March 11, 2008 - West Valley View

Are the ’80s not hip anymore?
Those gloriously decadent years, with their Reaganomics
and Twisted Sister, had a comeback not too long ago.
Synthesizers were a brief musical rage again. Neon was
staging a triumphant return. Tight pants and tall hair weren’t
far behind it. Even the Coreys — Feldman and Haim — were
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Test your '80s movie
knowledge with these
"borrowed" music names
working on projects together again. For a while, it seemed
1986 was staging a coup.
Now, not so much. Know how I can tell? Bands aren’t naming
their songs (or themselves) after ’80s movies anymore. What was
once all the rage with musicians raised in that decade is now
apparently passé.
New York-based spazz-grind outfit GENGHIS TRON have
dissected Genghis Khan and combined it with this flick, which
imagined computers on LSD … and with Frisbees.
Sing-songy metalcore band ATREYU stole its name from
this roaming character played by Noah Hathaway in a movie
directed by Wolfgang Peterson (Troy, The Perfect Storm, Air
Force One).
Not here at least.
Below is collection of bands and song titles (on the left) and
then movies (on the right). Match up the bizarre ’80s-plugging
music with the movies they come from. Answers are at the
bottom. Enjoy!
— Michael Clawson
Big Trouble in Little China
(1986)
Bill & Ted’s Excellent
Adventure (1989)
Now-defunct ska band SAVE FERRIS swiped its name
from this movie’s rally cry.
Friday the 13th (1980)
Indie-rock band NAKATOMI PLAZA found its name in this
popular, and ground-breaking, ’80s movie.
Pop-punk heroes The Ataris — yes, named after the early
video game system — have a popular song named “SAN
DIMAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RULES.” It was yelled
in this picture …
Debate swirls around Scottish band THE FRATELLIS,
which were named after a member’s uncle or a group of
characters in this super-classic ’80s picture.
A number of musicians and bands with the name
VENKMAN — DJ Venkman, The Venkman Heist, VenkMAN
— all borrowed their names from a dry-witted character from
this New York City-based movie.
ROONEY, a garage-pop band with direct ’80s ties — singer
Robert Carmine is related to the Coppolas and Nicolas Cage
— found their band name with this movie’s villain.
The NeverEnding Story
(1984)
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Fast Times at
Ridgemont High (1982)
Willow (1988)
Guyliner tribute band Fall Out Boy are known for funny song
titles, but “NOBODY PUTS BABY IN THE CORNER” is
more plagiarism than clever.
Fenix TX were once named RiverFenix, after the famous
’80s star who OD’d at Johnny Depp’s club in 1993. But guess
where the band’s song “PHOEBE” comes from.
Two bands named SPENGLER — one a Californian
experimental troupe, the other a gang of British punks — were
named after a character in this geeky comedy.
Washington-based hardcore band KANE HODDER were
named after this actor, who mainly played only one character
in the ’80s. The movie, character and actor now all have cult
followings. This is the movie …
Kane Hodder song No. 1: “ATTACK ON TIR ASLEEN.”
The song comes from this good-in-a-bad way picture.
Kane Hodder song No. 2: “DAVID LO PAN VS. JACK
BURTON.” The title references a fight in this campy ’80s
movie.
Tron (1982)
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
(1986)
Ghostbusters (1984)
Die Hard (1988)
The Goonies (1985)
Christian punkers SLICK SHOES plucked their name from
this goofball adventure/comedy.
Tucson screamo band The Bled have great song titles.
Guess where “HOTEL CORRAL ESSEX” comes from.
Metal mathematicians Burnt by the Sun is no stranger to
movie quoting — “Dow Jones and the Temple of Doom” —
but check out this one: “FISH UNDER THE SEA DANCE.”
Back to the Future (1985)
Revenge of the Nerds II:
Nerds in Paradise (1987)
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West Valley View, Litchfield Park, Arizona, Tuesday, March 11, 2008
CUT&PASTE
B3
LU
• 1:H • 2:D, Atreyu was the character of the young boy with the horse, Artax • 3:I, “Save Ferris” was the motto for the grassroots campaign started to buy a new kidney for a student who wasn’t even sick • 4:K, Nakatomi Plaza
was the building John McClane destroys from under Austrian terrorists • 5:B, During a public speech, a football jock is left with nothing to say, which is when he yells out this cheer that draws enormous applause • 6:L, The Fratellis are
the crime family hunting the teen treasure seekers • 7:J, Ghostbuster Peter Venkman is played by Bill Murray • 8:I, Ed Rooney is Ferris’ principal • 9:E, Patrick Swayze says this popular quote • 10:F, Phoebe Cates had a famous nude
scene at a pool in this movie • 11:J, Nerdy Ghostbuster Egon Spengler is played by Harold Ramis • 12:C. Hodder played masked murderer Jason Voorhees • 13:G, Tir Asleen is a location in the fantasy film • 14:A, These are battling
characters in the popular John Carpenter movie • 15:L, Slick Shoes are Data’s sneakers that squirt oil from the soles • 16:N, Hotel Corral Essex, with lights missing from the sign, hosts the massive nerd party in the middle of the movie
• 17:M, A character says the wrong name for the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance, where George McFly falls in love with Loraine Bains •