80s movies

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Episode 9: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Travel back to 1988 with Bill and . . . Carla, as we have a MOST excellent adventure together taking about another favorite movie that talks about school. When two disengaged high school students, Theodore Logan and William S. Preston, Esquire, are faced a failing grade in history class, they have just one option left – to do one kick-ass final project. But they know nothing about history. Just when they are about to give up hope and wallowing in despair at the Circle K, they are visited by a surprise guest from the future. And with the help of a handy phone booth as their vehicle, they travel through time, kidnapping historical figures along they way as they try to save their history grade and

Will Bill and Ted pass their history final? Is this movie the single greatest example of experiential learning ever made? How does time traveling in a phone booth compare to travel in a DeLorean? Is Missy the hot stepmom, just an excuse for Oedipal humor? Are Bill and Ted dumb or just totally bored? How did Jane Wiedlin from the GoGos get cast as Joan of Arc? We will discuss these essential questions and so much more. You won’t want to miss this episode! It will be most excellent!

Check out this trailer before you begin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3fx6TugN7g

For those listeners who may have little experiences with phone booths, here is one that Carla runs by very frequently. Perhaps Bill and Ted visited Vasona Park, in Los Gatos.

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Episode 7: Stand and Deliver

It’s our first episode of the 2021-22 season.  We’re talking about Stand and Deliver, the true story of high school teacher Jaime Escalante who finds himself teaching math in East LA. He finds a group of students who find his less-than conventional teaching methods to be inspiring and he takes them all the was to AP Calculus. When they all successfully pass the AP Exam, their scores are challenged because of their ethnic surnames and they are forced to retake the exam with only one day to prepare.  No spoiler here. but they did make a movie about it, so . . .  The Real Life Escalante once said that this movie was “90% truth and 10% drama.”  Both Edward James Olmos (Escalante) and Lou Diamond Phillips (Angel Guzman) received Academy Award Nominations for their performances.

In this episode we talk about systemic racism, the dubious value of AP Courses, “Cholo” Culture, inner city schools, and the questionable role of “teacher as hero.”

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Episode 01: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Welcome to our first official episode! And there was no debate on our pick to kick off  this podcast.

It’s spring in Chicago and Ferris Bueller opens his shades, peers out at a glorious blue sky and asks, “How could I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?” Thus begins his adventure – a day off of school with his best friend, Cameron, and girl friend, Sloane. The 1985 John Hughes film, which portrays high school as pointless, dull, and filled with adults who are unimaginative buffoons, was an instant cult classic. So join us,  Bill and Carla, as we relive the moments you loved and talk about Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Never seen the movie?  (Have you been living in a cave under a rock?) Here is the original trailer.

playbill from Brighton Beach Memoirs

Carla mentions swooning over Matthew Broderick, having seen him perform the previous summer in Brighton Beach Memoirs on Broadway. Here is her signed program that she has save for 35 years.

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