I already did another Cusack favorite when I used Say Anything as my second Preview Review issue. I also published a Top 10 list of my favorite John Cusack movies back in one of my very first issues on this blog in January 2008. He made some of the most classic 80s movies, but I have continued to be a big fan of his through the 90s and to today.

Better Off Dead is more of a black comedy which was both written and directed by Savage Steve Holland. Cusack's character, "Lane Meyer" becomes suicidal after his girlfriend breaks up with him. Now this is not a subject matter that I would consider all that funny, but it all works out fine in the end. In fact, people protested the film's original tagline, "Sometimes...you're Better Off Dead," so it was changed to "Relax...you're never Better Off Dead." The film features a lot of odd scenes as well as plot points which are now considered 80s movie stereotypes. One of those stereotypes is the jerk bully character with "Roy Stalin" filling that role in this film and being included on my Top Bullies from 80s Movies list.

I liked Better Off Dead back in 1985, but I have grown to love it more and more over the years. I did not truly appreciate it back then probably because of my age at the time, but now it is one of my very favorites from that decade. Here is the original trailer for Better Off Dead...

There is a running joke throughout the film where a paperboy is trying to collect his money for delivering papers to the Meyer house. This kid is pretty relentless and here is a video which shows one scene where he is trying to collect his $2...

Cusack's character has an old 1967 Camaro that ends up being a key plot point during the movie. There is an interesting story about a fan of the movie who tracked down the actual car used in the movie. Here is a link to the website where I encourage you to read this interesting story. Click on the circle that says FINDING THE CAMARO.

There is so much more to this movie that I have not even touched on here. I like a quote I read which summarizes it well, "The consensus is Better Off Dead is an anarchic mix of black humor and surreal comedy, anchored by John Cusack's winsome, charming performance." Happy birthday, John. Please keep those charming performances coming.

John Cusack is in the process of filming Hot Tub Time Machine which has a scheduled release in February 2010. Cusack has avoided the 80s related films for a while, but I am very happy to see that he will be venturing back to my favorite decade. The film also stars another 80s legend, Chevy Chase. The general plotline is a group of unsatisfied men are thrown back in time to their younger days in 1986 via their hot tub Jacuzzi. That's all I know right now, but with Cusack and Chase and 1986 all involved, I can't wait to see it.

That'll do it for this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Hope 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 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: As you know, I like to point out signs that amuse me by being ironic, obvious, unnecessary or just plain unintentionally hilarious. Here is a sign at a beach which falls into one of those categories. Is it really necessary to warn someone about this when you are at the beach?

Quote of the day: "I think when you get to the point where you don't need to be in love, then you could be in love. You have to just be OK with yourself- and that's a long process." -John Cusack

The world lost a true musical genius today with the death of Michael Jackson.  The news of his unexpected death saddened me very much. No matter what else he had going on in his life, I will always be a fan of his music.

Rest in peace, Michael.

To commemorate his life, please click on this link to read my issue from August celebrating his 50th birthday and listing my favorite songs of his from the 80s.  Enjoy those and always remember the music.  Peace and much love.

Quote of the day:  "We're meant to lose the people we love.  How else would we know how important they are to us?" -"Mrs. Maple" in the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Today (June 24, 2009) is the 67^th birthday of drummer Mick Fleetwood who is best known as one of the founding members and namesake of the band Fleetwood Mac. The band is not necessarily remembered best for their 80s material since they formed in the late 60s and their most successful album, Rumours (going an incredible 19x platinum), was released in 1977. My favorite incarnation of the band is the lineup from 1975 to 1987 which primarily included Fleetwood along with Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, John McVie and Christine McVie.

Fleetwood Mac did release two solid albums in the 80s (in 1982 and 1987) and each has a song that I particularly remember. From the 1982 album Mirage, I have always really liked the song "Hold Me." So this week's first Flashback Video is "Hold Me" by Fleetwood Mac...

Then from 1987's Tango in the Night album, I remember the song "Little Lies" getting lots of airplay on Top 40 radio that year. Mick Fleetwood was drumming on all of the band's great songs and is the only member still present in the band who has been there from the very beginning. So to celebrate his birthday, this week's second Flashback Video is "Little Lies" by Fleetwood Mac...

Fleetwood Mac has disbanded and reunited in different forms over the years and is currently touring together in 2009 (without Christine McVie). There is no firm plan to record a new album yet, but that will hopefully come after this tour has completed. I am a big fan of Fleetwood Mac and though the 80s songs are a small part of their catalog, I wanted to take this chance to recognize them in at least this small way.

That wraps up 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. If you want to see the past issues of Flashback Videos, just type that into the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column and it should give you a list of all of them. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use that Google Search Box to find any past issues or topics 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 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 narrowed it down to my list of the 15 fictional Dads from 80s that I thought deserved to be called out as the worst. This was not as easy as you would think. There are a lot of Dads with lots of bad traits that also have some redeeming qualities or moments. In some cases I made the call that the bad outweighed the good or that the good was too little or too late.

So with that, let's get right to OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 WORST DADS FROM 80s MOVIES & TV (+ Bonus 5):

15. "Rev. Shaw Moore" played by John Lithgow in Footloose (1984) - Sure, he comes around at the very end of the movie, but any Dad who leads a town to ban dancing and rock music has some issues. He lost his son and in trying to protect his daughter, he prevents her from enjoying life.

14. "George McFly" played by Crispin Glover in Back to the Future (1985) - At the start of the film, "George" is a weak-willed and nerdy father who does not stand up to "Biff" who has been a bully to him since high school. Though the kids all seem relatively well-adjusted, he does not set a good example to his children. "Marty" does not have the truck to take on his camping trip because his Dad let "Biff" borrow it and proceed to wreck it. Then to make it worse, his weak backbone almost eliminates his children from existence after "Marty" travels back in time.

13. "Sanford Babbitt" unseen in Rain Man (1988) - It is one thing that he leaves almost none of his multi-million dollar estate to his estranged son "Charlie" (played excellently by Tom Cruise), but the fact that he never told "Charlie" that he had a brother is enough for me to land him on this list. The two brothers lost so many years of family and those they can never get back.

12. "Jim Court (Diane's Dad)" played by John Mahoney in Say Anything (1989) - He seems like a well-meaning single father just trying to give his daughter everything he can and helping her to excel. Then it turns out he has been committing tax fraud at his nursing home and on top of that, he tries to keep "Diane" from being with her true love. Just because he does these things under the guise of trying to give her the best, it does not make it right. Mahoney would later go on to be a good Dad on the sit-com Frasier.

11. "Albert" played by George Segal in Look Who's Talking (1989) - He is a sleazy married man who seduces Kirstie Alley's character into an affair. He promises to leave his wife for her, but never does. Then he becomes the illegitimate father of "Mikey" and still does not do the right thing. So he makes this list more for what he doesn't do rather than anything terribly bad that he does do.

10. "Homer J. Simpson" voiced by Dan Castellaneta on The Simpsons (1987-present) - This is a controversial character that actually appears on some Best Dads lists as well as some Worst Dads lists. Though at the core, "Homer" loves his family, he often sets a very bad example for his children. His exploits are too numerous to name all of them here, but the fact he often resorts to choking "Bart" and often does not even remember his third child "Maggie" is enough to put him on this list for me.

9. "Al Bundy" played by Ed. O'Neill on Married With Children (1987-97) - I consider "Al" to be the "Archie Bunker" of the late-80s and 90s. He is much less racist, but a little more sexist. I debated including him on this list because, actually, he is one of my favorite TV characters of all time. On the good side, he stays with his family and does what he can to support them. On the bad side, he often demeans his children and, like "Homer," often participates in that which does not set a good example for them. When it comes down to it, he is entertaining, but not a very strong father figure.

8. "Mr. Frye (Cameron's Dad)" unseen in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) - At one point in the film, Matthew Broderick's character says this, "Pardon my French, but Cameron is so tight that if you stuck a lump of coal up his ass, in two weeks you'd have a diamond." A big reason for that is his parents and particularly his Dad who it is inferred loves his car more than his son. "Cameron" makes a monologue toward the end of the movie which ranks on my Best Inspirational Speeches from 80s Movies list. I suggest you go to that list to see a prime example of why "Cam's" Dad makes my list.

7. "Francis L. (The Kid's Dad)" played by Clarence Williams III in Purple Rain (1984) - He would have ranked much higher if it was not for the fact that Prince's character seemed to have inherited his musical gift from his father. This guy was physically and emotionally abusive to both his son and his wife. Then he commits suicide and leaves his son to deal with that tragedy.

6. "Mr. LaChance (Gordie's Dad)" played by Marshall Bell in Stand By Me (1986) - "Gordie's" older brother "Denny" was his pride and joy and after he dies, "Gordie" becomes the invisible man at home. Instead of appreciating the son he still has left, he almost completely ignores "Gordie." Is there anything worse than that? "Gordie" really misses his brother, but his father's treatment makes everything even worse. To summarize his feelings, "Gordie" is having a dream at his brother's funeral which his Dad turns and looks at him to say, "It should've been you, Gordie." Enough said.

5. "Brad Whitewood Sr." played by Christopher Walken in At Close Range (1986) - What a piece of work this guy is. "Brad Sr." is the leader of an organized crime family which his sons become part of. When he becomes concerned that his sons will choose to inform the authorities, he rapes his one son's girlfriend as a warning. Once his name is given to a grand jury by his own son, "Brad Sr." goes on a killing spree which includes his murdering one of his sons and ordering a hit on his other son and his girlfriend. Whenever you intentionally murder your own son, that will get you on a worst Dad list every time. This character was so dark that it is reported that Robert DeNiro turned the role down for that reason.

4. "Bender's Dad" unseen in The Breakfast Club (1985) - All we know about "Bender's" Dad is what we get from a scene in the film where "Bender" gives an example of a conversation with him. I wanted to find a video of this scene so you would get the full effect, but I surprisingly could not find one. Here instead is the quote, "Stupid, worthless, no good, goddamn, freeloading son of a bitch. Retarded, big mouth, know-it-all, asshole, jerk. You forgot ugly, lazy and disrespectful. Shut up bitch. Go fix me a turkey pot pie. No dad, what about you? F**k you. No dad, what about you? F**k you. Dad, what about you? F**k you." Saying those things to your child will get you a high spot on this list even if you did not actually appear in the movie. Later, "Bender" gives a little more insight into his Dad when he says, "You know what I got for Christmas? Oh, it was a banner f**king year at the old Bender family. I got a carton of cigarettes. The old man grabbed me and said, Hey, smoke up Johnny." Enough said.

3. "Mr. Perry (Neil's Dad)" played by Kurtwood Smith in Dead Poets Society (1989) - He is best known now as father "Red Foreman" from That 70s Show, but Kurtwood Smith does a great job making you really have disdain for his character in this movie. He is a parent who wants his child to excel so badly that he loses site of what is really important. He pushes and pushes "Neil" who does everything he can to make his parents proud of him. Unfortunately, he pushes "Neil" so hard that he chooses to take his own life rather than live in the world that his father is trying to force him to. There are not too many actions more reprehensible than that. Here is a video of one scene from the film which really shows how unreasonable "Mr. Perry" has become...

2. "Darth Vader" voiced by James Earl Jones in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - In the first part of the Trilogy (technically from the 70s), he blows up his daughter's home planet although he did not know that it was his daughter at the time. Then in the second part of the trilogy, he slices off his son's hand while trying to turn him to the dark side. These actions alone make "Vader" deserving of this high ranking. Yes, in the final part of the trilogy he does partially redeem himself by saving "Luke's" life and helping to defeat the Emperor, but you cannot forget everything he did prior to that. The pain in "Luke's" face when he is told that "Vader" is his father let's you know how bad of a feeling that surely was. Here is a video of the scene where "Darth Vader" chops off his son's hand and nearly kills him before telling him that he is his father...

1. "Jack Torrance" played by Jack Nicholson in The Shining (1980) - The film is based on a story by Stephen King, so that should give you an idea of what kind of character this is. "Jack" is driven mad by ghosts in a hotel after getting snowbound there. He then attempts to murder his wife and son. As I mentioned earlier, attempting to murder your own child automatically gets you a spot on this list. The role became one of Nicholson's most memorable and here is a video of the scene which really put it over the top for him...

That's my list. Please tell me if you strongly disagree with any of my choices or if I missed anyone that you think should have been included. Only two of the fifteen were from television, though there might be more from shows that I did not watch. Since I mostly watched sit-coms during that decade and most sit-coms from the 80s have good Dads on them, it is natural to have more from movies. If we were looking at more recent television, I think I could have come up with quite a few worst Dads to put on the list, but not from the 80s.

Here's to the GOOD Dads, both fictional and real. A truly happy Father's Day to you all!

That'll put an end to this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks so 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 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: To stick with the Dad theme of this issue, here is a video which would contradict my #2 choice on the list above. This video shows you what the real Darth Vader might have been like when he was at home (sorry there is a short ad before it starts)...

Behaviour & Communication: How To Be The Best Dad In The Galaxy

Quote of the day: "Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a Dad." -Anne Geddes
+ here are a couple bonus quotes for Father's Day...
"He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." -Clarence Budington Kelland

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me." -Jim Valvano

The characters of "Joliet Jake" and "Elwood" were developed by John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd respectively for a Saturday Night Live musical sketch. Who would have thought they could have ever made a movie about them? In the film, the two Blues Brothers are "on a mission from God" to raise money to save the orphanage in which they grew up. During this mission, both subtle and over-the-top comedy ensues along with some pretty great music, too. Here is the original trailer for The Blues Brothers...

There is a scene from the film that is highly ranked on one of my best and most popular lists, Best Dancing Scenes from 80s Movies. You should definitely click on that link and check out that scene along with the others on that list.

One of my favorite comic actors from the 80s is John Candy and he had a cameo appearance in the film as "Burton Mercer." There is a very short scene featuring Candy's character that has always amused me more than it probably should. Here is the video of that short scene...

Orange whip? There is another short little scene that also has always amused me more than it probably should. This scene is so random and odd, yet it makes me laugh every time and here is the video of this short scene...

Cheeze Whiz? In addition to hilarious performances by Belushi and Aykroyd, The Blues Brothers movie had quite the supporting cast including roles by Aretha Franklin, Carrie Fischer, John Candy (mentioned earlier), Ray Charles, James Brown and Cab Calloway among others. It even included cameos by Steven Spielberg as the Cook County Assessor's Office Clerk and Joe Walsh as a prisoner. Much of the film was shot on location in Chicago and the surrounding area. There was a scene shot here in Milwaukee, too. Towards the end of the movie during the car chase, the "Illinois Nazis" drive off a freeway ramp which was actually filmed at the Hoan Bridge on Interstate 794 in Milwaukee. The Lake Freeway (North) was a planned but not completed 6-lane freeway and I-794 contained an unfinished ramp that worked perfectly for this scene. Every time I see the Hoan Bridge, even today, it reminds me of that scene from one of my favorite comedies of all time.

That'll do it for this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Hope 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 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. You can also follow @OldSchool80s on Twitter by clicking on the FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER LOGO also in the upper right hand column. This will take you the page and you can just click on the box that says "Follow". I am sending daily 80s tweets, so sign up to get those. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Check this out: I came across this soft drink label which included a warning that I thought was somewhat unnecessary. As you can read, it says "WARNING: Drink Then Swallow." Not quite sure how you swallow before you drink, but this warning amused me (as it was probably intended to do). Hope it amuses you as well...

Quote of the day: "I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty and common decency." -H.L. Mencken

I read a great article on Empire Online that gives a lot of information about The A-Team movie. You can click on the link to take you to the original article or I have included it here below for your convenience:

The 5 W's of... The A-Team Movie
By Chris Hewitt

What? It's the big screen version of one of the most iconic TV shows of all time. You know the one, about four Vietnam vets on the run for a crime they didn't commit, who help out struggling Davids against mean old Goliaths who want to kill them/maim them/run their businesses into the ground.
Details of the actual plot are vague, although it's safe to say that the guys are no longer Vietnam vets, but veterans of the first Gulf War. Carnahan is also apparently planning to jettison the show's frothy, light, even campy tone in favor of something closer to the feel of the Ocean's movies, or the Mission: Impossible big-screen efforts. Which makes sense, although if the new movie doesn't at least pay lip service to Hannibal's penchant for ridiculous disguises, or the need to drug B.A. with milk so they can get him onto a plane, we'll be sorely disappointed.

Why? Although the show itself was campy, formulaic, repetitive nonsense, The A-Team has endured for several reasons. One, its bitching intro and theme tune which laid out everything you need to know about the show's premise in one highly memorable voiceover, before exploding into the sort of catchy, bombastic ditty that legendary composer Mike Post could toss off in his sleep.
Two, its characters were pretty much the perfect ensemble. You had the vain ladies' man ('Faceman', played by Dirk Benedict; we always loved the bit in the credit sequence where a Cylon walks past the ex-Battlestar Galactica star), the deranged loon who may not be as deranged as he wants people to think he is ('Howling Mad' Murdock, played by Dwight Schultz), the big, black, head-buster (B.A. Baracus, making a superstar out of Mr. T) who came complete with a dozen catchphrases and an aversion to aviation, and the cool-as-a-cucumber, cigar-chewing leader who had a plan for every sticky situation (Hannibal Smith, played by the late, great George Peppard). Stereotypes all, but they knitted together perfectly.
Third, it was enjoyably escapist nonsense, not to mention hugely influential (MacGuyver, for example, is a one-man A-Team, able to fashion a device to escape any trap from just a mango and three paperclips). And even though it only ran for four years and 97 episodes, not even enough to guarantee syndication, it became a truly iconic show that dominated and defined millions of childhoods. 20th Century Fox's been trying to turn it into a movie for years... and now it looks like they might actually succeed...

Who? Joe Carnahan (Narc, Smokin' Aces) will direct, from a script by Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, the writers of the mental action flick Wanted. Carnahan replaced John Singleton in the director's chair when the latter left in October 2008. When Singleton left, he took Tyrese Gibson, who was set to fill Mr. T's gold chains and Mohawk as B.A., with him.
At the time of writing, the roles of B.A. and Murdock have yet to be filled, but the other two-fourths (or, if you will insist, one-half) of The A-Team has been cast, with The Hangover's Bradley Cooper on board as Faceman and, in a spot of brilliant casting, the commanding and kick-ass Liam Neeson down to play Hannibal Smith, a role with which the likes of Bruce Willis, George Clooney and Mel Gibson had been linked in the past. Neeson's casting indicates an awareness that the brand name is a big enough draw to get by without any mega-salaries. Which pretty much rules out those persistent Jim Carrey-as-Murdock rumors.
Expect a bad guy and at least one love interest to get the casting nod in the coming weeks. Will the film use the show's recurring thorn-in-the-side, Col. Decker, who relentlessly hunted the A-Team? We'll have to wait to see...
Producer Stephen J. Cannell, who created the TV show and who is famous for his company ident, has been shepherding the project through development at Fox. Intriguingly, Ridley and Tony Scott are also on board as producers...

When? Shooting will start in August, with the film set for release on June 11, 2010. That release date has been set for a while - it was first mentioned in March 2008 - putting a welcome deadline on development after years of rumors and rumbling pre-production produced no actual film.

Where? Vancouver. It's a popular destination for action films since the tax laws allow filmmakers to stretch their budget a little further; it's still commutable to LA and there's a thriving industry there so all the experts you need are at hand.

There you go. Now you know everything about the upcoming A-Team Movie that you needed to know (and more), though it seems some details are yet to be finalized. I have heard rumors of Woody Harrelson possibly playing "Howling Mad Murdock" and someone like Ice Cube possibly playing "B.A. Baracus" and I am sure that will need to be confirmed soon if shooting will begin in August.

I used to really like the intro theme song for the A-Team show though it did not make the top 15 in my Top TV Theme Songs list. For those not familiar with the song, here is a video for the show's opening (which I can't get out of my head since hearing it again):

The A-TEAM Intro - The funniest videos clips are here

I also used to think the van they used in the show was so cool (black with red stripe). I just saw a Honda commercial for their Odyssey mini-van with the tagline "Respect the Van" and prominently featuring the A-Team van (among a couple others). Not quite sure how this mini-van is supposed to compare to an iconic American-made van from the 80s, but I liked seeing the homage anyway. I have included the video for this short commercial here:

I have been very vocal about remakes of our 80s classics being a bad idea, but this A-Team Movie might be alright if they treat it seriously and recruit a strong cast. They are half-way there, so I will be keeping an eye on this production and might have to see it next summer when it is released. I might also have to re-watch all five seasons of the original television series to get me ready.

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 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 picture and just had to share with you. It might cost a little more than the milk with hair, but I'd hope you agree that it is very much worth it...

Quote of the day: "I love it when a plan comes together." -George Peppard as "Hannibal Smith" in the A-Team television series

Today (June 8, 2009) is the 49^th birthday of singer Mick Hucknall who is best known as the lead singer of the band Simply Red. The band took that name because of the color of Hucknall's hair. The band's first hit song came from the 1985 album Picture Book. It is reported that Hucknall wrote this song when he was just 17 years old and it would hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 about nine years later (July 1986). This song is "Holding Back The Years" and after you listen to it, you will understand why it ranked on my popular list of Most Heartbreaking Songs of the 80s. So to celebrate their lead singer's birthday, this week's first Flashback Video is "Holding Back The Years" by Simply Red...

I am also a big fan of their 1989 remake of the song "If You Don't Know Me By Now" originally released in 1972 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes. Simply Red's version hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July of 1989. So, in further celebration of Mick Hucknall's birthday, this week's second Flashback Video is "If You Don't Know My By Now" by Simply Red...

The band has continued to make new music with a studio album released as recently as 2007 and a greatest hits album released in 2008. Mick Hucknall announced that the band were due to split in 2010, after a farewell tour starting this year (in early 2009 and ending in 2010). Hucknall released his first solo album, Tribute to Bobby, back in May of 2008. For me, I will always remember them for those hits from the 80s.

That wraps up 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. If you want to see the past issues of Flashback Videos, just type that into the Google Search Box at the top of the right hand column and it should give you a list of all of them. You can also always click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use that Google Search Box to find any past issues or topics 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 bring this up because Sunday night (June 7^th) the 63^rd Annual Tony Awards will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall. The Tony Awards is actually short for the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre which recognize achievement in American theater including the Best Musical award. This year there are a couple 80s connections in the Musical categories.

9 to 5: The Musical is based on the 1980 movie 9 to 5 which starred Dolly Parton, Lilly Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dabney Coleman. Dolly Parton won an Old Schooly in my 2^nd Annual Old School 80s Movie Awards for Best Performance by a Musician turned Actor and there is a video link there which highlights some of her finer moments from this movie. Parton wrote the music and lyrics for the stage musical and is nominated for the Tony for Best Original Score.

Here is a video which includes the cast rehearsing the title song with interviews with Dolly Parton and some of the cast mixed in:

Even more directly connected to the 80s is the musical Rock of Ages which is nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Musical. It is built around 80s rock music and stars former American Idol contestant Constantine Maroulis. Here is a video trailer for the musical which gives you a good idea of what it is about:

Here is a list of the great 80s classics that are included in this show:
"We Built This City" by Starship
"Nothin' but a Good Time" by Poison
"Keep on Loving You" by REO Speedwagon
"Just Like Paradise" by David Lee Roth
"I Wanna Rock" by Twisted Sister
"Too Much Time on My Hands" by Styx
"Renegade" by Styx
"I Hate Myself for Loving You" by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
"Oh Sherrie" by Steve Perry
"Waiting for a Girl Like You" by Foreigner
"Shadows of the Night" by Pat Benatar
"Don't Stop Believing" by Journey
"Heaven" by Warrant
"The Search is Over" by Survivor
"We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister
"High Enough" by Damn Yankees
"The Final Countdown" by Europe
"I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner
"Harden My Heart" by Quarterflash
"Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison
"Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar
"Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon
"Wanted Dead or Alive" by Bon Jovi
"Cum on Feel the Noize" by Quiet Riot
"Any Way You Want It" by Journey
"Heat of the Moment" by Asia
"Sister Christian" by Night Ranger

Here is a video from Late Night with Conan O'Brien (before he moved to the Tonight Show) where the cast performs "Here I Go Again":

I find musicals to be much more fun and entertaining when I am familiar with the music before seeing the show. That is a big reason why shows like Jersey Boys and Mamma Mia! were particularly enjoyable for me. I am disappointed to say that I have not been able to see Rock of Ages yet, but I really want to. I hope to get the opportunity at some point and I will be cheering for it to win the Tony Award simply for its use of all those 80s rock songs. One of my upcoming issues is going to be a Top 10 list of my favorite 80s songs featured in Rock of Ages (from the 28 songs listed above). Keep an eye out for that issue.

That's all 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 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 have featured "literal version videos" from 80s songs here a couple times in the past. This is where the words of the song are changed to reflect literally what is happening in the video. I find these very creative and usually pretty funny. I just came across another one for Bonnie Tyler's 1983 hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and I hope you enjoy it:

Quote of the day: "Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better." -Pat Riley