Mental Floss

THE '80S

George Rose, Getty Images

Versatile comic actor John Candy broke out in 1984's 'Splash,' but you might not know he was once targeted for a Sylvester Stallone movie.

Jake Rossen
Kyle MacLachlan stars in David Lynch's Dune (1984).

After several different filmmakers tried (and failed) to adapt Frank Herbert's 'Dune' for the big screen, the movie finally arrived via David Lynch, a then up-and-coming filmmaker who’d never been tested on a film of that size and scope.

Matthew Jackson




Jason Tester Guerrilla Futures, Flickr // CC BY-ND 2.0

The popular 1990s board game, which was hit with criticism for promoting reckless spending and stereotyping women as frenzied shoppers, is about to make a comeback.

Jake Rossen




Lynn-Holly Johnson, Bette Davis, and Kyle Richards in The Watcher in the Woods (1980).

Disney: Known for catchy songs, cute animal sidekicks, brave Princesses … and occasionally scarring children for life.

Rebecca Pahle
Brenda Chase, Hulton Archive/Getty Images

After a decade of giving bold young directors free rein, the Hollywood studios took back control in the 1980s. Still, a number of excellent movies managed to get made—including some that achieved greatness by reinventing old genres and tropes.

Eric D Snider
The Jim Henson Company

The animated series about diapered Muppets never explained why Kermit and company had been left inside a nursery and with no trace of their parents.

Jake Rossen








Tom Cruise stars in 'Risky Business' (1983).

Did Tom Cruise really dance in his underwear and a pair of Ray-Bans in 'Risky Business'? If you answered “yes,” you might be suffering from the Mandela Effect.

Jake Rossen




Warner Bros.

Before there was ‘The Batman' or ‘The Dark Knight,’ Tim Burton and Michael Keaton were reinventing the comic book movie genre with this 1989 blockbuster.

Matthew Jackson




Touchstone Pictures

Robin Williams's portrayal of John Keating was one of his iconic roles, and this drama about boys at a prep school in 1959 still endures.

Joy Lanzendorfer
Warner Home Video

Though much has been written about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the most entertaining look at the master composer's life might very well be Amadeus, Milos Forman's 1984 film about the artist's life (and rivalries).

Erika Berlin