Exploring The Bleakest & SCARIEST Reimagining of 80s Nostalgia

[@RyanHollinger]

*New video next week! ... leave your requests the comments please!* Thanks for watching! Support the show and get ad-free uncensored versions: www.patreon.com/ryanhollinger Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/ryanhollinger

[@axelcordova8262]

Fall's right around the corner. So it would be a good time to review Night in the Woods. Or Pink Floyd's The Wall.

[@iusedtowrite6667]

You could check out 'tumbbad' you might enjoy it

[@DJtheBlack-RibbonedRose]

As Above, So Below (2014) Mr. Jones (2013) Underworld series (2003-2017) Soulmate (2013) Spike (2008) Frankenstein (2015) -The one directed by Candyman '92's Bernard Rose

[@PrismaticController]

Vampire In Brooklyn?

[@nicholasdanner628]

Have you ever considered covering All the Boys Love Mandy Lane? I watched it for the first time recently and was surprised by how much it resonated with me despite not being the biggest fan of its grindhouse style

[@MandleRoss]

My mate was complaining about how "kid detective" fiction might give children a false sense of security about sticking their noses into criminal activity. I told him to watch this movie.

[@tanuki01]

In a world where kids have no agency and authority, the kid detective genre at least gives them a break from the bleak powerlessness they face every day. While it makes us feel very smart to subvert it, tearing down one of the few power fantasies kids have of doing good doesn’t really make their lives better. Let them imagine they’re a conquering hero before closing the book and remembering their parents are divorcing, they have to worry about getting shot at school and the internet is a minefield of slurs and hate masquerading as edgy jokes. They NEED that escape

[@dibbadyda1728]

And in doing so, proving his point.

[@MandleRoss]

@@tanuki01 Sorry, I shortened the explanation for the sake of simplicity. My mate was saying that there should be at least one or two examples of the genre that pointed out the harsh reality of what could happen in the real world. He wasn't saying that kid-detective genre should not exist. So I told him that there WAS actually a perfect example of what he was hoping for.

[@MandleRoss]

@@dibbadyda1728 No.

[@Frink77]

on that note the movie "Kid detective" is amazing and hilarious, would recommend. Also got that grittiness

[@wstine79]

As a guy whose childhood was the 1980s, I will say this was a better representation of a kid living in that decade than most recent movies.

[@underworlddreams9511]

Same here brother. When I watched this movie I thought to myself, "Finally someone at least _somewhat_ understands what that decade was actually like!"

[@mariaaguadoball3407]

To be fair, that's a very low bar. As someone who was in my 20s back then, it does a better job than Stranger Things, but I didn't find it that evocative. Also, I need to say how sick I am of all these nostalgia films & movies thinking that an 80s setting is an excuse for indulging in 80s-style misogyny. Believe or not, we were fucked off about it then, & I'm not going to tolerate it now.

[@gothgirl4evr414]

I think he summed it up very well when he said that the problem with the 80s nostalgia is its being made by people who weren't even born yet and really don't have a grasp of what being a kid in the 80s was like. I was born in 77 and grew up in the 80s and 90s and the 20 somethings and even some of the early 30 somethings don't really have a true concept of what growing up in that decade was like, they only have an idea from what movies they may have watched from that decade or what they read about online. I could be wrong but that's my thoughts on it

[@shannonbayley3684]

@@mariaaguadoball3407 What exactly. Can you expand on that? Seems worse these days with women dressing half naked, all over TikTok, fb, insta etc making money from their bodies and onlyfans. Sleeping around like it means nothing. This is what has become of the vast majority of young women today and this is to be celebrated?? I'm not taking away from misogynistic culture from certain time periods and how it was gross, but it seemed both men and women had a hell of a lot more morals and respect for themselves and each other back then, than people do now. I know for me growing up in the 80s it was much better than these days, where people can't even respect themselves, let alone others.

[@mariaaguadoball3407]

@@shannonbayley3684 Are you kidding? The way the boys in the film spoke in a completely dehumanising way to the one (of course, just one) young woman, & the way she just sucked it up instead of fighting back. Also, although I do have issues with Tik Tok culture & sexism, it's notable that you think young women actively choosing certain images for themselves is worse than men or boys hypersexualising them.

[@xellffs6258]

Davey's trauma in "realizing what a hero is" reminds me a lot of Stand By Me & how the children feel after finding the body.

[@DussyBestroyer69]

I LOVE THAT MOVIE

[@xellffs6258]

@@DussyBestroyer69 isnt it the best?

[@helenagackowska8398]

yes similar vibes!

[@Mirakelpung]

You know what 80's Nostalgia I want back? Practical effects and puppetry.

[@awkwardukulele6077]

Honestly, as someone who's looking into digital effects for my own projects and (Maybe) some professional work in the future, YES! I enjoy Digital stuff a lot, and it's way easier for a newbie with a computer to get into, but goddamn, practical effects and ESPECIALLY puppetry will always hold a place in my Henson-loving heart!

[@WillyShakespeare]

We had dark crystal, keyterm had. Still salty that Netflix canceled the series

[@sirdidymus24]

DAMN STRAIGHT.

[@FairyBogFather]

YES YES YES YES YES

[@ReplicatorFifth]

With today’s practical effects advances though. Seen the effects from The Thing remake before the studio made them redo the movie with CGI? It could have been an amazing practical effects horror remake :(

[@michaelhegwood9977]

It is weird that there is an sense of childhood nostalgia during the decade missing kids were so frequent it was advertised on milk cartons

[@OceanIgs]

Yeah like imagine making a childhood nostalgia set in the 2020s when over a million people die from the virus and a big political divide spark conspiracy groups and riots. Not saying there's gonna be a movie like that but it's possible someone would show that with sunglasses and roses haha

[@merchantfan]

I mean I'm not sure child abductions actually went up as much as the case of Etan Patz and a few other children were so dramatic and the news eager to spread it that they put out a lot of stuff about it (and kids were still relatively unrestricted)

[@FuchsiaNeko]

Damn, as someone who didn't grow up in the 80s that is such a horrifying realization for something I always saw as just a sight gag in shows/cartoons...

[@Scarshadow666]

@@OceanIgs I wouldn't be surprised if that'll happen someday when people become nostalgic for the 2020's, just as previous nostalgic things sometimes mention the threat of nuclear war and the rise of previous pandemics like AIDS/HIV, but barely ever touch on the anxiety and trauma people actually felt during that time. Maybe they'll show people starting to wear masks more when they go out, or about most of what it's like with social media, but it's possible it'd either be portrayed as this Big Background Thing (like how WWII or the Civil Rights Movements would sometimes be portrayed in movies) or just not mentioned altogether in future nostalgic artworks/media.

[@nunyabiznes33]

@@OceanIgs I can already imagine a romcom set in the 2020s during a lockdown where a boy and girl fall in love calling at each other's windows coz they have no other people to talk to coz the internet is down and their doors were welded shut. They gonna make that shit look fun!

[@underworlddreams9511]

Having grown up in the '80s myself I can't help but facepalm, shake my head, & let out a sad chuckle at how that era is portrayed in modern renditions of it. However, this film was like a punch to the gut and took me straight back to that strange time. Kids were made to believe they were in constant danger yet were more or less shoved to the wayside and never believed about anything no matter the circumstances.

[@FreyaEinde]

A similar thing is happening with the 90’s and it’s like…did everybody just glaze over the constant threat of domestic terror and gang violence or what? It’s weird to have it portrayed as this more innocent time before 9/11 ruined things…when in truth the war on terror was the popped zip we’d been squeezing the whole decade prior. Just a garbage ass time of suppressed feelings and consuming gimmicky junk.

[@Aaron-zt5ee]

Remember, when we were kids, the 50s and 60s were often depicted as an idyllic time by many filmmakers and show-runners, often with the contemporary time being seen as dark and immoral. I think it’s just a normal thing for many to present their childhood as a perfect time in history.

[@Droemar]

I'm especially reminded of the fundamentalist religious movements that took communities over. Satanic Panic, yes, sure, but also there was a concentrated political effort to make religion into politics. I got some of the tail end of it with "Harry Potter and Pokemon are Satanic" in the 90s, but there's an entire generation of Millennials who were homeschooled and brainwashed by evangelical Christian insanity in the 80s, with or without child abuse. It has a direct correlation with Millennial distaste for religion, and everyone acts like it's a mystery. "Why don't Millenials like religion!?" Probably because it controlled their lives, stunted their knowledge, and did absolutely nothing to protect them.

[@joeking6972]

I knew it! I'm a millennial and I knew that childhood in the 80's wasn't nearly as cool as everyone keeps telling me it was. The fact of the matter is that regardless of the era, being a kid sucked. You had no responsibility sure but you also had no power and were left at the mercy of the adults around you. You had no skills and were most likely in constant confusion due to the changing world around you and lack of direction. You were most likely also not very interesting and only liked/disliked something because other people did. You had to go to a place most hate for five days a week, at least as an adult you can choose a fulfilling career path or even start your own business.

[@bethanythatsme]

So well said. I can very much relate. No wonder I'm an anxious wreck.

[@jacob_ian_decoursey_the_author]

I think the problem with 80s nostalgia is it’s only nostalgic for the suburban 80s. That’s a small sliver of what all was going on in the United States during that time. Cities were another story. Rural counties were yet another. Even in suburbs, richer areas were very different from poorer suburbs. Same with cities, where “Wall Street” was an opposite entity to “Do the Right Thing.” Not everything looked like E.T or a John Hughes movie, and there was a LOT going on all over the place. If you’re going to talk about an era, it’s dishonest to filter that entire era into one local lens.

[@hawkticus_history_corner]

Hollywood does this a lot. The vast majority of things they make are either in the nicer suburbs or nicer inner city area. Ya,there's examples of it being elsewhere, but it's pretty painfully obvious when it's made by someone not from that area. I just find it so funny that 80s horror films seemed to get the feel of rural, working class suburb and working class urban areas down wheras these multi billion dollar studios couldn't to save their lives

[@mikemcdonald1999]

@@hawkticus_history_corner Well a lot of that was due to the fact that horror films then and now operated on smaller budgets. So your "location" horror film was probably shot in a rural area or run down inner city. To add to that, it was way cheaper to offer Cletus a case of Bud and free lunch than to contract out another actor. Since Cletus is from there it feels authentic too.

[@hawkticus_history_corner]

@@mikemcdonald1999 It's also made worst by all the post processing that goes on. A lot of movies make far too much use of filters and so it looks...wrong.

[@skylx0812]

Here in the southwest in the 70s and 80s, the biker gangs didn't just rule the highways, they ran the show and controlled the cities. There are still a few "known" towns where they say if you stop for gas, fill up and go, quick. The Sean Penn, Christopher Walken film "At Close Range" managed to capture a bit of that, "stuff going on in the back woods" vibe that was just beneath the surface in some areas. And the Madonna song "Live To Tell" seemed to capture the feel of that, either you know about it, or don't sense you tended to get from people at the time. 80s pop culture was fun, but there was darkness at edges.

[@redtexan7053]

It’s an excellent point you make here. This nostalgia has a very limited scope. If you were a white upper class suburbanite in the 1980s, I’m sure they were great. But for everyone else the 1980s were when you lost your Union, your pension ran out, and your job was shipped overseas. It was AIDS and crack cocaine. It was moral panics and mass incarceration. And you know what, the fact that all this 80s nostalgia is generating at the same time as an out of control reactionary movement led by Donald fucking Trump of all people, well, maybe that’s a little more than a coincidence.

[@gabbyhogg9762]

I think you hit the nail on the head with how the film breaks the rose-tinted glasses of the era. I think this theme is also reinforced by how Mackey's basement is modelled after his childhood bedroom, implying he had an abusive childhood. His childhood seems to have been in the 50s too, which there was a lot of nostalgia for back in the 80s (e.g. Back to the Future, Stand by Me etc.), showing that no decade was ever truly the idealised, romanticised time that some may remember them as.

[@bluenfee]

This movie has one of the best late stage tone shifts I've ever seen in a movie. Friends and I still bring it up years after seeing it. Fantastic video.

[@NuekerFilms]

I was literally JUST trying to think of what this movie was called!! I just put on Super Dark Times, seeing the same “kids on bikes” imagery and quickly realized it was a veeeeery different movie. Thanks for your thoughts, Ryan!

[@TheGrayEsteban]

Dude, I actually think you had a point there. I like both movies, which I think are underrated, on the same group.

[@ThorKAH]

YES i didnt watch this for a while bc i thought it was the same movie but i finally watched it couple of months ago and summer of 84 is so good I hardly remember super dark times tbh

[@MrBooone]

@Planet Offkey it’s an ok drama

[@MrBooone]

@Planet Offkey Gary?

[@MrBooone]

@Planet Offkey I never said it was bad, it just wasn't anything spectacular

[@MegaHellstrike]

I was surprised to hear that the adults would actually believe the video evidence the boys would show them, thought this was gonna turn into the ancient trope of "adults in a movie with children as the main characters being fucking idiots" .

[@schmutzthefink4979]

I was also surprised that they got out and to the police without the killer suddenly standing behind them. Actually relieving! And because of the later twist it didn't feel "too easy/ smooth"

[@kdizzle901]

Well how can they deny it it’s on tape they had a live victim too

[@Chubbasaurus]

I sincerely hope the dad felt like an absolute asshole for not believing them and making them go apologise to a serial child killer.

[@silverstarinthesky]

Mackey’s final words posed me off so much. “YOU RUINED MY LIFE.” Just once I want someone to ask a character like him “What makes your life so much more worthwhile than the ones you ended?”

[@redtexan7053]

I mean, there wouldn’t be much point in it. Serial killers are narcissistic and anti social. They don’t have a reason that other people aren’t of equal worth to themselves. To them, they just aren’t.

[@jellyjilli1004]

@@redtexan7053 yeah, by nature other people's lives mean nothing to them. They consider themselves above anyone and anything and it's just how their minds work.

[@swagathachristie5242]

He was a cop, believing yourself untouchable (and being untouchable to a certain extent because of the "brotherhood of police") is kind of part of the gig. I get how someone steeped in that culture could believe that.

[@silverstarinthesky]

@@redtexan7053 Seeing the gears turning in his head or just rage would be satisfying.

[@joeking6972]

Whoa no way you mean to tell me that serial killers tend to lack empathy and hold a solipsistic view of the world? My god that is some genius insight into criminal psychology you have there.

[@cherijoseph7819]

Etan Patz was the first missing child on a milk carton. As tough as NYC is, the entire city was shocked that he was taken in broad daylight. His murder was solved just two years ago. It was a schizophrenic who lived rough and did errands at the local deli.

[@johnlukins1710]

Thanks for the information

[@asneakylawngnome5792]

Damn everybody busy taking about the 80’s when nobody is even talking about the ending. That fucked me up man. Truly goes to show that being the hero always comes with a price, whether you know it or not.

[@someoneelse4710]

That was absolutely horrifying. A definite subversion of "kid detective takes on the bad guy and saves everyone." My heart broke when his friend was killed. The good guys don't always win.

[@BearPawSwipe]

It is a good reminder that this is "real life" where the good guy doesn't win and the consequences for crossing evil is a lifetime of suffering. Our media always makes a happy ending around the corner & that rarely is the case.

[@asneakylawngnome5792]

@@BearPawSwipe Very true

[@DeathnoteBB]

What gets me is how easily anyone, _any adult_ could have helped. Instead they all leave a child to handle this by himself and that just leads to more victims.

[@ChildOfChaos07]

I liked this movie, but the ending makes me love it. It’s so bleak and so heavy. It goes against the whole group of friends takes down the bad guy trope.

[@kdizzle901]

Well they took him down just not down for the count and at Woodys life and Daveys sanity

[@juanjimenez980]

I was waiting for a twist like revealing the babysitter was the killer during the movie or something. Ironically, my expectations caused the Mackey reveal to be a legitimate twist to me

[@joshkaye5303]

I swear I saw women's legs under that roller door storage unit scene.... thought it may have been the babysitter aswell for a moment there..... in cahoots with Mackey doing the heavy lifting

[@TimZoet]

I had the exact same experience. I felt like Mackey was way too obvious so I believed it was the babysitter the whole time. But when that phonecall happened and he discovered that Mackey called himself I was like "No way... it's really him.." - very well done how I too wouldn't have believed the main character, like everyone else

[@twinvortex]

I WAS JUST saying how I could do a double feature with this and “the black phone” cuz except this movie is WAY darker and stuck with me more. Another amazing choice and video!!!

[@melpomenesnightmare7291]

Aaasß

[@aboveyou686]

The boy behind the door is a better option imo

[@jaysony8587]

@@aboveyou686 not even.

[@meganfaith4052]

Yes! That was what I was thinking! This movie did it better

[@jonathanmulondo9206]

We were all long overdue for a deconstruction of 80s nostalgia I also wish that the It adaptations still took place in the 50s and didn't copy Stranger Things, which is ironic because stranger things was based off the works of Stephen King

[@clintmcbride7830]

I always figured they did the new IT the way they did more to make the second film take place in modern times. But I also just disagree. The original IT was written in the late eighties, when the adult section of the book took place, meaning the childs section had to be decades before. The new films were made in the teens so it just makes sense that the films creators would do the same thing King did. Yeah 80s nostalgia is way too rampant today but there is a difference between a show or film using the eighties as a setting, and them making it purely to cash in on the nostalgia. Most seasons of Stranger Things are not heavy handed with it. 3 is more so than the others. They don't beat you over the head in a way that literally is just a metaphor for screaming , "ITS THE EIGHTIES DONT YOU REMEMBER THIS FROM THE EIGHTIES OH MY GOD GUYS ITS A PROMINENT MOVIE, OH HEAR THAT ITS ANOTHER EIGHTIES SONG, OH COOL WERE GONNA RACK FOCUS THAT CHIC IN THE BACKGROUND WHO HAD A SHOULDER PADDED SUIT BECAUSE WASN'T THAT SUCH A CRAZY FASHION. But the better a genre does the more people who wanna ride the coattail. And people who only wanna ride the coattail are only doing it for money and not because it's an idea they love and want to develop. Leading to more of the badly done nostalgia porn.

[@hanolodo]

@@clintmcbride7830 Season 4 of Stranger Things did a good job of showing the good and bad of the 80s, especially with the nonsense of the Satanic Panic. In today's era if people went around saying that Dungeons and Dragons lead to Satanism, people would call you insane.

[@jonathanmulondo9206]

@@clintmcbride7830 I think we will probably get a couple of deconstructions of 80s nostalgia that might take a look into something like the Satanic Panic and the dangers of Reganomics. I also didn't disklike the new IT movies, I just wish that they didn't do the 80s nostalgia.

[@viljamtheninja]

@@hanolodo To be honest, I always thought Stranger Things was less mindlessly 80s romantic than people often claim. I mean, the first season especially deals with 1) children going missing, and 2) weird potentially world-ending scientific experiments (reflecting the nuclear fear surrounding the Cold War). Those things were always thematic key elements.

[@TheWonkster]

@@hanolodo that part of season 4 was so horrifically overblown that it reads more as a parody.

[@RB-vo4gi]

Stranger Things might have been the first tv show to build the nostalgia for the 80’s in quite the way it did, but I don’t hold it responsible for society reacting in the way that society reacts. “Oh? This thing set in the 80’s was super popular? Let’s give EVERYTHING for the next 8 years an 80’s vibe! An 80’s flair! Let’s set it all in the 80’s! Think of the money!” Its the same way I don’t blame Suzanne Collins for the boom of Dystopian literature after The Hunger Games.

[@dohlecarnett1866]

Brace yourself for the 90s nostaliga, I guess...

[@jedh3721]

I like how Red Letter Media put it. They call it the Campfire effect. You are camping, and having a good time with your little campfire roasting marshmallows and enjoying the warmth. Then someone comes along and decides if a little fire is good, then a lot more fire would be even better, and tosses a jug of gasoline on it and starts a forest fire.

[@Scarshadow666]

@@FluffyBunniesOnFire ^ Definitely this! Movies in the '80s were referencing and remaking things that were part of the '50s/'60s because it was what a lot of film-makers at the time grew up on, and now it's the '80s and '90s where people are gravitating toward for nostalgia now (and even some early '00s nostalgia is starting to appear too).

[@LeoFieTv]

Especially when you consider that Stranger Things doesn't portray the 80s as a good time, quite the opposite.

[@LadyAstarionAncunin]

But there is a direct correlation. It's not even about blame. It's just economics. Or Reaganomics, if you will.

[@christchex9732]

I am honestly surprised this movie didn't get a bigger release. It stays amazingly true to the 80's, fantastic acting and a great twist but bleak end to the whole spying on my neighbor genre. I have watched this multiple times and have enjoyed it each time. Thank you for covering it! I hope more people cover it as well and give it the views it deserves

[@JoyfulOrb]

I really want to watch this movie, but I'm terrified just reading the description! I'm so glad to have Ryan's dulcet tones helping me work up to it!

[@UnwrittenSpade]

This is satire right? We’re you really scared to watch a movie? Dive in mate I’m sure you will be fine

[@alexroy5854]

@@UnwrittenSpade Mate some people are strongly affected by media and/or past experiences. It's very realistic that somebody might not want to watch such a dark, frightening, depressing, and downright disturbing movie

[@JoyfulOrb]

@@UnwrittenSpade Thanks for the encouragement, because I'm truly scared.

[@JoyfulOrb]

@@alexroy5854 Thanks especially for the understanding! You GET it.

[@alexroy5854]

@@JoyfulOrb Absolutely, my gf used to suffer from self harm so the scene in Event Horizon with that is always super uncomfortable for me to watch. This movie is a hot bed of disturbing topics, so I figure many people would steer clear and/or tread with caution

[@marennicholson5444]

As a kid of the 80’s I’m fascinated by 80’s nostalgia because I never found there to be much to be nostalgic about (my love of Stranger Things is more story based than 80’s based). I find Summer of 84’ to be the anti-80’s nostalgia film. As you point out - nothing is what it seems from the beginning shot to the last. The constant Reagan/Bush references I’m sure are no accident as well as having this film take place in 1984 (hello there George Orwell) rather than 86 or 87. The father mentioning the Cold War never ending and to borrow your overly deep view of things, the Sorry game over the Monopoly one. I find the opening shot is what people think of the 80’s - happy people in tacky outfits with big hair. In the end the same street is revealed to be filled with struggling single mothers, foreclosed houses, domestic violence, abandoned innocence for children in the destruction of the tree house, and corrupt murderous police. Davey could very well be the quintessential Gen X character who sees nothing but dread in his future and he’s not wrong. Whatever 80’s nostalgia the filmmakers show in the beginning they take a quick and ruthless sledgehammer to by the end as if to say - eff the 80’s.

[@tanuki01]

Yeah, but at the same time, don’t you think we’ve had enough dread and hopelessness for the future? I don’t know.

[@marennicholson5444]

@@tanuki01 I’m not sure what you’re asking me here. Is it that you would rather this movie have had a happy ending or that you disagree that that’s the conclusion of the movie or rather my interpretation of it.

[@JillLulamoon]

I'm a millennial but I did grow up with a lot of music and films from the 80s since my mom was a big 80s teen lol, and it kinda bothers me how many people use the 80s nostalgia and kinda ignore all the really dark stuff that happened during that time. The frightening increase of Cold War hostility, HIV/AIDS crisis, early 80s economic recession from 1980 to 83 (which makes me think '84 was no random year they picked). There was a lot more happening in the 1980s in the US than just good music and goofy hairstyles.

[@animeotaku307]

@@JillLulamoon Also the Satanic Panic

[@tanuki01]

@@marennicholson5444 I’m not really asking anything of you. I just wanted to share my two cents on the joy we take in subverting and undermining something kids take refuge in

[@LordRydag]

It's actually a movie about me ruining one of my school holidays after getting into creepy pasta and staying up till 3am every night ready scary stories on the internet and giving myself mild psychosis.

[@GrimmvaleVT]

One really nice detail I noticed after multiple watches is how Macky says he helped build their attic, and the Attic is where he hides out at. Very subtle foreshadowing

[@SpookyScaryScully]

God with everything in this movie, seeing the foreclosure sign on Woodys house was what broke me. Phenomenal video dude.

[@kdizzle901]

“I can’t die tonight my mom needs me”

[@shimshamjunior]

I can only imagine what his mom did there was no way she could handle the grief of being a divorced woman and having a dead son

[@nicholasdanner628]

I don't know if the filmmakers intended this but I was entirely convinced the film was setting up that not only was Wayne innocent but in a twist Nikki would be revealed to be the actual killer, nothing shocked me more or made me happier then to see that I was completely wrong

[@ErinJeanette]

I thought daveys dad would be the killer or in cahoots with Mackey

[@juanjimenez980]

I thought she was gonna be the killer too

[@TyroneBruinsmaFilms]

Another great recommendation. Not an 80s throwback, but a 70s one- I hope you'll be able to cover 2022's X and it's upcoming prequel Pearly by Ti West

[@iusedtowrite6667]

Speaking of horror movies with kids, there's an old Indian horror movie called 'Makdee' (meaning spider), which covers how rural folk here are superstitious and is genuinely a very clever movie. It's a classic here, you might enjoy it.

[@kyrauniversal]

Oooo... I actually am studying a lot about Spiders and spider related legends around the world for my projects. Thank you for informing me of this. I'll gladly credit you as a source bringer in my Behind The Scenes video that explains certain themes I am implementing.

[@iusedtowrite6667]

@@kyrauniversal it's not technically spider related so idk how much that can add to it. But you can watch the movie and decide

[@kyrauniversal]

@@iusedtowrite6667 Oh trust me. There is an expression in America called "Web Of Lies" which means someone won't stop lying to themselves and others, or you can relate it to conspiracy theories and/or some type of widely known phenomenon that is considered truth with no logical merit. Such as Superstitions.

[@chattychatotchannel]

I hope it gets covered :D

[@kyrauniversal]

@@chattychatotchannel Me Too.

[@d0cf0x4]

The ending reminded me of the ending of The Kid Detective - a coming of age story where the amateur detective uncovers the truth, but the truth leaves them a deeply and psychologically damaged.

[@angelofmusic1992]

I'm a sucker for the IT remake, particularly the first movie. I know that kind of fed into the 80's nostalgia craze like Stranger Things, but I can't help but love it.

[@trinaq]

One thing that I appreciated about this movie was that it didn't glorify the 80's, and doesn't shy away from the more unsettling aspects of the era. This is similar to a recent 80's set time travel show, "Paper Girls", where they point out the period appropriate homophobia and derogatory language, and how it doesn't hold up in 2019.

[@TicTacPilgrim]

Check the original Comic run too. There is a page set up to how mindless video games were in the 80s and how one girl realizes she basically wasted her life. That is one of the most striking things in media in my opinion.

[@MariAnimates]

Woody's death absolutely floored me and left me distressed and horrified. I was heart broken and disturbed, I had never thought that something like that would happen. It was just...real

[@ScienceWinsEveryTime]

I could not believe that this film ended so damn perfectly the first time I watched it. Davey has gotten his friend killed, the killer got away, his childhood and possibly his life are destroyed, and Mackey is coming back. As the closing voiceover was playing out, I was yelling at my TV to "please let it end like this". Don't pull some bullshit that lets Davey or the audience off the hook, like he hears on the radio that Mackey got caught in another town. Don't you dare do that. Let it be this soul-crushing and impactful. And I was not disappointed. The credits rolled and all I could say was Holy Fucking Shit, over and over. Just a perfect ending. And what really hammered it home for me while thinking about it later, was that the severity of the ending wasn't just caused by playfully meddling into his neighbor's business. The real knife turn was realizing that Davey COULD HAVE gotten Mackey caught before he ever suspected anything or had a chance to escape. In the library scene, about halfway through the film, Davey's going through articles about the murder victims, with pictures of people that he has *already seen* on the wall in Mackey's house. They're right there under the headlines staring back at him. But because the group of friends are all treating it like a game or an adventure, and not a series of deadly serious crimes, he allows himself to be distracted by his friends and never puts 2 and 2 together, which has absolutely tragic consequences. He *could have* been the hero in that moment, caught the bad guy, kept his friends safe and saved future victims from their fates. He had everything that he needed in that moment, but the naive confidence and feeling of invincibility of teenagers got in the way, and everyone suffered for it. Outstanding film, one of my favorite endings ever.

[@connorletkeman5002]

My friends and I first watched Summer of 84 the same night as The Babysitter. Babysitter's light hearted approach is an excellent chaser for the dourness of '84

[@theflyingcrow84]

I have to say, this movie kinda reminds me of The Kid Detective which came out a few years ago; but where this movie uses children themselves to do the "loss of innocence when faced with the cold reality of life", The Kid Detective uses the premise of an embittered adult to reflect on the fact that beneath the veneer of their nostalgia, the world that they thought they knew was never real. I think it'd be an interesting companion piece in the way that they treat their subject material. Both of them want to be a hero, in Summer of 84 it's chasing something that would be colored as a fun adventure in a movie of the time period, and in The Kid Detective it's more in hopes of living up to the lofty expectations and goals put upon them as a child; and they both end in a startling revelation but where Summer of 84 uses horror for the reveal I'd say The Kid Detective leans into the eponymous premise and uses mystery to pull towards the end.

[@river8142]

This!!!! I was wondering why the ending felt so familiar!

[@deviltown13]

I watched Summer of 84 after starting this video. I only got a few seconds into the video here before I decided that I needed to see this movie. I finally had time today, and I watched it with my mother. What followed honestly was one of the best horror movies I've watched. I adored it all the way through, I love the characters and I think it was extremely well made.

[@WeaselFromNorth]

Not exactly a 80s nostalgia flick, but a another interesting teenager murder mystery/psychological thriller - "Super Dark Times". Love to hear the opinions on that film.

[@althealee9375]

If I’m not mistaken the case of Adam Walsh inspired Code Adam, which stores in the US and Canada use. “If an adult is seen attempting to leave with a child, employees must not physically intervene, to prevent putting the child or others at risk of immediate harm. Other than cashiers, all employees search likely hiding places for the missing child. The police are immediately called”

[@jdjfoster]

Things that immediately make the beginning of a week better: a new Ryan video. That's it. That's the list.

[@tomato.sandwich]

I concur

[@sheensyo]

In my top ten horror endings ever. Still think about it nearly everyday and how uncomfortable it made me!

[@MagraveOfGA]

Good lord... this film is genuinely one of the few literal gut-wrenching, anxiety inducing films I've encountered in a while. :|

[@nightmarefiles1]

I’ve watched that movie so many times

[@TheBowHandSet]

So glad I didn’t spoil this one for myself and came back. The turn caught me completely off guard and was super refreshing. I love a unhappy ending sometimes.

[@pray4m0j00]

The last act really hit me hard, so devoid of hope and just brutal

[@johnjr578]

Mackey's monologue near the end is fr the most chilling psychological moment in a movie I've felt since Se7en

[@maineman5757]

I really like 'Summer of 84'. I actually bought the movie on amazon one night while browsing and was really surprised by it.

[@saff4997]

Im sorry but I think this is one of the first times (the other being Crimson Peaks) where I sit back and go “huh?”. Because you start off this video clearly in dislike of ST but then rave about a film that clearly took a lot of inspiration from their success and follows very similar themes? I dont know.

[@wez9620]

I really enjoyed this one, for mostly the last part when it show the consequences of hunting a serial killer. If you want to cover similar movies I reccomend you The Clovehitch Killer 2018

[@timbrownhill7272]

I was just trying to remember the name of that movie to suggest it, you did it first, saved me the bother, thankyou :)

[@TheGrayEsteban]

It'd be great if you made a video on Super Dark Times. Despite the differences I think the appeal of both movies are similar, also both greatly underrated. The bleakness of teenage stupidity and naivety when taken to its peak, specially when set times that were in no way as safe as nostalgia likes to usually tint them.

[@christchex9732]

Super dark times is another I revisit often. These two films are right on par with each other. Great time peices and stories.

[@darkwoods1954]

Being a fan of synthwave and Stranger Things I love the hyper exaggerated 80s aesthetic. This film really hit me at the end as for most of it it's a pretty care free and fun romp. The somewhat nihilistic ending was quite hard hitting and a shock.

[@MonzterMichelle]

The actor for Mackey is so underrated, he was great in Madmen and I just loved hating his character, haha!

[@theclarkmaster3642]

Never seen it but this honestly looks great. Edit: Just watched it was really good. Had a great soundtrack too.

[@KEVANDJACKFRIGHTS]

This is without doubt a lost classic. Brilliantly made and played and deserves way more attention. One of my fav flicks of recent years. Good man for covering it. Keep er lit!

[@JillLulamoon]

I really don't think it can be overstated how haunting the ending of this film is. It's such a brutal slap back to reality against what you would expect from an 80s teen mystery homage. I think praise should be given to the great synth soundtrack too. Especially the ending track. The Cape May Slayer is still at large, and one day, he'll come back....

[@NoxMonstrum]

I'm glad you covered this film because it deserves the praise. It's one of the only newer 80s replicating films that stood out in a meaningful way. I felt so bad by the end of the movie.

[@nora_n3ko324]

I’m so glad you talked about this movie! It’s one of my all time favorite horror movies and genuinely chilled me to the bone. It’s honestly just so unsettling and sticks with you. It is beyond underrated and slept on

[@moxxibekk]

I watched this awhile back, thinking it would be your typical kids on bikes scenario. Were there some underdeveloped characters? Yes. But the ending has stuck with me for a long time. I watched Super dark times during the same time period, and it was another film that was a punch in the gut when it came to a tone shift.

[@Ranixo286]

Yeah I wish Eats and Faraday had a bit more development. You see Eats' home life a bit at the end but nothing with Farady. And seeing their perspective in how their friendship with Davey fell off in the end after all of that. Not to mention the only prominent female character was basically a sexy lamp to be in an inappropriate relationship with our MC...which sure you could say is making fun of the questionable relationship with babysitter-younger boy troupe but they kind of do nothing with it, aside from them just not getting together in the end, but still seem to be on good terms.

[@mikaross4671]

Summer of 84 definitely gave me hope that a modern 80s horror can be done right. I couldnt get into Stranger things past season 1 and All the fear street series were boring to me. Summer of 84 stuck with me, especially that ending. It felt so real and hopeless. I loved the character's hiding their home abuse behind a smile outside. As a child of the 80s, I saw this a lot with my friends who grow up in homes with domestic abuse. The actor playing Mackey is one of the most terrifying villains in a movie.

[@Pterosauria]

I spent this whole movie absolutely convinced that the twist would be that the kids had been investigating the wrong house and that the babysitter was the actual killer - the way all the victims are teen boys and she suddenly starts getting close to Davey, her coming up to his room to check out how much of a vantage point he has on her, and the scene where they find the other neighbor's house unlocked/full of rotten food with her there "taking care of their house for them" felt like things that could easily take on a sinister context in retrospect (coupled with the increasingly innocent explanations for Mackey). When she joined them in breaking into the neighbor's house I was sure it would turn out the basement was just normal, only for her to try to trap and kill them there to frame Mackey (since she was moving away that week and he had already been openly accused) and they'd have to use their knowledge of his house they'd gathered to escape. I was actually a bit disappointed when it turned out all the kids' inclinations about the killer were 100% spot on lol.

[@Ranixo286]

Meh I think that would have ruined it, just for another "gotcha" ending. But I DO think she was a purposeful red herring though.

[@wowhowbizarre8176]

I remember watching this in theaters ngl completely forgot this was an R rated horror 2/3s of the way in.

[@connorvanwinter8577]

I remember the first time I saw this movie I thought it was really fun with some good scares/tension and then by the end I was genuinely SHOOK. Such a great, underrated movie.

[@jadenbryant9283]

Late but yeah it's super underrated it got me guessing alot

[@Twy87]

I remember watching this not long after it was released in the UK and thinking the director had taken inspiration more from 'The Breakfast Club' than 'Stranger Things'.

[@shadowsoldier178]

Why does he talk like that? 😂😂😂 I think it’s hilarious lmao

[@kyrauniversal]

Me, reading the Newspaper in the intro: Oh Cool, Freeport! So this is a Maine take, right? Ryan, later: "That the media is referring to as the Cape May Slayer." Me: GODDAMMIT Oregon! You got Portland AND Freeport!

[@christopherhayes5238]

Haha! As someone who grew up in Auburn, ME in the 1980s at about the same age as the protagonists, I was hoping the same. I was first hoping that it'd be set in ME; then when I heard Cape May, I thought MA; only to be disappointed it is set in OR.

[@kyrauniversal]

@@christopherhayes5238 Well, hey. We can't lose em all, lol. We already got a Clown with a child stealing void in its head. Fog that covers everything and everyone. Kingdom Hospital. Along with Silent Hill in general, so yeah, we can't lose anymore people here.

[@christopherhayes5238]

@@kyrauniversal One of my friend's uncle by marriage shared a grad student suite with Steven King at UMO. He used to have my friend's uncle proof read some of his short stories, and his stories were filled with smut... sometimes quite disturbing smut; he thought Steven King was a sick little monkey in many ways. I live in So Cal now, and whenever I hear anything having to do with Maine, my ears perk up. My parents still live in good ol'Auburn, and I visit them once a year for a couple weeks in late August.

[@robertgreen7593]

My only criticism of this film is that the main character actor was born in 2002 and has spent almost his whole life sitting around on computers/consoles and his face permanently attached to a phone and has absolutely no clue how to ride a bike. Keep an eye out the next time you watch it. He can barely make it move without falling off.

[@mikaross4671]

LOL I'm going to watch out for that now.

[@FreeBird-ws2ye]

when it comes to the 80s me and my parents always bring the cold war topic of how dangerous the 80s really were it isnt just new wave and stuff. Plus 80s was really brown like still 70s brown theyre nostalgic about it yet they dont give justice even the color.

[@gamergirl209]

Ive never thought about it before now, but my parents moved to the country to become more self sufficient but the way they talk now, makes me wonder if cold war talk may have encouraged them

[@OceanIgs]

When I think of 80s, I imagine King of the Hill with how brown everything looks

[@swiftfated]

The color palette came up when watching Stranger Things- as if when the clock ticks to a new decade, all the cars and furniture and clothes instantly changs to the new decade trends. There's no 70s brown anywhere.

[@CloudBuilderMetba]

I’ve recommended this movie so many times, and people generally say that they’re done with 80s nostalgia. And then I reiterate that’s more of a reason to watch this film, and I’ve never been wrong. It’s brilliant.

[@versebuchanan512]

I don't believe that. You've been wrong about something, at least once. Statistically speaking you have to have been. STOP LYING 😭

[@gothgirl4evr414]

@@versebuchanan512 I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that they were referring to not being wrong about the reasons to watch this movie and not never being wrong in life in general. At least I truly hope so

[@versebuchanan512]

@@gothgirl4evr414 (Yeah I figured that too, I was being facetious

[@matthewgumabon7498]

I can only imagine what future movie makers are going to do when today’s era becomes retro and nostalgic. If an 80s childhood is apparently about fear of adulthood, love of adventure, and a distinct boom in legendary movies and musical performers… Then I’ll guess the 2010s will probably nostalgically be remembered for battling mental illness, a childhood spent chasing social media numbers, and an early adulthood struggling to pay rent but spending on expensive food and travel. (AKA, the life of the average American upper-middle class suburban kid).

[@I.____.....__...__]

Ryan's comparison to _Fright Night_ is good, and _Distrubia_ (2007) is basically a mashup of Fright Night and _Rear Window_ (1954), (Fright Night itself being inspired by Rear Window), but _Summer of 84_ (2018) was essentially just Disturbia in an 80s skin, right down to the tonal dichotomy of a serious thriller with dire consequences mixed with irreverent summer hi-jinks, and the kid worming his way into the suspect's house to investigate, and the movie ending without knowing anything true about the bad-guy, everything having been a facade. 🤷 7:02 The cop reveal is just _Silver Bullet_ (1985). (Or am I thinking of _The Howling_ (1981)? 🤔 Well some werewolf movie. 🤷)

[@Droemar]

I grew up in the 80s. Although I maintain that it had some of the best toys ever created, and some cool video games, the decade otherwise sucked. I was abused growing up, so I WAS what was going on behind closed doors, and by far I was not the only one. I listen to My Favorite Murder a lot, and the 80s proved that it took a lot of serial killers abducting people and kids for police to get their shit together. Of note was a paperboy taken by a serial killer, and when his mother reported his overturned bike and the dog beside it, the police told her he'd run away. She ended up campaigning to have the law changed so that if someone reported a missing CHILD, the police have to take specific and faster action now. I never knew someone died in order for children-abducted-by-serial-killers to get better law enforcement help, because I didn't think it was fucking required. The 80s was pretty dark, even without mentioning the economics that we are reaping now.

[@matthewgumabon7498]

Why are all modern “80s nostalgia” movies about middle to upper class social outcast kids in suburban America? Because it was those types of kids who grew up to make the movies. They were outcasted at school for loving comics, video games, and mystery books, but had a well off enough family to pay for their hobbies and send them to college. That’s probably why jocks are always the bad guys and the punk rock kids are always painted as scary. Jocks and punk rock kids didn’t go on to write movies about their childhood where they are the hero.

[@Emma88178]

My theory is that Mackey will never return to Davey because what would be the fun in that? I think he enjoys the idea of Davey being scared and paranoid for the rest of his natural life.

[@Conroy760]

I watched this because of you, and I loved it. I'm not a fan of cheap 80s throw backs, but this did extremely great things with the style and feel. I honestly feel like this is what Black Phone should have really been. Also one of my favorite movies ever is Fright Night from 85, so I do have a soft spot for well done movies like it

[@onemaddad3823]

I like the character of the killer in this movie so much more than the killer in “The Black Phone”. The psychology of this child killer is so much more on point with a real child killer than the “Grabber’s” character. The “Grabber” showed little to no motivation behind his reason for kidnapping and killing children, where in this movie, the killer has so many more realistic traits, that a real child killer would have. Coming off as harmless, charming, even adding the nice touch of him being a police officer. Where many real killer’s have an affinity for law enforcement, and in some cases, even wish they were law enforcement. The “Black Phone” drove me nuts because the “Grabber”, had a non-existing psychology. Not one we’ve ever seen in a real child killer before. But in this movie, the killer is much more realistic.

[@guybrushmonkey97]

You should talk about Super Dark Times! It's set in the 90's, but it's another fucked up kids on bikes movie, even if in a completely different way!

[@TicTacPilgrim]

A good follow up would be the Clove Hitch Killer or The Kid Detective.

[@christchex9732]

If he hasn't covered clove hitch killer he really should. Awesome movie for sure!

[@dashpellegrinidepaur1527]

I just recommend The Clovehitch Killer too. 😂😂

[@Mark-nh2hs]

Never heard of this film lol. Thought it was a review of the 80s season of American Horror Story 🤣🤣.

[@thebizzle413]

It's amazing to think that it took Etan Patz to make people realize late 1970's SOHO was not a safe place to let 7 year olds wonder alone. What a different world it was back then.

[@Bromeliadsss]

I thought the movie overall was decent but the ending didn’t land for me. Not sure why tho. Maybe it wasn’t satisfying enough … even with the killer getting away.

[@hieunguyenrileygekko]

the sudden turn at the end is really unique and makes me still remember the movie to this day

[@ZyroShadowPony]

I was born in 1998. So i didnt get hit with the modern 80s nostalgia and wish for movies about the early 2000s

[@TheBloodswordsman]

"Stay away from your shifty neighbours -" No worries Ryan. I can't be in danger of my shifty neighbour, if I *_am_* the shifty neighbour.

[@VoxParanoia]

Yo, Ryan! I've been watching your videos for a few years now. You're one of only a handful of creators whose content I consistently look forward to and I'll watch whatever you upload. I just wanted to wish you well and thank you for the years of entertainment.

[@ricardobernardo3095]

I have nothing against 80s nostalgia...if the story and delivery is great, preying on nostalgia is only going to give more emotional connetion to the movie if you have a found memory about 80s movies...

[@Nomoredrama2000]

Could you review Sleepaway Camp? That was a classic 80s horror film with unique kills and a famous twist ending.

[@mikaross4671]

Yesss. That ending was truly shocking on the first watch. I love it.

[@iusedtowrite6667]

Day 'i don't know' of asking Ryan to check out 'Tumbbad' Very interesting indian horror movie

[@deirdrejones5974]

This was a great analysis! I was a kid in the summer of 84, and it captured the atmosphere pretty well. It’s a very good film, absolutely worth a watch if you haven’t seen it.

[@ftuT]

You're kind of starting the spoilers before the actual spoiler alert, by 7:50 at least. Not cool.

[@MrBartusek]

damn dude never expected this movie to be reviewed. Love ya, kisses

[@EksaStelmere]

The birth of the "Stranger Danger" phenomenon in the 1960s (in the UK) and the 1980s (in the US) was the beginning of the largest spike in unnecessary self-isolation in those country's histories. So terrible has it been on the psyche of generations since that it may well have single-handedly brought upon this age of depressed youths and the very idleness lots of boomers casually blame on the youth. Surprised more films in the 80s nostalgia theme have not explored this destructive bit of "Toxic Altruism" that spun from the time period.

[@adammurphy4194]

This one stuck with me too. It's like a slasher version of Stand by Me.

[@marcusjackson4148]

Great analysis of a great movie. As an 80s baby it was the most genuine 80s nostalgia movie I've ever seen. The ending was terrific and I understand why there probably won't be a sequel.

[@Ranixo286]

I could see a "summer of 04" commenting on a post 9/11 American paranoia with an Adult Davey's Paranoia.

[@cu_ri_o]

this movie scarred me, man. I didn't expect such a brutal ending

[@bernardmccabe463]

Exact same reaction, this movie HAUNTED me, I think it was mostly the throat cut scene at the end.

[@randallholloway8686]

This movie was so fucking good and I put my friend from childhood on it recently! We had a blue house that was right next to mine as we were kids and when playing tag or manhunt, we were super confident the dude who lived there was a serial killer or something. Classic white van, grass unkept, it was legit from a kids pov. So yea this movie cut deep with me

[@bossdup3137]

People seem to forget that FICTIONAL works are exactly that. Fictional. Anything can happen and not everything has to be realistic, nor does it have to show the bleak side of the 80’s. People hating 80s nostalgia just hate it for the sake of hating it like anything else. There’s no actual rhyme or reason to it. Let people enjoy what they want to enjoy.

[@isabellamorris7902]

People can enjoy whatever they want, but can also dislike whatever they want - I totally get why someone would find certain kinds of nostalgia-baiting shallow and unsatisfying. But also something can be nostalgia baity and still pack emotional realism

[@bossdup3137]

Why are people so mad and bitter over 1980s nostalgia? Why can we not just let people enjoy what they want to enjoy lol? what’s wrong with it? People always have to have some sort of problem with things that are popular. Hating things that are popular doesn’t make you cool.

[@whiteeye3453]

80s nostalgia has beauty to it in that yes there are some this clishe moments but also dark like horror movies or buddies like life

[@GG-kn2se]

I really hated some parts of this movie. It was a throwback and followed certain tropes, except hey exaggerated the tropes to the point where the characters friends were moronic in a boring way, even though horror is famous for stupid characters this one didn’t handle it well imo. It got quite boring through the middle and the very very last death was unintentionally goofy. Despite this, it did have good scares which I didn’t expect, and I remember the main kid was good at acting.

[@Lili-ib2rh]

Thank you for talking about a film made by people from my province (Quebec). It's cool that they are more popular. :)