s. Some were better than others. I thought I would rank the championship games that were memorable to me and give you a little summary of each. I also will provide links to videos for each game which show you many of the highlights in about 2 minutes each (definitely worth watching!). Please do not be mistaken because the list is NOT who I consider to be the best teams, but just my best memories. I have no bias or connection to any of the schools, so these are just based on my nostalgic memories of these games from my childhood.

Here are OLD SCHOOL'S TOP NCAA BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES OF THE 80s:

Honorable Mention. 1979 Michigan State - It is one year before the 80s, so I can't put it on the official list. The Spartans won the game 75-64 over Indiana State who came into the game without a loss all season, but couldn't win their final game. The real story of this game was Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird. Magic Johnson of Michigan State was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player that year after leading his team to the championship. The championship game marked the beginning of the rivalry between future Hall of Famers Johnson and Bird. To this day, it impressively remains the highest-rated game in the history of televised college basketball. Both Magic and Bird would enter the NBA in the fall of 1979, and the rivalry between them and their teams (respectively, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics which I did a special issue on when the Lakers played the Celtics for the NBA championship in 2008) was a major factor in the NBA's renaissance in the 80s and into the 90s. The game also led to the "modern era" of college basketball, as it introduced a nationwide audience to a sport that was once relegated to second-class status in the sports world. That is why I felt compelled to at least give it honorable mention here. [link to video summary of game]

7. 1984 Georgetown - The Hoyas, coached by John Thompson, won the national title that year with an 84-75 victory in the final game over Houston. Patrick Ewing of Georgetown was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and I can still remember how he used to wear a grey t-shirt under his jersey and little white knee pads covering each knee. John Thompson became the first African American head coach to lead his team to the NCAA basketball title. The game featured a match-up of two of the greatest centers ever to play the game of basketball, Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon. Olajuwon was part of a group of Houston players nicknamed Phi Slama Jama and helped the Houston Cougars to an impressive three straight Final Four appearances from 1982-1984 (though they would not win any championships). [link to video summary of game]

6. 1987 Indiana - The Indiana Hoosiers, coached by the one and only Bobby Knight, won the national title with a 74-73 victory over Syracuse. Keith Smart of Indiana, who hit an amazing game-winning shot in the final seconds, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. This probably would not have made my list had it not been for the clutch shot with the clock running down. Most kids, me included, have pretended to hit a game-winning at the buzzer while playing on the playground or in the driveway. So to see Keith Smart actually do it on one of the biggest and brightest stages was memorable to say the least. [link to video summary of game]

5. 1989 Michigan - The Michigan Wolverines, coached by Steve Fisher, won the national title with an 80-79 overtime victory over Seton Hall, coached by P.J. Carlesimo. Glen Rice of Michigan set an NCAA tournament record by scoring 184 points in six games and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Rice is one of the best pure shooters I have ever seen in my time watching the game. Just prior to the start of the tournament, Michigan coach Bill Frieder had announced that he would accept the head coaching position at Arizona State University at the end of the season. Michigan athletic director Bo Schembechler promptly fired Frieder and appointed top assistant Steve Fisher as interim coach; stating, famously, that "a Michigan man is going to coach a Michigan team." The team rallied around their new coach winning 6 straight with guard Rumeal Robinson calmly hitting two crucial free throws with just 3 seconds left in the championship game. [link to video summary of game]

4. 1988 Kansas - The Jayhawks, coached by Larry Brown, won the national title this year with an 83-79 victory over Big 8 Conference rival Oklahoma. As of 2008, this was the last national championship game to feature two schools from the same Conference. Danny Manning of Kansas was deservingly named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Kansas was considered a long shot against the top rated Sooners, who had previously defeated the Jayhawks twice that season. Manning recorded 31 points, 18 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocked shots in the championship game. For his seemingly single-handed performance in propelling the underdog Jayhawks to the title, as well as the Jayhawks' less-than-impressive record going into the NCAA tournament (21-11, most losses of any NCAA champion), the 1988 Kansas team was nicknamed "Danny and the Miracles." [link to video summary of game]

3. 1982 North Carolina - The North Carolina Tar Heels, coached by Dean Smith, won the national title with a narrow 63-62 victory over Georgetown. James Worthy of North Carolina was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, though another player you might have heard of stepped into the spotlight that night. The game was between the Hoyas, led by Patrick Ewing and Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, and the Tar Heels, led by Worthy, Sam Perkins, and a young Michael Jordan. The game was evenly matched throughout. However, with 17 seconds left in the clock, and the Tar Heels behind by 1 point, Michael Jordan made the game-winning shot. Georgetown ran all the way to the end of the court, and held the ball, hoping to take a last-second shot to end the game. However, guard Fred Brown mistakenly passed the ball to James Worthy. Worthy was then immediately fouled. Even though he missed both free throws, it didn't matter. Georgetown had no timeouts left, and they lost the game. Just like Keith Smart in the 1987 game, Michael Jordan would make the clutch shot. The game would be remembered for Jordan's big shot and that moment seemed to propel Jordan on his way to superstar status. I can specifically remember watching this game with my Dad on a small black-and-white TV in our kitchen (as I remember watching many games through the years). [link to video summary of game]

2. 1983 North Carolina State - The Wolfpack, coached by Jim Valvano, won the national title with a 54-52 victory in the final game over Houston, led by Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. The ending of this game is one of the most famous in college basketball history, with Lorenzo Charles' dunk at the buzzer off a high, arching air ball from 30 feet out by Dereck Whittenburg providing the final margin. This contributed to the nickname given to North Carolina State, the "Cardiac Pack", a reference to their often close games that came down to the wire as evidenced by the fact that the team won 7 of its last 9 games after trailing with a minute left in the game. Both the Charles last-second dunk and Coach Valvano running around the court in celebration immediately after the game have been staples of NCAA tournament coverage ever since. North Carolina State's victory has often been considered one of the greatest upsets in college basketball history and one of the best in sports history. All things being equal, it always fun to see the underdog come out on top. [link to video summary of game]

1. 1985 Villanova - The Eighth-seeded Villanova Wildcats, coached by Rollie Massimino, won the national title with a 66-64 victory over the heavily favored defending champion Georgetown Hoyas, still led by Patrick Ewing. Ed Pinckney of Villanova was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after registering 16 points and 7 rebounds in the improbable victory. The game is often cited among the greatest upsets in all of sports. This Villanova team remains the lowest-seeded team ever to win the tournament. Villanova, the #8 seed, beat the #1 seed Michigan and the #2 seed North Carolina to get to the Final Four of their region. This is a true story of David versus Goliath and is another game I can specifically remember watching with my Dad on that little black-and-white TV in the kitchen. You could not help but cheer for this true underdog as they created a real-life Cinderella story. It did not end with the dramatic last-second shot, but easily ranks along with the last two I listed as my most memorable NCAA championship games from the 80s and quite possibly from my lifetime. [link to video summary of game]

There's my list for the 80s. I loved watching those videos!  What great memories they brought back for me. My apologies to the 1980 and 1986 Louisville teams as well as the 1981 Indiana team which I did not include on my list. I could have included them in the bottom 3 slots, but they just were not all that memorable to me. The funny thing is depending on your personal memories, those could very well be ranked highly on your own list despite not making mine. I am sure everybody has their own meaningful moments, but I wanted to share with you mine from that decade.

1987 also marked the introduction of one of my favorite tournament features, "One Shining Moment." This is a video montage of tournament highlights set to an emotional song called "One Shining Moment" and I always look forward to watching it each year. It is not played until the winning team cuts down the nets after the final championship game. I was able to find a video link to the very first "One Shining Moment" from 1987. The song attempts to portray the range of emotions that these kids go through as they compete to be champions. CBS does a wonderful job and it is always something I have looked forward to each year since.

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is truly one of the very best parts of sports. I have felt that way as long as I can remember watching sports and still feel that way as another tourney is underway. Be sure to watch as much as possible because you never know when something magical might happen. That is why it is called March Madness.

That will do it for another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks much for reading. If you are interested in reading more of my 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. If you are interested in reading more of my Top 10 lists, please click there for a summary. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here is a sign and I was not sure how to feel about it. First, if my place had a special entrance for Ho's I am not sure if I would be advertising it so publicly. If I happened to be a Ho, I am not sure if I would be flattered that I had my own special entrance or offended that I was forced to enter in a different location than everybody else. Then I started wondering if they had a doorman who had to decide who could use that entrance. Would that doorman have to use his best judgment or do the Ho's carry special IDs? This sign just brings up so many questions.

Quote of the day: "Sports do not build character. They reveal it." -John Wooden

I just came across a story about Pete Burns, the bisexual lead-singer of the 80s band Dead or Alive. It turns out that he is critically ill and Burns issued this statement via the band's official website:
"I simply want it announced I collapsed on wed and was rushed to hospital going in two kidneys failure and rushed for emergency 5 hours surgery where they found 8 stones in each kidney but were unable to remove them as they were blocking both kidneys, the urethra and bladder. I'm in a very serious condition on 24 hours intravenous morphine for the pain. Intravenous fluid as I'm so dehydrated and the kidneys can't retain the liquid. I also have diabetes insipidus which is pulling water from my lung, liver, heart and brain. I'm critically ill and under 24 hours observation and will be in hospital for quite a long time."

In case you are not familiar with him, Burns shocked audiences in the 1980s with overt sexuality and flamboyant style which included his pre-Boy George androgynous clothing choices, exotic hairstyles, high heel shoes, long fingernails, trademark black eyepatch, and heavy make-up (although he maintains that he is not a tranvestite and that his wardrobe choices are based on fashion and image rather than sexual enjoyment). Almost as much as his career with Dead or Alive, Burns is now known for his ever-changing appearance, which he freely admits has been greatly modified by cosmetic surgery (some of which were botched and/or had complications). You can see by a more recent picture of Burns that he appears even more feminine now.

Dead or Alive is probably best known for a song from their 1985 album Youthquake. So one of this week's Flashback Videos is "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" by Dead or Alive...

That song was a #1 on the UK charts and went to #11 on the US charts. My favorite song by the band came from the 1987 album Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know. The other of this week's Flashback Videos is "Brand New Lover" by Dead of Alive...

That song went to #15 on the US Billboard Hot 100, but all the way to #1 on the Billboard Dance chart. Hope you enjoyed another walk down memory lane with Flashback Videos. Pete Burns seems to be a pretty weird dude, but we wish him all the best and hope he recovers from his condition.

That's all for this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Like". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

This issue will feature the trailer for the 1989 film Say Anything... which starred John Cusack as "Lloyd Dobler" and Ione Skye as "Diane Court." It is a romantic comedy written and directed by Cameron Crowe and happens to be one of my very favorite films of all time.

Cusack's character is an average guy on the surface and he pursues a relationship with the school valedictorian who seems to be out of his league. "Lloyd Dobler" turns out to be much more than an average guy and "Diane Court" eventually realizes they are right for eachother. Here is the original trailer for Say Anything...

Roger Ebert, who is one of my most respected movie reviewers, called Say Anything... "one of the best films of the year - a film that is really about something, that cares deeply about the issues it contains - and yet it also works wonderfully as a funny, warmhearted romantic comedy." That is high praise which I whole-heartedly agree with.

Ebert went on to also say, "Say Anything... is one of those rare movies that has something to teach us about life. It doesn't have a lesson or a message, but it observes its moral choices so carefully that it helps us see our own. That such intelligence could be contained in a movie that is simultaneously so funny and so entertaining is some kind of a miracle." That, again, is high praise which might be a tad bit superlative but really lets you know that this is a special movie. If interested, you can ready Ebert's entire review of the film by clicking on that link.

The characters are well developed and well performed. John Cusack's performance is of course my favorite. It is rumored that this role almost went to Robert Downey Jr., Kirk Cameron or Christian Slater, but I cannot picture anybody other than Cusack as "Lloyd." Here is what Ebert has to say about Cusack's performance. "Cusack, a unique, quirky actor with great individuality, turns in a fast-talking, intensely felt performance that is completely original. He is so good here that if you haven't seen him in The Sure Thing or Eight Men Out, you might imagine he is simply playing himself. But his performance is a complete and brilliant invention." I feel that Cusack has given several brilliant performances, but none better than "Lloyd Dobler." Here is a link to my Top John Cusack Movies List which is from one of the very first issues of Kickin' it Old School.

There is also what I feel is one of the most iconic film moments of the 80s (and probably in my lifetime) where "Lloyd" holds the boombox over his head blaring the Peter Gabriel song "In Your Eyes." This song ranks #1 on my very popular Best Songs from 80s Movies list. Click on that link to see the rest of the song and read more about how this song ended up being chosen.

Say Anything... is absolutely one of my favorite movies from the 80s or any decade for that matter. Hope you enjoyed the original trailer and hope it puts you in the mood to watch this great classic again.

That will do it for this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Trust you enjoy the "Preview Review" issues and please let me know if there are any 80s movies that you want to see me cover. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: I came across this Okay Samurai Multimedia which includes these interesting acoustic versions of a couple 80s hits. You should know by now that I am a big fan of acoustic music and acoustic versions of songs. I thought this guy did a great job, so I decided to share them with you here. They are not new, both done about 3 years ago (in 2006), but they are new to me. The first song is "Straight Up" originally by Paula Abdul in 1989...

The second is "Like a Prayer" originally by Madonna also in 1989 which includes a little bit of "Cherish" interestingly thrown in the middle...

Quote of the day: "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." -Thomas Jefferson

That gave me the idea of pulling together a list of the best inspirational / motivational speeches just from 80s movies. There were several choices that came immediately to mind, but some might be a little less obvious. Some are short and some are long. Some are made to big groups of people and some are made to just one. Some are funny and some are very serious. Whether they were intended to be or not, they all share the fact that they are inspirational to at least one character in the movie. In addition, they can also be inspirational to us, the audience.

I took a trip through my 80s movie library and came up with not just a top 10, but a top 25 of these such inspirational monologues. With all, I will include at least a portion of the script and with most, I will include a link to the video of the scene. So let's get right to it then. Here is OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 INSPIRATIONAL SPEECHES FROM 80s MOVIES (+ Bonus 15):

Honorable Mention. Animal House (1978) - One of the best of all time, but I am only listing it as an honorable mention because it is technically from a 70s movie. I consider it an 80s movie since that is when I saw it for the first time, so that is why I could not have this list without including it. Unfortunately, the only [link to video starts at about 1:36 mark].
"Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! And it ain't over now. 'Cause when the goin' gets tough... the tough get goin'! Who's with me? Let's go!" -"John ‘Bluto' Blutarsky" played by John Belushi

25. The Outsiders (1983) - This is a favorite coming-of-age film of mine with a star-studded cast (before they were stars) based on the S.E. Hinton novel. The story features the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" which is a personal favorite of mine. The scene when "Ponyboy" recites it to "Johnny" is very inspirational to me.  Here is a link to watch this scene. When "Johnny" dies near the end of the film, he leaves a letter for his friend "Ponyboy" and I find what he says to be an inspirational monologue. I could not find a video link for this scene, but you can read it below.
"Ponyboy, I asked the nurse to give you this book so you could finish it. The doctor came in a while ago but I knew anyway. I keep getting tireder and tireder. Listen, I don't mind dying now. It was worth it. It's worth saving those kids. Their lives are worth more than mine, they have more to live for. Some of their parents came by to thank me and I know it was worth it. Tell Dally it was worth it. I'm just gonna miss you guys. I've been thinking about it, and that poem, that guy that wrote it, he meant you're gold when you're a kid, like green. When you're a kid everything's new, dawn. It's just when you get used to everything that it's day. Like the way you dig sunsets, Pony. That's gold. Keep that way, it's a good way to be. I want you to tell Dally to look at one. He'll probably think you're crazy, but ask for me. I don't think he's ever really seen a sunset. And don't be so bugged over being a greaser. You still have a lot of time to make yourself be what you want. There's still lots of good in the world. Tell Dally. I don't think he knows. Your buddy, Johnny." - "Johnny Cade" played by Ralph Macchio

24. On Golden Pond (1981) - This is an interesting story about family relationships from several different angles. It stars Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn as an aging couple who have been married for a long time. The scene that I find inspirational takes place when Hepburn's character shows how strong the ties of love and marriage can remain even after so many years. [link to video]
"Listen to me, mister. You're my knight in shining armor. Don't forget it. You're going to get back on that horse and I'm going to be right behind you, holding on tight and away we're going to go, go, go!" - "Ethel Thayer" played by Katherine Hepburn

23. The Princess Bride (1987) - This is a great fairytale of a movie that I recently was able to share with my daughter for the first time. She loved it because of the Princess, but my favorite character is "Inigo Montoya" the sword fighter who is on a life long search for vengeance against the "six-fingered man" who murdered his father. At one point, he explains why he is on this mission and I find it somewhat inspirational, so I decided to include this scene on my list. [link to video]
"I was eleven years old. And when I was strong enough, I dedicated my life to the study of fencing. So the next time we meet, I will not fail. I will go up to the six-fingered man and say, ‘Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.'" - "Inigo Montoya" played by Mandy Patinkin

22. Full Metal Jacket (1987) - I don't know about you, but I am not personally motivated or inspired by someone berating me. Nevertheless, that seems to be the tactic often employed by Drill Sergeants in the armed forces (or at least that is how it is depicted in the movies which is all I have to go by). R. Lee Ermey has several outstanding monologues during the basic training scenes of this film which Stanley Kubrick wrote the screenplay and directed. I rank them lower on this list because I would not find them personally inspiring, but it does motivate the characters in the film. There are several that would qualify, so I will mention two here. The first was the recruits first introduction to the Sergeant and the second is his speech to them as they are graduating. [link to video]
"If you ladies leave my island, if you survive recruit training, you will be a weapon. You will be a minister of death praying for war. But until that day you are pukes. You are the lowest form of life on Earth. You are not even human, f***ing beings. You are nothing but unorganized grabastic pieces of amphibian s**t. Because I am hard you will not like me. But the more you hate me the more you will learn. I am hard but I am fair."
[link to video]  "Today, you people are no longer maggots. Today, you are Marines. You're part of a brotherhood. From now on until the day you die, wherever you are, every Marine is your brother. Most of you will go to Vietnam. Some of you will not come back. But always remember this: Marines die. That's what we're here for. But the Marine Corp lives forever. And that means YOU live forever." - both by "Gunnery Sergeant Hartmann" played by R. Lee Ermey

21. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) - This one did not come immediately to mind, but I remember a profane rant that "Clark" goes on as his family is ready to give up. He drops a few f-bombs to help get their attention, but his passion is inspiring and afterwards you know that he is resolved to get to Wally World. [link to video]
"I think you're all f****d in the head. We're ten hours from the f***ing fun park and you want to bail out. Well I'll tell you something. This is no longer a vacation. It's a quest. It's a quest for fun. I'm gonna have fun and you're gonna have fun. We're all gonna have so much fucking fun we'll need plastic surgery to remove our godamn smiles. You'll be whistling 'Zip-A-Dee Doo-Dah' out of you're a**holes! I gotta be crazy! I'm on a pilgrimage to see a moose. Praise Marty Moose! Holy S**t!" - "Clark W. Griswold" played by Chevy Chase (link to my Top Chevy Chase 80s Movies List)

20. Road House (1989) - This movie does not have too many redeeming qualities, but "Dalton" has the self-confidence and experience to certainly motivate others. When the character is first introduced to help clean up the seedy small town Missouri bar, he delivers his message to the rest of the bar's staff. The severity of the situation and by just looking at "Dalton," I am sure they had their doubts about his methods. It does not take long for him to prove that it is his way or the highway. [link to video]
"All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two, take it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. And three, be nice." - "Dalton" played by Patrick Swayze (link to my Top Patrick Swayze 80s Movies List)

19. Caddyshack (1980) - One of my very favorite comedies of all time, this is another movie which you would not expect to necessarily be on this list, but there are a few inspiring (although comedic) monologues made by "Ty Webb" to young "Danny" during the course of the film. Here are a couple examples. [link to video]
"I'm going to give you a little advice. There's a force in the universe that makes things happen. And all you have to do is get in touch with it, stop thinking, let things happen, and be the ball."
[link to video]
"Don't be obsessed with your desires Danny. The Zen philosopher Basha once wrote, 'A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.' He was a funny guy." - both by "Ty Webb" played by Chevy Chase (link to my Top Chevy Chase 80s Movies List)

18. Stand By Me (1986) - This is one of my very favorite movies of all time. There is a particular scene where "Gordie" and "Chris" are talking about their future. "Gordie" implies that he was not going to take advantage of his opportunities and this angers "Chris" who responds. "Gordie" does not like "Chris" preaching at him and says, "Oh, gee, thanks, Dad!" I could not find a video link for this scene, but you can read the rest of it below.
"Wish the hell I was your dad. You wouldn't be goin' around talkin' about takin' these stupid shop courses if I was. It's like God gave you something man, all those stories you can make up. And He said, ‘this is what we got for ya kid, try not to lose it.' Kids lose everything unless there's someone there to look out for them. And if your parents are too f****d up to do it, then maybe I should!" - "Chris Chambers" played by River Phoenix

17. Bull Durham (1988) - Sports movies are generally good sources for inspirational moments and speeches. There are some amazing monologues given in this movie that is about much more than just minor league baseball in North Carolina. "Annie" provides a great one as an introduction at the start of the film and "Crash" delivers a famous monologue about what he believes in. Both are great, but my favorite motivational speech is given by the team's manager after "Crash" gave him the advice on how to light a fire under the team. [link to video -sorry for poor quality, but only one I could find]
"You guys. You lollygag the ball around the infield. You lollygag your way down to first. You lollygag in and out of the dugout. You know what that makes you? Larry! LOLLYGAGGERS!" - "Joe ‘Skip' Riggins" played by Trey Wilson (link to my Top Baseball Movies List)

16. The Karate Kid (1984) - This movie is inspiring overall with the underdog coming out victorious in multiple ways. "Mr. Miyagi" provides many karate lessons that are also life lessons during the course of the film. One such lesson is when he tells "Daniel" that he "Better learn balance. Balance is key. Balance good, karate good. Everything good. Balance bad, better pack up, go home. Understand?" One of my favorites and particularly motivational is an analogy that he uses before he begins to train "Daniel." [link to video -again sorry for poor quality, but only one I could find]
"Walk on road, hm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later (makes squish gesture)... get squish just like grape. Here, karate, same thing. Either you karate do ‘yes' or karate do ‘no.' You karate do ‘guess so,' (makes squish gesture again) just like grape. Understand?" - "Mr. Miyagi" played by Pat Morita (link to my special issue on The Karate Kid)

15. Glory (1989) - This movie is based on an extremely inspiring story, though some parts are difficult to watch. It depicts the story of a regiment of African-American soldiers in the American Civil War. Denzel Washington earned an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor with an outstanding performance, but to me, many of the inspirational scenes featured Morgan Freeman's character "John Rawlins." There are two that stand out in particular. One scene had him putting things into perspective for Washington's character "Trip." [link to video - particular speech begins at about the 3:30 mark]
"And what are you? So full of hate you want to go out and fight everybody! Because you've been whipped and chased by hounds. Well that might not be living, but it sure as hell ain't dying. And dying's been what these white boys have been doing for going on three years now! Dying by the thousands! Dying for YOU, fool! I know, 'cause I dug the graves. And all this time I keep askin' myself, when, O Lord, when it's gonna be our time? Gonna come a time when we all gonna hafta ante up. Ante up and kick in like men. LIKE MEN! You watch who you call a n****r! If there's any n****rs around here, it's YOU. Just a smart-mouthed, stupid-ass, swamp-runnin' n****r! And if you not careful, that's all you ever gonna be!"
That's powerful. The other takes place as a prayer the night before they go into battle. [link to video]
"Lord, we stand before you this evening, to say thank you! And we thank you, father, for your grace, and your many blessings! Now I run off, leaving all my young ones and my kinfolk, in bondage. So I'm standing here this evening, heavenly father, to ask your blessings on all of us. So that if tomorrow is the great getting up morning, if that tomorrow we have to meet the Judgment Day, oh heavenly father, we want you to let our folks know that we died facing the enemy! We want 'em to know that we went down standing up! Amongst those that are fighting against our oppression. We want 'em to know, heavenly father, that we died for FREEDOM! We ask these blessings in Jesus' name. Amen!" - "John Rawlins" played by Morgan Freeman (link to my Top Morgan Freeman Movies List)

14. Rocky IV (1985) - Interesting that this movie has one of the LEAST inspirational speeches by Rocky's wife when she says, "You can't go with what you are. You've read the papers, it's suicide! You've seen him you know how strong he is! YOU CAN'T WIN!" But later in the movie, there are a couple speeches that I feel are very inspirational. There is a scene before Rocky leaves for Russia and he is saying goodbye to his son. He tells him, "By going that one more round when you think you can't, that's what makes all the difference in your life." Words to live by for sure. There is another that I could not find a video for either, but I like it a lot. It is where his trainer "Duke" says to Rocky shortly after they arrive in Russia, "Apollo was like my son. I raised him. And when he died a part of me died. But now you're the one. You're the one that's gonna keep his spirit alive. You're the one that's gonna make sure that he didn't die for nothing. Now you're gonna have to go through hell. Worse than any nightmare you ever dreamed. But in the end, I know you'll be the one standing." Then there is the speech Rocky gives after he wins the big fight. [link to video]
"During this fight, I've seen a lot of changing, in the way you feel about me, and in the way I feel about you. In here, there were two guys killing each other, but I guess that's better than twenty million. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change!" - "Rocky Balboa" played by Sylvester Stallone

13. ¡Three Amigos! (1986) - Another movie you would not expect to be on this list, but there is one speech delivered by "Lucky Day" which is quite inspirational in an over-the-top comedic sort of way. [link to video]
"In a way, each of us has an El Guapo to face. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo. For others, a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous man who wants to kill us. But as sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people of Santa Poco can conquer their own personal El Guapo, who also happens to be the actual El Guapo!" - "Lucky Day" played by Steve Martin (link to my special 100th issue which features a section on ¡Three Amigos!)

12. Lean On Me (1989) - This film is based on the very inspiring true story of Joe Clark who became the principal of an inner-city New Jersey high school in dire need of some changes. I love to see anybody overcome the odds and triumph due to hard work and perseverance. That is what happens with the students at Eastside High. The principal delivers several motivational monologues, but the best is probably at the "pep rally" before the students are to take a basic skills exam which is to determine the future of the school (and quite possibly the future of many of the students themselves). [link to video]
"I want to tell you what the people are saying about you and what they think about your chances. They say you're inferior! You are just a bunch of n****rs and sp**s and poor white trash! Education is wasted on you! You cannot learn! You're lost! I mean ALL of you! ... Are you getting my point, people? Is it beginning to sink in? We sink, we swim, we rise, we fall, we meet our fate together! Now, it took the help of a good, good friend to make me know and understand that and I do understand that and I'm grateful. I'm eternally grateful. And now, I've got a message for those people out there who've abandoned you and written you off! Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Good! You are NOT inferior! Your grades may be, your school may have been. But you can turn that around and make liars out of those bastards in exactly one hour when you take that test and pass it and win! So here's what I want you to do. When you find your thoughts wandering, I want you to knuckle back down and concentrate. Concentrate! Remember what's at stake and show them what Eastside High's all about: a spirit that will not die!" - "Joe Clark" played by Morgan Freeman (link to my Top Morgan Freeman Movies List)

11. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) - This is one of my very favorite movies from the 80s, but not necessarily because it is inspirational. That does not mean there are not any inspiring moments within it, though. "Cameron" is "Ferris'" best friend and experiences a great amount of change during the course of his day of misbehavior. This is evident in a scene towards the end of the film when "Cameron" declares his epiphany. I could not find a video link for this scene, but here is what he says just prior to the car crashing through the glass wall into the ravine.
"I am not going to sit on my ass as the events that affect me unfold to determine the course of my life. I'm going to take a stand. I'm going to defend it. Right or wrong, I'm going to defend it." - "Cameron Frye" played by Alan Ruck

10. Can't Buy Me Love (1987) - This silly movie about what kids are willing to do to gain acceptance is one of my favorite 80s teen comedies. It stars Patrick Dempsey 18 years before he became "McDreamy" on Grey's Anatomy. He delivers a great speech at the end which includes the real moral of the story and one that I wish more kids would recognize. [link to video - his speech does not begin until about the 3:00 mark]
"Nerds, jocks. My side, your side. It's all bulls**t. Its hard enough just trying to be yourself." - "Ronald Miller" played by Patrick Dempsey

9. Stripes (1981) - Here is a movie that you would not expect to be all that inspirational, but "John Winger" (played by the brilliant Bill Murray) seems to be a natural leader who takes control when necessary. And that is just what this rag-tag platoon needs. My favorite such moment takes place when the platoon is attempting to get ready to perform at graduation and the group starts to lose patience with each other. "Winger" jumps in and, in his own comedic way, inspires the guys to do what they need to do. This results in one of the funnier scenes in the movie (which you can find as part of my Best Dancing Scenes from 80s Movies List). For this list, I include the motivational speech that gets them there. [link to video -actual speech starts at about the 2:30 mark]
"Cut it out! Cut it out! Cut it out! The hell's the matter with you? Stupid! We're all very different people. We're not Watusi. We're not Spartans. We're Americans, with a capital 'A', huh? You know what that means? Do ya? That means that our forefathers were kicked out of every decent country in the world. We are the wretched refuse. We're the underdog. We're mutts! Here's proof: his nose is cold! But there's no animal that's more faithful, that's more loyal, more loveable than the mutt. Who saw Old Yeller? Who cried when Old Yeller got shot at the end? (raises his hand) Nobody cried when Old Yeller got shot? I'm sure. (other hands are reluctantly raised) I cried my eyes out. So we're all dogfaces, we're all very, very different, but there is one thing that we all have in common: we were all stupid enough to enlist in the Army. We're mutants. There's something wrong with us, something very, very wrong with us. Something seriously wrong with us - we're soldiers. But we're American soldiers! We've been kicking ass for 200 years! We're 10 and 1! Now we don't have to worry about whether or not we practiced. We don't have to worry about whether Captain Stillman wants to have us hung. All we have to do is to be the great American fighting soldier that is inside each one of us. Now do what I do, and say what I say. And make me proud." - "John Winger" played by Bill Murray (link to my Top Bill Murray Movies List)

8. The Goonies (1985) - This movie is about some kids going on a treasure hunt in the hopes of saving their homes from being foreclosed on. At one point the kids are considering giving up, but "Mikey" gives an inspiring speech trying to convince them to continue on their adventure. [link to video]
"Don't you realize? The next time you see sky, it'll be over another town. The next time you take a test, it'll be in some other school. Our parents, they want the best of stuff for us. But right now, they got to do what's right for them. Because it's their time. Their time! Up there! Down here, it's our time. It's our time down here." - "Mikey Walsh" played by Sean Astin

7. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - I have always been a huge fan of the original trilogy. I feel George Lucas' movies encourage and inspire you to imagine a whole different galaxy "far, far away." The battle of good versus evil is also usually inspiring especially when the good side prevails. There are two particular monologues that I felt were appropriate for this list and they both take place as "Luke" is training in the swamps of Dagobah with "Yoda" to become a Jedi. First, "Luke" says he'll try and Yoda quickly rebukes, "No, try NOT. Do or do not. There is no try." [link to video] Then there is another scene when "Luke" becomes frustrated and "Yoda" schools him again on some of the finer points regarding the Force. [link to video]
"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship." - "Yoda" voiced by Frank Oz

6. Revenge of the Nerds (1984) - This is another movie which inspires through the eventual triumph of the underdogs. The nerds keep on battling until they earn victory over the jocks and respect from everybody else. This is another of my very favorite 80s teen comedies. It has its share of uninspiring moments too, like anything involving "Booger" for instance, but it helps with the humor. The movie culminates with a great inspirational speech by "Gilbert" and "Louis" with the film ultimately ending as Queen's song "We Are The Champions" plays. [link to video]
"I just wanted to say that I'm a nerd, and I'm here tonight to stand up for the rights of other nerds. I mean uh, all our lives we've been laughed at and made to feel inferior. And tonight, those bastards, they trashed our house. Why? Cause we're smart? Cause we look different? Well, we're not. I'm a nerd, and uh, I'm pretty proud of it... Just join us ‘cause uh, no-one's gonna really be free until nerd persecution ends." - "Gilbert Lowe" played by Anthony Edwards

5. UHF (1989) - This Weird Al Yankovic movie is actually kind of funny, but I would never had expected it to appear on this list (especially at #5). Those who know me probably are not surprised because of my fondness for this cult classic. For the majority, this film is just silly and campy, but in one of those moments I found a surprisingly inspirational monologue. It was delivered by the character "Stanley Spadowski" played by Michael Richards (before he became known as "Kramer" from Seinfeld and long before his racist rant in 2006) and is about, of all things, his mop. [link to video]
"This is my new mop. George, my friend, he gave me this mop. This is a pretty good mop. It's not as good as my first mop. I miss my first mop, but this is still a good mop. Sometimes you just hafta take what life gives ya, 'cause life is like a mop and sometimes life gets full of dirt and crud and bugs and hairballs and stuff... you, you, you gotta clean it out. You, you, you gotta put it in here and rinse it off and start all over again and, and sometimes, sometimes life sticks to the floor so bad you know a mop, a mop, it's not good enough, it's not good enough. You, you gotta get down there, like, with a toothbrush, you know, and you gotta, you gotta really scrub 'cause you gotta get it off. You gotta really try to get it off. But if that doesn't work, that doesn't work, you can't give up. You gotta, you gotta stand right up. You, you gotta run to a window and say, ‘Hey! These floors are dirty as hell, and I'm not gonna take it any more!'" - "Stanley Spadowski" played by Michael Richards

4. Hoosiers (1986) - You won't find many movies about the underdog coming out victorious better than this movie inspired by a true story. The analogy of David slaying Goliath fits perfectly for this story, but it all happens due to hard work and trust. In my opinion, trust is one of the biggest factors in this movie and it is not just between the coach and his players, but between almost every character or group of characters. Like I said earlier, sports movies are naturals to have some great motivational speeches. There are not many moments more inspirational than when a coach is firing up his team before a big game. "Coach Dale" has a few of these speeches in this movie. Here is one of them. [link to video]
"I'm sure going to the State finals is beyond your wildest dreams, so let's just keep it right there. Forget about the crowds, the size of the school, their fancy uniforms, and remember what got you here. Focus on the fundamentals that we've gone over time and time again. And most important, don't get caught up thinking about winning or loosing this game. If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we're gonna be winners!" - "Coach Norman Dale" played by Gene Hackman

3. Field of Dreams (1989) - If you are a regular reader of Kickin' it Old School, you had to know this one was coming. This is the film starring Kevin Costner about a farmer who builds a baseball diamond in the middle of his corn field to ultimately resolve feelings of regret he had regarding his relationship with his father. That is all well and good, but it also includes what might quite possibly be my favorite monologue in cinema history. [link to to audio of this outstanding monologue]
"Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come." - "Terrence Mann" played by James Earl Jones (link to my Top James Earl Jones Movies List and my Top Baseball Movies List)

2. Dead Poets Society (1989) - This was a no-brainer because this film is filled with inspirational monologues. Most are delivered by "John Keating" played wonderfully by Robin Williams. He is encouraging his students to experience life and think for themselves which is what I really feel school should be all about. One of the best happens during his first class with the boys and sets the tone for what is to come. Everybody can use a reminder no matter how old you are. [link to video]
"They believe they're destined for great things, just like many of you, their eyes are full of hope, just like you. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable? Because, you see gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen, you hear it? - - Carpe - - hear it? - - Carpe, carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary." - "John Keating" played by Robin Williams (link to my Top Robin Williams Movies List)

1. Wall Street (1987) - This might be a slightly controversial choice for the #1 spot, but it was not difficult for me. First, there is a scene featuring Hal Holbrook's character "Lou Mannheim giving some advice in which he says, "Just remember something. Man looks in the abyss, there's nothing staring back at him. At that moment man finds his character. And that is what keeps him out of the abyss." I could not find video for that scene, but that is one of my favorite movie quotes. It is not as well recognized as another speech made in this film. Michael Douglas won the Best Actor Oscar for his outstanding portrayal of the "Gordon Gekko" character. His "greed" speech is another of my favorite cinematic moments of all time. If you can see past the more literal translation and hear what he is really implying, I think it is quite inspirational. His speech harkens back to what Adam Smith said way back in the 1700's which was that, in general, honest people freed to pursue their own interest would fare better than they would under a system that dictated what was ‘good.' In the process, persons pursuing their own interests would eliminate inefficiencies and allocate commodities where they would benefit the greater society. I like that he says "for lack of a better word" which makes me believe that it's a composite of the hard work, determination and ability that it takes to accomplish your goals. You have to be vigilant and focused on those goals and keep on keepin' on until you achieve each and every one of them. You can't take what "Gekko" says literally at face value, but instead apply your own perspective and morals. The movie tells a story of the "make a fast buck" time that it took place in, but this particular speech says A LOT more to me. Here is the entire speech, so you can decide for yourself. [link to video]
"The new law of evolution in corporate America seems to be survival of the unfittest. Well, in my book you either do it right or you get eliminated. ...The point is, ladies and gentleman, that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right, greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you very much." - "Gordon Gekko" played by Michael Douglas

There's my list. As always, the order can be debated, but I feel it is pretty solid list. I have been pulling this one together for quite some time. I would love to hear about any scenes from 80s movies you think I might have missed. There are so many more inspirational moments in movies from other decades as well, but for now I decided to narrow it down to my favorite decade only. I might expand on it some other time down the road. Hope you enjoyed the video links, but I think all of these movies are worth watching especially if you have never seen any of them before. Everybody finds inspiration in different ways. Movies have always been a source for me and these moments are some of the finest.

That will put the wrap this special issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks much for reading. If you are interested in reading more of my 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. If you are interested in reading more of my Top 10 lists, please click there for a summary. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: Here is a story someone sent me which is not too inspirational. You think you feel unappreciated at work? How about this guy?

Quote of the day: "That's part of your problem: you haven't seen enough movies. All of life's riddles are answered in the movies." -character "Davis" played by Steve Martin in the 1991 film Grand Canyon

I am using birthdays to choose this issue's videos. First up is Edie Brickell who turned 43 today (March 10, 2009). She is best known as the lead singer of Edie Brickell & New Bohemians who released their debut album Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars back in 1988. The band is more or less known as a "one hit wonder" thanks to the song "What I Am" which peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts.

I always liked this song, so in celebration of her birthday one of this week's Flashback Videos is "What I Am" by Edie Brickell & New Bohemians...

Last up is Neneh Cherry who turned 46 today (March 10, 2009). Cherry is the step-daughter of jazz musician Don Cherry and the older step-sister of pop musician Eagle-Eye Cherry. She was born in Sweden but moved to London when she was 14. She is best known for her 1989 single "Buffalo Stance" from the album Raw Like Sushi. The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, but went all the way to #1 on the U.S. dance charts.

Cherry was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990 in the Best New Artist Category, but lost out to Milli Vanilli, who later had their Grammy revoked when it was discovered that they had not really performed on their recording. This is a silly song that is fun to dance to and in celebration of her birthday another one of this week's Flashback Videos is "Buffalo Stance" by Neneh Cherry...

Both of today's videos were from the late 80s and I noticed that if you combine their last names you get Cherry Brickell which sounds like it could be an ice cream flavor. Hope you are enjoying this new feature. The videos are not always going to be from my favorite songs, but they are always sure to bring back memories.

So, that will do it for another issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

I think these will be fun and hopefully bring back some memories. For the debut issue I am going to go with the trailer for the 1983 film WarGames which starred Matthew Broderick (3 years before Ferris Bueller) and Ally Sheedy (2 years before St. Elmo's Fire and The Breakfast Club).

Broderick's character nearly causes and then narrowly averts World War III. Here is the original trailer for WarGames...

WarGames was actually nominated for 3 Oscars including Original Screenplay, Sound and Cinematography. An interesting bit of trivia is that the NORAD set used in the film, at a cost of $1 million, was the most expensive single movie set built up to that time. More trivia:
• The tunnel and exterior used for the entrance into NORAD (Griffith Park) is the same tunnel used in the climax of Back to the Future Part II.
• The writers' main inspiration for the character of "Professor Stephen Falken" was Cambridge Professor Stephen Hawking. The part of "Prof. Falken" was originally written with the idea of John Lennon playing the part.

In past issues of Kickin' it, I covered the subject of the incredible number of remakes in the works for 80s movies. The number of 80s movie remakes that Hollywood has planned continues to grow beyond those I have even mentioned in past issues. I recently read an article that Leonardo DiCaprio is possibly looking to remake WarGames. Here is an excerpt from the article found at PasteMagazine.com:

Leonardo DiCaprio to reboot WarGames?
By Matt Goodlett on February 19, 2009

1983 is also known for bringing about Matthew Broderick's career with WarGames, a film about an innocent, young computer hacker (Broderick) who plays with the computer in charge of America's nuclear arsenal and inadvertently starts the countdown to World War III. This is all resolved with a friendly game of tic-tac-toe, an infinite number of computed stalemates, and the message that you can't hug your children with nuclear arms. Now its rumored that Leonardo Dicapprio wants to remake the sci-fi flick.

In the summer of 2008, MGM released a straight-to-DVD "sequel" entitled War Games: The Dead Code that had more action than the original, but also practically had "straight to DVD" scrawled on the cover.

At this point, it's still just a rumor that DiCaprio will reboot the movie, though other 25th anniversary reboots have been successful at the box office this year. DiCaprio's busy current production schedule would make it seem unlikely that the star will have any time for tic-tac-toe himself, though he may produce it via his production company Appian Way.

I read this quote in another article found on The Playlist blog:

The remake will likely offer a chance to show off the improvements in special effects Hollywood has made over the past twenty-five years, as the greatest technical achievement in the original were those Atari-like ping-pong effects.

That the special effects will be more advanced goes without saying, but to me there is absolutely no reason to remake this movie. Please Leo and, even more, please Hollywood... stop trying to remake our 80s movies! How about a little more originality?

That will do it for this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Hope you enjoyed my first "Preview Review" issue. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: Video games are a key contributor to the movie WarGames. The video game Super Mario Bros. ranks highly on my popular Top Classic Arcade Games list as well as my Top Nintendo NES Games list. I came across a video on gametrailers.com that shows what Super Mario Bros. would have looked like if it would have come out for the old Atari 2600. Thought it was interesting and worth sharing, so here you go...

Quote of the day: "The only winning move is not to play." -In reference to war by the super computer "WOPR" after it learns the concept of futility in the movie WarGames (written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter Parkes)

This is a new feature I am starting here at Kickin' it that will be the 80s Video of the Week and I am calling it (thanks to a reader's suggestion) "Flashback Video." It will be simply just that, a video from the 80s. These issues will not include the usual "Check this out" or "Quote of the day" sections at the end like normal issues of Kickin' it Old School usually do.

For the inaugural issue of 80s "Video of the Week" I am going to include 2 videos. Today, March 3rd, is the birthday of rapper Tone Loc (pronounced Tone Loke & his real name is Anthony Terrell Smith. He released the platinum selling album Loc-ed After Dark back in 1989. The album hit #1 on the Billboard 200 charts and included 2 mega-hit singles, "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina."

Now, I admit that I was not really a fan of Tone Loc back in the day and he does not rank on my popular Top Old School Rap Songs of the 80s list. Despite that, these popular songs were a big part of 1989 which is still a part of the 80s. Since it is his birthday today, I decided to make both hit singles my FLASHBACK VIDEO OF THE WEEK.

First, is "Wild Thing"...

And as a bonus, I also give you "Funky Cold Medina"...

Hope you enjoyed this new feature. There will be lots of great 80s videos (much better than Tone Loc) to come in the future.

So, that will do it for this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love

Yes, Barbie is not an invention of the 80s, since her popularity began in the 60s and has continued right on until today. At the same time, though, Barbie was one of the most popular toys for girls in the 80s, so she still has a rightful place here at Kickin' it Old School.

Here is an article that I saw in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discussing this pop culture icon's 50^th birthday. Click on the link for the original article or you can read it below:

A doll for the ages
Change has been a constant for Barbie's 50 years
By Kathy Flanigan of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Feb. 28, 2009

Little girls worship her; adult women want to be her.

Iconic fashion model and doll Barbie turns 50 on March 9. Does that make Barbie over the hill? Before you answer, consider this: She still has the supple skin of a teenager, the idealized body of a woman in her 20s and no crow's feet to be found. To this day, Barbie wears the smallest of sizes.

Then again, she's sporting more plastic than one of "The Real Housewives of Orange County."

Turning 50 is reason enough to celebrate Barbie. But for more incentive, we offer 50 details about Barbie's life so far:

1. She was born Barbara Millicent Roberts.

2. Barbie is 11½ inches tall.

3. If Barbie were 5 feet, 6 inches tall, she would have a 39-inch  bust, a 21-inch waist and 33-inch hips.

4. Barbie is the brainchild of Ruth Handler, one of the founders of Mattel.

5. Handler was inspired by a European doll called Bild-Lilli, a doll for adults that Handler said she saw in Vienna or Lucerne.

6. Handler named the Americanized doll after her daughter, Barbara.

7. In a series of novels published by Random House in the 1960s, Barbie's parents were George and Margaret Roberts who lived in the fictional town of Willows, Wis.

8. Barbie attended Willows High School but graduated from Manhattan Internatio nal High School.

9. Barbie's boyfriend is Ken. He's named after Handler's real-life son, who, incidentally, hated the comparisons.

10. Barbie and Ken split up in 2004. They reunited in 2006.

11. Barbie has had more than 40 pets in her lifetime, including a panda, a lion cub and a zebra.

12. Barbie, who started her professional life as a teenage model, has had several careers.

13. Barbie has a pilot's license and can operate a commercial airliner. She has also been a flight attendant.

14. Barbie found a best friend in Midge, who was part of the Barbie lineup from 1963 to 1966.

15. Doctor Barbie debuted in 1988.

16. NASCAR Barbie came out in 1998.

17. There are more than 500 groups related to Barbie on Facebook, including one called Tequila Barbie.

18. Another group is called Divorce Barbie. "Divorce Barbie comes with Ken's boat; Ken's house; Ken's car; Ken's money;" and, well, you get the idea. Last time we checked, there were eight members.

19. In homage to Sarah Palin, there are two different Facebook groups called Caribou Barbie.

20. The first Barbie cost $3.

21. Barbie Collector Doll Pink Label 50th Anniversary Barbie Doll costs $49.99; the most expensive Barbie sold on eBay to date fetched $7,999.99.

22. Barbie had her own show with clothing from 50 fashion designers at Fashion Week last month.

23. Mattel estimates that three Barbies are sold every second.

24. Barbie has had more than 1 billion pairs of shoes.

25. Barbie is on Twitter (although inconsistently) @BarbieStyle.

26. The year Barbie was born is the same year that Xerox debuted a commercial copier.

27. Barbie dolls were sealed in a time capsule in 1976 as part of the Bicentennial celebration to be opened in 2076.

28. Malibu Barbie was introduced in the 1970s. "The Simpsons" parodies Barbie by having Lisa own a Malibu Stacy.

29. The first annual Barbie convention was held in 1980.

30. The first commercials for Barbie ran on "The Mickey Mouse Club."

31. The first Barbie doll dress designed by Bob Mackie was called "Gold."

32. Totally Hair Barbie is the best-selling Barbie of all time.

33. In 1965, the only club for children whose membership exceeded Mattel's was the Girl Scouts of America.

34. In 1967, Mattel offered a Twist 'n Turn Barbie to girls who turned in their Ponytail Barbie dolls.

35. Sidepart American Girl Barbie is considered the rarest of the tan-tone vinyl bendable leg Barbie dolls.

36. Twiggy, the model, was Barbie's first celebrity friend.

37. Early market research suggested Barbie would never sell because she had breasts; little girls wouldn't like her and parents wouldn't buy her.

38. Barbie met Ken in 1961.

39. Barbie has five baby sisters. The first, Skipper, debuted in 1964.

40. A 1959 Barbie in mint condition is estimated to bring $27,450.

41. The first Barbies had white irises. The eye color was changed to blue in 1960.

42. The 1988 Happy Holidays Barbie is considered the first non-porcelain "collectible Barbie." When the 1988 Happy Holidays Barbie flew off the shelves and began commanding high values on the secondary market, Mattel realized there was a huge market for adult collectors.

43. In 1986, Andy Warhol was commissioned to paint a portrait of Barbie.

44. The 1999 "Generation Girl" series was considered controversial because one doll had a nose ring and another had an ankle tattoo.

45. Teacher Barbie was recalled in 1995 because she wasn't wearing panties.

46. The first black and Hispanic Barbies were introduced in 1980. (Barbie's African-American friend, Christie, had been introduced in 1968.)

47. There was a Miss Astronaut Barbie in 1965.

48. Barbie made a brief appearance in the movie "Toy Story 2."

49. Sales of Barbie were outlawed in Saudi Arabia in 2003.

50. In 1997, Barbie was redesigned and given a bigger waist.

Here was another feature from the article that was worth sharing:

If She Was Real
What aging really would have done to Barbie, according to Paula Papanek, associate professor of physical therapy, who studies issues related to aging and the body at Marquette University:
• She would have back pain from the high heels she has worn all these years and may have tight Achilles tendons.
• She would be in danger of having osteoporosis from not consuming enough calcium.
• She would likely wear glasses or have had Lasik surgery.
• Her hair would be graying.
• She might have gotten a little shorter.
• She would likely have trouble standing up, given the size of her breasts and her small waist.

Now I obviously never had a Barbie doll myself growing up, but many girls I knew did. My favorite toy growing up had to be my Star Wars action figures (by Kenner). Here are some of my other favorites:
•    Legos (which were actually introduced back in the 40s),
•    Hot Wheels & Matchbox Cars (which began back in 1968 & 1953 respectively),
•    Little Green Army Men (which have been sold since the early 50s),
•    Transformers (introduced in 1984)
•    He-Man & the Masters of the Universe action figures (from the mid-80s)
•    Atari 2600 and then Nintendo NES (here is a link to my popular Best Nintendo NES Games of the 80s list)

Those are many of my favorites and you notice that several were in existence long before the 80s, but that does not mean they were not my favorite toys during the 80s. That is similar to Barbie who was introduced back in 1959, but was still popular in the 80s and is still even today. My list does not include some of the items that received even more use like my bicycle (or Big Wheel earlier), my baseball & glove, my basketball, or, better yet, my imagination. Other than Barbie, some of the toys that I remember girls liking in the 80s include: Cabbage Patch Kids, My Little Pony, Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake. One of the biggest icons of the 80s is the Rubik's Cube which happens to be a toy. What were some of your favorite toys from the 80s??? Leave them in the comments section.

That will do it for this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks as always for reading. If you are interested in reading any of my other 80s related issues, please click there for a summary of those. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, PLEASE CLICK ON THE FACEBOOK LOGO in the upper right hand column. This will take you to the new Fan Page where I ask you to then click on "Become a Fan". Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: I saw this product which seemed a little pointless to me. What do you think?

Quote of the day: "To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to." -Kahlil Gibran ... though I must add that achievement and accomplishment must not be ignored either.