Molly Ringwald, John Hughes holiday again

Two of the biggest '80s icons share a birthday today. This is your day, Molly Ringwald and John Hughes!

Hughes (59) and Ringwald (41) have maintained a mystical relationship from the start. Molly starred in three of Hughes' classics: Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. And if he'd had his way, she'd also have appeared in Some Kind of Wonderful (which went to Lea Thompson instead, despite her dreadful turn in Howard the Duck).

Still not sure? Read this 1986 article in which Molly interviewed John in Seventeen Magazine. They complete each other's sentences!

Hughes is still MIA these days; his most recent work was writing the story for 2008's Drillbit Taylor (under his pen name, Edmond Dantes). Molly's as busy as ever, currently co-starring in ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

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'80s headlines for 2009

The new year is barely a week old and already I'm thinking of 2010, when I can write up a brilliant (and largely unappreciated) summary of the '80s-related news of 2009. Here are just some of the headlines I'm hoping for:

• MTV returns to pre-1985 programming schedule
• Oingo Boingo reunites for annual Halloween show in Tampa Bay
• Martha Quinn joins as full-time co-host of Stuck in the '80s podcast
• Police burn stash of Members Only jackets found in Detroit suburb
• Members Only fan club burns stash of Police albums found in Detroit suburb
• John Cusack agrees to sequels for Say Anything, Better Off Dead, The Sure Thing
• Annabeth Gish becomes assistant '80s blogger for tampabay.com
• Vegas Girlfriend becomes Vegas Roommate
• Brat Pack to star in modern remake of Chariots of Fire
• Ione Skye agrees to become assistant to assistant '80s blogger for tampabay.com
• ZZ Top members wake up in Clearwater hotel and find beards shaved
• Times pop music critic survives miracle beard transplant surgery; thanks ZZ Top
• Madonna calls it quits from music career; 'I suck now' she confesses
• Bryan Adams releases box set of '80s hits, tentatively called "I'm sorry, Steve. I do love the '80s."

Anybody else have an '80s wish for 2009?

'Can I still borrow your underpants?'

Anthony Michael Hall and Molly Ringwald met up at the 36th AFI Life Achievement Award tribute to Warren Beatty a few weeks ago in Hollywood. No telling if they chatted about a possible "Sixteen Candles" sequel, something Molly has been talking up for years now.

"It was something that I definitely wanted to do, but John Hughes wasn't interested, and I didn't feel comfortable doing it without his involvement," she recently told the media. "If we can get John to agree, I think it would be great. ... To me, the movie is '80s perfection."

Speaking of Molly, she's back in the spotlight again these days. And not for her signature red hair, film roles or enduring label as the "freckled face of the 80s" -- it's for a new reputation: Fashion diva.

The Los Angeles Times recently profiled Molly on the eve of her debut on TV's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager." In it, the writer follows Molly on a shopping trip during her return to L.A.

"I never thought of myself as a style icon," Ringwald tells the Times. "I wore all that vintage because my parents kept me on an allowance ... My style was based on necessity."

With the return of 80s nostalgia and fashion -- along with an economic recession -- we'll all be "going vintage" again. (Click here to read the full article.)

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We still believe in Molly Ringwald

Molly Ringwald this week turns the big "Four-Oh my god the 80s are aging too fast."

I doubt she's spending her 40th the same way I spent mine back in July: Gambling away all the mortgage money at the craps table at the Bellagio. But she can blow on my dice anytime.

Rather than drone on and on about her importance to the very fiber of my existence, let me allow Molly the opportunity to teach us her sagely wisdom.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW IN LIFE, YOU CAN LEARN FROM MOLLY RINGWALD:

• "Us loners got to stick together." (Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone)
• "I loathe the bus. There has to be a more dignified mode of transportation." (Sixteen Candles)
• "When you don't have anything, you don't have anything to lose. Right?" (Sixteen Candles)
• "Academic clubs aren't the same as other kinds of clubs." (Breakfast Club)
• "If somebody doesn't believe in me, I can't believe in them." (Pretty in Pink)
• "When you're pregnant, sometimes you get hemorrhoids, okay?" (For Keeps)
• "You don't want me, I'm used, I'm worn out, I'm bad goods, you can't trust me." (Fresh Horses)

Hey, Hollywood ... Try these next!

It's nearly the middle of summer -- Fourth of July weekend is upon us -- and so our minds turn to the multiplexes across America, wondering: Where are the sequels that we REALLY want to see?

Bruce Willis has his latest version of Die Hard out, and Times film critic Steve Persall says it's a throwback classic in his review. But isn't that really a Christmas season movie? What we need are some good ole fashioned sequels to '80s classics. I'm one step ahead of you.

TOP 10 MOVIES FROM THE '80s THAT NEED A SEQUEL:

10. Fast Times at Ridgemont High: I know 1984's "The Wild Life" was sequel of sorts, but don't you want to know what became of Jeff Spicoli after 25 years? I'm guessing he's the shop teacher and runs the David Lee Roth page on MySpace. "People on 'ludes should not drive."

9. Beverly Hills Cop: It's had two sorry sequels. But the original is the single source of power for the once-proud Eddie Murphy. And after "Norbit" and "Pluto Nash," I think it's time for Eddie to return to his roots. "Is this the gentleman who ruined the buffet at the Harrow club this morning?"

8. Caddyshack: Please, somebody do something to remove the taste in our mouths after "Caddyshack 2." Bring back Kenny Loggins for the title song. And let's find out what happened to "Danny" (Michael O'Keefe). But please keep Bill Murray's brother (Brian Doyle-Murray) running the caddyshack. "Pick up that blood!"

7. Valley Girl: A Nic Cage film that doesn't involve explosions? Yeah, think waaay back to the 80s. My guess is that even Deborah Foreman ("Julie") would come out of hiding to reprise her greatest role."Yeah, but Tommy can be such a dork, ya know? Like he's got the bod, but his brains are bad news."

6. The Breakfast Club: Answer the question once and for all -- what happens to the kids when they return to school on Monday? I'm hoping that writing a sequel is the real reason that director John Hughes has been laying low for so long. "We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all."

5. Sixteen Candles: From all reports, a sequel to this classic almost did happen. But to truly find out what happened to Samantha (Molly Ringwald) and her dreamy boyfriend, you'll have to rescue Michael Schoeffling ("Jake") from his job making furniture in Pennsylvania. (Sadly, I'm not joking.) "Would you stop feeling sorry for yourself? It's bad for your complexion."

4. Victory: The ultimate soccer/war/escape movie of the '80s. The only one in fact. I figure Sylvester Stallone can return -- Rambo style -- to free to rest of his fellow POW's (and maybe organize a camp softball team to play against the Soviet national team for when the war is over). "This frigging game is ruining my life."

3. War Games: I figure "David Lightman" (Matthew Broderick) could be running a huge software company these days, fighting the Justice Department over its business practices, hanging about rock stars and being named Time Magazine's man of the year. Nah, too unrealistic. " Is it a game... or is it real?"

2. Better Off Dead: One of the most underrated movies of the 80s can become the most overhyped sequel of our times, thanks to the star power of John Cusack. But unless they bring back Diane Franklin ("Monique"), Dan Schneider ("Ricky") and Curtis Armstrong ("Charles"), we're all better off dead. "Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn."

1. Blade Runner: I was screaming for a sequel before the credits even rolled on the original flick. Do Deckard and Rachael live happily ever after? Plus, Rutger Hauer and Sean Young could use the work. "I need ya, Deck. This is a bad one, the worst yet. I need the old blade runner, I need your magic."

Hey, special thanks to IMDB.com for linking to this post. Here are some other similar lists:

• Best kissing scenes from 80s movies
• Best patriotic movies of the 80s
• Top 20 guys movies
• Top 10 mob movies from the 80s

Memorable wedding lines from the '80s

Wedding movies of the '80s aren't exactly epic. (No, you can't count "General Hospital's" Luke and Laura for today's topic.) All told, there are more than 30 movies during the decade that involve a wedding ceremony as a significant part of the plot, but try to pick great quotes from these movies and you'll end up with dialog drier than the bridal cake.

For the truly great quotes, you have to leave the '80s altogether. The Graduate in 1967 ("Are we getting married tomorrow?") and 1994's Four Weddings and a Funeral ("Marriage is just a way of getting out of an embarrassing pause in conversation.") come to mind. And the greatest 80s wedding movie of all -- The Wedding Singer -- wasn't filmed until 1998!

But since June is running out, and the brides are getting antsy, it's time to pick the best wedding moments from our favorite decade.

TOP 5 WEDDING LINES FROM '80s MOVIES:

5. Sixteen Candles (1984): Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall. "I can't believe it. You make someone a bridesmaid and they s--t all over you."

4. Haunted Honeymoon (1986): Gilda Radner, Gene Wilder. "This is gonna be some wedding. A loony for a husband, and Peter Pan for his wife."

3. Diner (1982): Steve Guttenberg, Daniel Stern. "We all know most marriages depend on a firm grasp of football trivia."

2. When Harry Met Sally (1989): Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan. "All I'm saying is that somewhere out there is the man you are supposed to marry. And if you don't get him first, somebody else will, and you'll have to spend the rest of your life knowing that somebody else is married to your husband "

1. Flash Gordon (1980): Sam Jones, Max von Sydow.

Priest: "Do you, Ming the Merciless, Ruler of the Universe, take this Earthling Dale Arden, to be your Empress of the Hour?"
Ming: "Of the hour, yes."
Priest: "Do you promise to use her as you will?"
Ming: "Certainly!"
Priest: "Not to blast her into space? ... Uh, until such time as you grow weary of her."
The Emperor Ming: "I do."

It's a nice day for a white wedding

It's June, so those are either wedding bells I hear in the air constantly or I need to cut down on the Wild Turkey shots.

Since it's been a while since we all put together a "best-of" list as a group, here's a good list idea: What were the best movies featuring weddings in the 80s?

A quick search of my usual secret resources reveals at least 30 movies in the 80s that had weddings as a significant part of the film. Here are just a couple to loosen your brain cells:

Excalibur (1981): King Arthur and Guenevere tie the knot. But that dope Lancelot has to act like a love-sick puppy and bring down the kingdom.

Bachelor Party (1984): Only in the movies does nice-guy Tom Hanks marry a sexy but whacked-out Tawny Kitaen.

Easy Money (1983): Taylor Negron and Jennifer Jason Leigh make an odd couple in what could be Rodney Dangerfield's best 80s movie.

For Keeps? (1988): Molly Ringwald gets pregnant then marries in this flick. But you have decide: Is Sixteen Candles also a wedding flick? I say yes.

Coming to America (1988): One of Eddie Murphy's finest moments. Featuring the always loveable James Earl Jones: "So you see, my son, there is a very fine line between love and nausea."

Leave a comment with your favorite wedding movies of the 80s (or your least favorite) and we'll have the official list online before the month is over.

King and queen of the 80s

If there's ever a national holiday for 80s fans, I imagine it'd be today. February 18 is the birthday for Molly Ringwald (39) and John Hughes (57). (Also Matt Dillon and John Travolta for that matter.)

Hughes and Ringwald have always had a mystical relationship to say the least. Molly starred in three of Hughes' films: Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink. And if he'd had his way, she'd also have appeared in Some Kind of Wonderful (Lea Thompson got the role instead.)

In 1986, Molly interviewed John for an article in Seventeen Magazine. Reading the interview, you get the feeling that you're listening to two best friends talk. Or even a husband and wife. And while nobody has ever implied that their relationship was anything more than a professional one, fans of their work have to envy that type of special connection.

Will their mutual respect eventually lead to another project together? Molly told the Stuck in the 80s podcast back in December that she'd love to work with John again. But in the meantime, she continues to tour with the Broadway production of Sweet Charity while Hughes wraps up production on Drillbit Taylor, a movie he's credited with co-writing. Fans must continue to wait -- patiently.

Hoping for a Ringwald reunion

The Stuck in the 80s e-mail box bulges with a wide array of letters each day. Fans from around the world drop us notes to give us feedback on shows, ideas for new episodes ... and to say that co-host Sean Daly actually does have body hair (and they have the photos to prove it.)

Shortly after our interview with Molly Ringwald, we received a very unusual one from a Sharla Van Ringwald: "My relationship to Molly as I've been told is that I am a 3rd cousin to her on my Dad's side of the family. Yes, my last name is Ringwald. Born and Breed!!"

Thus ends my theory that Molly was a clinical lab love child of John Hughes and Shirley MacLaine.

Today, Ms. Ringwald (photo right) is married and lives in El Reno, Oklahoma. Here's a quick Q&A with her...

Stuck in the 80s: Wow. A relative! Got any great stories about opening obnoxious Christmas presents with Molly and the rest of the Ringwald clan?

Sharla: "I myself have never got to meet Molly.  She was in my hometown during the late 80's early 90's doing a movie and stayed at my Uncle Dale's home.  All of my aunts, uncles and cousins got to meet her.  I was away at college in Indiana at the time and couldn't make it home.  They found her extremely polite and were utterly fascinated with her."

Stuck in the 80s: When did you find out you were related? Please tell me it wasn't on an episode of The Montel Williams Show.

Sharla: "I have known my entire life of my relation to Molly.  My father, Archie Wilson Ringwald, always made such a big deal of it.  Of all the cousins in my family, everyone, thought that I had a strong resemblance to her.  My reaction was of interest in what she did for a living.  I always remember that my dad was always pushing for me to take acting lessons and to do something along the same line as Molly.  I'm not shy by any means in public, but just didn't have that type of interests back then."

Stuck in the 80s: OK, so as someone who'd rather watch a movie than act in one, which of her movies do you think was her best?

Sharla: "I would have to say that one of my favorite movies of her's was "16 Candles." I don't have any siblings but I can relate to being that age and at the time some of my older cousins were getting married and I was kind of left out of everything. But overall, I don't think that Molly has ever done a poor quality movie. I have enjoyed all of them."

Stuck in the 80s: We passed along a note from you to Molly while she was in town here, performing in the touring Broadway production of Sweet Charity. If you two manage to get in touch and hang out sometime, what would you talk about?

Sharla: "I would love to know what interests she has -- like what she does in her free time.  I would enjoy hearing about all the traveling that she has done.  I think there is only a few years difference in our ages, so surely we would have some things in common."

"Back in the 80s, people thought it was cool that I was related to her. Nowadays I don't say much about it, but when I do people always want to know if I have met her. Unfortunately I have never been lucky enough to meet her. I always have hope though!"

Molly is 'Sweet' indeed

The Stuck in the 80s gang is back from our latest on-location podcast show: Opening night for Sweet Charity, starring Molly Ringwald, here in Clearwater, Fla. Click here to download the show, or click here to subscribe to the whole series for free on iTunes. (Click here to hear our interview with Molly a few weeks ago.)

Ringwald really shines in the touring Broadway production, from the moment she skips onto the stage all the way until her last confident strut. For fans of her 80s films who can't imagine her vocal talents, I'm here to set the record straight: She can flat-out sing. Her opening number -- "You Should See Yourself" -- sets any doubts aside. Co-host Cathy and I were stunned at how well she sounded. Could it be that the stage -- and not the big screen -- was her true calling?

Check out the podcast to hear the opinions of other Molly Ringwald fans, who were out in force at Ruth Eckerd Hall on Tuesday night. And listen for the expert review of St. Pete Times theater critic John Fleming, who visits with us at the end of the show. (Or click here to read his full review.)

Sweet Charity plays Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall through Jan. 7. The production hits a few more Florida cities before tackling the rest of the Southeast this winter. Check the production's website for exact dates.