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Used Cars | S1E39
Episode 39 • 4th December 2024 • Retromade • Retromade
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*Apologies for the audio quality in this episode; we experienced some difficulties and then had to use backup files - PLEASE bear with us.

Today, we are going to travel back to July 1980 for the satirical black comedy, Used Cars. And as always, we’ll touch on all the other “happenings” of the time. 

I’m delighted to have Evan Moody & Andrew Groothuis from Nothing Worthwhile with Moody & Groo (also on Last of the Action Heroes Podcast Network with "VanDammit!") with me today! Andrew is 49 years old and originally from New York. He's worked in the film & tv business for ten years, retired to Florida in 2012, and been teaching High School social studies ever since.

Here's where you can find them:

https://www.facebook.com/nothingworthwhile1985

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/nww-132-goldberg-vs-ddp-1998--62980237

Please get in touch to tell me what you think - RetromadePodcast@gmail.com

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Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RetromadePodcast

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Want to offer a tip in support of the show: https://retromade.captivate.fm/support

Transcripts

Katie:

Hello, Hello,

2

:

I'm Katie

3

:

and welcome to Retro Made,

UR Pop Culture Rewind.

4

:

Today, we're going to go back

all the way to July of:

5

:

I wasn't even born yet for the

satirical black comedy Used

6

:

Cars.

7

:

And as always, we'll touch on all

the other happenings of the time.

8

:

I am very excited to have new guests

to the show to help me fill out

9

:

my final episodes of this season.

10

:

Evan Moody and Andrew, did I

11

:

get that?

12

:

Right?

13

:

Awesome.

14

:

Well, thank you guys for joining

me and tell us a little bit about

15

:

you and the shows that you do.

16

:

Ooh.

17

:

Well, thanks again.

18

:

Well, without further ado, let's open the

time capsule to set the stage for this.

19

:

Popular TV, according to Nielsen ratings,

this is the 79 80 season, which is wild.

20

:

So three's company was the

number one show and listeners.

21

:

I just covered that in depth

in the last episode, actually.

22

:

Alice mash Dallas flow, which I've

not seen, but is a spinoff of Alice.

23

:

The Jeffersons, The Dukes of Hazzard,

One Day at a Time, Archie Bunker's

24

:

Place, which this was its premiere

season, Eight is Enough, and Taxi.

25

:

Were you guys watching those?

26

:

Do you remember that?

27

:

Mm hmm.

28

:

me.

29

:

too.

30

:

The early 80s, a very different feel

from, you know, when we get later

31

:

into the mid 80s, it's more saturated

with all those sitcoms from the 80s.

32

:

And that's like my jam, but I'm like

Three's Company The Jeffersons, like

33

:

these I've seen in syndication and Taxi

is one that I am now just discovering.

34

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It's on some, I don't

know, cozy TV or something.

35

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And I love Tony Danza.

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So I'm enjoying.

37

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Discovering Taxi.

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Huge.

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I love them Yeah.

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Yep.

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So there's a couple shows that ended

this season that weren't necessarily

42

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in the top rated shows, but I wanted

to call them out because they're fun.

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Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels.

44

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I remember watching

that on Cartoon Express.

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Yeah, it was a cartoon, but I loved it.

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Yeah, I loved

47

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that.

48

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The Rope.

49

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You haven't

50

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seen that one?

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Oh, it's

52

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good.

53

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It's good.

54

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the The Ropers.

55

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now,

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well, we, so we, it was.

57

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It was

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kind of unfortunate because

they were supposed to be able

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to come back if it didn't fare.

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Well, it was a spin off the,

you know, Helen and Stanley, if

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it didn't go beyond 1 season.

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They couldn't come back and

it went 1 and a half seasons.

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And so that's why we got Mr.

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early.

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Yeah, I, agree.

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I agree.

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Oh, well, He

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yeah,

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Also the Shogun mini series, which I've

not seen, but I've heard a lot about.

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Did you guys watch that mini series?

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I don't know.

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I am, is that like

Japanese like martial arts?

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Yeah.

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Also Hawaii Five 0, this was

its final season, and I didn't

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realize that it started in 1968.

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Mm-Hmm.

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I don't think I have either.

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I think I conflate that with Magnum pi.

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Yeah.

80

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One of one show that premiered this

season that I haven't had an opportunity

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to talk about and it's one of my

favorites, is The Facts of Life.

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It

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premiered in 1980 or

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1979.

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Yeah.

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love, it

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Mm-Hmm?

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was she?

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Mm-Hmm.

90

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Really?

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Blair.

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Yeah.

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She rode motorcycles.

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I'd love to see that.

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Well, this first season was very

different from the later seasons.

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It had all those other girls,

including a young Molly Ringwald.

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She was their housekeeper.

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I think.

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Wasn't

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she

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Mm hmm.

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Oh,

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okay.

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I love it.

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Oh, I love crossover.

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Yeah.

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Mm

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hmm.

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Now I know you guys are wrestling guys.

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So I purposefully looked up who the

big wrestling guys were from:

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You'll have to tell me if I'm wrong,

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but I, I

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asked chat.

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I know I know most of them

because I did watch wrestling

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in the 80s with my grandpa.

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He was a big wrestling guy, but,

you know, mine, I was more later

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80s, but I totally Hulk Hogan,

Ric Flair totally know those guys.

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Dusty Rhodes, I don't really know,

but I've heard of him Andre, the

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giant Harley race and Bob Backlund.

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I don't know who they are.

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And

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He wasn't big

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yet.

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Yeah.

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I was also reading so I know who

Roddy Piper is and he was according

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to chat rising star at the time.

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He wasn't big yet, but he was on his way.

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And then I, know who Terry Funk is.

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More from movies later, like, over the

top, but I didn't know he had a brother,

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Dory Funk Jr.

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Oh,

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and then superstar Billy Graham.

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I don't know who that is.

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Who's that?

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Oh,

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okay.

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Yeah, he must've been like on his

way out at:

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mentioned he was big in the seventies.

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Do you guys remember anybody else

from the time that I didn't list?

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Okay.

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Wrestling 80s anonymous.

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Well, let's move on to music billboards.

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This is a specific week, the

th,:

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I don't even think I

know what this song is.

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The number one song is called coming

up by Paul McCartney and the wings.

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I don't think I know that

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Billy Joel has the number

two song with, it's,

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you, should, you should, number two song.

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Look at you guys picking albums, are you,

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are those album names?

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Oh, wow.

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what are.

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we locked

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into

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that?

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Do you, do you

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have an alternative guess,

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Evan?

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It's still rock and roll to me.

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I do know the number three song.

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It's a song that we sang in

like choir in high school.

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The Rose by Bette

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Midler.

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It is a, good song.

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It is very

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Good

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I do not know the number four song.

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I've never even heard of it.

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It's an Elton John song.

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Little

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genie.

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Little Jean.

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Do I know that?

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Hmm.

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Okay.

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I just went to a yacht rock show.

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My first

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one ever

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here.

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Yeah.

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Okay.

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Yeah.

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I, I don't know.

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I've never heard of the song nor the group

for the number five song, the Spinners

185

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Cupid, it's

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Cupid slash I've loved you for a long

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time.

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Well, I I think I know the number six

song, but I didn't know the artist.

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I think I know Steal Away.

190

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The artist is

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Robby Dupree

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Okay

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Uh

194

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Funky Town by The

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Lips is number seven.

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I didn't know the name of the group.

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Olivia Newton I do know this.

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I

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do

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know the song.

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Olivia Newton John has the number

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eight song.

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It's not

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physical Can you

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name one other?

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No.

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I

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don't know if I know it.

209

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Magic

210

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Jermaine Jackson with let's get serious.

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I don't think I know that

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song.

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I don't know.

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Jermaine

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Jackson,

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Yes.

217

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And rounding out the top 10 is let me

love you tonight by pure prairie league.

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You guys know that

219

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let's move on to what was

going on in the world.

220

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The Summer Olympics, 22nd Summer

Olympics games open in Moscow,

221

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led by the United States.

222

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But this was when 66 nations boycotted the

event because of the Soviet Afghan war.

223

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Mm hmm.

224

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Mm hmm.

225

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yes, Also starring Kurt

Russell in the movie.

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Yes.

227

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Are you a history teacher?

228

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What subject do you teach?

229

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Oh, well, it actually is fitting because

those things come up in the movie.

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Both of those things

231

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that you talked about

232

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were in the movie.

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Yeah.

234

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7 people died in a stampede to see

Pope John Paul, the 2nd in Brazil.

235

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Do you guys remember hearing about that?

236

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Mm mm.

237

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Hurricane Alan forms in the Atlantic

Ocean, so that would have been your

238

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guys side, will go on to become the

strongest hurricane ever recorded in

239

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the Atlantic Basin with winds of 190

miles per hour, which for the rest of

240

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the world is 305 kilometers per hour.

241

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Peter Sellers died.

242

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He was Bobo Pink Panther, the Goon Show.

243

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He was only 54.

244

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I don't know what he died of,

245

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but He died

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Mm

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hmm.

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Oh.

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Yeah.

250

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yeah,

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Oh, that's fun.

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I love it.

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Well, that happens in this

movie that we're going to

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cover it too.

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I kind of

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it's fun when that happens.

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A couple of people got married.

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Raquel Welsh married

259

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French American TV documentary

producer Andre Weinfeld.

260

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They divorced in 1990.

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No, that

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wasn't.

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She was with

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no, you're thinking of

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Susan stranger.

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Oh, oh, oh, oh, that's right.

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That's right.

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She was good call.

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I, I missed I missed your job.

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She

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was

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after.

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Oh, she's she's 1 of

the historical beauties.

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Yeah, actor, Michael

bean, webs, Carlene Olson.

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I think they might still be married.

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And Elizabeth Warren, Senator

Elizabeth Warren marries her.

277

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Law professor husband, Bruce Mann, Donna

Summer got married to Bruce Sudano.

278

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He was a, an award winning arranger,

but those famous people got married.

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Oh, Donna Summer.

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She's, she's.

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Not still

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with us,

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is she

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Okay,

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that's what happened.

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Oh,

287

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1 more death.

288

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The only reason I noted it was

because you won't even know him.

289

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It's just that it's the last

shot of Iran Persia at the time.

290

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He was only 60, so he in Cairo, he died.

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Was it really?

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Was it really?

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Yes,

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he got tracks.

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His documentary was really interesting.

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Did you

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guys see that?

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Okay, so in addition to used cars.

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The big movies that were

out at this time, airplane,

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Cheech

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and Chong.

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We'll talk about that, but Cheech and

Chong's next movie, Caddyshack and Star

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Wars episode 5, the Empire Strikes Back.

304

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It was released in May.

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In July, it was still

topping the box office.

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No, no, you don't.

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You don't.

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There's no movies anymore.

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Actually, I say that and there's one

movie out now that I want to see.

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But other than that, that very

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rarely happens.

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The

313

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the new gladiator.

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Yeah.

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Yeah,

316

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you're right.

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This season on retro made, I've dedicated

to who I deem the ultimate , every

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man, Patrick Swayze and Kurt Russell.

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Do you guys have any feelings

or fandom that you would like to

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share about either of them before

we start talking about used cars?

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Mm hmm.

322

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Agreed.

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I mean, obviously I picked these two for

a couple of reasons, but all those movies

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you mentioned we've covered on RetroMade.

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So you guys go back and

listen to them if you haven't,

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listeners.

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Thank you.

328

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I mean, it's impossible to not like

Kurt even like this season doing this.

329

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There's a fair number of movies that I

hadn't seen before, but there's only 1

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movie that Kurt did that I did not enjoy.

331

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It's probably a

332

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genre issue for me.

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Stargate.

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I,

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did not like.

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it.

337

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Yeah.

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Oh, yeah.

339

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Yeah.

340

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But he's the every man

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in those movies.

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He's

343

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just your average husband or your average,

you know, and so he's put in these.

344

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Yeah, no, he's great.

345

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Do you guys think that Kurt

Russell and Patrick Swayze?

346

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Resemble each other at all back

347

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in the day.

348

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Yeah.

349

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All right.

350

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I asked all my first time guests

that so I was just curious

351

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but, they

352

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do like

353

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they're very like you you can

you can Yeah, like they're

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very they're they again.

355

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They're like every man.

356

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They're like they're not this muscled

up roided they're just kind of your

357

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they're attract extremely attractive

but in a normal achievable way

358

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and

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Yeah.

360

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oh you

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Yeah.

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Oh, for sure.

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Yeah.

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Fit.

365

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Mm hmm.

366

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Mm mm.

367

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But he's so cool, too.

368

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Kurtz

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really

370

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exudes coolness.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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I know.

374

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I think II

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hear you.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Oh, my God.

379

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That was good.

380

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A hundred percent.

381

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He is.

382

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Mm hmm.

383

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Mm hmm.

384

:

It's very

385

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nice to hear that.

386

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I've seen it, but so long ago,

I don't recall anything from it.

387

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I thought about covering it,

but I'm, I'm not going because

388

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it's not in the 80s or the

389

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90s.

390

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So

391

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I'm not.

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Oh,

393

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Yeah, I don't remember anything.

394

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Well, no worries.

395

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I think it's finally time for us

to start discussing the movie.

396

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We're here to talk about.

397

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So let's get into the movie.

398

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Use cars July 11th, 1980.

399

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It's it's rated are very clearly.

400

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It's pretty long.

401

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It's almost 2 hours.

402

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And Robert Zemeckis is the director

and I love all of his movies.

403

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So he also is one of the writers,

but he's super well known.

404

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One of my favorites is

Romancing the Stone.

405

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I love that movie.

406

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But also Death Becomes Her, Who Framed

Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, back to

407

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all the Back to the Future movies.

408

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And there's a lot of the same actors

in this film, as well as in some

409

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of the Back to the Future movies.

410

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So Robert Zemeckis.

411

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God, it's so good!

412

:

yeah,

413

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I didn't see a signature with it,

but it was also I didn't realize

414

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this executive produced by John

Milius and Steven Spielberg, which

415

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is interesting.

416

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They were, on like a World War 2 comedy

and they just didn't have time to do it.

417

:

So Zemeckis did it and they produced

418

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it.

419

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Yeah.

420

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I've never seen it.

421

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The other, the other writer

was Bob Gale, so both.

422

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Robert Zemeckis directed it, but he was

also one of the writers and, and they,

423

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I think they might be like, they teamed

up on the Back to the Future movies.

424

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So that's where he's, what

Bob Gale is known for.

425

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The music was Patrick Williams, which

I had not heard that before, but he

426

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has scored more than 200 films.

427

:

Yeah.

428

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He, he, received a 1980 Oscar

nomination for Breaking Away.

429

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Not heard of that.

430

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He also,

431

:

Yeah.

432

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is it?

433

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Oh,

434

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I've not heard of it.

435

:

Okay.

436

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Okay.

437

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I will.

438

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He also did all of me swing

shift, which we covered

439

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also with Kurt Yeah.

440

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Yeah.

441

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Cuba, the grass harp, and, and he did

the music for Columbo, the Mary Tyler

442

:

Moore show and the Bob Newhart show.

443

:

Mm hmm.

444

:

Well, we have Kurt

Russell as our star here.

445

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A very young, very, ugh, I just love him.

446

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He's so attractive.

447

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He's so charming.

448

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I love Kurt Russell.

449

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He plays Rudy Russo.

450

:

And then, I was mentioning movies that

people play multiple characters as fun.

451

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So, this is a screwball where Jack

Warden plays, Twins, Roy and Luke Fuchs.

452

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They're rivaling car dealership owners.

453

:

Oh, I did want to mention this is a 6.

454

:

7 on IMDb.

455

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I'm curious what you

guys think about that.

456

:

Mm

457

:

hmm.

458

:

Yeah, I mean, yeah, it is actually because

the best movie, what is that, Shawshank?

459

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And it's like a

460

:

9.

461

:

1 or something.

462

:

Well, I have a feeling that most people

have not seen this movie, so I will

463

:

provide a little synopsis for you.

464

:

When the owner of a struggling

used car lot is killed, it's up to

465

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the lot's hotshot salesman, Kurt

Russell, to save the property from

466

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falling into the hands of the owner's

ruthless brother and used car rival.

467

:

Yeah, so that's jack warden

playing the rival owners.

468

:

And he's a twice Oscar nominated

for supporting roles in

469

:

heaven can wait and shampoo.

470

:

He was also in 12 angry men.

471

:

And he was Saul from

while you were sleeping.

472

:

It's been a long time

since I've seen that movie

473

:

Oh, oh, that's right.

474

:

I

475

:

agree he is underrated and I was reading

that he didn't want to do this movie.

476

:

The way they convinced him is

because whoever was saying,

477

:

oh, actors really like to play.

478

:

Drunk, dead, or more than one

part, and he gets to play both

479

:

dead and more than one part.

480

:

Yeah,

481

:

and then the, so Kurt Russell's the

main you know, your typical like

482

:

shady, shyster type used car salesman.

483

:

The other one is Jeff.

484

:

He's the other sleazy salesman

has played by Garrett Graham.

485

:

And I didn't really know him from a lot.

486

:

Did you guys

487

:

yeah,

488

:

They did a good job.

489

:

Each character had like a story,

like they did build characters.

490

:

He's very superstitious and he

has to overcome that, like that

491

:

bar scene

492

:

with.

493

:

Yeah.

494

:

Yeah.

495

:

Yeah,

496

:

there's a lot of setups.

497

:

I think that's 1 of the things

this movie did really well there.

498

:

There was a ton of setups that

at the beginning, you're like, I

499

:

wonder where they're showing me

this and it is paid off later.

500

:

Usually.

501

:

Mm hmm.

502

:

Frank McRae.

503

:

Did you guys enjoy seeing him?

504

:

Oh, my God.

505

:

Well, you'll know some of them.

506

:

So he was in Rocky 2.

507

:

He's his boss.

508

:

He's Rocky's boss.

509

:

He has to fire him.

510

:

He was also in lock

511

:

up.

512

:

Also, Fist.

513

:

So he's, he's a Sylvester Sloan.

514

:

He brings him in.

515

:

He likes him a lot.

516

:

Oh, also Paradise Alley,

which I actually haven't seen.

517

:

And Red Dawn, which we, he's a

teacher at the beginning in Red

518

:

Dawn.

519

:

Yes, he's huge.

520

:

He towers over Kurt Russell.

521

:

So he plays the, his name is Jim.

522

:

He's the mechanic, but then when the

car dealership cut into a a football

523

:

game with a commercial that's illegal.

524

:

And then they get a ton

of, business the next day.

525

:

And so they're like, well, I

guess you got to be a car salesman.

526

:

And he's dressed up

like your typical, like

527

:

used car salesman.

528

:

He's like, I don't know how to sell cars.

529

:

Yeah, he is.

530

:

It's good.

531

:

He's funny.

532

:

You know, it, it went on for a really

long time, but somehow it did work.

533

:

Like it was funny.

534

:

They managed to make that scene with

the naked girl hilarious for a really

535

:

long time by showing the different types

of people watching it on TV and yeah.

536

:

And, and Jeff.

537

:

He's like, Oh, my God, the car's red.

538

:

And he's he he can't deal with a red car.

539

:

It's yeah.

540

:

Yeah.

541

:

He puts gum

542

:

on a bumper, hold

543

:

It in place.

544

:

Good point.

545

:

And it's like every stereotypical

used car guy is put in.

546

:

Yeah,

547

:

well, you guys mentioned squiggy and

548

:

and Lenny

549

:

Lenny

550

:

and I had never seen that show

and I remember I was when I was

551

:

doing the research for this.

552

:

I was like, Michael McKeon is in this.

553

:

And, and then I had, I was like, oh,

I didn't recognize him, but like, when

554

:

I first watched it, a young Michael

McKeon, because I only know him as

555

:

like the brother in Better Call Saul.

556

:

But, yeah, and then David Lander.

557

:

So there are a team in

558

:

this too.

559

:

and it and Laverne and

Shirley was still in

560

:

production when

561

:

this movie was released.

562

:

Yeah, Yeah.

563

:

Spinal tap.

564

:

Yeah.

565

:

Yeah.

566

:

I it's cause I haven't seen

a lot of those older things.

567

:

So I only know him as an older man.

568

:

A lot of people in back to the future.

569

:

We're in this

570

:

also.

571

:

Did you guys notice who the judge was?

572

:

I about died.

573

:

I, he was phenomenal.

574

:

I was like, what a

character of this judge is.

575

:

And then I was like, why does

he look so familiar to me?

576

:

It's grandpa.

577

:

Yeah.

578

:

Oh,

579

:

really?

580

:

Oh,

581

:

and he says on the way to go measure

the cars, I could have played 8

582

:

rounds of golf, 8 rounds of golf.

583

:

Her whole thing.

584

:

Yeah.

585

:

Well, I was kind of wondering.

586

:

I'm like, this was 19.

587

:

I was like, did he, was he pretty

young when he played grandpa?

588

:

I mean, he couldn't have been.

589

:

Yeah.

590

:

Okay.

591

:

Okay.

592

:

I forgot.

593

:

I didn't want to pass over the lovely

woman who plays Luke's long lost daughter

594

:

and the love interest of Kurt Russell.

595

:

Her name in the movie is Barbara Fuchs.

596

:

Her actual name is Deborah Harmon.

597

:

Do you guys know her from anything?

598

:

Ooh, I don't know.

599

:

It's possible.

600

:

You guys probably haven't seen this show.

601

:

It only lasted a season or two, but

it was a spinoff of Growing Pains

602

:

called Just

603

:

the Ten of Us.

604

:

She, she plays his wife,

605

:

Elizabeth, in Just

606

:

the Ten of Us.

607

:

He was also in Patrick Swayze's first

ever movie role in:

608

:

I covered it on the show and he's in that.

609

:

It's also like a crazy wild.

610

:

It's similar to this almost

like, it's just you're like,

611

:

how did this movie get made?

612

:

It's just like wackadoo.

613

:

It's

614

:

fun.

615

:

I

616

:

don't know why I

617

:

loved it.

618

:

The Lubbock Babes,

619

:

they like had a singing

620

:

group.

621

:

yeah,

622

:

yeah, Marie.

623

:

Yeah, Heather Longenkamp.

624

:

Heather Longenkamp.

625

:

yeah.

626

:

This movie didn't make money.

627

:

So, I mean, it did technically.

628

:

It cost 8 million to make and grossed.

629

:

Any guesses?

630

:

I mean, technically,

631

:

I know I listen.

632

:

So

633

:

8,

634

:

8 million.

635

:

You are, you,

636

:

well, I have noticed you are very

good at the guessing of the box

637

:

office.

638

:

So you're very close.

639

:

11.

640

:

7.

641

:

11.

642

:

7.

643

:

The reason I say it didn't do well is

because nobody's heard of it Like you guys

644

:

hadn't seen this before had you I hadn't

645

:

Oh, Okay.

646

:

just cuz the cars Mm hmm.

647

:

one of the big movies that I mentioned

was airplane came out at the same

648

:

time Used cars, we haven't heard of

it, but it has a good IMDb rating.

649

:

Well, according to the Zemeckis and

Gale, the release of it was botched.

650

:

They kind of screwed up the marketing

because they moved up the release.

651

:

It was originally going to be

later in August or something.

652

:

I want to say and it tested

really, really well with audience.

653

:

In fact, the movie received the highest

test audience ratings of any movie of

654

:

any genre in Columbia Pictures history.

655

:

But it was a disappointing box office.

656

:

It was released the same week

as airplane, which was heavily

657

:

promoted and this wasn't.

658

:

This wasn't like, they moved it up

and then they didn't really market it.

659

:

Speaking of underrated, the, the

New York times called used cars.

660

:

1 of the most underrated

comedies of all time.

661

:

And it's among American film

Institute's:

662

:

movies nominated for the top.

663

:

100 funniest American movies

664

:

so what do you guys do you agree?

665

:

What do you guys think

about the movie overall?

666

:

Mm hmm.

667

:

It's more elevated.

668

:

It's, it's interesting because there

is a fair number of slapstick you

669

:

know, situational comedic stuff.

670

:

But then there's a lot of subtlety to

like you said we like just the opening

671

:

scene, like you said, when he's turning

the mileage back, we don't see the person.

672

:

And we just see the hands

of the person and his like.

673

:

Used car, pinky rings, you know, like you

get a feel for, Oh, that's, I see what's

674

:

happening here.

675

:

I don't know, Yeah.

676

:

I did love, I mean, it wouldn't be in

a movie now, but every couple he meets

677

:

when he finds out what their ethnicity or

last name is, then he uses the last name.

678

:

Oh, the Lopez's I'm, I'm

Rodriguez or whatever.

679

:

Oh, the

680

:

O'Brien.

681

:

Oh, I'm

682

:

O'Fallon.

683

:

yeah.

684

:

Yeah, yeah,

685

:

yeah, it was, and it somehow worked

like those people weren't offended.

686

:

You know, they're like, oh, yeah.

687

:

The clothes.

688

:

I mean, just the epitome of a

stereotypical used car salesman with

689

:

the colorful jackets and the, what

is the material polyester pants?

690

:

And the Fred Flintstone wide short tie.

691

:

Yeah.

692

:

Yeah.

693

:

Yeah

694

:

I don't know what I was expecting,

but I was really surprised watching.

695

:

I really didn't know anything about it.

696

:

I thought it was going to be kind

of boring like a drama almost.

697

:

And I was not expecting so much

adventure and action and just the

698

:

screwball satirical nature of it.

699

:

I don't know.

700

:

I was really.

701

:

I didn't realize that's what it was.

702

:

And so it was like a

fun, pleasant surprise.

703

:

Well, the guy that dies is like a good

hearted person and the brother is evil.

704

:

And then he just, you know,

the typical shady used carsman.

705

:

But of course, Kurt gets the girl

in the end, the answering machine,

706

:

first of all, I didn't realize there

were answering machines in:

707

:

Second of all, it was this

huge piece of equipment.

708

:

What did you guys think of the dog, Toby?

709

:

I'm curious what your

710

:

thoughts are.

711

:

He was incredibly well trained.

712

:

He could pick, he was told to

go get a screwdriver and he's

713

:

like, no, no, no, a fill up

714

:

screwdriver.

715

:

And so he goes

716

:

and gets a different so a lot of times.

717

:

I'm not a bit.

718

:

I love animals and

dogs, but I'm in movies.

719

:

I'm sort of like, I'm not

really a fan of kids in a.

720

:

In movies either, but every once in a

while, there's a standout and I think this

721

:

dog was like, they really utilized him.

722

:

He was part of the whole everything

and that scene where he plays dead.

723

:

I was a little worried.

724

:

I was like, in 90, is

that really a dead dog?

725

:

Because he was so limp and

his tongue was hanging out.

726

:

It was like, he was dead.

727

:

He, they dated that dog for that scene.

728

:

So he was.

729

:

Agreed.

730

:

Mm

731

:

hmm.

732

:

Mm hmm.

733

:

Mm

734

:

hmm.

735

:

Everyone.

736

:

You had mentioned Gru, the

Iranian conflict at the time.

737

:

So, where it shows up in this movie

is , there's a commercial where Jeff

738

:

actually shoots up with real, apparently

it's real ammunition shooting these

739

:

cars up and he's interviewed by the FBI.

740

:

You know, and he's like, I don't know.

741

:

I saw some guys with like

742

:

towels on their head

743

:

and weird weird beards.

744

:

And I think there

745

:

were Some Iranian students yeah, Yeah.

746

:

No, the classic cars.

747

:

So I, okay.

748

:

I was a little confused about

the student driver teacher.

749

:

And I was like, what's, what's going on.

750

:

They're paying for old junk

cars for the student drivers.

751

:

And then.

752

:

Kurt tries to say, oh, no, those

really old what, what we would

753

:

consider now to be classic cars.

754

:

He's like, those are the ones we

should give the student drivers.

755

:

Well, those ones were from Greece.

756

:

The

757

:

actual cars from Greece,

758

:

right?

759

:

Convertible.

760

:

And the

761

:

scorpion mercury

762

:

with It

763

:

was a real, so it was

filmed in Mesa, Arizona.

764

:

And I guess that was

a real active highway.

765

:

And it was made filming difficult.

766

:

Cheryl Rickson played the woman whose

clothes got pulled off on the car hood.

767

:

Do you guys know who she is?

768

:

She's Australian, I guess.

769

:

Circuit Oh, yeah.

770

:

Oh, I think so too.

771

:

yeah,

772

:

I didn't know who she was, but the

Cheryl Rickson, who, so she was the

773

:

1977 penthouse pet of the month and

pet of the year in:

774

:

So

775

:

I wondered it.

776

:

That's why I was like, I wonder

if they know her from that

777

:

out of the way.

778

:

Yeah.

779

:

There's like 8 kids too.

780

:

It's like a, yeah, just

running around rampant.

781

:

I'm curious if you guys have any guesses

what the potential alternate title of

782

:

this was and Bob Gale thought it would

have done better in the box office.

783

:

There was a, I'll give you a hint.

784

:

There's a slogan that

Kurt says a few times,

785

:

like on

786

:

his poster for

787

:

us Senate or, state center.

788

:

Trust me.

789

:

do you guys think that would

have been a better time?

790

:

Okay.

791

:

Yeah, I think, I think I agree too.

792

:

I don't know.

793

:

I think they were probably just

kind of:

794

:

how could we have made this better?

795

:

So it did better at the box office, but.

796

:

So it wasn't originally with Columbia

originally, they shopped it to universal.

797

:

And they had a different person in

mind for Russo Kurt's character.

798

:

Any guesses?

799

:

Not at all like Kurt, but would have

been the perfect sleazy car salesman.

800

:

Very tan.

801

:

Not ever A list.

802

:

No, probably like a B list star.

803

:

George,

804

:

George Hamilton.

805

:

And like he

806

:

very used car salesman.

807

:

I do too.

808

:

I, yeah, agreed.

809

:

Kevin Conway passed to play Roy Fuchs.

810

:

He was offered, but he passed.

811

:

Yeah,

812

:

yeah.

813

:

A very famous actor was originally

cast playing Joe Flatterty's role,

814

:

but ultimately dropped out because

his agent erroneously double booked

815

:

him while he was filming 1941.

816

:

Which is not interesting.

817

:

John Candy.

818

:

Yeah.

819

:

Well, you guys I think this was a very

fun, silly ride with the always handsome.

820

:

And charming Kurt Russell.

821

:

But it is time to come back to

the present day reality until

822

:

the next Retro Made episode.

823

:

Evan and Andrew, I can't thank

you enough for joining me to cover

824

:

this lesser known Kurt movie.

825

:

Do you guys have any final

thoughts about used cars?

826

:

And then please don't forget to

tell us where we can find you guys.

827

:

Thank you.

828

:

Oh, yeah.

829

:

Yeah.

830

:

Yeah.

831

:

That'd be great.

832

:

I love Jean Claude.

833

:

You know, all the, all the

handsome guys twist my arm.

834

:

But

835

:

yeah.

836

:

Well, thank you all for

listening or watching on YouTube.

837

:

And if you like the show and

you have not yet offered a

838

:

rating or review, please do so.

839

:

This is your official reminder.

840

:

And until next time, be kind, rewind.

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