New podcast: Romance in the 80s

Last year, Stuck in the 80s thumbed its nose at Valentine's Day with our special "Love Stinks" podcast. (Go back and listen again if you must.)

This year, we're embracing all the gooey, sticky, homicidal romantic tendencies of the 80s in our latest podcast -- "We Really Love 'Love' Afterall" episode.

So get ready to enjoy our picks for best romantic movies of the decade along with some syrupy love songs that will have whistling Air Supply out your who-ha in no time.

Why all the love? Because it was a one-on-one, candle-lit podcast with me and Stephanie Hayes. (Shhh, nobody tell Sean Daly.)

Click here to download and hear the podcast. Or click here to subscribe to all our shows for free on iTunes.

Also, let me know what you think of the new theme music for the show, provided by Germany's Check Battery Daily.

TOP 5 ROMANTIC 80s MOVIES YOU PROBABLY FORGOT OR NEVER SAW:

5. ROXANNE (1987): Steve Martin, Daryl Hannah. "Your breasts, they're like melons. No, no, they're like pillows. Can I fluff your pillows?"

4. LADYHAWKE (1985): Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer. "I should have known better; every happy moment in my life has come from lying."

3. ALWAYS (1989): Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter. "I know now, that the love we hold back is the only pain that follows us here."

2. MADE IN HEAVEN (1987): Timothy Hutton, Kelly McGillis. "Remember heaven? All you have to do is think about where you want to be and you're there."

1. SOMEWHERE IN TIME (1980): Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour. "Come back to me."

Comments

[jane]

Cool! I'm always up for a party -- especially a pre-release one.

[Spears]

Finally done editing the show. Just exporting the file now. Should be online shortly.

[jane]

Movie quote: "Who invented liquid soap?" -- why, that's from The Sure Thing. I think. I'm still not quite awake yet.

[Marissa]

Never drink orange juice after 2 cups of coffee.

[Tom]

Gotta love "The Sure Thing" for great quotes eh Steve.

"Hey buddy, I'm talking to you cordless!"

[jane]

Never drink orange juice right after brushing your teeth either.

[Marissa]

The Sure Thing ... was there a soundtrack for that?

[Bassnote]

No, The Sure thing never had a soundtrack.

[Bassnote]

Although, it did use you favorite J. Geils song.

[Marissa]

Bummer, dude. I think the powers that be need to go back and make one! re-release the vid with a soundtrack.

[Spears]

Big news this week: New theme song for the podcast.

[Tom]

It had a bunch of good songs as I remember.

[Marissa]

Oooh a new theme song. What brought that on, Steve?

[Spears]

It was just time to change it up. We actually have more than one option. I'll post a link to the other option here in a minute. Putting the podcast online now.

[jane]

Aw -- I love the movie "Roxanne" -- and not just because that was the name of my beloved (RIP) cat, either. It's so charming and Steve Martin is adorable.

[Spears]

Here's the podcast. It's also being sent to iTunes, so you might check there too:

http://pod.sptimes.com/stuckinthe80s114.mp3

[Marissa]

It's up and ready to run, but my friend is talking my ear off on the phone. So, it's paused momentarily.

[Marissa]

my trigger finger is itchy lol he'd probably not buy the "ooh, call dropped. sorry" excuse.

[Spears]

Oooh no, the sound of silence. This doesn't bode well for the show.

[jane]

I'm here -- trying to multi-task while listening.

[Marissa]

i can't listen yet. grrrrr blah blah blah yada yada yada. my ear is burning

[jane]

Patrick Dempsey -- grew into the schnozz. I actually watched a little bit of "Coupe de Ville" this morning and I don't think the nose was as prominent in it as it was in "Can't Buy Me Love."

[Spears]

I'm grabbing lunch then. BRB.

[jane]

I'll slow up then, since I don't want to be talking to myself. Even though I do that anyway.

[Marissa]

Nice Barry White-ish voice. LOL Oyster juice. ACK!

[Marissa]

I'm behind you, Jane. I just got to the Dempsey reference.

[Marissa]

I loved the African Anteater mating dance

[Marissa]

I'm chatting with myself-elf..oh oh oh ohhhhhh

[jane]

I hit pause, went and did some domestic goddess things (my damn dishwasher is broken, so I'm trying to clear and clean out the sink of the dirty dishes. Ugh.) and now I'm back.

[Tonianne]

I was too stunned over news of the Everhart/Pesci pairing - as well as your use of the term "who-ha" - to comment.

But I am in fact listening...

[Marissa]

I don the yellow Playtex Living gloves regularly. It's a sexy look with my Old Navy pjs and hair in a scrunchie.

[Marissa]

Sing to me Peter!!! I'm holding my ipod over my head right this very minute.

[Stephanie Hayes]

Hey chicas. I'm working today, so I'll pop in and out. I'm going to get side by side photos of P. Dempsey and analyze them. I still cry nose job!

[jane]

Hee -- I have some purple dish gloves that I use. Make me feel more glamourous than the yellow ones.

And Tonianne -- so glad that I wasn't the only one appalled by the Everhart/Pesci news. *shudder*

[Marissa]

Yes! Love Steve Winwood.

[Marissa]

Ooh, I have to look for the pretty purple gloves, Jane. I need to find pink. I love pink. I was denied pink when I was a kid. So, I'm all about the girly pink no matter how stupid that makes me sound.

[Tonianne]

How does one go from Prince Albert of Monaco to Joe Pesci - I just can't wrap my head around that one.

[Spears]

I'm back. It's now raining here in St. Pete, something I wish I'd known before leaving without an umbrella.

[jane]

Totally got distracted -- the kiddo decided that he wasn't sufficiently up in my business and just had a tantrum. The joy of motherhood.

Meanwhile, I think it's been about a hundred years since I watched "Somewhere in Time." Don't remember much about the plot, but it was sumptuously filmed.

[Marissa]

I'm with Stephanie on the Nick Cage thing.

[jane]

Oooh -- Mr. Spears. It's pouring at my house. Sorry about the drenching. What's for lunch?

[Marissa]

lol tonianne. Maybe she likes 'funny like a clown' kind of guys.

[Spears]

Subway was all I had time and money for.

I'm probably behind listening to the show, but since I know how it ends, I feel ok about this.

[jane]

Tonianne! When a woman has gone from Prince Andrew to Prince Albert to Sly Stallone to Ashley Hamilton -- there's no accounting for taste.

[Marissa]

I remember Made in Heaven. I thought Timothy Hutton was so dreamy.

[jane]

Yay! Love for "Roxanne" -- such a charming movie.

[Tonianne]

Jane - Jack Finney's "Time and Again" was a great read (if I remember correctly a copy appears in the library scene of "Somewhere in Time")

[Marissa]

I do believe there were tears shed when I watched it. I'm such a freakin' sap.

[jane]

While I love Timothy Hutton (lucky Debra Winger), I loved his father, Jim Hutton, even more. Sigh. My big crush of the '70s.

[Spears]

They never show the really interesting 80s movies on TV anymore. Though I want to say I saw "Made In Heaven" within in the last few months.

[Marissa]

hahahaha Air Supply = ultimate guilty pleasure.

[jane]

Oh -- j'adore "Love My Way" and the Psych Furs.

And BWAH! to "Lost In Love" -- I have a long, totally irrelevant story about being in a one-night-only band where we tried to sing that song. And no one's voice, including mine, was high enough.

[Marissa]

"A nose is a nose..."

[Stephanie Hayes]

Steve doesn't understand bathtub music. Sad.

[jane]

I am a fossil. I was out of college when I went to see "Dirty Dancing." Sigh.

[Marissa]

ha! Sean's happiness is based on not seeing Dirty Dancing.

Ohhhh I'm having a Bryan Ferry moment. Excuse me, please.

[jane]

Bathtub music = one of life's great pleasures. When I had time for such things, my fave bathtub music was Harry Connick Jr.'s soundtrack to "When Harry Met Sally."

[Marissa]

haha Stephanie! Skinemax

[jane]

"Slave to Love." So hot.

[Marissa]

Stephanie, you can buy "Some Kind of Wonderful" for $5.00 at Wal-Mart and Target.

[jane]

Tonianne -- thanks for the tip on "Time and Again." It's in the Amazon queue.

[Spears]

I haven't had a bath in maybe 15 years -- maybe longer? Why? I'm a male. I do have a hot tub though. Though none of these tunes qualify as good hot tub music.

I think I'm going to. My boyfriend was aghast that I didn't remember it. I'm sure I must have seen it.

[Tonianne]

There is a great CD of Bryan Ferry Roxy Music covers - Roxy Re-Modeled. Nouvelle Vague pales in comparison.

[Marissa]

weiner ... weiner ... weiner ... weiner ... weiner ... wonder weenie ... weiner

[jane]

Wow -- that's high praise. You know how I love Nouvelle Vague... I'm on the hunt.

[Spears]

I wish I could explain the genesis of the "weiner" instead of "winner." Kudos to anyone who can chart which episode this phenomenon took place.

[Stephanie Hayes]

That anonymous was Stephanie. Typepad logged me out somehow. Grr.

Marissa, I propose you make an mp3 of your voice saying weiner. The guys can add it to the soundboard.

[jane]

My brother briefly (and I do mean briefly) dated a girl who drove the Oscar Meyer WeinerMobile as her first job out of college.

What that has to do with anything, I don't know.

[Tonianne]

I'd rather watch "Dirty Dancing Havana Nights" with its anachronistic music than sit through the original "Dirty Dancing." I just couldn't see the chemistry between Swayze and Grey.

[Spears]

More rantings ... why did I divert from my formula of using only songs with "Love" in the title for "Melt With You" and "In Your Eyes." Two songs I really didn't need to play at all in this show.

I'm an eeee-diot.

[Stephanie Hayes]

Because they were in the movies we talked about. It totally made sense, Steve.

[jane]

Hindsight. 20/20. You know the rest.

[Spears]

Just now got to the "Higher Love" moment. I've been prodding Stephanie to have her band, Super Secret Best Friends, to do a cover.

[Marissa]

I can't recall WHICH podcast you explain weiner, but I know what it's in reference to.

[Sherrie]

Tonianne and Jane- I have to second (third?)the recommendation for "Time and Again" by Jack Finney. That was a big favorite of mine! Also, "Somewhere in Time" is based on the book "Bid Time Return" by Richard Matheson and the book is even better than the movie.(But I'm a librarian, I'm obligated to say that. Still, the book is EXCELLENT and sob inducing.) I read it many, many times in the 80's. I think I need to pick up both books again, it's been a good 20 years since I read either.

[Marissa]

My son is so hooked on "Princess Bride." He's watched it no less than 10 times since I bought it about 2 weeks ago.

[jane]

YAY! Princess Bride!

[Spears]

Now I'm at the Jane Seymour moment. May I say in total predictable male manner that I cherish her topless scene in Wedding Crashers?

"Call me Kitty ... Kitty-cat..."

If you listen to the audio commentary of that movie, you'll discover that Owen Wilson actually got total access in that scene. Surely that memory alone should help him in his recovery from depression.

[Spears]

I do explain the wiener fascination in some episode? Do tell.

[jane]

Mandy Patinkin and his Inigo Montoya tight pants. Most excellent.

[Marissa]

awww such a golden moment in a movie. "you make it impossible for me to hate you."

[Sherrie]

I haven't listened to the podcast yet- I have an 11 year old's birthday party to chaufer my son to this afternoon, and the podcast will be my barrier against the screaming children. But, I have to say that "Roxanne" was so sweet, I really loved it.

[jane]

Aw... my fave quote from one of my fave movies. I'm tearing up right now. "You see, that is just like you, Harry."

[Marissa]

oh crap. i was thinking of the 'weasel' explanation.

[Marissa]

i really hate when I get a brain cramp.

[Spears]

I explain "weasel" and "fantastique" I know.

Just write off "wiener" as one of a hundred verbal ticks of mine.

[jane]

I cry at "When Harry Met Sally" but it's because I'm a total romantic sap and I'm a sucker for a happy ending.

[Stephanie Hayes]

Steve and I were discussing how Super Secret Best Friends could cover "Higher Love" and make up ANY words, because no one can understand the lyrics anyway. I'm considering it. Shameless plug: myspace.com/supersecretbestfriends

Spears chopped the Princess Bride portion where we recited "MAWWIGE! WUV! TWU WUV!" Bummer.

[Marissa]

Very nicely done, Steve and Stephanie.

[Spears]

Did I chop that? That conversation actually came when we were in a break.

And, Stephanie, the actor's name that I couldn't remember that day is .... PETER COOK!!!

[Marissa]

"i'm not a witch! i'm your wife!"

[jane]

Bravo, y'all. That was a lot of fun.

[Tonianne]

RE: Elwes

I've heard it pronounced "El-Ways."

And he so did not age well.

[Marissa]

Carey Elwes was the goober guy in "Liar Liar"

[Stephanie Hayes]

Right, Tonianne? Did you see him in "Saw"? Not so hot.

[jane]

Peter Cook -- the minister in "Princess Bride" and longtime comedic collaborator with Dudley Moore in the UK. Wrote "Bedazzled."

[jane]

PS: Kudos on the "Moonstruck" reference, albeit brief. I love that movie, even though Nic Cage is overly greasy in it.

"Do you love him, Loretta?"
"Aw, ma, I love him awful."
"Oh, God, that's too bad."

[Marissa]

I cannot watch movies like "Saw"
Ick-pooh!

[Tonianne]

Bedazzled with Brendan Fraser was one of the worst remakes I'd ever seen.

[Spears]

I'm not a huge Moonstruck fan. I thought there was little to no chemistry between Cage and Cher. Though the rest of the cast was fantastic.

[Marissa]

The supporting cast in Moonstruck is stellar. I really like that movie. The 'old man' is great with his dogs and knowing looks.

[Spears]

I didn't hate the Bedazzled remake, though I thought Brendan Fraser was awful in it. I did like the part where he was speaking Spanish and didn't realize it. Good scene. "Hola Juan, hola Maria..."

[jane]

I can't watch stuff like "Saw" either. Yuck-o.

And until you just mentioned it, Tonianne, I'd forgotten that Brendan Fraser was even in that awful "Bedazzled" remake, since Liz Hurley and her Amazing Bod got most of the press and credit.

[Tonianne]

Steve - agreed. But I'd see anything Olympia Dukakis appears in.

[Sherrie]

I really liked Danny Aiello in Moonstruck. I can't think of a movie where Nic Cage displayed chemistry with anyone, he's a big movie turn off for me. Sort of like Jane said,my first thought is that he needs to take a bath or wash his hair or something.

[Stephanie Hayes]

Steph's embarrasing crush #12492: Brendan Fraser. I had BIG thing for him.

[jane]

BTW, just found "Roxy Re-Modeled" on iTunes. It's downloading as I write this. Yay!

[Tonianne]

Stephanie - Brendan Fraser in "With Honors" was absolutely adorable.

[Spears]

Come on, Sherrie -- Valley Girl!! The answer to all of life's problems. Cage and Deborah Foreman had it going in that movie.

And I'd say Cage and Shue had it going in Leaving Las Vegas as well.

[Marissa]

Speaking of Joe Pesci, Tonianne -- I loved "With Honors." Another tear jerker flick for me.

[jane]

For me, the appeal of Moonstruck is the supporting cast (Olympia Dukakis, Danny Aiello, Vincent Gardenia, John Mahoney) and the evolution of Cher's character. When she goes to meet Greasy Nic at the opera, all gussied up -- I just get all mushy and hapy.

[Sherrie]

I knew you'd toss in "Valley Girl" Steve. I must have some sort of anti-Nicholas Cage prejudice I guess. It' ME, Nic Cage, not you. I'm the problem!

[Marissa]

Brendan Fraser as Tarzan. I'll watch it without sound. I bask in that which is his abs. The dance around the fire scene ... meowww lol

[Marissa]

ack! George of the Jungle. What is wrong with my brain!

[Stephanie Hayes]

Yeah, he was dreamy in With Honors, fo sho. But I think my favorite Brendan movie is Blast From the Past. I saw it with my friend Sara, and we fell out of our theater seats in his lovey scene with Alicia Silverstone. Ok, I'm veering dangerously off 80s course here.

[Spears]

Pesci's best movie has gotta be Goodfellas, right?

Though I really loved him in "The Super." A shamefully guilty pleasure.

[Tonianne]

Jane - check out "Don't Stop the Dance." Very hot.
(But not as hot as Marissa's Poe recommendation "Hey Pretty.")

[Tonianne]

I think Pink Martini or China Forbes did the George of the Jungle theme song.

[jane]

Goodfellas. Hands down.

Although I have a soft spot for Pesci in "My Cousin Vinny." (Though why Marissa Tomei won the Oscar for that is still beyond me...)

"Did you say 'yute'?"

[Marissa]

Presidents of the United States did it for the movie, I know.

[Stephanie Hayes]

Jane makes a good point. I think Vinny is Pesci's best movie. I think Ray Liotta steals the show in Goodfellas, in his own understated way.

[Marissa]

Everybody wondered that same thing, Jane. I think that was a grim year for supporting actresses. It was her or an inanimate object.

[Tonianne]

RE: Marissa Tomei and the Oscar.

As unfathomable as Three 6 Mafia receiving their Oscar before Scorsese did his?

[Spears]

So any comments on the new theme song at the beginning?

[Spears]

(BTW, Fraser's best movie? Hmmm, either Encino Man or Blast from the Past.)

[jane]

Actually, the year Tomei won (1992) was a stellar year in the Supporting Actress category:
Miranda Richardson -- Damage (such a HOT movie... damn)
Joan Plowright -- Enchanted April
Vanessa Redgrave --Howards End
Judy Davis -- Husbands and Wives

*Thanks to IMDb for providing the details on this for my increasingly-foggy memory.

[Marissa]

I'm partial to the old one.
It might be my speakers, but it's hard to hear.

[jane]

New theme song -- very cool. Me likee.

[Marissa]

Holy cow, Jane. I had no idea. What was the Academy thinking?

[Spears]

The theme song didn't sound as loud in the final version as it did when I was editing it.

Just so EVERY one knows, the old version isn't coming back.

[jane]

Tell me about it, Miss Riss. That's some SERIOUS actressing there.

[Marissa]

It's very A-ha-ish. lol

[Spears]

Here's another possible opening theme song. Download and let me know what everyone thinks:

http://blogs.tampabay.com/80s/files/stuckinthe80sopening7new2.wav

[Marissa]

I can handle the change, Steve.

[Spears]

Very a-ha-ish? That would help get their mafia off my back.

[jane]

I dig the one you used in the podcast itself, actually.

[Marissa]

I can hear the second one better, but that's not saying it is better. Let me compare and I'll get back to you momentarily.

[Tonianne]

Enough with the Ah-ha fanatics. They are worse than the Scientologists.

[Spears]

I like them both, but the ending of the second one is a little forced.

[jane]

The mind reels with the images of the A-Ha Mafia...

[Tonianne]

I prefer the first of the new openings.

[Marissa]

My vote goes to the one used on the 'cast we just listened to.

[Spears]

I lean toward the first one myself.

[jane]

Tonianne -- right as usual. LOVE the Roxy Re-Modeled, even though I'm still slightly partial to Nouvelle Vague, mostly because of that bossa nova thing I adore so passionately.

[Sherrie]

Should this one be on iTunes yet? I was hoping to put it on my iPod to take with me, but the newest one there is ep 113. Can I download it to iTunes straight off this site, or do I need to wait for it to show up on iTunes?

[Tonianne]

Have you checked out Putumayo's "Samba Bossa Nova" or Bebel Remixed" yet?

[Spears]

It's on iTunes. You just need to tell your program to refresh the podcast.

[Sherrie]

Got it- I hadn't noticed that "update" button before. Thanks!

[Spears]

FYI -- No Sean in next week's show either. We're doing a show on "Oscars in the 80s" to mark the 80th anniversary of the Academy Awards.

Times film critic Steve Persall is the guest co-host on that episode.

Should be online next weekend.

[jane]

Oh, I am totally Putumayo's best customer -- LOVE! (Even have a link to their site on my blog... the only commercial one there)

Samba Bossa Nova is da bomb.

Tonianne -- are we the same person? I'm beginning to think we might be.

[Bassnote]

Steve, the new theme that's on the podcast is okay, but I prefer the original J. Geils tune.

[Marissa]

Steve! I clicked the link for 'Check Battery Daily.' Now I completely understand why you chose them to lead us into the SIT80s podcast. So, where can I find downloads or CD? I don't have to sell a kidney on eBay in trade, do I? I suppose I could do my homework.

[Oliver]

Marissa, thanks for the interest.
You can get most of Check Battery Daily's songs on this url http://www.bardenheier.de/cbd/cbdsongs.htm and they're FOR FREE !! Ain't that cool ? :-)

[Marissa]

Thank you, Oliver!That's most kind of you. Getting them for FREE makes the tunes that much more enjoyable.

[Graham Bellinger]

I really like the new theme song, nice sounds.