"A Horse With No Name"

Episode #93

It's a bit of a free-for-all this episode as the fellas present their Mt. Retromore of TV Dads and then swing into talk about the origins of the show, give thanks to some special folks, and talk a little about the future of Uphill Both Ways. The countdown to #100 continues!

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW093_A_Horse_With_No_Name.mp3

Action U.S.A. on Sale Now!

After sitting on this info for a while now, we can finally say that ACTION U.S.A., the "lost" 80s indie action flick that Joseph and Mike featured earlier in the month is finally on sale over at Vinegar Syndrome!

Vinegar Syndrome excels at remastering old, forgotten genre films. They've done numerous old horror flicks, a bunch of action movies (and even some racy stuff for those of you into that stuff). All of their releases are limited in their production run and sometimes sell out pretty quickly, so if you're looking to grab a copy of ACTION U.S.A., we urge you to take advantage of their annual Black Friday sale and get one this weekend.

Grab your copy here! (and no, we don't get a kickback or anything - we just love this movie!)

The Ben Cooper, Inc. Legacy

Ok, yeah - Halloween was LAST month, but we didn't decide to start adding stand-alone content to the website until a couple of weeks ago.  So go ahead, grab a few fun-size Kit Kats or Crunch bars that you bought in bulk for 75% off on November 1st to get yourself into the mood and read on.

Started in 1937 by former costume and set designer Ben Cooper, Ben Cooper, Inc. initially sold costumes of ghosts, goblins and other creatures but began licensing characters like Superman and Zorro as the popularity of their TV shows grew.  If you were a kid growing up in the United States during the 60s, 70s or 80s, the chances are pretty doggone high that at one time or another you wore a Ben Cooper, Inc. costume on Halloween. 

“The Legend of Baron To’a” Sees a Son Step Up to His Wrestler Father’s Legacy

 New Zealand action comedy The Legend of Baron To’a — which Joseph reviewed over at When It Was Cool — “combines the elements of a son returning to his homeland and a hero’s journey with some slam-bam wrestling excitement."
The film receives a December 4th theatrical, digital, and VOD release from Gravitas Ventures & New Zealand Film Commission. The film stars Uli Latukefu, who was recently tapped to play the young Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in an upcoming NBC production. Uphill Both Ways has the official trailer and poster for you below. Following is the official press announcement.

When his late father’s priceless championship belt is stolen by a ruthless gang, a displaced Tongan man must reconnect with his father’s legacy to defeat the barbaric gang kingpin and get the title back.

Fritz, a displaced Tongan man, returns to the cul-de-sac of his youth to sell his family home. When a priceless heirloom — a championship wrestling belt belonging to his late father, Baron To’a, — is pillaged from the family home, Fritz’s uncle Otto cancels the sale of the house until the belt is returned. A local street thug reveals the belt is now in the possession of resident gang, The Pig Hunters. Fritz determines to get the belt back with higher reasoning.

After a run-in with a corrupt cop and a vicious attack from the gang, three patched members invite Fritz to a BBQ to “break bread.” The family-oriented BBQ becomes dangerous after dark as Fritz comes face-to-face with gang leader Tahu, who has the belt draped over his shoulder. Fritz fails to reason with Tahu and is ruthlessly beaten into the streets.

While healing, Fritz realises he must rekindle a lost connection with his father’s legacy, proclaiming to Otto that he wants a “shot at the title.” After training with Otto, Fritz combines his analytics skills with his father’s wrestling techniques to smash his way through the gang and flush out Tahu. An epic “no holds barred” title fight ensues, but does Fritz truly understand what it takes to become the champion?

THE LEGEND OF BARON TO'A 
Directed by: Kiel McNaughton
Written by: John Argall
Genre: Action & Adventure, Comedy
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Produced by: Kerry Warkia 
Cast: Uli Latukefu, Nathaniel Lees, Jay Laga'aia, Shavaughn Ruakere, & John Tui 
Run Time: 103m

"Strange Things are afoot at the Circle K"

After some discussion, both Joseph and Mike have agreed that there needs to be more content here. So in the days, weeks, and months to come, expect to see some movie reviews, album reviews, TV reviews, articles, discussions, and lists (and more!), all dedicated to the two greatest decades in the 20th century.

Yep, that means more 70s! More 80s! And more retro pop-culture goodness.

Sure, this isn't the first site to cater fans of that era and, yeah, there's probably sites out there that are and will do a better job than Mike and Joe can.  But the Internet is a pretty big place, and after three years of the UBW podcast they're pretty confident that they can build something pretty fun here.

So put on your high-top Adidas sneakers, feather your hair back, and pop that collar. "We've got to go back, Marty!"

"Action USA" PG-Rated Trailer

Here's the trailer for the remastered release of  "Action U.S.A." - the over-the-top "craziest action film you never saw".

 

"I Want Action"

Episode #92

It's right there in the name, folks - this episode has wall to wall ACTION! It's a collaborative "Mt. Retromore" of 70s and 80s action movie stars as Joseph and Mike nominate and select the foursome they feel best exemplifies the genre at the time. And then it's off to the main event where the guys review and discuss the "the craziest action film you never saw", "Action USA". Filmed in 1988 with an all-but-forgotten VHS edition, this 4K Restoration & rerelease from Verdugo Entertainment is the holy grail of 80s B-Movie action flicks!

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW092.mp3