Albert Brooks and Lost in America
This week's episode takes a look back at the career of writer, director and actor Albert Brooks and his brilliant 1985 comedy Lost in America.
The 80s Movie Podcast
Edward Havens, a film historian and former critic, hosts The 80s Movie Podcast, offering a deep and curated exploration of cinema from that decade. This isn't just a surface-level recap of famous blockbusters, though those certainly have their place. Instead, the podcast serves as a guided tour through the entire ecosystem of 1980s filmmaking. Listeners will hear episodes dedicated to the obscure distribution companies that once shaped what played in theaters, and rediscover movies that have slipped from popular memory. The conversation naturally expands to profile the iconic stars and visionary directors who defined the era's unique aesthetic. Havens draws on his background to provide context and insight, treating each film as a piece of a larger historical tapestry. Tuning into this podcast means gaining a richer understanding of why the 1980s remain such a distinct and influential period in visual storytelling. It’s for anyone who loves the texture of film history, from the forgotten gems to the cultural touchstones, all examined with a knowledgeable and engaging perspective. The show carefully balances nostalgia with revelation, ensuring every episode reveals something new about a seemingly familiar landscape.
Episodes
Ralph Bakshi and American Pop
This week's episode takes a look back at the career of Ralph Bakshi and his pioneering 1981 animated rock musical American Pop.
Some Kind of Wonderful
This week's episode takes a look at the best movie in the John Hughes canon: 1987's Some Kind of Wonderful. ----more---- The original 1987 theatrical one-sheet for the movie. Some Kind of Wonderful Paramount Pictures Rel…
Scotti Brothers Pictures
This week's episode takes a look back at the short-lived 1980s distribution company, Scotti Brothers Pictures. ----more---- The titles discussed during this episode include: Death of a Soldier (1986, Phillipe Mora) Eddie…
Barry Levinson in the 1980s
This week's episode takes a look back at the 1980s movies directed by Academy Award winner Barry Levinson, as well as several of the films he wrote in the 1970s before becoming a director. ----more---- The titles discuss…
Sigourney Weaver
This week's episode takes a look back at the 1980s movies starring three time Academy Award nominee Sigourney Weaver. ----more---- Sigourney Weaver in a scene from Ghostbusters (1984) The titles discussed during this epi…
Empire Pictures: Part Three
On this episode of The FilmJerk Podcast, we complete our three-part miniseries on the 80s movie production and distribution company, Empire Pictures, discussing dozens of films they announced at one time but never ended…
Empire Pictures: Part Two
On this episode, we continue our mini-series on the movies of Empire Pictures, concentrating on the films they released theatrically in 1988 and 1989, all the movies they would release directly to video, a summation of t…
Empire Pictures: Part One
In this episode, we take a look back at Empire Pictures, one of the more successful independent film distributors of the 1980s, responsible for two classic adaptations of H.P. Lovecraft stories, Re-Animator and From Beyo…
Wisdom
Today's episode takes a look back at Emilio Estevez's 1986 directorial debut, Wisdom. Twenty-three when he started production, Estevez would become the youngest person to write, direct and star in a studio feature film.…
