80s teen comedies were tons of fun at the time, but were they a deeper influence than we remember? Plus, the classic puzzle-platform video game Lemmings and other brain busting games. 

When we were independent enough to see more mature movies, we often chose from a variety of 80s teen comedies. Sure they were ridiculous, but they also presented relatable coming of age stories that stuck with us into adulthood. Plus, keep your mind sharp by playing the ‘91 classic Lemmings or other puzzle platform video games. 

TechnoRetro News

• Mortal Kombat is set for a more mature and true to the game rated R version
• A Buckaroo Banzai sequel novel is finally coming from the original author
• The original Muppet Show will soon be on Disney+
• Are you on board for a Willy Wonka prequel movie?
• How about a Young Guns 3 sequel?

I Love My Cereal

More classic cereals are getting the snack bag treatment with Cap’n Crunch’s Oops! All Mega Berries. And the Ghostbusters sequel will start out the hype with a General Mills cereal

TechnoRetro Arcade

Lemmings has been a favorite for 30 years. In this puzzle platform video game, you control a pack of lemmings (or more scientifically accurate; a ‘slice’ of lemmings) as you lead them to safety. And we would occupy ourselves with other puzzles like Tetris, Qix, The Incredible Machine, Minesweeper, and Myst.  What were some of your favorites?

Let’s All Go To The Movies

The 80s gave us so many great movie genres that have influenced us in different ways. But were Teen Comedies just mindless fun, or did they make a difference too? We look back as some of our favorite goofy, fun, sometimes raunchy selections and how they may have been deeper coming of age stories for all of us to learn from as we grew up. 

Bro, do you even TechnoRetro? Have movies shaped your life? What cartoons taught you life lessons? How does cereal teach independence? This week we look at why we still love all the great things we grew up with and how they shaped who we are. 

We grew up with so many great things. And we still love remembering it all today. Has it affected who you are as much as us? Jay and Shua reminisce about how they got where they are and share some of the influences of you, the Earbuds, too. 

TechnoRetro News

• We have confirmation that the TRON coaster at Disney World will be delayed.
• Congratulations to The Mandalorian for winning Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy series at the Critics Choice Super Awards.
• Could Cobra Kai be getting a spinoff series soon?
• The Willow series loses a director
• Bethesda and Lucasfilm Games announce a great new Indy game
• The Risk Board Game is getting a live action series treatment

I Love My Cereal

Shane the Roving Spoonster gives us news of a tasty cereal snack from Post. Plus, UK cereal gets an organic version. Will it be tasty? We want to know!

Saturday Mornings

Whether you enjoyed GI Joe, Bugs Bunny, or Challenge of the Super Friends, Saturday morning was a special time in a kids life in the 70s and 80s. Which shows were your favorites? Did the raving commercialism actually do us harm, like the so-called experts claimed? Or did it help us with creativity and ethics? That’s probably a matter of opinion, but either way, they stuck in our brains all these years. 

TechnoRetro Arcade

Did you have a local arcade in your town? Or did you have to ride your bike to the 7-Eleven to indulge in your favorite game? Jay and Shua share their stories about why the enjoyed their experiences with the house of games and how it helped them grow. 

Let’s All Go To The Movies

Arcades weren’t the only escape we got to go to when we were younger. The movies gave us an opportunity to learn valuable life lessons too. And a lot of times we capped off the time with a little jaunt around the mall. How did you experience your movies? Let us know, and try to make it a great experience for the next generation. 

If you're wondering which decade dripped the most machismo, it had to be the 80s. Iron Eagle was a perfect movie example of this, but it probably had something to do with the montage-style music it included. Jay and Shua look at both this week on TechnoRetro Dads.

Need an F-16, but just for an afternoon? No problem! Just get Chappy to help you grab a couple so you can go rescue your dad from his Biyalian captors.  Thus the plot of the 1986 macho film, Iron Eagle. Plus, this movie included a macho soundtrack, a staple of many 80’s flicks. We look at montage music on Vinyl Scratchback.

TechnoRetro News

• A Rubik’s cube movie is in development, but will it be the Dark Knight of game movies?
• Michael Keaton is Batman, now and forever. Seriously! We are getting word that he will be THE Batman in the DCU.

Let’s All Go to the Movies

In 1986, movies about the military and macho heroism was all the rage. So the Louis Gossett Jr movie, Iron Eagle came at a perfect time. Doug Masters must rescue his father from his Biyalian captors after he is shot down illegally. But Doug is only 18 years old. So he enlists the help of experienced Air Force Colonel Chappy Sinclair.  They use their wits and plot conveniences to hijack a couple F-16s and begin their mission. We break down all the crazy, unlikely fun of Johnny Lawrence’s favorite movie.  

Vinyl Scratchback

If you need to show a lot of things happening at once, remind everyone of what’s going on, and with every shot, show a little improvement, to show it all would take too long, you need a montage. It was a great way to move the plot along in 80s films. We look at some memorable montage music on Vinyl Scratchback. 

We're sure all the Earbuds are ready to start a fresh new year! Let's do it by bursting our brain while watching the horror classic Scanners. Plus, the January 1981 issue of Starlog and our recap of the amazing TechnoRetro gifts we got for Christmas this year.

Now that the holidays are over, we can get back to horror movies, right? Well, that’s what David Cronenberg though in 1981 when he brought us Scanners. A new month brings a new issue of Starlog from 1981 on the Magazine Rack. And we share the great gifts we were lucky enough to receive for Christmas. 

TechnoRetro News

• Netflix gave us a Christmas gift when they announced that season 3 of Cobra Kai would premiere early on January 1
• We send all our best wishes to legendary voice actor Tom Kane who has been recovering from a stroke
• The surviving Beatles have been keeping busy during the pandemic. Both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr released new music. 
• Saturday Morning cartoons have returned to MeTV!

Cereal

Shua shares some holiday discoveries and The Roving Spoonster has two great stories. Pebbles has a great filter if you are a user of TikTok. And you can share it to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Kellogg’s is releasing a Crayola Crayons cereal, but does it taste as authentic as the real thing?

Magazine Rack

The cover story about Star Trek actor Mark Lenard doesn’t even scratch the surface of what you can find in this issue of Starlog. If you were lucky enough to pick up the actual paper copy, you would have acquired a free vinyl disk by Neil Norman who plays sci-fi songs in his own special style. And you could read about the animated Flash Gordon, the Wild Wild West, and an announcement about the upcoming Star Wars Radio Drama. And tons more! Check out the Magazine Rack!  

Let’s All Go to the Movies

In 1981 David Cronenberg was experimenting with all kinds of gruesome special effects as he built his directing career.  Michael Ironside, in one of his early roles, stars as an evil, telepathic ‘Scanner’ who wants to build an army of more evil, telepathic Scanners. How well does the 40 year old movie hold up by today’s standards. And what did this groundbreaking movie do to push special effects into the future. This is Scanners

Toys in the Attic

Jay and Shua give a rundown of the great TechnoRetro gifts their friends and families bequeathed upon this this holiday season. Toys, games, comics, and more for the grateful Dads. What did you get?