Today (July 28, 2010) is the 46^th birthday of beautiful actress Lori Loughlin. Most people remember her best as "Rebecca Donaldson Katsopolis" married to "Uncle Jesse" on the ABC sitcom Full House for 153 episodes from 1988 to 1995. Many people do not remember her role as "Christian Hollings" in a BMX movie from 1986 called Rad, but I do.

The popularity of BMX racing and freestyle was quickly growing back in the 80s. This movie attempted to capitalize on the trend, but had very little box office success doing so. Since then however, the film has achieved a bit of a cult following especially from BMX fans. The story is a bit predictable with a small town kid trying to achieve greatness while avoiding all of the obstacles thrown at him by crooked villains with a little love story thrown in for good measure. The main character is "Cru Jones" (great character name!) played by Bill Allen. "Cru" wants to win the big "Helltrack" race which would get him sponsorship and fame, but he has to beat hot shot "Bart Taylor" (played by gold medal Olympic gymnast Bart Connor). This won't be easy because of attempts to prevent "Cru" from even participating. Just when "Cru" is ready to give up on his dream, Lori Loughlin's character "Christian" comes up with an idea which allows him to enter the race. Here's the original trailer for Rad...

Rad was directed by Hal Needham who had previously directed Smokey and the Bandit (1977) and The Cannonball Run (1981). The character of "Cru Jones" is loosely based on GT rider Eddie "The King" Fiola who also actually does all of the real stunt work for Bill Allen's character in the movie. Other GT riders Martin Aparijo and Pat Romano do the stunt work for Loughlin's character. There is a particularly corny scene that takes place at the dance between Loughlin's "Christian" and Allen's "Cru" dancing on bikes. It is set to the song "Send Me an Angel" by Real Life and has plenty of the cheese you would expect out of an 80s dance scene...

My younger brother was big into BMX freestyle, so we were one of the few to see this film in the theaters right when it came out. Like I said earlier, it did become a cult classic and was reportedly in the top 10 VHS rentals for the 2 years after it was released. Surprisingly, it has yet to be officially released on DVD. Though she would later be better known for roles on Full House, Summerland and now on The CW's 90210, I will never forget the gorgeous Lori Loughlin as "Christian" back in 1986's Rad.

That'll 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. If you want to see the past issues of Preview Review, 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 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 the "Like" button. Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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.

Tiffany is best known for gaining her fame through a shopping mall tour back in 1987 when she was just 16 years old. That same year, her self-titled debut album would reach #1 on the album charts with two singles reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The first hit was a cover of the Tommy James & The Shondells song "I Think We're Alone Now" and the second was an original ballad titled "Could've Been." Though she has continued to make music all along, her run on the pop charts ended when the 80s did.

Debbie Gibson's career also took off at the age of 16 back in 1987. Gibson's debut album Out of the Blue would include four singles reaching the Top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100. Those singles include "Only In My Dreams," "Shake Your Love," "Out of the Blue" and "Foolish Beat." The last single, "Foolish Beat" hit #1 making Gibson the youngest artist ever to write, produce and perform a #1 single. Debbie Gibson would have more success than Tiffany releasing a second album in 1989, Electric Youth, which would hit #1 on the album chart and include another #1 single "Lost in Your Eyes." Like Tiffany though, Gibson would continue to make music but not see success again like she did in the late 80s.

Now the two former teen rivals will share the screen together in Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. These films are far from cinematic or special effects excellence. Gibson has already starred in 2009's Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (alongside Lorenzo Lamas) while Tiffany starred in 2010's Mega Piranha (alongside Barry Williams). It was only natural that they would come together for this new project. What could be better than that?

I have to say that I am satisfied just watching the promo the two made which was just released at San Diego Comi-Con. The two 80s pop culture icons battle it out including rubbing cake all over each other. Enjoy it for yourself...

I don't even need to see the movie, that was enough for me. A special thank you to Syfy, Tiffany and Debbie Gibson for fulfilling an 80s fantasy for many.

That's all I have for this short 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 the "Like" button. Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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.

There is a little known rule that is rarely enforced regarding the use of pine tar on the bat. The rule states "The bat handle, for not more than 18 inches from the end, may be covered or treated with any material (including pine tar) to improve the grip. Any such material, including pine tar, which extends past the 18 inch limitation, shall cause the bat to be removed from the game." In the game in 1983, the Royals were losing by one run to the Yankees with two outs and a runner on first in ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. George Brett stepped to the plate and hit a home run to give the Royals a 5-4 lead.

Brett was a clutch player, but hitting a home run off of Yankees dominant closer Goose Gossage was an unusual event in itself. That was not nearly as odd as what would happen next. Yankees manager Billy Martin would approach home plate umpire (Tim McClelland) and appealed Brett's home run because of how much pine tar was on his bat. The umpire measured the bat against the 17-inch width of home plate and discovered pine tar up to 23 inches from the knob (5 inches further than the rule allowed). He then ruled the home run illegal and the batter out, thus ending the game with the Yankees winning, 4-3.

As the umpire made his ruling, Brett seemingly lost his mind and temper. In a surreal moment with his eyes bugging out and his face red, he charged the field looking to take out his anger on umpire McClelland. Luckily another umpire intercepted Brett and he was prevented from doing something he might later regret. Here is the video footage of the entire event...

The Royals protested the game, and American League president Lee MacPhail upheld the protest, reasoning that Brett's bat should have been excluded from future use but the home run should not have been nullified. Amid much controversy, the game was resumed on August 18 from the point of Brett's home run (with two outs in the 9th inning and the Royals now leading 5-4) Justly, it ended with a Royals win. The bat should have been ejected from the game, not the player. The umpires should have known better and this whole "incident" should've never happened.

I guee that all's well, that ends well. Either way, the footage of the "Pine Tar Incident" is very entertaining and 27 years later is still one of the most unforgettable baseball moments from my lifetime. And yep, you guessed it, it happened back in the 80s.

That'll wrap up this short 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 the "Like" button. Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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: Hopefully you follow me @OldSchool80s on Twitter already. I love to see new followers each day. In this cartoon, Pac Man is not so happy to see who he has following him now. He better find a power pellet fast to allow him to turn the tables on these ghosts...

Quote of the day: "Stress is caused by being 'here' but wanting to be 'there'." -Eckhart Tolle

Today (July 20, 2010) is the 65^th birthday of singer/song-writer Kim Carnes. Her first album was released back in 1972, but she is best known for her trademark raspy voice and for her 1981 hit song about a certain facial part of a certain actress. The song "Bette Davis Eyes" was actually written by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon, then recorded by DeShannon back in 1974. It was not until Carnes released her version in 1981 that it became a commercial success. And what a success it was!

The song would spend nine weeks (during May-July of 1981) in the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100. It was the biggest hit of the entire year of 1981 and, according to Billboard, the second biggest hit of the entire 80s decade in the USA (only behind 1980's "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John). The song was even ranked impressively at #12 on Billboard's list of the top 100 songs in the first 50 years of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Not surprisingly, the song won both Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 1982 Grammys. This week's Flashback Video is "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes...

Bette Davis herself admitted to being a fan of the song and wrote to Carnes after the song was released thanking her and saying she loved the song. She wrote in her memoir, "It was a thrill to become a part of the rock generation." It is reported that Carnes and Davis struck up a special friendship, with the singer visiting Ms. Davis at her home several times until her death in 1989.

Previous to "Bette Davis Eyes," Carnes had a hit duet in 1980 with Kenny Rogers called "Don't Fall In Love With a Dreamer" which ranks on my Top 80s Duets list. In January of 1985, Carnes had the distinction of being on the Billboard Hot 100 with three singles simultaneously with "What About Me" with James Ingram & Kenny Rogers, "Make No Mistake, He's Mine" with Barbra Streisand and "Invitation to Dance" from the soundtrack to the film, That's Dancing! This meant she was on the chart as a solo artist in addition to being part of a duo and a trio all at the same time. Also in 1985, Carnes was invited to perform as part of USA For Africa on the "We Are the World" song. Here's a link to my special issue on that iconic song. She sang in the chorus and shared the last line of the bridge with Huey Lewis and Cyndi Lauper.

Even though the song "Bette Davis Eyes" served to cement Kim Carnes (and Bette Davis) into 80s pop culture history, she also had some other pretty impressive accomplishments during that decade. "And she'll tease you. She'll unease you. All the better just to please you."

That's all 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. 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 the "Like" button. Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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". Even though the blog only updates a couple times a week, I try to send out daily 80s tweets. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

Today (July 14, 2010) is the 58^th birthday of movie producer Joel Silver. Silver began his career at Lawrence Gordon Productions, where he ultimately ascended to president of motion pictures for the company. He earned his first screen credit as the associate producer on The Warriors (1979) and went on to produce 48 Hrs. (1982), Streets of Fire (1984) and Weird Science (1985). In 1985, he formed Silver Pictures and produced hit 80s action films such as Commando (1985), Predator (1987), Lethal Weapon (1987), Die Hard (1988) and Road House (1989). The last film Silver produced before moving on his own was 1985's Brewster's Millions.

The 1985 version was actually the seventh adaptation of the 1902 novel of the same name by author George Barr McCutcheon. The novel was first adapted into a Broadway play in 1906 with the first film version made in 1914 by none other than Cecil B. DeMille. There would be additional film versions released in 1921, 1926, 1935, 1945 and 1961 prior to the 1985 version which I would eventually know and love. The screenplay for the 1985 version was written by Timothy Harris and Herschel Weingrod. It is pretty cool when a story written over 80 years prior could still have relevance so many decades later. A major reason why this worked for me was that the 1985 version of Brewster's Millions starred two of the funniest people of my lifetime in Richard Pryor and John Candy.

The film centers around the character "Montgomery 'Monty' Brewster" played by Richard Pryor. He is a minor league pitcher who inherits money from a rich old white great-uncle (played by Hume Cronyn), but there is a stipulation. He can either take a $1 million "wimp clause" or he can try to spend $30 million in 30 days with nothing to show for it in order to get $300 million (which in 1985 would be the same as about $7.5 BILLION in 2010!). The intention is to teach him to truly appreciate and value money. There are all sorts of rules including not being able to tell anybody what he is doing and on how he can/can't spend the $30 million. The down side is that if he chooses to try for the $300 million and does not meet the requirements, he gets nothing. It wouldn't be a movie if he doesn't choose to try for the $300 million. With his unknowing best friend (and catcher) "Spike Nolan" played by John Candy at his side, "Brewster" sets off to take his great-uncle's challenge. Here is the original trailer for 1985's Brewster's Millions...

The film was directed by Walter Hill who also directed other Joel Silver productions like The Warriors, 48 Hrs. and Streets of Fire. There are several subtle nods to Hill's 48 Hrs. (1982) in his Brewster's Millions. There is a bar at the start of the movie called Torchy's which is the same name of the bar Eddie Murphy shook down in 48 Hrs. The Torchy's waitress who phones in to police the brawl that "Monty" and "Spike" get into there is played by Margot Rose, who appeared in 48 Hrs. as the girlfriend of a character who used to tend bar at Torchy's. Also, the car driven by Brewster's personal photographer is a sky-blue Cadillac convertible, the same type driven by Nick Nolte in 48 Hrs, and the bookie who lays down all the bets for Brewster wears the exact same suit that Eddie Murphy wore in 48 Hrs.

It was not a great critical success and is by no means fine cinema, but Brewster's Millions has always been a favorite of mine primarily due to the efforts of Pryor and Candy. In fact, it was actually included in my Most Under-rated Movies list that I published a couple years ago. It will definitely remind you how much you should miss the genius of John Candy and Richard Pryor. Joel Silver is responsible for producing some of the biggest movies of the 80s decade amongst the 70 films he has to his credit now and is still going strong. Of all he has produced, Brewster's Millions still ranks in my top 5 favorites, and yep, it was from the 80s.

That'll wrap up 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. If you want to see the past issues of Preview Review, 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 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 the "Like" button. Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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.

Back in 1987, there was one song that topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for most of the month of July. That song is "Alone" by Heart. The single was released in May from the album Bad Animals which would come out in June. It would race up the charts and on July 11, 1987 it bumped Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" out of the top spot. It would remain there for three weeks eventually losing the #1 spot to Bob Seger's "Shakedown" on July 26th. So in memory of July 1987, this week's Flashback Video is "Alone" by Heart...

Many people do not know that "Alone" is actually a cover song. It was originally written and released in 1983 by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly's group I-Ten. Impressively, that songwriting duo also wrote such 80s hits as Madonna's "Like a Virgin," Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors," The Bangles' "Eternal Flame," and Whitney Houston's "So Emotional." Very surprisingly, in 1984 it was recorded by John Stamos (yes, Uncle Jesse) as part of his role on the short-lived CBS sitcom Dreams (which he did after leaving his role as "Blackie" on General Hospital) but that would not get the song any notoriety either.

But, in 1987, when Ann Wilson and Heart released their version, it was the perfect combination. "Alone" would end up being Heart's most successful single amongst a strong catalog of hits. It is really the incomparable voice of Ann Wilson that brings this power ballad to life. She starts very subdued in the first verse with only the piano accompaniment and then launches into the chorus. I have always had a soft spot for this song for some reason, though I feel it has an undertone of sadness and pain which puts it on my Most Heartbreaking 80s Songs list. It also ranks on my Top 80s Songs with One-Word Titles list.

Later on, in live performances, Heart would perform an acoustic version of "Alone" which I like even better than the original. It still has Ann Wilson's amazing vocals, but the Nancy's acoustic guitar seems even more fitting. I enjoy this performance so much, I wanted to share it here as well...

Heart - Alone (Acoustic) - Live - The funniest movie is here. Find it

What a tremendous song! "Alone" has been covered several times since including by Celine Dion in 2007, but none can even hold a candle to Heart's version from the 80s. Whenever I hear it, I am reminded of the summer of 1987.

That'll 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. 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 the "Like" button. Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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". Even though the blog only updates a couple times a week, I try to send out daily 80s tweets. Let other 80s fans know about it as well! Peace and much love.

In addition to Pryor, Murphy and Reese, the movie also features performances by Redd Foxx, Arsenio Hall, Danny Aiello, Michael Lerner, Jasmine Guy, Stan Shaw, Vic Polizos, Lela Rochon, Robin Harris and Thomas Mikal Ford among others. There are many scenes that I find hilarious, but there are two in particular that happen to include Della Reese's character "Vera" in them. The first of those scenes happens after Eddie Murphy's character accuses "Vera" of skimming off the top from the club's profits. "Vera" challenges him to go outside and settle it the old-fashioned way and it gets more real than he expected...

I love the line "Oh, you wanna hit people with garbage cans?" That scene ends with "Vera" getting her pinky toe shot off and she ends up walking with a cane for the rest of the film. There is a funny back-and-forth that takes place between Reese's "Vera" and Redd Foxx's character "Bennie" throughout the movie. It usually revolves around "Bennie's" lack of vision and "Vera's" size. There is a scene where they have an exchange from separate rooms that absolutely cracks me up every single time I watch it. The part I am talking about really starts at about the 1:35 mark of the video below (warning: there is definitely some vulgar language used)...

Even the parrot joins in the name calling! I use that "I got my mouth all ready for some..." line all the time. There are several other funny scenes in this film, but to celebrate her birthday, I thought I would share with you two of my favorites featuring Della Reese. Hard to believe that's the same woman who would go on to also be an ordained minister (of the Understanding Principles for Better Living Church). Even though for most people she will be remembered best as an angel named "Tess," to me she will always be "Vera" from Harlem Nights.

That'll do it for another short 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 the "Like" button. Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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: Here is an outstanding compilation of cinema. This video includes 100 of the Greatest Movie Insults of All Time. Some of them are from the 80s, but they certainly span all decades. WARNING: There is definitely lots of strong language and vulgarity as you might expect. That being said, it is quite entertaining...

Quote of the day: "The Lord has planned my life. I'm not a great planner but I have been open to what God has in store for me, and it's worked." - Della Reese

The NBA feared that teams could lose their superstars simply because they could not afford to pay the player's market value without exceeding the salary cap. The NBA figured that it would be better for the popular teams to retain their stars if they so chose, so the "Larry Bird Exception" allows teams to exceed the salary cap, if necessary, to re-sign their own free agents. They could do so by matching offer sheets given to the free agent player by another team or simply giving the player a new contract (up to 6 years). To qualify as a Bird free agent, a player must have played three seasons without being waived or changing teams as a free agent. That is why a player can often get paid more to stay with their current team than they can by changing teams.

It is often mistakenly assumed that the "Larry Bird Exception" was named because the Celtics were the first team to use it in order to resign their superstar. The new salary cap was to go into effect for the 1984-85 season and Bird was a free agent during the 1983 offseason. Though the rule was likely intended to allow the Celtics to re-sign Bird, he actually signed his historic 7 year $12.6 million contract before the salary cap even kicked in. Actually, the Celtics first used this exception after the 1983-84 season to re-sign Cornbread Maxwell to a contract extension. Many teams have used it since. Ironically and interestingly, the Celtics did eventually use the "Larry Bird Exception" on Bird himself when they gave him another contract extension in 1988.

Though players still move from team to team quite a bit, this rule helps allow some players to stay in the same city for long portions of their careers. Many of the free agent players of today can thank the "Larry Bird Exception" when they cash checks that are a little larger. Many of us fans can thank the "Larry Bird Exception" when our favorite player is able to stay with our team a little longer than he might otherwise be able to. And yep, you guessed it, it first happened in the 80s.

That'll do it for this short 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 the "Like" button. Even if you are not a Facebook member yet, please consider joining and registering as a fan at that page. You can also follow Old School 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: It is getting hot out now and a lot of folks are considering buying a swimming pool to keep cool. The little girl on the box seems happy enough, but I thought this was not a particularly desirable option as far as pools go. One of my favorite pool signs says, "We don't swim in your toilet, so please don't pee in our pool." I guess the same could be said for poop, too?!?!

Quote of the day: "All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope." -Winston Churchill