The '80s

Photo Illustration by Mental Floss. Woody Image: iStock. Background: IFC Midnight

It’s no surprise (or maybe it is) that several references to 'The Shining,' from the obvious to the obscure, have snuck into Pixar’s lineup over the years. Here are nine of them.

The man who was nearly Indiana Jones helped give life to one of the most popular shows of the '80s, which ended its run 30 years ago.

One sure sign of a toy craze is annoyed toy store owners, and in 1976, there were plenty of them. The reason? The Kenner Company had introduced a novel 10-inch latex doll that never remained on shelves for more than a few minutes at a time.

Audiences weren't buying what the Seventh Doctor was selling. But they were actively wishing death upon his companion.

For several decades, a creepy urban legend has circulated in the darker corners of online forums devoted to vintage video games.

In the 1980s, Flatley aspired to run a plumbing empire with a company called Dynasewer. Life took him in another direction.

The movie Francis Ford Coppola called "'Gone with the Wind' for 14-year-old girls" was released 35 years ago.

Before the broadcast, viewers were warned the TV movie would bring about "feelings of depression and helplessness."

In today’s social media-driven world, where everyone’s got a camera on their smartphone, celebrities know that it’s impossible to get away with anything.

The $13 gloves used thermochromic ink to make images "appear" when the temperature dropped below 40 degrees.

Strap yourself into an Atlasphere and find out what your favorite old school Gladiators did once returning to the real world.

You hear about Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, and the Baby Boomers all the time, but it’s not always clear who’s a part of these groups.

The '80s-themed rom-com that turned Adam Sandler into a genuine leading man hit theaters 20 years ago today.

Karen Neoh, Flickr, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

In 1988, one year before 'Cops' began asking the bad boys of America “What'cha gonna do when they come for you?,” noted victims’ advocate John Walsh was turning every American with access to Fox into a potential crime-solver on 'America’s Most Wanted'.

'The Super Bowl Shuffle' was billed as a song to "feed the needy." The Chicago Bears nearly fumbled it.

'The Wonder Years'—the award-winning and much-beloved 1960s-set coming-of-age series—was based on 'A Christmas Story.'

It was only a matter of time before the television remake trend found its way back to Hannibal, Murdock, Face, and B.A. Baracus, the four mercenaries better known as The A-Team.

The spooky TV ads for Time-Life's encyclopedia of the bizarre inspired the nightmares of countless '80s kids.

Until the impressive record was surpassed by 'The West Wing in 2000', 'Hill Street Blues' held the title of most Emmy-awarded freshman series, with eight trophies for its debut season alone (despite its basement-level ratings).

The nighttime soap you have to thank for the 1980s shoulder pad trend made its debut on this day in 1981.

Classrooms didn't have computer monitors when the game debuted in 1971, so kids had to use more of their imagination when shooting deer or succumbing to typhoid fever.