RIP RRP - "Ever Forward"

Hard to believe it's been six years already.

 

Ron Popeil - 1935-2021 - RIP

Ron Popeil, the man who invented such iconic products like the Pocket Fisherman, Hair in a Can spray, Mr. Microphone, and many others, died Wednesday July 28th at the age of 86.

Family sources told TMZ that Popeil had a "severe medical emergency" Tuesday night and died Wednesday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. 

But wait, there's more!!

8 From the 80s - New Wave Music

Each installment Mike will look back to the decade of decadence and provide a list of eight things – from movies to music to memorable moments and everything in-between.  Keep in mind, this isn’t a TOP 8 list and any numerical notations are included to merely designate one item from another. Because, frankly, how can rate one thing over another when it came from a decade as totally tubular as the 80s?

New Wave Artists

Psychedelic Furs

Starting in 1977, the Psychedelic Furs were at the forefront of the New Wave genre.  Despite being successful in their native U.K. and getting airplay on college radio stations through the early 80s, it wasn’t until their re-recorded ‘Pretty in Pink’ was featured in the John Hughes film of the same name in 1986 that they shot to the mainstream.

"Fantasia Retro"

Fantasia Retro: Fantasia International Film Festival’s 25th Edition Features a Pack of Retro Premieres

by Joseph Perry

The Fantasia International Film Festival, Montreal’s premiere genre-film fest, features a ton of new horror, thriller, action, and dark comedy titles from around the world from August 5-25, but this year’s edition also boasts a fine series of films from the past that gets Uphill Both Ways’ seal of approval. Following are the festival’s official film descriptions, with comments from yours truly in italics.

In 1989, Stephen Sayadian, aka Rinse Dream, released one of the most iconic and fantastical works in American exploitation cinema. For the first time since its release, thanks to a new restoration, it will finally find its audience and retroactively be appreciated as the Underground masterpiece that it is. Bizarre, stunning, goofy, and unsettling, DR. CALIGARI embraces the avant-garde in its exquisite and hilarious exploitation of America's repressed libido. As the film's title might suggest, the feature is a loose remake of the German expressionist classic, centered on Mrs. Van Houten, a woman who seems to be losing touch with reality, and her treatment under Dr. Caligari, who diagnoses her with a "disease of the libido." 

Somehow seeing Dr. Caligari has eluded me all these years, though it has been on my radar since its release.  As a big fan of the original silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, an out-there 1980s version is right up my alley and I am thrilled that Fantasia is giving viewers a chance to finally see it, and in a restored version, no less!

In addition to DR. CALIGARI, Fantasia is proud to announce the following classics, resurrected in stunning new transfers.

"Nobody Loves the Hulk"

Episode #108

Lois Lane, Mary Jane Watson, and Veronica Lodge - what do they all have in common? They're non-powered love interests of comic book characters. While there are plenty of couples in comic books, most of them don't last long or, when they do, both parties have extraordinary abilities. So Joseph and Mike decided to take a hike up Mt. Retromore and discuss those love interests and each list their top four. Then, sticking with the comic book theme, the guys discuss what got them into comics, their early days of buying, when they realized they were collectors, and other topics related to their comic book fixations back in the day.

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW108_Nobody_Loves_the_Hulk.mp3

"I Hear You Knockin'"

Episode #107

It's a special review show as the guys look at Craig Moss and Goldwyn Films new movie, Let Us In which debuted on VOD last Friday. They discuss the movie and other examples of "gateway" horror geared towards kids, or that is at least kid-friendly, and how they both were drawn to and/or introduced to the horror genre. But before that Mike reveals what has been ailing him the past six months or so and then it's a trip to their favorite landmark, Mt. Retromore, where they each run down their top four TV detectives from the 70s and 80s. And for Pete's sake, if someone starts knocking on your door asking if they can come in, make sure they aren't dressed in black and don't have empty black eyes before you say 'Yes'.

https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/whenitwascool/UBW107_I_Hear_You_Knockin.mp3