the Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast

Podcaster Pete Wright joins Krissy and Nathan for 1985's Dow Chemical-funded disaster.Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell dig into why this 1985 Frankenstein spoof never finds its footing—a satire with no real target, hotel scenes lit for daylight instead of night, and editing so loose the jokes never land. Guest Pete Wright, of TruStory FM's "Sitting in the Dark," walks through the film's stranger-than-fiction backstory: it exists because Dow Chemical couldn't get its money out of Yugoslavia. Plus, a pre-"Seinfeld" Michael Richards, Carol Kane stealing every scene she's in, and the audition story from Geena Davis's memoir that changes ho...

Returning guest Eric Weir joins Krissy and Nathan for David Cronenberg's "The Fly" (1986)—the tragic, Oscar-winning body-horror classic that turned Jeff Goldblum into Brundlefly. They dig into the deleted "monkey-cat" scene that never made the cut, the alternate ending the studio scrapped, and why the film's doomed romance hits harder than its gore. Plus, hear their picks for further viewing.The Most Excellent 80s Movies is Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell's episode-by-episode look back at the movies of the 1980s.Links: Full Show Notes and Resources | Become a member
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On The Most Excellent 80s Movies, two con men agree the French Riviera isn't big enough for both of them, betting fifty thousand dollars on who can swindle an American heiress first. Krissy, Nathan, and guest Andy Nelson of The Next Reel Film Podcast dig into Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988), pitting Michael Caine's cultivated con-man charm against Steve Martin's scrappier, pity-driven hustle. They trade casting trivia, single out Glenne Headly's performance as the movie's secret weapon, and ask whether the whole thing still holds up decades later. Fair warning: they get into the ending in some detail.Full episode and resources<...

Guest photographer/filmmaker Aaron Kes joins Krissy and Nathan for "Amadeus," the Oscar-sweeping tale of Mozart's genius told through Salieri's jealousy.Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell dig into why "Amadeus" tells Mozart's story through the eyes of the man who wanted to destroy him. They talk through the film's refusal to play by music-biopic rules, its all-American-accent Vienna, and whether an Oscar movie really needs three hours to earn its stripes. Guest Aaron Kes, a photographer and filmmaker who volunteers with the Phoenix Film Festival, brings a fresh eye to a movie he'd avoided for years.The Most Excellent 80s...

A Very Texas Kind of Trouble: The Gang Sits Down with Blood SimpleWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Show. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell welcome special guest Shannon Mauck of the Neighborhood Comedy Theatre to dig into Blood Simple (1984), the lean, sweaty debut that first put the Coen brothers on the map.The trio wrestles with a familiar question: does a stripped-down, low-budget noir like this still land the same way decades later, or is its reputation doing some of the work now? Krissy and Nathan compare expectations to the actual experience of sitting with...

Baby Pictures, Bad Qi, and Above the Law: Steven Seagal’s Debut Under the Microscope
Welcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Show. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell welcome special guest Dorian Lenz of the Neighborhood Comedy Theatre to dig into Above the Law (1988), the film that introduced the world to Steven Seagal’s particular blend of aikido, righteous fury, and remarkable hair choices. Expect origin-story skepticism, mullet taxonomy, and a genuinely heated debate about who runs worse on camera.The trio wrestles with what it takes to launch a brand-new action hero from scratch, sizi...

He’s Not Canon, But He’s Bond: Revisiting Never Say Never Again
Welcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Show. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell welcome special guest Pete Wright of Trustory.fm to dig into Never Say Never Again (1983), the unofficial Bond outing that dragged Sean Connery back into the tux via one very petty lawsuit.The trio wrestles with this film’s odd status: no John Barry theme, no Aston Martin, yet a leading man everyone insists is somehow the definitive 007 anyway. That push-pull between “unofficial” and “essential” drives the talk, especially once conversat...

The Living Daylights: Cello Cases, Cargo Nets, and Timothy Dalton’s Big DebutWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Show. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell welcome special guest Nate McWhortor to dig into The Living Daylights (1987), the movie that hands the tuxedo to a brand-new 007 and asks the trio whether “Bond summer” gets even better on the second stop.The conversation keeps circling one big question: is this a reinvention of Bond, or just a reset with the same gadgets, puns, and glamour dialed to a slightly darker frequency? The hosts and their guest trace how Timoth...

Welcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Show. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell welcome special guest Jeff Frank of the Knights of the Rolled Table Podcast to dig into A View to a Kill (1985), Roger Moore's final outing as 007. Expect microchips, motorized blimps, and real disagreement over just how silly a Bond movie can get.The debate circles one question: does this film's camp hold up, or has it curdled with age? Jeff argues the pieces fit the era but the whole never quite gels, while Krissy and Nathan find plenty to love in just how...

Nerds, Fringe, and the $1,000 Question: Can't Buy Me Love Gets Its Day in CourtWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Show. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest Grace Campbell of Adventures in Collide Podcast to dig into Can't Buy Me Love (1987)—a Patrick Dempsey gem perpetually swallowed up by the John Hughes canon that deserves its moment.Krissy comes in as the episode's Sherpa, having loved the film for years, while both Grace and Nathan are first-timers. That dynamic creates a wonderful push and pull: does the premise hold its sweetness, or do...

Can Two People Just Be Friends? When Harry Met Sally… Says: Complicated.Welcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Show. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest Mandy Kaplan of Make Me a Nerd to revisit When Harry Met Sally… (1989), and the stakes are personal, because one of them is seeing it for the very first time, one has it as a gold standard, and one literally danced to its music at her wedding.The central question this crew wrestles with isn't just Harry's infamous thesis about men, women, and friendship. It's what happ...

Nobody Gets Off This Staircase: Krissy, Nathan, and Pete Take On The UntouchablesWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest Pete Wright—podcast impresario and pod boss at TruStory FM—to dig into Brian De Palma's The Untouchables (1987), where the real question isn't whether Al Capone goes down, but how far a straight-arrow fed is willing to bend to make it happen.The central tension here is a juicy one: Kevin Costner's deliberately bland Elliot Ness surrounded by Sean Connery's full-voltage Obi-Wan energy and Andy Garcia's silk-jacketed hand...

Breaking Barriers: Krissy and Nathan Strap In for The Right StuffWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Show. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell strap in for Philip Kaufman's sweeping 1983 epic The Right Stuff — a film so genuinely, stubbornly good that it nearly breaks their ability to snark about it.The central tension here isn't between astronauts and gravity — it's between Krissy and Nathan and a movie that refuses to be easily summed up. With an extraordinary ensemble (Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Sam Shepard, Fred Ward, Jeff Goldblum, and at least ten more "wait, is that—?" faces), The Ri...

One Man Army, Zero Armadillos: The Invasion U.S.A. SituationWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Show. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guests Francis Zagarigo and Jenna Jacobsen of the Very Fine Friends podcast to take on Invasion U.S.A. (1985) — the Chuck Norris one-man-army spectacular that Nathan has been lobbying to cover for years.The big question the crew keeps circling: is this a movie, or is it a spectacle? Because there's a difference, and Invasion U.S.A. lands firmly in one of those camps. The conversation digs into wh...

Dearly Beloved, We Are Gathered Here to Talk About Purple Rain Welcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast. Hosts Krissy Lenz (comedian and director at Neighborhood Comedy Theatre) and Nathan Blackwell (independent filmmaker at Squishy Studios) are joined this week by not one but two returning special guests—podcaster and writer Kyle Olson and podcast producer and improv impresario Pete Wright—to dig into one of the most electric, beguiling, and undeniably Prince films ever committed to celluloid: Purple Rain (1984).Neither Krissy nor Nathan had ever seen the movie before this episode—a confession that earns them so...

When Puppets Get Grotesque: The Dark Crystal and the Gateway to Nightmare FuelKrissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell sit down with special guest Eric Weir—a tattoo artist and lifelong Jim Henson devotee—to tackle The Dark Crystal (1982), the film that proved Muppets could die on screen and parents could regret their viewing choices. One host comes in fresh with zero childhood nostalgia, while the other two grapple with how a movie this dark and grungy holds up against the comfort of Labyrinth.What Fuels the ConversationThe tension here isn’t about plot—it’s about whether The Dark Crystal still works when...

It's time for season 9 of The Most Excellent 80s Movies!

Ice Pirates: Space Swashbuckling, Time Warps, and Robot BrothelsREBROADCASTWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Join hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell, along with special guests Sean Oliver and Drew Leatham of Third Productions, as they navigate the wonderfully bonkers 1984 sci-fi comedy Ice Pirates. In a galaxy where water is the most precious commodity, space pirates raid Templar ships, stumble upon a princess in a smoke chamber, and embark on a quest involving castration conveyor belts, unicorn-riding Amazons, and a climactic time warp that ages everyone decades in minutes. This movie has everything—and we mean ev...

Sunglasses, Skull Faces, and the Longest Fight Scene EverREBROADCASTWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by returning guest Adam Marshall Rini to dissect John Carpenter's 1988 cult classic They Live. What starts as a simple tale of a drifter looking for work quickly transforms into a mind-bending sci-fi commentary on consumerism, Reaganomics, and subliminal control—once Roddy Piper finds those magical sunglasses, of course. But is this film a masterpiece of political satire or just "Noam Chomsky for 14-year-olds"? The hosts debate whether They Live is best enjoyed with ta...

May the Schwartz Be With You: A Spaceballs Deep DiveWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest Adam Marshall Rini to close out Season 8 with Mel Brooks' 1987 sci-fi parody Spaceballs. The trio explores whether this childhood favorite still holds up with "grown-up eyes," debating everything from Rick Moranis' concussed helmet performance to Pizza the Hut's grotesque puppet design. Spoiler alert: opinions are divided, with ratings ranging from a nostalgic seven cans of Perri-Air down to a disappointed four.What Really Works (and What Doesn't)The hosts...

He's Crude, He's Crass, He's Family: An Uncle Buck Deep DiveWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Join hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell, along with special guest Heath Wilcock, as they make themselves at home with John Hughes' 1989 comedy Uncle Buck. In this lovable exploration of family dynamics, the trio discusses how John Candy's portrayal of the slovenly bachelor turned temporary guardian perfectly captures the heart of what makes this film a timeless classic—even when he's threatening to show up to school in his bathrobe.The hosts dive deep into what makes Buck Russell su...

A Sensory Overload of Cyberpunk: Akira Takes Over Neo TokyoWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast, where hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest David Westlake to dive headfirst into Katsuhiro Otomo's groundbreaking 1988 anime masterpiece Akira. Buckle up—this one goes hard from frame one.Neo Tokyo Never Stood a ChanceThe crew tackles one of cinema's most ambitious and visually stunning films—a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk epic that defies easy explanation. Set 30 years after a catastrophic explosion that reshaped Tokyo, Akira follows biker gang leader Kaneda and his friend Tetsuo as they stumble into...

A Cosmic Comedy of Questionable ChoicesWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest Robert Fata to dive into the 1988 sci-fi rom-com My Stepmother is an Alien, starring Kim Basinger, Dan Aykroyd, and a scene-stealing debut from Alyson Hannigan. When scientist Steve Mills accidentally sends a signal to another galaxy, he inadvertently attracts the attention of gorgeous extraterrestrial Celeste, who arrives on Earth with a mission—and a magical purse named Bag. What follows is a whirlwind of awkward romance, questionable parenting, and enough '80s excess to...

Gymnastics Meets Carnage: Gymkata (1985)Welcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell pommel horse their way through one of the most wonderfully absurd action films of the 1980s—Gymkata (1985). Starring real-life Olympic gymnast Kurt Thomas in his feature film debut (and finale), this Cold War curiosity follows a gymnast-martial artist sent on a CIA mission to win "the game" in the fictional country of Parmistan. The prize? The perfect location for a Star Wars satellite defense system. The obstacles? Rope courses, arrow-wielding guards, and an entire village populated by actual asylum pa...

We're bringing this episode back as Hollywood unveils its reimagining of The Running Man in theatres! While audiences experience this fresh take on Stephen King's dystopian thriller, we thought it was the perfect time to revisit our deep dive into the 1987 Schwarzenegger classic that first brought this dark vision of reality TV to the screen. Whether you're a longtime fan or discovering the original after seeing the new version, join us for this exploration of spandex, explosions, and some of Arnold's most memorable one-liners.Arnold Schwarzenegger Meets Dystopian Game ShowsWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast...

Can a Gang of Kids Really Save the World from Classic Monsters?Welcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast, where hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell venture into completely new territory with The Monster Squad (1987)—a film neither had seen before. This nostalgic cult classic brings together Universal's greatest monsters in what should be the ultimate horror crossover, but does it hold up without those rose-tinted glasses of childhood? Join these first-time viewers as they dissect whether the magic works when you're encountering Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, and the Wolfman for the first time as adults.Coming at...

When Ninjas Ruled the 80s: A Deep Dive into Daytime WarriorsWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast. Prepare yourself for a crossover extravaganza as hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell team up with special guest Professor Dustin Morrow from The Long Rewind Podcast to tackle one of the 80s' most inexplicable obsessions—ninjas! This isn't just any ninja discussion; it's a deep exploration of Revenge of the Ninja (1983) and Ninja 3: The Domination (1984), two Canon Films masterpieces that defined the era's fascination with mystical warriors who apparently preferred fighting in broad daylight.The Canon Films Ninja RevolutionThe ho...

When Childhood Nostalgia Meets RealityKrissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guest Jordan Collier to revisit the 1985 spy comedy Spies Like Us, starring Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd. What happens when a beloved childhood favorite gets the modern rewatch treatment? Sometimes the results are as bumbling as the protagonists themselves.The Verdict: When Memory Lane Takes a DetourOur hosts discovered that Spies Like Us suffers from an identity crisis—never quite deciding whether it wants to be silly slapstick or serious espionage. While Jordan and Nathan remembered loving the film as kids, their adult viewing revealed a movie th...

When Calculus Meets Heart: Stand and Deliver Gets the Math TreatmentWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell tackle the 1988 inspirational drama Stand and Deliver, starring Edward James Olmos as real-life teacher Jaime Escalante. This episode dives into whether this classroom classic still holds up or if it's just another case of sitting through endless math problems.The Good, The Bad, and The CalculusThe hosts appreciate Edward James Olmos' committed, Academy Award-nominated performance—he even underwent hair thinning for the role and followed the real teacher around for research. Lou Diamond Ph...

By the Power of Grayskull... This Movie ExistsWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by special guests Jordan Collier and Derrick Tesson to tackle the 1987 sci-fi fantasy spectacle Masters of the Universe. What happens when you take beloved toys, add Dolph Lundgren in a furry loincloth, and let Cannon Films work their budget magic? A movie that should have been good but becomes a fascinating study in wasted potential.The Cosmic Key to This DiscussionThe crew dives deep into this He-Man adaptation that somehow makes its titular hero...

Swing for the Fences: A Deep Dive into Bull DurhamWelcome to this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast! Join hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell as they welcome special guest Nate McWhortor—a self-proclaimed superfan—to discuss the 1988 baseball romance Bull Durham. This isn't your typical sports movie; it's a sultry, quotable journey through minor league baseball that explores love, mentorship, and the religion of America's pastime.The Church of BaseballThe hosts dive deep into what makes Bull Durham unique among sports films. Unlike major league fantasies, this movie captures the gritty reality of minor league baseball—from shitty...

Join us for a wild ride under the bed!
The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast dives into the bizarre world of Little Monsters (1989), starring Fred Savage and Howie Mandel. Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell are joined by comedy all-star Jenna Jacobsen from Mesa's Neighborhood Comedy Theater to dissect this attempt at creating "Beetlejuice for kids."Was this monster movie a trick or treat?
Our panel discovers that Little Monsters is equal parts gross-out humor and confusing world-building. While the film tries to capture every kid's dream of causing mischief without consequences, it struggles with unclear rules about...

Holy Multimedia Event, Batman!Join hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell with special guests Andy Nelson and Kyle Olson as they dive deep into Tim Burton's groundbreaking Batman (1989)—recorded live at the 2025 Phoenix Fan Fusion! This wasn't just a movie—it was a cultural phenomenon that changed everything we thought we knew about comic book adaptations.Michael Keaton's Controversial Casting & PerformanceThe hosts discuss the massive fan backlash when Michael Keaton was cast as the Dark Knight, fresh off his comedic role in Beetlejuice. Thousands of angry letters poured in, but Keaton proved everyone wrong with his brooding, murderous take on Batm...

Grab your knee pads and get ready to shred! Hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell tackle the 1986 skateboarding flick Thrashin', starring baby-faced Josh Brolin fresh off The Goonies. This loose Romeo and Juliet adaptation follows Corey Webster as he navigates Venice Beach skate gangs, romance, and the ultimate downhill race—the LA Massacre.Key Discussion Points
The 80s Sports Movie Formula: Krissy and Nathan dive deep into how Thrashin' fits the classic 80s pattern of "secret counterculture sport" movies like Bloodsport, Rad, and Over the Top. These films were made by outsiders trying to dramatize subcultures they didn’t unde...

Flashdance (1983)—Dream Big or Go Home?In this energetic episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast, hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell dive into the iconic 1983 film Flashdance. Neither had seen the movie before, leading to some surprising reactions as they examine this influential 80s classic through modern eyes.Nathan reveals how Flashdance became the progenitor of the Simpson-Bruckheimer production style that dominated 80s and 90s cinema, influencing everything from Top Gun to Dirty Dancing and Footloose. The hosts discuss how this $7.5 million film that grossed nearly $100 million established the MTV-style visual language that would later evolve into the Mi...

The Darkest Indiana Jones Adventure
In this episode of The Most Excellent 80s Movies Podcast, hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell dive into the controversial second installment of the Indiana Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). This prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark takes our hero to Shanghai and then India for what many consider the darkest chapter in the series.The hosts explore how the film's darker tone was influenced by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg's personal lives at the time, with both going through difficult periods that affected the creative direction. Despite being...

David Lynch's Dark Suburban MasterpieceJoin hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell with special guests Andy Nelson and Pete Wright as they dive into David Lynch's controversial classic Blue Velvet (1986), a film that exposed the dark underbelly beneath idyllic small-town America.When college student Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) discovers a severed ear in a field, he's drawn into a twisted mystery involving nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) and the terrifying Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper). The hosts explore how Lynch creates a jarring contrast between 1950s suburban aesthetics and the disturbing criminal world that exists beneath the surface.The panel discusses...

A Disney Renaissance ClassicJoin hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell with special guest Mandy Kaplan as they dive under the sea to explore Disney's animation breakthrough The Little Mermaid. This 1989 film marked the beginning of the Disney Renaissance and set the template for modern Disney princess stories with its memorable songs and colorful characters.The trio discusses how this film revolutionized Disney animation, introducing the now-standard "I Want" song with "Part of Your World" (which executives initially wanted to cut!). They explore how Ariel represented a new kind of Disney princess: rebellious, independent, and actively pursuing her dreams, even if...

The Epic Conclusion to the Original Star Wars TrilogyJoin hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell, along with special guest Francis Zagarigo, as they dive into the thrilling conclusion of the original Star Wars trilogy—Return of the Jedi (1983). This episode explores how the final installment wraps up the saga with its unforgettable characters, iconic scenes, and the ultimate battle between good and evil.Francis shares that this was his first time watching the film and declares it his favorite of the trilogy. Nathan, on the other hand, ranks it third but acknowledges its powerful ending. The hosts debate the merits of...

Groundbreaking Digital Frontier or 80s Tech Fantasy?
Join hosts Krissy Lenz and Nathan Blackwell with special guest Joe Malone as they venture into the neon-lit digital world of Tron (1982). This revolutionary sci-fi adventure follows computer programmer Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) as he's transported inside a computer system where he must battle alongside Tron against the tyrannical Master Control Program.The hosts dive deep into what makes this film a landmark in cinema history—it was the first major film to use extensive computer-generated imagery, so groundbreaking that the Academy disqualified it from special effects nominations because they considered using co...