If you were a child of the ’80s, and especially if you loved the pop culture of the time, there is little reason to look upon times past with a grieving heart and a wistful sigh! The decade never really went away, and as we shall consider in this article, there is much to enjoy in 2019 for any fan of the decade. Thankfully, gravity-defying hairstyles and giant shoulder pads do not make this list.
#1: Toys and games are making a comeback
With blockbusting movies such as the Star Wars trilogy, and hit tv-shows such as Transformers and She-Ra, toy shelves were bulging with playful merchandise that kids were desperate to get their hands on. And then there were video games; long before games consoles came into fashion, the arcades were packed with kids (and adults) playing Pac-Man, Frogger, Dig Dug, and the like. And guess what? They are still as popular as ever. She-Ra recently made a Netflix comeback, with merchandise to match. Retro gaming is more popular than ever, with downloadable titles available on all the major consoles, as well as miniature hand-held versions filling our gadget stores. Thanks to the success of the latest Bumblebee movie, Hasbro’s Transformers are due a comeback with retro-80s designs. And Star Wars, of course, has never gone away, with themed toys and video games as popular as ever. As we said a short while ago, it’s finally okay to embrace your inner geek. Enjoy!
#2: There are remakes galore
Thor Ragnarok was very much 80’s-styled in its look and music, despite being set well into the future, and sticking to the theme, the director, Taika Waititi is bringing classic 80s manga, Akira, back to the big screen. Alien Nation is also scheduled for a comeback, as are Big Trouble in Little China (with The Rock), Escape From New York, Flash (go, Flash, go) Gordon, Flight of the Navigator, and proving there wasn’t only one after all, Highlander! Recently, we have also been blessed with the remake of Pet Sematary, and not so blessed with the dire remake of comedy ‘classic’ Overboard. Read this article to get the lowdown on these and other 80s movies lined up to hit our multiplexes.
#3: We have gone back to the future
One of the greatest trilogies ever made, Fifty Shades…erm… Back to the Future, has shaped the decade we are now living in. Many of the technologies from the film are now present today. Remember the dogs being walked by flying drones? Well, while we still walk dogs the old-fashioned way, drones are now available for our personal pleasure, whether that’s spying on our next-door neighbors or annoying our pet cats. We have also seen the rise in hands-free gaming thanks to the Kinect and VR systems, advances that were already common in the movie – do you remember the young Elijah Wood ridiculing McFly in an 80s retro-themed cafe, “you mean you have to use your hands? That’s a babies toy!” And we can now learn how to ride a hoverboard, although we can’t yet use them to escape school bullies and knock them into manure carts!
Miss the 80’s? As Arnie said in the decades finest movie, “I’ll be back!” And that’s certainly true of the decade that never truly went away!!
Thanks for reading!