Randomness... 1984

by Nathaniel R

Continuing our 80s Theme November Party with 1984 now. Is this party overstaying its welcome? Maybe but what can you do when you've invited everyone over, picked a theme, and told everyone to dress for the occasion! If you missed the beginning we started the retro top tens with 1980-1982 and 1983. Cláudio has been talking actressing in those same years and Juan Carlos chimed in with some Best International Feature memories.

Without further ado my personal favourites from 1984 (in alphabetical order) and of course I hope you'll share yours in the comments...

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March 25th is a super-duper Oscary day

If today, March 25th, is your birthday please brag about this fact...

Audrey Hepburn & Prince at their Oscar winning ceremonies

More Oscar ceremonies have been held on your birthday than any other day in history with the exception of March 29th, which has had the same amount of Oscar ceremonies: five. (Supposedly in 2022, these two March dates will have to share this peculiar honor in a three way tie with February 27th.)

1954 The 26th annual Academy Awards are held honoring the best of 1953...

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Showbiz History: Inspirational Bette, Presidential Meryl, and Favourite Joe

4 random things that happened on this day, February 21st, in showbiz history...

The Globes weren't crazy about A Streetcar Named Desire

1952 9th annual Golden Globes are held with An American in Paris and A Place in the Sun both winning before battling it out at the Oscars. The Globes weren't that into A Streetcar Named Desire so the only one of the acting wins shared by the two shows was Kim Hunter as "Stellaaaaaa!" I had the pleasure of speaking about this competition on the "And the Runner Up Is..." podcast. And speaking of podcasts, 1951 is one of the few remaining years for the Supporting Actress Smackdown final season. 

1981 Prince performs on Saturday Night Live for the first time. Charlene Tilton (Dallas) was the host and he sang "Party Up" from the album "Dirty Mind"...

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Soundtracking: Batman (1989)

by Chris Feil

By now the grim discourse surrounding the arrival of a new version of the beloved Joker feels like a ceaseless, depressing spiral. In the years since Heath Ledger’s genius and revolutionary take on the character, the social context for the clown terrorist has only gotten darker. After a tattoo and grill-clad iteration in Suicide Squad to now Joaquin Pheonix’s take that hews closer to the unwell men who find inspiration in the character in our isolative online era, we seem to be losing the character’s sense of fun in every conceivable way. This franchise needs an enema [kazoo sound]!

The mad balance between Joker’s violence and vibrancy is so skewed, it feels like we need to bring back a different kind of extremity. Like the kind that accompanied Jack Nicholson’s version, that hasn’t gotten its fair share of side-eye. I’m talking about the technicolor earnestness of Prince’s Batman concept album.

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Showbiz History: Maya Rudolph, Presumed Innocent, and Lindsay's Last

10 random things that happened on this day in showbiz history

1940 Bugs Bunny and his catch phrase "What's up doc?" make their official debut in "A Wild Hare" which is nominated for the short film Oscar.

1969 TV wunderkind Bryan Fuller is born in Idaho. We will always love him for Pushing Daisies and Wonderfalls. 

Maya Rudolph, Prince, Bob Hope, Lindsay Lohan and more after the jump...

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